Monday, June 09, 2008

Mmm mmmm mmm mmm mmmm

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Marie of A Year in Oak Cottage.  She chose La Palette's Strawberry Tart.  It was certainly a good choice.

It's essentially a rich, buttery, short dough that is pressed into a tart pan and baked until it's slightly caramely and brown.  It's sliced and then topped.  This keeps the crust wonderfully crunchy.  Although the recipe is written for strawberries, the family and I sat around thinking up wonderful combinations for the crust.

This is the first time I changed up the recipe a little.  I had read about a few problems that people were having with crumbling when they were trying to slice the crust.  I decided to make individual servings using a muffin tin.  It was perfect.  We each had a wonderful little tart that we could dress as we chose.  The tarts were a little thicker than if I had used a larger pan, but it was so tasty that I didn't mind.  At all.  My photography still needs work, or maybe I just need a camera that does better close-ups.  Or both.


I will definitely use this recipe again.  It's great for slightly last minute because the butter needs to be cold.  Plus, since the dough has to be frozen for a bit before baking, I think it lends itself well to do-ahead crust making.  Then you just pop it in the oven when you're ready.  Remember the four pounds of rhubarb?  I see another tart in my future!

Next week won't be a TWD for me.  It's my nephew's bar mitzvah this weekend, and I have volunteered to bake.  I think that by Tuesday I will be baked out.  Caroline of A Consuming Passion has chosen a Peppermint Creme Puff Ring.  I have made cream puffs before, so I don't feel that I'm totally missing out.  Plus, the idea of the peppermint just doesn't sound so good.  Oh well.  There's always the Tuesday after that!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

How fun to hang out with family and think of different things to do with your mini crusts. Our crusts look quite the same, I used the same type of pan as you did. Neat.

Anonymous said...

It is always a good idea to make individual servings. Looks great!

Shirlie said...

What a great by-product of using a muffin tin-- thicker crust! Beautiful job.

Amy said...

Muffin tins! Great idea! So cute.

CB said...

Love the muffin tin idea! So cute.
Clara @ I♥food4thought

Engineer Baker said...

My favorite part about this crust is the ability to just freeze it until you want to use it. Cute mini!

Garrett said...

Actually, a really thick tart sounds pretty good!

Anonymous said...

A muffin tin! Brilliant. And much easier to travel with.

Marie Rayner said...

I love your little mini tarts! Well done, and enjoy the Bar Mitzvah!! I bet there'll be a lot of fantastic food at the celebration afterwards!

Sihan said...

excellent idea having to dress up your own tart!

Anonymous said...

Love your description of everyone dressing up their own little tarts...my kids would so get into that idea of creating their own desserts, sort of like build-a-sundae night!

Happy cooking for the bar mitzvah and best of life wishes for the nephew!

Lori said...

love the little tarts. Very cute.

Di said...

Your muffin-cup tart looks great! This dough also works well in mini muffin tins (that's what I baked it in the last time I made tarts).

Gretchen Noelle said...

Love the muffin cup tarts!

Christine said...

Love your tarts! Muffin tins were a great idea!

Tammy said...

Love the wee tart's

Heather B said...

Great job! Love the muffin tarts!

Rachel said...

The smaller the size, the cuter the tart...It's just the laws of baking.
Kudos!

Susie Homemaker said...

toooo cute! love them!

Linda said...

I like your individual tarts. The variations on this recipe is endless, so what a great idea to have person create their own!

Jaime said...

your mini tarts are very cute!

if you're not aware of it, make sure you are using the macro setting (the flower) on your camera for those close up shots :)

Susan @ SGCC said...

You made baby tarts too! They are adorable. I love the idea of letting people fill their own. That way, everyone is happy! :)

Shari@Whisk: a food blog said...

I like that you made individual tarts and used a muffin tin. Great thinking.
Shari@Whisk: a food blog

Jacque said...

Wow, a family event! How nice. I love your little muffin tarts.

Anonymous said...

Great job with using the muffin tins! They look great.

ostwestwind said...

Have fun with your family next week!

Ulrike from Küchenlatein

Liliana said...

Good idea to use a muffin tin. If I hadn't come across that mini tart pan, I would have also used the muffin tin.

Your photos came out great!

eatme_delicious said...

Mmm your tart looks great! Love the idea of making them in muffin tins and a thick tart crust sounds perfect to me.

Jaime said...

your mini tart is just the right size!