Lemon Tartlets

These sweet and tangy treats are perfect for spring and summer. I would try to get the crust thinner next time. I tried to make these in mini muffin tins, and it ended up being way too much crust for the amount of filling that would fit, so they worked better in shallow tart pans. These are best made the day before serving them. (Though you could do the whipped cream the day of serving.) They would be beautiful served with an edible flower on top.

Lemon Tartlets

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

3 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

For the lemon curd:

6 large eggs

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar

zest of 6-8 lemons

1/2 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the whipped cream topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add butter, sugar and salt. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until just combined.

2. Divide dough into 4 parts, flatten into thin discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles that are 2 inches larger than each tart pan. Gently push each circle of dough into the tart pans, patching up any tears with extra dough. Chill dough in the pans in fridge or freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Prick the bottom of each tartlet with a fork. Bake until crust just starts to turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling:

5. Place 1 cup sugar in a medium sized pot. Add lemon zest to the pot. Rub the sugar and zest together to help release the oils. Pour lemon juice into the pot and stir.

6. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the salt. Beat very well. Pour the eggs into the sugar and whisk well. Set the pot over low heat.

7. Cook, stirring constantly until the curd thickens and registers 170 degrees F. 

8. Slice the butter and place in a large bowl. Place a sieve over it. Pour thickened curd through the sieve into the butter. Press through (this will remove zest and any egg bits). Stir until butter is melted. 

9. Allow curd to cool for a few minutes, then divide evenly into cooked tart shells. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

10. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag fitted with desired tip and pipe cream onto chilled tarts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (These held up well in the fridge overnight, fully assembled.)

Source: adapted from growingupcali and buttermilkbysam

Scallion Pancakes

These Asian-style pancakes are so much more delicious than it seems like they'd be, given the small list of ingredients. It can be tricky to get the temperature just right when cooking (i.e. it's easy to burn them), so keep the heat pretty low. I've been making them in a nonstick pan, but I'm curious to see how they'd do in a cast iron pan. Try to pack as many green onions into each pancake as possible. That's a key to making these taste amazing.

Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to sprinkle on dough

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup warm water

4-6 stalks green onion

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well and pour in 1 cup warm water. Stir well. Knead until the dough forms a smooth ball, adding more flour if necessary if the dough is too sticky. Drizzle a small amount of oil on top of dough and smooth over dough ball to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 minutes.

2. Chop up the green onion and place in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a small saucepan. Pour hot oil over the green onion mixture and stir to combine.

3. Spray counter surface with cooking spray and divide the dough into 4-5 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rectangle. Sprinkle on some salt and press it into the dough.

4. Divide the green onion mixture evenly between the dough rectangles and spread the mixture evenly over each rectangle. 

5. Roll a long side of each rectangle down to the middle, then roll from the bottom to the middle. Roll as tightly as possible. Roll from right to middle, then from left to middle. Put one spiral on top of the other one and smash them together. Let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Lightly roll each pancake out. In a skillet, drizzle in some oil and turn the heat to medium or medium-low. Once pan is heated, add in one pancake, put a lid on, and cook for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown on the bottom. Flip, put lid back on, and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until light golden brown.

Source: slightly adapted from tiffycooks.com

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

 I love the flavors and colors in this tasty salad. You can serve it with fresh bread and/or grilled chicken for a complete meal.

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups baby carrots, sliced in half if thick (or regular carrots, sliced into thick matchsticks)

1 large beet, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic cloves

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon coriander

Red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large avocado, peeled and sliced thin

3 cups mixed greens

1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 large orange

1 large lemon

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Honey goat cheese

Roasted and salted pepitas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. On a large sheet pan, spread a thin layer of olive oil. On the sheet pan, mix the carrots, beets, 1 garlic clove, shallot, juice from 1/2 of the orange, thyme, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss together. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool to room temperature.

For the dressing:

3. In a mason jar with a lid, combine 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, juice from the other half of the orange, juice from the lemon, red wine vinegar, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Shake to combine.

4. To assemble the salad, arrange greens into an even layer on a platter, then add roasted vegetables and sliced avocado. Add dressing, then top with goat cheese pieces and pepitas.

Source: adapted from kathleenashmore.com