Over the Mother’s Day weekend, I paid a surprise visit to my Mum as well as delivering treats a few family friend mothers (not my mum, but people who I have know since childhood). With one of them, I have a running joke about rhubarb, so I had to make a fancy pants rhubarb curd tart. Actually it was really easy and it turned out really nicely.
I love Lemon Tarts. They are always so distinct and palate cleansing after a hearty dinner. I like them more than anything chocolatey for sure. This one uses olive oil and less butter (though there is some) and lots and lots of meyer lemon juice. Here’s a trick to boost the lemon flavor: add just a touch of cream of tartar. It’s sort of like putting the lemon flavor on steroids.
Today is of course Pi Day in the US…. yes, we silly people who put month, then day, so … 3.14 aka Pie Day. Just to be silly, I did make a pie. Hasselback-Style Pear and Walnut Tart… OK, I guess it’s a Tart not a Pie. Oh well. It doesn’t look might much because the custard drowned the hasselback-style pears, but it still tastes good.
It’s an extra day off here in the U.S. (it’s a bank holiday, President’s Day) so without anything planned for the day, I decided to 1. clean out the freezer and 2. bake something. The freezer has been needing some organization anyway, and I have a whole pile of frozen blueberries headed my way, so I decided to take the last of the ones already in my freezer and bake a mini-pie. Did you know that I have almost 20 *different* blueberry pie recipes on this here CSPS website? And this one is new too. Instead of any sugar whatsoever, I replaced it with maple syrup. Tastes a little like blueberry pancakes. Nom nom nom.
I have mentioned this in the past: If I were to ever open a bakery (which I am never going to, so this is one of those things that I just say), I’d name it The Cheeky Little Tart. Yup, lots of multiple meanings in that name and I think it is cute. When I was trying to think of a name for this little, rustic, unadorned, plain, simple little apple pie, my brain named it The Naked Little Tart … which of course has even more meaning. 🙂 So whenever I think about it, my brain still thinks about that name, even though I guess I am going to officially call it Rustic Browned Butter Apple Tart. Either way, it is the simplest and yet most delicious pie you’ll have anytime soon. Enjoy.