Monthly Archives: June 2013
ffwd: sable breton galette with berries
Fruit tarts are one of my favorite desserts, so I was excited about making the Sable Breton Galette with Berries this week for French Fridays with Dorie. This tart is homemade summer simplicity at its best. A cookie crust is topped with lemon curd and fresh berries. That’s it!
The crust is made from a soft cookie dough. It’s similar to shortbread, but the egg and baking powder made it a little lighter, perfect for eating with a fork. The cookie base is pre-baked so, if you plan ahead, you can assemble this impressive dessert on a moment’s notice. The base is pressed into a flat disk rather than forming edges which made for a fun presentation.
The lemon curd can be homemade or store-bought. I wanted to try making it, but didn’t want lots extra, so I made a half batch which was the perfect amount for topping the tart. You whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice and a smidge of corn syrup then melt butter into it, whisking as you go. I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t come out thick or smooth, but after just 3 minutes, I had created a jar of lemony delight. I’ll be making this again.
For berries, you can use whatever you like. Local strawberries have finally arrived in these parts, so I topped my tart with strawberries and blueberries. I loved the color contrast.
When I was previewing this week’s Dorie recipe at home, Howard wasn’t wild about the idea of lemon curd, so I brought this to work to share. I brought the tart into a meeting, and I thought we’d serve it and eat while we met. I admire the self-control of the person this was in front of. The tart sat in the center of the table for over an hour before someone asked when we would be eating it. We cut it into 12 slices, and everyone enjoyed it.
This is definitely one of my favorite recipes in the book so far. I know this will make several appearances on our table this summer. For Howard, I will try spreading a matching berry jam on the cookie instead of lemon curd. I think that will be a delicious variation.
The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table. To see what other Doristas thought of this recipe, check out their posts here.
Happy Summer!
ffwd: back-of-the-card cheese & olive bread
I don’t make either very often, but I like savory breads more than sweet ones. I think it’s because the sweet ones are typically served at breakfast under the label of “bread”, but are really just cakes in loaf form. With the exception of a truly amazing sticky bun or coffee cake, I really don’t like sweets in the morning. That’s a long way of saying I was up to the task of this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Back-of-the-Card Cheese and Olive Bread.
The recipe called for tapenade, olives and Comté cheese, but cries out to be personalized. I took a peek in the refrigerator for inspiration. I decided to give my loaf a Greek twist. I substituted sun-dried tomatoes for half of the olives and used 1 cup of feta for the cheese.
I also opted to make mini loaves. Recipes for one big loaf fill my 3 smaller sized pans. I can eat one right away and share the others, or freeze for later. I served the bread alongside a bowl of soup for lunch, plus further nibbling throughout the day.
The flavors were salty and savory which I enjoyed. The texture of the bread was more like cake than a typical quick bread. Maybe that’s the French way. I’m not sure that I liked that part, especially with the savory ingredients, so I don’t think I’ll make this again.
If you’d like to try this yourself, Dorie has posted the recipe here. You can also find it in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.
To see the winning combinations of other French Fridays with Dorie participants, follow their links here
A Plateful of Happiness 