Whipped Lemon Icebox Tart

Does food speak to you? It definitely speaks to me, and right now it’s the lemons screaming, “it’s spring, it’s spring!”  I seem to want lemon everything, and as I walked through the grocery store this week, I could almost hear the big bag of beautiful lemons whisper, “take me home”; so I did!

I absolutely love lemon curd – the tanginess that’s still somehow sweet and the silkiness that’s punctuated by bits of lemon zest so that you know it’s the real thing. I could eat it by the bowlful, but I usually try to show some self-control and share my golden treasure with others.

I’ve found that there are some people out there who find the pure lemon curd too overpowering (gasp!), and when serving a crowd, it might be best to town it down a little. I give you, my Whipped Lemon Icebox Tart.

I’d say this is more of a method than a recipe, but hey, maybe it’s something you haven’t thought of! Use your favorite lemon curd recipe (I’ve linked to Ina Garten’s below), and lighten it with homemade or store bought whipped topping. Smooth it into a prepared pie or tart shell, either homemade or store-bought, regular or graham cracker (decisions, decisions), and you have a beautiful spring dessert that’s easy, but sure to impress. I think this Whipped Lemon Icebox Tart would look fabulous on my Easter Table this year!

Whipped Lemon Icebox Tart

• 2 cups homemade Lemon Curd
• 2 cups freshly whipped Cream or store-bought Whipped Topping, plus extra for decorations if desired
• 1 baked Pie Crust or Tart Shell, homemade or store bought
• Lemon Twist for garnish

Place lemon curd in a large bowl. Add one large spoonful of whipped cream, and stir to combine. This will begin to lighten the curd. Add remaining whipped cream and gently fold in until combined. Spoon into pie shell and smooth top.

If desired, place extra whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe stars around edge of tart.

Place tart in the freezer for 2-3 hours to set, pull out  30 minutes to an hour before serving. (I like to pull the tart out to display as we sit down to eat, and by the time we are ready for dessert, it’s ready to cut!)

Silky Mocha Pie

After a couple of posts with nice, healthy recipes, how about today we go with chocolate pie? Don’t mind if I do!

As we were going stir crazy in the house last week, listening to branches crack and fall under the weight of the ice and watching cars slide down the road, there came a time when I needed chocolate. Rich, creamy, pure chocolate is all that would do. So I thought, okay, I can’t get to the grocery store, what do I have in the house to make something fantastic that will lift all of our spirits?

Pie was the answer. Oh, who am I kidding, pie is always the answer! I can easily make a pie crust using pantry staples that we always have on hand. (My go-to is Ina Garten’s Perfect Pie Crust.) Now for the custard filling. Milk? check. Eggs? check. Sugar, vanilla, and dark chocolate? Check, check, and check. At the last minute, I also decided to stir in some coffee granules to go in a more mocha direction, and because I like different textures, some toasted pecans on top for crunch. I used almond milk, but of course, you can use regular. Regular milk may thicken faster than the almond milk; if it gets too thick, just add a splash more milk.

The Hubby and I shared the last piece last night, and I was so sad to see it end. What will I do without my nightly treat of smooth, melt-in-my-mouth chocolate and crunchy pecans? Make another mocha pie, that’s what!

Silky Mocha Pie

• 1 Pie Crust, store-bought or home made
• ½ cup White Sugar
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cup Cornstarch
• 2 cups Almond Milk
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 6 ounces Dark Chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Instant Coffee Granules
• ½ cup toasted Pecans, chopped

Fit pie crust into pie pan or tart pan and bake according to package or recipe directions. Let cool completely.

In medium sized sauce pan, mix together white sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch.

In separate bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolks until well combined. Stir into sugar mixture in pan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, just until a boil is reached.  It should thicken quickly at this point. Once it thickens enough to coat your spoon, remove from heat and stir in chocolate, vanilla, and coffee until all chocolate is melted and custard is smooth.

Pour into pie shell and chill for at least 2 hours. Top with toasted pecans before serving.

Rustic Tomato Tart

A few days ago I was craving the flavors of roasted tomatoes and pesto, similar to the appetizer toasts I like to make for a crowd (see the Roasted Tomato and Pesto Toasts here), but I wanted something I could use as a bigger part of our meal, so I came up with this Rustic Tomato Tart.

I used the savory cream cheese crust that I love and layered pesto and roasted tomatoes. Topped with a little extra parmesan cheese, it was perfect! I love how roasting the tomatoes brings out so much sweetness and the pesto reminds me of summer. Folding the edges of the crust over (like a galette) is simple and rustic and beautiful all at the same time.

We enjoyed our tart alongside grilled chicken, but served with a salad, it is definitely satisfying enough to act as a vegetarian main dish.

Rustic Tomato Tart

• Prepared recipe of Cream Cheese Crust (you’ll only need half, save the rest for another use)
• 8-10 Roma tomatoes (I like more tomatoes, so I lean towards 10)
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 cup Pesto
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (Egg Wash)

Cut tomatoes in 1/2″ slices lengthwise. I usually get 4-5 slices per tomato. Lay slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. (This helps to draw some of the moisture out of the tomato.) Blot dry with another paper towel.

Preheat oven to 400⁰. Lay tomato slices onto a baking pan prepared with non-stick spray. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Roll out prepared dough to 1/4″ thick. The size and shape doesn’t really matter; remember, we’re going for rustic! Mine came out more like an 11×18 rectangle, so I went with it. Place rolled-out dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spread with pesto, leaving a 1″ border all around. Layer on your roasted tomato slices. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Fold your crust dough over the edges of the tart, overlapping as needed. Brush crust with egg wash. Reduce oven to 350⁰ and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust edges are golden brown.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature.