Berries and Cream Tart

Ingredients:

The toppings:

• 4 cups of fresh berries of your choice

The crust:

• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

The Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Adopted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/354026/berries-and-cream-tartlets. 

The Curst:

beat butter and sugar with a mixer on a low speed until just combined. Add in the flour and salt. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes. Make dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

Preheat over to 325º. Roll out dough and fit into a pie sheet. Trim the excess dough. Bake the dough, pressing down if puffing for about 25 minutes, or until a very light gold. Let cool completely. 

The Filling:

Heat the milk and 1/2 a cup of the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium high until almost boiling. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, flour, and a pinch of salt. Slowly add some of the warm milk mixture to the yolk mixture. Pour the yolk mixture in to the remainders of the milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. After one minute of boiling and constantly whisking remove saucepan from the stove. Whisk in the vanilla. 

Place a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for a least 1 hour or overnight. When ready to use, whip remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the heavy cream into the pastry cream. 

Fill the tart crust with the pastry cream. Top with berries of your choice! 

Banana Whoopie Pies

Ingredients: 

Banana Whoopie Pie:

• 1 lb. (about 4) bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, ONLY IF buttercream is too thick

Instructions:

Banana Whoopie Pie:

MAKES 24. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Peel and mush bananas with a fork until there are only a few small lumps. Blend together the lemon juice and the banana with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla into the banana mixture. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. 

Using a pastry bag or  plastic dip lock with a hole, squeeze the banana whoopee pie mixture onto the pan with a 2 inch diameter. Leave at least an in between each banana circle. Immediately put the whoopee pies into the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool completely. 

Vanilla Buttercream:
Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until there are no chunks. Slowly, with the mixer on a low speed add the powdered sugar, very slowly. Increase the speed of the electric mixer and add the vanilla. Once the entire mix is well combined, continue to mix the buttercream for 2 more minutes to get the light and fluffy effect. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now if the buttercream is too thick add only 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired thickness is achieved. If the buttercream is too think and liquidly add more powdered sugar gradually until thickened.

Assembly:
To fill the whoopie pies turn half of them over. Using a pastry bag, pipe a good amount of Vanilla Buttercream into the center of each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies and slightly push down.

Lemon Squares

Ingredients: 

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 sticks butter

Filling:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300º. Sift flour and powdered sugar  together, and cut in butter until blended. Press dough mixture over a greased 13 by 2-inch pan. Let bake at 300º for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, grated lemon rind, and the lemon juice. Once mixed together, gently pour over the baked crust. Bake at 350º for 25 to 35 minutes or until the lemony filling is set. Let completely cool before cutting. Makes 12 servings. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.