(This week’s bake-a-long recipe, Dorie Greenspan’s Apricot Raspberry Tart from her Baking Chez Moi cookbook.)
It’s all about the French bake, baby! Also about the tart. Mmm…tart!
THINGS I HAVE DONE TODAY AFTER WORK:
Texted the DH to see if he was going shopping, as we were out of apricots (no stone fruit in the fruit bowl? Seriously unheard of in our house.) DH working late, so shopping was up to me. Walked to a local fruit store in Toronto’s muggy heat, while smelling of damp dog (a very damp dog slobbered all over me today, cute little drooly creature). Bought a bag of apricots and two pints of raspberries. (Only one pint made it home. I was hungry.)
Blind bake that tart shell, sunshine!
Came home, flopped on the bed and waited for the A/C to kick in. Reviewed Dorie’s recipe. Mixed up and blind-baked the sweet dough crust. Considered making a batch of ladyfingers to put in the base of the tart. Discarded that idea, because tired, and mixed up a batch of almond cream. Realized that I only had 1/2 c. of ground almonds. Tried to grind some walnuts in my spice grinder. Didn’t work. Ate the walnuts. Figured, what the hey, and only used 1/2 c. ground almonds in the almond cream. Add some vanilla extract to the almond cream. Decided I’d rather have a rum flavour, so added some rum. Wondered whether that would make it too runny, but again, what the hey.
Add fresh fruits and almond cream. Taste testing is key.
Spread the almond cream in the partially baked crust. Topped with halved apricots and raspberries. Popped into oven. Peered into oven periodically to make sure crust and almond cream not burning. Worried that almond cream was awfully liquidy and baking only around the edges. Covered edges in tinfoil crown. Hovered around oven door some more. Removed tinfoil crown. Worried that entire tart too brown but almond cream still too liquidy. Put tin foil cover across entire tart. Hovered some more. Removed tin foil. Worried some more. Reassured self that Dorie is all about the “French bake”.
Before baking. So pretty!
Forced self to leave kitchen and logged onto computer. Checked out what other bake-a-long members did for their versions of the recipe. Noted different possibilities for future variations. Went back to kitchen. Checked on progress of tart. Made lunches for tomorrow. Checked on tart again. Did the dishes. Got dishpan hands.
Took tart out of oven and let cool. Considered taking tart into work tomorrow for coworkers. Considered sending in tart with the DH to his work tomorrow. Discarded both ideas and promptly cut myself a slice. Enjoyed the tart. Ate another sliver. Packed a slice for lunch tomorrow. Wrote this blog post. Going to bed now. Sweet dreams, peeps!
Next Post: Ice Cream Brownie Squares! Ice cream. And brownies. That is all.
It is a pretty tasty (and easy!) dessert. I’ll be making this again!
I know! It tastes AWESOME! Love!
Look at those gorgeous berries – no wonder one of the containers didn’t make it home! It sounds so good, I’ll have to try the almond cream variation of this recipe.
I highly recommend the frangipane, Zosia! Mmm…want more now!
LOVE the humor of this post AND your tart looks amazing was well. Yes, it is the hazy days of summer and while munching on fruit is fabulous, turning on the oven to cook the tart was “not so much”. I recall the heat of checking on my own tart LOL. I am very much regretting not trying the almond cream and absolutely going that route the next time. YUM.
Thanks, Tricia! I totally recommend the almond cream! 🙂
Hahahaha… Going through the blogroll right now. This is the funniest post I’ve seen. Glad your tart came out so well. I have the same problem with staring at the oven door watching things cook.
Aww, thanks so much, Brenda! Totally made my day! And yes, I’m totally a watching-the-oven-door sort of baker!
Lovely tart! I like your touch of the rum to the almond cream! Using boozy almond cream as the filler sounds really delicious!
Boozy almond cream is fantastic, I totally recommend it! 🙂
LOL – I loved this post. I would have eaten some of the raspberries on the way home too, and you can’t waste walnuts, right?
Thanks, Cakelaw! Wasting walnuts is a no-no, eating walnuts is a yes-yes! Also raspberries. And tarts. Those are definitely yes-yeses as well. 🙂
Looks delish! I like the almond cream with apricots and raspberries in your tart, will have to remember to try this combo next time around! Enjoyed reading your post 😉
Thanks, Patty! Tart WAS delish! I love learning new recipes with this group!
Funny post! Absolutely beautiful tart! It has been quite hot and humid here, too! Glad your trek to the store was worth it in the end!!
Thanks, Kathy! Your comment made me happy! 🙂
I laughed all thru reading your post. I give all the bakers
a lot of credit, my Tricia included, to come home from work and start in on a baking project. You did a great job
and yes, this was too delicious to give away, I’m glad you enjoyed it yourself.
Aww, thanks so much, Nana! Your comment totally made my day! 🙂
Sounds like it was a hot day. Your tart turned out beautiful. I also had thoughts of sharing our tart but the 3 of us managed to eat it all in two days. How is this possible? And do make the broccoli it is delicious.
It’s possible to eat it all so fast because it’s sooo good! So so good. Mmm…want more now! And I’ll def. try the broccoli!
I totally gobbled down the fresh raspberries too, after I was done with the tart. Yours came out so nicely! Wasn’t the Frangipane just perfect?
Yes, I LOVED the frangipane! Sooo tasty!
I think I must do frangipane next time. Feeling jealous of those who did–yum!
I totally recommend the frangipane, Steph! Although your pistachio-studded tart looked fabulous!