Tarts by Tarts at Treasury Valentine’s Event

Tart of Gold was a mouth watering event from a vintage and food standpoint. Treasury is always a great visit because they do such an excellent job of arranging and styling their merchandise. We are especially taken with their accessories and never fail to make at least one purchase on every visit (including this one).

The baking duo of Tarts by Tarts should probably add the tagline ‘ridiculously photogenic baked goods’ to their website. The pictures we took definitely triggered a Pavlovian response while we edited them. Luckily we ordered their Simple Apple Tart at the event, and are happy (sad?) to report that we liked it so much most of it did not make it to Valentine’s Day.

Our pictures from Tart of Gold:

A great Valentine’s Day dress:

Donuts and hearts = paradise:

Cathy Chung, one-half of the Treasury Vintage empire:

The Lemon Ginger Meringue Tartlet:

Caramel Nut Tartlets:

We were happy to see Kate, who we have shot before. She also writes for BYT, works part time at Treasury, and looks beautiful:

Yeasted donuts with chili spiced chocolate glaze:

One of the great accessories displays at Treasury:

Yeasted donuts with Dulce de Leche filling:

Detail of the splatter-paint print on Ashley’s skirt:

Yeasted donuts with vanilla and coconut:

Great color on Ashley’s red bag:

Raspberries and Cream

I don’t like cake. Its usual overwhelming sweetness doesn’t play well with my ultra sensitive taste buds. And if you remember, I also don’t bake. There are, however, some exceptions to both, e.g. this Lime-Yogurt Raspberry Mousse Cake - A genius concoction by a pastry chef I know and the perfect vehicle for freshly picked raspberries. If you like nauseatingly sweet things, you will hate this cake, but if you are like me and lean more towards subtle and delicate flavors this cake might become your favorite dessert. Lucky for you it’s easy to make.

Join me on my second cake baking adventure:

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2. 2 tablespoons cold water
3. 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4. 7 tablespoons sugar
5. 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
6. 2 cups heavy cream
7. Your favorite pound cake or sponge cake (sliced horizontally into two)
8. 2 cups raspberries
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.

   

2. In a small saucepan, combine the lime juice with 5 tablespoons of the sugar and simmer over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.

   

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin until melted.
4. Transfer the lime gelatin to a medium bowl and let cool slightly.
5. Whisk in the yogurt.

   

6. In another bowl, beat 1 cup of the cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until softly whipped. Fold the cream into the yogurt mixture and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour.

   

7. Beat the remaining cup of cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
8. Cover the first cake layer with the lime-yogurt mouse and raspberries.

   

9. Add second cake layer and cover with whipped cream and remaining raspberries.

I bake in high heels

I am not domestic, and I certainly do not bake. However, I’ve spent 3 years cultivating and nurturing a very fertile lemon tree that bears beautiful, fragrant, gigantic lemons. I adore them and I was so excited to pick the first ripe one on Wednesday, but once I held it in my hands I had no idea what to do with it. After staring at it every morning in my kitchen I finally decided that I needed to set aside my baking reservations…temporarily…VERY temporarily…and make a cake with it.

This is the first cake I’ve ever made, and after tasting its delicious perfection it will be the only one I will ever want to make. You must try it. I have a couple slices left, I’ll give you one. ;)

Here is my pictorial baking journey and corresponding recipe. I like to weight things and my brain operates in the metric system, I’m a scientist, I can’t help it, but if you need conversions to inexact means of weight determination they are in parenthesis and greatly discouraged :)

• 210 grams (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 100 grams (1/4 cup) granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• Lemon Glaze:
• 66 grams (1/3 cup) granulated white sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a loaf pan. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter until softened with an electric mixer or a strong hand (I discourage the latter). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the 66 grams (1/3 cup) of sugar and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

If you can’t resist the smell, you may eat it while hot with ice cream (like I did).