Chocolate Truffle Tartlets

After reviewing the recipe for these tartlets, I decided the tool I would purchase next would be some tartlet pans with removeable bottoms. I found some 4 1/2" pans and ordered them. I waited impatiently as they arrived four days after their anticipated delivery date. My intention was to prepare the tartlets for Valentine's and also as a birthday gift for a friend that same day.

I prepared the crusts first. I had no problem with the crust made with the food processor. I was able to manipulate it into the necessary divisions for my 6 pans. In retrospect, I should have just used 5 of the pans, as the crust dough had to be spread a little thin for all 6 pans. I perservered and was able to press in all six crusts and set overnight in the fridge to chill.

After getting everyone off to school and work, I baked the crusts and let them cool. The house smelled "yummy." I always love the scents of baking in the house. I got started on the filling. I saved the egg whites for my daughter's breakfasts for the week, so nothing went to waste. The chickens are finally laying, so I was pleased that I had enough fresh eggs again.

Once the crusts were cooled thoroughly, I popped them out of the pans. All were fine, albiet delicate, except one that the sides stuck and when pressing the bottom of the crust, it began to tear and crack apart. I smashed the pieces back into the tart pan with the bottom to assist in the removal later. I figured this would be mine :)

The tarts were filled and placed into the oven to bake. I checked to see how they were doing and realized that a few of the crusts had broken under the weight of the filling. The filling was oozing out on those, but there were a few that held their own!

After cooling, the tart in the pan was easily removed and turned out to be one of the better looking of the bunch. I believe the problem with that individual was it was too thick in the center and the sides were to thin making them fragile.

I made a batch of home made vanilla ice cream to serve with the tartlets. The final product was not fully appreciated after the heavy dinner of homemade pasta with a gorgonzola spinach cream sauce with steak strips! We were so full! I think a light dinner salad followed by the tartlets would have worked better for our Valentine's dinner.

White Bread

I was very excited when I received my book in the mail, Baking with Julia, by Dorie Greenspan. The illustrations are beautiful. I curled up on the couch and started reading through the first section of the book. I love to cook, but haven’t had any real guidance other than trial and error. I’m still in the “ignorance is bliss” stage of baking! Although some of the recipes look intimidating, I am hopeful I will be able to turn out some beautiful baked goods, that are delicious as well.

I bought myself a scraper for my first project! My husband always says, “you have to have the right tool for a job!” Besides I have always wanted one… I pulled out my huge wooden cutting board, uncovered my giant mixer, and lined up my ingredients. The day was a gorgeous sunny desert day, and the sun was streaming in through the kitchen blinds, making a well-lit work space.

This recipe put my mixer to its first real vigorous and extended test. I was thrilled to find out that it could handle such a laborious task. The directions and my results all fell into place. The warnings before the dough was ready to fall apart were reassuring. Everything went very well and having the dough rising in my sunny kitchen was so wonderful. The back door was open and I could hear the ducks and chickens squawking in their yard. All was well out here in the desert.

I chose to put some peanut butter on the second loaf. My family puts peanut butter on everything. I’ve learned to accept it. I still get a little annoyed when they want to put it on breakfast crepes, but if I load one with fruits and cream before they pull out their knives, they get at least one without their old stand-by.

I turned the loaves out on a cooling rack and left them for the afternoon. When I cut into the peanut butter loaf, the chunks of peanut butter fell out of the slice and left holes in the bread. I ended up making French toast out of the remainder of that loaf and left that as a lesson learned. I made an additional two loaves, one to go with a spaghetti dinner and another for a neighbor that always has something from her garden to share. I saved the prettiest for her. And yet another pair because the family was asking for more.

I am not a white bread eater, so I didn't go gaga for these loaves. However, there is something about a fresh baked loaf of bread, no matter what type, that makes it just that much more delicious. I am so happy to have the familiarity and confidence with this recipe. I thought it was fantastic, warm and buttered with the spaghetti dinner. The family gave it thumbs up, so it will get a little check and through time the page will be spattered with flour and eventually the wet-then-dried spots will have a special wrinkle on the page making it easy to find.