Quarantine 15

Hard to believe how much has changed in the world since my last post. I posted the recipe for my blondies right as the world shut down to begin taming the spread of Covid-19. The first couple of weeks coincided with March Break so I didn’t notice the isolation quite as much. No I wasn’t working outside the house but it was March Break and that was normal. It wasn’t until the weeks turned to months that we really started to feel it. I am forever thankful for Zoom calls with friends and for the ability to message my sister all day long (not that I need a pandemic for that!)

One thing I haven’t done much of is baking. I’m not sure I can pinpoint why. Perhaps it's a fear of the dreaded quarantine 15 (because I will eat every crumb lol), perhaps it’s a symptom of laziness, and perhaps it’s from a fear of running out of supplies. But as we all settled into the new normal and grocery stores recovered from all the panic shopping I was able to relax and bake again. Once I was able to share with friends and family - from a safe distance of course - it was easier to get back into the kitchen.

Simple things like focaccia and cookies are always on the menu. Another good one was beer bread because it requires no yeast. Uses chemical leaveners in combination with the yeast in the beer to make the bread grow. The one “fancy” dessert I made was a simple summer fruit tart. With all the amazing fruits coming out and with farmers markets open, and thriving, it’s a great way to celebrate summer.

Since it’s 5am and I’ve been up for an hour I thought I’d drink my coffee, listen to the rain, and share the recipe:

Summer Berry Tart (built using recipes from The Baker’s Manual)

For the Crust (makes 3 9” shells)
2 C (284g) all-purpose flour
1 C (111g) cake flour
1/4C (50g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6g) kosher salt
1 C (227g) cold, unsalted butter
2 tbsp cold milk
egg wash (1 egg beated with 1 tsp water and pinch of salt)

For the Pastry Cream
1/2 C (100g) granulated sugar
1/4C (38g) cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
6 large egg yolks
2 1/2 C milk
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
2 tbsp unsalted butter

For the Top
A pint or two of your favourite berries - If strawberries cut into halves.

Crust
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment place both flours, sugar, and salt. Briefly combine.

With mixer running on medium-low mix in the cold butter 1 tbsp at a time.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the milk. Drizzle into the mixer once butter has reduced to 1/4” - 1/2” pieces (pea sized).

The dough will be a shaggy mess, but shouldn’t be wet. Press together and divide into 3 equal pieces. Wrap the extra pieces and store in fridge.

Take one portion and roll out into a circle about 1/8” thick. Line a tart pan with the dough, trim and crimp the edge. Place in the fridge for 30mins to relax the gluten. When ready to bake use a fork to prick the whole bottom of the tart (called docking) then line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (I use beans).

Bake the crust at 400F for 15mins, remove the parchment and beans, brush the bottom of the tart with egg wash (to help create a seal) and continue baking for 5-15mins. You’re looking for it to be nice and brown… don’t trust a timer, trust your eyes.

Allow to cool at room temp.

Pastry Cream
In a large bowl mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks.

Over medium heat bring the milk and vanilla to a boil. Slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking all the time (too quick and you’ll scramble the eggs!)

Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stirring frequently cook until mixture just reaches a boil (it should thicken).

Strain through a fine mesh strainer (in case you scrambled it a bit) and stir in the butter.

Cover with plastic wrap tight to the surface (to prevent a skin building up) and refrigerate. If needed whisk to loosen.

Assembly
Fill your tart shell with pastry cream, if you want to get fancy you can do a thin layer of jam on the bottom before you fill it. Then arrange your fruit over top. It can be fancy and organized or you can just pile it all on there. Entirely up to you - make it yours! Top with mint or basil if you’d like.

Enjoy!