birthday fruit tartlets: crust recipe

justine and i both share a love for fruit tarts - so for her birthday i decided to make some! the last time i made these, i really loved the pastry cream recipe i used - but i didn't like the crust so much. this time i used a different crust from joy of baking and it was perfect! not too crumbly or hard, just soft enough so that when you bite into it, the whole thing doesn't fall apart. i'll definitely be using this recipe again....maybe mango fruit tarts will be up next.

sweet pastry crust recipe

(adapted from joy of baking for mini tartlets)

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg (beaten)

directions:

1. beat the butter until softened, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy

2. gradually add in the beaten egg until incorporated

3. add flour + salt all at once and mix just until it forms a ball

4. divide and flatten the dough into 6 small disks 

5. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes

6. press into mini tartlet pans (use a non-stick spray first!)

7. cover and place in freezer for 15 minutes

8. remove and lightly prick the bottom of the crust with a fork

9. bake at 375F for 5 minutes and then reduce to 350F for another 10-12 minutes (or until golden)

10. cool completely before filling

i had enough pastry crust leftover to make probably one or two more tartlets, but i just rolled it out into a large cookie and topped that with pastry cream as well. enjoy!

honestly can't stop playing this on repeat

and she's only 16...whaat?

petals

i'm missing the flowers that must be blooming like crazy right now in peter's garden. i took this the last time i was home, but it's sad to think that they will probably be gone the next time i'm back. even the damaged ones are just as beautiful.

matcha and red bean nian gao

a few weeks ago - lanna made this matcha nian gao recipe and it was sooo good. all i did was add in the sweetened red bean paste - i tried to swirl it around, but it basically just plopped to the bottom. so the 2nd time i cut it into flat, thin layers and spread it across the top of the batter to let it sink in slowly.

ingredients: (makes 2 loaf pans)
1 lb glutinous rice flour
2 Tbs matcha powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
sweetened red bean paste (to your liking)

directions:
1. whisk together all the dry ingredients
2. mix in the wet ingredients until well combined
3. drop in the red bean paste
4. bake in 2 well greased loaf pans at 350F for 1 hour.

note: the edges are the BEST part

happy valentine's day-after

found this on my laptop: playing around with the flashlight app on the rooftop balcony of our hotel the night after our wedding ♥

exploring antwerp

 

 
the day before we went to bruges, we took an hour train ride from brussels to visit the little city of antwerp - a city filled with art + culture + design, even the train station was so incredibly beautiful. it's also where most of the world's diamonds are traded (i had no idea) and it produces the most amazing fashion designers (the antwerp 6). we stopped by the museum aan de stroom where we got a panoramic view of the city from the top of the building, and we also saw the madame grés exhibit at the fashion museum. too bad we didn't have more time for shopping!

waffles, fries, and mussels in brussels

aren't those the things you're supposed to eat while in belgium? we ate our fair share of fries from friterie tabora, mussels at chez leon (avoid the tourist traps!!!), and waffles at maison dandoy (and basically at every train station cart we could find). but i would go back just for those liege waffles.