Canada Day Butter Tarts! (also appropriate for any other day)

Maple Butter Tarts

Maple Butter Tarts

Makes 10 tarts

For the pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pats
4–6 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar

For the filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional add-ins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut

For the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add in the butter pats and quickly rub and snap it into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse sand with some hunks of butter that are about the size of a pea.  In a small bowl, combine the ice water and vinegar and pour it over the flour and fat mixture, adding more water if needed. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix until a shaggy dough forms. Dump the dough onto a work surface and give it two or three kneads to bring the dough together.  Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and wrap and press the dough into a 1-inch thick disk. Pop this in the fridge for 45 minutes or so to allow the flour to hydrate and re-chill the fat. 

Meanwhile, mix up the filling by whisking together the brown sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, egg, melted butter, vanilla, vinegar, and salt in a large glass measuring cup. Set aside.

When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the dough from the fridge and set it out on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick and cut out as many approximately 5-inch circles as possible. If you don’t get 10 rounds, simply gather the rest of the dough, reroll, and cut out more circles. Gently press the circles into a muffin tin, rumpling the sides lightly so that they are a little wavy.

Scatter about a tablespoon of add-ins into the bottoms of each tart shell, if using, and pour over the filling. Do not fill the tarts all the way to the top as it will expand in the oven and may boil over.

Bake the tarts for 15 to 18 minutes or until the filling is puffy and slightly set and the pastry is golden brown.

Allow the tarts to cool for two minutes in the muffin tin then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

To me, nothing says “summer’s here!” quite like a short & sweet little biscuit filled with light & lofty whipped cream and bright berries!

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Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 5 to 6

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pats
2/3–3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoons whipping cream (or more buttermilk), for brushing the tops of the biscuits
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, optional, for sprinkling on top of the biscuits

Preheat your oven to 450ºF and line an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add in the cold butter and snap and rub the butter in with your fingertips just until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of a pea. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add in 2/3 cup of the cold buttermilk. Stir the mixture just until a very shaggy dough forms, adding more buttermilk if needed.

Lightly dust a work surface with some more flour. Turn the dough and any crumbly bits out onto the surface and lightly press and fold the mixture together until it holds its shape. Some remaining crumbly bits are ok - you just don’t want to over-work the dough as this will leave you with tough cakes. Press or roll the dough out into a 1-inch thick circle and, using a biscuit cutter or a wine glass, cut out 2- to 2 1/2-inch cakes. Gather and re-roll the dough up to another two times to cut out as many cakes as you can.

Transfer the cakes to the prepared cake pan so that they are all touching and brush the tops with the whipping cream or extra buttermilk. Sprinkle over the turbinado sugar and bake in your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow the shortcakes to cool before splitting and topping with whipped cream and macerated strawberries (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup whipping cream, cold from the fridge
2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add in about 1/4 cup of the whipping cream and beat just to combine. Add in the remaining whipping cream, powdered sugar to taste, and vanilla and whip just until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to two days.

Macerated Strawberries

454g strawberries, washed, trimmed, and quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gently stir together the quartered strawberries, sugar, and vanilla and set aside on the counter for 1 to 2 hours to allow the strawberries to become juicy and syrupy. If you’d like to make this in advance, feel free to mix everything up and place in the fridge for up to two days.

*Gluten-free all-purpose blends work really nicely in these shortcakes and, if you’re unable to find AP, cake & pastry will work well too.

Simple Baked Apples

Classic Baked Apples

One of my favourite speedy apple desserts, these little babies also regularly make an appearance on my breakfast table topped with a few spoonfuls of yogurt.

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Classic Baked Apple

Serves 4

 4 Red Prince or firm McIntosh apples
1 cup rolled oats
3–4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3–4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF, line a square baking dish with aluminum foil, and give it a spritz with non-stick cooking spray.

Using a melon baller or a small spoon, remove the cores of the apples. Set aside.

In to bowl of a food processor, combine half of the oats with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and blitz until well combined and the oats are a floury consistency. Add in the remaining oats and melted butter and pulse once or twice to combine. Nestle the apples into the prepared baking pan and stuff the apples with the oat mixture. Sprinkle any remaining oat mixture on top of and around the apples and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crumble mixture is browned and the apples have softened.

Tea for Two and Two (Teas) for Tea: Earl Grey Tea Loaf

Earl Grey Tea Loaf

Loaves are, in my humble opinion, the underrated hero of the cake world. They often appear understated but, ooo baby, can they ever pack a flavour punch! This little earl grey number is one of my go-tos for tea time when I want to amp up a classic tea loaf just a bit.

It’s pretty darn easy to make and decorate and even easier to unwittingly polish off.

I mean, I can’t be the only one who continually goes back for “just another sliver” only to realize I’ve eaten half a loaf, right?

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Earl Grey Tea Cake

 Makes 1 loaf

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Earl Grey tea leaves, very finely ground
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup Earl Grey infused milk, room temperature, recipe follows
Earl Grey glaze, recipe follows
Loose leaf Earl Grey tea, for decorating
Lemon zest, for decorating

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9- by 5-inch standard loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in the tea leafs and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  This should take about 2 minutes using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add the eggs, one at a time, then add in the vanilla and mix well to combine. 

With the mixer running on low, add in 1/3 of the flour followed by ½ of the earl grey infused milk and repeat until all of the flour and milk are used up.  Mix just until combined.  Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Once cool, drizzle the top of the loaf with a generous helping of Earl Grey Glaze and a scattering of loose leaf Earl Grey tea and some lemon zest. 

Earl Grey Milk

1 cup 2% or whole milk
1 Earl Grey tea bag

Heat the milk in the microwave and add the tea bag.  Allow this to steep for 10 – 15 minutes to infuse the milk then remove the tea bag.

Earl Grey Glaze

2 ¼ cups icing sugar
1 bag Earl Grey tea, cut open
3­–4 tablespoons milk or Earl Grey Milk, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon juice

In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, tea leafs, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.  If the glaze seems a bit thick, simply add a bit more milk to thin it out.  If it is too thin, add some more icing sugar.