Lemon Lavender Mini-Tarts
My family asks for this every year. I tried store bought lemon curd but it was either too sweet or the color was off. This recipe is rich and creamy with a pleasingly tart flavor.
My family asks for this every year. I tried store bought lemon curd but it was either too sweet or the color was off. This recipe is rich and creamy with a pleasingly tart flavor.
Filling: Lemon Lavender Curd
Makes 48+ small tarts (There will be left-over curd. YUM!)
6 whole lemons
1 cup sugar
5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons dried lavender
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
DIRECTIONS
Zest 4 of the lemons into a large metal bowl or double boiler. Juice the 4 lemons and continue juicing remaining lemons until you have 1-½ cups of lemon juice. Add the lemon juice, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, and lavender to the zest, and heat the mixture over simmering water, stirring until mixture is thickened. Strain lemon curd through a strainer into a bowl; discard solids in strainer. Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, and then pour into the prepared tart crust. Refrigerate tart until well chilled and set, about 4 hours.
Shell: Lavender-Rosemary
Shortbread Tart Shells
(Can also be made into cookies)
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2/3 cup white sugar, plus 2 teaspoons held separately until
the end
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon cooking lavender, pressed in a mortar and pestle to release the oils
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3
cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the flour, salt, lavender and rosemary until
well blended. The dough will be somewhat soft. Cover and refrigerate for 1
hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. I use two nonstick Wilton mini cupcake pans so I don't need to spray them.
- Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and press one ball into each cupcake section to form tart shell.
- Dock crust then line crust with foil or parchment paper and pie weights and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Note: The parchment makes it easy to remove pie weights. If you don't use it, the dough puffs up and bakes around the weights!
- Cool on wire racks, and store in an airtight
container at room temperature.
Makes 48 mini tart shells
Velvet Almond Fudge Cake: Best Chocolate Cake Ever!!!
This recipe has been around for awhile. My mother used to make this for my birthday every year. It was a contest winner she find in one of her magazines. Since then I've added some minor alternatives. I love dark chocolate and orange together. I am also a big fan of lavender so I will need to play around with that one. I'll post the lavender option once I've worked the details. Note this is a very rich, dense cake. It is best served with whip cream (preferably homemade) rather than frosting.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1 12 oz package of good chocolate chips
- 1 pkg (2-layer size) chocolate fudge or chocolate flavor cake mix
- 1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant chocolate fudge or chocolate instant pudding
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. each vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream (1/2 pint)
- 1/4 cup oil
DIRECTIONS
Chop almonds and toast at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 cup on bottom of well-greased 10-inch tube pan. Set aside remaining almonds & chocolate chips.
Measure remaining ingredients into mixing bowl. Blend and then beat at medium speed 4 minutes. Fold in chips and almonds. Pour into pan, bake at 350 degrees for 70 mins, or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Do not under bake. Cool in pan 15 mins. Remove. Finish cooling on rack. Garnish with homemade whip cream.
Alternatives
Chocolate/Orange Cake: Omit nuts, add 1TBS orange zest, use orange extract instead of almond extract
Chicken Pico de Gallo
Description
This recipe received honorable mention in Athens Holiday Mini Phyllo Shells Recipe Contest.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked medium-diced chicken
- 1 small diced avocado
- 1 small seeded and diced tomato
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (15 count) Athens® Mini Phyllo Shells
- 15 cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Directions
In a small bowl combine chicken, avocado, tomato, green onions, jalapeño, mayonnaise, vinegar, cilantro and salt mixing well. Chill for 1 hour. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of mixture into each Phyllo Shell. Garnish each with a sprig of cilantro. Serve immediately.
