Thinking of Spring
Today, the sun is out. As soon as I walk out the door with Stella, the dog, I see the light streaming in the east and I know it’s going to be a good day. As the sky slowly fills in with light blue, I can hear birds chirping. From one week to the next, I see small changes around me. In my backyard, I even see a couple of shoots poking through the ground, looking for light. The natural world is getting ready to spring.
February always deceives me. It’s the lowest and the highest point of winter. This month seems to drag on forever though it’s the shortest in days. And yet, it also brings us the harbingers of spring. So I navigate it carefully. I don’t let my hopes up too much and I don’t let my despair get too low. Instead of thinking on the ups and downs of the weather, I focus on the human element in my life: those who will warm my life by their presence and bring new thoughts to my hibernating brain.
So I have friends over for good food, and deep conversation. And since it’s February, I’m thinking about cherries. I pull out my recipe for tarts. These individual tarts resemble a really great pastry I had in Paris, France a few years ago. The flavor is of cherries and almonds and butter and it fills the gaping hole that February can leave in my gut. I set the frozen cherries to thaw then whip up the pastry cream then make the dough and then the filling. Here we go! Press the dough into the tins, spoon in the filling, place the cherries on top. Once baked, I let them cool just a bit and then gently pop them out. I can smell the butter, the almond, the cherries and I can’t wait to eat them. And sharing them with friends is the cherry on top!
Later in the week, I make a few more and use some home canned peaches. They are equally excellent. It’s a perfect way to bring a little bit of summer back into the kitchen while I wait for spring to arrive. And with March right around the corner, spring is not far behind.
Here is the recipe, if you want to make them. It comes in three steps: the pastry cream, the dough, then the filling.
PARISIAN TARTS
Firat, the Pastry Cream:
1 ½ c. half and half
½ c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
½ c. water
3 egg yolks
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
Heat the half and half to a simmer. Meanwhile, in another container, mix the cornstarch and sugar and stir in the water and egg yolks. While constantly whisking, add a third of the half and half to the sugar mixture. Then pour the sugar mixture back into the remaining half and half on the stove, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the pastry cream thickens. Remove from the stove and add the vanilla extract. Let cool.
Dough:
1 ½ c. butter, softened
1 ½ c. sugar
¾ t. almond extract
¾ t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
6 T. ground almonds
3 c. flour, as needed
Cream butter and sugar. Add extracts, salt, ground almonds and 2 c. flour. Add more flour as needed to make a malleable dough. Press thinly into small 4“ tart pans. Refrigerate or freeze the leftover dough, for later use. Makes enough for 12 tarts.
Tart Filling:
1 ½ c. pastry cream (see above recipe)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 ½ t. vanilla extract
1 ½ t. almond extract
6 T. honey
3 T. flour
6 T. ground almonds
Fill the tart shells with the filling, leaving enough room to also put fruit. I use sliced apples, or peaches, or apricots, or cherries for the fruit. Makes enough for 8 tarts.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the shell is darker brown and the filling is set. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Pop out of the tart shells. Let cool and serve.
