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Sunday, January 21, 2018

ChezCindy: Winter Citrus Tart


This puff pastry citrus tart can be made any time of year but is especially good during the winter.  Making this colorful tart in winter brings a bit of citrusy sunshine to your kitchen and your taste buds during the sun-deprived days of winter.  Consider using a variety of oranges in different colors, like  Cara Cara or blood oranges, or in size such as clementine or tangerines.   The tart is dusted with powdered sugar for a final finishing touch.  Serve warm as is or top with soft-peaked whipped cream.  The tart is also very good at breakfast or brunch served at room temperature.


Puff Pastry Citrus Tart
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but chilled
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
2-3 oranges or 5 clementine
1 egg, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and the white pith from each orange.  Slice each orange crosswise into quarter-inch slices.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry to a 10x10-inch square.  Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet.  Spread the raspberry preserves over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.  Brush the one-inch border with the lightly beaten egg, discarding the remaining egg.  Arrange the orange slices on top of the preserves, turning them over to coat with the preserves as you place them.

Bake the tart for roughly 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.  Halfway through the baking, use a pastry brush to brush any juices from the oranges over the pastry edges.

Remove the tart from the oven.  Brush any additional juices evenly over the oranges.  Cool slightly.  Lightly dust the top of the tart with the powdered sugar.  Cut into squares and serve warm.






Recipe adapted from Good Food, Good Life by Curtis Stone

Saturday, January 13, 2018

ChezCindy: Baked Egg Cups with Sweet Potato "Crust"


Preparing for a cooking class, I needed a recipe that was gluten free and simple enough for a child to make for their first cooking lesson.  I created this simple recipe realizing it would also work for those following a Paleo diet plan.  The sweet potato "crust" gets a head start in baking, allowing the grated potatoes to cook through, forming a nest for the seasoned eggs.

Baked egg cups are a convenient make-ahead treat to serve as breakfast, for a brunch buffet, or as an afternoon snack.  This simple recipe uses only potatoes and eggs as the star ingredients, making this suitable as a vegetarian dish, as well as gluten free.  You could consider adding chopped green onions and cheese, or bits of bacon to each baked egg cup for an additional flavor boost.  The recipe makes 6 egg cups but can easily be doubled.

Baked Egg Cups with Sweet Potato "Crust"  
1/2 cup grated sweet potato
1/2 cup grated Yukon gold potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs
Additional salt for seasoning the eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and grate a sweet potato.  Grate a Yukon gold potato, leaving the skin on if desired.  Place the grated potatoes onto a kitchen towel; squeeze out the excess potato liquid.  Combine 1/2 cup of each grated potato into a small bowl.  Add the oil and the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  Use a fork to combine.
Lightly spray 6 muffin cups with oil.  Add a heaping tablespoon to each muffin cup, dividing equally among the 6 cups.  Use the back of the tablespoon to press the potato mix into the cup.  Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Break 1 egg into a small bowl; add a small pinch of salt.  Use a fork to beat the egg lightly.  Add the beaten egg to one of the pre-baked sweet potato shells.  Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs to fill all 6 muffin cups.


Bake for 10-12 minutes until the eggs are no longer runny.  Remove from the oven.  Allow the baked eggs to rest in the muffin cups for 5 minutes.  Slide a butter knife around the edge of each baked egg.  Remove each baked egg from the muffin pan.  Serve warm.