26 June 2012

blueberry chocolate frangipane tart

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I wasn't even going to photograph this. I just made it quickly after work one day because... I don't know. I was bored? I just wanted to accomplish something. So I made this with no intention of taking the time to do photos. But then it came out of the oven, looked better than I thought it would so I snapped a few quick shots. 








The crust gets really crunchy, the filling is more bittersweet than sweet and the blueberries pop with every bite you take. I think this would work really well with blackberries or raspberries. Something tart and full of flavor. Blueberries are nice, but a bit bland for me. They are more of a subtle flavor that, for me, tends to gets lost when mixed with other things.












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*ok so it's technically not a frangipane because it doesn't have ground almonds. I used cocoa powder instead. But close enough... If you feel so inclined to make it a proper frangipane just substitute half of the cocoa powder for ground almonds.* Nothing really new to report on here. Life is the same. Every day. Wake up ridiculously early. Bake for the next 8 hours then come home and accomplish generally nothing. I always have lofty ambitions of all the things I can make, Oh it's still light enough to do photos! I think. But then I come home and sit in front of the tv and doze off. I am just so tired all the time. Its gotten to the point where I'm feeling awkward every time I start a 'photoshoot.' I keep leaving too much time between shoots and I can't get into a groove. Ramble...ramble...ramble. Sorry to complain. I think that I would be annoyed if I read a blog and the person was just complaining but I figure its better to be honest than try to be like 'everything is fabulous' when its not.













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Ok. One thing I'm happy about. I have a massive amount of culinary lavender. Like a LOT. It came in my last CSA box and now all I have to do is let it dry, for a few weeks or so right? and then it will be good and ready of baking. I couldn't figure out where I should let it dry, I thought my kitchen my thats a cluster fuck always. So I set up something in my room to hang it from and now my room completely smells like lavender. It's amazing. One of my favorite scents. So fresh. So clean. 













Crust is a Gordon Ramsay recipe
all else by me






If you haven't noticed, I've switched over to weigh measurements for my recipes instead of cups. I know this will probably annoy most of my fellow americas, but you really should just buy a kitchen scale and be converted. It's so much easier. No worry about, oh did I pack in the brown sugar enough? did I spoon the flour into the cup properly so it won't become tough? Just WEIGHT IT. All your worries are gone. 












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27 comments:

Cathy said...

What a delightful looking tart! It's so beautiful and bet the taste was everything you had hoped for. I appreciate your honesty with posts. It's honestly what keeps me coming back for more.

Cathy Trails

Anonymous said...

Luminarc makes a really great glass to measure solids in grams and liquids as well. It's really cheap also.

About the tart, i thought that frangipane was made with almonds?

Athena said...

Pretty tart... I like the blueberry stuck on the fork in the last pic. Oh! I got some beurre (butter) from a little cheese and butter shop here... I'll have to bring you some when I get back. Crossing fingers it makes it through customs first...

Julie Marie said...

Anon: yes it should have almonds to be a frangipane. But I ran out so it's a variation

Athena: I hope your having an amazing time! You must be having the most amazing food. I dream of the day I will get to try beurre. You are so sweet! Yes customs! That would be kind of an epic story to be detained over butter haha

Courtney @educatedderelicts said...

This looks delish! I can imagine it would look divinely inky with blackberries... must try when they're in season.

Maja said...

Yay for the metric system!

adi said...

i love this photos!!! beautiful!

Sherry said...

Oh please, if everyone's life was perfect all the time, how would we learn anthing, and wouldn't life be booooring? I prefer "keepin' it real". Thanks for your honesty and did you know lavender is great for lulling you to sleep?

Una Semplice Passione said...

The tart looks simple and delicious. I remember always feeling tired after work and just dozing off on the couch. I know how it can feel. You'll see you'll feel better at one point.

Brigette Olmos-Arreola said...

looks wonderful! i frequently bake just to feel like i accomplished something, especially on a lazy weekend.

Tesei said...

I also thought frangipane was made with almonds. But one of the best I've tried had both chocolate and blueberries, how would you add the almonds to your recipe if we have them in the pantry waiting to be used?

thelittleloaf said...

I love the dark colour you get with the blueberries and chocolate - as someone commented above it looks inky and delicious! Beautiful photos as always :-)

Crunchy Creamy Sweet said...

Gorgeous! I love rustic looking pies like this. Add some chocolate and I am IN! Thanks for sharing!

Trish said...

Nothing wrong with some real life venting every once in a while. :) Nice to read something true. Your post still looks absolutely beautiful and delicious!
Trish

www.jelly-bones.typepad.com

Rachel Nicole said...

My favorite of the photos is the last, where the lone blueberry is stabbed through with the last prong of your fork. I appreciate that your write like you're a normal human being, rather than a glorified, perfect baker who has thee life. You're alive, and that's beautiful. Take the day, hold it, smile at it, be thankful for it, and maybe even bake it something sweet if you're feeling especially generous. But don't give it unnecessary angst.. it's a just a day, and you're just a human. Give grace to both.

Adecentliving2 said...

yumm! I don't think I've ever seen something so cute and delicious looking at the same time... If we're not counting piglets anyway.

Anonymous said...

Australian reader (and molecular biologist) here thanking you from the bottom of my heart for using Metric units (instead of cups and other arbitrary measures). I don't use baking/ cooking recipes with 'cups' used as a measurement it's not precise (how the heck does anyone measure butter in a cup? Melt it? Pack it in there with a spoon?) not to mention Australian and British 'cups' differ in volume from their American counterparts. Everyone should have a scale-they cost around $12 now and go for $5 on ebay.. A more humorous take on it here. Hope that cheers you up a bit from feeling tired and over it-but a nap might be better..

Jill~a SaucyCook said...

Ok, ok I'll buy the damned kitchen scale!! Although the blueberries and chocolate idea did not rock my world, you had me at raspberry! This looks lovely and rustic and I do want to make this. I am sorry you are feeling kind of down lately and I think your blog is the perfect place to be a human, dump your feelings, look at them, fondle them and remember that tomorrow will bring a new beginning (-;

Chocolate Shavings said...

That's one beautiful looking tart! And I agree, doesn't baking always give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment. When I bake, I'm always amazed that the pile of ingredients I had in front of me a couple hours ago have resulted in a homegenous, delicious, treat!

India Wray-Murane said...

Dont be feeling awkward. The spaces in between posts makes us all the more excited to ooze over new photos.

Mike said...

Do we have to trust Gordon Ramsay recipe???? I'll do it only because YOU trust it. ;-)

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

as soon as i saw frangipane, i was curious! but wait, no almonds? waaahhh...so, i'm not a culinary pro, but can you still call this frangipane even without almonds / marzipan? just curious?

Anonymous said...

I'm just about to make this, with raspberries, for the 4th!! Am really excited. [I wish it was in cups and things, but I guess I'll get out the ol' measure since I have no choice.... :)]

One question though: do you know why I can no longer pin images from your blog on Pinterest? I wanted to share this recipe (and I think you'd get more hits from it!), but your page won't allow me. I used to be able to, on some of your old posts...??

Anonymous said...

weigh measurements finally <3
now your non-american followers can breathe easily :D

Taylor said...

oh my goodness gosh. this loooks so breaktaking. it's actually beautiful, you know? and i bet it is delicious.

wow!
love your blog. hello from your newest follower!

Amanda said...

That looks yummy and amazing, can't wait to try it! And even though I'm a fellow American, I'm a fan of the switch to weight measurements. I spent a few years living in Germany and got used to baking with weight measurements, it's SO much better :-)

Emilie said...

So happy you decided to switch to grams, that makes my life so much easier... Haven't managed to find a cup measurer here so I end up converting everything back in grams! Can't wait to try this!