Tarts

Mushroom and Chicken Tart

January 14, 2016 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

The holiday breaks are over, school and sports are gearing back up and there’s really no true break until spring break. So, quick and easy meals are needed now more than ever. While it’s so easy to drive thru somewhere or call in take-out, let’s face it, it’s not the answer for every night of the busy week.

Take-out gets expensive. Sometimes we don’t choose the healthiest of options when we pull up to the drive-thru window. We do what we’ve gotta do though.

So during the busy weeks, I love when I come across a meal that is easy, requires very little prep and utilizes simple ingredients. That’s just what we’ve got here with this mushroom and chicken tart. A few simple ingredients and a little less than an hour is all you need for this deliciously satisfying meal.

A pie or puff pastry crust, some rotisserie chicken, garlic, mushrooms, and cream cheese along with a few other ingredients is all you need. If you’re making this a vegetarian meal then omit the chicken and double the mushrooms. Heck, even it’s it not vegetarian double the mushrooms if you want because you can never have too many mushrooms!

This tart is simple but big on flavor. Tender chicken, hearty mushrooms and a tangy cream cheese topping all held together by a buttery, flaky crust.

It’s a simple yet impressive tart, so it would be ideal for guests. Serve with a nice green salad and a glass of white and viola. It also makes great leftovers; reheat or enjoy a slice cold for lunch the next day.

Mushroom and Chicken Tart

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
1 Small onion, diced
8 Oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Tsp dried oregano
1 (8oz) Package greek yogurt cream cheese (or any cream cheese)
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/3 Cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 Sheet puff pastry or 1 pie crust (store bought or homemade)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line the bottom of a tart pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray.

Roll the puff pastry or pie crust out until it’s big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Lay the pastry out in the prepared pan, gently press the bottom and sides of the crust, and cut off any excess.

Place the tart pan in the freezer while preparing the filling.

Place butter in a large skillet and allow to melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the onion and cook until they are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices, continue cooking until most of the liquid has again been absorbed. Remove from heat, taste, adjust seasonings if needed and set aside.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat on high until creamy. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

Remove the tart pan from the freezer. Spread the cooled mushroom mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan, add the chicken, sprinkle the cheese over the chicken, then gently spread the cream cheese mixture over the top.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the bop begins to brown and the egg mixture is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from The Good Hearted Woman

Brownie and Red Velvet Cookie Tart with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

February 13, 2015 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Valentine’s day is tomorrow. Have you made your reservations? Are you avoiding the chaos and crowds and staying in? We’re having a low-key evening at home complete with an amazing meal and a glass (or 2) of red. No Valentine’s meal, whether you’re dining out or staying is, is complete without an amazingly decadent and over the top dessert.

I’ve shared a week’s worth of desserts with you all with the focus of Valentines. Whether you and your special someone are chocoholics, or you prefer a chocolate-less indulgence I’ve covered all the bases. But, no Valentines or week dedicated to Valentines is complete without at least one red velvet recipe.

What is it about red velvet that has people going crazy for it, especially during the month of February. It is red, which is the color of love. It is also chocolate, which is synonymous with Valentines. So, maybe it’s the fact that red velvet meets all the requirements for the day of love.

So it seemed only right to wrap up Valentine’s week with some sort of red velvet concoction. I wanted to make something that was incredibly over the top. Something that hasn’t been done a million times and something that was completely indulgent and would make my special someone’s eyes pop wide open at just the site of it.

Since I’m a chocolate fiend, I decided to take the subtle chocolate taste of red velvet and amp it up by…oh, a thousand. So, I introduce you to a brownie red velvet tart. And because no red velvet cake it complete without cream cheese frosting, I topped it with a cream cheese whipped cream.

So, without further adieu let me introduce you to this incredibly, over the top dessert that is making an appearance just in time for the day of love. It starts with a red velvet cookie crust. Perfectly crunchy on the edges and incredibly chewy on the inside. The beautiful, red crust is filled with an amazingly, fudgy, chocolate brownie complete with both dark chocolate and white chocolate chips. And if that’s not enough, it’s topped with freshly whipped cream.

But not just any whipped cream, a cream cheese whipped cream. I think this is probably one of my all-time favorite whipped creams. It’s light and fluffy, subtly sweet and the perfect amount of tang from the cream cheese. This whipped cream is the perfect topping for such a rich and decadent dessert. The tang from the cream cheese helps cut through the richness and sweetness from the brownie and red velvet cookie crust.

So whatever you’re doing tomorrow night. Going out. Staying in. Just make sure you do one thing, and that’s to share a slice of this with your special someone. Or, if you happen to be flying solo, then get a fork, take the pan, cuddle up on the couch, turn on your favorite show and dig in!

Brownie and Red Velvet Cookie Tart with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

For the red velvet cookie crust-
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup white sugar
1 Tbsp food coloring
1 Egg
1 Tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp salt
1/3 Cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

For the brownie-
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter
2 Oz unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 Oz bitter sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 Cup sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp vanilla
1/4 Tsp salt
1/3 + 2 Tbsp flour
1/4 Cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 Cup white chocolate chips

For the cream cheese whipped cream-
2 Oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 inch tart pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

For the red velvet cookie crust-
Combine flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Place butter and both sugars in a large bowl and beat on high until creamed, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and beat an additional minutes, until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the red food coloring and mix to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Pour dough into prepared tart pan and pat out into an even, thin layer across the bottom and sides of the pan. You’ll want the crust to be approximately 1/4 inch in thickness. Remove any excess dough, you will have about 3/4 to 1 cup of extra dough (which is perfect for making a few red velvet cookies to snack on!). Place in the freezer while preparing the brownie filling.

For the brownie-
Place butter in a microwave safe dish and heat until almost completely melted. Add the chocolate, stir to combine and return to microwave. Heat in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted.

Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Add the salt and flour and mix until incorporated.

Remove the tart from the freezer. Sprinkle the dark chocolate chips over the tart crust. Slowly pour the brownie in the tart and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the brownie batter.

Place tart in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are set and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. There may be a few crumbs on the toothpick and that’s completely fine. Be sure not to over bake the tart as the red velvet cookie may become too hard to cut.

Allow tart to cool.

For the cream cheese whipped cream-
Place cream cheese in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the heavy whipping cream and the powdered sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks begin to form, be sure not to over beat. Spoon over the cooled tart.

Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired. Slice and enjoy!

Recipe source: A Lynsey original

Nutella Swirl Brownie and Sugar Cookie Tart

August 15, 2014 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

A few months (yes, months…I know I’m late with this post) ago we celebrated my mom’s birthday. She just happened to be in town so my crew, along with my brother and sister-in-law decided to get together to celebrate her birthday. We had steaks, salads, baked potatoes, bread and, of course, some veno!

But, no birthday celebration is complete without dessert. My mom is a chocolate lover, so I thought long and hard about all the options before finally settling on a tart. But, not just any tart. A brownie tart with a Nutella swirl and chunks of chewy sugar cookie. But what really put it over the top was the flecks of salt and bits of toffee.

This tart is the best of both worlds combining delicious flaky pie crust, chewy and dense brownie and buttery sugar cookies. As if that isn’t enough enough, dollops of delicious chocolaty-hazelnut plopped over the brownie batter before being baked. This not only add another level of flavor, but amps up that chocolate flavor too. The addition of salt makes for the sweet salty combo, as well as cutting some of the sweetness.

I love this version, but Lindsay also suggests subbing peanut butter for the Nutella which I think is a great idea. Biscoff would be a yummy substitution too, along with any of the other varieties of flavored peanut butter that are now available.

Now, if you’re wondering what the birthday girl thought. Well, she loved it. And she tasted it throughout the entire process; the pastry crust, brownie batter, cookie batter and even a scoop of Nutella. I honestly think she would have been happy with a bowl of raw dough…but she allowed me to have enough dough and batter to assemble the tart!

So, if you’re in the mood for pie, brownies and cookies all that the same time then this is definitely the dessert for you. If you need a delicious and crowd pleasing dessert for an event, or just something sweet to have around the house then you must try this tart!

Nutella Swirl Brownie and Sugar Cookie Tart

Ingredients:

For the sugar cookie dough-
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 Large egg
1 Tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp salt

For the brownie layer-
1/3 Cup flour
1/4 Cup dark or dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 Tsp instant espresso powder
1/4 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 Large egg
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

For tart assembly-
1 (9inch) Pie crust, homemade or store bought
1/4 Cup chocolate hazelnut spread
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Toffee bits, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll out pie crust, making it slightly thinner than you would for a normal pie, and gently please the crust into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim the excess dough. Place in the refrigerator and chill until ready to use.

For the sugar cookie dough-
Place butter in a large bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated and the mixture is fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until the dough just comes together.

For the brownie layer-
Combine flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine melted butter, white and brown sugar and whisk until a thick paste forms. Add egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and fold into the butter mixture until just incorporated and no dry bits of flour remain. Pour the batter into the chilled pie crust.

Place Nutella in a microwave safe dish and heat for 10-15 seconds, until just softened. Drizzle the Nutella over the top of the brownie batter. Crumble the sugar cookie dough over the brownie and Nutella. (You may only need 1/2-2/3 of the dough, the brownie still needs to be peeking through) Sprinkle with salt and toffee bits, if using.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the brownie is puffed and set and the sugar cookie is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until room temperature before slicing.

Store remaining tart in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Recipe source: Love and Olive Oil

Sweet Potato Tartelettes

November 15, 2013 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

When I think about the spread on Thanksgiving there are a few staples that come to mind. There’s the turkey, which is the centerpiece of the whole meal. Because what is Thanksgiving without the bird? Then there’s the supporting characters; green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls of some sort and the infamous sweet potato casserole.

Sweet potato casserole. This is the casserole that causes much debate. Some people love it and Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. Others despise it and don’t even want it in their site. Then there’s the whole with or without marshmallow debacle. I believe the sweet potato casserole lovers of the world are divided when it comes to this.

Some think “What is sweet potato casserole without the marshmallows?”, while others think “Why in the world would you put marshmallows on this casserole, just top it with the pecan sugar mixture”. Then there’s the minority, the people who want a mix of both marshmallows and sugar.

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I’m one of the fans of the infamous sweet potato casserole I thought it would be fun to come up with a clever, handheld version of the controversial dish. Everyone loves little food, there’s something about it that’s just so cute. Plus food that fits in the palm of your hand is just so much fun to eat.

I took the delicious sweet potatoes and seasoned them with a little butter, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar and I spooned it in little phyllo cups. Then I topped it with a brown pecan, sugar, cinnamon mixture and then I topped it with a few marshmallows. I popped them in the oven just long enough for the sugar to crisp a bit and the marshmallows to toast. This gives you all the deliciousness of the sweet potato casserole in a handheld version that takes a fraction of the time. Serve these as a side or appetizer at your turkey day gathering.

The only question is: are you a marshmallow on top kind of person or sugar pecan person? Customize these how you like and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Tartelettes

Ingredients:

For the filling-

1 Large sweet potato

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/8 Tsp cinnamon

1/4 Tsp brown sugar

1/2 Tsp milk, plus more if needed

1/4 Tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

For the topping-

1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tsp granulated sugar

1/4 Tsp cinnamon

1/2 Tbsp chopped pecans

To assemble-

1 (12 count) package phyllo dough cups

36 Mini marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

For the topping-

In a bowl combine the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and pecans, stir to combine. Set aside.

Using a fork, prick the potato all over numerous times. Place in the microwave and heat for 5-8 minutes, until tender to touch. Allow to sit in the microwave for an additional 5 minutes. Alternately, bake the potato at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until fork tender.

Once the potato is cool enough to handle cut in half, scoop out the flesh and place in a medium bowl. Add the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, milk and vanilla and beat on medium until mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are incorporated. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed. If the mixture is too thick add a bit more milk, half a teaspoon at a time.

Place phyllo cups on a baking sheet. Spoon a tablespoon of the potato mixture into each cup, cups should be filled almost to the top. Top each cup with half a teaspoon of the sugar mixture, then top with 3 marshmallows.

Place in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, long enough to heat the potatoes and toast the marshmallows.

Remove and serve immediately.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

DB: Chocolate and Caramel Tart

July 29, 2013 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

In a “celebration” of past Daring Baker and Daring Cook challenges, Lisa challenged all of us to search through the Daring Kitchen archives and pick any one we’d like! The REAL challenge was picking which delicious recipe(s) to try!

And boy was it a big challenge. There are so many previous challenges that I’ve “bookmarked” in my little noggin that I wanted to re-visit for one reason or another, but to this day still haven’t go back and try them again. Well, this month we were given that opportunity for the challenge. Even after all the notes I made and recipes I saved this month was still particularly difficult to figure out what I wanted to make.

After much debate, I ended up settling on a recent challenge. Not because I had failed or didn’t like the outcome, but because it was fresh on my mind and I had difficulty choosing which particular recipe to make that month. So this month I decided to revisit the pie challenge and make the chocolate and caramel tart. That recipe jumped out at me when I saw it initially, but the “Crack Pie” won in the end and I ended up making that recipe for the June challenge.

The Crack Pie was delicious and indeed addicting, but this tart was just as delicious. This was a tart, rather than a pie and this one involved chocolate whereas the other one did not. The pastry was perfectly buttery and flaky and baked to perfection. The filling, oh my, the filling. A smooth, creamy layer of rich, golden caramel topped by a decadent and rich layer of dark chocolate mousse. Oh my. This combination of flavors was absolutely unbeatable. Each bite was amazing and a little bite of heaven in my mouth.

There were a few different steps, none of which were too difficult, just a matter of waiting for the elements to cool before combining. But oh, were all these steps worth it. This tart may look simple but, the simplicity of the looks are made up for by the delicious caramel and chocolate filling. Top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and you’ve got a dessert that will please any and everyone.

Chocolate and Caramel Tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry-
1 Large egg yolk
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
9 Tbsp (1 stick + 1 tablespoon) cold butter, diced
3 Tbsp+ 1 Tsp cold water

For the caramel-
7 Tbsp granulated sugar
7 Tbsp heavy cream, heated

For the Chocolate Mousse-
2 Large eggs
7 Tbsp whole milk
1/3 Cup powdered sugar
3/4 Cup + 1Tbsp (13 Tbsp) whole cream
1 Cup + 3 Tbsp dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Directions:

For the pastry-

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spray a 9 inch (removable bottom) tart pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine egg yolk and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add one teaspoon of water and whisk until fluffy and pale in color. Set aside.

On a clean work surface, or in a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the diced, cold butter and cut into mixture until combined, the texture to resemble bread crumbs. Continue the process until the texture resembles sand.
it resembles breadcrumbs. Keep repeating the operation until it has the consistency of sand.

Gather the flour mixture into a mound and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture and remaining water into the prepared well. Using fingertips, incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated but do not overwork.

Gently gather the dough and roll into a ball. If the mixture stays together then it’s moist enough, if it doesn’t stay together, add more water a little at a time until the mixture stays together.

Using the palm of your hand, gently press the mixture away from you on the clean work surface. Gather the mixture up and repeat. This process, similar to kneading, will help develop the gluten. The ball of dough shouldn’t spring back when pressed.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the dough into a circle that’s about 3 mm thick. Gently place the dough in the pan and lightly press along bottoms and sides of the pan. Using a fork, gently prick all over the bottom.

Place parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place in oven and bake until set, about 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove pie weights and parchment paper and return to oven for an additional 6 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.

For the caramel-

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan over low-medium heat and evenly sprinkle sugar across the bottom of the pan. Stir the sugar until t starts to melt and it starts to become a liquid. Once about a quarter of the sugar has melted, gently and continuously stir with a wooden spoon until it has developed an amber color. Do not leave unattended as it will go from amber to burned quickly.

Remove the pan from heat and very carefully and slowly pour the hot cream into the mixture. During this process stir continuously. Keep stirring until the bubbling has stopped and the ingredients are well incorporated. Set aside and allow to cool.

For the chocolate-

Combine eggs and milk in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the powdered sugar and whisk to incorporate.

Place cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate bits. Stir the mixture until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir gently until smooth and creamy.

To assemble-

Pour the cooled caramel into the cooked tart shell.

Very carefully, and gently, pour the chocolate mousse over the caramel.

Place the tart in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling has set but is still slightly giggly in the center.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

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