Fresh Berry Puff Pastry Tarts

My dad and I went on a walk at the local lake today to pick wild blackberries. It was so fun (even though it was a little hot) to get out and go on a nice walk and do some foraging. We decided our ancestors were totally foragers/gatherers. 

Here's the beautiful path we walked on. 

Not too shabby for amateurs!

I wanted to bake something that retained the delicious taste of the fresh berries. I decided to bake some puff pastry tartlettes and whip up some pastry cream to top those. Then I covered them with fresh berries and a little bit of powdered sugar.

Fresh Berry Puff Pastry Tarts

Yields: 9- 3" tarts

1 sheet puff pastry

1 egg

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp butter

about 1 cup fresh berries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cut puff pastry with a cookie cutter into 9 equal pieces. Beat an egg and brush it on each of the tarts. Bake for about 15 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with silpat or  parchment paper.

2. While those are baking, make the pastry cream. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the whole milk, vanilla, salt, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Put it on medium heat until it begins to boil. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and the other 1/4 cup of sugar. Add the milk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, to the egg yolk mixture. Return this to the medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until it reaches about 160 degrees fahrenheit. 

4. Put it in a stand mixer (or I guess you could use a hand mixer) with the paddle attachment and add the butter. Beat the pastry cream for 5-7 minutes, or until all the butter is incorporated and it's starting to cool down. Put it in a small bowl and cover it with plastic wrap (let the plastic wrap touch the top of the cream because this prevents it from forming a layer on top) and put it in the fridge until it's cooled off. 

5. Pipe the pastry cream on the baked tarts and top them with the berries. Sift some powdered sugar on top. 

I think this is my favorite food photo I've taken to date. ^^^ The blackberries look SO good!

Bon appétit!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Yields: 3 dozen scrumptious cookies

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Cranraisins
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (I only put pecans in half my batch)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until it's light and fluffy. Taste a little. That's the best stuff in the whole world. Mix in the egg and the vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. 

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly until it's incorporated. Add the white chocolate chips, Cranraisins, and coconut and mix until they're evenly distributed. 

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (It's worth it-- they come out in better shape and texture). 

Drop in 1 tablespoon scoops on a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes and DO NOT BAKE THEM FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES or you will regret it and be sad forever. They may look like they're not done, but they are! I promise!

Eat all you can, and if there are any left, store them in an airtight container for up to 10 days. I doubt they'll last that long!

Bon Appétit!