Butter Tart Tutorial

made this last Saturday night and we had it for Easter dessert. My first time ever making a tart and it was so good! The best way I can describe the filling is that it's similar in texture to the stuff in pecan pie, only not topped with nuts. It's very, very sweet, though. It would have to be a once in a while treat for us.


First make your crust. Here's my easy crust recipe. So easy you don't even have to roll it. Now that's my kind of crust!:

• 3/4 cup butter (I used margarine, but in the future, I'd use the real stuff) at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour, all purpose

Directions

1. Dump all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.
2. Pat into a 9 inch pie pan. As with all crusts, DO NOT stretch! Pat evenly into place and up the sides of your dish.
3. Use a fork to prick holes all over so the crust will bake evenly.
4. Add filling and bake according to recipe instructions. For most pies/tarts, I'm guessing you could leave as is or bake beforehand, whichever you prefer.

On to the filling recipe, the original of which can be found here. The opinions and suggestions for things to do while you make it is my odd way of making it more interesting.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Unbaked tart shells ( I used one big pie pan instead of making individual tarts. It's all about easy!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Boil corn syrup with sugar for 5 minutes, until fully dissolved. Lift your toddler up for a peek so he can declare the mixture "Prilly!" and then allow him to rummage in the kitchen drawers so he can pretend to "Gook" like Mama.

Add butter and stir well, trying to make artsy swirly designs with the quickly melting medium. Ooh and aah with aforementioned toddler and then heave a collectively sad sigh when the pretty yellow swirls disappear. Let cool until just warmer than room temp.

Here's what it looked like after the butter was melted in and it was set aside to cool.

This is the part where you realize you forgot to prick holes in the crust and rush to correct the problem. It's a good thing you had to wait for the filling to cool! Dash down the hall like a mad woman to see what just made your little boy scream like he was getting his fingers chopped off. After soothing the little adventurer, who somehow managed to lock himself in a closet, settle him with hugs and a snack to munch on and get back to the kitchen! Grab a fork and randomly prick holes all over the crust to the beat of "Camptown Races" as your child tries to laugh at you and not choke on his snack at the same time.

Meanwhile, (after saving your crust from perhaps coming out like hardtack) in a mixing bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Add egg mixture to sugar syrup.

Stop what you are doing and put your child down for naptime and return to the kitchen to (hopefully) complete this tart in peace. Pour filling into unbaked tart shells or really huge tart shell masquerading as a pie crust (about 2/3 full). Bake for about 15 minutes. Time may vary depending on how large your butter tarts are. No kidding. Tartzilla took nearly an hour to be non jiggly in the center.

Voilà! Let cool and enjoy with an unsweet beverage to avoid sugar shock.  Feel free to repost these recipes and try 'em yourself. You might find a new favorite!

The Price of Beauty

I saw a commercial for Jessica Simpson's reality show The Price of Beauty and the idea intrigued me so much that I have just watched the first two episodes online. Having grown up in a South Pacific culture but now living in the US, being constantly bombarded by images of how people in mainstream fashion believe I should look is deeply unsettling. I've never had 100% positive self esteem, but the messages being machine gunned down my throat on billboards, TV and even radio are sometimes overwhelming and have me questioning what I believe beauty to be. Do I believe something is beautiful because that is what I think, or because that is what has been dictated to me as beauty? I don't quite know the answer to that question, but I'm slowly sifting through the rubble in my mind to find what I truly think about beauty and about what I believe is beautiful about myself. Now, in the past, I've been frustrated with Jessica Simpson and her tendency to appear airheaded at times. There were a few moments in the first episode where I thought she was being disrespectful, but she admitted she was wrong (which doesn't change what happened, but oh well) but the idea behind the show has some merit. At least, I believe it does. Instead of the all around exploitation of other reality shows, this show is trying to teach something. It really makes me stop and think about the preconceived notion of beauty. All around the world there are different standards of beauty. Most cultures see another culture's beauty standards as bizarre, but is peer pressure at fault in all these instances? Did someone somewhere decide something was beautiful and everyone else just jump on the bandwagon without asking why? I don't know. But it makes me reconsider my perception of beauty and strengthens my resolve to find inner beauty and not put so much stock on outer beauty. I still like my makeup and girly clothes; I just want to remember that I'm me with the same intellect and talent and compassion whether I'm all gussied up or not.

East Indian Skillet Potatoes and Butternut Squash Casserole Recipes

I made these dishes the other night and they were a big hit! Both recipes were found on Recipezaar.com. Let me know if you try them and how you liked them. It was my first time making an all vegetarian meal and Hubby and I didn't even miss the meat.We're making vegetarian night a weekly tradition. Not only is it better for us, but it also keeps the grocery bill down not having meat every single dinner. Happy Weekend, People!

ast Indian Skillet Potatoes

• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 serrano chilies, split lengthwise
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat cumin seeds and mustard seed in hot dry skillet over high heat, swirling pan, until seeds start to pop.
2. Reduce heat to medium; add onions, chilies, and add a small amount of water; cook until onion is tender, adding more water as necessary to prevent sticking.
3. Add potatoes, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt (to taste), and cayenne pepper, stirring to mix well.
4. Add 2/3 cup water, cover, reduce heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spices are absorbed and potatoes are tender.
5. Add a small amount of water at a time if all liquid evaporates.
6. Fold in cilantro just before serving.
   
   
   
   

   NOTE: I used spices I already had on hand. Instead of serrano chiles and cayenne pepper, I added chili powder and red pepper flakes. Other than that, everything else was the same and these potatoes turned out delicious!

   
   

   utternut Squash Casserole

   
   
   
   
   

   • 2 cups butternut squash, cooked
   • 3 eggs, well beaten
   • 1/4 cup sugar
   • 1/2 cup milk
   • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
   • 1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground

   Directions

   1. Cut in half lengthwise butternut squash; clean out bowl.
   2. Wrap in foil; bake in 350 degrees oven until soft. Cool; scoop out squash with teaspoon to measure 2 cups.
   3. Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
   4. Pour in a lightly greased 1 quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set.
      
      
      
      

      NOTE: The original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar. I used 1/4 cup and the sweet squash went perfectly with the slightly spicy potatoes.