Tarte Tatin in Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce {French Caramel Apple Tart)

Tarte Tatin, the famed French caramel apple tart is a classic. No matter how perfect or imperfect it looks on the plate, a tarte tatin will taste heavenly. Pastry dough is placed over the top of caramelized apples and then baked in the oven. The tart is then inverted to reveal the buttery caramel soaked apples in all their glory. It is especially delicious served with scoops of ice cream or my vanilla bean custard sauce.

Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

10 green apples (peeled) 

1 9-inch pie crust dough (or store bought if you’re lazy like me) 

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)

Directions:

Peel, cut (in half) and core apples. Set aside.

In a 9-inch saucepan (with metal handle), melt butter and stir in sugar, salt and vanilla bean paste. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon. The sugar will melt and start to form a caramel sauce. It’s OK if there is a layer of butter floating on top. Don’t worry – it's not a dig deal.

Once the caramel has turned a light brown color, lower the flame to a simmer and carefully place all the apples in the saucepan. Make sure to evenly coat the apples with the caramel. Let the apples simmer for 10 minutes or so – stir occasionally.

Fun part. Use two forks to stack the apples on their sides (as if they were piggy backing each other – see picture). Make sure to fill your entire pan. Place a few apples in the center to fill the hole.

Place the 9 inch pie crust over the top of the apples and tuck the edges in.

Place in a 400 degree oven on the top rack and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Be sure to place a tray on the rack below to catch any juices that may boil over.

Take the tarte tatin out of the oven and wait for it to cool before flipping. Place a plate over the top of the saucepan and flip it quickly to avoid any sugary juices from dripping out. 

Drizzle with vanilla bean custard sauce.

***************

While the tart is cooling, you can prepare the custard sauce.

Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce

Ingredients: 

2 cups whipping cream 

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

4 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Place whipping cream in a saucepan. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.  Bring cream to simmer. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a metal bowl to blend. Whisk in hot cream. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens. About 5 minutes.  Do not boil or scald the sauce. Cover and refrigerate custard sauce until cold, about 3 hours.

(This can be prepared 1 day ahead if desired. Keep refrigerated.)

Creamy Banana Maca Root Ice Cream

I've been on a health kick lately...well not really, but you know how that goes. Every morning I've been trying to drink a green juice or blend up a bowl of frozen bananas and maca root for breakfast. It's super creamy and wonderful! Maca root tastes a bit like caramel to me, it's perfection when blended with bananas.

Benefits of Maca Root

Here and Here

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

1 tbsp. maca root powder

1 cup milk or almond milk

Directions:

-Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

-Top with banana slices, chia seeds, nutmeg or whatever fruit you fancy...

As you can see I had to make two -- one for me and one for Dan.

Fudgy Vanilla Brownies

            

             Fudgy, chewy, vanilla amazingness... basically the perfect brownie for vanilla lovers.

Ingredients
2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter {room temp}

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cup powdered sugar {sifted}

Instructions

Preheat oven 350F

-Grease and flour jelly roll pan or rectangular cake pan {15x10}

-Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

-In large pot, combine butter, heavy whipping cream and white chocolate chips. Stir until the chips 

  have melted and the liquid begins to boil. Remove from heat.

-Add flour mixture to the pot, stirring to combine.

-Stir in sour cream, beaten eggs, almond and vanilla extract, spread evenly in pan.

-Bake 25 minutes or until the tip of your knife comes out clean {poke the center of the the sheet with 

  the tip of your knife}. Set aside to cool.

-Make frosting {blend butter, milk, extracts and powdered sugar together in an electric stand mixer. Start mixer on low speed and end on high speed. Stop mixing when frosting can hold stiff peaks}

-Spread vanilla brownies with frosting

Vanilla Chai Chia Seed Pudding

It tastes just like a creamy chai tea. This is an incredibly easy recipe and convenient to take with you on the go. I like to make mine in a mason jar and screw on the lid so I can toss it in my purse when the morning gets busy. 

Healthy benefits of chia seeds …"they add fiber to your diet and are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your brain, heart and skin. Chia seeds have a high source of Calcium, Manganese and Phosphorus all of which support healthy bones and teeth. They are chock-full of protein and can fight belly fat" according to The Huffington Post. Sign me up!

Ingedients

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 cup cold milk (or almond milk is you prefer non-dairy)

2 tbsp. condensed milk (or 1 tsp stevia for a healthier option)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of allspice

pinch of glove

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or large cup. Let sit for 15 minutes to activate the natural gel that surrounds the seeds. Simple as that.

*I like to eat mine cold so I suggest placing it the the refrigerator until you want to eat it. You can also heat it up if you prefer it hot. 

Italian Iced Lemon Cookies

Italian Lemon Cookies

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter {2 stick}
3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powder sugar {sifted}

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions for cookies

-Preheat oven to 350F

-Combine the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

-Rub the sugar and lemon zest together to separate any clumps of zest.

-Cream butter and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy {about 3 minutes}

-Add lemon juice to the creamed butter mixture and stir for 1 minute

-Add eggs to the creamed butter on low speed until incorporated

-Combine dry and wet ingredients, mix on low until batter is evenly combined
-Chill dough for 20 minutes in the freezer.

-Roll dough into 2 inch balls, slightly flatten between your hands and place on a lined cookie sheet {I use silpat}.

-Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cookies will be done when slightly firm to the touch with light brown edges.

-Wait until cookies have completely cooled before dipping the top side into the glaze.

-Set on cooling rack with wax paper below it {to catch glaze drippings}.

Directions for lemon glaze

Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissolved. 

Ladurée French Macaron Recipe

I made a batch of  French Macarons the other day. Boy do I love these little things, but they are a pain to make...until I tried this recipe! Daniel and I honeymooned in Europe and we stopped in Paris to try the ever coveted Ladurée macarons. They were amazing! I picked up their English Sucré cookbook so I could make them at home. Be patient, say a prayer and they will turn out beautiful. 

This is a macaron shell recipe from Ladurée -- the crème de la crème of macarons in the world! And I whipped up the filling recipe myself...

Makes approximately 50 macarons

Bake at 300F

Macaron Shell Ingredients

2 ¾ cups + 1 tbsp (275 g) fine almond flour

2 cups + 1 tbsp (250 g) confectioners' sugar (aka powdered sugar)

6 +1/2 egg whites (room temp)

1 cup + 1 tbsp (210g) granulated white sugar

3 drops of whatever food coloring you desire

Directions for Macaron Shells:

1. Combine the ground almond flour and the confectioners sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a fine powder {do not over mix or you will end up with paste! Nooo!}. Sift through a sieve to remove any lumps.

2. In a large bowl {I use my KitchenAid}, whisk 6 egg whites until foamy. Once they are frothy, add a third of the granulated sugar {precisely 83.3 oz}. Whip until the sugar has dissolved. Add another third of the sugar. Whip for 1 minute. Add the last third of the sugar and whip for one minute. Egg whites should be glossy and hold soft peaks. Using a spatula, delicately fold the almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the whipped egg whites. In a separate bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 egg white until just frothy. Then add it to the final mixture, folding gently to slightly loosen the macaron batter.

3. If you only want to make one color of macarons, then add your desired food coloring to the batter bowl. If you want multiple colors, divide your batter into separate bowls and add coloring to each. Try not to over mix.

4. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag {you can also use zip lock bags with a cut corner}. Pipe small macaron rounds 1 1/2 inches in diameter onto a  lined baking sheet. I like to line mine with a silpat or this fancy macaron mat. Parchment paper will also do. Lightly tap the tray on the counter to release any air pockets. Allow the macarons to sit uncovered for 10 minutes, so a thin dry coat forms on the top {you should be able to gently touch them without the batter sticking to your finger}. Now they are ready for the oven. Only bake one tray at a time. Bake at 300F for approximately 15 minutes or until they form a smooth shell and little foot.  

*You can prepare the next tray while you wait for the first batch to bake.

5. Ok here is where you'll need to be extra patient. Wait until the macarons have completely cooled before peeling them off the mat. If they stick, they are not ready. * My method {because I'm impatient} to speed things up, try placing the hot baking sheet on top of cold damp dishtowels. This can cut your waiting time in half!

Macaroon Filling Ingredients

8 tbsp jam

4 tbsp soft butter

splash of whipping cream

Fills approximately 50 macarons 

{If you want to make different flavors on a smaller scale just measure 2:1 ratio for jam and butter}

Macaron Filling Instructions

Easy part!

1. You can use any flavor you want. For these macarons, I made different flavors for each color -- peach, strawberry, blueberry and chocolate. Mmmmm. My friend gave me some amazing homemade jams that I mixed with butter and a splash of whipping cream.  Your measurements will vary depending on how much filling you want for each flavor. Just mix jelly, butter and whipping cream until you reach a semi-solid consistency at room temp. This one is pretty hard to mess up.  

*I used Nutella for the chocolate hazelnut filling.

Good luck my friends!

               

           ^^^ Whipping the egg whites and sugar                       ^^^Smooth shell and little foot!                                                  

Done!

^^^Blood orange and framboise macarons from Lauduée on our honeymoon.

We jumped on a bus and took our macarons to the Eiffel Tower. Cliche? Yes. But this was a perfect moment for us. We sat on a park bench, gazed at the tower and savored every bite of of these Frenchy treats. Macarons, a pretty day in Paris and the love of my life... what more could I want! 

Cortaditos {With A Stove Top Espresso Maker}

Cortadito, is a Cuban espresso topped with steamed milk. It's by far my new favorite way to drink espresso! Sweet, creamy and full of flavor.

Here's what you'll need:

Stove top espresso maker

French coffee press

2-3 tablespoons Cuban espresso {Italian is fine too...I won't tell}

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Makes 4

1. Prepare your espresso maker according to the manufacturers directions. The amount of grounds used will be specific to your individual pots. Most require 2-3 tablespoons of espresso grounds. Fill the bottom container with water {just below the pressure valve} and then spoon your espresso into the metal filter. Gently smooth the grounds with the back of a spoon.  Screw the top back on and place on the stove. Wait for espresso to peculate.

2. Scoop 4 Tbs. of white sugar into a cup. Pour a few drops of hot espresso into the sugar and vigorously mix. This will result in a creamy, light brown paste. Add the remaining espresso to the paste and stir, creating a light brown layer of foam. 

^^^

*This is the cheaters way of simulating crema with a stove top espresso maker...not all of us can afford fancy pressurized machines, right? This is the next best thing.

3. Pour your sweet espresso in to tiny cups {fill halfway}.

4. Pour 1 cup of evaporated milk into a microwavable cup. Heat for 30 seconds or until hot. Then pour it into a French press. Pump the filter on the French press a few times to force oxygen into the milk, this will make it thick and frothy -- perfect for fine foam. 

*If you don't own a French press, you can stir the milk with a whisk and tap the cup on the counter to get rid of any large bubbles.

5. Pour the hot evaporated milk over the espresso and top with a pinch of cinnamon.

Beware. They are extremely addictive. I may have had 4 in one morning... Maybe I should just make them in a bigger cup? Ehh? No? 

I say yes. 

P.S. Dan is hooked too.

Lemon Velvet Cream Pie & Tarts

I would have to say that this is my favorite pie/tart recipe {you can either make 1 pie or 6 tarts}! The texture is perfection...smooth like a velvety custard with a tart refreshing taste and a creamy finish. I like mine served cold with a glass of milk!

Ingredients

1 refrigerated 9 inch pie crust {or 2 9inch for tarts}

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

6 egg yolks

2 cups sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

For Decorating:

Whipped Cream

Lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line your pie pan or tart pans with premade pie crust and place in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes. Be sure to prick the bottom and sides of pastry with a fork so the crust won’t bubble up when baking. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes. Then heat in microwave for 10 seconds and set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine 6 egg yolks and 2 cups of sweetened condensed milk. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. Add gelatin,  1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed. Add 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into prepared crust {pie will be full}.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until center of pie if firm when gently shaken; cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Top with whipped cream and lemon zest

German Puffed Pancakes {AKA Dutch Babies}

I love the weekends...we can sleep in as loooong as we want, wake up and make a glorious breakfast instead of the usual OJ chug and protein bar during the workweek. Today I got up before Dan and surprised him with German puffed pancakes. They are incredibly easy to make and so yummy. I like to eat mine with melted butter, squeezed lemon and powdered sugar. You can also top them with berries, whipped cream and or syrup, whatever you want! Long live the weekend!

 

Puffed Pancakes:

{Recipe yields one puffed pancake}

*They are really big. One pancake will serve one person.

2eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup flour

Dash of salt

Dash of cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar in a bowl.

Melt the butter in an 8-inch pie pan while the oven in preheating

Pour the batter into the melted butter pie pan.

Bake 10-12 minutes {or until edges have puffed-up a few inches and turned golden brown}.

Serve hot! Top with butter, lemon juice, powdered sugar, maple syrup, or fruit -- whatever your heart desires!

Brown Butter and Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies {The Best Cookies You'll Ever Eat}

These are the best cookies you’ll ever eat, hands down! This is the cookie recipe that I will keep forever....my future children's, children's, children will be baking these! They are decadent, rich and chewy. I love the combination of sweet creamy chocolate with a hint of sea salt. Gawwww they are my absolute favorite! Beware of their addictive powers.

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. of sea salt {extra for sprinkling -- I like to use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes}

2 sticks {1 cup} unsalted butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. sour cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

-Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

-Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the butter begins to brown. This may take a few minutes. Remove from the heat as soon as you see the butter turn to a clear brown color {as pictured below}. Pour butter into a large bowl and add both brown and white sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla and sour cream until thoroughly combined.

-Slowly mix dry ingredients into the butter sugar mixture

-Mix in chocolate chips

-Cool cookie dough for 20 minutes in the freezer {or 1 hour in the fridge}

-Roll cold dough into 2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat.

-Sprinkle with sea salt

-Bake for 9 minutes at 350F or until the edge of the cookies turn golden brown and the center is still soft. The center may look a little underdone, but fear not…this is exactly how you want them.

-Let the cookies cool on a wire wrack until the centers have settled.

Yields about 2 dozen cookies.

Cashew Oat Protein Bites {Just Like Cookie Dough}

 

Ingredients:

1 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup oats

½ banana

1 tbsp. peanut butter {crunchy or smooth}
2 tbsp. agave or maple syrup {whichever you prefer}
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

-Blend the cashews and oats in a blender until they resemble a course powder

- In a large bowl, mix ½ banana {mashed}, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 tbsp. agave, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Gradually add the cashew oat powder until everything is thoroughly combined.

-Roll into inch size balls

-Press chocolate chips into each one 

-You can eat them right away or freeze them for later {up to 2 weeks}.

They taste just like real cookie dough, but they're much healthier than the real deal. Keep them stashed in your freezer for when your sweet tooth cravings attack!

Fleur De Sel Caramel Cupcakes {Salted Caramel Cupcakes}

 

Ingredients:

Cupcake Batter:

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups white flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2/3 cup cold milk

Cinnamon swirl:

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tbsp. butter

 

Frosting:

3 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)

1 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. whipping cream

¼ cup fleur de sel caramel sauce (+ ½ cup for drizzling)

 

 

Directions for cupcakes: 

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

-In a large mixing bowl mix soft butter and sugar until blended and creamy. Add eggs and beat until incorporated.

-Add vanilla

-Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and add to the butter mixture. Then add and stir in milk.

-In a small separate bowl mix the cinnamon, brown sugar and butter together. This will be sprinkled in between layers of cupcake batter when pouring it into the cupcake pan.

 

Directions for frosting:

-With an electric mixer, whisk together sugar and butter.

-Mix for 3 minutes or until creamy.

-Add vanilla and cream and whisk for an additional minute.

-Add more cream if needed to reach your ideal consistency.

-Mix in ¼ cup of fleur de sel caramel sauce.

-Save the rest of the caramel sauce for drizzling

 

 

All pictures by A Bit Of Bees Knees

Blackberry, Honeydew, Guava & Strawberry Smoothie Topped with Cocoa Cashew Milk

 

Blackberry, honeydew, guava, strawberry smoothie topped with cocoa cashew milk. The best of both worlds -- fruit and chocolate!

 

Ingredients:

5 black berries

5 1-inch cubes of honeydew

4 guavas

5 strawberries

5 ice cubes

 

{Blend in a blender and pour through a mesh strainer}

 

Top with Sambazon's Cocoa Cashew Milk

or you can make your own.

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 pitted raw dates

1/4 cacao powder

4 cups of water

{Blend in a blender and strain}