French pastries are some of the best in the world, new all agree on that. What I love about them though is not necessarily the taste and texture, but the fact that they represent the norm, they are the base of everything else. Starting from any of them French desserts, one can easily create something…
Pies, Tarts and Sweet Rolls
{Pistachio Raspberry Tartelettes} – Tarte cu fistic si zmeura
Truth is that the last couple of weeks, if not months, have been so so intense with classes and masterclasses and so much recipe research and tasting. Not that I am complaining as it’s been so fun and delightful! It’s like a dream job – making desserts and teaching people – it’s like living my…
{Mint Pistachio Tart} – Tarta cu menta si fistic
There’s two things that I love a bit too much in pastry – pistachio and praline. I always fall for these two flavors, regardless of what dessert it is. It could be a cake, it could be an ice cream (oh my, ice cream!) or it could be a tart, it really doesn’t matter as…
{Chocolate Amaretto Tart} – Tarta cu Amaretto si ciocolata
For someone saying she doesn’t like chocolate that much anymore, I do post a fair lot of chocolate dessert recipes. But look at this tart! It’s so pretty and packed with textures and flavor! The crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth tart shell, the rich almond frangipane soaked in Amaretto, the dense dark chocolate ganache and the airy chocolate…
{Tonka Apricot Tart} – Tarta cu tonka si caise
The season of apricots may be over, but not the season of tarts. I mean, look at this beauty! One can always find an excuse to bake such a delicious dessert! This tonka apricot tart is anything you’ve ever dreamed of in terms of how a tart should be: crisp pate sucree, moist and fragrant…
{Raspberry Pistachio Tartlets} – Mini tarte cu zmeura si fistic
Oh my, pistachio has become my weakness! Much like Superman’s kryptonite, except that I get stronger in its presence, I love it, I seek it, I enjoy working with it, I love its color and delicate flavor. And I believe that combined with raspberry, it becomes one of the best flavor combos there is! So…
{Infiniment Vanille Tartlets} – Mini tarte cu vanilie
Following my last post focusing on vanilla, here comes what I believe to be one of the best tartlette recipes I have ever made and tasted! I’m not even sure what makes these infiniment vanille tartlets so delighful: maybe it’s the creamiest texture ever or the intense vanilla flavor or perhaps the vanilla studded filling…
{Strawberry Frangipane Tartlettes} – Tarte cu frangipane
There’s no secret that I love almonds and I love strawberries. They are both delicate ingredients that work well together or mixed with other flavors. But despite using them before in various combos, together or alone, I’ve never made frangipane before and I have to say that I fell in love with it. The delicate almond…
{Amaretto Diplomat Tart} – Tarta cu vanilie si Amaretto
I love tarts and tartlettes, but there’s one thing I’m not too fond of – making the crusts. I’m usually a very patient person, I like to work slowly and do the job well, but when it comes to these crusts, I’m a totally different pastry chef. So I’ve been looking for options and found…
{Kalamansi Mango Tartlettes} – Tarte cu mango si kalamansi
Kalamansi, also known under the name of Golden lime or calamansi, is a mix between lime, kumquat and mandarin and it grows mostly in the Philippines and Malayasia, which makes them incredibly hard to source in Romania. But once in a blue moon, I do get the chance of finding them – either fresh or puree…
{Caramelized Banana Tart} – Tarta cu banane caramelizate
I have a thing for tarts and tartlettes lately – maybe it’s their shape, maybe their versatility or maybe just their amazing taste, I can’t pinpoint it. But there’s a huge interest for these beautiful, delicious tarts, baked in tiny metallic molds, either round or square, filled with silky vanilla pastry creams, plenty of fruits…
{Lemon Coconut Tartlets} – Mini tarte cu lamaie si cocos
Playing with ingredients is definitely something I enjoy from time to time – and if I were honest, it’s one of the reasons why I became a pastry chef – the creativity and the possibilities are immense, it just takes imagination, knowledge and a bit of bravery sometimes. Not that combining lemon and coconut is brave……
