amaretto & almond tart

 

happy monday! i hope everyone had a happy easter & relaxing long weekend. my family came up to the city this weekend to spend easter in toronto with my sister & i (buddy holly too). we walked along queen west & went to the distillery district for a delicious mexican brunch at el catrin followed by some antique (window) shopping. we even ate a whole easter lamb pound cake! it was the first time i ever had one, it was so good. my mom made my favourite cherry cookies & i made these fancy little almond tartlets in the most gorgeous copper pans. i love the flavour of amaretto & almond. i was able to get an almond flavour throughout the tart by using bob's red mill's almond meal flour in both the crust & filling. the crust is buttery like a shortbread cookie & the filling is soft like cake. i made them to be not overly sweet, just a touch of powdered sugar to sweeten the deal.

ingredients

for the crust

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon amaretto
  • 1/2 cup bob's red mill almond meal/flour
  • 1 1/2 cups bob's red mill all purpose flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons ice water

for the filling

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon amaretto
  • 1 cup bob's red mill almond meal/flour
  • 1/4 cup bob's red mill all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, for topping
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

directions

  • for the crust: preheat oven to 350 degrees. in a mixing bowl add the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, amaretto, almond flour & flour. using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut into the butter until a pea sized crumb consistency is formed. add the water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to come together. take a handful of the dough & press it into the tartlet pans. place tartlets in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. bake for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

  • for the filling: in a mixing bowl cream butter & sugar. add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract & amaretto. add the almond flour, flour & salt, beat until a smooth batter is formed. pour into pre-baked tartlet pans, sprinkle with slivered almonds & bake for an additional 15 minutes. dust with powdered sugar before serving.

this post was created in partnership with bob's red mill. you can find the almond meal/flour i used here.

like what you see? get it here. copper tartlet pans | mixing bowl | plates | kettle | flatware | linen

honey meringue cookies

 

okay LAST recipe before you get started on your easter long weekend gatherings. if you aren't a huge baker & want a super simple dessert to whip up (pun intended), these honey meringues are for you! i didn't think something so simple as whipped egg whites & sugar could taste so good. even the pre-cooked batter.. i seriously couldn't stop snacking on it. the outside is light & crispy while the inside is soft & airy. it literally melts in your mouth, which made me think it was acceptable to eat half the batch once the photos were done. i can't believe i used to flick off all the meringue on my lemon meringue pies growing up, for shame. i created this recipe using beekeeper's natural honey which is available exclusively on giftagram! beekeeper's naturals is a company whose main cause is to help out our fuzzy little bee friends. with save the bee signs constantly posted around the city of toronto, i don't think the majority of us realize how much bees actually do for us & how badly we need them. was jerry seinfeld's the bee movie not enough to scare you?! haha you can learn more over on the beekeeper's naturals site. happy easter! xo

ingredients

  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter or vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup bee keeper's raw honey
  • 1/2 cup almonds, for sprinkling (optional)

directions

  • preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites until soft peaks are formed.
  • gradually add sugar, followed by cream of tarter & vanilla extract until egg whites reach stiff peaks. mixture should be smooth & glossy.
  • on a parchment lined baking tray pipe (or spoon) meringues into a circular cookie shape. drizzle each meringue with the raw honey.
  • bake for one hour, turn off oven & let the meringues rest in the oven for another hour.
  • drizzle with additional honey & sprinkle with slivered almonds if desired!

this post was created in partnership with giftagram! bee keeper's honey, copper measuring cups, lint + honey linens & lotus glass teapot can all be purchased on the giftagram app.

GRAPEFRUIT & CUCUMBER INFUSED COCKTAIL

 

happy almost long weekend & happy first week of spring! this is the most refreshing cocktail to kick off the start of a new season. that is for when it stops being freezing cold outside & decides to actually be spring. as much as i love my winter, i am ready to retire my coat, the constant feeling of being cold every time i leave the house & start enjoying my ice coffee outdoors!

SO.. i am a huge fan of pairing citrus with vodka because the strong flavours from the citrus offset the strong flavour of the alcohol. the cucumber adds that refreshing flavour, similar to that of a simple cucumber water. this cocktail is good with or without the vodka & i added the addition of sparkling water for a touch of fizz cause i love fizzy drinks. i have a ton of other delicious recipes to get you through all the easter long weekend entertaining: honey + sriracha deviled eggs, carrot cake, mini egg cupcakes & one more egg inspired recipe coming this week! a recipe where justin & i literally ate the entire batch to ourselves.. in one day.

ingredients

for the cucumber infused vodka

  • 1 cup vodka
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced

for the cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz cucumber infused vodka
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 to 2 oz sparkling water
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced for garnish

directions

  • for the cucumber infused vodka: in a glass jar add the vodka & freshly sliced cucumbers. let rest over night & strain out cucumber slices.
  • for the cocktail: fill cup with ice. add the vodka, sugar, grapefruit juice & sparkling water. stir until well combined & garnish with a few slices of cucumber.

like what you see? get it here. cups | plate | pitcher | DIY grape juice linen