Lemon Olive Oil Tart

An easy lemon curd filling and an olive oil tart crust pair in this bright, citrus-filled summer tart. Plus tips on creating desserts with olive oil and how to make homemade lemon curd.

Attention all: Minnesota in the summer is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I’m writing this blog post with the windows wide open. There is a gentle breeze in the air and little birds chirping is my current soundtrack. The weather here has been such a contrast from the Florida humidity and maybe it’s simply the change that I love so much. Tahini is also loving the fact that we go on longer, slightly cooler walks almost everyday without feeling like we’re traipsing through a rainforest. I might feel differently about my change in weather come winter, but I’ll just become a snowbird and escape to a warmer climate if needed.

This lemon olive oil tart pairs perfectly with my perfect summer weather and I’m so excited to share it with you. This is a really simple recipe that feels fancy and upscale with very little effort. I’ve also waxed poetic before about how much I love incorporating olive oil in pastry, but I have no problem talking about it again. Good olive oil is my very favorite ingredient in the kitchen. It’s so versatile and in the dessert realm, it can add a savory component, cutting through and balancing out sweetness in a very mild, approachable way.

ways to incorporate olive oil in dessert

Olive oil is a liquid fat, which means it can be substituted easily in places where vegetable oil or melted butter is used. It really shines in simplicity, like in this Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake (also, it pairs so well with citrus).

I also really love incorporating olive oil in custards and ice creams. There’s something about the way the grassy oil gets along with the richness of heavy cream that I just can’t get enough of. It’s great mixed into a custard, like this Basil Olive Oil Gelato, or even just drizzled on top like in this Fancy Strawberry Shortcake.

A great way to start playing around with olive oil desserts is to make your own vanilla olive oil! It’s so easy. Just fill a deli container or glass jar with about a cup of olive oil. Scrape 1-2 vanilla beans into the oil and then add the used pods to the oil. Seal it, give it a little shake, and then keep it in your pantry for drizzling on top of ice cream or fruit or cake all season long.

how to make homemade lemon curd

Making curd is another skill to keep in your baking repertoire. A fruit curd, like this lemon curd, is made from cooking down fruit juice and sugar until creamy and spreadable. They also use egg yolks and often times some sort of starch to help with the thickening process. For this homemade lemon curd, we start by simmering lemon juice and half of the sugar amount until it’s bubbling and all of the sugar has dissolved. While that’s heating, we combine the remaining sugar with cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, eggs, and yolks to form a paste. While whisking continually, we will gradually pour the hot lemon syrup into the paste (this is a process called tempering and it keeps the eggs from scrambling). The entire mixture is returned to the heat and then cooked a bit longer, so that the cornstarch is activated and the mixture is thickened. Strain the curd and then whisk in some olive oil and voila! The curd gets poured into a really lovely olive oil crust and then into the refrigerator to set!

a few tips for making great curd:

1. Make sure that you have all of your ingredients and tools prepped before you get started because the process moves quickly. I like to have two large bowls (one for the paste and one clean to strain into), a strainer, a whisk, a wooden spoon, and a rubber spatula all close by.

2. Place a cork hot-pad or even just a kitchen towel underneath the bowl while tempering. This will keep the bowl from sliding around while you use your hands to whisk and pour at the same time.

3. Whisk your sugar and cornstarch together before adding any wet ingredients in order to break up any clumps in the cornstarch.

4. Be careful not to combine your eggs and sugar together too early. You don’t want it to set for more than about 5 minutes or the acid from the sugar will start to cook your egg yolks.

Yield: one 9" tart

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Lemon Olive Oil Tart

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 4 Hour

A bright, citrus-filled summer tart. This simple olive oil shortbread crust is filled with creamy olive oil lemon curd.

Ingredients

for the crust

• 1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp (75 g) all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornmeal
• 1/3 cup +1 tbsp (50 g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (from one lemon)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp fruity olive oil

for the lemon curd

• 3/4 cup (175 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (from one lemon)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tbsp fruity olive oil

Instructions

to make the crust

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse for 30 seconds, until combined.
2. Add the cubed butter and pulse for about 1 minute, until butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and olive oil and pulse again, just until mixed and dough begins to come together around the blade.
3. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface, and pat into a disc, about 1” thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
4. When the dough has sufficiently chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently roll it out to 1/4” thickness, about 10” in diameter.
5. Place the dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press it in to the edges. Trim the overhang and dock the surface of the crust with a fork. Place the tart shell in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Place the tart pan in the center of a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling. (If making ahead, you can loosely wrap the tart shell in aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

to make the filling

1. Combine lemon juice and half of the sugar (1/2 cup) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until simmering and sugar has dissolved.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, lemon zest and cornstarch to break up any lumps in the cornstarch. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk to form a smooth paste.
3. Carefully and while whisking continually, slowly stream the hot lemon juice syrup into the egg mixture. When all of the syrup has been adding, transfer all of the mixture back to the saucepan and return to heat, whisking constantly.
4. Stirring continually, bring the mixture to a boil, and then boil for 2 minutes, until thickened. Pour curd through a sieve or fine mesh strainer.
5. Immediately whisk butter into the hot curd, followed by the olive oil. Let curd cool slightly, and then pour into your prepared crust. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until set, about 3 hours. Slice and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes:

I created this recipe using Monini Olive Oils and they are favorite in our house. If you don't have access to them, you can substitute another fruity olive oil that you like.

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Blueberry Basil Breakfast Cake

A simple buttermilk and blueberry snack cake recipe served with honey yogurt. A quick and easy summer dessert recipe for all of your backyard barbecues.

blueberry basil breakfast cake, sliced

I love you guys, but you aren’t the most helpful bunch when helping me with recipe ideas. Last week, I had a bunch of juicy little blueberries in my fridge so I took an Instagram poll asking if you’d like to see a snack cake recipe or a scone recipe with them. It was a real nail-biter and when I started planning the recipe out, snack cake was winning by five votes. By the time I finished photographing, scones had taken over. It was too late so this week, you are getting a snack cake recipe and I’m back to work in the kitchen for those scones.

what exactly is a snack cake?

Besides being my very favorite category of baked goods, what makes a snack cake a snack cake? While there isn’t a completely definitive answer for this question, the general consensus is that a snack cake is a simpler-style cake. (If you’re interested in reading what a bunch of pastry chefs consider a snack cake, check out this article). For my personal definition, snack cake criteria is as follows: single layer, made with simple pantry ingredients, easy mixing method (this means blending method with liquid fat or creaming method with solid fat). Whatever the official definition, they are simple and they are delicious and I love them. I’m calling this specific snack cake a ‘breakfast cake’ because it tastes a bit like a muffin and gives me permission to eat it for breakfast.

blueberry basil breakfast cake, sliced and plated with honey yogurt

how to make (and adapt) a blueberry basil breakfast cake

This cake is easy-peasy and is endlessly adaptable based on whatever fresh fruit you have on hand. To start, basil leaves are rubbed into sugar which breaks them down and releases all of the oils inside. Then the sugars are whisked together with your standard dry ingredients (flour, leaveners, salt) + a little semolina flour. I love using semolina flour to give a coarser texture to baked goods, but you could very easily substitute this with cornmeal or even another flour, like spelt or rye. Or just use more all purpose—I told you this cake was adaptable.

For the wet ingredients, we are using melted butter (you can brown it for an extra oomph of flavor), vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk for extra tenderness. Wet ingredients are whisked into the dry to create a thick batter and then fresh blueberries are folded in. The whole thing gets topped with more fresh blueberries and a layer of crunchy demerara sugar before baking. I like to serve this cake with sweetened yogurt, but you could use whipped cream or ice cream if you prefer. It’s also great plain with a giant cup of coffee.

a piece of blueberry basil breakfast cake

Yield: serves 8

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Blueberry Basil Breakfast Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

A simple buttermilk and blueberry snack cake recipe served with honey yogurt. A quick and easy summer dessert recipe for all of your backyard barbecues.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (80 g) semolina flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (54 g) brown sugar
• 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (230 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1/4 cup plain whole milk greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line a 9” springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the chopped basil leaves and use your fingers to rub the basil into the sugars until fragrant and combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, semolina flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugars/basil and whisk until combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until smooth and homogenized.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until no dry spots remain and you have a thick, smooth batter. Add 3/4 of the blueberries, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold them in until evenly dispersed.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining blueberries and demerara sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until deeply golden brown and the center of the cake is no longer wiggly. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
7. To serve: whisk together yogurt and honey. Add a dollop of honey yogurt on each slice of cake and serve immediately.

Notes:

This cake is endlessly adaptable. Substitute any summer berry you have on hand!

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Double Strawberry Galettes

Farmer’s market strawberries are tucked into homemade pie crust to make these miniature double strawberry galettes. Serve with macerated strawberries and vanilla ice cream for an easy, summer dessert.

Galettes are my very favorite summer dessert and I don’t care who knows it!

As I was brainstorming for this recipe, I had a bit of a culinary revelation. Galettes are best in the summer and pies are best in the fall—here is why. In the summer, fruit is amazing! We have bright, juicy berries, plump peaches, dark plums, sweet (and tart cherries). We get blessed with nature’s candy for a few months out of the year and I don’t want to do anything to cover up those flavors. This is where galettes come in. In the galette application, pie crust is basically just there to be a convenient vessel for piles of fruit. It’s crispy and buttery and complementary, but doesn’t take away from the main event.

Pies on the other hand, are where you want a lot of crust. In my humble opinion, fall and winter fruits need a bit of support to shine. Apples are always better basted with spices and pears like to be poached in wine. They need the tender layers of a pie crust to help round everything out.

Anyway, that’s my little speech and it might be a hill I’m ready to die on. You probably won’t catch me making any pies this summer, but galettes will be plentiful.

how to make homemade flaky pie crust

Making a good homemade pie crust is fairly simple, but needs practice. I follow Erin McDowell’s general pie technique and have found it works perfectly every time. Here’s how it works:

1. Toss together your dry ingredients. I like to use a blend of all purpose flour and cake flour because I find it gives a little extra flakiness. You could also use 100% all purpose, or 100% pastry flour, no problem. There’s also a little salt and a little sugar added.

2. Add cubed cold butter. I follow two steps when adding the butter. First, I add all of the butter cubes to the bowl and gently toss it with my fingers so that each piece of butter gets dusted in flour. Then, using my thumbs and forefingers, I flatten each butter cube. When all of the butter has been flattened, I use my finger tips to gently break the pieces down until they are the size of large peas or black beans.

3. Add the ice water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and drizzle in a few tablespoons of ice water. Most pie recipes call for a range of water to be added—always start on the low end and add more if needed. Toss gently with your fingertips, just to hydrate the dough and then begin to knead gently, adding more water if needed. The dough is ready when you can squeeze a clump in your hand and it stays together when you open your hand.

4. Wrap and chill. Turn your crumbly dough onto a work surface and use the heel of your hand to gently press it into a disc. Your disc should have no dry pockets of flour and you should still be able to see pieces of butter threaded throughout. Wrap it tightly and chill it for at least an hour. Most doughs shrink because they haven’t been sufficiently chilled so give it some time—overnight is best.

tips for making the best summer fruit galettes

I used the most beautiful farmer’s market strawberries for this recipe, but the best thing about galettes is that you can use any fruit you’d like! Here are some tips to make your galettes shine every time.

• Taste your fruit! Natural sweetness varies from fruit to fruit, so taste yours and then adjust the amount of sugar accordingly. In my personal opinion, not much is needed so I usually start with a tablespoon and then add more if needed.

• Add a bit a of cornstarch. Galette juices can be a bit runny, so adding a teaspoon or so of cornstarch will help thicken things up.

• Save some macerated fruit for topping. That’s where the double strawberry part comes in for this recipe. Reserve some of the macerated fruit and spoon it on top of your galettes (along with ice cream) for maximum summer fruit flavor!

Yield: one large galette (9") or four individual galettes

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Double Strawberry Galettes

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 Hour

Farmer’s market strawberries are tucked into homemade pie crust to make these miniature double strawberry galettes. Serve with macerated strawberries and vanilla ice cream for an easy, summer dessert.

Ingredients

for the pie crust

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (82 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (70 g) cake flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold
• 4 tbsp of ice water

for the strawberry galettes

• 1 batch pie dough, recipe included
• 1 lb fresh strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• Egg wash
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Instructions

to make the pie crust

1. Cube butter and place in a bowl in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cake flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the butter cubes to the bowl with the dry ingredients and toss them to coat. Using your thumbs and forefinger, flatten each butter piece and begin to work them into the dough until they are the size of black beans. When all of the butter has has been broken dough, make a well in the center of the bowl.
4. Add 3 tbsp of ice water to the bowl and use your fingertips gently toss the mixture until combined. Begin gently kneading the dough, taking care not to overwork it, and adding another tablespoon of water if needed. To test if the dough is moist enough, grab a handful and squeeze it together. If the dough stays clumped together when you open your hand, your dough is ready. If not, add a bit more water and knead a little more.
5. Turn your dough onto a clean work surface and use the heel of your hand to continue gently kneading until there are no more dry patches of flour, but streaks of butter are still visible.
6. Press dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
7. When the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured work surface until it is about 1/4” thick.
8. If making one large galette: roll the dough into a circle, roughly 10” in diameter.
9. If making miniature galettes: use a ring or cake pan to cut four 6” circles out of the dough.
10. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and return to the refrigerator until you are ready to fill and bake.

to make the galettes

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Remove the green stems from the strawberries and quarter them. Place berries in a large bowl and toss with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until all of the berries are well-coated. Let rest for 15 minutes.
3. For one large galette: Spoon half of the berry mixture onto the center of your prepared pie crust, leaving at least 1” border around the edge. Fold the edges of the galette up and over the fruit and press to seal. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
4. For miniature galettes: Spoon about 1/4 cup of berry mixture into the center of each pie crust and fold the edges up and over the fruit. Press to seal and then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
5. Bake the galettes for 25-28 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown and the fruit mixture is bubbling.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of the remaining macerated berries.

Notes:

You can substitute any summer fruit that you enjoy in place of strawberries. I recommended tasting your fruit and then adjusting the sugar levels based on the natural sweetness of your fruit.

Pie crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to a week or in the freeze for 3 months.

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