Lemon-Hazelnut Tart

There's a place in the Hudson Valley where I like to go. It's on the river, just down the road from Bard College-- a stretch of rolling land with a sprawling old house in various states of repair and disrepair. There's a barn full of giant paper mâché puppets, a medicine wheel in the garden, and a small organic farm with chickens and geese and a flower labyrinth where you can pick-your-own bouquet. It's a place for summer square dances, fall cider pressing parties, any-season friend rendez-vous, and is a little haven of refuge for me and many other friends.

Rokeby is the family home of my friends Marina and Louis, and the sometimes home of their family's relatives and friends, tenants and guests. You never quite know what or who you'll encounter there-- Icelandic experimental musicians, Greatful Dead spin-off band lyricists, Episcopagan ministers.

Despite this element of uncertainty (or perhaps because of it), it's a place where I feel at home, welcomed by Marina and Louis and whoever else is there to sit around the table, help pick beans on the farm, or take a twighlight walk to the river. It's always a special treat when my visit coincides with Marina's mother Rosalind's and her partner Dominick's. We make jokes around the big white farm table in the back kitchen, and have political discussions, a round of Madlibs or Bananagrams, and are treated to Dominick's delicious (and sometimes odd and gelatin-filled) British cooking. I always learn something after a chat with Rosalind, and I always laugh. She has a delightful sense of humor and is also one of the biggest proponents of my pie-making, always dropping not-so-subtle hints and suggesting flavors for what I might bake next and generously offering herself as a taste tester.



Though I wasn't able to make it up to Rokeby for Rosalind's last birthday party, Marina signed her mother up for a Pie CSA as a gift, so though I couldn't be there, at least my pie could. Rosalind, like me, suffers from migraines, so abstains (not like me, though I probably should) from chocolate. Since I was shipping the share, I wanted to make something that could hold up in the mail and as it was for a birthday, I wanted something a little special. I settled on a Lemon-Hazelnut Tart adapted from Smith & Ratliff. I swapped out the corn syrup for brown rice syrup (Rosalind is a nutritionist, and I also try to avoid corn syrup when I can).

The recipe is just perfect. You can't really go wrong with hazelnuts, and the addition of lemon adds a tartness that nut pies are often missing. It also just blows open a whole new category of fruit and nut pies and tarts...I've already tried this with oranges instead of lemons, and you could really use any nut and citrus (or other fruit for that matter) combination. The recipe can also make 5-6 4-inch tartlets instead of a full 8-inch tart. I actually had some filling leftover and extra crust dough in the fridge, so I made a few for tasting purposes (see below).



Lemon-Hazelnut Tart

Filling adapted from Smith & Ratliff, Crust adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients
For crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. salt  
9 Tblsp. unsalted butter, cold & cubed  
1 egg yolk

For filling:

6 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

3/4 c. light brown sugar
, packed
1/2 c. brown rice syrup

1/4 c. lemon syrup (1 lemon + 1/2 c. sugar)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tblsp. flour

2 c. hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and chopped

Directions
For crust:
1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate until the mixture resembles cornmeal and peas. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough begins to form together. 

2. Roll out the dough and pat it into your greased and floured tart pan. Freeze the tart shell for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

For filling:

1. First, prepare the lemon syrup by placing 1 c. water and 1/2 c. sugar in a medium saucepan and bringing to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 thinly sliced lemon, and let simmer for about 10 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and strain the syrup into a small bowl, reserving 7-8 of the lemon slices. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix all the remaining ingredients, except for the hazelnuts. Spread the hazelnuts into the frozen tart shell and pour into the filling. Gently place the reserved lemon slices on top of the hazelnut filling.

3. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake tart until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 1 hour. Let cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweetie Pie: A Valentine's Day Party!

We're having a party! Much like last year's Tart of Gold Party (how could we duplicate a name like that?) with Tarts by Tarts, Nothing-in-the-House will be teaming up with Treasury Vintage and a new addition-- Elizabeth Graeber to bring you Sweetie Pie, a Valentine's Day Party. It's going down on Wednesday, February 13th from 5-8pm at Treasury, located at 1843 14th St. NW in DC. There will be treats by Nothing-in-the-House, vintage treasures from Treasury, illustrated valentines by Elizabeth, complimentary drinks, and love in the air.

And perhaps you want some sweets for your sweet? At the party, you can also pick-up your made-to-order Valentine's Day pie which we're offering for the occasion! Selections include Orange-Hazelnut, Shaker Lemon, and Chocolate Coconut (there's a savory option too!) and are $32 each. You can get all the details and place your order here. Perhaps love is in the pear...tarte tatin?

Cosmic Costume Room Debut Party at Meeps

Perhaps you recall the Tart of Gold Valentine's day party with Tarts by Tarts at Treasury in February? Well now Treasury owners Cathy and Katerina have a new biz, and I'm baking under my "solo project" so with these relatively new ventures, we teamed up again for the Cosmic Costume Room Debut Party at Meeps! This time we had local Mexican restaurant Mama Chuy in on the fun, so with some tasty Mexican savory snacks, a vast and wild costume array, and paper mache skulls as decor, a Dia de los Muertos theme was definitely in order.

I planned the baked goods accordingly, and offered up complimentary ginger molasses cookies, almond polvorones, and sold doughnuts with spicy mexican chocolate and dulce de leche glazes, tequila lime tartlets with a pistachio crust (yep, a margarita pie), Mexican chocolate tartlets with spiced and candied pecans, and apple & green chile fried pies--sweet with just a touch of savory and a hint of spice. Though I think those were the best doughnuts I've made yet, and the tarts were pretty bangin' (and boozin'), the apple & green chile fried pies were the hands-down hit and they sold out fast. Because of that, and since a few of you have asked, I'll resurrect them here, in recipe form (the recipes for the tartlets will come soon).

Apple & Green Chile Fried Pies

Filling adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients

For crust:

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tblsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

1 egg, beaten

6-8 Tblsp. cold water

For filling:

5 c. tart baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks

1/2 c. green Hatch chilies, roasted and chopped (canned is okay, but fresh is preferred!) 

2 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. cornstarch

About 2 c. canola oil for frying 

Directions

For crust:

1. Add flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture by pulsing the food processor until  mixture becomes the consistency of cornmeal and peas. 

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg and 6 Tblsp. of cold water. Slowly drizzle half of the liquid mixture into the food processor, pulsing to combine with flour. Slowly drizzle in the rest of the liquid, stopping when the dough starts to form large clumps. 

3. Once the dough is able to come together, form into a ball and remove from the food processor. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

For filling:

1. In a large bowl, mix the apples, green chilies and lemon juice and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the apples and green chilies. Mix together with a wooden spoon until the apples and chilies are well-coated.

To assemble and fry:

1. Remove pie dough from the fridge and roll out onto a lightly flour-dusted surface about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 5-5 1/2 in circle cutter (I used the top of a large jar), cut circles out of the dough. 

2. Before completely assembling the pies, pour at least 2 cups of canola oil (or 4 inches deep) into a deep and heavy saucepan. Insert a candy thermometer into the oil. Slowly heat on medium-low until the temperature reads 350 degrees F.

3. Place about 2 Tblsp. of the apple-chile filling in the center of each circle (It is better to under-stuff than over-stuff). Moisten the edge of the pastry circle with your finger, then fold over the dough to form a half moon shape. Press the edges together and flute with a fork to seal completely.

4. At this point your oil should be hot enough to fry. When the oil temperature reaches 350 degrees, gently lower one pie at a time into the heated oil and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).  Using a slotted spatula, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining pies.

5. When all pies are fried, dust them with powdered sugar. Serving them hot and fresh is preferable, but they also taste great at room temperature and will keep for a day or two. 

The party made for a fun October evening in the bright and fresh new Meeps space. It was really nice to meet and hang out with Dinora from Mama Chuy (and gorge on the delicious chips and salsa); be served drinks by the dapper bartender Ari; jam out to some spooky Thriller-homage dance jams from shad-wearing C-Rob and Mondo; and as usual spend time with the radical Meeps/Treasury gals Cathy, Katerina, and Michelle. Big thanks to the whole crew and all of you who came out, tried on costumes (I saw a great Popeye and Olive Oil couple costume score!), and got yourself some spicy sweets.

As a little side note/friend favor, my pal and former co-worker Mike aka Mondo, who was DJing that night and also plays in the superb local DC dance duo Protect-U,  recently had ALL his gear stolen while on tour in Paris. If you want to learn more about what happened and help out, read more here.

Nothing-in-the-House at Keep DC Safe 2012

My friend Kate works for DC Safe, a wonderful non-profit organization that provides support for victims of domestic violence in Washington, D.C. A few months ago she was hard at work planning their annual benefit party and asked if Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. would be interested in donating baked goods for the event. She promised a lovely party of food, drink, and live music on a beautiful roof deck on U St. and of course support of an important civil rights organization in our community. Count me in.

 I opted for simple, autumnal offerings--miniature rustic apple tarts (following this recipe) and pumpkin doughnuts, some with a buttermilk glaze and some with cinnamon and sugar. After baking all day, Kate, Mary, and I made our way to the Room & Board for a lovely October evening on the roof deck. We played cornhole and drank apple cider sangria, took in views of the city, and celebrated the hard work of DC Safe, its staff and volunteers. And by the end, there was literally, nothing in the house.

Thanks very much to Kate and DC Safe for having me. You can find more pictures of the event here.

Nothing-in-the-House Fall Pie CSA!

Well, I'll be. In all the busy-ness here at the end of summer, starting Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co., selling at the DC Meet Market and working on various other projects, I somehow neglected to mention here in this space that the Nothing-in-the-House Fall Pie CSA (CSA standing for "community supported agriculture," though this is really "community supported pie") has launched! We had our first pick-up on Labor Day weekend and are gearing up for the second round this Sunday!

The way it works is that members sign-up for a three month fall "share" or half share, and then receive one or two fresh, local, seasonal, handmade pie(s) a month! They can pick-up or have them delivered for an extra cost. So far it has been WONDERFUL. I've really liked dreaming up pies based on what's fresh at the market, and I also love knowing who I'm baking for and having that personal connection--no matter what I end up pursuing in the baking business, I think I will always retain that homebaker's motivation. It's also been really heartening to have friends support this project in words or promotion or CSA membership--in the true sense of a "CSA" it's turned out to be a genuine community supported venture.

If you'd like to be a part of that community or perhaps more importantly, bring home a fresh pie with you each month, don't worry--there's still time to join! You can get in on the full season if you sign up by this Friday, September 21st and after that, pro-rated memberships will be available for October and November. You can find all the information here or shoot me an email at nothinginthehousepie at gmail dot com.

The Pies of Late Summer on NPR

A few months ago I called my ever-inspiring and resourceful thesis advisor and mentor Marcie Ferris for a catch-up and some career advice. In loading me up with contacts, ideas, and encouragement, she said she'd put me in touch with her good friend in DC, Bonny Wolf, a food writer editor of NPR's Kitchen Window, and as I would find, role model and kindred spirit.

We met for lunch, where we shared our backgrounds, foodways interests, and projects, and I was delighted when she asked me to contribute a story to Kitchen Window. I decided to write it on the seasonal pies of the late summer season. The piece came out last Wednesday, with some really great feedback from readers! (It was the third most e-mailed piece of the day before the naked Prince Harry story came out).  If you're a follower of the blog, the recipes and photos for Nothing-in-the-House pie crust, a fig-pistachio tarte tatin, plum & orange flower custard galette, and peach-pecan pie may be familiar to you. If not, now there are two places to find them!

Thanks very much to Bonny for being a wonderful editor and to Marcie for putting us in touch and for generous support, as always. And do follow Kitchen Window--it's a superb site with excellent recipes and corresponding personal food narratives. I'll probably be contributing another piece in late fall/early winter, though this one may not be about pies--branchin' out!

Also, hello to all the new readers and followers who found Nothing-in-the-House via the NPR piece! Thanks for checking out the pie blog and feel free to get in touch if you have any comments, pie stories, or questions. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out our Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. (featuring a new fall pie CSA for those in DC!).

Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. Debuts at the DC Meet Market!

 

Almost exactly a year ago, I moved into a beautiful group house of beautiful people (aptly dubbed The Dollhouse) in Northwest DC. One of those inhabitants happened to be my lost soul-sister, fellow baker and look-alike Kari. When Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair put out a call seeking vendors for their Food Fair last October, we combined our powers (with our powers combined...) and launched the pop-up shop-style baking company Tarts by Tarts.

After that first market, where we sold out in under 4 hours, we served up our goods at Treasury Vintage, offered made-to-order tarts for Valentine's Day, collaborated with the awesome Panda Head Blog and sold Southern-inspired treats at the DC Square Dance. It was a wonderful & inspiring collaboration and we learned a lot and all the while got some wonderful press and feedback from the DC community. Last month, Kari left us for a goat cheese-making apprenticeship in Maine, putting Tarts by Tarts on hiatus, though we hope to team up again sometime soon.

In the meantime, I've decided to forge out on my own and launch the baking business side of this here blog under the name Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. Though I'll be offering more than just pies, the aesthetic will be much the same--valuing seasonal and local products with an eye on tradition and creativity. In the coming weeks, I'm hoping to launch a pie CSA, offer made-to-order baked goods, and sell at future local events.

I'll be making my debut at this Saturday's DC Meet Market, happening from 11am-5pm at 15th & P St. NW. Among the offerings will be stone fruit & bourbon fried pies, berry tarts and carrot cake doughnuts. I hope to see you DC readers there, and keep your eyes on this space for more information on future Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. projects and as always, pies!