Mini Tartlets

I've always been fascinated by miniature versions of things. And used to love finding tiny cups, pots, chairs, dolls, etc. in the dollhouse section at my local craft store. Foods are no exception, well some foods. I think I would be more bothered by a tiny pack of saltine crackers, or a hamburger than delighted. But when it comes to fruit tarts, the smaller they get, the more special they become. As I've already made a regular fruit tart, and some tartlets. Now I wanted to go even smaller, and also simplify the whole process. I figured I could do this very simply, by getting a mini tartlet pan that had several wells in it like a cupcake pan. After reading, and re-reading the directions, I made my dough and proceeded to prick it with a fork and bake it as directed. Believing, though I knew better, that the tartlet shells would come out in perfect little cup-like shapes. Well, they came out as flat disks. They tasted good, but could not hold any filling. After this first disappointment, it took me months before I would try again, this time using bits of tin foil and beans inside to help hold the shape. They turned out better this time, but were very irregular where the tin foil creased and molded the dough around it. After more thought and more months I came up with a better idea. To use mini foil cupcake holders instead, and fill those with beans. This worked out much better, and I was finally able to produce my first usable batch of mini tartlet shells. (To the relief of my shrinking ego.)

Making the mini tartlet shells was complicated by using my special pan. I didn't have to deal with a dozen individual molds, but had problems getting the dough to bake up right. With the mid sized tartlets, I had double the amount of pans and had two stacked together to help the dough keep it's shape. That was impossible with my pan. Since I solved my problem with the mini cupcake holders, I figured out that if the dough were frozen before baking, that might help it to hold it's shape too. Something I'll have to try in the future.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

So, for the past few months, Brian and I have been in the process of buying a house. We have officially outgrown our two bedroom apartment, and were looking for a place to settle down in and eventually raise kids. Also a bigger kitchen would be nice. :)

Anyone who's ever bought a home can tell you, it's an emotional roller-coaster with your hopes and dreams, and a lot of uncertainties. Amidst the super busyness of meetings with our agents, unbearable waiting periods, and disappointments, I began to doubt we would find the right place. And through the whole process, I found myself wondering, what really makes a house a home? And is all of this worth it?

I had always pictured our future home as a cozy place with big windows, a spacious and sunny kitchen, a large yard for our kids to play in with a garden and lots of flowers. I dreamed of cozy nights by our fireplace, a large guest room for family, and plenty of space to invite our friends over to entertain.

All of these things are nice, but I've come to realize, unnecessary. As much as I really wanted all those things, by grace, I can see now, they're not what I need... But what I do need has been with me all along. And no place would be as happy, as secure, or as complete, without him.

When it comes down to it, a house is not a home without love. Whether from a parent, roommate, sibling or spouse. A cheerful greeting, a warm embrace, the inviting smell of something baked just for you, these all tell you, that whenever you walk through your door, you are home.

Well, by God's grace, we have found a home. And it is more than we could have dreamed. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness and excitement. And we can't wait to invite you in. Errr, once our kitchen is unpacked, and I am again baking. So, fasten all your moveable parts. We're moving!

Oh, forgot about the picture. A special scone made for me after a stressful morning during our house search.

Luck of the Irish

Time flies when you're having fun, or when you're really busy, or aren't inspired to get on your blog and write. I guess all of these have been true at different points in the past six months. Sorry.

But the important thing is that I'm back! And thank you to the one (Brian) or more faithful readers that have been keeping up with my blog anyway. :)

Alright, well, even though I haven't been blogging, the good news is that I've still been baking/cooking.

Okay...To the topic!

So, about a month ago was St. Patrick's Day. And for a few years now, Brian has been dreaming about making some good old Irish food on that day to celebrate. You know, to honor his Irish roots. He's half Korean, one quarter German, and the rest is mostly British with a little bit of Irish in there somewhere... But that little bit is enough reason to celebrate. So this year, we decided that we were going for it. So, he found a recipe for some Irish stew and calconnon (mashed potatoes with bacon and cabbage). And another recipe for some chocolate Guinness ice cream. And to make things more merry, we decided to invite some friends and make it a potluck.

Well, the recipe was very straight forward, you just need plenty of time to cut veggies and let the stew cook. And instead of boiling cabbage for the mashed potatoes, frying it in bacon grease was much better. As for the ice cream, be sure to weigh the amount of chocolate you're adding, (don't just eye-ball it in a measuring cup) or it may be too little. And when the recipe tells you to stir the mixture over an ice bath. Do it. dairy and beer do not mix well, and the extra stirring helps everything come together better. The result, was a perfectly smooth chocolaty ice cream, with a hint of Guinness. Even a non beer drinker like me could appreciate this. Sorry, no picture of the ice cream.

So, with good food, good friends, and a little Irish jig thrown in there, I guess you could say that night, we felt like some of the luckiest people in the world. Did it have anything to do with the luck of the Irish? Why don't you try the recipes and find out for yourselves?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Braised-Irish-Stew-and-Colcannon/Detail.aspx

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11506-guinnessmilk-chocolate-ice-cream