There's Very Little " Wiggle-Room" in Baking

Meyer Lemon Tart sprinkled with chocolate.

I know how important it is to use the size of pan called for in a recipe when baking.  Yet I had heard a reference to a recipe for a Meyer Lemon Tart on Here and Now on NPR.  I had gone home and "googled" the recipe because I had some Meyer Lemons on hand that I wanted to use.  The recipe called for a 9-inch tart pan.  I only had a 10-inch so I thought I could adjust the cooking time a bit and it might work. *

Meyer Lemon Tart

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup room temperature butter, cut into small pieces, plus butter for greasing the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the pan
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Meyer or regular lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
Instructions:
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
In a large bowl whisk the flour and sugar. Add the butter and using your fingers or a pastry cutter blend the butter into the flour and sugar mixture until crumbly. Press the
mixture into the bottom and sides of the tart pan.

Dough pressed into pan and ready to bake.

Bake on the middle shelf for around 20 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn golden.

Tart shell baked and ready to fill.

Remove from the oven and place on a cookie or baking sheet.
Make the filling: Whisk the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.

Making the filling.

 Pour over the hot crust and place the tart back on the middle shelf.

Filling poured over the crust and ready to go back into the oven.

 Bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until the center seems set when you lightly jiggle the tart. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Baked and chocolate dusted on top.

  To remove the rim, place on cylinder of some kind (I used one of my canisters) and the rim falls out of the way.

Serves 6 to 8. 

I had to spread the crust a little thinner because of the 10-inch pan and the filling was not as thick.  Although I adjusted the cooking time to 20 minutes, the filling was a bit overcooked and, of course a bit thin.

It was certainly edible, and Dan thought there was nothing wrong with it, but I knew it could have been better had I used the right size pan.  

*I'm going out this week and buy a 9-inch tart pan, because most of the recipes for tarts call for an 8 or 9-inch pan, and I do want to try this recipe again using the right size pan. 

Zucchini Nut Bread

Zucchini Nut Bread

I've had the Southern Hospitality Cookbook since 1976, and it is one of my favorite cookbooks.  The Cookbook Book Club this month will be discussing recipes from Southern Living Cookbooks, and each person will take one of the dishes that he/she has prepared to share with the group at the meeting tonight.  I'm sharing the Zucchini Nut Bread from this cookbook. Here's the recipe:

I first made this one summer in the late 70's when I had a lot of extra zucchini.  And I've made it frequently since.  It is a favorite at our house. For this one I used walnuts, but often I use pecans.  I use Canola oil.

Grated zucchini.

Dry ingredients sifted together.

Walnuts and raisins ready to add.

This is good plain or we like it with mascarpone cheese when it's warm just out of the oven.  It freezes well too.

Plain.

With mascarpone cheese.

Grace and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Granddaughter, Grace, was here after school last week, and we made chocolate chip cookies from scratch. 

Grace sifting dry ingredients.

Mixing in the chocolate chips.

The final product.

Time to try one of those cookies.