Blueberry-Almond Frangipane Tart

There's one thing I make simply for the fact that I love to eat it, and it's this. I don't do it because I love to make it, because trust me, this pretty thing takes a bit of work - and that's AFTER I simplified the process. But, alas, all that hard work does pay off.

I find myself obsessed with anything that involves frangipane. It's earthy, luxurious and so delicious. I created this variation on my favorite fruit tart, and baked blueberries into the frangipane so they released all of their delicious juices into the almond scented custard. Oh my gosh, it was, divine, simply put. With some more fresh blueberries on top, it really was perfect.

Blueberry-Almond Frangipane Tart

Yields: 2 9" tarts

Original frangipane recipe here.

For the crust:

1 package dry mix sugar cookie dough

+ the ingredients needed to make it, according to the package

 For the frangipane:

8 tbsn. unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup almond meal or ground almonds

4 tsp. cornstarch

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. almond extract

3 cups fresh blueberries, 1 cup set aside

1/2 cup slivered almonds

First, prepare the frangipane filing. Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the ground almonds and pulse to blend. Add the cornstarch and pulse. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract. Scrape into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. Before spreading into the tart crust, make sure to bring back to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to the directions on the package. Divide the dough among two 9" tart pans with removable bottoms. Spread evenly along the entire surface and up the sides (don't worry if it looks thin - it will puff up during baking). Divide the frangipane among the two tarts and spread evenly on top of the sugar cookie base. Sprinkle each tart with 1 cup of fresh blueberries each, pressing slightly so that they are semi-submerged into the frangipane. Sprinkle the edges of the tart with the slivered almonds. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the edges are just barely golden and puffed up, while the blueberries have released some of their juices. Set aside to cool a bit. Sprinkle the remaining fresh berries on top of each tart. You can glaze the tart with some melted preserves if you wish or dress it up with some powdered sugar, but I thought it was perfectly beautiful as is.

New Items in the Shop!

hello all!

just wanted to show you some new things in the shop that i'm totally in love with.

enjoy! xxxooo.

mercer in graphite & navy . heavy brass chain contrasted against oversized glass crystals

mercer in graphite . oversized mirrored glass beads contrasted against heavy brass chain

mercer in adventurine stone . semi-precious adventurine stone contrasted against heavy brass chain

l'argent in brass . heavy brass chain secured on delicate thin brass chain

angkor . statement drop earrings made of gold tubes and semi-precious black quartz

l'or . a tiered, double stranded necklace featuring two golden curved bars

adonia . wire wrapped gold plated charm on gold plated chain

unmei . a lariat necklace made of gold plated chain and gold plated charms

aisling in smoke . a sparkling grey glass bead wrapped in brass wire

ancla in rain . oversized glass beads on gold plated chain

milieu in light green opal, rose gold, silver and gold . micro bead and chain rings 

elan . earrings hand forged with mirrored silver glass beads wrapped in brass wire

perse . semi-precious citrine stone on gold plated earring backings

tre . super thin gold-plated tiered satellite chain with mini graphite bead detailing

l'argent in gold . oversized gold curb chain with double stranded gold plated chain

Smores Tartlettes

For someone who primarily bakes, I'm not much of a sweets eater. If my life depended on the choice between sweet versus savory, I'd choose savory hands down. I love salt so much so that I used to just moisten my fingers, dip them in salt, and then proceed to lick it off my fingers. So... basically, when I get kidney stones, I'll know exactly why and who to blame.

When I made these smores tartlettes, I wasn't expecting to love them much. When I do enjoy sweets, I usually prefer ones on the less sweet side. These, filled with a rich chocolate ganache and topped with toasty marshmallows seemed like they would be much too rich for my own taste, which is why I chose to make them as a present for someone else. But as I tasted these teeny little tartlettes, I was surprised by how much I was drawn to them. They're actually the perfect treat! I love when I prove myself wrong.

Smores Tartlettes

Yields: 10 mini tarts

Original recipe here.

For the crust:

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

5 tbsn. unsalted butter

For the filling:

5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tbsn. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

pinch of salt (I used fleur de sell)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended and crumbly. Transfer the mixture to the mini tart pans and use your fingers to press the graham crackers into the pan. Bake until set and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter until warm and the butter is melted. Stir to combine and pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for several minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla and let cool completely. Pour into the mini crusts and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours. Right before serving, press a layer of mini marshmallows into the chilled ganache. Use a blow torch to toast the marshmallows until golden brown.

Flavored Coconut Water

I'm almost 100% sure you've all heard of the coconut water craze. Some hate it, some love it, some are obsessively praising of it's health benefits. I actually like the stuff. It's nothing compared to real coconut water from freshly opened coconuts, but on a hot day, it's ultimately refreshing. I don't drink it for its health benefits, but compared to other juices it has a lot less sugar and a good amount of electrolytes and potassium. 

Anyways, I whizzed this together for a refreshing little cocktail on a hot summer day... and since California has decided to keep on its kick of sweltering weather, I think I'll keep slugging these down.

Coconut + Blueberry + Pomegranate Water

Yields: 2 servings

2 cups coconut water

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds or 1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/2 cup ice

In a blender, combine everything. Whiz until everything is well combined and pulverized. 

Mixtape

some old, some new. all love.

The ILLZ . Closer

this song shows the full spectrum of what hip-hop can really be. tinged with a bit of alternative-rock, unique and emotional.

RAC . Hollywood Ft. Penguin Prison (Felix Da Housecat Remix)

i've always loved RAC. they've always made remixes that were fun and unique. now that they're producing their own music, you can still expect them to bring the fun.

A$AP Rocky . Goldie (Produced by Hit-Boy)

A$AP Rocky . Palace (Produced by Clams Casino)

A$AP Rocky . Bass (MartyParty Remix)

it's safe to say that a$ap is one of my current favorite rappers, along with logic, which I'm also featuring below. rocky just has an exquisite taste for beats and this martyparty remix is super grimey - just how i like it (sometimes).

KiD CuDi . Just What I Am Ft. King Chip

aaaaaand he's back, ladies and gentleman. i'm officially hooked... again.

Dirty South & Alesso . City of Dreams

if there's anything dirty south & alesso can do, it's definitely making an uplifting song. and this is just that.

Goldroom . Fifteen (Xtrafunk Remix)

beachy vibes with some funk thown in. i'm all for it.

AN21 & Max Vangelli . Bombs Over Capitals Ft. Julie McKnight

julie mcknight is a powerhouse and an21 & max vangelli brought the beats to back her up. definitely a banger.

Volta Bureau . Alley Cat

one of my absolute faves right now. the way volta describes themselves perfectly describes this song: "a cosmic, hypnotic, somewhat psychedelic take on house/ techno/ disco."

Avicii . Stay With You Ft. Mike Posner

i always have love for avicii. people say he's changed; gone too commercial. maybe partnering with mike posner will make people hate him more but i think this song still has his signature sound - and anyone with a knee-jerk opposition to anything popular is destructive.

Matt & Kim .  Let Go

classic matt & kim sound. always a definite sing-along.

Calvin Harris . Sweet Nothing Ft. Florence Welch

calvin harris AND florence?! how could it not be good? i ask you.

D.L.I.d. . Colour in Your Hands Ft. Fink

the kind of song that grabs you immediately, pulls you in, continues to intrigue you. it's emotion laid bare with a super soulful melody.

David Guetta & Alesso . Every Chance We Get We Run Ft. Tegan & Sara

the instant this song plays, you can tell it's an alesso track - he just has that characteristic sound. anyways, i love collaborations. talent + talent + talent = boom.

Ellie Goulding . Anything Could Happen (Blood Diamonds Remix)

i don't know why it took the world so long to get on the ellie train, but now that they're on it's time to get on her new release. and this funky remix of it.

VCMG . Aftermaths (Gesaffelstein Remix)

i've said it before, i'll say it again. big, BIG fan of gesaffelstein. ugh that dark, french, moody thing really gets me going i guess. super heavy tech house that is straight up menacing.

Hot Chip . Look at Where We Are

a real beauty. hot chip is retro for me; brings back all these old memories and this song is a good one to reminisce to.

Logic . Set the Tone

Logic . Relaxation

as i said previously, logic still remains one of my favorite rappers at the moment. i had the chance to see him live and he's not totally on his game spitting live yet but he's still a newbie so i'll give him a pass. his recorded tracks though...  genius. the way he artfully samples and intelligently rhymes will fast track him to being the next big thing.

Patrickreza . Come Alive Ft. Ingrid

seriously, these vocals. ingrid croons gorgeously as patrickreza does what he does best: dub.

Kanye West . Mercy (RL Grime & Salva Remix)

clockwork (dj) = rl grime. whaaaat? anyways i love clockwork, so it's not a shocker that i love rl grime too. anyways this remix of mercy is just a bomb.

The Lighthouse & The Whalers . Pioneers

perfectly pretty folk-pop.

Tribalistas . Ja Sei Namorar

the instant you play this song, you get hooked. you might not understand what they're saying but it doesn't even matter because you want to singalong anyways.