it's not that often anymore, but every once in a while, a client orders a dessert other than a cake. we recently catered for a party that had a gluten free hostess, so i was really challenged to create some desserts that were just as delicious and even more beautiful than their gluten full friends. 

tweaking the classic shortbread crust on this tart was surprisingly easy. and in my opinion, the addition of almond flavor really stepped things up a notch. not only is the tart delicious, because your not baking the filling, you can really set the berries in any style you like. you can throw them in at random or build a really beautiful pattern. the world is your oyster. 

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. 

pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. 

lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. 

using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. 

prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. 

stir till it is completely combined. 

pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. 

add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. 

serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance. 

xo, a

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. stir till it is completely combined. pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance. 

over the last week, i've been hunkering down in the kitchen. wes and i have a baby shower we are catering next week and over the last couple weeks we have had an uptick in catering & cake inquiries, so i've been menu testing most days. just me, my tiny kitchen and some tunes. 

so far we have had some real winners, but my favorite is this cooling cocktail for the baby sprinkle (a baby shower for a mother that already has a child or two at home, for those not well versed in the ins and outs of baby parties). watch out, it is one of those dangerous drinks that tastes like there isn't any booze in it. 

not a drinker or have some at your party who aren't? you could easily make this non-alcoholic (we are for the sprinkle) by omitting the vodka. you could even make a batch with out the booze but serve it on the side for those who want to add it in. 

mint + melon sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz vodka. 2 cups chopped honeydew melon. 20 mint leaves, plus 2 long sprigs for garnish. 2 oz lime juice. 12 oz club soda or other sparkling water (i used one that had a hint of lime). food processor. strainer. 2 collins glasses. 2 cups ice. 

start by combining the mint leaves, melon, lime juice and vodka together in the food processor. 

blend until completely pureed. 

over a bowl, strain your blended liquid until you have a bowl full of nice smooth liquid. 

fill each glass with a cup of ice and a sprig of mint. 

fill each glass 75% of the way with melon juice mixture. 

top off with sparkling water or club soda. 

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

mint + melon sparkler serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz vodka. 2 cups chopped honeydew melon. 20 mint leaves, plus 2 long sprigs for garnish. 2 oz lime juice. 12 oz club soda or other sparkling water (i used one that had a hint of lime). food processor. strainer. 2 collins glasses. 2 cups ice.
start by combining the mint leaves, melon, lime juice and vodka together in the food processor. blend until completely pureed. over a bowl, strain your blended liquid until you have a bowl full of nice smooth liquid. fill each glass with a cup of ice and a sprig of mint. fill each glass 75% of the way with melon juice mixture.top off with sparkling water or club soda. serve and enjoy.