ummm.... hello september?! 

where did 2016 go? in my mind i just got married last week so it could only be mid january right? RIGHT?

wrong.

this year is just one holiday season away from being over. and while there is a lot to look forward to, i have a very special anniversary coming up this month. 

september 21st marks one year since i left my corporate job that left me stressed, unhealthy and downright unhappy. but i shed that former skin and embarked on a new journey to create the life that i dreamed of living. 

the last year has been spent hustling and planning and learning and practicing. and while my wallet is a little tighter than my previous life, there are WAY more ups than downs. 

but most importantly, there is a lot of really delicious food. 

last week, after a cancelled swim lesson, i found myself at an empty produce store in the middle of the day. and when you are the only lady in a produce store, you get some extra attention. the man working there introduced me to these stunners...

welcome to my life "elephant heart" plums. 

and i knew the perfect thing to do with these beauties. 

plum tart + hazelnut crust
serves: 8
prep time: 20
bake time: 40 minutes
chill time : 1 hour
total time: 2 hours
ingredients: crust. 1.5 c hazelnut meal (if you can not find hazelnut meal, no problem. purchase a pack of skinned hazelnuts and blend them yourself in a food processor until they are fine). 4 tbs of butter, melted. 1 tbs honey. 2 tbs sugar. .25 tsp salt. .25 tsp baking soda. 

filling. .75 c sugar. .75 c milk. 6 oz greek yogurt (i used blueberry but you could use your favorite fruit flavor or no flavor at all). 2 eggs. 2 tsp cornstarch. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.5 cups sliced plums (your favorite kind or whatever you can get your hands on).

start by preheating your oven to 325 f. in a medium bowl, whisk together your dry crust ingredients. drizzle in the honey and pour the butter over the top. mix until just combined. 

butter an 8 inch springform pan and turn the crust dough out onto the pan. use your fingers to press the dough around to cover the bottom of the pan and start to press it up the sides. when the tart crust is nice and even, bake it till set and light golden brown. about 20 minutes.
when your crust is finished, up the oven temperature to 375 f.
whisk together all remaining ingredients except the plums. you have a choice here. you can either add in the plums to the wet ingredients after they are combined, or you can wait to make a design with them once you have poured your wet filling into crust. bakers choice. 

when you have poured your filling into the crust and set your plums, bake the tart just until set. about 20-25 minutes.

allow the tart to cool and then refrigerate it for at least an hour. this well ensure easy and pretty slices. serve cold or at room temp. 

xo, a

plum tart + hazelnut crust
serves: 8
prep time: 20
bake time: 40 minutes
chill time : 1 hour
total time: 2 hours
ingredients: crust. 1.5 c hazelnut meal (if you can not find hazelnut meal, no problem. purchase a pack of skinned hazelnuts and blend them yourself in a food processor until they are fine). 4 tbs of butter, melted. 1 tbs honey. 2 tbs sugar. .25 tsp salt. .25 tsp baking soda.
filling. .75 c sugar. .75 c milk. 6 oz greek yogurt (i used blueberry but you could use your favorite fruit flavor or no flavor at all). 2 eggs. 2 tsp cornstarch. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.5 cups sliced plums (your favorite kind or whatever you can get your hands on).
start by preheating your oven to 325 f. in a medium bowl, whisk together your dry crust ingredients. drizzle in the honey and pour the butter over the top. mix until just combined.
butter an 8 inch springform pan and turn the crust dough out onto the pan. use your fingers to press the dough around to cover the bottom of the pan and start to press it up the sides. when the tart crust is nice and even, bake it till set and light golden brown. about 20 minutes.
when your crust is finished, up the oven temperature to 375 f.
whisk together all remaining ingredients except the plums. you have a choice here. you can either add in the plums to the wet ingredients after they are combined, or you can wait to make a design with them once you have poured your wet filling into crust. bakers choice.
when you have poured your filling into the crust and set your plums, bake the tart just until set. about 20-25 minutes.
allow the tart to cool and then refrigerate it for at least an hour. this well ensure easy and pretty slices. serve cold or at room temp. 

while i would never go as far as to say that i was gifted as an artist, i have always thought of myself as a creative person. despite my business management major and athletic background, my spare time has always been spent dabbling in the arts. i've taken art classes, tried my hand at dance, spent years on and off working with beaded, wire wrapped and metal casting jewelry. i even went WAY out of my comfort zone once and sang with a friend at an open mike night. 

clearly i was searching for my medium. nothing really stuck or felt right. until food. 

creating flavors and visually appealing food has consumed me since i started cooking in 2010, but it wasn't until i actually left my very business minded, creativity stifling job that the real creativity started to flow. with out all the stress and madness clouding my mind, i seem to have been able to tap into the artistry i always felt was inside. 

and you know what they say. find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life? 

with my little cake business picking up a bit, i finally understand what they are talking about. every commissioned cake is just another opportunity to create something beautiful and tasty for someone special. even the test kitchen cakes end up having personalities of their own.

this cake may look sweet, but it packs a delicious lemon punch and the lavender adds something beautiful and luxurious. 

the recipe i used as a base initially made me nervous as it used techniques i was not familiar with. but don't let that deter you. this cake is moist, light and down right delicious. 

lemon & lavender cake
serves: 10-12
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 2 tbs lavender blossoms, chopped. 1.25 c sugar. 1 c butter (2 sticks) at room temp. 1 tbs lemon zest. .25 tsp salt. 4 eggs. .5 c sifted all-purpose flour. 1.5 c almond flour or finely ground blanched almonds. 2 tbs lemon juice. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. generously butter two 6 inch baking rounds. 

in a food processor, combine the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt. process until the mixture is pale and fluffy. about 3 minutes. transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

alternate stirring in 1 egg and 1/4 of the flour at a time until all the flour and eggs are mixed in. 

stir in the almonds and lemon juice. 

pour the batter into baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. 

allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes and then turn them out onto a cooling rack. allow to cool completely before frosting or icing. i lightly frosted my cakes with cream cheese frosting and drizzled with a blueberry icing, but any of your favorite frosting/icing combos would be just lovely. 

xoxo
a

lemon & lavender cake
serves: 10-12
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 2 tbs lavender blossoms, chopped. 1.25 c sugar. 1 c butter (2 sticks) at room temp. 1 tbs lemon zest. .25 tsp salt. 4 eggs. .5 c sifted all-purpose flour. 1.5 c almond flour or finely ground blanched almonds. 2 tbs lemon juice. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. generously butter two 6 inch baking rounds.
in a food processor, combine the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt. process until the mixture is pale and fluffy. about 3 minutes. transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
alternate stirring in 1 egg and 1/4 of the flour at a time until all the flour and eggs are mixed in.
stir in the almonds and lemon juice.
pour the batter into baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes.
reduce the temperature to 325 degrees f. continue to bake until a toothpick come out of the cake clean. about 50 to 55 minutes.
allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes and then turn them out onto a cooling rack. allow to cool completely before frosting or icing. i lightly frosted my cakes with cream cheese frosting and drizzled with a blueberry icing, but any of your favorite frosting/icing combos would be just lovely.