Strawberry Meyer Lemon Tart

The taste of springtime in one show-stopping tart: a velvety smooth Meyer lemon curd and a layer of bright strawberry jam nestled inside a lemon-scented shortbread crust, and topped with fresh strawberries and edible flowers.

Lemon and strawberry come together in a tart that’s as bright in flavor as it is in color. Using Meyer lemons gives the curd filling a well-balanced sweetness with a vibrant lemon flavor, paired with fresh strawberries and a layer of strawberry jam for a perfect finish.

Technically lemon season is at its end, but, thanks to an over-eager tree trimmer, my aunt had a surplus of lemons that needed to be used immediately. Three days later (the postal service is an amazing thing) I found myself with yet another box full of gorgeous Meyer lemons.

After having already made a lemon loaf cake and lemon mousse cakes and a double batch of homemade limoncello, I decided to revisit an old lemon tart recipe to update and rephotograph.

Well, one thing led to another and I ended up making something entirely different (are you surprised? You shouldn’t be).

Seeing that strawberry season is upon us, combining strawberries and lemons seemed like an obvious choice. While I toyed with the idea of mixing the strawberries into the lemon curd, or even adding a layer of strawberry gelée on top, I ultimately decided to keep it simple and spread a layer of fresh strawberry jam in the bottom of the crust. I was a bit worried the jam would mix with the curd or even migrate to the top in the oven, but, to my surprise, it came out as a beautifully defined layer of strawberry jam beneath a vibrant yellow lemon curd.

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Marzipan-Stuffed French Toast

Talk about starting the day off right, this decadent marzipan-stuffed French toast is an almond lover’s delight. Two thick slices of buttery brioche with a layer of creamy marzipan spread in between, it takes Brunch to an entirely new level.

If you love the flavor of marzipan, this stuffed French toast is right up your alley. The creamy almond filling is similar to what you’d find in the middle of an almond croissant, soft and gooey and bursting with almond flavor.

What’s not to love: a creamy almond filling sandwiched between two thick slices of buttery brioche, then soaked in an egg and milk custard and pan-fried for a perfectly golden brown and crispy finish. Topped with toasted almonds, a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup, it’s the perfect brunch recipe you never knew you needed.

Yes, I’ve called it marzipan-stuffed French toast, but if you want to nit pick, almond paste-stuffed would be the technically correct name. But that doesn’t sound nearly as appealing as marzipan-stuffed, does it? In reality almond paste is a more rustic version of marzipan, marzipan being a sweeter and more finely textured almond paste. At least here in the States, what is sold as marzipan and almond paste are two different things (in Europe good quality marzipans are much more prevalent, unlike the dried out, overly sweet stuff we’re stuck with here).

The filling is similar to that of an almond croissant; when it’s cooked it gets wonderfully gooey but still retains that distinct almond flavor (there’s no denying this recipe is plenty almondy even without any added extract).

The filling could also be described as a frangipane-like, which is an almond custard used in fruit tarts and other baked goods (though frangipane usually starts with almond flour rather than almond paste).

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Creamy Chicken Florentine Pasta

With an ultra-creamy sauce (made with surprisingly little cream), plus bright baby spinach and flavorful pan-fried chicken tenders, chicken Florentine linguine is a satisfying and well-rounded pasta recipe perfect for dinner tonight!

I’m all about quick and easy dinners that don’t sacrifice flavor just to save a few extra minutes. This pasta recipe is all that and more: it’s quick and creamy and downright dreamy, and definitely one you’ll want to put in your weekly rotation!

Time for a different kind of Florentine! A savory one this time.

In this instance, Florentine refers to a dish featuring spinach and a protein in a creamy sauce, often a dairy-rich mornay or cheese sauce, though this recipe use primarily chicken stock with just a splash of cream for a perfectly creamy result with a fraction of the dairy.

Much like Florentine cookies, the name is misleading, in that this style of dish probably isn’t Italian in origin at all, but actually French. Stories go that Catherine de Medici, the Florentine-born queen of France, had an affinity for spinach, and dishes containing the dark, leafy green were named as such in her honor. How much truth there is to this story is certainly up for debate. These days it seems any dish featuring spinach is labeled as Florentine, though I think the creamy sauce is non-negotiable as well.

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Chocolate Orange Streusel Muffins

Chocolate and orange together in one mouthwatering muffin! Studded with dark chocolate chunks and piled high with a crunchy chocolate streusel topping, these muffins are, simply put, showstoppers.

These orange-scented muffins are studded with dark chocolate chunks and topped with a sweet and salty cocoa streusel that bakes up delightfully crisp and crunchy, providing the perfect textural contrast to the lusciously soft and moist interior.

Ever wonder about the evolution of a recipe?

In this case, I actually set out to make craquelin-topped muffins, where I placed a disc of craquelin on top of the unbaked muffin batter, hoping it’d rise and crackle like a cream puff.

My first test came out surprisingly well (I was shocked, actually), but subsequent batches were not quite so aesthetically pleasing. Ultimately I nixed the idea (brilliant as it may be) just because the results were so inconsistent.

But I loved the taste and texture of the crispy craquelin on top of the softer muffin base—the rich chocolate flavor and punch of salt was the perfect contrast to the tender orange muffin. I didn’t want to lose that, so I decided to replace the craquelin with a chocolate streusel topping instead to achieve the same textural contrast but hopefully with more consistent results.

I quickly realized that a chocolate streusel is nearly identical to the components of chocolate craquelin—flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, butter and salt—just with slightly more flour and crumbled instead of rolled into disks. So really, I didn’t have to sacrifice anything in the end!

I tested chocolate streusels with both melted and cold butter, and ultimately decided on the cold butter version as I found it to be crunchier and less prone to sinking than the melted version. It comes together somewhat like a pie dough, although you want to keep working it and rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar mixture until it comes together into a dry dough; you won’t have visible chunks of butter like with pie dough.

The crunchy muffin tops are arguably the best part of any muffin, doubly so for this version with its crunchy, salty chocolate streusel topping. That said, you can skip the streusel if you really want to; instead, sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar and add few chunks of chocolate to finish them off.

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Pistachio Florentine Cookies

These thin and delicately crispy Florentine cookies are made with pistachios for a unique nutty flavor, and finished with a thin layer of white or dark chocolate (or a mix of both) and a sprinkle of dried rose petals (fancy!)

Florentines, also called lace cookies, are ultra thin and crispy cookies with flavors of nutty toffee and caramel and a hint of orange zest. This green-tinted pistachio version also features a drizzle of chocolate and pink rose petals for a gorgeous finish.

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Olive Oil Pancakes

Classic buttermilk pancakes made with extra virgin olive oil instead of the typical melted butter. With a hint of lemon zest that plays beautifully with the fruitiness of the olive oil, the result is a unique and utterly delicious twist on a breakfast classic.

Weekends are for brunching, and these olive oil pancakes will satisfy your breakfast cravings without fussy reservations or long waits. Moist, light and utterly fluffy, with a unique flavor that’s all their own, this may well become your new go-to pancake recipe.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with brunch. I love the food, of course, from French toast and pancakes to huevos rancheros and eggs Benedict. But Brunch is also a major pain: you either have to go early to beat the crowds, have the foresight to have made a reservation, or be willing to wait for a ridiculous long time for a table.

Instead of dealing with the hassle of the Sunday morning hoards, an easy brunch at home is so much more relaxing (pants not required). At the same time, no one really feels like slaving over the stove first thing in the morning, so a quick and easy recipe is key, and I should have you know that these olive oil pancakes can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

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Pistachio & Meyer Lemon Mousse Cakes with Mirror Glaze

Lemon lovers, this one’s for you! These bright and sunny entrement cakes feature a core of Meyer lemon curd nestled inside a fluffy lemon and vanilla mousse, with a base of crisp and nutty pistachio dacquoise, all enrobed in a beautifully shiny yellow mirror glaze.

Lemon and pistachio is a match made for springtime. With a tangy lemon curd center and a light and airy lemon mousse, these gorgeous Meyer lemon and pistachio mini mousse cakes are dressed to impress with a shiny yellow mirror glaze and bright green pistachio accents.

Spring means lemons, and while I’m not usually one for lemon desserts, these gorgeous little mousse cakes are most definitely an exception. 

I mean, just look at them! What’s not to love? A joyful combination of lemon, vanilla, and pistachio flavors, they’re like little pops of sunshine… for your tastebuds.

I was the lucky recipient of a box of Meyer lemons from my aunt’s tree in California. Such a delivery always makes me very, very happy, moreso than shoes or clothes or books even. I dedicated about half the lemons for more homemade limoncello (I hope to update the post with more info later this year), but the rest were just sitting in the box, begging me to use them in something unique and delicious.

These lemon and pistachio entremet cakes are certainly that!

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