Lemon Chocolate Tart

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Lemon Chocolate Tart

lemon chocolate tart

I put all of my recipes through a test. It's a ridiculous test with even more ridiculous criteria but, consciously or unconsciously, every recipe on this website has been sent through it. This lemon chocolate tart was the first and only to pass this test.

Only one recipe passed? I imagine you must be thinking. What could this test possibly be?

lemon chocolate tart

This serious test is to find the recipe, the first recipe, that makes Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is play out in my head. When I took my first bite of this tart, I swear this classic melody was playing in my mind. This tart is love. Oh, you know the words.

I'm going to take a little time
A little time to let this sink in
I will covet this sweet tart
Now that heaven has finally found me

In my life, there's been heartburn and shame
I don't know if I can face a failed recipe again
Can't stop swooning now, I've searched so long
To find this perfect bite.

I want to know what love is
I want you to show me
I want to taste what love is
I know you can show me

Well, at least that's how the sultry tones of Lou Gramm sounded in my head.

lemon chocolate tart

I've been searching high and low for a tart like this. The flavors meld so wonderfully together you will think it came straight from above. The shell is soft and sweet, with almond tones, and crumbles perfectly in your mouth like a shortbread cookie. Lemon and chocolate may be unusual flavors to pair together, but they are so delicious when you do. I used this homemade meyer lemon curd which, in my biased opinion, made this tart even sweeter.

Try this tart. Do it. Try it so Lou Gramm will sing to you too.

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Meyer Lemon Curd

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Meyer Lemon Curd

meyer lemon curd

Today, I bought Meyer lemons for the first time. I've seen these praised in recipes before, but I had never tried one. For those of you that don't know the difference between a lemon and a Meyer lemon, a Meyer lemon is a true lemon crossed with a mandarin orange. It's a hybrid (and a delicious one at that).

Meyer lemons taste like a lemon taken a deep breath and had a chance to calm down. It isn't trying to knock out your taste buds. They are less tart than a true lemon, but still have that signature flavor. I can eat them raw without puckering up my face into a frightful look.

Finally, a lemon I can handle.

meyer lemon curd

In the depths of winter, I love to see a splash of citrus sunshine on my plate. It's a little reminder that spring is on its way. With such a bright, vibrant color, these lemons are sunshine.

In many ways, I believe The Temptations were really singing about this lemon curd for the song My Girl. Oh, you know it. "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May."

I imagine they hesitated because lemon curd wouldn't sell as much sex. Pity, really.

meyer lemon curd

This Meyer Lemon Curd is bottled sunshine. It's creamy, tangy, and smooth as silk. Feel free to eat it on toast, crackers, muffins, or place a dollop on top of your oatmeal for a lemon touch. But, if you're like me, you can just eat it plain and by the spoonful.

meyer lemon curd

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Yeasted Chocolate Coffee Cake

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Yeasted Chocolate Coffee Cake

yeasted chocolate coffee cake

As a baker, I like to pride myself on keeping my cupboards well stocked so when inspiration strikes I can make whatever strikes my fancy without making a trip to the grocery store. My pantry is filled with the basics—flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar... What can I say? I like sugar. The hall closet doubles as another pantry to keep the extra bags of baking necessities. You'd be surprised how much I go through every week.

Or appalled. Possibly concerned for my arteries.

yeasted chocolate coffee cake

Yet, no matter how I try, it seems that I'm always missing some ingredient. Always. I try to be prepared; why can't that be good enough?

Today there wasn't milk in the house. Luckily, I had powdered milk on hand from this Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix to save this coffee cake. However, I very often find that I don't quite have what I need. Perhaps I don't have enough butter or cream to finish out a recipe. This is when my desserts suddenly become low-fat.

Sometimes low-fat is on purpose, like when I drag out the whole wheat and chop the sugar in half, like for these banana cinnamon muffins.

Usually, though, its because I was too lazy to take a trip to the grocery store.

yeasted chocolate coffee cake

This yeasted chocolate coffee cake is decadent and rich. The cake manages to be both dense and flaky at the same time. Each flavor is separated and distinct, yet they complement each other in such a way that you'll find yourself taking bite after bite. This cake is good. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee for the perfect afternoon snack (or breakfast if you feel like a bit of a rebel).

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