Free-Form Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Written by Chris - 

Mouth-puckering when raw, rhubarb really blossoms when it’s cooked and sweetened. This Free-Form Strawberry Rhubarb Tart has a fine balance of sweet and sour that makes you crave another bite. Trust me on this!

A free-form tart is basically a single layer of buttery pie dough folded up around fruit, and then baked. If you are at all intimidated by fluting a pie crust or using a tart pan, you must try a free-form tart! All you need is a rimmed baking sheet and parchment paper.

The crust is simple: flour, butter, salt and water. I experimented with different flours and really liked white whole-wheat flour but my taster’s had a slight preference for all-purpose flour. I also tried adding a little sugar but found that it made the crust a bit too fragile. Sparkling sugar is added to the dough prior to baking, so this adds additional sweetness and crunch. If you prefer a gluten-free crust, this should work just fine! Or you can go the super easy route by using ready-made pastry shells. Our recipe editor made this tart over the weekend using two pastry shells (this is how they are packaged). She stacked the pastry shells on floured piece of parchment paper and rolled into a 12-inch circle.

A note about the delicious filling: I’ve made this type of tart on several occasions and each time some of the liquid leaks out of the crust. I’ve found this to be normal with free-form fruit-filled tarts. The tart is baked on a piece of parchment paper, so the cleanup is pretty minimal. But I wanted to find a way to reduce the leakage. I ended up macerating the strawberries and rhubarb in a little sugar first. Macerating sweetens up the fruit and draws out some of the moisture. So I ended up draining the syrupy liquid that formed, then added back more sugar plus cornstarch. There was still a little leakage, but not as much this time. I was pleased with the end result!

Rhubarb can be found from late winter through spring with a peak season from April to June. The deep red color in rhubarb lets you know this is a food full of immunity-boosting nutrients. It’s rich in vitamin C, which is known to prevent infections. It’s also high in dietary fiber, proven to be good for heart health. Once picked, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Strawberries are available year round, but I think they are at their best right this very moment! Their peak season is April to June. You can check out more strawberry tips in this post.

Once baked, this tart is best eaten warm, or within a couple hours. Leftovers can be reheated in a 350° F oven for a few minutes. I think you will find that it’s delicious on its own, but it’s even better with vanilla ice cream (especially when it starts to melt and pool on the fruit!).

Free-Form Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Ingredients for 8 servings:

CRUST

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

FILLING

• 1 pound rhubarb (about 5 medium stalks), washed, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• White sparkling sugar for sprinkling (optional)
• Vanilla DREYER’S or EDY’S SLOW CHURNED Light Ice Cream

Directions:

FOR CRUST:
PLACE flour and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine (or whisk by hand in a large bowl). Scatter butter over the top; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or cut in with pastry blender). Continue to pulse (or mix with a fork), adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched with fingers (mixture will be crumbly).

TRANSFER dough to a floured cutting board or counter and gather into a ball; slightly flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes so that it’s easier to roll (can hold in refrigerator up to one day but be sure to let dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften).

PLACE dough between two large, floured pieces of parchment or wax paper; roll to a 12-inch circle (think rustic here; it doesn’t need to be perfect). Remove top piece of parchment paper. Place dough with parchment on rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while you make the filling.

PREHEAT oven to 400° F.

FOR FILLING:
COMBINE rhubarb, strawberries and ¼ cup sugar in large bowl; toss gently to coat. Allow to macerate for at least 20 minutes. Drain liquid from bowl.

ADD remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch to bowl and stir until starch has dissolved.

SPOON rhubarb mixture into center of dough, leaving a 3-inch border around the edge of the fruit.

FOLD outermost dough over fruit, pleating every 2 to 3 inches as needed; gently pinch pleated dough to secure. Working quickly, brush dough with a little water then sprinkle evenly with sparkling sugar.

BAKE for 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling (some of strawberries and rhubarb will have a roasted appearance – so delicious!). If you don’t want the berries or rhubarb to get roasted, just place a piece of aluminum foil over the fruit during the last 15 minutes of baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. To serve, use metal spatula to loosen tart from parchment and remove parchment if desired.

CUT into wedges. Top each serving with small scoop of ice cream.

Related recipes:

Apple-Rhubarb Pie	Strawberry Almond Chocolate Tart

Easy-to-Follow Tres Leches Cupcakes Recipe

Written by Chris -

Tres Leches Cake is a sponge cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. You can vary the creams. I like to use lite coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, but you could also use whole milk. Whipped cream is traditionally used as the topping.

In this new recipe, the traditional Latin Tres Leches cake is transformed into delicious cupcakes. I was looking through our cupcake collection on meals.com and couldn’t believe we didn’t have a tres leches cupcake. How could that be? I have a huge, HUGE crush on traditional tres leches cake, and I’ll be the first to admit that I always go back for seconds, or take a piece far too big. Or scrape off the top of the cake with a spoon.

Seeing that I obviously lack self control when it comes to tres leches cake, I thought that making cupcakes out of this Latin cake would provide guidance of what a serving size looks like. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Kidding aside, one sweet milk-filled cupcake will completely satisfy your cravings!

If you happen to be planning your Cinco de Mayo menu or thinking about a summer barbecue (not too far off!), this Tres Leches Cupcake recipe will make a great addition! They are perfect for bridal and baby showers, too!

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Ingredients for 32 cupcakes:

CUPCAKES

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

TRES LECHES SAUCE

• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ CARNATION Sweetened Condensed Milk or NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk (fat free evaporated milk works, too!)
• 1 cup lite coconut milk (you can use whipping cream or whole milk if you don’t like coconut milk)

TOPPING

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Line cupcake tins with 32 paper or foil liners.

FOR CUPCAKES:
SIFT flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

BEAT egg whites in large mixer bowl until soft peaks form. With mixer on, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately beat in flour mixture with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.

SPOON batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling only 1/2 full (be sure to not overfill or the tres leches sauce will overflow).

BAKE for 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. While cupcakes are cooling, make tres leches sauce.

FOR TRES LECHES SAUCE:

WHISK together all but 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (the 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk will be used in the topping to sweeten up the whipped cream), evaporated milk and coconut milk in a large glass measuring cup.

POKE holes in the cupcakes using a wooden pick, skewer or fork, penetrating to the bottom of the liner (but don’t poke through it).

SPOON tres leches sauce over each cupcake one tablespoon at a time. After it soaks in, add a little more. Each cupcake should hold about 3 tablespoons of sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cupcakes can be refrigerated overnight if you plan to serve these the next day.

FOR TOPPING:
BEAT cream in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk. Right before serving the cupcakes, add a dollop of whipped cream over each cupcake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. (Toasting coconut is simple! Just add coconut to a skillet and cook it over medium heat, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until it starts to turn golden.)

I wanted to share the picture above with you. I made these cupcakes the other day but only had 2 muffin tins on hand. So I improvised and used a mini Bundt pan as well (the pan held 6 mini Bundt cakes). Obviously cupcake liners won’t work here, so I sprayed the pan with coconut oil, and proceeded with the recipe following the same directions as stated above. To remove from the pan, I placed a rimmed baking sheet over the Bundt pan and inverted it, shaking the pan to loosen the cakes. I needed to loosen each Bundt cake a little with a knife, but after that, they plopped right out. So if you get into a pinch like I did, don’t be afraid to improvise.

Related recipes:

Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake	Clásico Three Milk Cake

Lightened Up Fresh Strawberry and Lemon Tart

Written by Chris -

Lemon tarts and pies are perennial favorites, and this Spring Fruit Tart has garnered 5-star status by meals.com visitors since it was first released in 2005. Topped with seasonal fruit, this tart features fresh squeezed lemon juice in a velvety cream cheese filling atop a delectable graham crust.

Last week I made our Spring Fruit Tart recipe, but used 1/3 less fat cream cheese along with fat free La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk in place of their full-fat counterparts. These minor changes cut the fat by 45% and calories by 10%. The fresh lemon still shined brightly through and the filling was every bit as creamy. I was so happy with the results I wanted to share this new, lighter version with you!

Let’s talk fruit. No tart is complete without fresh seasonal fruit. Or in this case, strawberries. When purchasing fresh strawberries, it’s best to go straight to source. Nothing beats farm-fresh produce! The strawberries I used came from our local farm in Oxnard, CA.

When selecting, choose bright, plump strawberries with green caps attached. I’ve found that smaller strawberries are usually sweeter. As well, those that are uniform in size always look best on a tart.

Fresh Strawberry & Lemon Tart

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 8 whole graham cracker rectangles, finely crushed (it’s best to use whole graham crackers and crush them yourself since these are always the freshest)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ LA LECHERA FAT FREE Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 package (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (about 1 ½ medium lemons)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray.

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

BEAT sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese in large mixer bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel. Pour over crust; gently smooth down top.

BAKE for 28 to 30 minutes or until filling is set. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

ARRANGE strawberries over tart. Remove rim of pan; slice into wedges. Makes 12 servings.

Here’s a little tip on how to remove the rim of the tart pan. Set a wide can, like a 28-ounce can of tomatoes, on a flat surface. Set the cooled tart and pan on top of the can. Hold the pan ring and gently pull it downward – the can will support the pan base and the tart as you remove the ring. Viola!

Enjoy!!

Related recipes:

Frozen Lemonade Cupcakes Recipe	White Chocolate-Mascarpone Key Lime Pie

Frosting Tips and a New Cupcake Collection

Written by Chris -

Beautifully frosted, or simple and elegant, cupcakes are an important part of life’s special moments – not just birthdays, but also graduations, bridal and baby showers, excellent report cards, or just because. Cupcakes make ordinary days feel extraordinary.

We have a new Cupcake Collection on Meals.com I’d like to share with you. We’ve selected several of our favorite recipes which include the classics plus delectable new flavors like lemonade, malted chocolate and even bacon!

Since a cupcake really isn’t “dressed” until it’s frosted, I thought I’d highlight some of our tried and true test kitchen frosting recipes. I’ve also included a handful of prepared frosting tips, too. I’ve found that most kids prefer the stuff in the container over a 5-star homemade frosting. There’s nothing wrong with that. My kids, now ten years old, get a kick out of customizing prepared frosting as well as creating simple cupcake recipes. You can check out their recipes here.

Let’s start out with a tip for piping frosting. I’ll admit, I cut corners (literally) more times than not. I don’t have time to clean a pastry bag so I use a gallon size heavy-duty zip top bag.

All you need to do is put the piping tip you want to use in the corner of the bag, then snip the corner off and push the tip a quarter of the way through.

Place the bag with tip in a glass to keep it stable. Then spoon about 1 cup of frosting into the bag.

To pipe, hold the tip in place with one hand and gently twist the top of the bag with the other to push the frosting through. Continue to refill the bag as needed.

Here are a few ways to jazz up prepared frosting…

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, and then sprinkle with chopped candy bars. Butterfinger is my favorite! Quick tip: Be sure to sprinkle the candy right after you pipe the frosting so it will stick, otherwise it will bounce off. Also, if you really like peanut butter, try stirring in a little creamy peanut butter into your prepared white frosting.

How cute are these Dalmatian Cupcakes! Simply sprinkle a small handful of mini chocolate morsels over the frosting – an instant hit!

Here’s a clever way to make a glaze out of prepared frosting: Spoon 1 container of frosting into a microwave-safe container and microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 30 seconds. Then stir until smooth and spread over cooled cupcakes. You can also add hot coffee to prepared frosting to thin it down to make glaze.

Of course, you can also stir in caramel syrup, Nestlé Nesquik chocolate syrup, a little orange juice or grated citrus peel into prepared frosting. Frosting add-ins are truly endless!

Here are some of our favorite homemade frosting recipes…

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting – absolutely perfect on Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes!

Cream Cheese Frosting – the perfect match for Red Velvet Cupcakes!

This Chocolate Lover’s Frosting is delectable to spread on cakes, cupcakes, brownies, sugar cookies and more. It’s ready in just 5 minutes, too.

Now if you want to make a big impression with very little effort, I’d suggest this Dark Chocolate Ganache. Simply stunning!

Do you have frosting tips to share? How about shortcuts? Please tell me I’m not the only one to take short cuts.

Happy weekend to you,

Chris

Easter Brunch: Mushroom Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Written by Chris -

Savory and full of flavor, this quiche makes a great meal any time of year, especially Easter Sunday. Serve with fresh fruit for brunch or a simple salad for dinner. If you enjoy wine, pinot noir or even chardonnay pairs well with this quiche. It can be made a day in advance and reheated the day of so that you can truly enjoy all that the day has to offer.

A year or two ago I made chef Thomas Keller’s Over-The-Top Mushroom Quiche – well, not exactly. I made the filling according to his recipe, but used a premade crust (no judging, I’m a busy lady!). It was so incredibly good! I wanted to make it again, but wanted to lighten it up a bit.

The crust is made with quinoa – any color quinoa works. Carnation Evaporated Fat Free Milk is used in the filling, providing enough creaminess that heavy cream is not needed. It’s loaded with mushrooms – I used a combination of oyster, white button and cremini, but you can use whatever you have laying around. Fresh thyme adds such a nice fresh element of flavor but you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if needed. Gruyère cheese and Fontina cheese are equally good so use the cheese you prefer.

A quick tip about springform pans and this recipe. You must line the bottom of the pan with foil or parchment paper otherwise the filling will leak out. Trust me on this. I purchased new springform pans for a recipe shoot we had at the White on Rice Studio. I proceeded to make the quiche in their studio and it leaked all over. I found it so odd because it didn’t do this with the springform pan I used to develop the recipe. Sweet Todd ran out and purchased two more pans and those leaked as well. I was so embarrassed! I had to think fast so I ended up lining the bottom of the pan with foil, and then secured the rim. This did the trick. The foil made for very easy clean up too!

Mushroom Quiche with Quinoa Crust

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup red or ivory quinoa, pulsed in blender until close to flour consistency
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms (mixture of oyster, white button and baby bella/baby portobello/ cremini)
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup total)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cans (12 fluid ounces each) NESTLÉ CARNATION Evaporated Fat Free or Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1 (4 ounces) cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with foil or parchment paper (for visual reference, the quiche at the top of this post used a 10-inch pan, and the quiche the very bottom used a 9-inch pan). It’s best to use two sheets, crisscrossing the sheets. Place the side of the springform pan over the foil and close the latch. If using foil, fold the foil overhang up over the base of the pan. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray.

Combine quinoa, butter, water and baking powder in medium bowl; stir well. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Reduce heat to medium; stir in shallots and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs in large bowl; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the crust.

Top with mushroom mixture.

Add egg mixture and remaining cheese.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

To serve, carefully loosen and lift side of springform pan. Gently peel away foil. If desired, transfer to serving plate using a spatula (it transfers easily!). Cut into wedges and serve.

Happy Easter, my friends!

Complimentary salad recipes:

Walnut Caesar Salad	Fresh Fruit Salad

A New Take on Homemade Granola: Quinoa Granola with Raisinets

Written by Chris - 

March 24^th is National Chocolate Covered Raisinets Day. Did you know that? What better way to celebrate than with a brand NEW Nestlé Raisinets recipe!

Raisinets are best known as a movie theater treat, but they also make a great addition to granola (and cookies!). When I make homemade granola, snack or trail mix, I like a little chocolate and dried fruit, so Dark Chocolate Raisinets make the perfect addition!

Let’s talk quinoa. Quinoa has been around long enough that you probably already know how good it is for you. You also likely know it’s a great addition to salads, sides and mains. But have you tried it in granola?

Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod created a recipe for Crunchy Quinoa Granola that looked fantastic! I have her to thank for the initial inspiration. Thanks, Maria! Brandi of BranAppetit developed a Stove Top Spiced Raisinets Granola for Nestlé that I fell head over heels for. She used cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and maple syrup and something about that combination tantalized my taste buds!

In this recipe, cooked quinoa (cooked in just water or equal parts water and apple juice), oats, nuts, seeds and spices are coated with a little coconut oil and maple syrup and then baked until golden. Raisinets and toasted coconut are added to the mixture once cool. Oh wow is this good!

Here’s the recipe…

Quinoa Granola with Raisinets

Ingredients for 24 (¼ cup) servings:

• Parchment paper
• 2 cups cooked ivory or red quinoa (cooked in water)
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pepitas
• 1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 package (11 ounces) NESTLÉ RAISINETS Dark Chocolate-Covered Raisins
• 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

COMBINE quinoa, oats, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seed kernels, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in large bowl. Add coconut oil and maple syrup; stir to coat. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.

BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time, until golden and toasted. Once it has cooled completely, stir in the Raisinets and coconut. Store the granola in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Here’s a little tip. Add a few tablespoons of this granola to nonfat Greek yogurt, and then drizzle with a little maple syrup. Perfect snack!

More Raisinets Snacks:

Nutty Raisinets Trail Mix	Raisinets Cereal Snacking Mix