Perfect Summer Pie: Peach Blackberry (Recipe)

Happy summer tidings to you all!

I've been enjoying daily swimming, canoeing and baking. Hopefully you all get the same types of summer loving, enjoying all the best (and keeping safe).

This week, before I head off on my week-long canoe trip, I decided to blend summer flavors into a pie. When I think summer, I think stawberries, peaches, and blueberries. Since Peach is a nice fruit, and is a little different from the traditional pie flavor, I whipped up a delicious Peach-Blackberry pie. It is tangy, sweet, and deeeelicious!

Here's what you do:

Skin 6-8 peaches (medium sized, some overripe are okay). Cut into slices. Mix with blackberries (I used frozen BBerries today because we didn't have fresh). Place into a pot over medium heat.



Add in 3/4-1c sugar (depending on how sweet you like it). Add 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tsp coriander (LOVE IT!), and 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir. In a separate cup, measure 1/3 c water with 3 tbsp cornstarch... when it mixes, add to peach mix.

Once the whole thing bubbles, and the 'sauce' is clear-ish, strain some of the fluid (great on ice cream or yoghurt) place remaining fruit and sauce in an uncooked pie crust. Decorate the top as you wish...

Bake pie @ 400 degrees for 11 minutes (or until crust is light brown and flaky). Cool to room temperature. Serve with Ice Cream! (CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA! OR BOTH!)

Full recipe: Summery Peach-Blackberry Pie

6-8 medium peaches, skinned and cored, sliced in wedges.
1 c blackberries
3/4-1 c sugar (depends on your personal tastes... I like less, but it is more tart)
3 tbsp corn starch
1/3 c water
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon

Uncooked Pie Crust (or use my recipe).

Directions:
Mix peach slices, blackberries, ginger, coriander, sugar and cinnamon in a pot. Heat over medium heat. As that heats, mix the corn starch and water (until dissolved), add to peach mix. Allow the mix to bubble, stirring constantly. Once the mix liquid looks clear, it should be done.

Strain some of the fluid (there will be lots). I take out about a cup of it and leave the rest as the pie fruit is exceptionally wet. Place the remaining fruit and some 'sauce' into the crust. Bake the unbaked crust and pie mix at 400 degrees for 11 minutes, or until the pie is browned on the sides/top. ENJOY!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

♥ PIE IS MESSY ♥

PIE IS VERY MESSY.. YUM!

EURIKA! Finally, REAL Maple Tarts

After 8 years of search, I have finally cracked the secret of Hubbie's dream Maple Tart. It comes at a sad time, it's maker, his aunt, passed away. At her funeral, the tart recipe was discussed, but no one had the recipe, she had kept it a secret for all her life, and no one would ever receive it. Yet the discussion was fruitful, those who discussed the memory of the tart slowly unwrapped it's secret. And I was able to figure out it's secrets.

The tart is the size of a two-bite brownie, or a mini cupcake. Those around here describe them as a "Sally-Anne," a small cake, like a Petit Four, but larger. Cake, crust, icing, a secret for so long.


The secret was in the description. I doubt that anyone expected it to be such an easy discovery, but after speaking with Hubbie's family, I got the just of how to make it, much to Hubbie's chagrin. What is in a Maple Tart?





The actual recipe is a secret, but the description is there, and is forever a reminder of H's Aunt, who for years would bake these treats for family gatherings, making them lovingly for others. Now, I shall make them lovingly, remembering the lady whose secrecy passed this recipe to me, not on purpose, but whose secrecy made them legend.

Strawberry Tarts

I love strawberries. The picking season may be over, but the strawberries seem to abound yet. I figured it would be fun to share my favorite strawberry tart recipe with you...


This is a real simple recipe... everyone has the ingredients (except good strawberries, those you must find). Prep time on this is less than 15 min, and after an hour of chill (for tarts) is ready to go for a nice summer treat. I assure you, don't knock it until you try it! It's simple and sooo good! Quite addictive.

♥ Strawberry Pie or Tarts ♥

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) pie crust, 18 mini-tart shells... pre baked
aprox. 1 quart fresh strawberries (thawed works too)
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
whipped cream for the top :)


Directions

1. Cut and husk the strawberries. Arrange half of the strawberries in the pastry shell, bottoms up :).
2. Mash the rest of the strawberries, combine sugar and cook in over the stove until it boils lightly and sugar is melted. STIR OFTEN! Reduce heat.
3. Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually incorporate it into the strawberry/sugar mix. Simmer until thickened (5-7 min).
4. Pour mix over pie, chill for several hours. .

Serve with whipped topping... and strawberry wine.

(Will last 2 days in the fridge)

I need to search up more strawberry recipes. If you have one to share, please, comment. I would love to try new things. I still have a lot of strawberries left.

Maple Tart: The search!

Hubbie had an aunt who, when he was young, would bake the most amazing maple tarts. His desire to reclaim the taste has never waned, he often asks me to try to reproduce the taste. And I have tried, but that magic, and his memory, seemed to have gone.

Recently, I gave it another shot.

Enter the Maple Pecan Tart.

This tart is slightly creamy on the inside, but contrasted by the crunch of pecans.
They were delicious, but not exactly what he remembers. I will have to try again! Still, these ranked 7.5/10 in his books.

Wanna try them out?

Maple Pecan Tarts:

(My Pie Crust RECIPE- click)
- 1 tbsp flour
-1 1/4 c pecans (chopped)
- 3/4 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 c corn syrup
- 1/3 c maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp Rum/Bourbon
- 2 tbsp heavy cream

Steps:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle flour over one side of pastry. Press pastry crust, flour side down, onto bottom and up side pan. Sprinkle pecans into the tart shells. (Bake 5 min)

2. Combine granulated sugar and eggs, in medium bowl; whisk until well blended. Stir in corn syrup, maple syrup, butter, rum/bourbon [Malibu is awesome in this because of the coconut taste :)], cream and vanilla; mix well. Carefully (it is hot!) pour mixture over pecans, coating them well. (Pecans will float to surface but do not fret, this is a good thing!)

3. Place on baking sheet, then bake for another 30 minutes or until golden brown and center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Little Lemon Tarts!

I was super excited this week when I walked into our small kitchen store and found some cute little tart tins! I think I literally jumped for joy. This is something I could order off of the internet, but choose to hold off, and well, it paid off! So, the first thing I thought to make were little lemon tarts with my favorite Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe!

How cute are those! With the little swirly meringue! You can tell the shape of the tins, it made such a cute little impression in the pie-crust...

And it was so flaky. Look at those layers! Pop them in the oven to give it a little browning, and they were so beautiful! I think I was more happy for myself in being able to make tarts than anything else. As I've said before, pie makes me happy.

CHOMP!