Greek Yogurt Lemon Tart with Rosemary Almond Crust

SWEET
TART
CLEAN
REFRESHING
GLUTEN FREE

sweet tart lemony citrus desserts are so refreshing especially this lovely tart with it's little rosemary kick.
i seem to forget about lemon desserts.  they get pushed aside for the dark chocolate, the savory peanut butter and the gooey caramel goodies.  i often post about bacon, chocolate, pig ears, pork belly and various decadent sweets and savories, but i bet you'd never guess... i actually DO eat a lot of yogurt, egg whites, grilled fish, steamed vegetables, aloe vera, kombucha, blah blah blah...
i call it my "yin and yang theory".
a little good and a little bad keeps everything in balance.

but...about this recipe...
i'd say it weighs in on the "good for you" side.  i found the original lemon rosemary tart on pinterest at Good Things Grow and pinned it to my "must-try" board.  i finally got around to it, but wanted to make a gluten free crust.  i am not gluten free, but i love to experiment and i have a few gluten free friends.
the original almond crust comes to you from Flourishing Foodie.  i love the almond flour crust idea so i just added the fresh dried rosemary...delicious.  the crust was crisp out of the oven and would be perfect served the day of, but alas...i needed to shoot the tart the next day so i stuck the finished product into the fridge.  the crust lost it's crunch, but was still a winner.  i would compare it to a cheesecake style crust.  it holds up and slices well, but got a little moist after refrigeration.  solution?...i added some crispy lightly toasted almond slivers to the servings and "voila"...the crunch was back in the mix..

Rosemary Almond Crust
Gluten Free
almond flour crust original found at Flourishing Foodie

2 cups almond flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh oven dried rosemary
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

preheat oven to 400F.  lightly butter a 9 inch tart shell.  i used a silicon pastry brush.

in a food processor add almond flour, sugar, salt, rosemary, butter, vanilla bean paste and egg white.  pulse until all ingredients are combined and start to stick together, resembling coarse meal...do not over blend...it will get mushy and ball up.

put mixture into tart shell and press out with your hands and form up the sides of the shell.  create an even layer.  i used a flat glass to lightly tamp  it down.  it will seem quite thin, but will cook to a nice crust as shown.

bake on middle rack for 15-20 minutes, or until it is light brown.  remove from oven and cool completely.

GREEK YOGURT LEMON VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD FILLING
original found at Good Things Grow

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

preheat oven to 350F
place yogurt, vanilla bean paste and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.  whisk in the egg, one at a time, then add the lemon juice and zest.  whisk until completely smooth.

pour into prepared tart crust.  i poured as much as i could and only had 1-2 Tbsp left over.
BAKE at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and only slightly jiggles.  mine was in for 28 minutes and i could have pulled it at 26 minutes.  as you see i had a few cracks, but it was not over cooked.

allow to cool completely.  stick it in the fridge for just a slight chill and a complete "set"...i refrigerated mine over night and the crust got a little moist.  it resembled a graham cracker crust, but still delicious.  i think it would be best to slightly chill and serve the day of.  this tart served very well.  it might be a bit more crumbly (not a bad thing), yet...crunchy and crisp if served the day of.

Super Easy Lemon Curd in the Vitamix

some people are sweet and tart
some people are deep and dark
some people are on the fence...?

BUT this dessert ?..... 'til death do us part.

please excuse my attempt at Valentine's poetry, but someone has to get a bit sappy around here.    Valentine's Day is all about cards, flowers, chocolates and desserts of any kind, but in my books it's yet another FREE-DAY of all treats coming my way.

this one is super easy to whip up.  the lemon curd takes minutes and you can make some delicious truffles ahead of time.  i have quite a few truffle recipes to browse if you go to the search bar in the right column.  OR in a pinch...just go out and buy some at your favorite chocolatier.
IMPORTANT NOTE...you must use a high powered blender such as a Vitamix or maybe a Blendtec.

5 minutes prep

5 minutes blend

wait for it to set...OR DON'T

try not to lick the container with sharp blade until your tongue falls off.

photo sitting in the car...lolololl.

so easy i made it in the garage !...

let me explain...i was all "mise en place" in the kitchen, but "someone" wanted to watch football in the kitchen with his lunch.  my Vitamix and i moved to the garage.

done in 5 minutes !

EASY LEMON CURD in the VITAMIX

recipe from the VITAMIX CREATE book

i found the recipe through Holly at"A Baker's House"on Pinterest...a fabulous blog with delicious goodies galore.

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice

zest from 3 Meyer lemons
5 large eggs

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

1/2 vanilla bean scraped

put juice, zest, eggs, sugar and salt in the blender starting on variable #1...slowly increase to #10.  let it rip for 5 minutes.  lower speed to #3.  remove small lid cap and add butter and vanilla bean scrapings.  blend for 30 more seconds.  remove, strain through fine mesh strainer, let come to room temp. and refrigerate for a few hours.  will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

NOTE...this has a light and airy texture.  not like regular curd that seems to be a bit more heavy like pudding.  i do not think it will hold it's shape if using in a large lemon tart and cutting perfect slices.  maybe it's best for individual tartletts....or maybe i will play with the ingredient amounts...a little less juice perhaps ?

oh just go ahead and spread it on anything...ENJOY

IT'S REALLY FINGER LICKIN' GOOD !!!

Parmesan Pound Cake

i know i've said this more than a few times lately..but...

this is another one of my new favorites


PARMESAN POUND CAKE !!!

i agree, this does sound a bit odd, but it totally works...it more than works
it's moist, it's dense...very surprisingly light in flavor and...

IT'S DELICIOUS !!!


this fabulous recipe was impressively obtained by a fellow blogger after she tried it at the restaurant Metrovino in Portland Oregon.  many kudos out to Susan S. Bradley at lunacafe.com...AND the chef that handed over the recipe.  sometimes we just get to enjoy the food at a restaurant never  to have it again, but she loved it so much she begged the owner for the recipe.  i was so happy she did. ..AND so kind of Chef de Cuisine Gabrielle Quiñónez  because there are many many chefs out there who covet their recipes so that no one can duplicate it.
i am quite sure that i, in no way, have duplicated it, but mine DID come out quite spectacular.  it reminded me of these little muffin cakes i made a while back called "Quesadillas" or Sweet Cheese Bread.  did i post about those?...i don't think so.  i should have...they were eaten too fast.  this recipe intrigued me because not only were these little cakes called "quesadillas", but they also had a sweet and savory factor.   these cheesy muffins  are also made with Parmesan AND loads of butter!...a breakfast staple and any-time treat that is very popular in El Salvador.

on with THIS cake...did i mention i LOVE it?!...really a must try.  the recipe is pretty easy and the original with comments can be found here.  i chose to add just a touch of lemon zest for a little zip and acidity. for service?...this is a pound cake!...pound cakes go with just about anything and can be eaten any time.  it's absolutely at it's peak a few hours after baking, but can be kept out covered over night or in the fridge for a few days and brought to room temp for service.  BTW...it sliced very clean with a little chill on it (for presentation purposes)

PARMESAN POUND CAKE

recipe from Metrovino Restaurant in Portland, 

found The Luna Cafe.com...obtained by Susan S. Bradley

preheat oven to 350 F.  butter and lightly flour two 8 x 8 metal cake pans or one  9 x 12 or 9 x 13 metal baking pan...i used a 9 x 13

2 cups unbleached AP flour (10 oz.)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese...fine NOT shredded

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups creme fraiche, room temperature (or substitute 1 cup cream and 1 cup sour cream combined)

1/2 cup cream cheese

zest of 1 lemon...my add in...optional, but delicious

sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl

whisk in Parmesan.  set aside

cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer for about 5 minutes

add eggs one at a time at medium speed, mixing well after each addition

add cream cheese and zest of 1 lemon...mix until smooth

on slowest speed, alternate adding the creme fraiche and flour mixture, ending with the flour mixture...do not over mix

pour the cake batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  tap the pan down sharp;y on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles

bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. i used NON confection at 350F and it was done at 45 minutes.   let cool

invert the completely cool cake onto cutting board...i let it sit there for a while to completely...i say completely cool.  you don't want the cake to sweat if you are storing it in the pan...so then i flipped it right side up onto parchment paper and back into it's cleaned out baking pan...i knew it was not going to be eaten up that day.  my baking pan has a nice cover and i LOVE parchment.

this recipe is pretty large and goes a long way.  what you don't eat will keep very well in the fridge for about a week...just let it come back to room temp because it's quite dense when cold.

serve as-is or with fresh berries, ice cream, creme anglaise, a little sprig of basil was nice...

how ever you serve it, i'm sure this will be a big winner.

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake

lemon and lavender is a fabulous combo. this lovely simple pound cake shows it well.

bright fresh aromatic flavors really pop with this easy recipe.

just get ahold of some organic dried lavender and the rest is probably in your pantry and fridge.  

Organic you might ask?...

i DID happen to have some that i had bought a while back, BUT i have used lavender from the garden and i'm not dead yet!...so if that's what you've got, or your neighbor (thanks Wendy) has some in the yard...

i don't think the lavender police will be knocking anytime soon.  wash it well or look up some safe methods for drying lavender...maybe you can just use the buds straight from the stem.  we're pretty pesticide free here at this house.

with a nice cuppa tea for a quite afternoon break...

or sliced and presented for that last late summer brunch...

everyone enjoyed this cake.

it's not dense and heavy like some pound cakes and it's not too light like a regular cake.  it's right between the two.  the texture is smooth and the flavor is sweet and tart from the pop of lemon...the slight hint of lavender just gives you a nice calming effect.  be careful and don't get heavy handed with the lavender...more is not better.  you want just a slight..."hmmmm, what is that?" aroma to hit the senses...as you and your guests fight for the last crumb.

LEMON LAVENDER POUND CAKE

adapted from MommaKnows.com by Hanna Trafford

preheat oven to 350 F.  grease 9 x 5 loaf pan

CAKE

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large lemon, zested and juiced...keep seperate

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 lemon extract

1/4 tsp lavender extract (if you have it)

2 Tbsp dried lavender (if no extract use a little more dried lavender)

2/3 cups milk

GLAZE...squeeze 3 Tbsp of lemon juice into a small bowl.  stir in 3/4 cups powdered sugar until there are no lumps.

in a small bowl combine the flour baking powder and salt...stir in zest of 1/2 lemon...set aside.  in another bowl, beat butter and the 2 Tbsp of lavender with mixer...gradually add 1 cup of sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  add eggs 1 at a time.  then vanilla, lemon, lavender extracts and slowly add the milk.  it will look kind of curdled...that's OK.  Hanna, the original poster, says to do the rest with a wooden spoon...Momma knows best so i did as i was told.  stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon just until well combined.  don't over mix.

pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for approx. 55 minutes or until golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean.

when the loaf is done put pan on a rack and get a skewer to poke holes in the top while the loaf is hot.  drizzle or brush half of the glaze over the top.  let cool for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan.  turn the loaf out, then right side up and drizzle the remaining glaze...finish with a little more lemon zest.

Lemon Goat Cheese Cake ...Incredibly delicious

LEMON GOAT CHEESE CAKE

this cake is unbelievably delicious !

absolutely my favorite dessert this year...and now one of my all time favorites.

light, fresh, moist and lemony with just a hint of tang from the goat cheese.  not like a regular cheesecake because it's not so dense...not like a cake because it has no crumble...it's just that perfect balance that doesn't fill you up, but doesn't leave you hanging.  a fabulous dessert for a late Summer Sunday brunch or after a heavy BBQ extravaganza.  

i've been making Homemade Goat Cheese lately and was searching around for any and all things "goatie", i came across this recipe from a fellow blogger named Kate at Food Babbles.  she has a fabulous blog and she is one of those much needed foodies that gives incredibly easy instructions with photos as you go...no room for error.  i diligently followed along and the result was this fabulous cheese cakie treat...

AND, i must add, being able to use some of my homemade goat cheese sent it over the top in my book.

by the way...goat cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make...you just need the right stuff.  i've put in the link.  have a look and give it a try.

GOAT CHEESE CAKE

normally i would to say "adapted from", but in this case i did not change a thing.  i have printed out the ingredients and instructions so you can get a quick overview, BUT i really think you should visit Kate at Food Babbles to get the full photo low-down.  follow her step by step and you will have complete success as i did.  many many thanks to Kate

11 oz. goat cheese (see Homemade Goat Cheese if you want to go the extra mile)

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting pan

finely minced lemon zest from 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 egg yolks at room temp.

6 egg whites at room temp.

3 Tbsp flour.

preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.  butter a 9" spring form pan and dust the inside with granulated sugar...don't skip this.

mix together cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla...beat until smooth.

mix in egg yolks, one at a time at low speed.

next, add the flour.

in another CLEAN bowl beat the egg whites until peaks form.

gently fold whites into goat cheese mixture...make sure you don't over mix.

spread the batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

cool on a wire rack

once cake is completely cooled, refrigerate until chilled

this cake is fabulous as-is with a few fresh berries...for some i added a little dollop of blueberry preserves and fresh thyme.  Kate dressed hers up with a yummy raspberry sauce.

any way you serve this i guarantee you and your guests will be pleasantly sated

Lemon Poppy Protein Cake

this little unassuming cake is not just your usual lemon poppy seed cake. not only is it light and moist and delicious..it's THE BEST "protein cake" recipe i have come across as of yet...and i must say i have tried quite a few...bars, puddings, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, etc...ALOT! most cakes using protein powders come out dry or mealy or just plain awful, but this one is surprisingly good. friends i tested it on asked for the recipe...doubt they'll ever make it themselves, but nice to know they wanted it again.

if you're looking for something a little more healthy to start your day, a nice afternoon pick-me-up snack or a great light after dinner treat this is definitely worth the try. i used a 9 x 13 dark pan with parchment and made 16 servings. the approx. nutritional count (per 1/16th serving) 85 calories...8g protein...7.5 g carb...and a couple grams o' good fat from the coconut oil.

LEMON POPPY SEED PROTEIN CAKE

adapted from askGeorgie.com ...original recipe found here

• Cooking oil spray
• 1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (or gluten free flour)

i subbed in 1/3 cup almond flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 cup Splenda granulated or 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1½ cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon canola or macadamia nut oil...coconut oil
• 2 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
• 2 eggs...i used EGGBEATERS

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9×13″ pan thoroughly with cooking oil spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, whey, Splenda, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest; stir to mix.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, applesauce, oil, lemon extract, and egg. Add dry ingredients to wet ones, and stir just until uniformly moistened. Pour batter into pan.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool 5 minutes before slicing. To keep moist, wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator or freezer. Microwave briefly to reheat.
this saves very well. i kept it in the fridge for a few days and it was great, although it's SUPER good and moist the day of....isn't everything?