Monday, February 7, 2011

Vanilla Tart with Kiwi Topping





Kiwi has always been on the top of my list of favorite fruits. There's something about kiwis that scream happiness to me. Maybe it's the softness of the green flesh that I love to bite into when it's cold. Or maybe it's the tartness of the kiwi seeds that tingles on my tongue as I begin chewing on the fruit. Yes, that's probably it. Which is why one of my favorite toppings for tarts are kiwis. I feel that the sourness of the fruit complements the creamy and smooth texture of the tart, along with the crumbliness of the tart base.












The aroma of all these ingredients put together simply reminds me of summers in Syria when I used to visit my grandparents as a little girl. We would order mini tarts from a nearby bakery and I would patiently wait for my grandfather to come back with a box full of goodies. I watched the door handle like a hawk. The minute it would turn, I'd be up on my feet, jumping around with all the excitement in the world.

My mother and grandmother would set up the chairs and tables in our balcony and we would have tea with the tarts. My grandfather would tell us childhood stories of my mother, aunts and uncle, and grandma would smile. Those summers defined a huge chunk of my childhood; memories that I will cherish for years to come.

14 comments:

  1. That looks ridiculously good. I love your tarts woman!

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  2. What a great idea! You rarely see tarts with kiwi and it's one of my favorite fruits too. I love your photos, they are really excellent. And the blue of the plate really brings out the color of the kiwis. Great recipe and great post :-)

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  3. @Mali Thank you, more tarts to come! :)

    @Mich Tarts usually either have just strawberries on them or a mix of fruits so I know what you mean! Thank you for the lovely compliment Mich, I'm just getting into food photography so it means a lot :)

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  4. Very unusual tart Yasmine. I've never seen a kiwi only tart either but it looks scrummy! Wat else have you put into the filling? I love eating foods that remind me of home!

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  5. @Sabine Thank you darlin', I try!

    @Sukaina The filling is your very basic tart recipe (really nothing special in here except if you count love!) which if I'm not mistaken is called 'Crème pâtissière'. I will always have an undying love for foods inspired from home! :)

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  6. loved your photo tutorial... whats the basic tart recipe though? is there a link you could share yasmine?

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  7. Your pastry base looks perfect. I adore tarts and make them often but I would shy away from taking a picture of my pastry - definitely a home-made look - unlike yours!

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  8. @Rajani I have tried this recipe for Paula Deen before http://goo.gl/atkUX and really liked it. If you don't want to use the cream cheese filling, here's a Crème Pâtissière recipe http://goo.gl/sXFJC that I like to use. Hope this helps, happy baking! :)

    @Sally You're too kind! I have messed up many tart bases to get to this point, believe me! All credits go to my mother and grandmother who have taught me all the little tricks to getting it just right. Bless them.

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  9. You are uber talented girl! You make me want to bake (and I only do bread)!

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  10. Means so much that you think so, thank you! I am but a humble red panda who loves to bake! And you could give me some bread making tips, too ;)

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  11. @Rajani I have tried this recipe for Paula Deen before http://goo.gl/atkUX and really liked it. If you don't want to use the cream cheese filling, here's a Crème Pâtissière recipe http://goo.gl/sXFJC that I like to use. Hope this helps, happy baking! :)

    @Sally You're too kind! I have messed up many tart bases to get to this point, believe me! All credits go to my mother and grandmother who have taught me all the little tricks to getting it just right. Bless them.

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  12. Your pastry base looks perfect. I adore tarts and make them often but I would shy away from taking a picture of my pastry - definitely a home-made look - unlike yours!

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  13. beautiful photography Babino :)

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