3 Sides of Crazy

Menu Planning

2009-07-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

	DATE	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
MONDAY	7/6	CEREAL	SANDWICHES	Tuna Melts
TUESDAY	7/7	TOAST	LEFTOVERS	Tomato Spaghetti Cups
WEDNESDAY	7/8	YOGURT	SOUP	Recipe Experiment Night
THURSDAY	7/9	FRUIT	CHEESE & FRUIT	French Onion Soup
FRIDAY	7/10	OATMEAL	C.O.R.N.	Polynesian Chicken Pasta Salad
SATURDAY	7/11	Shirred Eggs	leftovers	Peach Pork Chops & Potatoes
SUNDAY	7/12	Huevos con Yummy	Chicken Posole	Stuffed Shells

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"Laverne DeFazio" ROAST ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

2009-07-05T23:53:00.000-05:00

I created this recipe from combining a recipe of my grandmothers and one of my aunts, but it's always Laverne in the old Laverne & Shirley reruns where Laverne always mixes her pepsi and milk to drink them that I think about when I make it and how I decided on the name. I once saw Penny Marshall in an interview several years back where she said that was how she really liked those 2 drinks, mixed together! Personally it sounds terrible to me for a drink, but it is excellent for a roast!

LAVERNE DEFAZIO ROAST
1 can pepsi
3+/- pound pot roast, with good marbling
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 package KNORR brown gravy mix
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef base
Kosher salt and white pepper

Bring roast to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Brown the roast, generously ~ salt and peppering it.
Whisk together the milk, pepsi, bouillon base and gravy mix.
Surround roast with onions and mushrooms.
Pour Milk/Coke mixture over roast.
Bake for at least 3 hours undisturbed. Depending on the thickness of the roast it will probably take 4-5 hours for a thick 3 pound roast until the meat begins to fall apart. You should be able to cut your roast with a fork.
The combination of ingredients makes its own gravy that is soooooooooooooooooo good.

Now, for the oven I like to use my grandma's old Magnalite dutch oven which cooks really even! And see those little hobnail bumps in on the bottom side of the lid? Those are better known as drip catchers. They collect the steam from the juices and redistribute it all right back down on the roast as it cooks. These help keep the meat moist and juicy. After the roast is browned, place it in the dutch oven and spread vegetables all around it.

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What really matters

2009-07-05T20:23:00.001-05:00

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

~J.R.R. TOLKIEN

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~ Red, White & Blue Swap ~

2009-07-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

Mamarazzi hosted another fun swap over at Our Dandelion Wishes.

My partner was Kimberly over at Kim and Mikey got Married. She sent me this awesome box! I'm using the red, white and blue towels as we speak for the 4th of July! There was this awesome jam made by her father-in-law, a notepad with my favorite flowers, a wonderful collection of LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH words for the wall, a magnet, a notebook, a scent infuser, a great smelling candle and a much needed bookmark!

I sent her red, white and blue yankee candles, a red tea tin of some of my favorite tea, red and white note cards, a white rose soap petals bloom, 2 red, white and blue patriotic magnets, a red, white and blue decorative box, a notebook and pen, a hand made red, white and blue eyeglass pin and a red, white and blue notepad.

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Simple Summer Suppers ~ Seafood Salad and Parmesan Rolls

2009-07-04T09:28:00.003-05:00

Seafood Salad

Green leaf lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
2 bunches green onions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can albacore tuna, drained
1 can bay shrimp drained, or 1 cup fresh
1 large lemon, juiced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper

In a large bowl mix together the lettuce, green onions and tomatoes. Add the tuna and shrimp. Toss well. Sprinkle lemon juice, salt and pepper over top and toss again. Add mayonnaise and toss well.

Parmesan Rolls

4 French Sandwhich rolls, cut into halves
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix melted butter and olive oil. Dip tops of rolls into butter mixture and then into the Parmesan cheese. Broil until golden and crusty.

Be sure to head over to The KrAzY KiTcHeN and join this great new meme.

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Show Your Colors Today

2009-07-04T00:30:00.000-05:00

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Friday Fill-Ins

2009-07-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

hosted by Janet Friday Fill-Ins

1. When I heard the alarm this morning I hit the snooze for another 10 minutes.

2. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

3. It's late, but never too late to make your life happy!

4. Kiss me goodnight always is the sign above my bed.

5. My eyes have seen way too many changes in the world today.

6. Love strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing my book, tomorrow my plans include painting, painting and more painting and Sunday, I want to work in the studio!

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There is a new meme in town ~ Monday Munchies

2009-07-03T10:08:00.005-05:00

I'm pleased to announce and welcome our newest contributor, Cheryl from The Perplexed Scribe to our sister blog The KrAzY KiTcHeN. Cheryl will be hosting Monday Munchies over at The KrAzY KiTcHeN. Please head on over and join her for this great new meme.

Monday Munchies will focus on quick and and healthy snacks that are both kid-friendly and budget-friendly. The simple recipes and short ingredient lists are designed to make cooking and eating easy and fun for kids, college students, busy moms and anyone else in need of a few fresh snack ideas. Each one will include modifications so kids can make it themselves or to make the food more appealing to picky kids, plus sometimes a few substitutions to make the recipe healthier.

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Dietary Missing Links

2009-07-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.thursday-13.com/

Thank you Janet and Megan for resurrecting it!

These are the foods we have been craving most since coming here.

In-N-Out Animal Style burger
A Dunkin' donut (any donut, there are none here, I mean absolutely NO donut shops)
Chuy's Mesquite Broiler home of the Killer chicken & beef
Round Table Italian Garlic Lover's Supreme
Sea Chest Oyster Bar
Prime Rib and Garlic Bread from the Smoke House
Rock Inn Burger and Fries
Crazy Otto's breakfast
Sierra's Mexican Food
Buca di Beppo and Capo's the original Las Vegas SpeakeasyItalian Food
Carrot Cake (and the rest of their menu too) from Stonefire Grill
Elephant Bar Restaurant

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Remember when they were a penny?

2009-07-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

Vintage Thingies Thursday is hosted by Suzanne at Coloradolady.
Show & Tell Friday is Hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home.

I found this at a garage sale years ago. It was so dirty, I actually thought it was brown. After cleaning it up, I actually found a great gumball machine in working order underneath all the dirt and grime.

Now I collect marbles when I go to antique stores to fill it.
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RaspStrawberry Pound Cake

2009-07-02T07:40:00.002-05:00

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 JUMBO or 3 small eggs
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 box raspberries
1 box strawberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
sugar

Wash berries and drain well.
Slice into small pieces and sprinkle with sugar.
Toss with orange zest.
Chill while preparing pound cake.
Cream sugar, butter and shortening.
Add eggs and salt. Cream well.
Add remaining ingredients.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Put into cold oven.
Set temperature to 325 degrees.
Bake 1 hour or until knife comes out clean
Cool 15 minutes and remove from pan.
Cool completely before serving.
Top with berry mixture and a scoop of ice cream.
Enjoy.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Favorite Ingredient Friday is hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

Vintage Recipe Thursday is hosted by Joy of desserts
Trista over at Southern Fried Mama hosts Tasty Thursday
Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while.

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Wednesday Wish List

2009-07-01T15:32:00.003-05:00

I love this stainless steel mesh pie bottom to prevent soggy crusts and the "additional" measuring spoons that this set offers from The Home Market place.

My cousin Jenn over at What I did at School today bought me my first one and I absolutely adore sugar mold candles and this one from Napastyle with the stand is perfect for more than candles.

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Food for Thought

2009-06-30T12:24:00.001-05:00

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

~Maya Angelou

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Perfect Party Cake at Tuesday's with Dorie.

2009-06-30T00:01:00.004-05:00

Carol of mix, mix… stir, stir is hosting today's recipe choice and settled on the Perfect Party Cake on page 250-252. I only made a half, so it's a little thin, but hubby licked his plate each and every piece!

TIPS FOR MAKING A PERFECT PERFECT PARTY CAKE

Make sure the butter is VERY soft, the consistency of mayonnaise, before mixing
Have the egg white and buttermilk at room temperature too
If there is grated lemon zest in the batter, makes sure it is very finely grated as with a microplane, not a box grater – large pieces of zest can weigh down the batter and prevent full leavening from taking place
Use buttermilk instead of milk (the acidity promotes faster setting during baking and also weakens the gluten in the batter)
Buy a fresh can of baking powder
Use bleached, not unbleached, all-purpose flour (If you’re using cake flour, make sure it is NOT self-rising)
Test the layers for doneness with the point of a knife or a toothpick rather than relying on a timer to determine doneness – if the layers are over baked and a little dry, the texture could seem rubbery
Wrap and chill or freeze the layers as soon as they cool – leaving them uncovered at room temperature for a long time could also dry them out

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Stretch Your Food Dollar

2009-06-29T22:03:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to join us at The Krazy Kitchen for the Stretch Your Food Dollar Wednesday meme that begins July 1st. We look forward to seeing you there.

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Chocolate Upside Down Cake

2009-06-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice.
Chocolate Upside Down Cake is posted over at The Krazy Kitchen today.

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BLT Pasta Salad

2009-06-29T20:04:00.000-05:00

BLT PASTA SALAD
2 cups prepared and chilled pasta (shell macaroni or bowtie looks best)
3/4 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (save out a bit for garnish)
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 medium firm tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped**
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise*
1 cup bleu cheese dressing*

Whisk the mayonnaise and bleu cheese together.
Pour over the prepared ingredients.
Toss all together in a large bowl.
Garnish top with bacon.
Chill for several hours prior to serving.

*If you're in a hurry, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk Ranch dressing.

**If you plan to have leftovers, toss with lettuce just prior to serving each time.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while. Trista over at Southern Fried Mama hosts Tasty Thursday and Joy of desserts hosts Vintage Recipe Thursday.

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Menu Planning

2009-06-29T07:22:00.002-05:00

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

	DATE	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
MONDAY	6/29	CEREAL	SANDWICHES	French Onion Soup
TUESDAY	6/30	TOAST	LEFTOVERS	Seafood Salad
WEDNESDAY	7/1	YOGURT	SOUP	SAUTEED POTATOES & ONIONS
THURSDAY	7/2	FRUIT	CHEESE & FRUIT	JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD & CARROT TEMPURA
FRIDAY	7/3	OATMEAL	C.O.R.N.	POTATOES TAMY
SATURDAY	7/4	FRENCH TOAST	leftovers	GRILLED SAUSAGE & CORN
SUNDAY	7/5	SCRAMBLED EGGS & TOAST	Tuna Salad	GRILLED CHICKEN & SALAD

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Oh my, what have we started? AKA the birth of a BLOG

2009-06-28T23:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I responded to a comment my dear friend Martha from Menagerie made on my Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe yesterday and we started chatting back and forth. We realized how many cooking traits we shared and after about a trillion, no seriously a trillion emails we decided on a theme, a new blog, 2 new memes and are in 'business', so to speak.

So may we introduce Simple Summer Recipes, a meme that will air on Saturdays hosted by Martha and Stretch Your Food Dollar Recipes, a meme that will air on Wednesdays hosted by Tamy over at our new hangout, The Krazy Kitchen. Won't you come join us and have some kitchen fun?

Balsamic Peach Chicken

2009-06-28T20:50:00.002-05:00

BALSAMIC PEACH CHICKEN

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
2 cups diced or thinly sliced cooked chicken pieces*
1 1/2 cups prepared brown rice

Prepare rice and set aside, but keep warm.
In a small saucepan bring the water, vinegar, preserves, bouillon and brown sugar to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for several minutes.
Spray a skillet with pure. Stir fry the chicken pieces until heated through.
Add the vinegar mixture and blend well.
Add the rice and heat through.
Serve and Enjoy.

*I use the pieces from a herb roasted Rotisserie chicken

If you'd like to play along, please add this button and link to this post on your post. Be sure to include your recipe in parenthesis following your name. Thanks and have fun. Don't forget to leave a comment and visit everyone. I try not to complicate matters with too many rules, but I do ask that you please use a SDS badge or link back to 3 Sides of Crazy in some way. Thanks.

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Take It or Leave It

2009-06-28T06:48:00.000-05:00

My mother's menu consisted of two choices; take it or leave it.

~Buddy Hackett

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House Update - Chronicles of a Bungled Real Estate Deal - It's Official & an ICE Room

2009-06-27T22:28:00.004-05:00

Most of us are WAY too young to know about ICE Rooms, but when this old house was built, an ICE room was the only means available to keep things cold short of a root cellar. A man in a wagon used to deliver ICE into this little door every day over this concrete room, hence where the original name, ICEBOX came from for early refrigerators.

This room is made of poured concrete, lathe and plaster which made it extremely difficult to work with. I just couldn't deal with more lathe and plaster tear out, so we created a new wall structure along the old walls in which to change this ICE room into a Mud room/broom closet/recyclables/gardener's shed.

Along one side wall will go shelves for gardening tools, winter bulb storage, pet foods, cleaning supplies and such storage. I'm adding hooks for a jacket or two and a bin for recyclable cans and bottles. On the other side are all the hooks for brooms, mops and such. I painted it Oklahoma Wheat from BEHR to brighten it up and hubby add decorative trim. I have enough of the oak flooring from the kitchen left to do the ICE room and outer landing too.

Even though it is storage room, I want to get it looking nice as it is the first thing you see when you walk in from the side door, which ironically is the door most people tend to use.

Now that the sign is planted I guess it's official!

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Rainy afternoon

2009-06-27T21:30:00.001-05:00

So much for yard work. The cold thunderstorms from Minnesota that were supposed to roll in tonight rolled in this afternoon instead. So this is how we spent our time.

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Spice interactions

2009-06-27T18:35:00.000-05:00

I've been doing some research for a friend whose hubby is on a few medications for his heart and has to be very careful with his vegetables due to the interactions between the vegetables and the medications. This is a very helpful chart for those watching their vitamin K intake. According to Ask the Dietitian (www.dietitian.com/vitamink.html) Table: vitamin K in 1 cup serving:

Omit	High	Medium	Low	Very Low
*90 to 1,150 mcg*	*60 to 90 mcg*	*30 to 60 mcg*	10 to 30 mcg	5 to 10 mcg
kale	okra	Chinese cabbage	tomato paste	cashew nuts 1 ounce
collards	cabbage	lettuce romaine or cos	mixed vegetables	split peas
spinach	rhubarb	celery	blackberries	lima beans
turnip greens	plums dried stewed	coleslaw	blueberries fresh	squash winter
beet greens	cowpeas or blackeye	peas edible pod	cabbage red	prune juice
mustard greens		cabbage Savoy	plums dried 5 prunes	mangos 1 fruit
Brussels sprouts		cabbage	artichokes	duck (1/2 cooked)
broccoli		blueberries frozen	grapes red or green	salad dressing Italian 1 tbsp
onions Spring or scallion		pumpkin	cauliflower	salad dressing Russian 1 tbsp
dandelion greens		peas green	carrots	beef stew
parsley 10 sprigs		tuna fish in oil 3 ounces	miso	papaya 1 fruit
spinach noodles		carrot juice	cucumber peeled	oat cereal cooked
asparagus		spaghetti sauce	yellow snap beans	pears
sauerkraut		mung bean sprouts	green snap beans	muffins oat bran
endive		soybeans cooked	vegetable soup	soy milk
lettuce green leaf		kiwi fruit 1 medium	salad dressing French 1 tbsp	peppers sweet red
			French fried potatoes 1 large fast food serving	soup split pea
			cauliflower	soup clam chowder
			raspberries	seaweed kelp 2 tbsp
			biscuit with egg & sausage fast food (1)	chickpeas or garbanzo beans cooked
			salad dressing vinegar & oil 1 tbsp	fruit cocktail
			pine nuts	peppers hot chili green
			tomatoes fresh	chives 1 tbsp
			salad dressing blue or Roquefort 1 tbsp	peppers hot chili red
			bread stuffing 1/2 cup	squash summer
			turkey patties breaded battered fried 1 patty	soup vegetarian vegetable
			seeds pumpkin or squash roasted	peaches dried 3 halves
			lettuce iceberg	refried beans
			peppers sweet green	pinto beans
			vegetable juice cocktail	avocado 1 ounce
			potatoes mashed	figs dried (2)
			pickle relish 1 tbsp	red kidney beans
			Asian pear	mayonnaise salad dressing 1 tbsp
			pickles dill (1)	potatoes hash brown
			chestnuts	apricots canned
			plums purple canned	sweet potatoes
			salad dressing thousand island 1 tbsp	tomato juice
			alfalfa seed sprouts	peaches frozen
				fruit leathers 1 ounce
				raisins
				chili con carne
				honeydew melon

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Daring Bakers ~ Bakewell Tart ...er...pudding

2009-06-27T17:30:00.001-05:00

The June Daring Bakers' challenge is hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England. Bakewell tarts…er…puddings combine a number of dessert elements but still let you show off your area’s seasonal fruits.

Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart…er…Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types. The first is the “pudding” where a layer of jam is covered by an almondy pastry cream and baked in puff pastry. The second is the “tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry holds jam and an almondy sponge cake-like filling. The version we’re daring you to make is a combination of the two: a sweet almond-flavoured shortcrust pastry, frangipane and jam.

The Challenge was

• Rough Durations: Please see individual recipe elements to see how much time you’ll need. You may pull it together in more time or less—it all depends upon your kitchen’s pace. You can complete the tart in an afternoon, or break it up into a couple of days by making the pastry one day in advance.
• Measurements: These recipes were developed using weight and not volume metrics, so for better results, pull out your scales. We’ve done our best with the Metric to Imperial conversions.
• A giant tart, medium tarts or little tartlettes: We’ll leave that to you.
• Mandatory and Optional Elements
Mandatory element 1: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Yes, it’s a pie pastry. Don’t look at us like that. It’s sweet and tender and it’s not scary…and we’re encouraging you to do it by hand and put the food processor away (but if you really want to pull out the gadget, go ahead).

Mandatory element 2: Frangipane
We love onomatopoeia of frangipane: it’s rich, sweet and feels slightly luxurious, and can be used in several confections.

Optional element: Home made jam or curd - I used homemade Raspberry Jam.

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater*. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Annemarie’s notes:
• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish. When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

*One of the reasons I joined Daring Kitchen was to learn new things. No matter how much experience you have, there is always something new to learn. This little trick for cutting butter into pastry was an awesome learn!

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