This week marks the 2nd anniversary of Tuesdays with Dorie! Two years ago I didn't have a blog and had only just discovered that food blogs even existed. It didn't take long for me to stumble across the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers and to want a piece of the pie. And shortbread. And cheesecake. (Oh, the brown sugar apple cheesecake!)Laurie's idea to bake her way through Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours was a great one. So many of us have cookbooks that sit on the shelf despite our best intentions to use them regularly. Baking and blogging together has been a fabulous experience for me and I am looking forward and letting us all have a turn selecting a recipe was inspired. I am number 133 in the list (we are up to 96 now) so I still have a little wait for my turn.
In honour of the anniversary we voted for our recipe this week and I was thrilled the Tarte Tatin won out! (I made the Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake for my 30th last year). As I mentioned a few days ago I am taking a baking hiatus for January, but I couldn't let this one slip by so I made it for our New Year's Eve dinner.
First off, the actual dinner was spectacular! We made a slow roasted pork belly with caramelised vinegar, sauteed pears and potatos and baby broccoli. Honestly if I ordered this in a restaurant I would have been thrilled. The photo really doesn't do it justice. You'll just have to trust me!
I was a little worried about making the tarte tatin but it was a breeze. I used a square baking dish so I didn't even have to trim my pastry sheet. The caramel cooked up beautifully, nothing burnt and it turned out of the dish easily as well. The only problem came with the eating...The taste test
It was SOOOOOOO sweet. As in tooth-aching, I-don't-think-I-can-eat-my-whole-piece sweet. Which is such a shame! I did in fact manage to eat my piece but I didn't have any for breakfast the next day as I was hoping to. Hubby didn't mind though, he polished off the rest in no time flat.Still, I can say that I have mastered the Tarte Tatin and now I know I can do it, I will be making it again, just with less sugar! (I have since looked at some other tartin recipes and they all use less than half the amount of butter and sugar as this one).
Thank you Laurie! I am proud to be a part of this fabulous group of bakers and I'm looking forward to another great year!
Your tarte and your dinner look delicious! I was afraid that the tarte tatin would be way too sweet, but mine was more buttery than sweet. Using half the amount of butter sounds like more than enough to me!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Susan. I am with you on the sweetnes spart - just had another slice of mine, and I am now on the ceiling with the sugar high. Yours looks great. Love the pork belly too - it looks really delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt looks perfect! Just perfect! So glad you are with us, and your turn is coming up. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe color looks so pretty. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteLove the square shape--somehow more sophisticated. Beautiful. We'll miss you for the next month.
ReplyDeleteLess butter?
ReplyDeletePaula Deen will have your hide.
It was great, wasn't it?
Even though it was so sweet, it looks absolutely beautiful1 Gorgeous job!
ReplyDeleteDinner looks wonderful and your tarte looks perfect!
ReplyDeleteOooh my, look at that caramel! Your tarte looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteYou can also add some salt to help cut down on the sweetness. Not sure why it works but it does :)
Congrats on a perfect tarte. It looks gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI used less sugar and made 1/2 recipe and it was just right with my tart apples.
Your New Years Eve dinner does look amazing and delicious and your photo is perfect. Your dinner will be one you and your hubby remember for a long time because everything turned out wonderfully!
ReplyDeleteI feel terrible for not baking the 1st recipe for TWD this year but I am so burned out on sugar still. Your tarte tartin looks gorgeous and sweet =). I agree with you about this group helping us conquer our fears for trying new desserts and techniques along with using those cookbooks on the shelves. Happy New Year!
I love your style, Susan. I'm also an Aussie from Melbourne, but now a business owner in the US. I had lots of friends from the middle east where they make very sweet cakes and their thinking is to just enjoy a small amount of the sweet dessert to top off the main course. Yur tarte tanin sounds great and you enjoyed it they way it was to be enjoyed....in small gourmet bite sizes.
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