Beer Bread

If you decide to try out this recipe, I promise it will be one of the most satisfyingly simple things you've ever made. This beer bread has a buttery, crunchy, lightly salty crust on the outside, all the way around, and is soft, airy, a little chewy, and slightly sweet on the inside. There is absolutely no sifting, kneading, proofing, resting, or anything even remotely complicated about this recipe. Just some pouring, stirring, and placing into a hot oven. You can do this!

I would almost venture to call this bread "foolproof" - and that's a legitimate claim, coming from me. I make many foolish mistakes in the course of recipe experimentation. One of these days I'll post blooper pictures. No, I probably won't. But seriously, make this bread. If you have last minute company (summer is coming - it happens!) and want something impressive to serve but don't have time to go to the store - make this bread. You probably already have all of the ingredients.

Blueberry pie with limoncello lemon curd

Blueberry and lemon are two of my very favorite flavors, and together? It's a winning combination. Blueberries are delicious, but I think their subtle sweetness is even better when juxtaposed with tart lemon. With the deep blue color of the berries plus a little creativity with the crust, you can make a patriotic pie to show off at your Memorial Day BBQ.

These beautiful berries are just begging for booze, aren't they?

Since I was planning to add lemon curd, I wanted to make sure the blueberries wouldn't be overpowered. I've gotten accustomed to adding a little booze to my pie crust, to make it extra crispy. In this case, I substituted 2 Tbsp of water with blueberry vodka - just to add extra emphasis on the blueberry flavor.

Amaretto and Apple Galette

This galette is easier than you think!  Ground almonds in the filling, enriched by smooth Amaretto.  Not too sweet, not too tart: Just Right!   This tart is similar to my hazelnut tart, but more dense yet less sweet.  A great combination for dessert or to start you day off with a strong cup of coffee or espresso.  And, it's even possible to have TWO slices and not EVEN feel guilty! 

And, right off the bat, a HUGE "thank you!!" to Ally at A Girl and Her Fork who had a giveaway a few weeks back when I WON a really groovy OXO hand-held slicer.  Thank you, Ally!  This slicer made quick work of my apples and was SO EASY to use.  My "old" mandoline required a lot more counter space and more cleanup.  No changing out blades with this OXO slicer which is a whole lot safer in my book!

This tart is laced ever so slightly with Amaretto, the Italian almond liqueur.  I joked on Facebook a few weeks ago that I was working my way through the Italian liqueurs....Seems like I don't need to joke anymore.  I'm fully ENTRENCHED in Italian liqueurs with utter abandonment it seems.  I'm okay with this Italian liqueur entrenchment...All the more reason to become Italian!

For those foodies out there, frangipane is a French almond filling used in all sorts of fruit tarts.  Martha's frangipane tart was made with poached pears, but who has time to poach pears?  A galette is a French tart of fruit, typically a free-formed tart (AKA rustic) with thinly sliced fruit arranged over a frangipane or custard filling.  Or, sometimes the fruit is its own show piece!

I know you'll love this tart.  Easy to make, easy to eat, and easy to share with your favorite Italian.  YUM!

Rustic, no?  

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