Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Baby Shower Cake & Lemon Tarts


Time always seems to get the best of me.
Hubby works odd shifts so I never know what day it is, but an approximation of where we exist within the week. But sometimes, yes sometimes, the days come and go and leave me lost in a tizzy of mid-week confusion.
Once upon a time I decorated cakes. Then I had a child and I took some time away from the piping bag. Now I have two babies and am in desperate need of the occasional thing to take my mind off being a mommy. Re-enter, cake decorating!
Although this is only my second cake in over two years I was quite pleased.
For my preggo friend, who's having a baby girl.


I also co-hosted a baby shower on Saturday and baked myself silly! one of my most favourite treats though was these lemon tarts found in the Company's Coming Most Loved Pies book. The book suggests using cherry jam, but I'm not convinced that it exists to be honest... at least not in my rural Newfoundland grocery store!

Lemon Tarts
2 packages of frozen sweetened tart shells (24 in total)
Strawberry Jam
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Bake Tart Shells according to package directions.
In a small saucepan warm enough jam to cover the bottom of each tart. Once jam is fluidy, place about 1 tbsp in the bottom of each tart.
Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add butter, lemon juice and zest. Heat on medium stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil and coats the back of a spoon. Sieve into a heat proof liquid measuring cup (about 4 cups). Pour over each tart, covering the jam. Chill until set.



Now, the tarts are fantabulous just like this but for extra delight, whip 1 cup whipping cream with 1 tbsp instant vanilla pudding powder and blob some of this on top of the set tarts.


YUM!!