• Foodelf on March 17, 2012

  The Quiche ... changed my whole quiche world!

• slowfoodie on November 15, 2010

  The humble lemon bar is elevated to a whole new level with their recipe for Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread. Nice strong lemon flavor.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Apple crisp

  • jzanger on January 13, 2014

    Completely lives up to its name. The top is really nicely crisp. I enjoyed trying this new technique (many flat patties covering the top instead of a "crumble" topping) and loved the contrast between the heavily cinnamon-spiced topping and the lemony apples. Prueitt's tip on slicing the apples was very helpful as I used apples of varying sizes and this allowed for somewhat more uniformity. Baking time for me was spot-on as well. The only goof in the recipe is the instruction to use the whisk attachment for mixing together the dough. Cold butter plus a whisk attachment is never a good combo. Use the paddle. I'll definitely make this again! note: there are no oats in this recipe, for those looking for that type of apple crisp/crumble.

  • sosayi on October 24, 2017

    I made this twice this fall and it's just perfect. Shatteringly crisp (yet still chewy underneath) topping and caramelized edges on the apple filling. I did prefer when the apples were cut slightly larger the second time around, as the long cooking time (1.5 hrs) melts the pieces into almost an applesauce consistency otherwise. I agree with the paddle vs. whisk decision of jzanger. The whisk with the cold butter (which is definitely necessary for forming the patties) would be impossible.

  • anya_sf on December 18, 2018

    I used 2 lbs apples and half the topping, which seemed like a good ratio. I also used a paddle, not whisk, to mix the topping. The topping was different, like a cinnamon cookie. It was tasty, but I prefer a more traditional crumble topping. (Also, the cookie topping didn't look that attractive.) The crisp was done after 1 hr 15 min, at which point the apples were almost mush and the topping nicely browned. There isn't much sugar in the filling; it tasted delicious with vanilla ice cream.

• Chocolate-oatmeal-walnut cookies

  • vickster on September 03, 2017

    Best cookies I've made in a long time! I used chocolate chips. I made them about half the size recommended in recipe and froze some batter for later. They came out chewy and crispy on the edges. Highly recommended!

  • LoriPerrault on March 12, 2014

    I used coconut instead of walnuts, and used Trader Joe's Bitter sweet chocolate instead of regular chocolate. Yummy. Froze well. Spread a lot. Baked for 11 minutes and cooled on Silpat.

• Lemon bars on brown butter shortbread

  • slowfoodie on November 15, 2010

    This is our families new go-to recipe for lemon bars.

  • nadiam1000 on January 12, 2018

    My go to lemon bar - I love them at the bakery so I am thrilled to make them at home. I do not use pine nuts in the crust and sometimes I increase the crust by 50% as I love the shortbread.

  • ebs on June 08, 2019

    This worked very well for me. My pan was a bit smaller than 9 x 13, so there was enough crust. Next time, I would probably make more crust and use the correct size pan. The filling was fantastic, just the right combination of sweet and tart.

  • MsMonsoon on December 01, 2021

    Reading the notes here, I increased the crust by 25% and it seemed a good fit for the 9x13 Pyrex, though I didn't take the crust high up enough on the sides. My crust was a little thick on the bottom, so I think I could have gotten away with the recipe as written. Didn't use the pine nuts but would like to next time. My crust was browning on the edges but the entire surface under the parchment/beans was still white, a bit raw, and even stuck a little to the parchment. Took the parchment off at the end to give it a few minutes in the oven uncovered. This recipe is quite good. Even if the filling is on the sweeter side there’s a nice tartness. Uses lots of lemons!

  • anya_sf on April 27, 2018

    An excellent version of classic lemon bars. The butter isn't actually browned, but the crust is prebaked until golden brown, resulting in a more flavorful, sturdy crust than most lemon bars, The crust was fairly thin - barely seemed like enough to cover the bottom of the pan - although it was adequate. But if you like more crust, perhaps increase it by 50%, as nadiam1000 suggests. I didn't use the pine nuts. I used Meyer lemons for the filling, which was absolutely delicious.

• Almond rochers

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    This is one of my favorites and a regular that I turn to when I have extra egg whites from ice cream making. My preference is to substitute hazel nuts for the almonds.

• Shortbread

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    These bars are very assuming at first glance. Try them once and you will be hooked. They are simple to make and are a go to recipe when I'm tight on time. They are buttery with great texture.

  • Melanie on December 18, 2011

    I made this for my Christmas cookie plate. Tasted so good, use top quality butter. Good size for small nibbles with coffee but you may want to slice larger.

  • GoldenLeica on April 20, 2013

    These are fabulous! The authors add "kitchen notes" for every recipe, including this one.. These notes are their secrets for success.

  • MsMonsoon on August 06, 2022

    Super easy and good, just make sure the butter is softened to the consistency of mayonnaise. This makes a very soft, crumbly, powdery shortbread, probably thanks to the cornstarch.

• Chocolate friands

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    I made these little beauties and paired them with strawberry ice cream for a class when I was in baking school. I can't remember the assignment--something for plated desserts probably--but I do remember these. I'm not a huge chocolate fan so these are the perfect size to me, packing in great chocolate flavor in just a couple of bites. As noted above, go ahead and use the good chocolate for these.

• Gougères

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while and I finally made them yesterday for Thanksgiving despite my usual rule not to make something for the first time on a holiday. I made them early in the day and re-heated/crisped them in the oven just before serving, which worked just fine. The basic recipe was delicious, but I’m also interested in the additions of caramelized onions or duxelles suggested in the notes. These savory little bites were one of the hits on the table and it was tough to get a second helping. Everyone asked for more and insisted they become a new tradition.

  • anya_sf on February 29, 2020

    I made them ahead and froze them, adding 10 minutes to the baking time as directed. Mine must have been smaller - actually, getting a consistent size was an issue for me with the stiff dough (all that cheese) - as I got 50 gougeres. They tasted wonderful.

• Sweet tart dough

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    This is a basic tart dough and the one that I turn to most often. It's virtually fool proof and can easily be scaled up or down depending up on your needs (or room in your freezer to save some for later). I tend to find myself following the suggestion of using the egg wash on the partially baked shells and it works well. Rhubarb was finally available at the market this weekend so this was filled with an Orangette recipe for a Rhubarb Meringue Tart--also fabulous!

  • Astrid5555 on December 30, 2019

    Halved the recipe to make only two crusts and froze one for later use. Indeed a very forgiving dough and very easy to handle. Can be blind baked without pie weights. In order to be fully baked the crust needs closer to 20 minutes, not only 15 minutes as stated in the recipe. Will be my new go to recipe for tart shells!

  • anya_sf on September 04, 2017

    Note that this recipe makes 4 crusts. I cut it in half to make 2 (only needed one, but will freeze the extra); I did not try just making one. Read the instructions carefully, as the order of ingredients and mixing technique is somewhat unusual for pastry - more like a cake. It was easy to make and roll out. The recipe says the dough holds its shape during baking, without needing pie weights, and it mostly did, although my edges slumped slightly. I also needed to bake the crust 5 min longer to fully bake it. I would definitely use this recipe again.

  • benitamehta on February 25, 2022

    The best pate sucre recipe I've made!

• Caramel

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    I'm a big caramel fan so this won't be surprising. I loved this basic sauce. It is easy to make and holds for a long time (a month) in the fridge. I used it on the Bread Pudding with the addition of some fruit, but I can imagine it would be good on ice cream or any variety of other desserts. The golden color and the consistency makes it a good choice for finishing a plain or fancy dessert.

• Candied zest

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    Yes, I know the process for making candied zest or peel is not that difficult. It's just that in a moment of panic after I purchased 15lbs of blood oranges, I couldn't bear the idea of making jam and then tossing all of the beautiful peel. It was the middle of winter in the midwest and I knew I had to keep as much fresh citrus around as I could. I needed a quick reference for the process, I turned to Tartine first, and it was there to refresh my memory and to get me through all of that candied blood orange peel.

• Clafoutis

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    The season for tart cherries is way too short, so short that I often eat them all plain. But, this recipe is great for a party and the presentation is beautiful. I often buy bags and bags of frozen cherries at the farmers market and I love to pull them out mid-winter to make this lovely treat. It's a blast of summer when you bite into those cherries.

• Brioche bread pudding

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    This is a simple and quick bread pudding. I served it with the caramel sauce from the book and added blueberries and tart cherries to the sauce. It was fantastic and gone in just minutes at a holiday party. The caramel sauce and the eggy custard was a great combination. Next time, I'll probably bake this with some of the fruit in the pudding itself rather than just adding it on top. I made this the day before I served it. I kept the caramel sauce separate and added it just before re-heating in the oven. It turned out just fine that way.

• Quiche

  • cespitler on November 01, 2012

    This quiche has spoiled me for any other. I love the tangy flavor from the addition of the creme fraiche. It's adaptable to the addition almost any type of vegetable as it comes into season, but I'm partial to chard. When I'm in a rush, I make a quick version without a crust in a deep pie dish.

  • cespitler on June 12, 2021

    This recipe never disappoints and is easily my favorite quiche. Today I added asparagus from my CSA, a bit of kale from my garden, and used goat cheese.

  • TrishaCP on December 01, 2019

    This is bar none the best quiche that I have ever made. It is so creamy! I liked the very simple thyme version but I love the idea of making this with chard too.

  • inflytur on November 13, 2018

    Absolutely the best quiche. Ever. I love the silky custard texture that is achieved without cheese. Alexandra’s Kitchen offers a close variation here. https://alexandracooks.com/2009/08/17/quiche-perfected-homemade-creme-fraiche-a-little-trip-to-tartine-bouchon-napa/#comments

• Banana-date tea cake

  • DKennedy on April 07, 2016

    First recipe I am trying out of this book. As always, I modified to bake this with gluten free flour. I used 1 cup of GF flour mix and 2 T. of Betty's four flour blend to replace the the AP flour. I omitted the walnuts but topped my loaf with toasted pecans and sanding sugar. I did not have any fresh bananas so I did not top my loaf with banana slices. It came out perfectly- moist and flavorful and absolutely delicious. The sugar pecan topping is key.

  • nadiam1000 on March 14, 2016

    Delicious moist and wonderfully dense with dates and toasted walnuts and a chewy, crystallized top crust. Lined bottom of pan with parchement (made a sling across bottom and short sides of loaf pan. Subbed brown sugar for 3/4 cup of the white and sprinkled top of the loaf with Demerara sugar before baking; skipped the sliced banana. Good rich flavor with caramel notes from the brown sugar and dates with a sweet top crust. This recipe will definitely go into rotation.

  • Lepa on July 18, 2018

    This cake has a lovely caramel flavor from the dates- so delicious. It is a bit sweet for a breakfast banana bread and doesn't seem like breakfast- more like dessert. Some notes about process: it took an extra ten minutes to bake and even though the batter only reached 3/4 of the way up the loaf pan, it overflowed and made a mess in the oven. Maybe my bananas were too large? Next time I won't fill the loaf pan as much but there will be a next time!

  • senzler on March 29, 2022

    How funny. I did everything Nadia’s did and I loved it. I do have a weekends for dates though.

• Pumpkin tea cake

  • TrishaCP on December 07, 2018

    This is a great spice cake. After reading the comments below, I used roasted kabocha squash in the hopes of getting a more assertive "pumpkin" flavor, but it still tasted mainly of the spices. Definitely delicious though!

  • nadiam1000 on September 20, 2017

    I added a streusel topping that I had left from another recipe and added 2 teaspoons vanilla to the batter. Cake is moist and light and rises into a tall loaf. My version was a little less dense than the one from the bakery. I prefer my mom's pumpkin bread which is definitely heavier and has more pumpkin flavor. Served with the Bourbon Hard Sauce which is a great topping for this cake (cut way back on the bourbon though - really strong otherwise). Not sure I will rush to make this again.

  • julesamomof2 on October 06, 2019

    Huge hit for brunch.. I added the optional pumpkin seeds to the sugar topping and everyone especially liked the crisp sugary, nutty top and edges. I pulled the cake from the oven after 70 minutes and it could have stayed a bit longer. A definite repeat for special occasions.

  • Zosia on November 11, 2018

    Delicious, moist cake that's easy to make (heavy machinery optional). The pumpkin definitely took a back seat to the rather assertive spicing but we loved it anyway.

  • Lepa on July 14, 2018

    We loved this cake. It had a beautiful dome, luscious texture and wonderful, spicy taste. Mine took 70 minutes to bake.

  • e_ballad on September 12, 2020

    This is absolutely delicious.

  • MsMonsoon on September 27, 2021

    Really good and moist, and super easy to make with the stand mixer. This recipe doesn't include all the spices you'd find in pumpkin spice (only cinnamon, nutmeg and clove). Takes forever to bake -- mine took 75 minutes and my oven thermometer indicated I was at the right temp. I could probably have used 5 or 10 more minutes as I had a slightly damp, dense spot near the bottom of the cake. For gift-giving, I think it's great that the recipe says this keeps days at room temp, and 5 days refrigerated... not that it would last that long!

  • sosayi on October 24, 2017

    I enjoyed this pumpkin cake a lot. Lots of great spice notes, and very moist. My only complaint would be that I, too, would prefer a bit stronger pumpkin flavor. Not sure if I would try to adjust this cake to fix that or just take the parts I like from here (spice types/amounts) to another cake and adjust that one. I substituted white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose with no adverse affects. Currently enjoying it toasted and topped with cream cheese, and it is very nice.

  • anya_sf on April 18, 2018

    Very moist and delicious. I liked the heavy spices. I used white whole wheat flour but otherwise followed the recipe, mixing by hand. It took 65 min to bake, but still sank very slightly at the top. We loved it, but it's so fattening, I'm not sure I'll make it again. Update: We liked it so much, I did make it again.

• Zucchini and orange marmalade tea cake

  • TrishaCP on August 19, 2018

    I'm another fan of this cake. I needed 65 minutes to bake it through and it was perfect. The sugar top does make it satisfyingly crunchy on top.

  • Melanie on July 11, 2017

    We enjoyed this cake - made for a nice change of flavour from the usual tea cake. Froze the leftovers and ate them toasted.

  • mamacrumbcake on October 08, 2019

    Lovely tea cake. The orange marmalade is mostly unnoticed in this cake—unless you get a bite with a bit of orange rind. The only spice in this tea cake is cinnamon, but in my finished loaf, it seemed as if there were other spices as well. Perhaps that is the effect of the marmalade, zucchini, and toasted nuts. Anyway, it is very nice. The texture pleasantly surprised me; it is moist, without being mushy or gummy. The sprinkling of sugar on the top made for a wonderfully crackly crust.

  • Lepa on July 23, 2018

    This is an excellent zucchini teacake. The marmalade gives it a lovely flavor that nicely compliments the toasted walnuts. Mine took 70 minutes and the texture was perfect.

  • MsMonsoon on May 12, 2021

    The texture was very good — moist, perfect balance between light and substantial. Used the stand mixture but it would be easy by hand, too. I shredded the zucchini in a food processor so perhaps the pieces were chunkier than if it had been grated. Cooked up just fine, though. The smell of this cake baking and cooling doesn’t tempt me much, though once sliced and served, it is plenty nice and I can see it fetching $5.25 per slice at Tartine!

  • anya_sf on September 10, 2017

    A friend had given me homemade Meyer lemon-orange marmalade, so I used that in the cake, and it worked well. There is plenty of sugar in the cake (although it isn't overly sweet), so the marmalade can be tart. The marmalade adds a backround spice note to the cake, but otherwise isn't too noticeable. I used white whole wheat flour, which worked fine, and only half the nuts (to save a few calories). No need to use the mixer for this recipe. My tea cake was actually a bit overdone after 60 minutes, but my oven may be running hot. It was very good, although I prefer the Cook's Illustrated recipe. If you make this, don't skip sprinking the sugar on top, as it really adds a nice crunch and flavor.

• Pastry cream

  • Astrid5555 on December 29, 2015

    I love the fact that this recipe requires whole eggs and not only yolks, which makes for a much lighter pastry cream and does not leave you with leftover egg whites. Tastes great as well!

  • anya_sf on September 04, 2017

    I also love that this recipe calls for whole eggs. Also, most recipes that call for it use the whole amount, or close to half the amount (and it's easy to cut the recipe in half), so you aren't stuck with leftovers. The only tricky part is that the cream must boil to thicken the cornstarch, so you really have to watch it. But you have to closely watch any pastry cream not to curdle it.

• Soft glazed gingerbread

  • Melanie on December 18, 2011

    I made these for my Christmas cookie plate. I loved them. These were such a huge hit, I'll make these again and again! I don't have a decorative rolling pin but I used snowflakes and some trims to imprint the cookies instead, cutting into small rectangles to serve. Pretty and tasty :)

  • hirsheys on December 27, 2022

    Very tasty, strong flavored gingerbread with a great, chewy texture. Several family members thought this was too strong, but I like that this is a cookie where one is plenty and very satisfying. The glaze isn't necessary, but it's nice. (We also tried the cookies with leftover cream cheese icing from Smitten cinnamon buns and that was YUM.)

  • briesposito on December 26, 2022

    This is my go to gingerbread now! These aren’t messing around - lots of spice and flavor.

• Shaker lemon pie

  • michalow on July 02, 2017

    Wow, this was good.

• Buttermilk scones

  • michalow on February 26, 2019

    These are excellent. Based on the comments here I made them a bit smaller than the recipe calls for (cutting into 16 instead of 12 scones). This is a good size and they were perfectly baked at 25 minutes. Tops have good texture and color even without brushing anything on top before baking. I've used frozen berries and gotten very good results, but I like these with currants best.

  • Lepa on January 13, 2019

    These are wonderful. I loved the tang and texture the buttermilk provided. As the other poster mentioned, these are large. I ended up with nine scones and it took 27 minutes to bake. I love making scones and these are among the best I have made- or eaten!

  • anya_sf on September 24, 2017

    Very good. The scones are very large and tall, requiring a longer than usual baking time. I tend to make mine a bit flatter. The currant version retains its shape best. I made the fresh strawberry variation and the scones spread a fair amount, and also leaked some butter, probably due to the moisture from the berries. Perhaps freezing the scones before baking would help (I did freeze the strawberry pieces before mixing them in, as instructed). Nevertheless, they were delicious.

  • ChelseaP on May 21, 2021

    Make them all the time and often freeze some for later. One of my favourite scone recipes.

  • senzler on March 29, 2022

    One of my go to scone recipes. I rotate with a number of different fruits

• Bostock

  • nadiam1000 on July 09, 2018

    Used purchased brioche. This is very good - tastes more fruit (orange syrup plus apricot jam) than almond and you need to watch the bottom of the the bostock from browning too much. The frangipane cream variation (I used too much butter by accident...) makes enough for several batches of Bostock or can keep a week in the fridge. I plan to make it into almond croissants next weekend. Another winner from this cookbook!

• Passion fruit and lime Bavarian

  • nadiam1000 on March 13, 2016

    I have had this cake from the bakery. I used limes from my tree and frozen passionfruit puree from the mexican market, so no need to strain. The cake itself came together pretty easily but the sponge cake made more batter than would fit in my 10" springform, so I made a mini 6" cake on the side - to be frozen and used on a different day. The passionfruit cream is bright, tart and not too sweet. The cake, a little fussy to assemble, cutting into layers, lining springform pan with plastic wrap is a bit of a wrestling match(acetate collar might have been easier but maybe this was adapted for home bakers) brushing layers with lime simple syrup and layering with the passionfruit bavarian. Once chilled, I only added whipped cream and toasted coconut to the top - did not frost the sides - they looked okay exposed and it was an easier version. I felt it replicated the bakery version pretty well and it makes a beautiful birthday or dinner party cake.

• Almond-lemon tea cake

  • nadiam1000 on January 12, 2018

    I love, love this cake at the bakery and this recipe is a winner. I added the poppy seeds, although not called for in the recipe so I could match the bakery version. I would like the loaf to be bigger, the slices are smaller and less square than the version at Tartine (double recipe, larger pan??). The almond paste makes this so moist and flavorful along with the tart lemon is such a wonderful combination.

  • EmilyR on February 10, 2019

    I made several variations of this to find which one I liked the most : following the recipe by the book, adding poppy seeds as at Tartine, adding poppy seeds + folding in some whipped cream. It probably could have baked longer, but we were overzealous. The whipped cream version came out of the pan easiest. One of my kids proclaimed they wanted to spend all of their toothfairy money on that same cookbook.

  • yassoma on August 15, 2016

    This was the first recipe I made from the cookbook and I loved it SO MUCH. I made the almond paste myself, but I'll try store-bought next time.

  • robinelizabethleslie on April 08, 2014

    SO GOOD. Seriously, rich and tender, and that crystallized crust! Oh man, yum.

  • MsMonsoon on February 07, 2022

    Made this again using Miyoko's vegan unsalted cultured butter and it totally worked. Added poppy seeds. From the directions, I can't tell if you're supposed to leave the cake inverted when you take it out of the pan to glaze it. I left it upside down and it looked ok. I think I'd need a pullman-like pan to make it look like the photo in the book, but it's close! Don't be afraid of the cake browning in the oven. The inside stays moist and yellow and the darker crust makes a nice visual contrast.

  • anya_sf on September 07, 2017

    Very soft and tender. Easy to eat way too much. I did not bother sifting the flour. I also used the mixer the whole time, using the stir setting to add the zest and flour, with just the final mix by hand. The photo next to this recipe shows poppy seeds, so I added a couple of tablespoons at the end. So delicious! Wish it weren't so fattening.

• Steamed gingerbread pudding with bourbon hard sauce

  • nadiam1000 on September 20, 2017

    Made the Bourbon Butter to serve with the Pumpkin Tea Cake and word of warning, it provides a huge hit of bourbon. I ended up doubling the butter and sugar to compensate for all the bourbon in the first batch - I used a Smoked Maple Bourbon and while it is delicious, it is very strong.

  • MsMonsoon on November 20, 2020

    Love all things British so I was excited that this was billed as *sort of* like a steamed pudding. But this was a bit of a fail for me. The cakes stuck to the bottom of the loaf pans, despite buttering. And the recipe calls for ground black pepper but then the instructions do not mention this ingredient at all. I followed the hard sauce instructions (combine room temp butter, confectioner's sugar, bourbon, and salt in a small bowl mixing with a whisk or wooden spoon) but got a lumpy mess that wouldn't blend, even with the help of a hand mixer. Eventually I had to place it on the heat to melt all the butter blobs. Like nadiam100 says, the bourbon sauce is very strong. The dessert really is not party-centerpiece pretty, but the hard sauce certainly makes for a festive mood! I'll try it again in case it was user error, but this didn't wow me.

• Brownies

  • jnetlw on September 11, 2012

    This is my favorite brownie recipe!

  • bwhip on October 12, 2017

    Excellent brownies! They describe them as leaning more toward fudgy than cakey, and I guess that’s true. I found them to be nicely dense and chocolatey, but with nice crispy edges and not at all heavy. Recipe calls for them to bake around 25 minutes, but ours needed closer to 35-40 minutes. These and the ones from the “Baked” cookbook are my two current favorites.

• Pecan maple pie with kumquats and bourbon

  • jnetlw on September 08, 2012

    Love this version of Pecan Pie. The kumquats cut some of the sweetness away. Lovely.

  • MsMonsoon on May 09, 2021

    I’m a pie and tart novice, and this was not the quickest dessert, but the end result is worth it. (The crust recipe makes two shells so you could easily make a second pie. Someone would be very happy and lucky to receive it!) Complex flavor and you can really taste the bourbon, maple and kumquats. Insanely delicious and beyond decadent with the recommended unsweetened whipped cream.

• Almond breakfast cake with fresh fruit and crumble topping

  • jnetlw on September 08, 2012

    I've made this recipe multiple times each with a different fruit. ALWAYS a hit. The almond is refreshing. My favorite version was with plums.

  • anya_sf on June 30, 2017

    I did not have a glass 8" round cake pan, so I used a glass 8" square pan. The round pan would have been extremely full. I question the pan size, as the recipe notes "makes a 10" cake". The batter comes together easily. I used raspberries and blackberries for the fruit, maybe 3/4 pint; the fruit on top was not too crowded. I had a real problem with the baking time. It was very hard to tell when it was done, as the recipe mentions. I did use a knife to lift up the fruit, and after 40 min, it was definitely not done. But even after 60 min, it didn't seem done. It finally seemed all the way done in the center after 75 min, but by that time, the edges were quite dark (although not burnt) and ended up rather dry and hard. I turned oven down to 325 after 50 min to prevent overbrowning. Anyway, the flavor was very good (almonds and fruit - yum), although it's extremely rich and sweeter than I'd normally make a breakfast cake. Would tweak ingredients, pan, and baking time if I made it again.

  • T.theterminator on September 02, 2024

    I had the same experience as anya_sf the first time I made it and tried the same things (checking the middle with a knife, turning the temp down) - so I too question the pan size. Mine was in the oven for about an hour and 25 minutes. The edges were definitely nearly burnt and the middle was just baked. The second time I used a 9-in spring form pan and the results were much better. I buttered the pan, floured it and put parchment on the bottom. Great results. I used 1/2 the crumble recipe on the cake.

• Cheddar cheese crackers

  • EmilyR on June 03, 2017

    Made for my brother in law's wedding and stamped his name and his new wife's name on them. Everyone was in awe. Very rich and flavorful.

• Banana cream pie with caramel and chocolate

  • yassoma on August 15, 2016

    I tried this tart at the bakery and I loved it so much that I had to make it at home. This was definitely labor intensive, but I found that the crust did not brown as much as the version I had in the bakery. I followed it to the T, but it wasn't as tasty... and I used two full vanilla beans for this recipe. The crust, since it was coated in chocolate and the tart is a refrigerated tart, WAS SO HARD! Which made it difficult to eat. So, reader, take note to BRUSH the chocolate on, a very thin layer. Don't use a spoon. I don't know if I'll make it again, simply because it wasn't worth the intense effort. Tasted good, but didn't look neat and was difficult to eat.

  • anya_sf on September 14, 2018

    I made 1/2 recipe in a 7" tart pan. I baked the crust from frozen and it took a good 20 minutes extra to brown, plus leaked some butter, but otherwise turned out super flaky. The pie itself was absolutely delicious, although the banana flavor does not stand out. The only problem we had was cutting through the very crisp crust and chocolate layer without sending pieces flying across the room. (Tip: tines of fork should face downwards to gently but firmly separate bites.) I wish I had seen yassoma's note before making this because I did spoon the chocolate on the crust.

• Croissants

  • Medamida on January 21, 2014

    I followed this recipe to the letter and had outstanding results. I finally found the silver lining to my cold, cold kitchen in the winter. The dough stays perfectly chilled while rolling it out

• Chocolate almond toffee

  • robinelizabethleslie on April 08, 2014

    This didn't turn out exactly as I expected the first time, but it was my first candy making experience. I've fiddled around with it a bit, and had a lot of success! I ended up adding more water and molasses to the mixture to loosen it up a bit and make it easier to spread out in the pan. The end result was buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

• Lemon-buttermilk pudding cake

  • tarae1204 on March 10, 2021

    I made this in a 2 qt round metal cake pan, cooked it ten minutes longer than the cook time, and it wasn’t at all set. Not sure of the problem but a lot of other recipes do call for a higher oven temp (350 instead of the 325 here). Maybe stick to a more traditional vessel like ceramic or glass ramekin.

  • anya_sf on May 13, 2018

    I made 1/2 recipe for 3 people, using 8 oz ramekins (which were filled nearly full). The recipe is simple to make. I used Meyer lemons, which had a nice flavor. The cakes puffed up in the oven, but deflated slightly upon cooling. They were light and delicious, particularly with fresh blackberries.

• Spiced cocktail nuts

  • sosayi on December 07, 2017

    With so many adjustments, I don't feel entirely qualified to comment on this. In the recipe's headnote, though, they suggest that you can vary the seasonings any-which-way, so.... here we go! Since I was attempting to use up nuts that I had on hand, my final types/quantities did not match up. All were the same variety, but none (except the cashews) were raw. The rest were roasted, or blanched or... you get the picture. And I only had about 2/3 the total amount called for. I did, though, keep the seasonings at the full amount. I had excess agave syrup on hand, so I used that instead of corn syrup. I also used a chili con carne seasoning (ancho chile powder, oregano, tomato powder, etc.) instead of straight cayenne, as I wanted them to not be too spicy my small nut-loving squirrel of a son. I needed to bake them about 5 minutes longer than suggested, but that could have been my oven. Even with all those changes, these nuts will not be around long. They are soooo good and so adaptable.

• Cherry and apricot dumpling

  • anya_sf on June 01, 2017

    I made 1/2 recipe in an 8x8x2" glass dish. My fruit quantities were approximate (used what I had) but overall it was approximately half the recipe amount. This recipe uses a TON of fruit relative to the topping amount. The topping did not fully cover the fruit, but it baked up nicely. This is essentially a cobbler, not what I think of as a dumpling. The flavor of the topping is very pleasant; if you like lots of topping, double it. The sweetness level was perfect with some vanilla ice cream. Overall, a very nice, very fruity dessert that isn't too decadent. Quite possibly the healthiest recipe in the Tartine cookbook :)

• Summer fruit Bavarian

  • anya_sf on July 05, 2019

    I made half the recipe using a 6" diameter pan, when an 8" pan would have been better, so there was extra cake batter and the bavarian turned out extra tall. I used acetate strips around the sides instead of plastic wrap. The various components were easy to make and could largely be made ahead, so final assembly did not take long, which was good since the cake needed to chill for several hours. For the fruit, I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. This dessert was absolutely delicious. Half the recipe served 6-8 people.

• Blackberry tart with rose geranium cream

  • anya_sf on August 12, 2018

    The crust took about 25-30 minutes to bake. Only half the cream fits in the shell unless you have a deep-dish tart pan. I could not find rose geranium leaves, so used rose water. I was worried about using too much, but may have used too little - it wasn't that noticeable in the tart, except perhaps to lend an unusual background note. Next time I'd try vanilla, orange, or fiori di sicilia in the cream. I glazed the berries with raspberry jam, as I was refrigerating the tart, plus the berries weren't totally sweet. Overall, a lovely tart.

• Apple nougatine tart

  • anya_sf on February 02, 2022

    This is a relatively simple tart that relies on proper execution of each component. Unfortunately, I undercooked both the pastry and apple filling, thinking they would cook more after assembly, but that baking time was only long enough to brown the topping. So, sadly, the pastry was underdone - my fault for not checking more closely, although it did bake 10 min longer than the stated time. The apples were cooked per the instruction: half very soft, half holding their shape, but I wished I'd cooked most of them to very soft. Still, the flavor was nice, not too sweet, and I would try this recipe again. We liked it with creme anglaise.

• Fresh fruit tart with Bavarian filling

  • anya_sf on September 04, 2017

    I made 1/2 crust recipe (which makes 2 9" crusts, so I have one left) and 1/2 pastry cream recipe (I ate the small amount of extra) the day before, then baked the crust, made the Bavarian cream, and assembled the tart a few hours before serving. It's a lot of steps, but overall doesn't take that long. The Bavarian cream isn't stiff from the gelatin; it has a light, billowy texture. (Some of that was left over too, and I look forward to enjoying it with fresh fruit). The recipe makes a shallow 9" tart, so it isn't huge. I think it serves 6-8, depending on appetites. I used a combination of peaches and berries from the farmers' market; use the best fruit you can find here, as the flavor is key. Everyone loved it.

• Eclairs

  • anya_sf on September 10, 2018

    I only got as far as the choux pastry, which ended up in the trash. Everything was great until I took them out of the oven. Perhaps they weren't quite done, but I immediately poked holes in the ends as instructed, and they all deflated. I googled this problem and learned that holes should not be poked until the choux is cool. I've only made choux a handful of times, but never had this issue before.

• Basic chiffon cake

  • anya_sf on July 05, 2019

    The cake batter was easy to mix. I made half the recipe, but only had a 6" diameter x 3" high pan, so there was extra batter, which I baked off separately. I guess I overfilled the 6" pan as well (almost to the top) as the top "exploded" and nearly overflowed. So leave extra room next time. Still, it was easy to trim and the appearance didn't really matter since it was used in the bavarian.

• Lemon cream tart

  • benitamehta on February 25, 2022

    Delicious! Perfectly tart and creamy. I make in mini tart tins

• Blueberry-lemon chiffon tart

  • benitamehta on February 25, 2022

    Delicious and easy!

• Food52

  Featured in Food52's September, 2017 Baking Club. Follow link to see how to participate.

  Full review