No-Bake Cherry Tart

Happy Sunday!
During the hottest summer days, there is nothing better then a cold no-bake dessert!! We really love our sweets here!!! Still had a lot of cherries left; we recently bought a lot at the farmers market…made a no-bake crust using ingredients I already had in my pantry like oats, nuts and dates, whipped up my yummy coconut custard and decorated the tart with cherries. Pretty simple but so yummy!

No-Bake Cherry Tart

For the crust:

• 2 cups oats
• 10 Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup mixed nuts (cashew, walnuts, pecans)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2tbsp nut butter of your choice
• pinch of sea salt

Coconut Custard:

• 500 ml canned coconut milk
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• about 600 g cherries, pitted

-In a medium saucepan whisk together all ingredients except vanilla extract. Let come to a boil, while whisking, then reduce heat and let cook until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and let cool a few minutes then fill into a bowl and let cool completely in the fridge.

-Line the bottom of a 28 cm tart form with parchment paper, grease the sides.

-In a food processor or blender, add the oats, nuts and dates (medjool dates are usually very soft, if using other dates, soak in a bit of water to soften), process until everything is into small pieces, add the oil, honey, nut butter and sea salt. Process until well combined. It will be a sticky dough.

-Press dough evenly into prepared tart form. Fill tart with the coconut custard and decorate with the cherries.

-Refrigerate several hours or overnight before removing from baking form.

-The crust is pretty soft, place the tart in the freezer for an hour or longer, to make it easier to cut and serve into individual pieces.

Enjoy!

Ursula

xo

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Piña Colada Birthday Cake

Happy weekend everyone!! I am happy to share my Birthday Cake with you all! The traditional flavors that go in the famous tropical drink are nicely incorporated in this recipe. This was the first time I made dried pineapple flowers. Besides looking gorgeous they are also quite yummy!

Piña Colada Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, seperated, egg yolk at room temperature and egg whites cold,
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 tsp almond extract

For the Filling:

• 500 ml whipping cream, 35%, chilled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut flavored Rum like Bacardi or Malibu
• 1 cup finely cut pineapple pieces

-Line 3 9-inch baking forms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.

-Seperate egg whites from yolks. Add a pinch of salt and baking powder and start whisking until stiff peaks form. Add honey and whisk just until well combined.

-Whisk egg yolks with the almond extract until foamy. Mix in the flour and shredded coconut. Carefully fold in the whipped whites, just until well combined.

-Pour batter into prepared baking forms. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

For the Filling:

– In a large bowl whisk the whipping cream until almost stiff, add the vanilla extract and honey then keep whisking until stiff peaks form. Fold in the shredded coconut.

How to assemble the cake:

– Place one cake layer onto a serving plate, brush top evenly with Rum. Spread evenly with about 1/3 cup of whipping cream. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of pineapple pieces evenly on top. Place second cake layer on top and repeat with Rum, whipping cream and pineapple pieces. Add the third cake layer and brush with some Rum then cover the whole cake with the remaining whipping cream. Refrigerate until ready to se serve. Decorate with pineapple flowers.

How to make the dried pineapple flowers:

– Preheat oven to 200 F. Cut off the outside shell, and do not remove the core. With a sharp knife or mandolin cut about half of the pineapple into thin slices. Use paper towel to dry the slices and removing as much moisture as possible. I used a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place pineapple slices on the prepared sheet and place in the oven for 2 – 3 hours or until fully dried and edges are crisp. While still warm place each pineapple slice into the inside of a muffin tin to create the shape of a flower. Allow the pineapple flowers to completely dry. Decorate the cake with as many flowers as desired.

I hope you give it a try!

Ursula

xox

Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are the perfect dessert on a hot summer day! I love the refreshing lemon flavor!

These bars are refined sugar free and I used spelt flour.

We like it so much that I’ve made these a few times already this summer, including one time using limes.

Lemon Bars

Shortbread crust:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp water

– Mix all the ingredients together and press into a 31-22 cm, (9×13 inch) baking pan. Pre-Bake crust in preheated, 350 F, oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lemon Filling:

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup creamed honey
• 3 tbsp spelt flour
• Juice of 3 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon

– Whisk all the ingredients together. Pour lemon filling on the still warm prebaked crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set. Let cool completely, then refrigerate.

-Cut into squares, then dust with icing sugar if desired! Tastes wonderful when cold.

I hope you give it a try! This was actually first time I’ve ate and made lemon bars, and I’m loving it!

 

Ursula

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Tarts

Summer is just around the corner, we already had a few hot days. I’m looking forward to all the seasonal fruit and veggies growing here in Ontario, especially all the delicious berries!

For my birthday, beginning of June, I’ve made the Strawberry-Coconut-Cake:  Strawberry-Coconut-Cake

One if my favorite strawberry desserts are these yummy and pretty strawberry tarts. It’s a staple in every bakery in Switzerland, that’s usually what I would pick out!

First you need to prebake the tart shells.  I used a mix of ground almonds and shredded coconut to give it a bit of a different taste, it was really good! The cooled tart shells can be filled with custard or just simply with sweetened whipped cream! Topped with Strawberries and glazed with warmed jelly.

Strawberry Tarts

For the tart shells:

• 125 g spelt flour
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 50 g butter, cold, cut in little pieces
• 50 g ground almonds
• 40 g shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-Mix flour and salt, add butter and mix like a pie dough until it resembles fine crumbs. Combine with the almonds and coconut. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and egg, stir first and then knead only until soft dough forms.

– Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour.

-Between plastic wrap roll out dough thinly, cut out circles to fit into muffin form.

-Press dough into greased muffin form, prick bottom with a fork.

– Bake in preheated 350 F (convection oven), for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

Filling and garnish:

– Fill tarts with a vanilla custard or just simply with whipped cream, I used 1 cup of cream, sweetened with 2-3 tbsp of honey and added 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

-Top with Strawberry halves. Optional step is to brush the berries with a jelly glaze. I used warmed up red currant jelly.

Enjoy!

 

Happy June and stay safe and healthy!

Ursula 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry-Tiramisu Cake

This was my Birthday Cake, celebrating my 40th!!

It was so delicious; a creamy Mascarpone filling with strawberries and a touch of liquor, the base simply made with ladyfingers and butter. And the cake is a no-bake recipe, perfect for summer and strawberry season!

Strawberry-Tiramisu Cake

For the crust:

• 200g Ladyfingers, finely crushed
• 100g butter, melted

Filling:

• 500g Mascarpone
• 200ml 35% heavy cream
• 80g + 2tbsp honey
• 1 1/5 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp liquor
• 400g strawberries, finely cut
• a few strawberries for decoration

-grease a 22cm Springform.

-mix together the finely crushed ladyfingers with the butter, fill into baking form and press down evenly. Let rest in the fridge while you make the filling.

-in a large mixing bowl, stir together the mascarpone, honey, vanilla and liquor. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form add 2 tbsp of honey, whisk until combined. Gently fold whipped cream under the mascarpone filling, then add the strawberries. Pour the filling into the form. Let cool for at least 6 hours. Top and decorate the cake with some more strawberries.

Happy June!

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

 

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Peach Cake

Happy Sunday and happy Labour Day Weekend!

I am looking forward to be back blogging after a bit of a longer-than-I-thought-I-would-take summer/blogging break. I’ve also went to Switzerland visiting my family which was really really beautiful.

 

View from the “Schynige Platte”.

“Brienzer Rothorn”

“Lauernsee”

When I came back it was finally Peach Season! Fresh peaches from the Niagara Region in Ontario.

My daughter came back from a trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market with a box full of smaller, but so delicious local peaches. Of course I had to use some to make a cake;)

 

Peach Cake 

• 125 g butter, soft
• 125 g coconut sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200 g white spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 organic lemon, zest only
• 3-4 (small) peaches, sliced

-Line the bottom of a 24 cm round baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

-Whisk the butter with the sugar, salt, lemon zest and eggs until foamy. Add the flour and baking powder, mix until well combined.

-Fill into prepared baking pan. Top with the peach slices.

-Bake in preheated oven for 45 min. or until tester comes out clean.

 

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

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Raspberry Coconut Tarts

Happy Sunday everyone!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! It is still very hot here and we are trying to stay cool. My daughter and I spent an afternoon a the beach this week, that was very nice and relaxing! The water is very cold, I only put my feet in, lol;)

Huron Lake, Ontario, Canada

And we are picking raspberries in our garden!

I am not turning the stove on that much since it is to hot to do so. But I made these yummy raspberry coconut tarts. Filled with my coconut custard or just simply a vanilla pudding.

 

Raspberry Coconut Tarts

Tart shells:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup white spelt flour
• 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt

-Whisk together the butter, honey and egg yolk. Add salt and vanilla. Stir in flour and coconut until well combined. It is a soft dough. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

-Take the dough out of the fridge and using your hands, press dough into greased muffin form, prick with a fork. Makes about 6-8.

-Refrigerate for a few minutes.

-Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or golden brown.

-Let cool completely.

-Can be filled with my coconut custard: Coconut Custard mini tarts with mixed berries or a simple vanilla pudding. Prepare ahead as the filling need time to cool and set in the fridge.

-Fill tarts with custard, then top with fresh raspberries.

-Keep refrigerated.

 

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

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Streusel-Topped Strawberry Galette

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend!

It is raining like crazy today so we will spend the weekend mostly inside. It has been dry and hot and the rain is very much needed.

We’ve bought a lot of local strawberries which we mostly eat just like that but I also like to make a dessert with it. This recipe for the Streusel-Topped Strawberry Galette is adapted from Canadian Living. It turned out wonderfully and it was so delicious! I definitely will try it with other fruits as well.

 

 

Streusel-Topped Strawberry Galette

Pastry:

• 2 1/2 cup white spelt flour
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter cubed
• 3/4 cup ice water

-In a bowl, mix together flour, honey and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until crumbly. Drizzle with water, mixing with a fork until dough comes together, adding more water if needed. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Almond Streusel:

• 1/2 cup white spelt flour
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cold butter cubed
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

-In a bowl mix together flour and honey. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the almonds, set aside.

Filling:

• 800 g strawberries hulled and halved
• 2/3 cup strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar, optional

-Mix together strawberries, jam, honey and cornstarch, set aside

-On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out dough to about 43 cm circle. Transfer dough with paper to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle dough with ground almonds, leaving a 8 cm border. Scrape strawberry mixture onto almonds.

-Fold over pastry edge. Sprinkle streusel over strawberries.

-Mix egg yolk with 2 tsp of water, brush over pastry. Sprinkle with coarse suger if desired. Bake in 375F/190C preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tip: Feel free to use all-purpose flour and sugar, using the same amount.

Beautiful Peonies blooming in our garden!

 

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

Follow me on Instagram: littleswisslittlecanadian