Carrie's Dessert Table

A few months ago, my little sister turned 18! Of course, a party was in order, and parties mean desserts.

  

 

Mini cheesecakes: chocolate oreo, chocolate raspberry, and vanilla bean raspberry. 

 Cake pops! These were super chocolately and, of course, covered in sprinkles.

Some fabulous chocolate covered strawberries.

Note the cute little tags. These matched perfectly with the invitation and the party favors.

 Yummy chocolate truffles.

Super tart lemon meringue pies. Because they're smaller they have to pack even more of a lunch. Some had a classic pie crust and other had pecan crusts.

 These are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat!

 My dad made this great stand for me.

Happy Birthday!

Berry Cheesecake

I made cheesecake when I was in LA this summer and thought I'd share the pictures to brighten up your day after all this gloomy snow.

After having company over all evening, I started this cheesecake at 11 pm and finished many hours later, but I'm so happy with how it turned out! My oven left a few wonky marks on top because the cheesecake rose quite a bit, but that's nothing some fresh berries can't fix!

I used a hybrid of this recipe and this one.

For the topping, I let the berries macerate in a bowl with some sugar and vanilla bean paste, then tossed them in some warm apricot jam to give them a little extra flavor and a bit of shine.

This cheesecake was sent to a party with my little sister, so I never got a taste, but I heard it went over well! Now I just have to make it again so I can cut myself a nice big slice...

What a Difference a Real Camera Makes!

Probably tired of coming over in the mornings before work, my photographer friend lent me a fabulous camera! I've been experimenting by making and photographing fruit tarts. I've been going crazy at the farmers market buying pluots, nectarines, plums, peaches, and strawberries. The crust is crumbly and nutty with walnuts and almonds. The fruit rests on a thick layer of vanilla bean-lemon pastry cream.

I have a fair amount of art background from high school programs and college classes, so I understand color and composition, but I had NO CLUE what a difference the camera makes.

Observe:

I made this fruit tart last week. It was quite tasty, and I photographed it using my little point and shoot digital camera. I make sure to clear the background, go outside, and photograph in the daylight to make the best of what I have. Not bad.

But then I made a second tart the following week, using the same fruits, crust, and filling.

 With the good camera, you can see how juicy and delicious the fruit is. The glaze and the detail are clear and you can see the nuts in the crust.

There's a HUGE difference and I'm so happy with the results.

Celebrate the summer by enjoying some fresh fruit!