Plums tartlets in a brighter light

Blogging saves money and feeds the soul...


I was blog hopping and wondered on to a blog called Small Home In The Country. While looking through a couple of her entries, I found one about a lamp (forgot to take a before photo but you can see it on Kammy's blog). Not just any lamp though. I have the same lamp sitting in my storage closet. The only difference is mine has frosted glass and hers clear. Kammy spruced up this cheap looking brass making the lighting look really wonderful! All it took was a few minutes and some spray paint. We dug out our lamp which has a nice shape and gave ours this super makeover inspired by hers. We even had some woodstove spray paint already in the house. It is wonderfully matt in finish so worked perfectly for the job. I am thrilled to bits. I finally have a nice light on my newly remodeled kitchen ceiling without spending a penny for it. Don't you love using what you have? Thanks for the inspiration Kammy!

I also tried a recipe that Heidi put on her blog Heart And Home. It is for......

Italian Plum Tartlets

Kuchen Pie Shell:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter or reg. margarine, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

Sift flour and baking powder into medium bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut in butter until it resembles large crumbs. In medium bowl, beat egg until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar and salt, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Add to flour mixture, mixing until smooth with a wooden spoon. Press dough evenly over bottom and sides of tartlet pans (or use one 9" tart pan). Refrigerate until ready to fill.

I just love baking with my colored mixing bowls. I found them at a discount store for only a few euros. There are 5 in the set. I had to have them as they reminded me of my mother's beautiful old set. I grew up watching her mix all kinds of goodies for us in those bowls. I also picked out quite a few fingers full of raw chocolate chip cookie dough with my baby brother. *grins* She received her bowls as a wedding gift from my aunt when she got married way back in 1957 and they are still in great shape today. Sorry I got off track while I reminisced so now back to the recipe...

This dough smells so delicious while it is baking!

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs Italian plums

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash plums and remove pit, cut into quarters for large tart pan, sixths for small tartlet pans. Arrange plums on unbaked kuchen shell, sprinkle with granulated sugar and orange peel. (I must admit that I did not measure this but added sugar and orange peel to taste.)

Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees F, reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees F, bake 30 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Just the dough alone makes this worth baking! You could try this dough with other fruits too I think. I might make it trying blueberries soon. Enjoy it if you decide to bake them for a weekend treat!

Have a great weekend out there in blogland!