Roasted Summer Cherry Tart

A long time ago I bought a tart pan but sadly I have only used it a couple of times. Personally, I think tarts are very simple and elegant but since I tend to bake cakes for most occasions tarts aren't deemed special enough. Last week my parents were invited for a summer barbeque and my mother was in search of an easy appetizer she could make and bring. The idea to make a tart using roasted tomatoes had crossed my mind before and when I proposed it to her she was in favor of it.

Since I also had friends coming over that night we decided to make two and each bring one to our respective get-togethers. Normally, I like to make everything from scratch but we were pressed for time so we bought store-made pie dough and a goat cheese blend with herbs. To balance the tangy flavor of the goat cheese we also mixed it with a little bit of dill and regular cream cheeses. After finishing both tarts in under two hours, we were quite pleased with our impromptu appetizer creation. The tart was light and refreshing with the sweetness of the tomatoes against the tangy goat cheese. Also we sprinkled a little bit of white balsamic over top for a touch of acidity. Both groups enjoyed the tarts and complimented us on the taste.

Roasted Summer Cherry Tart

• Pie dough (can be store bought or made from scratch)
• Goat cheese (optional goat cheese blend with herbs or pepper)
• Cream cheese
• Optional: 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Cherry tomatoes
• White Balsamic vinegar

1. Bake the shell of the tart in a 10" tart pan according to the package instructions (store bought) or recipe (home made). Make sure to prick the bottom of the dough with a fork prior to baking to keep the crust flat.
2. Mix the goat cheese with cream cheese and garlic, if using. The quantities are purely based on personal preference. We used about 150 g goat cheese, 50 g dill cream cheese, and 100 g regular cream cheese, but we also had leftovers.
3. Once the tart shell is baked, spread an even layer of the mixture across the bottom. The layer should be present, but not too thick.
4. Slice the tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and arrange in concentric circles across the tart. Try to leave as little space as possible between the tomatoes as they will shrink in the oven.
5. Return the tart to the oven and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully as the broiler can heat up very quickly. Remove the tart from the oven once the tomatoes start to wrinkle and pop. They will continue to shrink a little after so better to remove earlier rather than later.
6. Allow the tart to cool for a few minutes then sprinkle with a little of the white balsamic prior to serving.

Pecan Tarts

After making blueberry pie last week I had some leftover pie dough and decided to make these little pecan tarts using my little 4" tart pans. I actually bought the pans a long time ago but have only ever used them once before to make french pear tarts with almond cream, which were actually quite delicious.

The beauty of these tarts was that they were super easy to assemble, given that I already had the dough made. The filling came together quickly and then it was just a matter of pouring it over the layer of pecans sitting over top the dough in the pans. Due to the golden corn syrup, the filling had a taste very reminiscent of caramel, something my cousin really appreciated. I only had enough dough to make three tarts, but the filling supposedly could be divided into five or six as it puffs up while baking anyway.

Pecan Tarts:
Note: Since I used leftover pie dough, I don't have proportions for the dough recipe. However I do have a pre-existing dough recipe which I know would be enough for one 9" tart or 5-6 mini 4" tarts. It can be found here.

For the filling:

• 1½ tbsp unsalted butter 
• ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup plus 1 tsp golden syrup 
• ⅛ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour 
• ⅔ cup whole pecans

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. 
3. Whisk in the vanilla, egg and flour until smooth. 
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough out to ⅛" thickness and cut out as many 5-6" circles as you can. Re-roll scrap pastry and cut out another circle so that you have five in total. Fit each round into the 4" tart pans with removable bottoms. 
5. Prick pastry shells several times with a fork and scatter pecans evenly in a single layer over the base of each one. 
6. Pour the filling over to cover the nuts, dividing it evenly. Place tart pans on a baking tray and bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the filling has puffed and the pastry is nicely browned, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

French Pear Tart with Almond Cream

While searching for recipes to make the fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream for my friend's birthday, I mistakenly came across a recipe for an almond cream tart instead. When I described the tart to my friend she seemed quite enthused by the idea and so, even though I did eventually find the correct recipe, I decided to make her mini pear tarts to go along with the bigger fruit tart.

Although I had not originally intended to bake so much I'm glad that I did because this tart turned out fabulously! In fact, my friend and I both agreed that we actually preferred the taste of the mini pear tarts to that of the fruit tart. Due to the fact that the tart shell was first partially baked on its own and then filled with the almond cream and baked again it gave the crust a great crunch. The center, however, remained soft with the creamy filling and was topped with the sweetness of the poached pears. Since I only made four mini tarts but had enough filling and dough for six, I used the extras the next day to bake some for my family and I'm glad to report that it was well received.

French Pear Tart with Almond Cream
Note: This recipe is enough for one 9'' or 10'' tart or six 4.5'' tarts.

For the tart shell:

The recipe is the same as the tart shell of the fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream. If baking mini tarts, alter the baking times to 10 minutes with weight and 8-10 minutes uncovered.

For the cream:

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup ground blanched almonds
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the ground almonds and then add the flour, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
3. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is homogenous. Add the vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that the plastic is directly touching the surface of the cream and refrigerate until completely chilled.

For the poached pears:

• 1 medium firm pear
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat until boiling.
2. Peel the pear and then lower into the boiling liquid. Reduce the heat to low and allow the pear to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until it is easily poked through with a fork.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pear cool down in the poaching liquid.

To assemble and bake:

1. Spread the almond cream into the tart shell.
2. Remove the pear from the poaching liquid and pat dry. Slice and core the pear and arrange the slices on the surface of the cream.
3. Place the tart on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up and browns. For the mini tarts, reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with some icing sugar.

Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Birthday season has officially begun! From now until the end of the summer I have various friends and family members who will be celebrating their birthdays and I will be baking many a cake for the occasion. This year birthday season kicked off with the request of one of my closest friends for a cream filled tart topped with an array of fruit. I was lucky enough to have made this once before in one of the pastry classes that I attended last year. However this time I made the entire thing on my own with no guidance from an experienced pastry chef.

Based on my previous experience, I approached this tart with a little bit of caution because I remembered the cream being difficult to make. Luckily, I have much more experience in the kitchen now than I did a year ago and the cream came together exactly as I had imagined it. Putting together the finished product was definetly time consuming, what with the pre-baking of the tart shell, creating and refrigerating the cream, and finally slicing all the fruit and arranging them. I managed to split my task over two days, baking the tart shell and making the cream on day one, and then filling the shell and arranging the fruit on day two.

Everyone who saw the tart commented on how gorgeous it looked and claimed it was restaurant/cafe worthy. I thanked them all, of course, but insisted that the only thing that mattered to me was that my friend love it...and she did. I think it's safe to say that the birthday season has started off successfully and hopefully all of the future cakes will be met with just as much enthusiasm.

Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

For the tart shell:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 tbsp water

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together a couple of times.
2. Add the butter chunks and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is cut into walnut size pieces.
3. Gradually pour the water into the spout of the food processor and continue to pulse until the dough starts to come together.
4. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl or the counter and work it into a uniform dough, adding more water if necessary. Try to handle the dough as little as possible so as not to melt the butter.
5. Chill for 30 minutes before proceeding to roll out the dough.

To bake:

1. Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thickness, making sure it is large enough to place over the tart pan without stretching it.
2. Press the dough into the pan and up along the sides. Remove any excess dough from the sides and prick the bottom of the tart with a fork all over.
   
3. Cover the surface of the tart with plastic wrap and fill with rice or beans. Make sure the level of the rice/beans is even or slightly higher than the sides of the pan so that the dough does not shrink during baking.
4. Place the tart pan on a baking tray and into the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrapped weights and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the shell is lightly golden. Cool completely before assembling.

For the pastry cream:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp butter

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just under boiling and a thin film forms on top.
2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together on medium speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture becomes very thick.
3. Switch to low speed and add the cornstarch and flour. Then slowly add the hot milk to the mixture.
4. Once the mixture is combined return it to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-7 minutes. As the mixture starts to thicken stir it constantly for another minute or two until it is completely thick.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
6. Pour the mixture into a small bowl through a fine mesh sieve and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is directly touching the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

To assemble and glaze:

• Fresh fruit, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 spoonfuls apricot jam
• 1-2 tbsp water

1. Fill the tart shell with the pastry cream and arrange the sliced fruit on top.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the apricot jam with a little water and heat to thin it out.
3. Brush the apricot glaze over the fruit and serve.

Ice Cream Phyllo Cups

In addition to making the polka dot cheesecake for my birthday, I also made these cute little ice cream filled phyllo cups. My reason for making them was in large part due to the fact that I was using phyllo for an appetizer and had extra sheets leftover. I knew these cups would be quick to make and would lend themselves to an elegant yet simple dessert.

The dessert is really quite simple: a phyllo cup filled with one scoop of ice cream and then topped with a warm berry sauce. The beauty of this dessert is that it requires virtually no effort, the components can be prepared ahead of time, and the flavors can be interchanged and added to. For example, my brother chose to top his phyllo cup with some peanuts for an added crunch. Also, one could add some chocolate shavings or use a different flavor of ice cream or fruit. Truly the possibilities are endless and I find that very fun and exciting!

Ice Cream Phyllo Cups

• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
• Ice cream (I used vanilla)
• 2 cups fruit, fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Optional: nuts, chocolate, any toppings

To make the cups:

1. Using three to four sheets at a time (depending on how thick you want the cup) spray each sheet of phyllo dough with PAM and then lay them on top of each other.
2. Cut each sheet into 12 squares and press into metal tart shells. Let the edges hang out for a more elegant look. Lightly spray the tops again with PAM.
3. Bake the phyllo cups at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 minutes, or until edges become golden.

To make the sauce:

1. Combine the fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and heat until the fruit becomes soft.
2. Depending on the type of fruit, and your preferences, you can either puree the fruit into a uniform sauce or mash it lightly or even leave it as is. I used strawberries and chose to mash it, therefore leaving some chunks. Perhaps if I had used blueberries or some other small berry I would leave it alone.

To assemble:

1. Cool the phyllo cups completely before assembling.
2. Scoop one scoop of ice cream into the center of each cup.
3. Drizzle warm fruit sauce over top and add any additional toppings you desire.

Mushroom and Onion Goat Cheese Galette

I have been making my fruit galette quite often now as it always seems to be a great dessert for the summertime. The ease of making a galette and the idea that almost anything can be used as a filling inspired me to branch out into savory galettes as well.

Looking through my fridge, I saw that we had a goat cheese log and was immediately inspired to use it in my filling. As for the dough, I can proudly say that I came up with the recipe on my own, based on previous attempts and also some online research. Finally, the mushroom filling was inspired by my mom who helped me make it and taught me a few tips and tricks along the way.

After the success of this galette, I will definitely start thinking of more savory fillings I can make and variations to the dough as well. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as cheesy as I thought it would so maybe next time I'll add more Parmesan or even use some other cheese.  

Mushroom and Onion Goat Cheese Galette

For the dough:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese + 1 tbsp
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2-3 tbsp water
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a couple of times. 
2. Add the cold chunks of butter and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour mixture in small walnut sized pieces. If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the sour cream and lemon juice.
4. Mix until a dough starts to form, using water one tablespoon at a time as needed.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

For the filling:

• 5 oz. goat cheese (I used half of a goat cheese log from Costco)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8-10 large mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Pour enough olive oil to cover the surface of a large skillet and heat on high. Once the oil is warmed up, pour in the diced onion and saute until it reaches a golden brown color, stirring occasionally. 
2. Once caramelized, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are also golden, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the walnuts to the pan and mix them in. Remove from the heat and cool the filling.

To make the galette:

1. Roll out the dough into about a 9-10" circle. 
2. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese and minced garlic and then spread the mixture over the rolled out dough, leaving about a 2" border all around.
3. Pile the filling on top of the goat cheese. Make sure the filling is cool otherwise it will melt the dough.
4. Fold the uncovered border over the edge of the filling and pinch into pleats.
5. Add a little water to the egg yolk to create an egg wash and brush onto the crust. Sprinkle the crust and filling with the remaining tablespoon of Parmasan.
6. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.

Chocolate Ganache and Fruit Tarts

Happy Canada Day! I have spent the last three days in the kitchen busily preparing for today's birthday celebration. In my family, July is a very popular month for birthdays, with the first week being especially busy. Every year, Canada Day marks the first of a long string of birthdays and this year was no exception. By now my whole family knows and expects me to prepare a dessert to mark the occasion, and usually I make one of my many cheesecakes. However, for this particular occasion I decided to scale down in size and make mini desserts...little individual sized tarts.

Just because the dessert was small, doesn't mean the effort was as well. These tarts were definitely time consuming mostly because I had to make so many. Even though it took me a while to crank out nearly fifty tarts, I can honestly say that I had fun doing it. Also, it was great to hear everyone's comments afterward and see my little tarts get gobbled up.

The technique I used to bake the tarts is known as blind baking. It ensures that the sides of the tart are able to bake without falling down, and then the last couple of minutes spent in the oven bakes the bottoms of the tarts. I first learned about this technique in the pastry class that I took, and was a little shocked and afraid of it. It calls for the use of plastic wrap in the oven, something that seems quite unnatural.

I, like everyone else in the class, didn't believe that the plastic wouldn't melt. However, the chef assured us that the plastic wrap sold here, meaning in local grocery stores such as Safeway and Costco, is food grade plastic wrap and designed to withstand high temperatures.

I can now say that I have used the technique twice, once in my pastry class and now once at home. Both times, the plastic did not melt and the rice packets easily came out of the tart shells. Best of all, I saved the little packets to use for the next time I make tarts, therefore saving the time on making them again.

Chocolate Ganache and Fruit Tarts

For the dough:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 5-6 tbsp ice cold water

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together a couple of times.
2. Add the butter chunks and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is cut into walnut size pieces.
3. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and create a well in the middle. 
4. Gradually pour the water into the well, one tablespoon at a time. Once you have poured in 4 tablespoons, start to work the mixture into a dough.
5. Continue to work the mixture, adding more water if necessary, until the dough is completely formed.
6. Chill for 30 minutes before proceeding to roll out the dough.

Note: This recipe is enough to make about 24-25 mini tarts, depending on how thick you roll out the dough. My tarts were about 1/8" thick when I rolled out the dough, but then it puffed up a little in the oven to make quite a thick shell.

To fill the tart shells:

Cut circles out of dough that are slightly larger than the tart shell itself.

Place the circle over the shell and gently press down and against the side.

Keep pressing the dough against the side until the bottom and sides are completely pressed in. Smooth the excess dough over the top of the shell and even out.

To bake the tart shells:

Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.

Gently use a fork to poke some air holes into the bottom of each tart.

Spread a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the tart and pour some uncooked rice granules inside to fill the tart.

Gently fold the excess plastic wrap into the middle and loosely wrap together.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove the wrapped up rice and continue to bake for another 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms are fully baked.

For the filling:

• Fresh raspberries and blackberries (you can use others if you like I just happened to like these two)
• 250 g chocolate
• 250 g heavy cream
• 3/8 cup (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup icing sugar 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until little bubbles form around the sides. Do not bring to a boil.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chunks of chocolate and butter and stir until fully melted.
3. Depending on the type of chocolate you used (I used very dark, 72%), slowly add the sugar and mix until fully incorporated. The amount of sugar you add is really a personal preference on how sweet or bitter you want the chocolate ganache to be.

Fruit Galette

My wonderful friend got me a birthday present a couple of months ago for a pastry making class at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, located on Granville Island in Vancouver. My birthday was actually in March, but the class was scheduled for the end of May and I patiently waited in anticipation of all the delicious things I was going to learn to make. I actually stuck her card on the fridge and wistfully admired it and the gift I was due to enjoy as I continued to study and prepare for my exams.

Eventually May came and I had the pleasure of attending my pastry class. It was a fantastic experience which left me mesmerized and on cloud nine. During the course of five hours, I learned how to make several different pastry doughs and tart fillings such as ganache, lemon curd, and almond creme. At the end of the class I left with my very own lemon meringue pie, six mini chocolate ganache tarts, half of a ganache and berry tart, and plenty of extra dough.

As I was browsing tastespotting.com, I noticed some very beautiful pictures of various fruit galettes. As I clicked on the recipes, I found that these rustic french tarts were actually quite easy to make, and that the hardest part was making the dough, which I already had. Thus I decided to make my own fruit galette using my leftover dough and whatever fruit we had lying around. The result was delicious and great on a nice summer day.

Fruit Galette 

For the dough:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 5-6 tbsp water, cold

1. If you have a food processor: Combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse a couple of times. Add the chunks of butter into the processor and pulse until the butter pieces are roughly the size of walnuts.
2. If you don't have a food processor: Dissolve the sugar and salt in the water and set aside. Cut the butter into large chunks and add to the flour, and continue cutting the butter through the flour until only walnut size pieces remain.
3. Transfer the dough mixture into a bowl and moisten with the water, starting with just a couple of tablespoons at first. Work the mixture until it forms a dough, adding water by the tablespoon only as needed if it feels dry.

Tip: Make sure your ingredients are cold before you start preparing your dough, as this will make the process much easier.

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp sugar, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 egg yolk
• 2-3 cups fresh fruit, cut into bite size pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Roll out the dough into about a 9" circle.
2. In a bowl gently mix the sugar, corn starch and fruit.
3. Strain the mixture then pour into the center of the dough, leaving about a 2" border.
4. Fold the uncovered border over the edge of the fruit and pinch into pleats.
5. Add a little water to the egg yolk to create an egg wash and brush onto the crust. Sprinkle the crust with the remaining teaspoon of sugar.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust is lightly browned.

Alternative: To make this even faster and easier, you can buy a pre-made pie crust and simply fill it and bake it. It may not be as authentic, but it still tastes great and the pleating usually looks nicer with the even edges.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

A couple of months ago I went down to Seattle over Easter weekend to visit my former neighbors. The trip was great, filled with lots of fun and surprisingly little shopping. On Easter Sunday we were invited to have dinner at one of the other neighbors' house and that is where I stumbled upon this amazing tart. I asked her in great detail how she came up with the idea, and she admitted that she read it in a magazine. I spent the entire evening captivated by this simple, yet delicious, idea and vowed to make it upon my return home.

Fast forward two months and voila....my very own asparagus and goat cheese tart. I must admit that when I arrived home raving about this tart my mother was quite surprised, namely because I do not like cheese. I don't know why, but something about the flavor of most cheeses does not appeal to me. However she assures me that it's something I will grow into, and I guess I am doing so gradually. I was intrigued by the flavor of the goat cheese and how soft it was, something I noticed is true of most spreadable cheeses. I guess that's why I prefer soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert when it comes to cheese and crackers.

The actual tart was quite easy to make, despite a couple of setbacks I had. Firstly, when rolling out the dough I was afraid of rolling it out too thin and not being able to transfer it to the baking pan without ripping it. My fear was unfounded and made for two smaller tarts instead of one large one. Second, I forgot to prick the dough with holes before I put it in the oven. As you can imagine, the dough puffed up into a big pillow and I had to take it out halfway through to poke holes and deflate it. Lastly, I let my excitement over trying the tart get the best of me, and started cutting it as soon as I took it out of the oven. As a result it was extremely difficult to cut and the puff pastry on the borders kept breaking because I didn't allow it to cool. Eventually once we devoured the first tart, the second one had cooled and cutting it was much easier. Still, I don't regret eating it right away because it was so delicious!

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 10 oz. log goat cheese
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 a lemon, zested
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out the puff pastry dough into a rectangle. Don't worry about how long it is, just making sure its wide enough so that you can lay out the asparagus length wise across.
2. Leaving a 1" border, prick the dough all over with a fork. (Don't forget this step like I did)
3. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown, and remove from the oven.
4. Spread the pastry with the cheese and then lay out the asparagus on top.
5. Brush lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle the lemon zest, salt, and pepper over top.
6. Return the pastry to the oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serving.

Alternative: If you want to eat it the pastry while it's still hot but don't want the headache of cutting into it warm, divide the rolled out puff pastry into individual squares before baking them. Follow the rest of the directions, except cut the asparagus into thirds and divide evenly among the squares. Granted, it is more time consuming, but if you have the time I would highly suggest it as the tart tastes amazing when it is still hot from the oven.