A Special Mother’s Day Brunch

Apple Rosette Vanilla Almond Custard Tart & BLT and Avocado Pasta Salad

My sisters, Mom & I decided we weren’t going to let this virus take our Mother’s Day too! It took Easter and countless end-of-the-year events from our children, but DAMMIT! we will NOT let it take away our ability to celebrate our Motherhood! We decided to make tarts this week and since we’ve been making an awful lot of sweets lately, we decided on making both sweet and savory dishes to enjoy for our Mother’s Day Brunch.

Ahnna made an incredible Salmon & Asparagus Quiche and a Lemon Rhubarb Tart that was to die for! I have already requested remakes for my upcoming birthday! Mom made these delicious Chicken Chipotle Croissants and heart-shaped cookie crusted chocolate custard tarts! That custard recipe is my Dad’s grandmother’s recipe! My Dad made some amazing Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream! It transports you to a tropical island! Za (Billie) made Peach Rose Tarts and a favorite of mine: Grocery Store Sandwiches by Jen Hatmaker! Those sandwiches are AMAZING! I made the Apple Tart and a BLT Avocado Pasta Salad with my homemade Ranch dressing.

Let’s get started on that Tart!

Inspired by this recipe from Constellation Inspiration this recipe is simple but it can be time consuming too. I no longer own a mandolin and the slicer setting on my food processor just wasn’t getting the cut I needed for the apple slices. So I had to cut them by hand. This was the most time consuming part everything else was SUPER SIMPLE & QUICK!

Step 1: The Crust

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, coarse
• 1/2 powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 cup AP Flour
• 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp)

Instructions

Step 1: Place all ingredients in food processor or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and mix until dough forms.

Step 2: Press dough into tart pan, I used a springform pan. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

**Tip: Set oven to preheat )410F) now and then get started on the custard**

Step 3: Prick the surface of the crust with a fork and then bake at 410F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before adding the custard.

Step 2: The Custard

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 5 TBSP granulated sugar

Instructions

Step 1: In a medium saucepan heat heavy cream, milk, and both extracts. you want it to simmer, but DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix until just combined.

Step 3: Temper in the hot cream mixture, a little at a time. Once all of the cream mixture has been added, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.

**Tip: Before this next step, remove the crust from the fridge and place in the oven. Baking time matches the time for the next step**

Step 4: Return saucepan to low heat and using a rubber spatula stir gently but constantly until mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Careful not to stir too rapidly and do not use a whisk. You want to keep the mixture moving, but you don’t want to incorporate air into it.

**Tip: Your crust should be done at about the same time. Place on cooling rack and set in fridge to cool completely. **

Step 5: Once mixture has thickened, pour in a small glass bowl and cover with cling wrap, allow cling wrap to cover the surface of the custard. this will prevent it from forming a “skin” on the surface. Allow to cool for 10 minutes at room temp then move it to the fridge for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Step 6: Once both the custard and the crust have cooled, pour custard into tart crust and smooth out the surface. Place back in the fridge until needed for the next step.

Step 3: Apple Roses

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice & more for water bath
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 apples
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg *a little goes a long way*
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 TBSP cold water

Instructions

Step 1: Soak apples in apple cider vinegar and hot water bath 5-10 minutes. Then rinse and dry.

Step 2: Slice in half, core and then slice thinly and soak in lemon juice/ water bath while you work on them.

Step 3: Add sugar, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and butter to large stock pot, allow butter to melt and sugar to dissolve

Step 4: Add apples and simmer for 3-5 minutes, remove from heat and allow apples to soak for another 15-20 minutes.

Step 5: Using a lint free towel, pat each slice just so the slice isn’t dripping, roll a small slice into rose bud center and then continue to add more “petals” around it.

**Tip: I found it was easier for me to roll the center piece and add maybe one or two “petals” then place it into the custard and add petal around it.**

Step 6: I also drained the liquid from the petals and returned it to the stock pot. I added brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once the sugar dissolved completely and liquid reduced down, I added the cornstarch slurry (water and cornstarch) and then stirred until it thickened. I drizzled this over the surface of the tart. I then returned this to the fridge to set until I was ready to leave, about 30-45 minutes.

Thoughts on this recipe

The crust was light, flaky and buttery. The custard was silky and smooth and very flavorful. The apples added the perfect amount of tart and acid and the brown sugar glaze was carried the perfect amount of sweetness and cinnamon with every bite.

Bacon, Tomato & Avocado Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• Bacon
• Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Tri Color Rotini
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• 3 TBSP salted butter
• Ranch Dressing

Instructions

Step 1: Cook bacon set aside, cook pasta and toss in butter and set aside to cool completely

Step 2: Dice avocados, half tomatoes, and chop bacon.

Step 3: Add bacon, avocado and tomatoes to pasta, drizzle with ranch dressing and serve with a halved hard boiled egg.

**Tip: I forgot to boil the eggs but thankfully I found that you can get perfectly hard boiled eggs in your pressure cooker in under 5 minutes! Such a life saver!!**

This is a super simple and delicious side dish or a quick light lunch!

The Spread!

We dug in & our Littlest Seeester Spice joined us too!

We had the best time celebrating our Mom! She deserves the the world for putting up with us; but she’ll have to settle for an InstaPot and a basket of kitchen goodies!

Take the time to let the Hot Mess Momma’s in your life know how much she means to you!

My mother is such a strong woman. When I sit back and really think about the life she’s led and all of the highs and lows she’s had, I am in awe of her. Her resiliency, determination and dedication to her family speaks volumes. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful woman to call my mother.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share this special day with these three strong women and have a few laughs and enjoy such wonderful food! They say to surround yourself with the people that inspire you to grow and better yourself. I don’t think I could have picked better women to be inspired by! It may take us FOREVER to take the perfect picture, but we always have some fun with it!

I hope this has inspired you to do something special for the mothers in your life to let her know how much you care. This year is definitely a difficult year to do that. You can’t exactly get her a spa day if they’re closed down during this pandemic. But you CAN do so many other things! Get creative and let me know what you’ve done by sharing it on Facebook with the hashtags #HPSocialDistancing #MothersDay2020. After all, she has worked really hard being, not only the homemaker but she’s also been homeschooling for the past two months along with everything else she was already doing before the quarantine. Let her know how much you love and appreciate all of her hard work and dedication to her family!

As for me, I am going to sip my coffee enjoy my homemade waffles, eggs, and bacon while proudly wearing my gorgeous wooden beaded necklace made by Chelsea. I’ll eventually leave the bed and display my beautifully handmade cards on my china hutch for the day and make cookies with my babies. They are the reason I am honored with the title of “Mom” and I am so grateful for the joys and yes… even the messes they’ve brought into my life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you Hot Mess Momma’s!
Enjoy your day! You deserve it!

#WorkHard #StayHumble #NeverthelessPersist