Tag Archives: Heidi Swanson

  • Nuts about Sweets: Berry Coconut Pistachio Tart

    I adore nuts but they don’t always like me back. Specifically, I’m mildly allergic to almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. This is rather a bore but at least I can still eat peanuts and pistachios, which are my favourites in any case. I can eat roasted and salted pistachios every day, and often do.

    So pistachios were an obvious choice for this month’s Sweet Adventures‘ bloghop, Nuts about Sweets, hosted by the lovely Nic at Dining with a Stud.

    I’ve made a number of sweet treats with pistachios on this blog before – namely, Mini Berry Puddings for Busy People, Rosewater, Cardamon and Pistachio Lassi, and Mini Apricot Trifles – but I felt like baking something for this hop.

    I toyed with the idea of making pistachio macarons, pistachio biscuits or a pistachio cake but in the end went for this fabulous tart. This Berry Coconut Pistachio Tart is heavily inspired by Heidi Swanson’s Macaroon Tart from her Super Natural Ever Day cookbook.

    I made her recipe first, then I mucked around with the ingredients, quantities and method until I came up with this version. It’s an easy recipe to make and extremely delicious.

    For those new readers, Sweet Adventures is a group of Aussie foodbloggers – 84th & 3rd, The Capers of the Kitchen Crusader, Delicieux, Dining With a Stud, and I, The Hungry Australian, who host a monthly, dessert-themed blog hop. Previously, we have hosted:

    To take part in this month’s hop head over to Dining with a Stud where you can find out all about how to link up your own nut (or seed) recipe. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to check out all the other nut recipes.


    Berry Coconut Pistachio Tart
     
    Author: 
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    A lovely berry and coconut tart sprinkled with pistachios.
    Ingredients
    Base
    • 1 cup wholemeal flour
    • ⅓ cup shredded dried coconut
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 100 grams butter
    Filling
    • 4 egg whites (large)
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 1.5 cups frozen berries, thawed
    • ⅔ cup shredded dried coconut
    Topping
    • 80 grams roasted pistachios, shelled and crushed
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
    2. Make base by mixing flour, brown sugar, butter and coconut in a large bowl.
    3. Stir thoroughly, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar.
    4. Press into a tart tin, using your fingers to press it into place.
    5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then remove to a chopping board. Keep oven on.
    6. Meanwhile, make meringue by beating egg whites with a stand or hand mixer until peaks form.
    7. Add sugar, a little at a time, and then continue to beat until meringue is thick and glossy.
    8. Spoon ⅔rds of the berries over the tart base, spreading them evenly over the tart.
    9. Sprinkle half of the coconut over them and then fold the other half into the egg whites, being careful not to bash the air out of it.
    10. Using a spatula, spoon meringue on top of berries, smoothing down to the edges.
    11. Dot remaining ⅓ of berries on top.
    12. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until nicely brown.
    13. Remove to chopping board and let sit for 15 minutes before garnishing with chopped pistachios.

     

  • Meet A Food Lover: Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks + Giveaway

    Eating healthier is something I’m always keen on. I don’t mean eating less fat because I don’t believe in diets – dieting is like having no sex or no money. When I’m on a diet the only thing I think about all day long is food and what I can’t eat, which is an awful and unhappy state to be in.

    Instead of dieting, I aim to eat healthier. This means less processed food, preservatives, additives, white flour and white sugar, and greater variety and exploration of unfamiliar foods.

    It’s not about being a food cop and locking away all the lollies and sweet biscuits my kids love. Rather, it’s about eating a wider variety of healthier foods, and minimising the excursions into the lolly jar.

    It’s also about eating less meat both for health reasons and minimising our environmental footprint. Mr Hungry Australian has been on a health kick lately, exercising every day, shedding nine kilograms and developing muscles in places I didn’t know you could even have muscles. He’s been nagging me for a while about eating less meat, and while I agreed in principle, putting it into practise has proved trickier.

    So I was delighted to be sent a copy of Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day to review by Hardie Grant.

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