Don't Be Fooled

Good morning, my friends! Happy April Fool's Day! Don't believe anything you hear today. If you read it, don't believe that either. It's a day for being cautious. Trust no one. You're probably better off staying in your sewing room today. Better safe than sorry, right?

Well. I had quite a day of sewing yesterday. It was super fun. As it turns out, the quilting I was most worried about has been the easiest to do. Don't you love it when things work out that way? While I've been gnashing my teeth about quilting/drawing with thread, the traditional quilt blocks have been the most challenging. Possibly, I'm just making it too hard on myself because I'm trying to do each one a little differently. In any case, this was yesterday's block. I puzzled over it for quite some time before putting it under my needle for stitching. Here's your peek:

Fortunately, Smitty came along to help slow things down. I had to pixelate that fabric under him. He's sitting on the last block I need to quilt, and this one has been the most challenging so far. 

I'll be quilting it today, but I still don't know what to do. It might be one of those times where I sit down at the machine and wait to see what my hands do.

Also, I quilted the associated thread art in the large black open space to the right of the quilt block. This was the quilting I was most worried about, and it turned out better than expected. (Polishes fingernails on shirt.) I absolutely cannot wait to show this to you on May 1st!

Okay, and it seemed like a good time to stop on that. Quitting while I'm ahead is my way of ensuring the day ends well.

There was some piecing to do, however. I needed to make five of the "Alternative Nine Patch" blocks. Several of you piped up with what you thought the other name was for this quilt block. It's the one that looks like this:

The block has different names depending on what resource you're using. When I wrote yesterday's post, I had in mind that it might be called "Puss in the Corner." My friend Sandra agreed with me. If I look up "Puss in the Corner" on Quilterscache.com there are three different blocks with the same name, but none of them look like this one. On the other hand, if I Google "Puss in the Corner," I find different blocks, including this one. So, that was a little jaunt off into Confusionville. The bottom line is that there are lots of different names for these traditional quilt blocks. There are also lots of different blocks for the same name. Clear as mud, right? Why couldn't our grandforemothers have been more consistent?

Anyway...getting back to the sewing...I first cut all the pieces, and then went to work sewing them together.

Do you ever get the feeling your being watched? When I turned my chair around, I saw this:

She watched carefully, making sure I didn't misplace any pieces. When they were all sewn together, they looked like this:

That's 16 blocks down, 26 to go. Today, I'll be making five traditional nine-patch blocks. It's the first quilt block I learned to make when I took a class back in 2008, so it feels like an old friend. 

Okay, but I know why you're here today. You really want to know about that Lemon Cheesecake Tart I was going to make, don't you? Well, here's how it looked when it came out of the toaster oven.

When it was cool enough, I refrigerated it, and we had it for our dessert last night. I love things baked in a tart pan. No matter how crappy your crust-making skills, the crust always comes out looking beautiful.

We had it with a generous dollop of Redi-wip, and there you have it. 

It was delicious, and very simple to make. I adapted this from a recipe I saw in the NYTimes to make it for two. Here's my recipe:

Lemon Cheesecake Tart for Two

Adapted from the NYTimes

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

3/4 cups/95 grams all-purpose flour

1/4 cup/25 grams confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

5 tablespoons/71 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, plus more for greasing the pan

1-1/2 teaspoons buttermilk

8 ounces/225 grams cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed juice

Pinch fine salt

1 large egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the cubed butter on top, then pulse until the butter is almost completely incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add the buttermilk and pulse until incorporated. The dough should hold together easily. If not, pulse in up to 3 half-teaspoons of cold water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a large bowl, using your fingers or a pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour.

Lightly butter a 6-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan. (If you need to trim extra dough to make it level with the edge of the pan, reserve it to repair any cracks after the shell has baked.)

Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. (A custard cup set inside the tart pan while it bakes can prevent puffing.) Set the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake the shell for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough before filling.

While the shell cools slightly, make the filling: Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed. Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times then stir a few times with a rubber spatula to release any large air bubbles.

Pour the mixture into the warm crust, smooth the top and carefully transfer the pan, still on the baking sheet, into the oven. Bake until just set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the tart cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Remove the outer ring and slice with a warm knife, wiping the knife with a towel in between cuts for the tidiest slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge, covered for a few days.

* * * * *

Okay, so there are no real plans for today aside from quilting and sewing. This being April 1st, it's time to choose a goal for April's

There are a lot of projects I could commit to, but I'm going to go with a finished quilt top for Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage. I'm in the process of sewing together 42 blocks for the outer border. My goal is to finish them off and sew them into a border to finish off this quilt top. I've included it on the list of quilts I wish I'd never started. The embroidery for this was a bear.

All right, my friends. That's all I have for you today. Tread carefully as you come and go today. Trust no one. Pranks lurk around every corner.