Shortbread - simply flour, sugar and butter. Possibly the world's most streamlined cookie. That is, until culinarily imaginative types are unleashed with the goal of designing a brand new shortbread recipe.

Here was the contest criteria: This perfect shortbread couldn't be too hard to make, but certainly it needs pizzazz, naturally has to have good looks, be creative and...YES, have a buttery taste. Not just because butter is the raison d'etre of shortbread, but also because the sponsors of the contest, open to student chefs was Gay Lea, a 400-strong farmers' cooperative who makes fine butter, both salted and unsalted.

We assembled, the four chefs in training, an audience of fellow students, friends and family,  the two other judges Dana McCauley, trend meister and cookbook author and Stephanie Pick, owner of The Queen of Tarts where she sells the acme of brown butter shortbread with either coarse salt or sugar gracing the top. (Go for the salt.) The bake-off location was the chic new Market Kitchen in the second floor of the St. Lawrence Market, once part of Toronto's original city hall, now a cooking school and party venue. Lots of afternoon light streaming through the original 20 foot windows, exposed brick and views of the historic and modern city outside.

The students had already made a batch of their shortbread for display and tasting, and were working through their recipes so the judges could see them in action and ask questions. There were some interesting (as in unusual) flavours going into the dough the students in whites were mixing up. Bacon and maple syrup, for example,or shortbread cookies sandwiched together with lemon curd from Alejandra Gonzales of Humber College, or lemon and lavender, cut into moons and stars by a second Humber College student Stephanie Lackie, even peanut butter and jam. This was certainly going to be a taste experience. While the judges nibbled, then withdrew to confer in private, the audience was munching to pass judgment for the Peoples' Choice.

As did Caesar, we judges came, we tasted and we chose the winner. Robert Maxwell from Liaison College and his Peanut Butter  and Jelly Shortbread. The People chose  Andrea Schmidt's Maple Glazed Bacon and Chive Shortbread. There's no denying bacon's appeal.

Robert Maxwell's shortbread met all the criteria for a buttery creative shortbread that's straightforward to make. While an egg yolk is not usual in shortbread, Maxwell used one in the dough in order to keep the peanut butter and jelly layer from bleeding into the dough. His shortbread has an interesting twist - he shapes  the dough into 2 equal logs and freezes them until time to bake. Then, he shreds half of the dough, pats it into the pan for the base, spreads peanut butter and a jam mixture over that, and shreds the remaining dough over the filling. The bars have an enticing pebbly surface that cuts neatly. Recipe and photos of Robert Maxwell and finished bars arranged at the top of the copy are courtesy of Gay Lea Foods.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Bars

Shortbread Base and Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

1 egg yolk (large egg)

1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup jam (blueberry, strawberry or raspberry ) or grape jelly

. Line a 13 -x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan with parchment paper; set aside.

. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and egg yolk with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir half at a time into the butter mixture to make a smooth dough.

. Divide the dough in half; shape each half into a thick log. Wrap and freeze dough until firm, about 1 to 4 hours.

The dough has to be frozen and firm enough to shred on the large hole-side of a box grater, and to stay frozen/firm enough to spread in the parchment paper-lined pan seen behind the grater and cutting board.

. Remove half of the dough from the freezer. Shred the dough on the coarse side of a square grater. Arrange the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. Lightly pat down the dough.

. Bake in the centre of a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until light golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

. Filling:  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, blend together the peanut butter, icing sugar and butter. Spread evenly over the shortbread base.

.

. Drop spoonfuls of the jam over the peanut butter and without disturbing the peanut butter layer, spread in an even layer. An offset spatula makes getting the jam into the corners much easier.

. Remove the remaining dough from the freezer. Shred the dough and spread evenly over the jam. Bake until the top is lightly golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes.

. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Cut into bars. Or cut into squares and cut again diagonally into triangles or bars.

Depending on the occasion you can cut squares, triangles or bars. For a neat finish for all pieces, take a sharp long knife and cutting down evenly along the ends and sides of the making of bars, trim off the edges. Enjoy the scraps with a glass of milk before packing the shortbread into an airtight cookie tin.

. Makes 24 pieces.

Almost any early fall fruit or fruit combo makes a fine crisp - ideal for entertaining.

Every once in a while I get a desire for a certain dish.With cool nights and the first golden leaves falling to the sidewalk, my hungry thoughts turn to deep-dish crusty-topped fruit crisps. Kind of fruit is optional - I could never choose one I think is the best - it's a choice based on what's in season at the market -  in my fridge or on the counter.

It was with crisps on my mind when I was planning a shower to honour the daughter, Jennifer and new granddaughter, Lily, of my friend Sandy Hall. (She is the home economist who was so much part of my early cookbooks and recipe testing.) There were to be a dozen around the table for dinner last week and a crisp for dessert just fell naturally into place.

This dessert meets all the criteria of an entertaining dish - you can make it ahead. Simple - a crisp is simplicity itself - no complicated steps or sauces to worry about when you're making the appetizers and mains.  But what's most important is the taste. Even though humble, a crisp never fails to charm guests. People scrape their bowls, then look up, signalling that seconds wouldn't be out of the question. Good vanilla ice cream is de rigueur.

The crisp recipe I use as a guideline comes from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, published last year by Transcontinental Books and now in its second printing. I treat the recipe as a template, with substitutions an ongoing option for the filling. What's divine about this recipe is the topping. This is not a crumble with rolled oats, sugar, butter and flour forming soft layer over the fruit. A real crisp has plenty of the soft butter, sugar and flour mixture to create a crunchy roof over the fruit. 

Pear and Cranberry Crisp

With lovely looking Bartlett pears at the market, this crisp is right in season. Since pears are always harvested green and hard, it's wise to buy them ahead of time and let them ripen in a single layer at room temperature. Pears will need 4 to 5 days to change from green to gold and soften enough to give to a light pressure at the base.

Bartlett pears particularly will become maddenly fragrant. Be sure you can stand the temptation. A wise baker buys an extra pear, to satisfy that desire for a fresh pear out of hand, or in case the usual calculation - 1 large pear = 1 cup (250 mL) peeled, cored and sliced pears, falls a bit short. 

6 cups (1.5 L) sliced peeled and cored pears

2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

Crisp Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1/3 cup (75 mL) slivered almonds, optional

. Grease an 8-inch (2 L) squared glass baking dish or other shallow heatproof baking dish with the same capacity; set aside.

. In a large bowl, toss together the pears, cranberries, honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle the surface with flour; toss to coat the fruit evenly.

. Scrape the pear mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; set aside.

. Crisp Topping: In a separate bowl, blend the flour and brown sugar. Using a fork, mash in the butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the almonds, if using. Sprinkle evenly over the pear mixture.

. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until topping is golden brown, pears translucent and the filling bubbling up around the edges, about 1 hour.

. Set on a rack to cool enough to serve, about 45 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Set aside for up to 8 hours. Reheat gently before serving.) 

. Makes 6 servings. 

Apple Crisp

A Canadian classic. The early crop apples available at the market tend to be ones that break down and become saucy in a crisp. By all means, if you like this kind of crisp, go for these harbingers of the Canadian apple harvest. Cortlands, then Golden Delicious and finally Northern Spy are my picks for crisps - but almost any fresh apple will make a just-a-little-more kind of dessert. If you do use a sweeter apple like the Golden Delicious or Gala, up the lemon juice a little to compensate for their lack of pucker power. 

 Make according to the method above using the following filling ingredients: 8 cups (2 L) sliced, peeled and cored apples, 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar, 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg. The topping remains the same, although you might like chopped walnut halves instead of the slivered almonds.

Baby Shower Fruit Crisp

Because juicy fruit crisps tend to run over the top of a baking dish, a wise baker sets the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips.

For this dessert, I checked the fruit I had in the fruit basket  -lovely late season peaches, purple prune plums and ripe pears, plus, from the fridge, a combo of wild and cultivated blueberries.  They measured:  7 cups (1.75 L) sliced peaches, 5 cups (1.25 L) sliced plums and 2 cups (500 mL) each blueberries and chopped peeled pears. (All fruit is pitted or cored). I tossed the fruit with 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour, and 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice and scraped the mixture into a 14-inch (35 cm) oval baking or gratin dish.

For the topping I thought doubling the ingredients was a good idea, but even with my love of crunchy, I had to reduce the quantities to about 1-1/2 the original. So I measured out 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) packed brown sugar and 3/4 cup (175 mL) soft butter. 

The crisp required about 1-1/2 hours baking time at 350°F (180°C), and for the first hour, I covered the top of the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crisp from over browning.

It served the dozen guests easily. Those who didn't have seconds requested take-home plastic containers of crisp for breakfast the next morning.  It's great with yogurt and you can almost imagine that it's healthy. 

For a nectarine and plum crisp, combine 4 cup (1 L) each pitted and sliced nectarines and plums with 1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour. No need for lemon juice or spices. Use the same topping as for the Pear and Cranberry Crisp.

In wild blueberry country the blueberry plants are like a carpet on the fields and hills, a carpet of blue and green. The photo is courtesy of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

I have had the pleasure of picking wild blueberries - and who wouldn't want to pull the dusty berries off low-slung bushes like the ones above. Most of my picking, however, has been in Ontario where the season starts early - mid to late July and involves sweaty hours under the sun, an ear cocked for the rustle of black bears engaged in some berry harvesting, all the while swatting flies and mosquitoes. Blueberries picked under those conditions have incomparable flavour.

The Ontario harvest is tiny compared to berries gathered in blueberry fields in Quebec, especially the Lac St. Jean area, and in Atlantic Canada, notably around Oxford in Nova Scotia. In these areas the harvest is later, finishing in early September. While much of the blueberry harvest goes to frozen blueberries, wild blueberries have become more and more popular fresh in season, and for a price, consumers can dig into a bowl of wild blueberries - or sprinkle a few on ice cream or yogurt.

Blueberries, like apricots, take on another dimension when cooked - hence all the blueberry muffins, pancakes and handsome double-crust pies that are icons of Canadian home cooking. But wild blueberries, special in themselves, deserve a dish that shows them off - hence the Wild Blueberry Bundt Cake. 

It all starts with a bowl of fresh wild blueberries. 

 Wild blueberries tend to be small and intensely flavoured. 

Wild Blueberry Bundt Cake

Whether you're using one of the handsome decorative bundt cake pans, or a tube or angel food cake pan, this cake is simply a stunning looking dessert. The important aspect of the pan is the volume of batter it holds - 11 to 12 cups (3.75 t 4 L) are the figures that matter.

The finishing touch? More wild blueberries snuggled into the centre of the cake.

Let the eggs, orange juice and butter all come to room temperature before starting the cake.

Note that the butter and flour needed to coat the cake pan is extra to the ingredients listed below.

1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 large eggs, separated

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated orange rind

3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries

Glaze:

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 cups  (50 mL) orange juice

. Using a pastry brush and soft butter, grease a 10-inch (3 L) Bundt pan or angel food cake pan.

Soft butter is ideal for coating all the ins and outs of a decorative cake pan.

Sprinkle about 1/3 cup (75 mL) flour over inside of pan. Rotate the pan, tapping as you turn the pan until the entire surface of the inside of the pan is covered with flour. Turn pan over and tap smartly to remove caked flour and leaving the thin film of butter and flour over the entire surface of the pan. Return any excess flour to the flour canister. 

If when you tap out excess flour you find a spot that missed the initial greasing, use you pastry brush to lightly grease that spot; dust the area with flour again and tap out excess.

. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, then the orange rind. 

. In separate large bowl, and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until firm glossy peaks form. Set aside.

. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With wooden spoon, or mixer set a lowest speed, mix dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with orange juice, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of juice. The batter will be quite stiff.

. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter.  

To fold in, cut down through the centre of the batter, and bring your spoon back up along the inside of the pan. Your spoon should always be in contact with the batter while folding.

. Fold in remaining egg whites. Sprinkle blueberries over the batter; gently fold into the batter using as few strokes as possible.

.Scrape into prepared pan, pressing batter into the crevices; smooth the top. Tap the pan smartly on the counter to make sure the batter is well gets into all the pan's nooks and cranies. 

. Bake in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until a cake tester or skewer inserted into centre comes out clen, about 55 minutes. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes to firm up the cake structure.

. Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or in glass measuring cup in the microwave, bring the sugar and orange juice to the boil, stirring. Boil for 30 seconds; let cool. 

. Loosen cake from edges of pan. Place a rack over the cake pan; gripping the rack and pan firmly with potholder-proteced hands, turn the cake over and onto the rack. Let cool.

Just waiting to lift the cake pan to see if the cake is intact!

. With a pastry brush, brush glaze evenly over cake. Transfer to cake plate. If desired, fill centre with fresh blueberries - you will need about 2 cups (500 mL). 

. Makes 12 slices.

The glaze adds an appealing sheen to the cake - but if you're in a hurry, skip the glaze and dust the cake lightly with icing sugar.

There's something very special about summer weekend mornings away from home. For me, it's at a cottage - but depending on where you live in Canada, the spot of ultimate relaxation could be called a chalet, a camp, acreage  - or a place in the country. What counts, is being out of the city, preferably by the water, breathing the proverbial fresh air and working up an appetite as your mind starts to focus on the day.

It's a time when you can give the high-fibre cereal a day off, and forget about the usual grab and go fare. Weekend mornings are the time to putter in the kitchen, make a batch of muffins, and once they're in the oven, put on a pot of coffee, pour some blueberries into bowls and sit down to visit - read the paper.  Or enjoy the view.

Nobody needs to be told that muffins are popular in Canada - even though we  love our doughnuts. But doughnuts are for getting in the car while muffins are about getting out an egg and milk, checking baking supplies and not worrying about getting out of your pyjamas...for a little while yet. 

The recipes I've chosen to showcase weekend muffins represent two kinds of muffins - the first , the Cherry Orange Muffins, make no pretense at being earnest - just fabulous to look at, and great to serve when there's company. The Honey Bran Muffins fall into the sort-of -health-oriented with bran cereal, milk and eggs. For neither recipes do you need to be a pastry chef to succeed - or require a lot of equipment, although muffin pans are useful.*

Another point to think about as you whisk up the dry ingredients.  Muffins may be the entry point into baking, i.e. easy to tackle, but in terms of appreciation and compliments, they rank right up there with fancy almond chocolate croissants. Hot from the oven with butter and honey, muffins have a knack of making most people weak in the knees - as they ask you to pass another one...or two. 

Cherry Orange Muffins

This recipe is a framework with which  you can indulge your talents for culinary improv. It calls for orange rind, juice and dried cherries. But, replace the cherries with blueberries, wild ones are best and they can be fresh now or frozen later and you have a whole new muffin. Ditto for dried cranberries or halved fresh or frozen cranberries, golden raisins or currants or chopped walnut or pecan halves. Or even chocolate chips if you so desire - but do call them cupcakes when you go that far. 

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 large egg

1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely zested or grated orange rind

1/2 cup (125 mL) each orange juice and milk

1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped dried cherries

Topping:

3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely zested or grated orange rind

. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

. In separate bowl, whisk the egg until smooth. Whisk in the orange rind, orange juice, milk and oil. Pour over the dry ingredients; sprinkle on the cherries. Mix with a wooden spoon just until dry ingredients are moistened.

.  Scoop into prepared muffin cups. 

An ice cream scoop, or a "disher" as it's known in restaurant kitchens, is a neat way to scoop the batter evenly into muffin cups. A #16 disher, slightly heaped, fills typical muffin cups perfectly.

. Topping: In a small bowl, toss the sugar and orange rind together. Sprinkle equal amounts over the muffin batter.

. Bake in the centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until beautifully domed and golden, about 18 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes for the still-delicate structure to firm up. Serve immediately, or let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, wrap individually in plastic wrap and enclose in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Makes 12 muffins.

* Instead of muffin cups, it is possible to bake the muffin batter like a snacking cake in a 9- x 9-inch (2.5 L) square metal cake pan at the same temperature, but for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Kitchen Tip: a large navel orange yields 2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely zested orange rind and about 1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice. If there is not quite enough juice, simply add a bit more milk so that the liquid in the recipe totals 1 cup (250 mL). 

Honey Bran Muffins

There's no doubt that muffins taste better when hot. So, if you do make muffins ahead and store them at room temperature for a day or two, reheat in a toaster oven. If the muffins come straight out of the freezer, unwrap, cover loosely and microwave on high until steaming hot, about 20 seconds.

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) 100% Bran or All-Bran cereal

1 cup (250 mL) raisins, preferably golden or Thompson, or currants

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (75 mL) canola oil

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

1-3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg**, or ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnut halves

8 walnut halves, optional

. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

. In medium bowl, stir together the cereal, raisins and buttermilk; set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla.

. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Pour bran mixture over dry ingredients; sprinkle with chopped  walnuts. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Stop stirring when the last of the dry ingredients meld into the batter.

. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling to top.

. If using walnut halves, cut in half lengthwise; centre one per muffin on muffin batter.

. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until domed, deepened in colour and firm to the touch, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes; serve immediately or let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, wrap individually in plastic wrap and enclose in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Makes about 16 muffins.

** So Why Use Freshly Grated Nutmeg?

Like all spices, nutmeg starts to lose its unique flavour as soon as it's ground or grated. To maximize nutmeg's aroma in a recipe like Honey Bran Muffins, I recommend buying whole nutmegs - sometimes still in their shells and wrapped in mace, but more often already shelled and ready to grate. A few years ago whole nutmegs were hard to find, but now they are available in Indian and West Indian shops, specialty food and bulk stores. They are worth searching out.  

Freshly grated nutmeg. Store the rest of the whole nutmeg, with the grater in an airtight jar in a cool dark spot in your kitchen.

A footed cake stand shows off a beautiful (and delicious) Blueberry Frangipane Tart.

The request came in early spring to teach a cooking class at Viewpointe Estate Winery on Lake Erie, near Harrow, Ontario.  The winery sounded interesting and ambitious, especially with its added focus on culinary arts and it's being part of Lake Erie's north shore  burgeoning wine area.  Esther Reaume, the winery's event coordinator who did the inviting, is the sister of Ann McColl who owned one of Canada's finest cookware stores in London, Ontario until her retirement a few  years ago. I had been a cooking guest at Ann's shop many times and relished each visit. Esther, like her sister, owned a cookware store beloved of cooks in Windsor where it was located. The clincher - it had been a few years since I visited the warmest, most southernmost and surely one of the lushest growing area in Canada. It was time to check out the winery and surrounding region. Yes!

Esther and I agreed that the cooking class would celebrate wine country and its abundant produce. The area's famous for its greenhouses, with roadside stands proclaiming the availability of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Essex County, where Viewpointe is located, is peach country, and is a berry-growing region when June brings strawberries, and bowls filled with raspberries and blueberries carry on right through to Thanksgiving. You would need at least two extra sets of hands to count all the fruit and vegetables that comes from this county where Windsor, Ontario is located. As for wineries, they've gone from the two pioneers, Colio Estate Wines Ltd. and Pelee Island Wines Ltd. to numbering in the high teens ... and growing. Lake Erie North Shore is a designated viticulture area.

Jean Fancsy, wife of partner Steve Fancsy, pours a serving of a Viewpointe Chardonnay mixed with passion fruit juice and a veritable salad of fresh berries and melon. It's a 'winetail", and very summer-cooling.

Blueberries proved to be the inspiration. When Heather Howe. Adell Shneer and I were creating new recipes for The Complete Canadian Living Baking (Transcontinental Books, 2008, $34.95) we knew the book that called itself "complete" needed a frangipane tart. But we had already done the traditonal one - plums nestled into a ground almond filling in a previous book, and couldn't just republish the recipe.

So, we moved on from plums, choosing blueberries to blanket the frangipane filling. And for the gloss? Melted red currant jelly or seedless raspberry jam added just the right sheen and sharpness to mild mannered blues. Edging the tart with sliced almonds was the last touch needed to create a new tart. And while I'm pretty fond of a classic top and bottom crust blueberry tart, the frangipane version is a dazzler.

The pat-in-pastry starts out by whisking the dry ingredients.

Blueberry Frangipane Tart

To say this tart was a hit with the guests/students seated at tables around the demo area in Viewpointe's large kitchen and teaching area, would be an understatement. A big understatement. The pat-in crust is easy to do and baked golden brown has a real shortbread quality. Almonds complement blueberries, and of course, blueberries are both local and special. Resident chef and cooking school instructor Mary Ann Marshall plated wedges of the tart with a dollop of whipped cream and a quick sauce of simmered blueberries, sugar and water. The blueberries for the sauce were frozen and a gift from Klassen Blueberries - one of Ontario's largest cultivated blueberry farms just down County Road 50 East from the winery.

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) blueberries, wild low-bush or cultivated high bush

1/3 cup (75 mL) seedless raspberry jam or red currant jelly

1/3 cup (75 mL) sliced almonds

1 tbsp (15 mL) icing sugar

Pat-In Sweet Pastry:

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar

4 tsp (20 mL) cornstarch

Pinch salt

3/4 cup (175 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Frangipane Filling:

2/3 cup (150 mL) blanched or unblanched whole almonds

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, softened

1 large egg at room temperature

1/4 tsp (1 mL) almond extract

. Set out a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

. Pat-In Sweet Pastry: In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture clumps together. With floured hands, press evenly over bottom and up side of tart pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

By the time the butter has been cut to this ragged-looking stage, the pastry will pat in evenly and won't be dry and crumbly.

. With fork, prick pastry at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals all over; bake in bottom third of 350°F (180°C) oven until light golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool on rack. 

. Frangipane Filling; In food processor, finely chop almonds with sugar. Add flour; pulse to combine. Add butter, egg and almond extract; pulse until well blended, about 1 minute. Spread evenly in tart shell.

. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over filling. Bake in bottom third of 375 °F (190°C) oven for 25 minutes.

You can always add a few more berries to fill the top surface.

. Meanwhile, place seedless raspberry jam in small saucepan or liquid measuring cup. Heat on stovetop or in microwave oven, stirring often, until melted and smooth. 

Remove tart from oven. Brush top of tart with all but 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the jam. Sprinkle sliced almonds on glazed berries around edge of the tart - like a wreath around the berry centre.  Return to oven to bake until almonds are toasted and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours.)

To remove the outside ring, support the base with your hand, letting the cold ring slip down. Then, transfer the tart to wide flat serving plate.

. Remelt remaining jam; brush or spoon over visible blueberries.

The easiest way to melt the seedless jam or jelly is in the microwave. Add a little water to the seedless jam if necessary to help it melt.

Dust almonds with icing sugar. Remove ring and, supporting the tart with a large wide spatula, transfer to a flat serving plates. Dust the edge of the plate too, if you like.

Place the icing sugar in a small fine sieve. Hold it over the almonds, tapping it on the side to send a shower of icing sugar over the almonds.

. Makes 8 to 12 servings. I fancy the 12 servings as an elegant slim wedge of the tart looks lovely on the plate - and is frankly quality over quantity. Vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream are good additions.

Tips:

. You can make the tart shell a day ahead and let it stand still in its tart pan on a rack. The frangipane filling is also a day make-ahead but needs to be refrigerated in an airtight container. It will be easier to spread if you pull it out of the fridge an hour or so before filling the tart.

. When cutting the tart, use a chefs knife and wipe the blade between cuts.

Where to Find the Good Stuff in Essex County

First, check out Essex County Buy Local, a brochure that, on one side is map that  locates farms, roadside stands, markets and vineyards that sell directly to consumers.  The products range from Lakeside Jersey Dairy's 40% cream to Chana Food's whole wheat, chick pea and spelt flour with much more that includes muskmellon, greenhouse cucumbers, cauliflower, apricots, cherries, gooseberries, beans, beets and blueberries. 

The Buy Local brochure also has a listing of farms and wineries by district. So, if you're in the Leamington area, you'll easly find Jones Popcorn and Highline Mushooms. Meanwhile, a little further west in Kingsville, the listing includes Raymont's Berries, Cornland Corner, Sun Parlor Honey Ltd. and Pelee Island Winery.

Maps are available from the sponsors which include the county's municipalities, Scotiabank, RBC, the Essex County Federation of Agriculture (ECFA), and Windsor Essex Trolley Tours - a not-for-profit community organization that offers great service for visitors and local alike to tour the county, see the sites, stock up on local produce without having to drive and pour over a map at the same time. Check out www.wetrollytours.com. Upcoming tours include one this Sunday, June 28, Harrow, Take a Peek Tour and continue Sundays. Custom tours are available. 

To download the super-helpful map and charts, go to www.ecfa.ca and click on Buy Local. 

Viewpointe Estate Winery that hosted the cooking class, holds regular culinary arts classes lead by Mary Ann Marshall. The winery's opening celebration is June 27 and June 28 with tours of the barrel cellar, sensory and culinary experiences.

Mary Ann Marshall cooks global with local foods. On the patio of Viewpointe Estate Winery you can sample a selection of Mary Ann's tapas-style snacks with a glass of the winery's finest.

And of course, there's the opportunity to sit on the patio and enjoy the amazing view out over Lake Erie. But be careful, patio viewing can be so restful you may never want to leave.