A seriously delicious pie

And a new cookbook from a friend

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Butterscotch tart with whipped cream and hazelnut brittle

Doesn’t that pie look good? Wait, here’s a better angle:

The creation of this tart came into my thoughts when I received Bonnie Stern’s new cookbook, Don’t Worry, Just Cook, which went on sale yesterday.

Bonnie, whom I first met in 2003 at dinner on the terrasse at Rosalie, has been a friend since that day, and I’m always impressed by her bottomless enthusiasm for cooking, which we definitely have in common.

Her latest book (she has written six!) is co-authored by her beautiful and scintillating daughter, Anna Rupert, and throughout the pages of the book Bonnie is passing along cooking lessons and family recipes to her enthusiastic offspring. I work hard at pushing my kids to cook, but alas, as much as one has joined the club, the other is happier to do the eating and dishes rather than the chopping. But hope springs eternal that he will one day understand how it’s better to make your own pizza than order a two-for-one at Domino’s.

Bonnie’s (and Anna’s!) book features very personal recipes, many of which are influenced by Bonnie’s many trips to Israel. Her years as a cooking teacher and food columnist for the National Post result in a plethora of enticing recipes ideal for home cooking.

I have yet to delve deeply into the book but a recipe for butterscotch pudding grabbed me when I first flipped through the pages and, as I had some sweet shortcrust dough already in the fridge, I decided to add my spin on it by turning it into a tart.

In the recipe headnote, Bonnie wrote that the recipe was inspired by a tart her mom used to make, which she transformed into a dessert served in cups. So I decided to turn it back into a tart. And what a success it was!

Approved of by Mr Aubry too!

I have made a few adjustment to the recipe in the book, most noticeably diminishing the salt and coffee a bit, and I added a few gelatine leaves to the filling to assure a smooth slice. I noticed after the fact (groan) that Bonnie did indeed add a note for making a tart, adding an extra egg yolk and upping the cornstarch to 5 tablespoons so feel free to follow her suggestion.

I also noticed that in another recipe Bonnie features on her website for butterscotch pudding she adds Scotch. Her latest recipe leaves it out left but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you added a splash.

Congratulations on the new book Bonnie and Anna!

Butterscotch Tart

Serves 8