Summer 2015
hello!
If someone wouldʼve told us back in March of 2005 when we wrote our first blog post, weʼd still be doing it ten years later, we wouldnʼt have believed them. Although the online world has changed vastly since we first penned that post, and with over 8000 blog posts later, the more things change, the more they remain the same. We still love mining for the beautiful, the decayed and the handmade, which is most obviously a passion or we wouldnʼt still be here. We have been honoured to open doors for some, and thankful to have had doors open for us; things we never thought possible. We are so thankful to our readers, who have helped shape our blog and what we write about, to our peers who make us better and to the amazing brands weʼve worked with along the way to keep us afloat. So we thought to celebrate ten years, a little publication was in order. Something to give back to our readers and celebrate this milestone. Weʼve been honoured over the years to collaborate with some amazing people, and this issue continues that tradition as we feature some cool Canadian homes, artists from around the world, a few DIYs and a few tasty treats. We hope it inspires you to create, share and talk about. Thanks for being part of our world this past decade. We look forward to what the next ten will bring! Warm regards,
Jan Halvarson and Earl Einarson, Founders poppytalk.com site | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest Poppytalk Summer 2015
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ALISON MAZUREK
Alison Mazurek writes about living small and thoughtfully with less at 600sqft.com. She lives in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver with her husband and toddler son and loves design, good coffee and getting outside and away as much as possible.
site | instagram
LYNNE KNOWLTON
Designer, blogger, DIYer and all around happy camper. Lynne Knowlton loves pretty things and fun words. She adores helping others make their house a home and is most grounded when she goes out on a limb in their adult-sized treehouse. Hitched to a fun airstream (her latest reno project) and dreaming of glamping, Lynne believes kindness is fashionable, pinterest is d始bomb dot com and life is too short to let bad hair days own you. site | facebook | instagram | twitter | pinterest
TINA LAU
Tina is an event planner, crafter and the face behind Tarte Populaire, an artisanal pie company that started in Montr茅al and now continues in Vancouver, BC. She sells artisanal pies every weekend from her kitchen in Mount Pleasant, each one lovingly made by hand, including the crust. You will often find Tina biking around the city, immersed in a book, or cooking with her husband and sharing a meal with friends. instagram | facebook | email
LILY ELLIS
Lily is a partner at Spruce Collective, a vintage and home decor store located in Abbotsford, BC (just outside Vancouver). This summer she and her partners opened, The Market by Spruce Collective, a collaboration with 7 hand-picked vendors featuring a curated collection of eclectic vintage and antique items, all under one roof.
site | facebook | instagram | twitter | pinterest
JANIS NICOLAY
Janis is a professional photographer and shoots and prop-styles for magazines, designers and architects and has recently ventured into lifestyle books. She adores photography, mid-century design, baking, d.i.y. and travel.
site | instagram
KATE ALARCON
Kate Alarcon is a paper flower artist and teacher based just outside Seattle. She creates custom paper flower orders through her website, The Cobra Lily, and is planning on opening an online shop in the very near future.
site | Instagram | Pinterest
Poppytalk Summer 2015
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CONTENTS 08 A TREEHOUSE A visit to a romantic treehouse in Durham, Ontario
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24 AN URBAN PATIO A small apartment expands to the patio for the season 28 A LATE SUMMER PARTY Summertime is the best time to eat outdoors
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32 WIDE OPEN SPACES Beautiful illustrations by Carrie Shyrock 36 SHAUN WEST Reclaimed Packaging 40 THE COBRA LILY Paper flowers by Kate Alacron 42 DIY PAPER ROSE by Kate Alacron 44 BLUEBERRY DONUTS + Lemon Glaze 46 TARTE POPULAIRE Salted Honey Lavender Pie
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Poppytalk Summer 2015
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the treehouse
Built amongst a grove of trees in her countryside backyard, designer Lynne Knowlton gives us a tour of her romantic treehouse property. Built using all recycled materials, the author of “Design the Life You Want to Live” seems to be doing just that. STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYNNE KNOWLTON
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"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...� In the pool area, Lynne has created a cozy seating area filled with pieces from her travels.
The pool building, sits amongst an original stone wall where an old barn once stood, is one of the many structures on the property.
W
hen we first happened upon this idyllic treehouse, we were in complete awe. Despite all our years online, we managed to miss this beautiful oasis right in our own Canadian backyard. Not only is it a gem, but so are its’ owners, Lynne Knowlton, her husband Michael and their family. Their story will pull at your heart strings, as Michael battles a rare form of blood cancer and it will also warm your heart, as they focus on the positive to keep following their dreams and inspire others to do the same. All documented in Lynne’s beautiful and inspiring blog, Design the Life You Want to Live. Their 100 acre property in the Ontario coun-
tryside is a dream come true, and we were delighted to hear they rent out the treehouse in summer months and this summer they’ve been refurbishing an airstream for visitors to enjoy. We asked Lynne a few questions about their adorable treehouse and surrounding property: Q. What started the idea of building a treehouse? It's such a cute design, did you design it? Lynne: The idea of a treehouse goes back to a time when we were kids. Making up secret handshakes in the backyard tree fort, even if it was just a cardboard box. Fast forward to adult hood and not much has changed. *smile*
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...”
We have four kids and live in a 100 year old farmhouse in the Canadian countryside. About 5 years ago, we thought it would be fun to have a treehouse for our kiddos. Initially, we attempted to build it on our own. That was an epic fail. I didn’t feel like the sharpest pencil in the pencil case when it came to that project. Ha! I truly thought ‘can a treehouse be really THAT hard to make?' Uhhhm. Apparently. It was time to hire a pro.
the trees. I had no idea what would happen from there. We moved away to Paris, France and had all treehouse communication by email only. We returned home two years later and WOWSERS! There was a gorgeous treehouse. It’s amazing what can happen when you give wonderful souls creative license on a project. Good things happen. At that point, it was just the initial walls and basic floor, but it was the beginning of the treehouse journey.
Our local contractor has a quaint little treehouse that I fell head over heels in love with. It has twinkle lights, a wrap around porch and the occasional firefly. It looks like heaven on earth. I was treehouse smitten and determined to build one (but not by myself) haha.
We slowly chipped away at it for the next few years. I’m a blogger, and thought it may be coolio to blog about it and share inspiring ways to decorate small spaces. I wrote about it long before it was trendy to have a treehouse. I simply wrote about it, because I flipping love it and thought that everyone should experience a treehouse…even if they did it virtually and from afar. It’s all good.
For additional treehouse inspiration, I showed our contractor a photo of a rickety old shack in
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...”
We eventually decided to rent it out on my blog, AirBnB and TripAdvisor. We discovered that really interesting people rent treehouses. Legit. It has been so fun! Guests say things like “ the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams” and that they leave the treehouse with a “quiet mind and a full heart.” Q. Is it true everything is built from recycled materials including a barn from friends? Lynne: Recycled materials get my mojo running. LOVE. I’m crazy about 100 year old doors, worn windows and whitewashed barn beams. My design style is clean white lines mixed with character and whimsy. I like to work with what I’ve got and try to keep the budget as low as possible. It almost never happens, but technically it’s my goal. I believe that our minds are busy enough, and using clean lines and uncluttered spaces really make a space feel peaceful. I work with reclaimed materials as much as possible. When the opportunity to buy a barn came, I jumped at it.
We hired the local Amish to help us dismantle the barn and transfer it to our property. That was 4 years ago. The Amish are still near and dear to our heart. We work with them all the time. They are now creating Artisan style handcrafted wooden wheels and door track hangers for the DIY sliding door hardware tutorial on my blog. It’s d’bomb dot com
Q. We see you have other buildings nearby too, can you explain what they are. Lynne: I sure can. We are building a dining area /lounge at the moment with an upper sleeping loft. With the new building, we will be able to comfortably accommodate 4 people in the treehouse rental. It won’t be ready until the spring next year. Last summer, we built the ‘laTREEn’ which is the treehouse bathroom. It is a tiny 10 x 10 cabin and it was truly one of my fave DIY projects. Who knew that a bathroom would be one of my proudest accomplishments??! A toity!! It's built from reclaimed, recycled materials with the exception of the toilet and faucets {that would just be gross *snicker*} They were my splurge from Brizo and I absotootly love ‘em.
The treehouse does have some new structural elements, but the majority of the building is a reclaimed barn. My friend lost her barn in a tornado. The insurance company suggested that she burn it. *oh my * Knowing that I love to work with reclaimed, up cycled materials in an eclectic way, she asked if we would like to buy the raw materials of the 100 year old barn. She knew they would go to a good home and that was important to her.
Photo opposite: Sleeping area located in the loft.
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
Q. Tell us a bit about your airstream and where it is planned in the scheme of things on the property. When will it be ready? Lynne: Oh la la, we did just buy a 31 ft 1976 International Land Yacht airstream!! If you’re wearing rose coloured glasses, it’s a diamond in the rough. It may be my biggest design challenge so far, but I love the whole dang messy thaaang. I have a girl crush. I have been dreaming of owning an Airstream for f.o.r.e.v.e.r. and a day. For inspiration, I created a glamping board on Pinterest and put forty nine billion photos in there. I have always wanted to get hitched with an airstream.
We have created a wee spot on our property with a little river rock pad for the Airstream gal. She will be parked at the pond and gussied up with twinkle lights, charcoal BBQ and fun pond floaties. My goal is to have the Airstream done for Aug 1st but that may be a lofty goal. I’ll be sharing the journey on my blog and renting the airstream via my blog to guests from August to October. Because the treehouse is quite booked up for the season, the Airstream will give guests a chance to experience the 100 acre property and pool without having to wait until next year for a booking. It should be amazeballs. Q. You rent out the treehouse — all year round, or just in spring, summer and fall? Lynn: Because the treehouse isn’t insulated, we close it up for the winter. Insert *sad face* When the pool is covered with a big black winter tarp, I want to declare it National Depression Day. I’m usually balled up on the floor in fetal position dreading winter snow storms. Joking. Not joking. The one treehouse bonus of the winter season is that it makes for great photo shoots. We have worked with photographers and brands like Roots Canada for some pretty fantastic photo sesh’s in the treehouse.
Opposite photo: The pool looking out towards the property. Below: A view looking over the pool, pool house and the 100 year old farm house.
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...�
We have 100 acres of fields and forests mixed with walking trails. If I farmed it, we would all be eating weeds for dinner. We have a local young farmer who works our land. We wanted to keep the integrity of the narrow laneway and forested edges of the property. We love working with a farmer who doesn’t clear cut the trees for large machinery. I adore the trees.
"the treehouse smells like lavender, cedar, fresh air and dreams...”
We have walking trails that are ohhhh so relaxing to walk. There are deer, wild turkey and an occasional Canada Goose. Grrrrr. We can’t help it, they just invite themselves over. I do love having deer on the property. I’ve been known to try to photograph the deer in the wee hours of the morning. Note to self: Do not chase deer while wearing bright pink pyjamas. I ended up with photos of weeds. Follow Lynne online:
lynneknowlton.com
600 sqft family
PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
600 sqft family
PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
Firstly, the best addition we made to the space was an outdoor rug. This one is from CB2 (here) and created a comfortable and safe surface for Theo to play. Previously the cement pavers were cold and difficult to keep clean. Once we had the rug we had to decide what was the most important use for the patio. Previously we used it for dining and entertaining but now having a space for our toddler to play took priority and we needed the space (as with all areas of our apartment) to play double duty. I don't believe you should sacrifice all of your space or personal style just because you have a child but it is a fine balancing act. I settled on low lounge seating that allows for privacy from the street and keeps us closer to toddler playing level for easy bubble blowing and water fights.
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e are lucky enough to have a small outdoor space with our 600sqft apartment in Vancouver but we haven't always used it to it's full potential. You see, our patio is a bit awkward. It is a ground floor space on a bike route with regular foot traffic going by. To make our patio useful we needed to block direct view into our space while maximizing the existing space for seating and play. With 3 of us including our almost 2 year old sharing our space we needed this patio to be a secondary space for play for our toddler and a place to have a glass of wine with friends after our little one has gone to bed. A few well chosen items and looking at the outdoor space differently has led us to our little urban outdoor escape.
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600 sqft family
PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
Follow Alison Mazurek:
600 sqft family
The side table was a small DIY project I put together as I couldn't find a smaller outdoor side table in my budget. A lucky dollar store metal basket find combined with a wooden cheese plate led to this table (full tutorial here). Another quick and affordable DIY was the planter stand. I have had my eye on mid century planter stands like these Modernica ones but in the meantime this quick option adds some height to a simple terracotta planter. To make the planter stand, I took a sturdy tomato cage (similar here) cut off the pointy ends at the 3rd ring, flipped it over and spray painted it black. A 10" terracotta planter fit perfectly inside the smallest ring and the whole thing cost less than $15. I still have more plans for this patio with possibly adding some vertical plants on our brick posts and a second small side table. I am also always on the hunt for fun outdoor activities for our toddler that fit on our little patio and save us that 3rd trip to the park.
ikea find Follow Alison online: 600sqft.com
diy
A Late Summer
PARTY Words by Lily Ellis Photography by Janis Nicolay
feel so lucky to be tackling it with my Spruce girls alongside!
PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
Work is no fun without some play, agreed? While us ladies are often together at the store and on our thrifting/junk-barning/treasurehunting adventures, it's fairly rare that we all get together with our spouses and they each play a big part in the support system behind Spruce. It truly takes a village and these fellows have played everything from handyman to delivery boy, all while helping us balance out the parenting department in a very big way! When my friend Janis Nicolay asked if she could come snap photos of us at our Spruce "family" backyard gathering, we couldn't refuse! We all met up at Monica's house, which is located in Yarrow, BC, and her property couldn’t
M
y four partners and I opened a vintage and home decor store (Spruce Collective) in Abbotsford, BC nearly three years ago. We first met as vendors at vintage markets that I co-organized in our city and through a series of serendipitous events, we one day found ourselves sitting around a conference table signing a building lease without a business plan in sight! While jumping into business with mere acquaintances may seem reckless (um, it's actually crazy!) it somehow made sense at the time and not only has our business grown and evolved, but our friendships with each other have too. We work really hard at our relationships with one another and have powered through all levels of struggles in our time together, both in business and in our personal lives. Juggling the motherhood, life, work balance is not for the faint of heart but I
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PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
more picturesque! With the Vedder River behind and the mountains surrounding, it's just about as Canadian as it gets! Being, well, us (we often get carried away in the creative department!), we decided we'd better set the tone for the evening with furniture and rugs from our rental division, Spruce Rentals. Layers of colour, texture and pattern turned Monica's orchard into a magical "room" under the trees, with the help from some string lights and colourful florals. We foraged the property for greenery and grapes to use as additional decor...it's amazing what life plants and flowers bring to a party!
PATIO Words, styling and photographs by Alison Mazurek of 600sqft.com
The food was delicious! Monica's husband, Ehren, caught salmon from the Fraser River earlier in the day and the rest of us brought a potluck of salads made from local ingredients. Kevi's husband, Dustin, even baked fresh berry pies...what a guy! The drinks and conversation soon flowed and we had an amazing evening together under the trees. We're so thankful that Janis captured our night and that we can now share it with you! Nothing says summer like al fresco dinners and the sound of conversation mixed with ice cubes clinking....cheers!
Sparkling Blackberry Mint Cocktail 1 oz. vodka (optional) 3 fresh blackberries fresh mint leaves old fashioned ginger beer (non-alcoholic) Pour over ice and muddle berries with the mint for a fresh and sparkling cocktail
Follow Lily online:
Follow Janis online:
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Wide Open
SPACES Carrie Shyrock is a partner and co-owner of 1canoe2, where they design and produce greeting cards, stationery and home goods. She spends a great deal of her time painting and drawing and designing the artwork that they use on their products. Recently Carrie started posting her sketchbook of her small landscapes paintings on Instagram, which got our attention. We asked her about them. “I love my job and love what I get to do, but because of the nature of our process my work is often driven by what kind of artwork we need for a specific product. At the beginning of this year I decided that I needed a project that was just for me. Something that I can work on free from the pressures of designing for a product. Something that I can experiment with and see where the process takes me”, says Carrie.
Illustrations and photos by Carrie Shyrock of 1canoe2
She had been playing around with some small landscape paintings in her sketchbook, and decided to expand on that idea and try to complete one every week. She lives in central Missouri, on the prairie, where she has great big wide open spaces, and the sky is huge. “I'm a little bit infatuated with the sky, and the clouds, and the changing colors and light, which is something that I have found myself focusing on. I love that these paintings are small, and I can complete one fairly quickly, but I'm definitely itching to paint some that are bigger!” So are we! Let’s take a look!
Follow Carrie online: 1canoe2.com
Printed Woven Newspaper. Newspaper was dyed and printed with a handmade block, shredded and woven, then ironed onto an interfacing and stitched.
Words by Jan Halvarson Photos by Shaun West
Shaun
WEST From masters to innovators, the artistry of weaving (which can be refined and complex or simple and rustic), has found its place in today’s consciousness more than ever. Alongside world class artists, crafters and hobbyists are trying their hand at this age-old craft. A universal art with so many unique approaches. Such is the case with the work by Shaun West, a UK-based artist who’s creative work she tells us, “is inspired by the love of it, the feelings of protection I have towards it and conserving it into the future. I also have a keen interest in recycling, reusing and making decorative items from diverse materials.” We first spotted Shaun’s work in the book ‘Reclaimed Textiles”, Techniques for paper, stitch, plastic and mixed media by author Kim Thittichai. The combination of mixed materials, cardboard, paint and other found pieces results in an innovative form of weaving that takes us back to girl scout days, when we first learned how to weave, taking it further adding layers of block printing, hand stitching and even glitter.
“I have found inspiration in valuing and reusing packaging, newspapers, old books and other scrap items, some I save from the rubbish bin or those of my friends and family, others I source from my local scrapstore*, states West. I like to print, dye and stitch on these surfaces so that they take on a new life. I have also experimented with simply shredding a variety of materials with contrasting characteristics eg. scraps of fabric, newspaper, plastic tapes and threads and weaving them through a warp of partially shredded cardboard packaging”. Her work, as art, is also strong enough in some cases to make a bag or book cover. We love her fresh approach, reusing the old to create new beautiful and stunning works of art. * In the UK many towns have a Scrapstore usually run on a charitable basis. Local people and businesses can take along reusable textiles, papers, plastics and other small reusable items that groups, schools and other members of the community can buy at low cost for use in creative projects.) Opposite page: Printed Woven Newspaper. —Newspaper was dyed and printed with a handmade block, shredded and woven, then ironed onto an interfacing and stitched.
Book Link: Reclaimed Textiles Follow Shaun online:
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Mixed Materials Weaving. Warp – partially shredded cardboard packaging. Woven into with plastic tapes, newspaper strips, old fabrics, vintage lace, net and threads.
Cobra the
LILY Paper flowers by Kate Alacron
We had to do a double-take when we saw these gorgeous paper flowers in our #poppytalksummercolours feed this month on Instagram. Handcrafted by Kate Alarcon, a paper artist and teacher, in her workshop just outside Seattle, every bloom, bud, spike, and tendril is carefully hand-cut, shaped, and assembled, without the aid of die- or laser-cut components. Kate takes custom orders through her email kate@thecobralily.com and will have a new online shop soon at thecobralily.com. But if you’d like to try making them yourself, turn the page for her how-to!
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paper rose
DIY by Kate Alacron
You will need: Rose Templates (click HERE) Aleene’s tacky glue Heavy florist crepe in 2 similar shades for the petals and your choice of two colors for the stamens and pollen Heavy florist crepe in sage green for the calyx 1 10 inch length of 18 gauge, cloth-covered stem wire 3 inches of light green floral tape Paper scissors
A note about grain: the grain of the crepe paper runs parallel to the roll. Crepe paper stretches horizontally, but not vertically, so you will almost always cut petals with the grain, placing the template so that the tiny folds in the paper run up and down the template, not across. For the stamens: Cut out one 2x2 inch square for the stamens and one for the pollen. I’ve used burgundy and orange. Cutting along the grain, fringe each of the squares, leaving .75 inches uncut across the bottom edge. Be sure that the fringe is cut along and not across the grain.
square, cut across the fringe in very small rows, perpendicular to your first set of cuts, to create a tiny orange confetti. This will be the pollen at the ends of the stamens. Stretch the uncut end of your burgundy fringe across the grain slightly to separate the stamens a bit. Squeeze out a small puddle of glue and dip the ends of your burgundy stamens in the glue, then dip the ends in the confetti. Let dry. Make a light zigzag of glue across the bottom of the stamen strip, wrap around the top inch of the stem wire.
Set aside the burgundy fringe, which will be your stamens. Working with just the orange Poppytalk Summer 2015
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Cutting petals: Print out rose templates. Click HERE for tehe PDF file. Each petal template makes one row of petals, beginning with Petal Row 1, the tiny, rounded petals that will be at the center of the rose. Each template indicates how many of that petal you’ll need to complete the row. For bi-color roses, I like to use one color for templates one and two and switch to my second color for the remaining 4 rows. An easy way to remember is, when the petals become pointed instead of rounded, switch colors.
The first round of petals you cut from petal template 1 are ready to go, but the second round needs a little more shaping. Holding the petal between your thumb and the blade of your scissors, gently scrape the back of the very top of all the petal 2’s to slightly curl the top edge. For each subsequent row of petals, you’ll curl more. The petals closest to the center will be less curled and those toward the outside will be more dramatically curled.
To curl the pointed petals, first gently stretch along each upper edge of the petal. Then cup Be sure to cut the petals with the so that the the center of the petal. The space between the grain runs from top to bottom and not side to cup and the upper edge of the petal should side. remain unstretched, giving the petal an almost hourglass shape. To finish shaping the petal, Shaping petals: use your scissors to curl all along the top edge. Cup the first two innermost rows of petals. The goal is to stretch the inner part of the petal, while leaving the rounded outer edge unstretched to create a little bowl. For rows one and two, you’ll cup the top third of the petal.
For petals along the outside that are so unfurled they look almost ready to drop from the blossom, shape as above and then invert the cup, using your fingers to pop it toward you, so the cup is convex instead of concave.
To attach petals: Working in rows, apply a small amount of the Alene’s along the bottom edge of the petal and press it onto the stamens. The tops of the stamens should reach roughly a third of the way up the first row of petals. Hold the petal in place for a few seconds to allow the glue to set, then apply glue to the next petal and place to the left of the first petal, overlapping the petals by about half. Continue to apply petals until you complete the round, overlapping your last petal in the round halfway over the first petal in the round. If you have extra petals, save them for another project; if you don’t have quite enough, cut one or two more to finish the round. Tip: as you apply your petals, worry less about how they’re lining up at the bottom where the petals meet the stem, and more about how things are looking at the top. I like for the top edge of each row to be a little shorter than the previous row, creating a dome shape.
To finish your rose, cut out your calyx, apply glue to the bottom edge, and wrap the calyx around the base of the flower, so that the bottom ends of the rose petals are covered. It’s more important to evenly space the points of the calyx around the rose than it is to have a tidily rolled calyx, so I like to space the points evenly and then scrunch the bottom, holding it for a few seconds until it has a chance to adhere
Finally, cut a three inch piece of floral tape and wrap the bottom of your calyx and an inch or two of the stem, stretching the tape as you wrap to activate the adhesive. Using your fingers, gently spread the petals from the middle to give the rose a more natural appearance.
Follow Kate online: thecobralily.com
Recipe, Styling + Photography Jan Halvarson, Poppytalk
blueberry donuts & lemon glaze
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BLUEBERRY DONUTS WITH LEMON GLAZE For the Donuts 2 cups cake flour OR (2 cups of flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder + 3/4 teaspoon salt) 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted softened butter 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup milk 2-1/4 cups fresh blueberries Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease donut cake pan with butter. In a bowl beat the butter and sugar until mixed thoroughly. Add eggs, beat well. Add in the vanilla and almond extract. Slowly add the flour mixture and milk (alternating) to the butter/sugar mixture, mix
well using a mixer. Pour in blueberries and fold in using a spatula. Scoop the batter into the donut cake pans, making sure not to fill to much (about halfway). Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until browned and cake tester comes out clean. Cool and remove. For the Glaze 1-1/2 icing sugar 1/3 cup heavy cream juice of 1 medium lemon zest of one lemon Mix together the icing sugar, cream and lemon juice using a mixer until smooth and a runny consistency, like a glaze. Sprinkle with lemon zest to garnish.
Tarte Populaire SALTED HONEY LAVENDER PIE Recipe, Styling + Photography by Tina Lau, Tarte Populaire
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I have a weakness for pies – especially ones with a generous amount of fruit filling under a golden brown pastry crust. And although I enjoy making a variety of baked goods, handmade pies represent something special to me. There's an intimacy when working with your hands, forming and rolling the dough and understanding the natural sweetness of the fruit. To me pie is approachable. Tarte Populaire started in Montréal, where I had moved for love. Wanting to pursue a creative venture while taking classes to learn French, I baked pies for clients, cafes and local markets while navigating the new city and language. Since moving back to Vancouver, I have continued Tarte Populaire, offering handmade artisanal pies baked fresh to order every weekend. One of Tarte Populaire’s most sought after pie flavours is the Salted Honey Lavender. It is a unique combination of honey custard filling with a subtle hint of lavender and sea salt, all bound together in a flaky buttery pastry.
SALTED HONEY LAVENDER PIE Pie Dough 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 1 tbsp granulated sugar ¾ tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes 5-6 tbsp ice water Pie Filling ½ recipe pie dough ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled ¼ tsp salt 150 g sugar 100 g honey
1 tsp vanilla 1 tbsp white vinegar 3 eggs, room temperature ½ cup heavy cream 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender Sea salt and lavender for garnish To make the crust, mix together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter, begin to cut in half of the butter until it is roughly the size of peas and then cut in the remaining butter until it is the size of beans. Some of the butter should be visible and vary in size. Make a well in the flour mixture and slowly pour in 2 tbsp of ice water while mixing gently with a fork. Repeat. The dough is ready once you can gently gather a handful of dough together without it falling apart, add more water a tablespoon
at a time as necessary. Press the dough together and then split it in half, forming two discs. Dust lightly with flour and wrap individually with plastic wrap. Chill for at least one hour or overnight. For this recipe you will use one disc. To make the pie filling, gently heat together cream and lavender in a small pot over medium-low until cream heated through. Remove from stove and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the lavender to infuse. Preheat the oven to 350ยบ F. Combine melted butter with salt, sugar, honey, vanilla and white vinegar, stir until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Using a sieve, slowly strain cream into the pie filling mixture, stirring constantly. Discard left over lavender.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into approximately a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick and place it into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges so they are even, leaving roughly 1 inch over-hang from the edge of the pie pan. Crimp or decorate edges. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. Pour the pie filling into the pie shell and place on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, rotating after 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is set. Cool pie for at least 2 hours before serving, garnish with sea salt and dried lavender.
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