"A" is for almond tarts.

"A" is for apple.  Ah-ah apple.  "B" is for ball.  Buh-buh ball.

And it goes on from there.  And it has been in my head for 3 solid weeks.  Not a day, hour, or minute off.  And to make matters worse, there are 15 other songs just like it, and Langston is obsessed.  

When Langston was younger, nothing made him happier than an afternoon of Nirvana or the Violent Femmes.  We really thought we were raising him for a life of musical superiority, but while watching some vintage Mickey on Youtube, a video suggestion with a crudely drawn chicken appeared.  Langston was curious, so we clicked.  Sure, he now can sing his "ABC's," but at what cost?  Now he has two parents on the brink of complete insanity.  

Green, green, what is green?  The grass is green, the grass is green.  

All of that aside, my vacation went really well.  Hilton Head is such an easy drive from Augusta: 15 miles on this road, 10 on that one... you'd never know you were travelling for 3.5 hours.  Langston had a blast on the beach, and despite the soaring temperatures, with my toes in the water it never felt like it was hotter than 85.  My mother is an incredibly generous woman, and we ate very well while we were there.  I also made a cake- Bourbon Pecan Cake with Dulce de Leche Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting, stuffed and topped with the most ripe and delicious peaches.  My mother's family is too generous with their compliments, but I will agree it was amazing.  

I am making another one for my brother's wedding in two weeks, so you will see it then.  And as always, I will share the recipe!

Before I left for the beach a week ago, I made Almond Tarts for the winner of that little contest I ran.  I know the contest was for a cake, but the winner actually works in a very successful local bakery.  She is simply caked-out, so at her request, I made these...

I purchased tartlette pans a few years ago, and I was so excited to actually use them.  

And I do believe there is nothing prettier than the result.

Check out those gorgeous peaches!

As for a recipe, the link is here.  I followed the recipe to the "t," but I must say- this is an intermediate recipe to create.  It wasn't difficult, as much as it was tedious.  The crust really needs to be completely cold in order to roll it out.  And I almost feel like it needed more flour (at least in my kitchen).  I believe the recipe suggests to let the dough "rest" in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  In rolling this dough out, I felt the overwhelming need to throw things.  It was a sticky mess!

Regardless of the frustration, I believe they are beyond gorgeous, and I hope you enjoyed them, Melissa!

Have a great Monday, and here's to finding another song to occupy my brain.

Rachel Bee