Hamptons Lane is a monthly gourmet food subscription box. Each month you get to preview the theme, and you can opt out if it’s not for you.
Hamptons Lane sent me this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
FYI – if you are interested in this box, it is still available as of today if you sign up for a subscription.
The Subscription Box: Hamptons Lane
The Cost: $47 a month (with the option to skip any month).
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $10 off your first box
CODE: Subscription10
The Products: Artisan food products centered around a new theme each month.
Ships to: US only, extra shipping costs for Alaska and Hawaii.
Check out our past reviews of Hamptons Lane or visit the Food Subscription Box Directory for more food boxes!
This month’s theme is Tarts and Pies. I’ve been hoping that Hamptons Lane would release a baking box, so I was thrilled when this theme was revealed!
The booklet details all of the items included in the box.
It also provides recipes and cooking tips.
Leaf Press Set- $9.67
These presses can be used to create leaf-shaped pieces of dough to decorate holiday pies. I have a couple of (aging and slightly misshapen) metal leaf cutters that I usually use for this purpose, and I’m very pleased to be able to replace them with these beauties!
Tart Pan by Fat Daddio's- $13.49
I’ve been in the market for new tart pan, too! (Hampton’s Lane is reading my mind with this box!) I like that this one has a removable bottom and is made from anodized aluminum. The only negative is that it’s not dishwasher friendly, but I don’t think anodized aluminum ever is.
Whipped Cinnamon Honey by Cloister Honey- $8
I like jams and jellies, but honey has always been my go-to topping for toast and biscuits. This whipped honey is surprisingly thick, spreadable vs. drizzle-able, and the cinnamon flavor is heavenly. Hamptons Lane claims that this spread can rival maple syrup, which immediately made me want to try warming it up and using it as a topping for Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes.
Chicken Pie Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice from RawSpiceBar- $8
RawSpiceBar spices also feature in Hamptons Lane’s Modern Moroccan Box. I thought they were a great addition to that box, so I’m pleased to see Chicken Pie Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice featured this month. (Good to know: the Pumpkin Pie Spice will also be featured in this month’s RawSpiceBar subscription.)
Ceramic Pie Weights from Fox Run- $5.99
Whenever I bake pies at home (or at work), I use dried beans as pie weights, so these ceramic weights are a serious upgrade! In case anyone doesn’t know what pie weights are, they’re used when blind baking (also known as parbaking) a pie crust to prevent the bottom from bubbling up and/or shrinking. It’s important to partially bake a crust before adding the filling, especially when you’re making a pie with a really wet filling like pumpkin pie or quiche, so that the crust is crispy and flaky- not soggy.
Double Sided Pastry Cutter from Fox Run- $5.95
This pastry cutter can be used to cut and crimp pie dough, and Hamptons Lane recommends using it to create perfect lattice strips for topping apple pie.
Sweet Orange Sugar by Terre Botanicals- $13.50
(Note: I’ve taken the pricing information for this item from the Hamptons Lane site, since I can’t find the item available for sale online.)
Terre Botanicals specializes in sugars, savory blends, and essential oils. This Sweet Orange Sugar has a fantastic aroma, and the packaging is simple and lovely. I love sampling gourmet food products, and this sugar is such a fun twist on a kitchen staple. Terre Botanicals recommends using it as a finishing sugar or as a sweetener for tea.
Tart Time!
Every month, Hamptons Lane provides recipes to accompany their box, and so many of this month’s recipes looked fantastic that I had a difficult time deciding what to make! Ultimately, I decided to try out the tart pan by making the Sweet Orange Ricotta Tart.
Sweet Orange Ricotta Tart
To begin, I rolled out a sheet of room-temperature puff pastry and cut it to fit the tart pan.
I lined the pan with parchment and used the ceramic pie beans to weigh down the base. I parbaked the crust at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Usually, I’m an advocate for making things myself whenever possible, but I make an exception for puff pastry, since it’s labor intensive and time consuming. My favorite frozen puff pastry is Dufour. It’s fantastic- super flaky and buttery. It’s not cheap ($10.99 per pack at my local Whole Foods), but I think it’s worth the splurge.
While the crust was baking, I mixed up the filling by combing ricotta, mascarpone, caster sugar, sweet orange sugar, orange zest, and eggs. I whisked this together until it was smooth, removed the parchment and pie weights, and filled the crust. I had quite a lot of filling left over, so I reserved it to use in another application. (Maybe I’ll make mini cheesecakes or something…)
I returned the tart to the oven and baked it for another 30 minutes.
While I waited, I brought a mixture of water and sugar to a boil on the stove. The recipe suggested slicing the oranges 1/4” thick, but that seemed very thick to me. Instead, I sliced them about 1/16” thick, so they would soften and become softer and more candied as they cooked in the syrup. I boiled the slices for a few minutes until the pith turned clear, removed them from the syrup, and sprinkled the top of each slice with Sweet Orange Sugar.
When the tart filling was set and the crust was golden, I removed it from the oven and topped it with the slices of orange.
This tart was truly delicious. The buttery crust was crunchy, yet soft, and the filling was creamy and rich. The orange slices on top were sweet, chewy, and provided a nice punch of citrus flavor. I love how easy this recipe was to prepare. I’ll definitely make it again!
Verdict: I always have so much fun preparing the recipes from Hamptons Lane. They do such a great job curating boxes around a theme, and I think this box has a great balance of equipment and ingredients. I love the tart pan, pie weights, and whipped honey, and I can’t wait to sample the spice blends from RawSpiceBar. The items in this box total approximately $55, which isn’t bad at all for the $47 cost. I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes Hamptons Lane has provided for this month (I’m lookin’ at you Chicken & Squash Pot Pie!), and I’m already excited to see what December’s theme will be. Something holiday-related perhaps?
What do you think of this month’s baking box from Hamptons Lane?
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