Strawberry Ganache Tart

I love this as its so easy to make. The only thing that drives me over the wall is the fact that it has to stand overnight in the refrigerator till set.

This decadent tea time treat is easy to prepare but there are a few key factors that needs to be in place.

1. The pastry needs to be sealed properly (Whisked Egg White - when baking blind)
2. The strawberries should be washed properly, hulled and then dried off with a kitchen towel - you don't want any extra or unnecessary moister from the fruits.
3. Spun Sugar should be made before hand - and placed on a kitchen towel.

NOW FOR THE RECIPE  

 

 

1 x Quantity Sweet Shortcrust Pastry - shop bought or hand made

600g x Fresh Strawberries - washed, hulled, dried and halved + extra for decoration

60ml x Fresh Cream

80g x Unsalted Butter

300g x Dark Chocolate - chopped fine

100g x Dark Chocolate - chopped fine, this is to seal the pastry

250g x Milk Chocolate - chopped fine

1 x Egg White - whisked lightly

60g x Bitter Cacao - for dusting

100g x White Castor Sugar - for the spun sugar

 

method:

 

Roll out the pastry on a lightly dusted kitchen counter till about 3mm thick, roll the pastry up over the rolling pin and gently let it fall into a greased "fluted loosed bottom tart tin". Gently press the pastry into all the corners. Place the  tart in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice to bake blind. Bake the pastry for 18 - 20 till slightly golden and cooked. Remove the baking paper and the beans. Now using a pastry brush lightly brush the entire inside of the pastry with the whisked egg whites and return to the oven for another 4 minutes (this will seal the pastry/ waterproof it). Remove the pastry from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

 

Place  the 100g dark chocolate in a Bain Marie on the stove top to melt completely, don't stir the chocolate to much. Once all the chocolate has melted, take a pastry brush and paint the inside of the tart shell with a thick layer of the chocolate - use all the chocolate. (This will ensure the pastry is sealed and that no moisture will get to the pastry) Set aside to set completely.

 

Once the chocolate has set completely - start placing the strawberry halves flat side down in the tart shell from the outer circle till the entire shell is filled with strawberries.

 

 

Now using the same bowl you used for the chocolate seal, place the dark and milk chocolate along with the butter and cream in the Bain Marie and leave to melt completely. Once all the chocolate has melted and the butter and the cream has been absorbed by the chocolate - pour everything evenly over the strawberries. Take the tart shell and lift it about 4cm from the kitchen counter and drop it. this will ensure that no air pockets are left. Take a rubber spatula and evenly level all the melted chocolate over the strawberries ensuring no strawberries can be seen sticking out. Refrigerate for 4 -6 hours but over night is best.

 

 

Now make the spun sugar, use a heavy based saucepan and make a dry caramel. DO NOT STIRR THE SUGAR AT ANY TIME!! ONLY SWIRL IT IN THE PAN. Once all the sugar has turned to caramel and you cant see anymore sugar - remove the sugar from the heat. let it rest for 2 - 3 minutes till the caramel has cooled enough to  be spun. Using a wire whisk and a wooden spoon, start by dunking the whisk in the sugar and once you've lifted it and the sugar makes these little strands, start spinning the whisk over and around the wooden spoon almost making a candy floss feel to the sugar. Keep repeating this till you have enough to decorate your tart. (TIP: if the sugar has hardened and you still need to spun sugar, just return the pan to the heat for a minute or two to liquefy the sugar again)

 

 Dust the set Ganache tart liberally with cacao, decorate it with some fresh strawberries and the spun sugar.

 

Last but not least!!V ENJOY!



Strawberry Sorbet

Who doesn't like strawberries? From freshly picked, to preserved strawberries always makes a huge entrance and is an ideal fruit for a sorbet!


Strawberry Sorbet

Basically a 2 ingredient dessert as you'll only use fresh strawberries & sugar syrup infused with vanilla.

 

 Strawberries, are high in vitamins and nutrients making them the perfect "nature's snack" to nibble on. For this recipe you'll need:

2 x Punnets of Strawberries - washed & hulled by hand (roughly 500g)
1 x Quantity of Vanilla Sugar Syrup - (1 Cup White Sugar, 2 Cup's Water & 1 Vanilla bean - split lengthways and seeds scraped out)


To make the vanilla infused sugar syrup all you have to do is place the vanilla bean and scraped seeds in a thick based saucepan, with the sugar and the water. bring the syrup to gentle boil stirring till the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool completely. Strain off the vanilla bean and store in the refrigerator till needed.

TIP: Wash off the vanilla husk under a tap of running water. Leave it to dry off and place it in your sugar pot, giving you vanilla sugar.

Place the washed & hulled strawberries in a blender of food processor and puree till smooth.

Once pureed, strain the strawberry puree through a fine sieve or chinois - this is to keep all the strawberry seeds out. I like a silky smooth sorbet. This is optional - if you like the seeds then don't strain the puree.









In a large jug mix together the puree and the cooled sugar syrup. Whisk it well to combine before pouring the mixture into your ice cream machine. and churn according to manufacturers instructions.

Once the sorbet has set and is thick and lush, spoon the mixture into a freezer proof container and freeze till set completely. This will take up to 4 hours but best will be overnight. Take the sorbet out of the freezer  minutes before serving.

 

 

Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

 

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Sizzling Summer Sorbets - Your guide to the coolest summer treats. 6 of the best SORBET recipes

Sorbet

 

 

 

I just love making sorbets as they are just so easy to make and prepare. Sorbets consist of only a few ingredients and is well worth it. The basic sorbet is made up by Fruit puree, and a basic Simple Syrup. * Basic Simple Syrup = 1Cup Sugar & 1Cup water. Brought to a boil till all the sugar has dissolved, the cooled *  Sorbets can be made with almost any fruits! Literally any fruit you can think of.

 

Now there are two ways of skinning this cat - you can cheat (an option I opt for many times) by using Canned fruits or fresh fruit. When I use canned fruits I tend to use a not too sweet syrup e.g. 1Cup Sugar & 2Cups Water, seeing that the fruit is already sweetened when canned.

 

RECIPES for Syrup's

 

BASIC SIMPLE SYRUP: 1Cup Water, 1Cup Sugar - brought to a slight simmer till all the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely before using

 

NOT SO SWEET SYRUP: 1Cup Sugar, 2Cups Water - brought to a slight simmer till all the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely before using

 

Optional - these syrups can be infused with almost anything! From Rooibos tea, Vanilla, Ginger and even alcohol. Keep in mind that when infusing syrups, best advice would be to bring the syrup and the flavouring e.g. vanilla bean to a slight simmer, remove from the heat, cover and leave to cool completely. Then reheat the mixture and cool completely before using in the recipe straining off the flavouring agent.

Simple Syrup Infused with a Vanilla Husk & Fresh Ginger

Here is the Sugar syrup recipe that's on my site: http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/my-diy-tips/2012-07-16-20-46-36/make-sugar-syrup

Litchi Sorbet

you'll need:

2 x Cans of Pitted Sweetened Litchi's (Retain the juice from one can)

250ml Not so sweet syrup

A Handful of Fresh Litchi's to serve

- If you want to use fresh litchis you will need about 500g of peeled & pitted litchi's

method:

Strain off the litchi's from the cans, reserve the syrup from one of the cans. Place the drained litchi's and juice into a  blender. Puree till fine and slushy. Pour in 250ml of your cooled syrup before blitzing for another minute. Pour the mixture into your Ice cream machine and churn according to manufactures instructions. Scoop the almost set sorbet into a freezer proof container and freeze till needed.

THE SAME GOLDEN RULE APPLIES TO SORBET AS TO ICE CREAM - Remove from the freezer at least 5 - 10 minutes before serving. This softens the sorbet for perfect scooping also allowing the flavours to marry.

Watermelon Sorbet

you'll need:

500g Watermelon - cubed

300ml Simple Syrup

method:

Place the watermelon and syrup in a blender and puree for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve or chinois. Press the pulp through with the back of a spoon, leaving all the piths & seed bits behind. Pour into an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturers instructions.

 To make Sorbet by hand is quite easy. Ice cream machines can be very price, do have a look around at different stores as you do find good bargains sometimes. Instead of using your everyday plastic container to freeze your handmade sorbets try to find a metal bowl with a lid or just seal it properly with cling film. Pour the sorbet into the bowl and freeze for an hour till the sorbet starts to set. Take the bowl out and whisk with and electric whisk for a minute then return to the freezer. Repeat this every 30 minutes for 2 hours then you can leave it to set completely - or until needed.

Kiwi Sorbet

you'll need:

10 x Ripe Kiwi Fruits - peeled : http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/my-diy-tips/2012-07-16-20-46-36/peel-a-kiwi  Roughly 500g of Kiwi

350ml Simple Syrup infused with Ginger (1cm Thick Ginger piece, peeled and cut into match sticks)

method:

Place the peeled kiwi's & the infused simple syrup in a blender and puree till smooth-ish, I like it when the sorbet has some texture to it. Pour into an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturers instructions. Scoop into a freezer proof container and freeze till set.

 

 

Here are some more SORBET recipes available on my site www.sweetmafia-sa.com

• Chocolate Sorbet - http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/all-desserts/2012-07-15-19-09-52/chocolate-sorbet
• Cheats Sorbet - http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/all-desserts/2012-07-15-19-09-52/cheats-sorbet
• Tequila & Lime Sorbet - http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/all-desserts/2012-07-15-19-09-52/tequila-lime-sorbet

Visit the what's in SEASON on my site to plan your menu's and other delicious Recipes : http://www.sweetmafia-sa.com/index.php/seasonal-advice