Almond Milk Tart

Milk Tart

 

Tart Base

·         1 x Packet of Tennis Biscuits – blitzed into fine crumbs

·         120g Unsalted Butter – melted

·         5ml Vanilla Paste

Filling

 

·         1lt of Fresh Full Cream Milk

·         2 x Cinnamon Sticks

·         Ground Cinnamon for Dusting the Top

·         8 x Eggs

·         200g White Sugar

·         100g Flour

·         5Tbls of Corn Starch –mazina

·         10ml Vanilla Paste

·         5ml Almond Essence

 

Method:

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180 ͦC. Crush the cookie crumbs with a rolling pin or blitz them to a fine crumb with a blender. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove in a small pot, once melted add the vanilla and pour over the crumbs. Mix well to combine, press the wet sandy crumbs into a well-buttered oven dish. Pop the dish in the oven for 9 – 10 minutes, till just golden and you can start to smell the crust. Set aside to cool. For the filling bring the litre of milk along with the cinnamon sticks to a slight simmer then reduce the heat to low. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, corn starch, vanilla paste and almond essence till thick and velvety, make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Slowly pour the hot milk in a steady thin stream into the egg mixture whisking continuously. Once all the milk is incorporated pour the mixture back into the pot and over a low heat cook till the mixture starts to thicken and the flour taste is gone. Fish out the 2 cinnamon sticks and pour the mixture into the tart shell, and with a pallet knife make sure you have a nice smooth surface. Immediately dust with ground cinnamon and set aside to cool before placing the tart in the refrigerator overnight. Dust with ground cinnamon again just before serving. 

Savoury Short Crust Pastry with a Quiche Lorraine

Basic Savoury Shortcrust Pastry

When making savoury pastries try and use half the amount of fat to flour e.g. 80g Fat to 160g Flour.

·         170g Plain Flour

·         85g Fat Cubed - (Salted Butter or Lard)

·         5Tbls Chilled Water

Method:

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl 2 times, (this will aerate the flour for a flaky pastry). Add the fat. Using the tips of your fingers rub in the fat till the mixture resembles small breadcrumbs. Add 1 table spoon of chilled water at a time and using your hand bring the pastry together after each addition, till the pastry starts to bind together and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it with cling wrap. Store the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for no less than 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness, usually 5 -6mm. NOTE: do not use too much flour on the surface or rolling pin as too much flour will make the pastry tuff.

 

Quiche Lorraine

This is a French classic, and I didn’t dare change the recipe. This is great for a snack at tea time or as a light lunch on its own.

·         1 x Quantity Shortcrust Pastry

·         15ml Olive oil

·         1 x Medium Onion – halved & sliced

·         150g Cubed Ham – (you can add crispy bacon or bacon bits if you like)

·         150g Button Mushrooms – sliced

·         70g Mature Cheddar – grated

·         3 x Large Eggs

·         115ml Fresh Cream

·         20ml Freshly Chopped Italian Parsley

·         Freshly Ground Black Pepper – to taste

 

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 ͦC. Roll the dough out and lightly grease and flour a loose bottomed quiche tin. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and gently let it fall into the quiche tin, make sure the dough is pressed lightly into the corners and the tin is covered completely. Cut away the excess pastry and chill the tin in the fridge for 20 minutes, this will help the pastry not to shrink too much when baking.  Heat a frying pan with the olive oil and fry off the onion and mushrooms for 5 – 10 min till golden, drain on kitchen paper and fry off the ham or bacon. Layer the bottom of the tart with the onions and mushrooms evenly, and then layer over the ham, followed by the grated cheese. In a mixing jug mix together the eggs, pepper, parsley and cream with a fork, pour this over the filling ingredients and bake the quiche for 30 – 40 min until golden and the filling is set. Leave to cool inside the tin before serving.

TIP: Use the same principle and create something that tickles your fancy.

 

Soufflés Mocha & Vanilla

Soufflés

This is probably like the holy grail of desserts. The name Soufflés means to “to blow or puff up” and believe me you will be sitting in front of the oven praying that it puff’s up. These amazing little creations have broken thousands of Chef’s around the world. I have personally witnessed a very large man cry like a little girl when his soufflé has collapsed. And no it wasn’t me!

A soufflé consist of a thickened custard base (Crème Patisserie), sabayon or bouilli, with egg whites whipped to stiff peak stage, gently folded together. Then baked in the oven, so if you’re not gentle when folding in the whites, all the air in them will be knocked out and the soufflé will never rise. This dessert was designed for immediate gratification, another of the French’s world renound accomplishments. It should be served as soon as it comes out of the oven or it will collapse completely within 5 – 10 minutes. 

TIP: Always brush you ramekins with melted butter then, dust them with caster sugar or cacao. Make sure the sugar or cacao coats the entire ramekin. Discard any leftover sugar or cacao; the sugar on the sides will assist the soufflé to climb up the sides of the ramekin, the same with the cacao. (Very fine biscuit crumbs will do too)

·         Once you’ve scooped the Soufflé mixture into the ramekins, take the tip of your index finger and run it around the top edge of the ramekin on the inside. This will result in the “top hat” effect and this will ensure the soufflés will rise up straight up properly. Cook them immediately.

·         Always place the prepped ramekins on a heated baking tray, this will ensure the soufflé will rise properly. Supplying enough heat to heat the bottom of the ramekin immediately

 Mocha Soufflé

This is definitely for the Coffee junkies out there.

·         1 x Quantity Chocolate Crème Patisserie – add a 1 Tbsp of strong granulated coffee or instant espresso to the milk before you bring it to a boil

·         4 x Egg Whites

·         Pinch of Salt

·         70g of Caster Sugar

·         Unsalted Butter - for brushing the ramekins

·         Cacao – for dusting the ramekins

For the Chocolate Mocha Sauce

·         200g Dark Chocolate

·         250ml Cream

·         1Tbsp Instant Espresso Powder

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 190 ͨC, and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up properly. Make the Crème Patisserie according to the recipe on page ( ) just remember to add 1Tbsp of extra strong coffee or instant espresso powder to the milk before bringing the milk to simmering point. Follow the recipe and once done, leave to cool and set aside. In a deep mixing bowl add the egg whites and start whisking to foamy stage before adding the pinch of salt. Whisk to soft peak stage then start adding the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time till you reach stiff peak stage and the whites have doubled in size. Gently fold in ⅓ of the meringue into the crème patisserie; this is just to loosen the mixture so the whites can be folded in gently. Now fold in the rest of the whipped egg whites. Take 1 large soufflé dish or 4 ramekins and brush them with the melted butter, add ⅓ of a teaspoon of cacao to each ramekin and dust so the entire inside is covered. Shake out the extra cacao and fill the ramekins about ⅔ up the ramekin. Tap the ramekin lightly on the kitchen counter to release any air pockets then bake for 13 – 15min till risen, puffy, slightly set on top but still moist in the centre.

For the Sauce

In a small saucepan bring the cream and espresso powder to a slight simmer. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate, leave to stand for a minute or two before whisking till everything is combined.

Serve the soufflé immediately; pour the sauce into a small pitcher so everyone can help themselves to sauce.

 

Vanilla Soufflé

This is by far one of my favourites, made with a bouilli base as the French would say. This is truly a quick and easy recipe.

·         4Tbsp of Sifted Flour

·         1 Cup of Milk

·         90g White Sugar

·         1 x Vanilla Bean – split lengthways & seeds scraped out

·         5 x Whole Eggs – separated, yolks for the bouilli and the whites for the meringue

·         Pinch of Salt

·         1Tbsp of Castor Sugar

·         Softened Unsalted Butter & Sugar for the Ramekins

       Method:

Preheat the oven to 175 ͦC. Now make the bouilli base first, in a thick based saucepan add the flour, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, over a low heat. Then start pouring in the milk slowly in a steady stream while whisking continuously, once all the milk is added, keep stirring and wait for the mixture to start bubbling. Let the mixture cook for 3 -4 minutes stirring the whole time, make sure the flour is cooked before you remove the pot from the heat. Use a spatula and scrape everything into a mixing bowl, remove the vanilla bean and whipping it a few times just to cool it slightly. Now add 1 egg yolk at a time whisking it vigorously till all the eggs are incorporated. Cover the bouilli directly with a piece of cling film so no skin will form on top, while whisking up the egg whites. Place the 5 egg whites and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to soft peak stage, sprinkle over the tablespoon of castor sugar and whisk to stiff peak stage. Roughly fold through ⅓ of the stiff egg whites into the bouilli to loosen the mixture slightly before adding the rest of the whites to the mixture. Fold the whites through very gently and evenly. Prep the ramekins by brushing them with soft butter on the inside then dusting the bottom and the sides well with sugar, discard any excess sugar. Now spoon the bouilli mixture into the ramekins to the rim of each ramekin. Take your finger and gently run it along the sides of the ramekin, shaping the soufflés edges, place the ramekins on a baking tray evenly spaced apart and bake for 25 -30 minutes. The soufflés are cooked if you can stick a tooth pick in the risen sides and it comes out clean. Dust well with icing sugar and serve immediately with a drizzle a crème anglaise.     

Mediterranean Savoury Tarts

Mediterranean Savoury Tarts

This is the easiest recipe ever and always a crowd pleaser

·         1 x Roll Ready Made Puff Pastry

·         1 x Punnet Cherry Tomatoes – 250g halved

·         Shop Bought Roasted Red Peppers – cut into thin strips

·         1 x Tin of Anchovies

·         2 x Feta Cheese Wheels

·         2 x Balls of Mozzarella Cheese

·         1 x Punnet Fresh Basil

·         100g Pitted Black Olives

·         15ml Olive oil

·         1 x Packet Parma Ham

Method:

This is really so easy and quick. Pre-heat the oven to 190 ͦC. Roll the ready-made puff pastry open on a lightly floured surface. With a very sharp knife slice a 1cm frame around the pastry, do not cut right through as you want the frame to lift as the pastry cooks. Now take a fork and pierce everywhere on the inside of the frame, this will ensure that the pastry will not rise and the fillings will stay inside.  Now brush the inside of the frame lightly with olive oil, and brush the frame with a lightly beaten egg yolk, this will result in a nice golden frame. Now it’s time to play, move the pastry onto a non-stick pan and start layering the ingredients all over the tart, just make sure nothing gets on the frame as you want it to rise while the filling is on the inside. Once everything is layered, drizzle with the last bit of olive oil and give it a good grinding of fresh salt & pepper. Pop the tray into the oven anywhere from 25 -35 minutes, depending on your oven. Once the pastry is cooked and golden, remove and cool slightly before cutting the tart. Serve with a crisp glass of white wine.

Porcini Steak Rub and The Perfect Chip

Porcini Rub Steak with the Perfect Chip

Steak and chips is a staple in everyone’s household, I eat it at least once a week. Spruce up your weekly steak and chips dinner with this amazing dried porcini mushroom steak rub. I personally adore this earthy rub and it gives the steak a boost like you won’t believe. So try it out and go from boring to soaring, you’ll need to marinade the steaks for a minimum of two hours but if you can marinade them overnight it is best. Chips wise, the way to the perfect home French fry is quite easy so I’ll share my tip on getting the perfect chippie at home too.

                      Porcini Rub 
You’ll Need:

• 2 x tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 x tablespoon salt flakes
• 5 x garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1 x tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 x tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 x tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms, ground
• 4 x tablespoons olive oil
• 2 x tablespoons of brown vinegar

Method:

Ground and mix everything together in a pestle and mortar (a food processor works fine too), if using for larger quantities a blender will work fine, just add a splash more olive oil. Rub & massage into the steaks and wrap bowl with cling film and leave to infuse and marinade for a minimum of two hours but overnight is best! 24 hours would be ideal. The vinegar will also help to break down the protein in the meat leaving you with nice tender steaks.

This is enough to marinade 4 - 6 steaks. Grill your steaks to perfection, medium rare is by far the best as you’re left with a succulent steak.    

The PERFECT CHIP

The perfect chip should not be washed and then fried twice! Always use large potato’s, (wash the potato’s properly before you start peeling them) peel them and then cut them to the perfect size. I like a nice chunky chip that’s crispy on the outside and still moist and fluffy on the inside.  Once the chips are cut to your liking place them in the deep freezer for 30 minutes, do not rinse the potato’s as you’ll wash away all the starch on the outside which you need for the that perfect crispness. Pre-heat vegetable oil in a large pot to 180 ͦC (If you have a deep fryer, it’s even better) and deep fry the chips in batches for 10 - 15 minutes till the chip is just cooked half way through and translucent. Do not fry everything all at once as this will drop the temperature of the oil leaving you with a mushy chip. Drain off each batch and set aside. Twenty minutes before you want to dish up, pop the chips back into the oil for 10 minutes in batches till crispy and golden but still fluffy on the inside. Drain off and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Serving Suggestion: DON’T MESS WITH PERFECTION!! Just serve as is, with a dollop of Garlic Aioli

For more of my recipes visit www.sweetmafia-sa.com or follow me on FB and Twitter.

 

Cherry Meringue's

Cherry Meringues

Sadly these treats are a same day consumption delicacy. But it sort of takes longer than a day to make. Don’t stress it’s just a little effort with loads of rewards.

You’ll Need:

4 x Egg Whites

Pinch of Salt

¼Cup of Caster Sugar

10ml Vanilla Paste

1 x Punnet Fresh Cherries – halved & stoned (Tinned could work too)

100ml Kirsch Cherry Liqueur

5ml Vanilla Paste

1Tblsp of Caster Sugar

Method:

If you plan on making them, start the day before with the cherries as they need time to macerate in the fridge overnight. Take the cherries and add them to a glass bowl with the kirsch liqueur, 5ml vanilla paste & the tablespoon of caster sugar. Stir till the sugar has dissolved and cover with cling wrap. Leave in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning take them out and drain them from all the juices, best way is to place a sieve over a clean bowl and to pour everything through the sieve. Press them down slightly to extract as much of the juice as possible, then set aside for later. Pre-heat the oven to 110 ͨc. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg whites and the salt to soft peak stage. Squirt in the 10ml vanilla paste and about a tablespoon of the sugar at a time, whisking non-stop till all the sugar is incorporated and you get to the stiff peak stage. Take a spatula and fold in the juice free cherries gently. Do not over fold as you don’t want to colour the meringue just give it a swirl of red.  Spoon large quenelles onto a baking pan covered with a non-stick silicone sheet. Place them in the oven for 1 hour only. While the meringues are baking, take the juices left from the cherries and place it in a small pot on the stove over a medium heat. Reduce till you have a syrup consistency then set aside to cool. Once the meringues have baked for an hour, turn the oven off and leave to cool in the oven. Serve each quenelle with a drizzle of the reduced syrup and some fresh or macerated cherries. They will keep well for a day in an airtight container.

Sweet Short Crust Pastry

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

This recipe can be utilised into a thousand recipes literally! Know this by hart and you’ll never look back.

·         175g Flour

·         100g Cold Unsalted Butter – cut into small cubes

·         25g Icing Sugar

·         1 x Extra Large Egg Yolk

·         1Tblsp of Iced Water

Method:

I always use a food processor but you are more than welcome to make it by hand. Place the flour, icing sugar and butter into the processor and blitz it 3 – 4 times, till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make sure all the butter is incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Add the egg yolk and blitz again till just combined, then add the water and blitz a few times till the mixture comes away from the sides of the processor. Once this happens you know that it’s ready, remove the blade and bring the pastry together and form a ball with your hand. Wrap the ball in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Dust the kitchen counter lightly with icing sugar, so the pastry won’t stick and start to roll out the pastry. Do not press too hard, let your rolling pin glide gently over the pastry. Best tip is to roll twice in one direction then turning the pastry and rolling twice again. Repeat this till the pastry is about 4mm thick and large enough for required tart tin. Always use a loose bottom tart tin as I find the pastry is more workable than in an old tart dish.

If making by hand, sieve the flour and icing sugar together two times in a bowl. Add the butter and rub the butter in with the tips of your fingers, till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add the yolk and water and bring everything together by hand till the pastry forms. Roll the mix into a ball and wrap it with cling wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then just follow the normal rolling out steps.

Line the pastry shell (non-stick loose bottom tart tin, tart dish), and refrigerate for 20 minutes (this will help the pastry not to shrink too much during cooking). Cover the pastry with wax paper and fill with baking beans, bake the pastry blind at 200ͦC for 10 minutes, remove the wax paper and beans then turn the oven down to 180 ͦC and bake for another 10 minutes till the pastry is golden in colour. Remove and cool completely before filling the tart shell.

TIP: Give the pastry a brush with lightly whisked egg whites before you bake it blind a second time, this will basically waterproof your pastry, for a wet filling.