Little Frangipane Tarts

Ingredients :~

• 6 small shortcrust pastry cases (i used pre-rolled Shortcrust dough & cut into circles then baked)
• 1 egg
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g butter
• 90g golden caster sugar
• 1 Orange
• 1 x tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1/2 jar good quality raspberry jam
• 1 x 250g tub creme fraiche to serve

Method :~

1. Put the 6 pastry cases on to a baking tray.   Make a frangipane mixture by cracking an egg into a mixing bowl and adding 100g almonds, 100g butter and 90g of golden caster sugar.   Grate over the zest of 1/2 an orange and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or paste, use a spoon to mix everything together.
2. Spoon a small teaspoon of jam into each pastry case, top with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane, add another small teaspoon of jam, then finally add another teaspoon of frangipane.
3. Put the tray in the oven on the middle shelf and set the timer for 18 minutes exactly.
4. When the tarts are golden and cooked, turn the oven off and take them out.
5. Serve warm with a dollop of creme fraiche on the side.

Oven temperature : 190 degrees C / 375 degrees F / Gas Mark 5

Recipe courtesy of Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals ISBN 978-0-718-15477-6

p.s. another winner with the family on this one everyone gave it the thumbs up 😉

Rocky Road Crunch Bars

I bought a few new recipe books last week and this recipe was in one of them the book reference and ISBN number will be at the bottom of the page.

So this tray of goodness has been calling my name all day, and I just finished crafting in my workshop tonight via Ustream with Karen, Ellen and Laura .. so this recipe is for you girls… enjoy  🙂

RoCkY RoAd CrUnCh BaRs

Ingredients:~

• 125g Soft Butter
• 300g best quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) broken into pieces
• 3 x 15ml tablespoons of Golden Syrup
• 200g Rich Tea Biscuits
• 100g Mini Marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons Icing Sugar for dusting

Method:~

1. Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy based saucepan.   Scoop out about 125ml of this melted mixture and put to one side
2. Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and then bash them with a rolling pin.   You are aiming for both crumbs and pieces of biscuit
3. Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, and  then add the marshmallows
4. Tip into a foil trey 24cm (i used a silicone pan); flatten as best you can with a spatula.   Pour the reserves 125ml of melted chocolate mixture over the marshmallow mixture and smooth the top.
5. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight
6. Cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sigar by gently pushing through a tea strainer or small sieve.

Pour your self a cup of tea and enjoy 🙂

Makes 24

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson ISBN 978-0-701-18184-0

 

Portuguese Tarts

I made these as a pudding for after our dinner tonight and they are absolutely beautiful, the troops gave them 10/10 and i’ll  be making more of them soon 🙂

Ingredients :

• Plain flour for dusting
• 1 x 375g pack of pre-rolled puff pastry
• Ground cinnamon
• 125g Creme fraiche
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons golden caster sugar
• 1 orange

Method :~

1. Dust a clean surface with flour.   Unroll the sheet of puff pastry, then cut it in half so you end up with two 20cm x 20cm squares of pastry (put one in the fridge for another day)
2. Sprinkle over a good few pinches of cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a swiss roll shape and cut into  rounds.   Put these into 6 of the holes in a muffin tin and use your thumbs to stretch and mould the pastry into the holes so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top.   Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for around 8 to 10 mins or until lightly golden.
3. Spoon the creme fraiche into a small bowl and add the egg, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of golden caster sugar and the zest of 1 orange.   Mix well
4. Take the muffin tin out of the oven and use a teaspoon to press the puffed pastry back to the sides and make room for the filling.   Spoon the creme fraiche mixture into the tart cases and return to the top shelf of the oven.   Set the timer for 8 mins.
5. Put a small saucepan on a high heat.   Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 4 tablespoons of golden caster sugar.   Stir and keep a good eye on it, but remember caramel can burn badly so dont touch or taste!
6. Pour some caramel over each tart (They’ll still be wobbly but thats good).   Put aside to set

Serve with double cream or ice cream.

Recipe talken from the book Jamies 30 Minute Meals ISBN 978-0-718-15477-6

A Lazy weekend

Its been a lazy weekendy for everyone .. …

Last night I took a picture of the Super Moon.. aparantely it’s the closest it has been to earth for 18 years!

The spaniels took up residence on the sofa  this morning…

Hovis our Birman cat sat watching a couple of wood pigeon eating grass on our front lawn

This pair have a nest in a big fir tree in our back garden

Then chunky thought he was missing out and came to give me a hand taking pictures of the wood pigeons 🙂