Saturday, 27 November 2010

Crosata filled With Pecan and Caramel - Daring bakers November 2010

I so much wanted to make a savoury tart this month as we could choose our own filling, and in the foroum iI dod see so many savoury delicious creation, and if I had made a savoury one my dear hubby would have been really Happy B.
But the sweet lover in me went and did the sweet any ways :-)

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of  briciole .She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Ingredients:
•1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon [105 ml, 100 g, 3 ½ oz] superfine sugar (see Note 1)
or a scant 3/4 cup [180ml, 90g, 3 oz] of powdered sugar
•1 and 3/4 cup [420 ml, 235 g, 8 1/4 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour
•a pinch of salt
•1 stick [8 tablespoons / 4 oz. / 115 g] cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
•grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option, see Note 2)
•1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

1.Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.

2.Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice
3.Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
4.Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.
5.Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.

6.Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.

7.Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Now, you can roll out the dough then fit into the tartlet tins. Or, pinch about 1 -1/5 tsp of dough and press into the tins to distribute the dough evenly. Just remember not to create a very thick shell.


Grease the tartlet shells. You can roll out the dough then fit into the tartlet tins.
Place the tart tins on a baking tray. Bake these tartlet shells for 10-12 mins at pre-heated oven of 350F (170c) or until lightly golden. Cool. When the tins are cool enough to touch, squeeze each tin gently with your thumb and forefinger, turn it upside-down and let the tartlet shell drop into the palm of your hand.

½ cup (100g) castor sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
½ cup pecan, toasted and chopped
2 tsp honey
Method
Put sugar un a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, without stirring, until the sugar caramelized with nice dark color. Turn off the heat, add butter, then, cream. Stir until everything blends together. Stir in the chopped walnuts and honey white the cream is hot. Cool for at least 30 mins, then spoon about 1 tsp of filling into each baked shell.



Thursday, 18 November 2010

Raspberry Fruit Tart

Each time I talk to my sister she is going on telling me I should post something savoury or a pasta dish. And I have been telling her I will do them . And yesterday when we were skyping, I told her I will add today a savoury dish,

But then Today morning when I went to FB and saw Deeba's Status saying
Anyone Baking with Fruit this month? You got until the 22nd of November to send it to Meeta's Monthly Mingle which I am guest hosting,
So i went and looked in my collection of pictures and there was this Raspberry Tart which I made in May.
Can you imagine I had this delicious looking Tart and I didn't post it.
To be honest I still have some more delicious stuff to post, just that I am so lazy to write the recipe etc....
But theb Deeba is a dear friend and I love her baking so I really wanted to join in the event she is guest hosting.

The Original recipe is from BBC food

90g/3½oz butter, softened
65g/2½oz caster sugar
3 free-range egg yolks
200g/7oz plain flour plus extra for dusting

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time until full incorporated into the mixture.
Mix in the flour until the mixture comes together as a ball of dough.
Tip the pastry out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth.
Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Alternatively, it can be frozen for use at a later date.

Roll out the pastry, using a little flour if necessary, to form a round shape turning the pastry as you go. Roll it as thin as you dare.
Roll the pastry around the rolling pin and lay over the tin.
Using your hands and being careful not to stretch the pastry ease it gently into the edges of the tin. Leave the trimmings to hang over the sides.
Make a circle of greaseproof to cover the inside of the tin by folding a square of greaseproof paper into 6 and tearing the edges.
Put the paper into the tin and add baking beans/rice and place in the fridge to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Place in a preheated oven 200C/400F/Gas6 for 15-20 minutes. After 10 minutes remove the paper and beans and return the pastry case to the oven to brown the base.

For the filling.
400 gm Raspberries
500 ml thich-k cream
Vanilla essence 1 tbsp
Few tbsp of powder sugar plus if you want to dust on top of the tart
Pistachios for sprinkling ( optional)


Whip the cream with the essence and the sugar till soft peak.
Assembling the tarts
Fill each tart shells with whipped cream , arrange the raspberries on top if the cream, sprinkle with powder sugar and the pistachios.
Enjoy with a cup of tea/coffee