CHOCOLATE & PISTACHIO TART

Baker junior cooked up this delicous chocolate treat from the Popina Book of baking, a fabulous book that you simply must buy, full of sweet and savoury bakes to suit every taste. 

This rich but not sickly pud is one of many recipes we have tried from the book and one that turned out to be a real hit at the local high school.

WILL'S GRANOLA BARS

And whilst we were hard grafting in the garden, Will was busy making Granola Bars.

A much needed tea break!

Ingredients

170g light brown soft sugar

75g golden syrup

75ml apple juice

130g unsalted butter

380g rolled oats

95g sultanas

50g dried cranberries

50g pumpkin seeds

50g sunflower seeds

6 blanched almonds (roughly chopped)

Makes 10-12 bars

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (350°C) Gas 4

Put the sugar, syrup butter and apple juice in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients until mixed well and coated with syrup.

Line a 20x30cm baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour the granola mix into it, spreading evenly and gently pressing down.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Lift out the greaseproof paper and lay on a chopping board.

Cut into bars approx 1.5" thick.
Store for up to a week.

PECAN & BOURBON TART

Nutty tart with just a subtle taste of Bourbon coming through.  We served ours with double cream but creme fraiche, clotted cream or ice cream would taste just as good.

Recipe taken from the Popina Book of Baking

Date Sponge                                                              Pecan Bourbon Filling
60g dates, stoned                                                       1 tbsp Bourbon whiskey
30ml double cream                                                     40gm light brown soft sugar
1 tbsp water                                                                 55ml golden syrup
30g unsalted butter, melted                                       1 egg, beaten
30g light brown soft sugar                                          20g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg                                                                            60g shelled pecan nuts, rough chopped
a few drops of vanilla extract                                      
55g plain flour                                                              Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
1 tsp baking powder                                                   250g plain flour
                                                                                      125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
18 pecan halves to decorate                                      85g golden caster sugar
Serves 8                                                                      1 egg

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

Make the sweet shortcrust pastry and line the tart tin.  Trim the excess dough from around the edges and refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make date sponge, blitz the dates to a paste in a food processor or simply chop them very finely.  Mix with the cream and water and set aside.  Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well, then add the egg, vanilla, flour and baking powder.  Finally, add date mixture and fold in well.

Remove the pastry tin from the fridge and spoon in the date sponge mixture.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. 

In the meantime, make the pecan Bourbon filling.  Put the Bourbon, sugar and syrup in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Add the egg, mix well, then stir in the melted butter and chopped pecan nuts. Spoon the pecan Bourbon filling on top of the tart and spread evenly.  Decorate with the pecan halves and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before serving. 

FLORENTINES

Another cracking recipe from Isidora Popovic's Popina Book of Baking, again made by Will (Baker junior).

Ingredients

60g unsalted butter

60g golden granulated sugar

60g runny honey

60g plain flour

35g mixed peel

35g dried cranberries

65g sultanas

45g flaked almonds, plus extra to sprinkle

35g shelled walnuts, chopped

35g shelled pecan nuts, chopped

80g dark chocolate

baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

          

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) Gas 2

Put the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat and gently bring to the boil. Do not let the ingredients burn. 

When it reaches boiling point, stir until the sugar has dissolved completely, then remove from the heat. 

Stir in the flour, mixed peel, cranberries, sultanas, almonds,walnuts and pecan nuts. 

Mix until well combined. Leave to cool for a while before handling. 

Take a generous teaspoon of the mixture, roughly roll into a ball and place on one of the prepared baking trays. 

Flatten  it gently, then repeat this process with the remaining mixture spacing the discs apart as they may spread when they are baking.

Sprinkle a few flaked almonds over each florentine.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

In the meantime, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. 

Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.  Stir until melted.

Dip one side of each florentine in the bowl of chocolate and leave to set, chocolate side up, on a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

No need in our house, they didn't last the weekend!

Nutty chocolate delight!

Makes around 20 florentines

RHUBARB & BLUEBERRY CUSTARD CRUMBLE

Will's variation on a theme.  A mix of two recipes, one of which is from the Good Food website. 

 Ours however has blueberries - absolutely delicious and highly recommend!!

Lightly soften 300g Rhubarb and 100g Blueberries in a frying pan with 100g sugar over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Line a pie dish with sweet shortcrust pastry and blind bake for 20 mins at 160 degrees. Fill with the stewed fruit.  Pour on the egg custard and bake for 20 mins at 180 degrees until the custard has set and there is a light skin.  Spoon on the crumble topping and cook for a further 15 mins at 180 degrees until golden brown and the custard has set.

Short Crust Pastry

250g plain flour

125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

85g golden caster sugar

1 egg

Mix the flour, sugar and butter together in a bowl until crumbs formed.  Mix in the egg to bind together for dough.  Roll out. 

Egg Custard

1 egg

1 egg yoke

50g sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

284ml cream

Mix together eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla extract and then gradually whisk in the cream.

Crumble

100g plain flour

50g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

40g golden caster sugar

Rub the butter, flour and sugar together in a bowl until all ingredients are mixed together.

Serve with cream or Creme Fraiche 



BLUEBERRY & CHERRY MUFFINS

Very impressed with Wills muffin making - Well done lad!

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