Mince Pies

This is a great Christmas treat, as a gift idea or if you wanted to make them instead of buying them this mix will make over 36 mini minced pies and the cost will minimal as most of the ingredients would be what you have at home already: flour, eggs, sugar, butter all you need to have in stock is a jar of minced meat.

                                              Ingredients;

1kg Sweet Pastry

1 Jar of Mince Meat

Frangipane: equal quantities of ground almonds, whole eggs, sugar, butter. 

I used 200g of each which made the 36 minced pies.

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6.
2. Make the sweet pastry as described in the recipe below, leave for 30 minutes before using.
3. Grease the tray and then line, I used a tian ring to cut out the bases, its lines the try and leaves a small rim in which to in-case the pie. 
4. Then I put a small teaspoon amount of the mincemeat on each of the cases and then top with some frangipane, you only need a teaspoon as this will expand. 
5. Then you pop the whole tray in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and then set aside to cool, arrange on a plate and dust with icing sugar, there you have it mini homemade mince pies. 

The Basics - Shortcrust Pastry

As I have said before I tend to make my own shortcrust and sweet pastry, this is more firm in texture and give a crumbly texture when cooked. Perfect for apple tarts, for the fruit tartlets from a previous post. This is a great recipe to start off then build your way up, the pastry can be frozen once made into a dough so some for now and some for later. If you are going to freeze it, it needs to be wrapped in cling film but try not to have it in a large ball, roll it to about 1-2 inches thick, this makes it slimmer for storage and won't take as long to defrost. Enjoy!

900g Soft /Cream Flour
456g Butter (Unsalted)
227g Castor Sugar
1/4 Pint of Milk
3 Eggs

Method:

1. Mix the butter and the flour to a breadcrumb texture.
2. Add the milk and the sugar.
3. Add the eggs to form a dough.
4. Wrap in cling film and store in the fridge.

*you need to allwo it to rest for 30 mintues before using.

Lemon Tart

This recipe can be done with individual mould or one large ring either way it makes this amazing lemon tart, it can be sharp so if you don't particularly like sharp flavours i would add a little extra sugar and the juice of 4 just to make it a bit sweeter in flavour. 

Lemon Tart 

1 lb of Sweet Pastry

9 Eggs

400g Sugar

5 Lemon (Zest of 2 and Juice of 5)

250ml Double Cream

Method:

1. Grate lemon zest, squeeze out juice, strain and reserve along with the zests. 
2. Break the eggs into a large bowl, add the sugar, whisk until smooth and blended, add the lemon.
3. Whisk the cream very lightly, add to the egg mixture, mixing lightly, leave to chill for 1 hour. Line an 8in. flan case with the pastry, proceed to bake blind for 15 minutes. 
4. Remove from the oven carefully remove the beans and paper, brush the inside of the flan case with egg yolks and sugar. 
5. Return to oven and cook for a further 5 minutes fill the flan case with the lemon filling, return to the oven and cook for 30 min at 120°C / gas mark 1 allow the tart to chill, prior to serving dust with icing sugar.

The Basics - Sweet Pastry

It's always good to know the basics, yes you can buy it frozen but they aren't always the best quality but the puff pastry I would by frozen the shortcrust, savoury and sweet pastry I would make myself. To make puff pastry from scratch is quite time consuming and doesn't always produce even results i have a secret to tell you - most restaurants would actually buy the puff pastry as its unpredictable if "home-made" and restaurants need to know its going to work they cant just hope it will.

Sweet Pastry, this recipe makes 1kg of pastry. It can be frozen to prolong its self life.

454g Plain Flour
196g Butter (Unsalted)
112g Castor Sugar
2 Eggs

Method:

There are 2 ways of doing this the quick way also called the all in one method or the creaming method. You decide! I tend to go for option 1.

Option 1: All-In-One:

1. Place the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl and mix.
2. Add the eggs.
3. Mix until smooth at medium speed.
4. Wrap in cling film, store in the fridge.

Option 2: Creaming:

1. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl.
2. Cream until pale yellow in colour.
3. Add the lightly beaten eggs.
4. Fold in the Flour.

Mix until smooth at medium speed.
Wrap in cling film, store in the fridge.

*with both of these recipes you need to chill them for at least 30 minutes before using them!

The Basics - Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is great for tarts, making gateaux mile feuille, or if you wanted to make tart tatin this is the recipe for you. It can be quite difficult to make and to be honest most restaurants will buy it in as home-made puff pastry can be unpredictable and most restaurants don't settle for anything less than perfect.

250g Plain Flour
250g Strong Flour
Pinch of Salt
300g Unsalted Butter
360ml Cold Water
1 Tsp Lemon Juice



Method:

1. Place the two flours and salt in a bowl make a well and add the butter in cubes 
2. Add cold water and lemon juice
3. Mix to a dough keeping the margarine in cubes *(Mix til the dough has just come together no more!)
4. Rest for 20 minutes in the fridge
5. Flour the table and roll out into a ling rectangle, fold in three and rest in the fridge for 30 minuets
6. Repeat 3 times ALTOGETHER resting each time
7. For the final fold, fold the mixture like a book and roll together, now it is ready to use

Fruit Crumble

This recipe is great it makes one portion it can be edited easily if you want to add some mixed berries which is great with the sweet and sharp flavors of the apples its compliments really well. its a quick recipe.

Fruit Crumble 

75 g Plain Flour

30 g margarine/ Butter

20 g Caster Sugar

1 Eating Apple

1 Cooking Apple

25g Muesli/ Oat flakes

Cinnamon - Optional

Method

1. Peel and slice apples, sauté in pan, add some castor sugar and leave to cool. 
2. Rub butter / margarine into flour to create a breadcrumb texture then add sugar, oat flakes / muesli and cinnamon. 
3. Place apple in dish and the add crumbs. 
4. Cook in a hot oven at 180’c / gas mark 4 for about 20 mins 

In the picture i have just lined a small Yorkshire pudding/tart mould with some sweet pastry and then blind bake for 7 minutes at 180/gas mark 4 than dded my ingredients topped with the crumble mix.  I then used a piping bag and piped out a design, added some berry jam and the custard sauce and dusted with icing sugar, a simple dish yet it looks like its complicated. Perfect for dinner parties!