Butterfly jam tarts

August is a birthday bonanza at our house and I wanted to share a few different things I made for Miss 6's official party, though you don't need a party to make these beautiful jam tarts! You could also make any shape really - butterflies, fairies and ballerinas featured at this party so the butterfly was a perfect fit. These were a great hit with adults so maybe I don't really need a party for an excuse after all!!!

I had a butterfly cookie cutter and some tiny love heart shaped ones which is what was asked for in this recipe but I don't think my actual butterfly was the exact size that was recommended as I was only able to cut 2 love hearts instead of the required 4 but it still worked fine. I found them easy to make and I loved how the jam mixture, even though exposed through the cut out hearts, didn't ooze out all over the shortcrust pastry and it held it's shape. It really was a novel idea that I spotted in the latest Donna Hay Kids issue and just had to try of course. Who doesn't like eating jam tarts off a stick!

You will need:
1/2 cup (65g) sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup (80g) raspberry jam
1 tablespoon caster sugar
4 sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
18 wooden sticks (paddle pop sticks I used)
white sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the cranberries, jam and sugar in a small food processor and process until a rough paste forms.

 Using a 5cm x 7cm butterfly-shaped cookie cutter, cut 36 shapes from the pastry. Using a 1cm x 1.5cm heart shaped cookie cutter, cut 4 heart shapes or 2 like I have above from half the butterflies. Place the whole butterflies on lightly greased baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the jam mixture into the centre of each whole butterfly and brush the edges with egg. Lightly press a wooden stick onto the base of each butterfly and top with the remaining butterfly shapes.

 Press the edges to seal, brush with egg, and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until light and golden. Allow to cool on the trays before serving.

Enjoy! Mx

Lemon curd tarts

There is the old question about what meal you would choose if it was your last but I've decided to not think about that. Instead (and yes I know this is odd) I have thought long and hard about what flavour I would choose if I had only one flavour choice left on this planet and chocolate wasn't invented. I had to think outside the square for once because B will just roll her eyes and give me 'the look' if it were something chocolate.

So if I can't choose chocolate.....I'm going with lemon! A good lemon tart is always a great start for this flavour and if you have been following our cooking journey you would have seen or even made the Lemon Meringue cupcakes. Speaking of following, Betty and I have been avid followers of most cooking shows (I think that obsession may have come from our parents and their obsession with Lifestyle Food channel). One show that now has all my three kids watching each night is MasterChef. We are glued each and every night to the television watching the creative dishes being cooked by the contestants.

This particular lemon curd tart was made on MasterChef Australia Series 3 by the most brilliant guest chef herself, Maggie Beer, and I was recently given the Series 3 cookbook by a friend for my Birthday so of course I had to start sampling it's wares.

This recipe was pretty easy and I had never made pastry with sour cream before so I was intrigued. It really was crisp and light and yes the key is NOT to over work it. The tops of these tarts are covered with icing sugar and heated with a blow torch but if you don't have one you can try putting them under a grill like I have on the odd occasion, before I owned a blow torch as it does the same thing or if you want you can just serve with the lemon curd. (the thin layer of toffee is really worth it though).

I have few different sized tart tins and in this recipe it recommends six 7cm ones, mine were roughly 11cm's and I only used 4 but had to make double the lemon curd mixture to ensure I had enough to fill my tart shells.

You will need -  Lemon Curd

4 egg yolks

75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

3 teaspoons lemon zest (about 3 lemons were used for the zest)

80ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice, strained

40g unsalted butter, chopped

Pastry:

150g (1 cup) plain flour

60g unsalted butter, chopped

60g sour cream

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Lightly grease six 7cm tart pans with removable bases.

To make the curd, whisk yolks and sugar in a small saucepan until pale.

Add lemon zest, juice and butter and place over a very low heat. I did this in a double boiler (I had a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water) Cook , whisking continuously, for 7 minutes or until curd coats the back of a spoon. Once it's thick enough place in a bowl, stirring to release the heat. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and leave to cool.

To make the pastry , process flour and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles crumbs. Add sour cream and process until mixture just comes together.

 Divide the dough into equal portions for your tart shells and shape into discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place each pastry disc between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to fit pans. Gently ease into pans and trim away excess pastry.

 Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Prick bases with a folk. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beads, dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes, them remove paper and beads and bake for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Fill with lemon curd and dust gently with icing sugar. Using a blowtorch, gently heat the icing sugar until golden and caramelized. 

Yum! M x

Bakewell Tart with Blueberries

Today's post is another great recipe made by our Mother......keep up the baking MUM!!!

This used to be a family favourite. Thanks to the ABC delicious baking collection it is once again. Of course, as with a lot of things, there have been some changes over time. It must have been a couple of years since I had baked my tart, when I came across this version in the "Delicious baking" book titled Champion bakewell tart. It surely brought back the fond memories. If you like almonds then this is the tart for you. I have actually varied the add ins at times. I am rather fond of berries,........... blueberries and raspberries mostly, and either or both of these may be added. Another variation is a delicious drizzle of lemon icing as a criss-cross pattern over the top when cool...........yum. Then of course, it can be left as the plain almond flavour and this also, is a favourite for some.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
2 tbs icing sugar
100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg lightly beaten

Filling
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
3 eggs at room temperature, beaten
150g almond meal
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup (110g) strawberry or raspberry jam
2 tbs flaked almonds
blueberries or raspberries if adding

Directions


Sift flour, icing sugar and pinch of salt into bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips until resembles breadcrumbs.

 Add the beaten egg and stir until mixture comes together. Wrap with cling wrap and place in fridge for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 180* Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thickness. Line a loose bottomed tart tray with pastry (approx 22 -24cm) Trim excess a little above rim and prick base all over with fork.

 Place baking paper on pastry and fill with rice or baking weights and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove baking paper and weights and return to oven for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is dry and golden. Set aside to cool.

For filling, beat butter and sugar together until thick and pale. Add the eggs in 3 batches beating well after each addition.

 Fold in almond meal and lemon zest and then berries if required .

Spread the jam evenly over the base of the pastry case, then spoon over the filling, levelling the surface.
Scatter over the almonds and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden, has risen and is set in the middle.

 Cool for 10 minutes before removing. Cool completely before slicing and serving.  

Enjoy!

Salted chocolate caramel tarts

Everyone has an absolute favourite dessert out there that they cannot resist right? I have mentioned this before about my partner in crime Betty and her dessert krptonite being caramel. Yes B has a fetish for it in anything: milkshakes, ice-cream, tarts, brulees, fudge, lollies - anything really. So when Donna Hay's latest book hit the shelves and I spotted these tarts I knew what I was making for Mr M's special birthday desserts and for B and her caramel obsession. So with B's caramel obsession and me and my love for chocolate, what more could I ask for? (Besides sitting on a tropical island surrounded by endless supplies of chocolate. Just kidding, I'm not that much of a chocoholic. Much.).

I wasn't always a big fan of making caramel and always burnt it trying to make it but once you have mastered it, it's well worth the effort. You can cheat with this recipe like I did and buy a jar of "dulce de leche" meaning the yummiest caramel you can get without being home made. It's usually at most specialized deli's or you can make your own with condensed milk which I will tell you about in the recipe. Also another option is to buy your own pastry shells. I did make my own for these as it is very simple and worth the effort.

Mr M had a very "SPECIAL" milestone birthday this year and as you are aware B and I are very big on making special cakes for our loved ones. These chocolate caramel tarts were an added extra to the dessert table and I did remember Mr B loading his plate with cake, followed by a WHOLE tart! They're super rich but the touch of salt cuts through the sweetness somewhat meaning Mr B could have that whole tart without feeling too ill!

You will need: (Donna Hay - issue 62 Apr/May 2012)

1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

1/2 cup (50g) cocoa, sifted

1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted

125g butter, chopped

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon iced water

1 cup homemade dulce de leche - caramel

1/2 cup (125ml) single (pouring) cream

175g dark chocolate, chopped

sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Place the flour, cocoa, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

While the motor is running, add the egg yolks and vanilla and process to combine. Add the iced water and process until the dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to 4mm thick. Cut 6 x 12cm rounds (mine were smaller, depends on the size of your tart tins) from the pastry and use to line 6 x 8cm tart tins. Trim the edges and prick the edges with a fork. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line pastry cases with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and weights, and bake for a further 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Allow to cool completely in tins. Remove pastry cases carefully from the tins. Divide the dulce de leche between the pastry cases and use a butter knife to spread evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place the cream in a small saucepan over a high heat and bring to boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth and glossy. Spread tarts with the chocolate and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Sprinkle with salt to serve.

Homemade dulce de leche

2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Place the condensed milk in an ovenproof baking dish and cover tightly with aluminium foil. Place the baking dish in a larger deep-sided baking tray and fill with boiling water until it reaches 2/3 of the way up the sides of the dish. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes - 1 hour 45 minutes or until smooth. Spoon into sterilised glass jars. (Just put it into a dish if your using it straight away) Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups.

YUM!! Enjoy x