Brie (or Camembert) Cheese Tart - easy

I had some leftover cheeses in the fridge, and decided to try an experiment using them in a cheesey tart.  The first one I made with Camembert and Puff Pastry - was very good, I then thought I'd give the Brie a try - using more or less the same ingredients - which has also come out quite nicely.  (The above pic is using the Brie and just a shortcrust pastry base.)  This is really a fairly adaptable recipe, and will work with most soft cheeses.

Ingredients:
Bought Puff or Shortcrust Pastry is fine
2 Camemberts or Bries
2 large eggs
150ml. double cream
150ml creme fraiche or plain yogurt
little Dijon mustard
black pepper
small amount of a blue cheese (grated) - optional

Oven preheated to 180/190deg. C
1. Line your oven-proof flan dish with pastry - either just the base or the whole flan tin shape (with sides), prick with a fork and bake for about 10-15 mins. Leave on the side while making your filling.  If using Puff Pastry, you may need to weigh this down when pre-baking, with greaseproof paper or foil and baking beans.

2. In your food processor blitz the cheeses, eggs, mustard, creme fraiche, black pepper and cream - process until nice and creamy.  Taste.
3. You can add a little grated blue cheese if you want.
4. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for approx. 20-30 mins until nicely golden.

I like this cold, but it's also nice warm.

this one is made with camembert and puff pastry

Japanese Cheesecake

 

I found this recipe at "allrecipes.com" and thought I would give it a try. It uses very little cream cheese (and, actually not a large amount of any ingredient.)

It tastes rather like a very light, fluffy omelette, rather than a solid cake.  Although it is a little moreish, I think I will stick to my traditional cheesecake recipe, but this was nice to try.

Oven: 175 deg.C - 20 mins. then 150 deg. C for about 15 mins.

Ingredients:
3ozs. cream cheese
1/4 cup of milk (semi-skimmed is fine)
2 eggs - separated
1/4 cup of caster sugar (fine white)
1/3 tsp. Cream of Tartar
3 tablespoons of Plain or Self-Raising Flour  (I used SR)
1.1/2 tablespoons of Cornflour (Cornstarch)

1. Place the cream cheese and milk in a small saucepan, and melt over a gentle heat - stirring.  Set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat the yolks and half of the sugar until lighter and creamy.

3. Fold into the cream cheese mix and sift in the flour and cornflour - stir (or using an electric beater) - whisk till blended, but dont overbeat.
This really doesn't look as though it's going to be enough to make a cake - but it does.(!)

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and whisk the whites until stiff peaks.  Fold into the cream cheese mix.

5.  Pour into a cake tin (I used a largeish one, as I didn't know how high this would rise)
and bake for approx. 20 mins at 175 C then lower the temperature to 150 C for another 15 mins.
When ready, the cake should feel 'firm' when gently touched - test with a skewer too, to see whether it comes out clean - then it is baked.
Leave it to cool in the tin.

I usually use paper cases, (as above pic.), so it's easier to lift the cake out, although I dont ever think the shape is as neat as just greasing and flouring and baking in the actual tin.

American Pancakes

Before - and After!

Ingredients:
135g (4.3/4 ozs) plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbls. (or more) sugar
130ml. (4.1/2 fl.ozs) milk
1 large egg - lightly beaten
2 tblspns. sunflower oil

little butter and oil to fry pancakes.

1. Add all the ingredients together and beat until lovely and smooth.  Let the batter - which is quite thick - rest for a few minutes.
2. Melt a little butter and oil in a non-stick frying pan - pour off any excess - but keep it for next lot of pancakes.
3. Pour a ladlefull of batter into the hot pan and cook until the top is beginning to 'set'.
Turn the pancake and cook the other side.  This doesn't take long - lift it gently to check if going golden - pancake should have slightly risen too.

Repeat until all the batter is used and you have a batch of delicious pancakes.
Serve with lots of maple syrup, fruit ..... anything of choice.
Very delicious.

Baked Custard - very easy

Oven 140 deg. C (ish)

Ingredients:
400ml double cream
4 whole eggs - beaten
Few drops of a good vanilla essence
Maple Syrup or Honey to sweeten

Mix all ingredients together and place into a shallow ovenproof dish.
Place this dish into a larger pan and half fill with water.  (Bain-Marie)
Bake custard until set.(approx. 45 mins.)
Serve cold, with either stewed fruit or a fruit puree - (strawberries are delicious with this.)

You could also pre-cook some fruit then pour the custard over the top and bake.

Quiche/Flan - no pastry required :)

Oven: 180C/ : 160(fan) : (Gas 4) (preheated)
Ingredients:
butter for greasing dish
small amount of oil and small knob of butter
3 rashers of streaky bacon - chopped
4 or 5 sliced mushrooms
4 spring onions - trimmed and sliced
250ml evaporated semi-skimmed milk (canned) OR milk and double (thick) cream mixed.
3 large eggs
75g hard cheese - grated

1. Grease a round flan dish - 19-21cm - (not loose bottomed)
2. Dry fry the bacon in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the oil and butter and saute the mushrooms and onions for a minute or two. Set aside with the bacon.
4. Beat together the evaporated milk and eggs and add the bacon, onions, mushrooms and cheese.*
Season to taste, dont oversalt, as the cheese may be quite salty - - mix well, taste and pour into your greased flan dish.
5. Bake for approximately 20 - 25 mins. until just set and golden.

This is nice eaten cold with a green salad and vinaigrette.

*maybe some fresh breadcrumbs on the base - and of course omit the bacon for a Veggie Quiche.

Sticky Bun Pudding - very quick

Oven: 180/90 deg.C - aprox. 1/2 hr.
Ingredients for the Custard: This amount serves a good 4.
2 eggs
approx. 3/4-1pt. milk
2 ozs. of sugar (2 good tablespoons)

Bought spicey Sticky Buns - stale is fine.
Butter
and Jam of choice

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar.
2. Well butter a baking dish.
3. Slice the buns in half,  butter and jam them, placing them into your baking dish - butter side up.
4. Pour the custard over and leave to stand, so that the buns swell slightly - about 20 mins.
5. Bake until nicely risen and the custard is set - approx. 30 mins.
Best eaten hot with custard :) (or cream)

This is a basic recipe, but you can add things like apple/fruit compote, flaked almonds, etc.

Custard Tarts

 

 

The top pic shows the tarts in the oven - they flatten down a little once cooled

I went off to Wing Yip (Oriental Supermarket) to buy some Chinese soup bowls, and ended up buying loads of interesting stuff that I didn't really need - (no change there!)  However, I also picked up a Newsletter and found this lovely recipe for Malaysian Egg Tarts - not really that different from our custard tarts, but the pastry is made with icing sugar - and does make a lovely, easy pastry - (made in the food processor) ............

 

Oven: 200 deg. 15 mins : then lowered to 180 deg.C for approx. another 10/15mins.
Ingredients:

PASTRY:

225g (8ozs) plain flour

125g (4 ozs.) cold butter - cubed

60g. (2ozs.) icing sugar

pinch of salt and

approx. 3 tablespoons of very cold water

 

CUSTARD FILLING:

3 medium eggs

60g. (2 ozs.) caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

310ml. warmed whole milk or (skimmed milk plus a knob of butter)

 

1. (Make the Pastry in your usual way)
- -  add the diced cold butter to the flour and pulse the processor until you have breadcrumbs

2. Add the sugar and pinch of salt - pulse to mix.

3. Add your cold water and pulse the processor until you have collected a nice lump of dough.

4. Remove it and knead it lightly, on a floured surface,  until you have a smooth dough, cover in Klingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 15 mins.

 

5. Make the Custard - whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy, add the vanilla, and gently pour the warmed milk into the egg/sugar mix.  Stir well, creating little bubbles.

If you find your custard curdling - whisk in a small knob of butter.

 

6. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut circles, large enough to fit into your bun tins.  If these don't reach the top edge - using your finger, carefully 'press' the dough until it reaches the top.

7. Pour the custard into the pastry cases, to the top, and bake at 200deg.C for about 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180 deg.C for another 10-15 mins until the pastry is looking golden and the custard is cooked -  If you insert a toothpick, this should stand up on its own.

 

Preferably! ..... leave  them to get cold, then very carefully lever them out, going around the edges first, then levering them out with a flat knife - this is tricky!  The only solution to this is to make one large flan and leave it in the tin!  

Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia

"Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia" is a super new series on Good Food Channel - some terrific recipes and a lovely look at Scandinavia - food and landscape.  Here's one of his recipes - most are pretty simple and look just delicious.

Salmon Scotch Egg
500g fillet of salmon - very finely chopped  (food processor)
1 medium egg yolk
1 medium egg
4 tbls. plain flour seasoned with 1 tsp of salt
1 egg beaten for egg wash
4 tbls. toasted breadcrumbs
sunflower oil for deep frying - parsley to garnish

1. Flatten the salmon with a knife until it's completely minced (or use a food processor)

2. Place the salmon in a bowl and add the egg yolk - mix thoroughly and season with salt and black pepper.

3. Boil the egg in a pan of hot water for a couple of minutes until it's parboiled, peel and dry it thoroughly and sprinkle with salt.

4. Pack the salmon mixture very gently around the egg.

5. Roll the egg carefully in the flour, then in the egg wash - coating it thoroughly, then in the breadcrumbs.

6. Fill a saucepan 2/3 full with funflower oil and set over a med. heat.  When the oil is hot, and has reach 170 deg.C - use a slotted spoon to lower the egg into the pan, and deep fry for 7 minutes until golden brown.

7. When done, remove the egg from the pan and place it on a piece of kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

8. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

!delicious!