Fat Friday #20 Chocolate Orange Tart

Its right in the middle of December at this point and I'm sure that most of you are either done your Christmas shopping early or are struggling fighting the crowds for those pressies. Well if your like me the main concern is food, especially at this time of year! I'm think rich, decadent, comfort food which is perfect for Fat Friday. This Chocolate Orange Tart will delight as well as impress on the table. Serve with a creamy vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce if need more of a chocolate hit!
I must state that I'm giving full credit to my friend and college buddy for the lovely photo. Why not pay her a visit on her cake website?

 

 

Recipe: Makes 1 tart

·       450g dark chocolate

·       300g butter

·       3 eggs

·       3 egg yolks

·       90g caster sugar

·       2 oranges zested

Pate Brisee:

·       250g soft flour

·       205g very cold butter

·       5g salt

·       55g ice cold water

Equipment

·       Bowl

·       Saucepan

·       Bowl

·       Jug

·       Wooden spoon

·       Rolling pin

·       Knife

·       Chopping board

·       4 small round tins

·       Baking beans

·       Baking sheet lined with silicone paper

·       Cling film

·       Fork

For the Pastry

1.    Rub the flour, salt and butter together until just combined. If you over work the mix, the butter will mix too much. 

2.    Add the iced water and bring the dough together.

3.    Once the dough has been brought together wrap in a neat parcel and chill in the fridge while you make the other parts of the dish.

4.    Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4/180c/350f

5.    Cut the chilled dough into 4 pieces. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, until about 2 mm thick.

6.    Line the metal cases with the dough and roughly chop any remaining edges. Prick the dough base lightly with a fork.

7.    Place a little clingfilm into the dough cases and fill with baking beans.

8.    Blind bake for 18 minutes or until completely cooked through.

9.    Take the baking beans out of the tart and bake a little longer to dry the cases out.

Tart Filling:

1.    Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave or over a bowl of hot water.

2.    In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together.

3.    Mix the orange zest into the chocolate.

4.    Pour the chocolate into the egg mixture slowly and whisk.

To Finish:

1.    Pour the chocolate filling into the tart casing and bake on 170c/325f/Gas Mark 3/ for 12 minutes.
2.    Once cooked and cooled. Place the tart in the fridge overnight.

Have a great weekend!

Fat Friday #16 White Treacle Tart

*In cockney accent* "Alright treacle? Its Fat Friday. Fancy a bit of treacle for my treacle?" ... Ok lets just get on with it. Happy Fat Friday and happy baking! (Again sorry about the lack of pictures, its pastry class moment again...)

 

Ingredients:

For the pate sucre

·260g plain flour, plus a little extra
·100g icing sugar, plus a little extra
·30g ground almonds
·125g unsalted butter
·3 eggs, 1 egg yolk to wash the bottom of the tart
·1 tsp milk

For the white treacle filling:

·60g unsalted butter
·1 egg
·1 egg yolk
·3 tbsp double cream
·6g salt
·450g golden syrup
·120g white bread crumbs

Equipment:
·Saucepan
·Whisk
·Mixing bowl
·Fork
·Wooden spoon
·Sieve
·Rolling pin
·Knife
·9 inch baking ring
·Baking sheet
·Baking beans
·Cling film

For the pate sucre:

1.Place the flour, icing sugar, almonds and butter in a mixing bowl, rub the mixture together.
2.Add the 2 eggs and mix well. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3.Preheat oven to 180c/350f/ Gas Mark 4.
4.Dust the work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the pastry to about 2mm thick.
5.Line the tart ring with the pastry, letting it hand over the sides. Cover with cling film and fill the tart base with baking beans.
6.Bake blind for 20 minutes or until the case is cooked through and lightly golden. Remove the baking beans and cling film.
7.Brush the bottom of the tart with a little egg yolk to crisp up the bottom.
8.Place the tart back in the oven for 5 minutes to crispy up the base.

For the filling:

1.Melt the butter, cream and golden syrup in a saucepan until liquid.
2.Once melted put in a separate bowl to cool. Whisk in the eggs a little at a time.
3.Mix in the breadcrumbs into the liquid ingredients.

To Finish:

1.Pour the treacle mixture into the tart case and bake for 20 minutes on Gas Mark 4/180c/350f.

 

Insanely quick dessert: Apple Tart Tatin

I know that I'm really behind on my recipes. 

I mean seriously, I'm on the case. I'm still on holiday mode, wishing that I was still at Disneyland Paris...Sigh. 

Anyways, there will be a whole post on Disney, I swear.

No really. Tomorrow. Ok maybe on the weekend. I will put it up (UPDATE: Totally posted) . I swear on my Queen of Hearts Crown I will! (I do have one. I'll have to post a photo of it at some point.) 

But just to keep you in the loop and keep you posted on my pastry classes here's the latest quick dessert. If you'd like to try other fun things to do with puff pastry check out this previous post. 

Tart Tatin is a french dish that has mixed background stories. But however it came about, its a dessert that can be made very quickly, that is if you have some puffy pastry in the freezer, if you'd like to make your own check out the recipe here. Also, it helps if you've got some fruit on the turn, apples or pears are great to use. 

Ingredients:

·       55g sugar, (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

·       2 pink lady apples, peeled and cut into chunky bits

·       10g butter

·       Puff pastry (readymade or homemade)

·       Vanilla Ice Cream to serve

Equipment

·       A frying pan with a metal handle (the pan is going in the oven

·       Chopping board

·       Fruit peeler

·       Sharp knife

·       Plate

1.    In a dry pan, place the sugar on a medium heat. Keep watching the sugar and don’t stir. Just give the pan a little shake now and then.

2.    Wait until the sugar just starts to turn brown. Once again watch this as it as it burns very quickly.

3.    Place your apples into the caramel and cook them out for about 5 minutes or until the apple juices are all cooked out. Since the juices are being extracted from the apples, this may spit at you, so be careful.

4.    Add the butter to apples and shake slightly to boil off. (Adding the butter will prevent the mixture from burning.)

5.    Take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool down. Preheat oven to 200c/400f/ Gas Mark 6.

6.    Whilst the apples are cooling down, roll out the puff pastry to about 3 mm thick, and cut a circle about the size of the pan plus an extra inch. Cut 2 slits into the pastry to let the steam escape whilst the pastry is cooking in the oven.

7.    Once the apples have completely cooled down, place the puff pastry on top of apples. Fold over an inch of your pastry towards the centre, this forms a thick pastry crust as well as provide some support for the tart.

8.    Put the tart into oven for about 15 minutes until golden and a little risen.

9.    Carefully with an oven cloth take out the pan out from the oven.

10.  With a serving plate at the ready, put your plate on top of the pan and flip. You should have the frying pan on top of the plate.

Before-My first attempt

11. Voilà! You have an apple tart tatin to eat! Serve hot with some ice cream.  

The next quick and easy dessert to try is bande aux fruit, however I've already made this dessert. I think the second one looks way more presentable. 

After-My second attempt woo!

So, there you go. Once again sorry for the quick post. It's been a weird week. I, hopefully, will be reporting with very good news. I wont tell you, as it will ruin the awesome surprise.
Bake on! (I'm clearly still in Princess Mode)