Delicious Recipes

Showing posts with label Pastries and Pies. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tomato Goat Cheese Tartlets

A French-inspired fresh cherry tomato tartlet recipe, baked in a buttery spelt-cornmeal crust with fresh goat cheese, thyme and served with balsamic syrup. An excellent way of using up an excess of home grown tomatoes.

Pâte Brisée	Filling
200 g Whole grain spelt, ground 50 g Cornmeal 125 g Butter, cut into small pieces 5 g Salt 10 g Sugar 1 Egg 1 tbsp Cold milk	150 g Fresh goat cheese 500 g Cherry tomatoes 4 tsp Breadcrumb Black pepper Fresh thyme 2 tbsp Olive oil

Heap the flour and cornmeal on a counter and make a well. Put in the butter, salt, sugar and egg. Using your fingertips, mix until it has a grainy texture. Add in milk and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together. Gently knead 4 or 5 times until smooth. Roll it into a ball and flatten slightly into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before working with it.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 2-mm thickness. Using a 18-cm cutter or plate as a guide, cut out 4 circles. Use them to line 4 individual loose-bottom tart pans, 12-cm in diameter and 3-cm deep. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Prick the tart shell bases. Line the tart shells with baking parchment and fill with a layer with dried beans to weigh the dough down and prevent it from rising unevenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 170C/340F. Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry shells to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and leave them on a wire rack and let cool.
Sprinkle each tart shell with one teaspoon of breadcrumb, then divide the fresh goat cheese onto the tart shells, and season with freshly ground black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Fill in the tomatoes and drizzle the olive oil over. Bake in the center of the hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Red Currant Banana Tart

When I first saw the ‘blueberry banana tart recipe’ on Roxana’s Home Baking, I knew for sure I had to make it. However, I have gently tweaked the recipe to my convenience and to suit my husbands taste.

The bright colour and tart flavour of these delicate red currants are harmoniously balanced by honey, bananas, almonds, and nutty spelt.

150 g Wholegrain spelt flour
100 g Almonds, ground
50 g Brown sugar
1/3 tsp Salt
120 g Butter, cut into small pieces and slightly softened
1 Egg yolk
2 tbsp Cold water
350 g Fresh red currants
2 Bananas
3 tbsp Honey
Blueberries and mint leaves to garnish

Place the flour, ground almonds, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Make a well and add in butter, egg yolk and cold water. Using your fingertips, mix until it forms a smooth pastry dough. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
Grease a 11-inch tart pan with a little butter and sprinkle with a little flour. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to a circle, 1/8 inch / 3 mm thick, and use to line the prepared tart pan. Cover with a plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Fill the crust with red currants, then top with banana slices, and drizzle with honey. Bake for about 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired, with blueberries and mint leaves. Cool slightly before slicing.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Creamy Onion Tartlets

Crispy savoury tart made with buttery spelt pate brisee, caramelized red onions, and a rich, creamy and velvety smooth béchamel sauce. They're delicious to snack on and also lovely as a first course at a dinner party.

Creamy Onion Tartlets

adapted from Leite's Culinaria

Pate Brisee	Filling
200 g Wholegrain spelt flour 120 g Butter, cut into small pieces and slightly softened 3 g Fine salt 1 Egg 1 tbsp Cold milk	2 Red onions, very thinly sliced 60 g Unsalted butter Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 30 g All-purpose flour 180 ml Whole milk, warmed 80 ml Heavy cream, warmed 2 Large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten Freshly grated nutmeg

Heap the flour on a counter and make aw well. Put in butter, salt and egg. Using your fingertips, mix these ingredients together. Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture.
Add in milk and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together. Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from you 4-5 times until smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour or until firm.
On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 3-mm thickness. Cut out three 16-cm and three 9-cm circles. Use them to line three 10-cm and three 6-cm tart pans. Prick the pastry shell bases and line with foil, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Bake the crusts blind for about 15 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 170C/340F. Remove the beans foil and return the pastry to te oven for 5 minutes. Leave in the pans and set aside while you prepare the filling.
In a large skillet, combine the onions, half of the butter, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until very tender and lovely golden brown, about 30 minutes.  
In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream. Still whisking, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, whisking occasionally. 
Pour a little of the cream mixture into the eggs, whisking until completely combined. Slowly whisk this mixture back into the cream mixture in the saucepan, a little at a time, until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in the caramelized onions, then season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Spoon the mixture onto the pastry shells, spreading it evenly.  
Bake the tarts at 165C/330F until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the tarts slightly on wire rack, then unmold. Serve warm.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Rhubarb Wholegrain Spelt Yogurt Scones

These delicious scones are made with nutty wholegrain spelt flour, juicy rhubarb and homemade yogurt. They have buttery flavour with moist and soft texture. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack with rhubarb sauce.　

Probiotic yogurt is essentially any yogurt with live culture bacteria like lactobacilus, which means that most natural or regular yogurt is a probiotic food. Besides yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, dark chocolate, tempeh, miso, etc. are all probiotic food, that are believed to improve our mood, to help maintain healthy digestion and to be beneficial to our overall health.

What Are Probiotics?

You may have heard about probiotics in the news or seen probiotic products at your local grocery store, but what exactly are they? And, more importantly, why should you care?

First of all, your digestive system is home to more than 500 different species of bacterium. These help you to digest food and keep your intestines healthy. It’s also believed by many in the scientific community that these bacteria in your gut help to maintain a healthy immune system.

These probiotics reside in some of the natural foods that you likely already eat, such as yogurt and cheese. Understandably, the thought of eating live bacteria may be a little odd, but this practice can be quite healthy. Think of it as taking an antibiotic, which are essentially good bacteria designed to fight off bad bacteria. The consuming of probiotics, on the other hand, whether in supplements or the foods you eat, helps to replenish the balance of good bacteria in your body.

So, why the necessity to take probiotic supplements or eat probiotic rich food? After a case of diarrhea or a round of strong antibiotics to fight an infection, for example, the good bacteria in your gut can be flushed out or killed off. As mentioned earlier, this good bacterium helps with digestion and assists to maintain a strong immune system. If they are not present, you may suffer from more digestive or intestinal problems, such as constipation or upset stomach. Also, you will be more susceptible to colds and flues. So, that’s why it’s important to maintain the good bacteria that already reside in your body.

Rhubarb Wholegrain Spelt Scones

inspired by Kuechengoetter

220 g Rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
110 g Sugar
2 Eggs
60 g Probiotic yogurt or Homemade yogurt, plain
300 g Wholegrain spelt flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/5 tsp Salt
1 tsp Lemon zest
100 g Butter, cut into smaller pieces
1 tbsp Sugar crystals

Rinse, peel rhubarb and slice into 1cm pieces. Place them in a large bowl together with 30 grams of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Stir together the eggs and yogurt. Whisk together 80 grams of sugar, spelt flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.
Add in butter pieces and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Now add in egg-yogurt mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add in rhubarb mixture.
On a lightly floured work surface, shape the dough into a 20cm round. Cut it into 8-12 wedges and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with the sugar crystals and bake in the center of oven for 15 -20 minutes until beautifully golden brown. Serve warm with rhubarb sauce.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Spinach Spelt Galette with Mushrooms and Beetroot

You can call this ‘crostata’ if you like. They are basically the same thing, a rustic tart crust folded over the filling, sweet or savoury, baked flat rather than in a tart pan, just French and Italian, respectively. Recently I have come across a spinach galette and a mushroom galette, both of which looked very interesting and delicious. So I purposely made lots of red wine spinach, baked mushrooms, so I would have leftovers just for this recipe. Bring this to potlucks or picnics as it tastes FANTASTIC cold.

Crust	Filling
180 g Wholegrain spelt flour Pinch of sea salt 70 g Cold unsalted butter 6 tbsp Ice water	40 g Parmesan, grated 40 g Gorgonzola, sliced 350 g Red wine spinach, drained 200 g Parmesan roasted mushrooms 1 Roasted beet, sliced Garden cress 1/2 Egg, lightly beaten for glaze

Place wholegrain spelt flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut in the cold butter and mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle ice water into the bowl and continue to mix ingredients with your fingertips. Turn out the dough onto your work surface and gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball with a plastic film and flatten the dough into a thick round. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to two days.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to form a 15-inch circle. Sprinkle half of Parmesan and Gorgonzola in the center, leaving 2-3 inches border all around. Then mound the red wine spinach, roasted mushrooms, and beet on the top of cheeses.
Fold the border up and over the filling to form a rim, pleating as necessary. Now sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gorgonzola over the vegetables. Brush egg glaze over the rim.
Bake the galette until the crust is nicely golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Slide onto a serving platter and sprinkle some garden cress over. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Soya Spelt Scones with Cranberry and White Chocolate

Scones, similar to American biscuits, are a type of pastry, which is often served at breakfast or tea, especially in Britain. The dough is usually made in the shape of a round which is cut into triangles, although scones can also be cut into squares or made using a cookie cutter. These soya spelt scones are so tasty when eaten warm. They can be also served at room temperature with clotted cream, jam or honey.

110 g Toasted soya flour
150 g Wholegrain spelt flour
30 g Light brown sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Baking powder
110 g Cold butter
40 g Dried cranberries
40 g White chocolate chips
150 ml Whole milk
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with your finger tips. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Add in milk and egg. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Gently pat the dough to form a 2cm-thick round. Use a 3.5cm fluted cutter to cut out 16 discs. Dip the cutter into flour between cutting to prevent dough sticking to it.
Place them to the prepared lined tray and then brush the top of the scones with milk or cream. Bake in the middle of the hot oven for about 15 minutes or until beautifully browned and puff.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Provençal Tomato Tartelettes

For a refreshing Easter lunch appetizer, fill small vine tomatoes with your favourite fillings. I've chosen aromatic provencal flavoured breadcrumbs with herbs and garlic. There is no good cuisine without good oil and there is no Provençal cuisine without garlic. Rest each filled tomatoes on a bed of puff pastry disc and baked them until puffed and golden.

This is a super easy appetizer recipe that I found in Ricardo’s Entrees and Appetizers archives, but tweaked mine a bit by using small vine tomatoes. You can try to improvise yours with different kinds of tomatoes and fillings or just based on what you have at home.

200 g Store-bought fresh puff pastry dough
9 Small vine tomatoes
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp Breadcrumbs
2 tbsp Butter, softened
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp Fresh thyme, chopped
Olive oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the fresh puff pastry dough and cut out 9 dough discs with a 5cm/2inch fluted cookie cutter. Save the trimmings for other use and arrange the discs on the baking sheet, leaving 5-cm/2-inch between each discs. Cover and chill while preparing others.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a knife, make a small cross-shaped cut in the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Peel the tomatoes. Slice a small slice off the bottom and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Set aside.
In a bowl, place breadcrumbs, softened butter, finely chopped garlic, and herbs. Stir until well combined. Spoon the filling into the tomato cups. Place a tomato cup on the centre of each puff disc. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into the tomatoes. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Drizzle each serving with olive oil. Season with pepper. Serve as an appetizer or as a side dish with Provençal-style roast chicken or leg of lamb.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Savoury Pumpkin Spelt Tartlets with Sage and Lemon Thyme

Not only is pumpkin delectable and loaded with nutrients, but it can also be used to make a variety of sweet and savoury holiday tarts. Mellow, sweet flavour of pumpkin blends so well with cheese and herbs. The cream is used to give extra smoothness and richness to the filling. To enjoy them at their best, serve those tartlets soon after baking.

Inspired by Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Whole Grain Spelt Hazelnut Pastry	Filling
100 g Whole grain spelt flour 100 g Ground hazelnut Pinch of fine sea salt 80 g Unsalted butter 2 Large egg yolks 1–2 tbsp Cold water	200 ml Whipping cream 10 Sage leaves, snipped Few lemon thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves to sprinkle Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 300 g Pumpkin purée 2 Large eggs, lightly beaten 3 tbsp Freshly grated Parmesan

To make the pastry, combine whole grain spelt flour, hazelnut and salt in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and 1 tbsp water and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. If it is too dry, add another 1–2 tsp water, until you can press the dough together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the filling, put the cream into a small saucepan and add the snipped sage, lemon thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse and cool completely.
Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use it to line twelve 5cm tarlet tins, trimming off the excess pastry. Place on a baking tray and chill for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line the tartlet cases with greaseproof paper and baking beans or dried beans and ‘bake blind’ for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the setting to 170C/340F.
Strain the herb-infused cream through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the herbs. Stir in the pumpkin purée, beaten eggs and freshly grated Parmesan. Season well to taste. Spoon the filling into the pastry cases, then sprinkle a few lemon thyme leaves on top. Bake for about 20–25 minutes until lightly golden and set. Let the tartlets cool in the tins before unmoulding.

Delicious Recipes

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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tomato Goat Cheese Tartlets

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Red Currant Banana Tart

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Creamy Onion Tartlets

Creamy Onion Tartlets

Friday, June 1, 2012

Rhubarb Wholegrain Spelt Yogurt Scones

What Are Probiotics?

Rhubarb Wholegrain Spelt Scones

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Spinach Spelt Galette with Mushrooms and Beetroot

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Soya Spelt Scones with Cranberry and White Chocolate

Friday, April 6, 2012

Provençal Tomato Tartelettes

Friday, October 14, 2011

Savoury Pumpkin Spelt Tartlets with Sage and Lemon Thyme

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