Caramel Pumpkin Tart

Caramel Pumpkin Tart

250ml flour
250ml sugar
5ml salt
750ml cooked, drained pumpkin
60ml butter, melted
250ml cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten together
5ml ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce:
250ml brown sugar
125ml butter, cubed
60ml milk
5ml vanilla

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the flour, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl, stir to mix and set aside.
Add the pumpkin, butter, cream and eggs to another mixing bowl and beat together with a spatula.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
Scoop the mixture into a 23cm diameter pie dish and level the surface.
Bake in the oven for one hour.
Sprinkle the pumpkin tart with the cinnamon as soon as you take it from the oven.
Set aside to cool somewhat – it is ideal to serve when warm.

Caramel Sauce:
Add the sugar, butter and milk to a small saucepan set over a low heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn the heat up, do not stir again and bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn the heat down slightly and cook the sauce until it thickens and has lost its wateriness. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Drizzle the pumpkin tart with the caramel sauce and serve.

Marshmallow Fridge Tart

Marshmallow Fridge Tart

200g coconut biscuits
90g butter
1 x 385g can condensed milk
30ml lemon juice
250ml cream
5ml vanilla
150g mini marshmallows

Break the biscuits into a plastic bag and smash it to crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Melt the butter and drizzle over the biscuits. Mix together.
Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a 22cm pie dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pour the condensed milk and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the cream into another bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Add the whipped cream, vanilla and marshmallow and fold everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Take the chilled biscuit base from the refrigerator and pour the filling into it.
Place the tart back into the fridge for another hour before serving.

Naked Milk Tart

Naked Milk Tart

This is a crustless milk tart, easy to put together and produces one large (38cm x 26cm) or two medium (28cm x 20cm) tarts.

6 eggs
375ml sugar
90g butter, melted
375ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
a pinch of salt
1,5litres of milk
15ml vanilla
ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 38cm x 26cm ceramic dish with cooking spray.
Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and drizzle in the melted butter.
Turn off the mixer.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and turn the mixer back on to a low speed until the ingredients are incorporated.
Add the vanilla to the milk and drizzle the milk in to the batter with the engine running.
Scrape the batter into the prepared ceramic dish.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Take the milk tart from the oven and immediately sift over some ground cinnamon.
Set aside for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Keep refrigerated.

Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water beaten together
4 large tomatoes
a handful of basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll the puff pastry and place it on the paper. (Trim the pastry to fit the baking sheet)
Lightly score the pastry down the centre in the length. Now score it in half and then halve each square. You should have 8 squares – be careful to score and not cut through!
Whisk together the egg yolk and water and lightly brush the pastry all over.
Refrigerate until needed.
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil.
Make a cross incision (x) in the tomato skin on the bottom.
Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Now lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the ice water.
Remove the skins once they start to curl back from the flesh.
Halve the naked tomatoes horizontally.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator.
Place a basil leave in the centre of each of the marked squares.
Place half a tomato, cut-side down on the basil and drizzle the tomato with a few drops of oil.
Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar while very warm.
Slice the tart into 8 portions and serve as a side.

Onion Tarte Tatin

Onion Tarte Tatin

30ml + 30ml butter
1 clove garlic, minced
6 onions, halved horizontally
100ml sugar
60ml water
30ml balsamic vinegar
5ml thyme leaves
5ml salt
1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Put a wide-bottomed pan on medium-high heat and add 30ml butter to melt.
Add the garlic and onion halves cut-side down.
Cook the onions until they have caramelised and softened slightly (about 10 minutes).
Gently remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Add the sugar and water to an ovenproof pan over medium heat.
Cook, swirling constantly, until the sugar dissolves – DO NOT stir!
Turn the heat up to high and cook undisturbed (no stirring!) for 5 minutes or until it turns to a golden caramel – this happens instantly!!
Remove from the heat and add the balsamic, thyme, salt and 30ml butter.
Return to the boil and swirl to combine.
Arrange the onions cut-side down, trying to fit in as many halves as you can.
Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it slightly wider.
Now cut a circle that is 1cm larger than the diameter of your pan.
Place the pastry circle on top of the onions and tuck in the edges so that it forms a “basket” for the onions.
Cut a very small hole in the centre of the pastry and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to prevent burning.
Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through.
Remove the tart from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Place a flat plate/wooden board over the pan and carefully invert the tart.
Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Traditional Clafoutis

Traditional Clafoutis

125ml sugar
125ml flour
3 eggs
5ml vanilla
30ml butter, melted
250ml milk
enough pitted cherries to cover the bottom of a pie/flan dish

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a ceramic pie/flan dish.
Add the sugar and flour to a mixing bowl.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, melted butter and milk together in a wide-mouth jug.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking.
Fill the bottom of the pie dish with an even layer of cherries and pour the batter over the cherries.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
The clafoutis will puff up in the oven and fall back on itself as it cools.
Dust with icing sugar once cooled.

Fresh Summer Tart

Fresh Summer Tart

1 x 400g pastry
5 eggs
185ml cream
100g baby spinach, chopped
250ml frozen peas
100g ricotta cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbed
80g rocket leaves
125g sugar snap peas
3 zucchini, shaved into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and side of the cake tin. Set aside.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the chopped spinach, peas and cheeses and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the tart for 30 minutes.
Top the tart with the rocket leaves, sugar snaps and zucchini shavings.
Drizzle over some olive oil to serve.

Cheat’s Milktart

Cheat’s Milktart

Biscuit base:
250g dry biscuits
100g butter, melted
1 egg white

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and process to crumbs.
Whisk the egg white just until frothy and add it to the crumbs with the melted butter.
Mix well until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Tip the crumb-mixture into a loose-bottom tart tin and level it out. Use a glass with a flat bottom to press the crumb down firmly all over and up the sides of the tin. Keep pressing until the base comes together.
Place the tart tin on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

Filling:
60ml cornstarch
120ml water
2 egg yolks
500ml ready-made custard
ground cinnamon

Add the cornstarch to a large mixing bowl and pour the water over. Mix to a smooth slurry.
Add the egg yolks and whisk through.
Pour the custard into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and slowly and in a very thin stream, add it to the slurry while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it on medium heat while whisking until it thickens.
Pour the filling into the cooled base and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
Refrigerate the milk tart for 3-4 hours before serving.

Quince Granola Crumble

Quince Granola Crumble

5-6 quince
250ml sugar
500ml water
5ml vanilla

Crumble:
250ml granola
250ml almond meal/ground almonds
5ml ground cinnamon
125ml brown sugar
60g butter, cubed

Quarter the quince and then halve each quarter. Peel and cut out the core. Set aside.
Add the sugar, water and vanilla to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the quince slices to the poaching liquid and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Gently simmer the fruit until it can easily be pierced with a toothpick.
Take the saucepan from the heat and allow the quince slices to cool in the liquid completely.
Drain the quince and transfer the slices to a 18cm x 28cm ovenproof dish.

For the crumble:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the granola, almond meal, cinnamon, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl.
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips. Keep going until the butter is well distributed throughout the mixture.
Spread the crumb mixture evenly on the quince slices and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve the quince crumble with a scoop of ice cream or yoghurt.

Crustless Milktart

Crustless Milktart

30g butter
200g sugar
5 eggs, separated
140g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 litre milk
5ml vanilla
ground cinnamon for dusting

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 22cm tart dishes with cooking spray.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time with the engine running. Scrape the mixture down a few times during mixing.
Sift the flour and salt together and add spoonfuls to the mixture until everything is incorporated.
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and drizzle in the milk.
Add the vanilla and mix through. Set aside.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until it reaches stiff peaks.
Add the stiff whites to the batter and fold it into the mixture.
Scoop the batter into the two prepared tart dishes and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the milk tarts from the oven and sift over the ground cinnamon while the tarts are warm.
Allow the milk tart to cool completely before serving.