Apple tart ‘Maman Blanc’

Raymond Blanc’s current tv show Kitchen Secrets has contained so many delicious recipes but this one stood out for me and Mr CC. Mr CC is not the most demanding of people so when he watched this tart being made and turned to me saying “make it happen” in that wry, tongue in cheek way of his, I knew he must really want to try it!

The recipe is actually one of Ma Blanc’s, hence the title. I’d never used Cox’s apples before but definitely will be from now on – they had a beautiful flavour and turned a lovely soft texture on cooking but retained some bite.

The pastry was a revelation; it contains no sugar but is joyously buttery and flaky. The bonus was how easy it was to work with – I’ve never had such a beautiful, clean looking pastry case. Also, you don’t have to blind bake the pastry case yet the base is crisp and perfect!

The only change I made to the recipe was to double to amount of custard. I’m glad I did because the original amount would’ve been a bit skimpy.

While this tart looks like a lot of work and, admittedly, there are a few stages to it, it’s not difficult nor did it take that long to make. I made the pastry the night before and left it refrigerated– rolled out and ready to fill– in the tin just covering it with clingfilm and it was perfect. This saved me a lot of time on the day.

Here are the beautiful apples glazed and ready for the oven:

To manage the expectations of any work colleagues hoping for a slice tomorrow morning:

Ingredients

For the pastry:

250g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon milk or water (I used milk)
1 egg

For the apple filling:

15g unsalted butter
½ tablespoon lemon juice
15g caster sugar
½ tablespoon Calvados, or any apple brandy or liqueur
4-5 Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices – aim for 8-12 slices per apple

For the custard (this is the amount I used which was double Raymond Blanc’s amount):

200ml double cream
2 eggs
100g caster sugar

Method

- Start by making the pastry: pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until you have crumbs.

- Add the egg and milk and pulse again until the pastry clumps but does not form a ball – be careful not to overwork it.

- Tip the dough onto a sheet of clingfilm and kneed it just enough to form a ball. Flatten, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 220˚c/fan oven 200˚c/440˚F /gas mark 7.

- Roll out the chilled dough between two sheets of clingfilm. I didn’t need to add any extra flour. Use one sheet of the clingfilm to lift the pastry to line a 20cm loose bottomed flan tin. Press the pastry into the tin and use the rolling pin to roll over the top and cut of any excess pastry.

- Refrigerate until ready to complete. You can make the tart up to this point the day before. Just make sure you wrap the tin in clingfilm so the pastry doesn’t dry out.

- Now make the filling: start by placing the butter, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and heating until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved.

- Remove from the heat and stir in the calvados. Leave to one side.

- Prepare the apples and then line them in the pastry case in concentric circles, overlapping each piece so the tart is packed with apple. Have a spare apple on standby should you need it – apples vary in size and it’s always worth having extra if needed!

- Bruch the cooled syrup over the top of the apples and place the tart in the oven for 10 minutes.

- After this time, and leaving the tart in the oven reduce the temperature to 200˚c/fan oven 180˚c/400˚F /gas mark 6 and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the apples have browned a little on the edges.

- Whisk together the double cream, eggs and sugar until thick and well combined.

- Pour over the apple tart and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the custard has set.

- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for an hour. The custard will puff up in the oven and settle as it cools.

- Serve with clotted cream or ice cream.

- Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat

Rhubarb and custard cake

When you walk along the street carrying rhubarb it gets a reaction like no other fruit or vegetable – most people look and smile (because, let’s be honest, a stick of rhubarb is a funny looking thing and it never fits in the bag you’re carrying it in leaving Triffid-like stalks and leaves sticking out!) while anyone even vaguely ‘foodie’ nods respectfully.

My rhubarb is forced as it’s too early in the year for garden rhubarb to make an appearance. The stalks are thin and a gorgeous flamingo pink colour. If there’s a more beautiful colour to be found in the world of food I can’t think what it is. For more rhubarb ideas click here

The rhubarb is roasted; here is it about to go into the oven (don’t worry that it looks too much – I made two cakes at the same time):

Here it is post-roasting and draining in a sieve. Note that it retains it’s beautiful colour:

Rhubarb and custard is a classic combination and this cake incorporates them both resulting in a sponge dotted with colours not dissimilar to that other great food partnership, bacon and eggs.

I wouldn’t advise using any fancy custard here, don’t browse the chiller cabinet in the supermarket – you actually want a thick yellow custard as it holds its shape better during baking. I used a ready made Ambrosia custard and that worked perfectly.

The obligatory serving suggestion:

If you are a British child of the 70s the theme tune to Roobarb and Custard will most likely have been playing through your head the whole time you’ve been reading this post. For those of you who are scratching your head in puzzlement this should explain:

Ingredients

For the rhubarb:
400g rhubarb, washed and cut into chunks
50g caster sugar

For the cake:
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g ready made custard (the thicker and more yellow, the better! I used Ambrosia)
250g self raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g golden caster sugar

Method

- Start by making the rhubarb element: Preheat the oven to 200˚c/fan oven 180˚c/400˚F / gas mark 6.

- Wash and trim the rhubarb and dry on kitchen paper. Cut into largish chunks, approx 2-3cm long.

- Place in a shallow baking tray and sprinkle the caster sugar over it as evenly as possible. Toss together.

- Spread the rhubarb in a single layer if possible then cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.

- Remove the foil and shake the tray a little. Roast for a further 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and the juices are syrupy.

- Drain off the juices before you let the rhubarb cool – this stops the rhubarb getting too wet and making the cake soggy.

- Lower the oven temperature to 180˚c/fan oven 160˚c/350˚F / gas mark 4.

- Line a 2ocm round springform cake tin with baking paper.

- Put 3 tablespoons of custard to one side for later.

- Beat the butter, remaining custard, flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and golden caster sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.

- Spoon a third of the batter into the prepared tin and level.

- Spoon a third of the rhubarb onto the batter and ensure it is evenly distributed.

- Spoon a further third of the batter onto the rhubarb and spread out as best you can. Be gentle and it will be ok.

- Spoon a further third of rhubarb and top with the remaining cake batter.

- Scatter the remaining rhubarb on top and then dot the 3 tablespoons of reserved custard on top as well.

- Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until risen and golden, then cover with foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Mine took nearer to 1 hour 30 minutes in total.

- Cool in the tin on a wire rack.

- If you wish you can sieve some icing sugar over the top before serving. Serve with some thick cream.

- Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat

Trifle

Trifle is something that people seem to have got a little snobby about over the past few years. I’m not sure why as it’s heavenly! As long as you follow the basic components it also gives you great freedom of choice as to what you actually put in it.

Consequently, I’m not going to provide a recipe because it depends on what fruit is in season and what size bowl you’re going to use. I will however, tell you what my trifle included! I made lots and put some in my lovely crystal bowl (my January mega-bargain, if you recall) and made some in individual glasses:

Every trifle must have a spongy bottom (I think I must be a trifle!) Many people use swiss roll for this but I find that can make the overall dish too sweet so I made a Victoria sponge – the one I used for my Giant Madeleine – and cut that up. When served it almost gives it a summer pudding look, but with the bonus of custard and cream!

For the fruit layer I bought one box each of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. As the berries were tart I sprinkled a teaspoon of caster sugar over them to sweeten them up. Scatter these over the sponge layer and it already starts to look good!

Now we come to the ‘hot potato’ issue of trifle making: to jelly or not to jelly? I wouldn’t myself, but I was making this trifle for Mr CC, and the CCM and CCD all of whom like a bit of jelly. I used Rowntrees jelly cubes and made it up according to the packet instructions before pouring it over the fruit. It is quite satisfying to watch it seep into the sponge.

At this point refrigerate the bowl until the jelly has set. Now the custard layer. Use whichever custard you prefer – some like a thick yellow Bird’s custard but I find this a little plastic so bought good quality premade custard and beat some mascarpone cheese into it to thicken it. This is my top tip - custard and mascarpone is divine!

On top of this you only need some whipped cream and you’re done! Decorate with flaked almonds or chocolate or fruit – it’s up to you. As a nod to Valentine’s day I used some tiny sugar hearts.

Make sure you listen out for that terrific squelch noise that the first spoonful – and only the first spoonful – makes out of the serving bowl, then tuck into to English food at its finest!

Pear and cinnamon bake

I’ve been hit with a gastric flu-type bug for the latter half of this week, so no baking for me. However, I’ve raided my ‘secret unpublished archive’ (a girl should always hold something back!) and have this delight for you!

After an awful winter it does seem that spring might be in the offing – the nights are definitely drawing out. While this is good on practically every level, there is one level where I wish it was always winter: puddings. A good solid pud with custard or ice cream is never more comforting than during the miserable winter months, therefore I had to sneak this recipe in before my thoughts turned to lighter fare.

I thought the pear slices, gently frying in butter, looked beautiful:

This pudding doesn’t look all that in the bowl but when you turn it out and see all the gorgeous pear slices with thick treacly sauce glistening over and around them, you start to see the beauty!

I can’t really think of a fruit that cinnamon doesn’t compliment; this pudding could be made with apples or, simply by leaving out the frying stage, peaches, apricots, blackberries or nectarines.

The sponge turns deliciously squidgy as the treacle sauce sinks into it:

Ingredients:
For the pears:
2-3 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
Knob of butter

For the treacle:
25g unsalted butter
90g Demerara sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup

For the batter:
125g unsalted butter
120g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g self raising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk (whole or semi skimmed)

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

- Generously grease a 1.2l pudding basin with butter. Make sure that the basin is ovenproof. I used an ovenproof glass basin.

- Cut the pear quarters through again in length so each pair is now cut into 8 chunky slices.

- Heat the knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the pears over a gentle heat just until they soften. Put to one side to cool.

- Now make the treacle: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar crystals have dissolved.

- Pour the treacle syrup into the prepared basin and then arrange the pear slices on top.

- Now make the batter: Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

- Gradually beat in the eggs. If the mix looks like it might curdle add a little of the flour.

- Fold in the flour and cinnamon.

- Stir in the milk.

- Spoon the batter carefully over the pears. It won’t look like you have that much batter but it will be ample to cover the pears.

- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the cake appears to be cooked.

- Turn out the pudding onto a plate and serve hot with either custard or ice cream

- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat.

Jersey black butter cheesecake

I have noticed that, pleased though people may be to see you when you go visiting, they are always more pleased if you arrive with cheesecake! This was an awesome cheesecake!

Let’s start with a bit about Jersey black butter: It’s not black and it’s not butter but it is from Jersey (one out of three’s not bad!). I brought this jar back from a working trip to the island and wondered what I’d do with it – then I found this recipe from the nice people at the Jersey pottery. Here is some black butter spooned straight from the jar:

So, we’ve said what it isn’t, now time to look at what it is! The label lists the ingredients as follows: apple (44%), cider (3.3%), lemon, treacle, sugar, licorice (0.4%), mixed spice and cinnamon. Tiny though the amount of licorice is, I could taste it – probably because I hate licorice. However, in the finished cheesecake the licorice was lost. Result!

This cheesecake was light and creamy and flavoursome. The black butter worked so well with the cream and cheese – even though it’s sweet, the acidity of the apples cut through the creaminess and created a lovely light, clean taste.

Do you like my scraffito technique?

One part of the method I’d draw your attention to is with regard to the base. I always melt the butter when making a crushed biscuit base and find that, as the butter sets, it oozes a bit of grease out into my fridge. This recipe puts unmelted butter and biscuits into the food processor and the result is as if you’d melted them – it knocks out the whole melting stage without any loss of quality to the base. I’ll be making all my bases like this in future!

Ingredients

300g hobnob biscuits (or any digestive-type biscuit)
100g unsalted butter
4 gelatine leaves
500ml double cream
1 vanilla pod – cut open and scrape out the seeds
300g cream cheese – I used philadelphia
225g (1 jar) Jersey black butter – you can use any high fruit content jam if you don’t have black butter
3 tablespoons water
½ lemon’s juice

Method

- Start by making the base: place the biscuits and butter into a food processor and blitz until you have crumbs.

- Press into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin or, like me, use a 20cm flan ring on a plate. This makes it easier to serve.

- Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until they are soft.

- Whisk the double cream until the soft peak stage then refrigerate until needed later on.

- Place the vanilla, cream cheese and black butter (or jam) into a bowl and beat until you have a smooth mixture.

- Place the water and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat gently until it simmers.

- Squeeze as much water as you can out of the gelatine before whisking it into the hot lemon juice. Whisk until it has completely dissolved – this won’t take long.

- Beat the lemony gelatine into the cream cheese mixture.

- Fold in the whipped cream.

- Spoon the cheesecake onto the biscuit base and level the surface.

- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is better.

- Remove the ring by running a hot knife around the inside.

- One final thing – this is a big cheesecake. If you don’t need it all, slice it and wrap the slices individually – it freezes really well. Then, when you want cheesecake, you can defrost it a slice at a time.

- Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat.

Vanilla panna cotta with raspberry sauce

The CCD (Caked Crusader’s Da) isn’t really a huge dessert fan so when he requested this for Christmas dessert I knew he must have fallen for it in a big way – and I can understand why. He struggles with overly sweet things and panna cotta manages to be satisfying and rich and creamy but with hardly any sugar at all.

This recipe made the silkiest, smoothest most divine panna cotta I’ve ever tasted...and I’ve tasted plenty! Very easy to make – much easier than say, a crème brulee but very impressive when served.

Here they are just made, about to set. The vanilla seeds look so pretty:

The one thing I’d say about this recipe is that – for my tastes – there was far too much raspberry sauce; you can probably see that from the photos. I’m setting the recipe out as I made it but next time I make this (oh yes, there will be many ‘next times’!) I’d halve the raspberry sauce amount. It does need the raspberry sauce but I served far too much – it needs just a little swoosh on the plate, like you get in restaurants.

One other thing – the recipe said to serve with a sprig of mint...I think you know my view about that!

Ingredients

For the panna cotta:
3 gelatine leaves
250ml milk (anything but skimmed – does that even contain milk?)
250ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, cut open and seeds scraped out
25g caster sugar

For the raspberry sauce:
175g caster sugar
175ml water
350g raspberries

Method

- Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until they are soft.

- Place the milk, cream, vanilla pod, vanilla seeds and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

- Discard the vanilla pod.

- Squeeze as much water as you can out of the gelatine leaves and whisk into the creamy mixture. It will dissolve pretty quickly but make sure you’ve thoroughly whisked it in as you don’t want lumps.

- Ladle the mixture into your ramekins (4 large or 6 small) and press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of each – this stops a skin forming.

- Leave to cool before refrigerating for at least a couple of hours (overnight is best).

- For the sauce, place the sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil.

- Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. You can tell this by dipping a spoon into the liquid and then checking the back of the spoon for crystals; there shouldn’t be any.

- Take the pan from the heat and add the raspberries. Using a hand blender pulp the raspberries until you have a sauce.

- Sieve the sauce to remove the raspberry pips.

- Refrigerate until required.

- To serve turn the panna cotta out into a bowl or onto a plate. I found the easiest way to turn them out was to rapidly shake the ramekins from side to side.

- Spoon the raspberry sauce around the panna cotta and serve.

- Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat.