Tag: Cold desserts

French-style Strawberry Tart

Recipe courtesy of Co-op Magazine

Strawberry Tart

Serves : 4

Ready in 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients :
175g puff pastry

Filling :
3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
40g plain flour
1 vanilla pod
300ml semi-skimmed milk
Zest of half a lime
1 tsp butter, melted

Topping :
450g strawberries, sliced
A few mint leaves, chopped
1 tblsp pine nuts, toasted

Step One : Heat oven to gas mark 6 / 200oC / Fan 180oC.

Step Two : Roll out pastry and cut out a 20cm round.  Score edge with a knife and place on a baking tray and cook for 20 to 30 minutes in oven.  Allow to cool.

Step Three : Meanwhile, beat egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy.  Stir in flour.  Put vanilla pod and milk in a saucepan, bring to boil and then remove pod, beat milk into custard mix.  Return to pan and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.  Add zest and melted butter, cool.  Spread on pastry base and top with strawberries.

Step Four : Scatter over mint and toasted pine nuts.

Flavour Sensations – Basil, honey and lemon panna cotta with roasted peaches

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (June 2012).

There is an element of drama to turning out a whole panna cotta but, if you prefer, use individual pudding basins or set the panna cotta in a dish for everyone to dig into.

reparation time : 10 minutes
Total time : 25 minutes, plus setting overnight

Get ahead : Make the panna cotta a day ahead and chill

Panna cottaIngredients :
550ml double cream
3 tblsp whole milk
4 tblsp clear honey, plus extra to drizzle
6 large basil leaves
3 leaves Select fine leaf gelatine
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the roasted peaches :
2 peaches
2 tblsp caster sugar
A few basil leaves

Step One : Pour the cream and milk into a medium-sized pan.  Stir in the honey and basil.  Slowly bring to simmering point then take the pan off the heat, scoop out the basil leaves and discard.  Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.

Step Two : Lift the gelatine out of the water, squeeze out the excess water and add to the hot cream with the lemon zest.  Stir until the gelatine has dissolved.  Pour into a 700ml mould and, when cool, put in the fridge to set overnight.

Step Three : Preheat the oven to 200oC / Fan 180oC / Gas 6.  Halve, de-stone and thickly slice the peaches.  Transfer the slices to a baking tray in a single layer and scatter with the caster sugar.  Roast for 8-10 minutes or until slightly caramelised; leave to cool.

Step Four : Turn out the panna cotta on to a plate (the lemon zest should have sunk to the bottom and now be on the top); toss the peaches with the small basil leaves to serve alongside.  Drizzle the top of the panna cotta with a little extra honey.