just a few more things...

My shelf after a morning of sourcing...

A stitch in time...

I had an amazing morning sourcing the bits and pieces for this shoot. Thanks Emma!

Melk Tert (milk tart)

Growing up this was my favourite food. Not my favourite dessert, my favourite food. I loved the inherent comfort of the cinnamon and creamy filling (it reminded me of being wrapped up in front of a fire in desolate farmhouses during cold winters snow-hunting in the Drakenberg Mountains in South Africa). I think I might bake one this weekend to celebrate a Sydney winter.

SHELL

125g butter

100g sugar

1 egg, beaten

275g cake flour

10ml baking powder

salt

1. Grease 2 tart tins. Preheat the oven 180C
2. Combine butter, sugar and egg.
3. Sieve the dry ingredients and mix into the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
4. Press thinly into the tart tin (it is essential to make this very thin)
5. Bake for 15-20min or until golden brown.

FILLING
1l + 125ml milk
80g butter
200g white sugar
2ml salt
60ml cake flour
60ml cornflour
4 eggs, separated
5ml vanilla essence/1 vanilla pod
Cinnamon

1. Combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.
2. Mix the flour and cornflour together with the 125ml cold milk until it forms a smooth paste.
3. Beat the egg yolks and add to the paste.
4. Add a little bit of the hot milk mixture to the paste and mix well. Add to the hot milk mixture in the sauce pan and stir well.
5. Continue stirring the mixture over a medium heat until cooked.
6. Remove from heat and add the vanilla essence.
7. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and fold into the milk mixture.
8. Spoon the mixture into the shell and sprinkle with cinnamon.
9. Bake for a further 20mins.

Caramelised Leek tartlets with a Sour Cream Crust

I baked these over the weekend as a favour to my mother. Although they're delicious, creating your own pastry takes some time so make sure you're not in a hurry.

Ingredients
Sour Cream Pastry
1 1/2 cups plain flour
120g chilled butter
5 tbsp Sour cream
1 1/2 eggs
pinch of salt

Caramelised Leek Filling
1 large leek
40g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp dry white wine
3 tbsp vegetable stock
freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp cream
1/2 cup soft goats cheese, roughly crumbled

Method

1. For the pastry, rub butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs, add sour cream, salt and eggs. Mixture should create a firm ball, if not add more flour (or sour cream if it is too dry). Divide into 6 balls and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 mins. Roll each ball to 3mm  thick then gently press into prepared tart cases. Prick the bases with a fork and rest in the fridge for a further 30 mins. Trim any excess from the edges, cover with  grease proof paper. Fill with rice and blind bake for 10 mins.

2. For the filling, cut leeks in half lengthways and wash. Finely slice into half moons. Heat butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced leek, garlic and salt. Cook for 10 mins, until tender and golden. Add the wine and simmer for 2 mins. Add the stock and simmer for another 2 mins. Add pepper, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Whisk eggs, yolk and cream in a separate bowl, add the leeks.

3. Evenly spoon the mixture into each baked pie case, scatter the goat's cheese over and bake for 20mins.

Coconut Sorbet

Coconut Sorbet

I love coconut, absolutely adore it. This slight obsession I've developed springs from my Uni days when my roommate and I would get in the car and drive all the way to a secluded farmer's stall amongst the vineyards for some crystallised coconut pieces. Light and refreshing, this is possibly the easiest and cheapest dessert in existence, and it's absolutely delicious. You don't even need an ice cream maker.

1 cup water
1 cup caster sugar
400ml Coconut milk

Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan, over a low to medium heat. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add the coconut milk and transfer to a plastic container and place in the freezer.

Stir the sorbet once during the first and second hours in the freezer to ensure an even texture.

Enjoy.

Cheat's Chocolate Fondant

Cheat's Chocolate Fondant

This delicious chocolate pud has a naughty secret: it's gooey center is guaranteed! Using a trick I learned from What Katie Ate I've created these decadent desserts.
Serves 6

140gms softened butter
250gms caster sugar
2 eggs
300gms (2 cups) plain/pastry flour
60gms cocoa
250ml milk
1 small tub of Nutella
15ml medium dry sherry
5ml baking powder

Preheat the oven to 170C. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, add the eggs. Beat to combine. Sift over dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in milk and sherry.

Lightly butter 6 ramekins. Spoon one large tbsp of batter into each of the ramekins, add a tbsp of Nutella to the center of each and spoon over the rest of the batter.

Bake for approx. 12-15 minutes (until the tops crack and a skewer comes out of the pudding clean. Remember the Nutella center and avoid it with the skewer).

Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.