This is a simple and delicious traditional type of tart that is perfect for people who are not really fond of desserts that are overly sweet.



The combination of a rich frangipane type of filling, a crisp crust and buttery textured poached pears are just wonderful together. Tinned pears are actually perfect in this, but do dry them off very well before using.



It's also the perfect tart to use stoned fruits with . . . cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots . . . all go equally as well. Just make sure they are very ripe. You can also use poached pieces of apple and quince.



I like to bake this tart with the bottom of the tart ring removed, so that the bottom of the crust lies directly on the baking sheet. This ensures a crisp bottom. The filling is quite moist and I find that the crust doesn't crisp up as much as I would like if I keep the bottom in the tart tin. The contact of the bottom of the crust with the baking sheet conducts the heat much better. Don't worry about anything leaking. It just won't happen.



It's really quite easy and not at all complicated. It just looks that way! They'll think you slaved all day over it!

It can be our little secret!!



*Pear and Almond Tart*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

This is a delicious pear tart that is not overly sweet. A classic tart that works well with other fruits also. You can use peaches, cherries, apricots or berries as well quite successfully. (Raspberries are really wonderful this way.) Sliced apples and quince also work very well.

enough flaky pastry to line a 9 inch tart tin
(your own or ready made)

for the almond cream:
200g of sliced almonds (2 cups)
200g of caster sugar (1 cup)
7 ounces butter, room temperature (3/4 cup plus 2 TBS)
4 tsp brandy (optional)
2 large free range eggs
2 TBS whole milk

You will also need:
a tin of pear halves in juice, drained well
(You'll need 6 to 8 halves, depending on the size of the pears)
3 TBS apricot jam



Preheat the oven to 190*C/ 375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner. Place the ring to a 9 inch tart pan, with a removable bottom, on the paper. (This tart works out best when you use only the ring, and not the bottom. Due to the moistness of the filling the pastry browns nicer on the bottom when you do this.)

Roll out your pastry to fit into the ring and place it into the ring, trimming as necessary. Chill while you make the almond cream.

Combine the almonds with 50g of the sugar (1/4 cup) in a food processor. Process until finely ground. Set aside. Beat the butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the remaining 150g (3/4 cup) of sugar and mix to incorporate. Add the almond/sugar mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the salt, brandy (if using) and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly. Add the remaining egg and the milk and mix until light and fluffy.

Fill the tart shell with the almond cream, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Arrange the fruit attractively on top. Bake in the heated oven until the crust is golden brown and the filing is set, about an hour and twenty minutes to an hour and a half. The filling should be firm and spring back when lightly touched. Transfer to a wire rack.

Warm the jam in a small saucepan over low heat, just until it is liquid. Press it through a sieve to make a glaze. Brush the warm glaze over the fruit tart right away while it is still hot.

Allow the tart to cool completely before unmolding. Serve at room temperature.

A dollop of clotted cream goes very well!

Something that my mother could never get any of us to eat for breakfast when I was a child, was . . . good old oatmeal porridge.



A bowl of porridge used to be met with groans and moans of disgust . . . there was no way . . . we hated it, absolutely loathed it. It didn't matter that is was healthy, stick to your ribs, energy building or even that it would put hair on your chest . . . (yeh mom, duh . . . )

Oatmeal cookies . . . we loved.

Oatmeal cake . . . we gobbled down with ultimate speed.

Oatmeal porridge . . . call out the exorcist, coz we just weren't havin it! No way . . . no how. It was slimey and . . . blecch.



In all honesty I don't think we ever gave it a fair chance. It was just one of those things that we had made up our minds ahead of time that we just weren't going to eat.



If she had had this tasty recipe in her bag of breakfast treats, it might have been a completely different story!



Mildly spiced with warm sweet spices . . . cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice . . .

Homey, only slightly sweet, and almost custardy . . . with the mild flavour of pumpkin . . .

And then there's that sweet, nutty and crunchy topping . . . sigh . . .



I can't even remember where I found the recipe for this. IF I pinched it from you, I apologize . . . I only know for sure that I have had it scribbled onto a little piece of paper in my purse for ages and only just now got around to making it.



Breakfast will never be the same again!

If you are like me, right about now the courgettes in your garden or allotment are going nutso! Mine are ripening fast and furiously!!



It's just wonderful. I like to use them when they are fairly small and so we have been having courgettes in one form or another most days.



They are very versatile and generally speaking take on the flavour of whatever you happen to be cooking then with. We like them raw and in salads, or lightly sauteed until crispy tender with a bit of garlic . . . sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan . . . mmmm . . . mmmm . . . good!!



Cut into sticks or rounds and rolled in seasoned flour, then dipped in egg and coated in spicy breadcrumbs, they make excellent dippers!



I stog them into soups and lasagnas and casseroles!



My favourite thing to do with them though is to bake them into lovely muffins and loaves. They have the wonderful capacity to create wonderfully moist and tender loaves and muffins!



This is one of my best recipes, creating a moist and spicy loaf, chock full of toasted walnuts and sweet/tart dried cranberries! It's also very pretty with little green flecks and ruby morsels . . . almost festive in appearance. In fact, I keep small bags of grated courgettes in my freezer to use for this very type of thing when the winter winds begin to blow!



I hope that you'll try this and I hope that it becomes a favourite with you too!



*Courgette Loaf with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Walnuts*
Makes one 8 inch loaf
Printable Recipe

I like to use small courgettes for this, but if you have larger ones, just be sure to scoop our the seeds and discard. Moist, spicy and chock full of lovely dried cranberries and wanuts!

2 small courgettes (about 1 pound altogether), washed and ends trimmed off
10 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
10 1/2 ounces caster sugar (1 1/2 cups)
6 TBS butter, melted and cooled
2 large free range eggs
1/4 cup of plain yoghurt
the juice of one half lemon
2 ounces toasted walnuts, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 small handfuls of dried cranberries

To finish:
the juice of half a lemon
3 TBS caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark4. Butter an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf tin. Line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Grate the courgettes on the large holes of a box grater. Place into a clean cuptowel and squeeze as much moisture out as you can. Set aside.

Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and allspice into a bowl. Whisk together well.

Measure the sugar, melted butter, eggs, yoghurt and lemon juice into a small bowl. Whisk together well. Using a rubber spatula, fold into the dry ingredients along with the grated courgettes, mixing only to combine. Gently fold in the nuts and cranberries. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, turning the pan around halfway through the baking time. It should be well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Stir the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Remove the loaf from the pan and brush the lemon syrup all over, allowing it to soak in completely. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour before serving.

 


Todd and I are going to take a little trip into Wales today, a day trip as it were.  We are supposed to be having a beautiful day weather-wise and it may well be one of the last few we get before the weather turns.  

You can never tell over here.  I think it was Bob Hope who said about our weather . . . "Don't like the British weather?  Wait five minutes!"



I recently bought a little booklet at the grocery store, entitled Delicious Pastries.  I fear I have been in love with puff pastry my whole life.

This love has been fueled by trips made to my French Grandmaman's home where we would feast on caramel filled puff pastry squares dolloped with thick sweet cream . . . mmmm . . . so good. That was the first time I saw people eating cream dolloped onto pastry.



I don't generally make my own puff pastry.  If you buy a good quality all butter brand, there is no need to do so. It's as good as any you can make.  

There was a recipe in the booklet that I had been eyeballing since I got it home for some  delicious looking Sugar and Almond Pastries and I thought they would be perfect for our picnic.



As well, they appeared very quick and easy to make, and y'all know how lazy I am, lol.  The filling is a very simple almond frangipane filling.

It is rich with egg yolks, melted butter, sugar and almonds (of course!)  Two different kinds, both ground and flaked.



You may think they look a bit strange and you would be right.   I didn't seal the edges of my pastries well enough and they blew open as they baked.

Which isn't really as big a disaster as you might think. They just aren't very perfect looking, but I can assure you they taste fabulous all the same.



So why am I showing you them if they aren't perfect???  For several reasons.  One . . . you need to know that not everything I touch turns to gold.  

And two . . . it's a sound recipe and They taste fabulous, no matter how they look.  So there. 



This is how they are supposed to look. ☺

Arrange the squares on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes, until golden and starting to brown.  Remove from the oven and brush immediately with the melted butter and sprinkle with the caster sugar.   Leave to cool on the baking sheet.  Serve warm or cold.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

This was going to be a Meatless Monday recipe, but I had a packet of pancetta that I needed to use up so . . . alas, into the mix they went, but if you want to go meatfree, just leave it out!



Mushrooms on Toast was not anything I had ever contemplated eating before I moved over here in the year 2000. I worked at a care home for the elderly that first year I was here and I was introduced to all sorts of wierd sounding dishes there . . . beans on toast, spaghetti on toast, mushrooms on toast, cheese on toast . . . cheese and onion sandwiches, cheese and tomato sandwiches . . . the list goes on and on!!



I was amazed and I think the cook at the home thought me a bit stupid when I asked them what they each were . . . "What's bean's on toast?" (Cue in incredulous stare) "Why . . . they are beans on toast! DUH! Beans on toast I thought sounded quite good and they are . . . likewise spaghetti on toast . . . but let me tell you right now. I was not impressed with the mushrooms on toast. A tin of mushrooms heated and then spooned out onto toast. Toast made all soggy from the mushroom liquid . . . mushrooms all rubbery and lacking in . . . well any real mushroom flavour.



Come on now. We can do better than that! Had I been in charge those poor residents might have had something a lot tastier . . . something like these delicious mushrooms on toast!



Browned in a bit of olive oil with some red onions, pancetta and a touch of garlic and oregano . . . the mushrooms all nicely browned on the edges, the pancetta crispy . . . the red onions, meltingly tender . . . a knob of butter stirred in at the end, and then the whole lot spooned over crisp and buttery slices of tasty sour dough toast.



Now THAT . . . my friends . . . is mushrooms on toast worth digging in to! (If you're feeling truly indulgent, scrap some fresh Parmesan Cheese over top as well. Scrummy yummy!)




*Mushrooms on Toast with Garlic, Pancetta and Oregano*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Deliciously meaty mushrooms fried in olive oil, along with some cubed pancetta, garlic, red onions and finished off with a knob of butter. Served on crisp toast, these are fabulous and make a great light supper.

250g of closed cup mushrooms (about 1 pound)
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves only, chopped
100g of cubes of pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
a knob of butter
4 thick slices of sour dough bread, toasted and buttered
freshly ground black pepper
some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Wipe the mushrooms clean and then cut them into thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Toss in the pancetta. Cook and stir until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the mushrooms and onions to the drippings in the pan. Cook without disturbing until the mushrooms begin to turn golden brown. Stir and cook until they are the desired doneness. (I like lots of crispy edges.) Toss in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes longer. Add the cooked pancetta and heat through. Stir in the knob of butter, oregano and season with a good grinding of black pepper.

Lay out the four slices of toast on heated plates and spoon the cooked mushroom mixture over top, dividing it equally amongst the four plates. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Note: if desired you can shave some fresh parmesan cheese over top. Very scrummy!



I just have to tell you about the pan I cooked these fabulous mushrooms in.  I was so lucky to have been recently sent the Ozeri, Green Earth Pan to test out, and I have been putting it through it's paces.

Product Description:   Utilizing GREBLON -- a natural ceramic coating from Germany, the Green Earth Pan by Ozeri is one of the world's first frying pans to achieve non-stick perfection while remaining absolutely free of PTFE, PFOA and other harmful chemicals.


 

This version of the Green Earth Pan features a textured ceramic cooking surface designed to prevent food bonding for superior non-stick performance. The elevations of the textured cooking surface also create air pockets which distribute heat underneath food to enhance cooking performance. The Green Earth Pan's ceramic coating is completely free of PTFE and PFOA and is also far more durable and scratch-resistant than other non-stick surfaces. 

 

With better non-stick properties, the Green Earth Pan allows you to cook with as little as half the amount of oil normally used, and it makes cleaning a breeze. The Green Earth Pan by Ozeri is made of the highest quality anodized aluminum that allows for even cooking and fantastic browning without the risk of hot spots.

 

It boasts a magnetized bottom for rapid heat transfer on induction stoves, and a heat resistant silicone coated handle. 

I have to say that I have really enjoyed using this pan.  Clean up is a breeze and it's performance is excellent!  Many thanks to MaryAnn for sending it to me.

You can buy this pan on Amazon.uk for £28.95.  Well worth it in my opinion.  You can never under-estimate the value of a great frying pan!

 

I had a couple of chops in the refrigerator that I picked up at the butchers the other day. Nice thick free range chops.  We don't eat red meat very often, so when we do I like to make sure it's the good stuff.



And of course because it costs more I like to prepare it in a tasty way.  I would hate to ruin any of it.  It goes without saying that I have my favourite chef's when it comes to tasty recipes.  Delia Smith and Mary Berry for baked stuff . . . Gary Rhodes, Jamie Oliver . . . and Nigel Slater when it comes to everything else.  I also like a little bit of Bill Granger thrown into the mix.  All great.  



You can keep Gordon Ramsay and the rest.  Their work doesn't really appeal to me.  Of course my all time favourite is Nigel Slater (as I have told you before, I know.)    I can't stress it enough . . . he cooks like I do and he cooks like I want to eat.



His recipes are so basically good that you can use them as a basis for other things.   For instance today with these chops.   His recipe looked fabulous, but I didn't exactly have everything he was calling for . . . so I took his basic premise . . . and I switched it up with what I did have to hand.



I didn't have any cream and so I thought about what I might have that was in the fridge and that would give the same rich and creamy result and I came up with Herb and Garlic Boursin cheese.   It worked perfectly.  Of course it is a little more solid than cream and so I added some chicken stock to slacken the sauce a bit . . .



My cornichons had baby pearl onions in the jar and so I threw in a handful of them as well.  Magnifico!  What a beautiful sauce!  It went beautifully with these chops and with the mash.  It was mellow with just a bit of a bite and some lovely crunch and tartness from the cornichons, which went beautifully with the pork and the mustard . . . and of course the boursin cheese made for a bit of richness which was just wonderful. 



I ended up with a fabulously delicious supper dish for two.  You could easily multiply this up to larger amounts. I do hope you will give them a try.  Bon Appetit!



Pour off most of the fatty residue in the skillet, leaving as much brown drippings as you can.  Add the white wine and bring to the boil.  Boil for about 2 minutes, reducing it somewhat and scraping up any pork drippings.  Whisk in the mustards and boursin cheese, whisking constantly, until you have a nice thick sauce. If it is too thick, thin with a bit of chicken stock.  Stir in the cornichons and pickled onions if you have them.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Pour the sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

This goes fabulously with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable if desired.

Note:  Cutting the fatty edge of the pork chops at regular intervals helps them to lay flat when you are cooking them, and allows for a much more even colouring when you are browning them!

How would you begin to describe a cakelet as fabulous as a Friand . . . several little buttery and almond-ee bites of deliciousness doesn't even begin to do them justice . . . Similar to financiers, they are a French cakelet . . . normally composed of an ethereal mix of ground almonds and egg whites . . . and copious amounts of melted butter . . . but we won't talk about that.

I have made lemon ones in the past and they were quite quite fabulous.  I have seen raspberry ones . . . but with this being the beginning of wild blackberry season . . . I could not resist baking some blackberry ones the other morning.

Oh la la!   They are tres magnifique!  Moreish even.  Dare I say it???  I fear I must.   SCRUMMY.
They do use rather a lot of egg whites . . . but not to worry, so do Angel Food Cakes and we don't refrain from baking them, do we?   Of course not!

The yolks can always be used in omelets and tortillas and cakes where you want a lovely golden colour.  Not a real problem, but back to the Friands.

You don't really need a special pan to bake these in, you can also bake them in good nonstick muffin tins.  Just be sure to butter them really well so you don't have any sticking.  I do have a special oval shaped Friand pan, but it's really not necessary . . . You can dip the finished friands in a glaze if you wish . . . or you can simply dust them with icing sugar. 

Truth is . . . no matter how you choose to finish them . . . you will be no time in finishing them off, and by that I don't mean decorating.   These are tres impossible to resist.  Trust me on this.  But what's a poor girl to do when faced with such delightful little temptations . . .




Whisk together the sugar and enough lemon juice to give you a drizzle which coats the back of a spoon.  Dip the tops of the warm friands in this mixture.  Set aside to allow to set.