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Current tart served with Creme de Casis syrup

This is a tribute to my mother for “inventing” this very special dessert  which became a big  favorite with family and friends, young and old.

BLOCK HORIZONTAL LINE

CURRENT TART

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356°F).

The base:
225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
½ level teaspoon baking powder
225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup milk and water mixed
1 large free-range egg
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

The topping:
1½ cup black currents
1 tablespoon sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Creme de Cassis
1 cup fresh cream, whipped until it forms stiff peaks

If you do not have Creme de Casis or prefer not to use alcohol, black currant syrup (similar flavor, non-alcoholic) is a good substitute, otherwise raspberry liqueur is also good.

The syrup:
½ cup sugar
juice of half a lemon
¼ cup Creme de Cassis
½ cup water

Grease a cake pan of about 22 cm (8.6 in) in diameter with a loose bottom, and then dredge all over inside with a mixture of flour and caster sugar.
Into a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix in the egg, butter, milk and water and whisk together until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until well risen and golden.  Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes.  Remove the cake from the cake tin and leave to cool totally.
In a small saucepan bring the currents and enough water to cover it, add the sugar and bring to a boil.  Cook until the currents are nice and swollen and the sauce is syrupy (you should have about  ¾ cup/175 ml of syrup – if it is not enough, add a little bit more water), then remove from the heat and immediately add the egg yolks whilst stirring vigorously to avoid the yolks from scrambling.  It should be a creamy consistency.  Add the liqueur, reserve 4 tablespoons of the sauce, and set aside to cool completely.
In a small saucepan and over very low heat, heat all the ingredients until it becomes syrupy.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool right down to room temperature.

To assemble:
Spoon the cooked currents on top of the cake with enough syrup to soak in, then top with the whipped cream and pour the Creme de Cassis syrup around.  Cut the cake to the desired size for serving.

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

2 replies on “Current tart served with Creme de Casis syrup”

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