Tag: Dried fruit

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

DATES, NUTS AND BRANDY TART WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE


DATE AND NUT TART

The tart:
125 g/4.4 oz dates, stoned and chopped
½ cup/125 ml boiling water
½ teaspoon/3 ml bicarbonate of soda
½ cup/125 ml butter, room temperature
100 g/3.5 oz soft brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup/250 ml cake flour
½ teaspoon/3 ml baking powder
a pinch salt
50 g /1.7 oz walnuts or pecan nuts (chopped)
½ teaspoon/3 ml cinnamon
½ teaspoon/3 ml nutmeg
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, minced
zest of 1 orange

The syrup:
2 teaspoons/10 ml butter
½ cup/125 ml soft brown sugar
⅓  cup/80 ml water
1 cinnamon quill
¼ cup/60 ml brandy
1 teaspoon/5 ml vanilla paste
pinch of salt

The garnish:
200 g/7 oz mascarpone cheese
or 200 g/7 oz fresh cream, whipped

Mascarpone is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cream cheese with a very high fat content. The texture is that of thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making your own mascarpone at home is simple, cheaper than the shop bought ones and utterly delicious. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes and enhances the flavor of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. Mascarpone is used in ie the Italian dessert, Tiramisu, cheesecake (see Baked cheesecake with blackberry sauce) or served alone with fruit or fruit syrup. It makes charming canopies, topped with anchovies, tomato, smoked salmon, etc in fact, any topping you would normally put on top of a cream cheese snack. Mascarpone needs to be consumed within a few days.

Preheat the oven to 180° C/356°F.
Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates in a saucepan and heat to boiling point. Remove from heat and mix the bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and leave to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar and add the egg. Beat well to make a smooth batter. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and fold into the creamed mixture. Add the nuts, stir in the date mixture, the spices and orange zest, and mix well. Pour the batter into a well greased 23 cm/9 in) baking tin (preferably with a loose bottom), and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Have the syrup ready and pour over the hot tart as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Prepare the syrup while the tart is baking. Heat the butter, sugar, water and cinnamon for approximately 5 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the brandy, vanilla and salt. Keep the syrup hot. Remove the cinnamon quill and pour the hot syrup over the pudding as soon as it is removed from the oven, reserving half a cup for drizzling when serving. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving.

To serve:
Cut a slice from the tart and serve it with a dollop of mascarpone cheese (optional) or fresh cream. Drizzle the reserved syrup around and serve.

 

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

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.