Basics: Cream Cheese Pastry

Cream Cheese Pastry

This can be used as an alternative to puff pastry for quiches, pies and over savory pastry based dishes. Its great due to the fact its relatively quick and easy to make up from ingredients which normally you would have in your fridge or pantry! A family friend of ours, Jenny Parry, introduced Mum and I to this fab recipe.

This recipe is a Ruth Pretty creation.

Ingredients:
2 Cups + 1 Tablespoon Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Cream Cheese
170g Unsalted Butter, Diced
2 Tablespoons Iced Water
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

1. Place flour, baking powder and cream cheese in a food processor and whiz until almost combined.

2. Add butter and process until butter is size of small peas.

3. Add water and vinegar and process further until dough just beginning to come together.

4. Knead on a lightly floured board and work into a ball.

5. Wrap the ball in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling out.

Basics: Lazy Chili Sauce

Lazy Chili Sauce

When I make this, I make 5 - 8 times the recipe given. I would make at least double, as you will only produce about one or two jars (which is definitely not enough as this sauce is amazing!).

I am lazy and can't be bothered coring and cutting fresh tomatos into small pieces. If you want to use up ripe tomatoes just weigh how many you have and adjust the recipe to suit.

Ingredients:
400 g Tomatos (1 Can of Plum Tomatoes Whole or Crushed)
1 Medium Whole Chili, With Green Top Removed
2 Tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce
3/4 Cup Malt Vinegar
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Thumb Size Piece of Ginger

1. Place 1/4 can of tomatoes, chilis, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger into the food processor and liquidise.

2. Place rest of tomato into a large saucepan. If you are using whole canned tomato's, run a knife around the saucepan to break the tomato's into smaller pieces.

3. Add sugar, and liquidised tomato mixture into saucepan and simmer for at least 20 minutes. The sauce mixture volume should reduce by approximately a fifth and it should look nice and syrupy. If you are making multiple quantities, this process of simmering could take up to an hour depending on the volume.

4. Pour mixture into sterilised jars. Cover with jam covers and when cool jar lids (this is the same process that is followed with jam and described in the link following http://ppbluecuisine.blogspot.com/2011/02/basics-plum-jam.html).

Basics: Plum Jam

Plum Jam

Essentially all fruit jams are the same 1:1 fruit to sugar. Easy, right? 

The only difficult part is knowing when the jam has cooked long enough that it will set.

My Nanny (Grandmother) used to be a great preserve maker. Jams. Chutneys. Sauces. My Mum also makes her own marmalade and raspberry jam, however I know, in these times, this is quite uncommon. Despite this, I can't think of anything better than homemade jam.

You CAN taste the difference from the mass produced store bought!

Ingredients:

1 kg Plums (stones removed) - can use raspberries, strawberries etc.

1 kg White Sugar

2 Tablespoon Water

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and mix together. As it heats it will start to form a syrup.

2. Simmer for at least 10 - 20 mins. Keep checking to see if it is cooked by using a teaspoon to drop a teeny tiny (smaller than a 10c piece) onto a saucer. Wait for a minute or so. If it starts to set it is ready i.e. it is no longer liquidy but like a gel.

3. Skim foam off the top of the jam, and set aside (put it in a separate bowl to use on toast or in a trifle). If you leave the foam in the jam, your jam will be cloudy when it sets in the jar.

4. Pour boiling water into your jam jars and whish it around (to kill any bacteria in the jar). Pour it out, and pat dry with a clean tea towel.

5. When jam has cooled for a few minutes, transfer it into multiple jam jars.

6. Using jam covers and the rubberbands, which come with them, seal your jam and allow to cool.

7. Once screw on the jar lids and store in a dark, cool dry place.

Note: Once jam is opened, I always store it in the fridge.

Basics: Vanilla Poached Pears and Syrup

Vanilla Poached Pears and Syrup

These are great for on top of a pav, in cakes or just with some ice-cream.

Ingredients:
4 Pears, Peeled, Sliced into eighths
3 Cups Water
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.

2. Bring to the boil and boil for ten minutes.

3. Allow mixture to cool in saucepan for ten minutes, then remove pears and place on plate or tray.

4. Return saucepan to heat and boil until reduced to at least a 1/3.

Basics: Sweet Almond Pastry

Sweet Almond Pastry

Normally I would give all flour/sugar etc. measurements in Cups, Tablespoons, Dessertspoons and Teaspoons, however with pastry and bread it is much easier to use weight. Small pastry cases of this could be filled with lemon curd or chocolate ganche and toped with a strawberry.

Ingredients
160g Flour
50g Caster Sugar
35g Almond Meal
Zest of Lemon (Optional)
Pinch of Salt
115g Butter, Diced
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Brandy or Rum
1 Teaspoon Milk

1. Whiz flour, sugar, almond meal, lemon, salt and sugar in the food processor (fitted with metal blade)

2. Whisk egg, brandy and milk together. Ppour into food processor feeding tube, and whizz together until just combined.

3. Remove from food processor bowl, roll into large ball, gladwrap and place in frige for at least an hour.

4. Roll out with a little flour to line tin, pie dish etc.

5. May be required to blind bake for 10 minutes depending on filling.