Apple, Maple and Almond Tart

I love baking with puff pastry.
This is another recipe that is such a delight to make 

and only takes a few minutes to assemble.

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup caster sugar
6 Pink Lady apples, cored
1/4 cup maple syrup, plus extra, to serve
1 eggwhite, for brushing
1 tbsp white sugar
icing sugar, for dusting

Method:
* Preheat oven to 200C.
* Place puff pastry on baking tray lined with baking paper.
* Mix almond meal and sugar to combine. Sprinkle over the puff pastry, leaving a 4cm border.
* Slice the apples. Place maple syrup and apples in a bowl and toss to coat.
* Layer the apple over the almond mixture. Fold in the edges of the pastry and brush with eggwhite.
* Sprinkle the tart with white sugar and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked and golden. 
* Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with extra maple syrup.


Recipe by Donna Hay (sundaylifestyle.com.au)

Caramelised Fig Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone and Saffron Honey Syrup

Figs are versatile fruits. You can have them in both savoury and sweet dishes.

They're lusciously sweet and delicious and are wonderful additions to any dish.

 I just wish fresh figs are available throughout the year.

 
This is a very easy, simple and quick dessert to whip up.
A great ending to your meal that I'm sure you and your guests would love.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, cut in 4 sqaures
6 fresh figs cut in half
500g mascarpone
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
100g caster sugar
100ml water
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cinnamon quill
1 star anise
1 clove
Fresh mint leaves to garnish
Method:
* For the syrup, place sugar, saffron, water, honey, cinnamon, anise and clove into a pan on low heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for further 5 minutes and allow to cool.
* For the tart filling, fold vanilla essence, icing sugar and mascarpone together in a bowl.
* Place fig halves on a baking tray and dust with some icing sugar. Grill for about 5 minutes and allow to cool.
* Bake puff pastry as per instructions.
* Top the tart with mascarpone mix and arrange the figs on top of each tart. Drizzle honey syrup over and around the tart. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.




Recipe adapted from Chef Marcus Turner.

Portuguese Egg Tart

 

My favourite childhood dessert would have to be these egg tarts.

Remembering how creamy and wonderful the taste was. So yum!

I recently thought about trying to make my own egg tarts.
I know my son will love my forever if I make them.

Getting excited... now I can make some of these myself! 

Ingredients:

3 sheets puff pastry
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup thickened cream
1/3 cup of milk
3 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
* In an electric mixer beat the eggs, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla for about 3 minutes. Strain through a strainer.
* Preheat oven to 180C.
* Cut pastry into circles, 8cm diameter. Fit them well into tart tins. Fill the shells with the custard, 3/4 full.
* Bake for 20-30 minutes of until custard turns brown.

So tell me reader, what's your favourite childhood dessert?

Pineapple Tart with Coconut Ice Cream

The flaky crusts combined with the rich pineapple centre make this tart a wonderful small meal. These tarts make the warm season all the sweeter. 

Hope you'll enjoy making this recipe as much as I did.

Ice Cream Ingredients:
vanilla ice cream
shredded coconut, toasted
 
Tart Ingredients:
1 1/2 sheets puff pastries
1 egg
6 Pineapple slices
demerara sugar or brown sugar
 
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
100g butter
100g demerara sugar
 
Method

For the Ice Cream:
Roll vanilla ice cream on toasted coconut and put back in freezer again.
 
For the Tart:
Cut puff pastries into 4 equal squares and lay on lined oven tray.
Beat egg and brush them on the pastries.
Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of the pastries.
Put one slice of pineapple on top of each pastry.
Bake for 200C for about 15-20 minutes or until sugar has caramelised.
 
For the Caramel Sauce:
Over medium heat, melt butter and demerara sugar in a pan. Keep the mixture at a slow boil for 7-9 minutes or until it turns golden in colour, turn off the heat.
 
Serve pineapple tart with coconut ice cream and drizzle caramel sauce on top.

Apple & Rosemary Upside Down Tart

 

You'll love me after you try this... Apple & Rosemary Upside Down Tart

Place a large oven proof non-stick fry pan over medium heat and sprinkle 100g caster sugar over the base, pour 60ml water over and allow the sugar to dissolve. Keep the sugar mixture at a slow boil as it will begin to caramelise quickly, 7-9 minutes.

When the caramel turns dark golden in colour, turn off the heat and add 60ml thickened cream and stir. Add the 100g unsalted butter, 3x 5cm sprigs rosemary and vanilla seeds (1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla essence) and stir to combine.

Once the butter is melted, lay the apple rounds (2 medium pink lady apples, sliced width ways in 1.5cm thick rounds) in the caramel to cover the base of the pan.

Remove puff pastry from the fridge and roll out a round to fit snuggly inside the frypan.

Lay the round over the top of the apples. Turn the heat back on and continue to cook at a very gentle simmer for 1 minute. Transfer the frypan to the oven for 30 minutes or until pastry if puffed, golden and cooked through.

Remove from the oven and rest for 30 seconds. Lay a large plate over the top of the frypan and flip the frypan over onto the plate turning the tart upside down.

For the Vanilla Creme Fraiche: whisk together 200g creme fraiche, 10g icing sugar and     1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped. 

 Serve with scoops of vanilla creme fraiche.

Recipe adapted from Alana (Masterchef)