Caramelised Onion and Goat's Cheese Tart, and Raspberry and Chocolate Tart

It feels like forever since I've been home. We are having work done to our house and consequently my room has been turned upside down. There’s a hole in both my floor and ceiling; considering we are only meant to be having an extension in the kitchen (yaaay!!!) and lounge, clearly things aren’t exactly going to plan. But, I’ll let my parents worry about that! One of the things I miss the most about not going home at the weekends is Sunday lunch. Admittedly I have never had a traditionally English Sunday roast. But in my home, Sunday is a lazy day and always involves a long, luxurious lunch. It’s a chance to try something a bit special; enter: my gourmet goat’s cheese and caramelised onion tart.

One of my cousins told me about this recipe. For something that sounds so posh, it is really simple to make and looks pretty impressive. Caramelised onions are one of those intriguingly sticky and sweet yet somehow savoury gourmet ingredients. Seen on a menu, they immediately signal posh brassiere. But would you believe it, caramelised onions are made using three very every day ingredients; oil, onions and balsamic vinegar. The caramel flavour comes from the slow cooking process through which the onions release their unctuously sweet juices and ta da, you have caramelised onions!

As for the tart, well, if you’ve got a freezer then you’re sorted! I know shortcrust pastry is easy to make, nothing more than flour, butter and a touch of water. But I know an even easier recipe; your supermarket ready rolled version. I will use the “I am a student and have bigger fish to fry” excuse here. When time, energy and kitchen space are in short supply I think there is nothing wrong in taking a few short cuts with the shortcrust! 

This dish is perfect to try when you’re trying to impress someone and can easily be made for a large quantity. I have to say, my presentation skills are somewhat lacking; I like to call it the shabby chic look. And I have to say my favourite part of any pastry dish is crispy overhanging bits. But if you want the real deal gourmet finish, it just takes a few seconds to trim down any excess pastry.

Caramelised Onion and Goat’s cheese tart (serves 2)

½ a roll of ready rolled shortcrust pastry

1 onion

½ tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

45g soft goat’s cheese

30g frozen spinach (a few cubes of frozen spinach)

Start by lining a greased tray or pie dish with the pastry. You can use whatever tray or dish you like. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (I missed this step out, and as a consequence my pastry bubbled up a bit – however it tasted just as delicious, but as mentioned earlier the final look is more shabby chic than brassiere! If you don’t use the baking beans then prick the pastry with a fork to minimise the extent to which the pastry bubbles.)

Bake the pastry in a pre heated oven for 20 mins at 200ºc.

In the mean time, finely slice the onion. Cook in a pan with the oil on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Don’t let them catch or colour, just let them cook slowly until they soften. If they seem to be catching, turn the heat down and add a little pinch of salt (this will draw out the moisture from the onion and should prevent them catching). After about ten minutes they should have shrunk by about half. Add the balsamic vinegar at this point. Cook for a further 5 minutes and they should be done.

Spread the onions over the cooked pastry and dot with the defrosted spinach. Finally top the tart with the cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

This pastry can be enjoyed hot, warm and cold the next day.

I found when making this tart, the generosity of the super market ready rolled pastry (another reason to buy it readymade!) meant that I had some left over. This gave me the chance to make the perfect decadent and indulgent raspberry and chocolate dessert tart. The perfect ending to a gourmet meal.

Raspberry and Chocolate tart (serves 2 greedy people)

the other 1/2 of the ready rolled shortcrust pastry

170mls double cream

100g dark chocolate (this makes a somewhat bitter tart, if you prefer sweeter desserts, use 50g milk chocolate and 50g dark)

A handful of fresh raspberries

Cook the pastry in the same way as before, except cook for 5 minutes extra until it is golden and cooked all the way through.

(Bake the pastry in a pre heated oven for 20 mins at 200ºc.)

Heat the cream in a pan on a low heat. Wait until the cream is completely heated through, and you see bubbles appearing on the surface. This will take about 7 minutes. Take off the heat. Break up the chocolate into small pieces, and stir into the hot cream. The chocolate should melt before your eyes and the cream turn into a beautiful chocolate ganache.

Once the pastry is cooled, place the raspberries on the base of the tart and pour over the ganache. Put the pastry in the fridge to set for at least two hours. Believe me, it’s worth the wait!

I hope you enjoy  these gourmet treats, and impress those you share them with!

Until next time...

The Cupcake Challenge

This week I took up the cupcake challenge. I entered a competition for a novel cupcake recipe. My first experiences in the kitchen all involved baking. My Mum’s baking skills are unrivalled (and I’m not just saying that for fear of not having fresh rolls and cakes to bring back to university when I visit home – she and my Aunt used to sell birthday cakes for good money, until us little ones came along). So baking feels like home to me.

The first recipe I tried was my Strawberry and Basil cupcake. It sounds weird, and it is! But it works. It bought me at least six friends at university when I brought a batch to my halls of residence, and my friends have some of the most particular palates I have ever come across – to put it politely! The unusually sweet and savoury flavour of basil makes a beautiful vivid green icing which matches perfectly with the fruity strawberry sponge. It is certainly something different, and tastes surprisingly good!

Strawberry and Basil cupcakes (Makes about 12)

For the cupcakes:

250g self raising flour

125g margarine

210mls boiled milk, cooled

150g caster sugar

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g strawberries, chopped finely

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the buttercream icing:

200g unsalted butter, softened

400g icing sugar

25g fresh basil leaves, chopped super fine

Start by making the sponge. Cream the butter and sugar. Once light and fluffy pour in the cooled milk and keep mixing. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the mix. Combine thoroughly. Finally add the chopped strawberries and balsamic vinegar. (It sounds strange, but the savoury tones of the vinegar works really well with the basil, and don’t worry the icing ensures the cakes taste as sweet as any other. If you want to be really daring, try adding a pinch of black pepper.)

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases, filling up to ¾ of the way to ensure the cakes don’t spill over. Cook in a preheated oven at 180ºc, for about 20 minutes. To check the cakes are done, insert a skewer in the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean, they’re done.   

To make the icing, simply cream the butter and sugar together. It may appear to form a sandy texture at first, but persevere and it will transform into buttercream. Add in the basil and watch it turn a beautiful green.

Once the cakes are cooled, pipe the buttercream in whatever form takes your fancy over the cakes.

I also tried slightly more luxurious flavoured cupcakes containing the most expensive ingredient on the planet: Saffron and Pistachio cupcakes. These take their inspiration from Middle Eastern flavours. The combination is very much tried and tested in many Middle Eastern recipes, so I figured it’s a cupcake winner.

Saffron and Pistachio cupcakes (Makes about 12)

For the cupcakes:

250g self raising flour

125g margarine

210mls boiled milk, cooled

150g caster sugar

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp crushed saffron strands

½ tsp crushed cardamom seeds

¼ nutmeg

For the buttercream icing:

200g unsalted butter, softened

400g icing sugar

1 tsp pistachio essence

Crushed pistachios to decorate

Gold edible glitter (if you want that extra kitsch factor, I mean, why not!)

Make the cake in the same way as before. Cream the butter and sugar. Once light and fluffy pour in the cooled milk and keep mixing. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the mix. Combine thoroughly. Finally add the saffron, cardamom and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases, filling up to ¾ of the way to ensure the cakes don’t spill over. Cook in a preheated oven at 180ºc, for about 20 minutes. To check the cakes are done, insert a skewer in the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean, they’re done.

To make the icing, simply cream the butter and sugar together. It may appear to form a sandy texture at first, but persevere and it will transform into buttercream. Finally add in the pistachio essence.

Once the cakes are cooled, pipe the buttercream in whatever form takes your fancy over the cakes. Sprinkle liberally with crushed pistachio nuts and gold edible glitter.

I decided to submit the Saffron and Pistachio cupcakes for the competition. Fingers crossed, but there was definitely some stiff competition. Whatever the result these cupcakes are definitely worth a try for a simple and delicious twist on the ordinary cupcake.

Until next time...