Saturday 28 March 2015

Daring Bakers - March 2015!

After quite some time, I managed to take part in this month's challenge.

Our host was Korena from Korena in the Kitchen.

The chosen recipe for March was "Tart Tatin".

I must admit that it was something I wanted to make for a long time, but somehow never did make one. We had to make our own pastry, as well! Great challenge, indeed!

I decided to make a sweet tart tatin, using fresh strawberries. The pastry is lovely and buttery AND gluten free!

Strawberry Tart Tatin - gluten free

for the pastry:

125 gr all-purpose gluten free flour
140 gm unsalted butter, cold
¼ tsp fine salt
vanillin
40 ml ice cold water
20ml milk, cold

for the filling:
adapted from here

fresh strawberries (enough to fill the bottom of the pan)
60 gr butter
100 gr white granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
vanilla bean (the seeds)
vanilla essence
chocolate sprinkles
 

* Preheat the oven to 190oC.
* Combine the flour, vanillin and salt.
* Cut the butter into small cubes and add it to the flour.
* Knead with your hands until the mixture is (wear plastic gloves!).
* Pour in the cold liquids.
* Knead together with a fork until the dough starts to clump together.
* Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead just enough to bring it together into a square.
    Do not overwork the dough.
* Flour the rolling pin and roll the dough out into a rectangle.
* Fold the bottom third of the dough up into the middle, and fold the top third down, like you are folding a
   letter. This is one fold.
* Turn the dough, so that one of the open edges is facing you, and roll out again into a rectangle.
* Do this for  5 folds total.
* Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge. I myself left it only 30min. (I am not very patient!!!), but
   if you want 1 hour to overnight is better.



I chose to use a square glass baking dish.
* Butter the bottom of the baking dish and arrange the strawberries, cut in half. Let it aside.


* Place the butter, sugar and water in a frying pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
* Bring to a boil and cook for 5 min.
* Pour the caramel over the strawberries.


 the liquid you see is my homemade vanilla essence, using vodka as base.





(I did crumble some brown sugar on top, just for the smell and the colour!!!)
* Take the dough out of the fridge.
* Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to the size and shape of the pan.

* Lay it over the filling and cut it here and there to release the steam.
* Bake for 35-40 min, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

 the dough is soooo smooth and silky....



* Take it out of the oven, wait 5 min. and invert it on a serving platter, larger than the baking dish.
    BE CAREFUL it is HOT!!!
* Add as many chocolate sprinkles as you wish and enjoy!






A truly amazing dessert! We all loved it and of course I am going to make it again... It is so easy!
Also, if you don't have the time or the mood, buy a ready made puff pastry and you can make it just as good!

I do intend to make a savoury one, as well. I am intrigued by this idea and will probably make it, using onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes....



Great great challenge!

Thank you Korina!


Louise.

NOTE: I am using gluten free flour, not because I cannot tolerate gluten, but because I think it is healthier. Therefore, I do not pay attention to whether there are gluten traces in my other ingredients, i.e. the chocolate sprinkles are not gluten free. So, if you do have a problem with gluten, just use all gluten free certified ingredients!

Thursday 5 March 2015

"Welcome Baby" Sugar Cookies!

A very dear friend of mine gave birth to a little baby girl. I did buy a present for the baby, but I wanted to make something special and sweet for her as well.

Sugar Cookies (!!!) in the theme of a new baby!

I used my trusted recipe for sugar cookies and I decorated them with royal icing, for which I used raw egg whites. Of course I kept them in the fridge, which made them a little hard, but I don't like the taste of meringue powder......
I cannot remember now how many seconds was the consistency of the RI, I think it was 15 - 20 sec., but it was one, because I like outlining and flooding with the same consistency, so as not to have distinct borders. 

For the shapes I printed and cut templates, because I couldn't find cookie cutters in a short period of time.

Before I start decorating, I make sketches, so as to have the image in my mind.

(excuse the pictures, it was late at night, because decorating cookies and dealing with a 5 year old in the kitchen don't go well together...)
I chose a purple and white colour scheme. Pink I don't like so much....
I chose the heart, the baby bottle, the onesie, the play cubes and the word BABY!


I must admit that it was the first time I made such elaborate designs and I liked how they turned out!


Louise