Pies

Apple Charlotte December, 2010

A very old fashioned way of using up a glut of Bramley cooking apples and some left over fruit loaf. Simple, but good….

Victoria Plum Tart October, 2010

Two trees in my Granny’s garden produced a profusion of fruit every fall. Victoria plums are good to eat and good to cook with, but any local plums will be delicious. The pastry here is too delicate to roll out so grate it and push it into the tin gently with your fingers. Serve the tart warm with vanilla ice cream or with mascarpone flavoured with Cointreau.

Shanghai Lime Pie August, 2010

I really enjoy Key Lime Pie but I always like to add my own interesting international twist to classic flavors.

Yuzu is a small citrus fruit that I fell in love years ago while traveling in Asia and I have used it in my cooking ever since. It is indigenous to eastern China and used extensively throughout Japan and Korea to bring a flavor reminiscent of grapefruit and mandarin orange to whatever it is added to. In this recipe it adds a subtle complexity to what could be a very straightforward lime pie.

Mum’s Bakewell Tart May, 2010

Traditional Bakewell Tarts originally came from a small English town called Bakewell. But now you can buy them all over England. Frankly, unless you are very lucky and find a good bakery, I would not bother. But the homemade version brings back all sorts of childhood memories as it was one of my Mother’s classic English ‘puds’. The crust is sweet pastry; over this is a layer of homemade strawberry or raspberry jam with a deep layer of frangipane on top. Delicious.

Mascarpone Cheese with Whiskey Fruit Tart February, 2010

Strictly speaking mascarpone is a triple-cream cheese - sometimes with buttermilk added. It is often used in savoury recipes such as a risotto for an extra creamy consistency or added to a tomato-based sauce to reduce the sharpness. Where puddings are concerned it can replace creme patisserie or creme anglaise. It is famously used in tiramisu and can be used with any tart or pie instead of cream. I like this version of mascarpone which is flavoured with vanilla and goes beautifully with the Irish Whiskey in the fruit tart - perfect for St Patrick’s Day!

Signora Peccini’s Pear & Frangipane Tart February, 2010

Signora Peccini, who was Austrian, married to an Italian used to make this tart for us in Perugia when we students living at her house. I have no idea if it is Austrian or Italian in concept, but it is very good either way. The pastry takes a while to do with all the ‘resting’ but it is the best way to get really crisp shortcrust pastry with no soggy bottom! The quantities for the pastry are more than you need but it keeps well for up to a week. I find it easier to make a larger quantity because 3 egg yolks are difficult to divide.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tartlets with Toasted Hazelnut Crust February, 2010

These indulgent tarts are made without dairy and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and raspberry preserves. In the filling I like to use a good organic dark chocolate like Rapunzel or Green and Blacks. For a truly deluxe treat try decorating these with edible gold dust or cocoa powder, or a layer of each.

Mince Pies and Brandy Butter December, 2009

Use decent brandy or Somerset Cider brandy and use best luxury mincemeat. These little tarts are so good just as they are; don’t go to all the trouble of making your own mincemeat. This recipe has less pastry and uses less mincemeat than the usual version and the frangipane makes them just delicious.Serve the brandy butter in a scoop alongside the little tarts or put in a bowl and let people help themselves. The contrast of hot mince pies and cold brandy butter is excellent.

French Apple Tarte November, 2009

You can prepare the dough the night before and refrigerate overnight. Then make the pie in the morning or early afternoon, depending on how much space is available in your oven and other chores on your to-do list. I love serving this with good-quality vanilla ice cream, such as Haagen-Dazs.

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Pies