I have two lovely things for you. One is this excellent recipe for halva jelly by Sumayya Usmani from Mountain Berries and Desert Spice (published by Frances Lincoln, an imprint of The Quarto Group). The other thing I have is a copy of this delightful book to giveaway. For details on how to get your mitts on the book scroll to the bottom of the post. READ MORE
Today I am giving you not only a recipe for mixed berry parfait, but also a recipe that allows you to sing its very name to a Prince song. READ MORE
So I’m taking on some kind of personal blogging challenge. I’ve decided to post a recipe a day every weekday until Christmas eve. I may not make it, in fact it’s highly likely something related to looking after three kids and preparing for Christmas at the same time might get in the way. But I’m going to give it a good go.
Here’s the first recipe. This tart is always loved by everyone. The pastry is easy to handle, the filling chocolately without being too sweet. This is my alternative Christmas dessert on the big day, as you can make it 2 days in advance and crack on with something else.
More recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this tart. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Last December: My slow cooker beef bourguignon pie and Crumble topped mince pies and a very ugly but delicious cranberry & raspberry traybake
Two years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Three years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Four years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Chocolate ganache tart with my most well behaved pastry
Ingredients:
Pastry:
Ganache:
Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour and icing sugar (use hands/food processor or stand mixer on speed 1/2 using flat beater) until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Then bind together with the egg using either a blunt knife or the flat beater at speed 1 on the stand mixer. Once you have clumps of pastry pulling together, use your hands to gather into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll the pastry to a thickness of about 3mm and line a 23cm loose bottomed tart tin with it. (I move the pastry by laying both hands under the pastry with palms upwards and fingers spread wide.) Make sure the pastry is pushed into the corners, then run the rolling pin over the top of the tart tin to trim the pastry edges. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans/uncooked rice or pulses. Bake in a preheated 180C/Gas 4 oven for 15 minutes then remove the beans and paper and bake until lightly golden brown and baked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool but leave in the tin.
Make the ganache by boiling the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling. Do not allow to boil for long or the ganache will be grainy. Then add the butter and chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Pour into your blind baked pastry case and leave to set, either on the side at room temperature overnight for a soft set. Or in the fridge which is a lot faster and achieves a hard set. If you use the fridge method the tart will lose a little of its shine though taste not compromised.
P.S. To sign up for my free monthly newsletter just click here. It has a baking SOS, recommendations on bits of kit I can’t live without, my kitchen catastrophe of the month, a sneak preview of a recipe coming up on this blog and a letter from me telling you what I’ve been up to. Remember to check your inbox for a confirmation email and also to add my email recipesfromanormalmum@gmail.com to your contacts. Otherwise I could go to spam.
Most of the time I don’t want anyone to mess with my Cadbury creme egg. Oh no siree. I want it plain and unadulterated. A little tear of the foil with my fingernail, a timid peel, then a scramble to get the egg out; naked.
We all know the way you eat your egg says so much about you. Me? In the way I seem to approach everything in life, I start off trying to be demure – positively French about it in fact. Nibbling away in a ladylike fashion. Then the girl from the Midlands in me rises to the top and I shove the whole thing in my mouth. And then I reach for another. I’ve never been good at rationing.
So here I am messing with the mighty Cadbury creme egg. I think I’ll make an exception for this dessert though. It’s Eton mess without any Old Etonians or raspberries. I do love a raspberry, but it’s Easter so the creme egg rules.
All comments gratefully received. Here are some other Eastery recipes you might like too:
One year ago: Mini Simnel cupcakes and Chocolate orange easter spiced fudge and Eastery two tone cupcakes and Easter apostles scone loaf
Two years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Hot cross biscotti
Cadbury creme egg mess
Makes enough for 4
Ingredients:
Firstly imagine someone were carrying some eggs, whipped double cream and honeycomb in a large bag and then dropped it quite violently – this is the thought I am channeling to make this dessert. You need to make the honeycomb at least an hour ahead but when it comes to assembly this is a last minute thing. Honeycomb and moisture (like the moisture found in double cream) are not best pals. Honeycomb starts to go soggy quickly so assemble and serve. Luckily this is so quick and easy to assemble that shouldn’t be an issue. Oh and store your honeycomb in a tin and not in the fridge. The fridge makes it weep.
To make the honeycomb line a roasting pan with foil making sure it goes up the sides. Then melt the sugar, syrup and butter in a large saucepan on the hob for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Don’t stir – swirl the pan if bits of it are catching. And whatever you do, don’t touch the contents of the pan – it will get very very hot. Once golden brown add the bicarbonate of soda and stir quickly with a wooden spoon – it will fizz up. Then pour straight into the lined tin. Don’t bang the tin or touch the honeycomb as it is A & E hot. Put the pan in the sink and fill with hot water but stand back as it will fizz and spit a bit. Leave to set for a few hours then once cool either smash up with a rolling pin or whizz up in a food processor.
Now assemble your Cadbury creme egg mess. Layer honeycomb, Cadbury creme egg splats and whipped cream at least twice in a glass or sundae dish then top with a broken Cadbury creme egg and some honeycomb shards. Serve and sit back and enjoy, for Easter comes but once a year.
Holly Bell 