Apple Tart

I had a virus a few weeks ago which resulted in me spending five days in bed.  In the good moments, I was able to catch up on some reading.  For years, my Dad has been encouraging me to read "Scoop" by Evelyn Waugh.  It is a satire, and revolves around the adventures of William Boot, a nature columnist, who is mistakenly sent to a fictional African state as a war correspondent in the 1930s.  It wasn't quite my cup of tea as some of the descriptions went on for ages, but there were some very funny passages, including a couple involving a goat, which I've copied below.  For context, the goat was tethered at Frau Dressler's pensione where Boot was staying. 

"The milch-goat was allowed a narrower radius; those who kept strictly to to the causeway were safe, but she never reconciled herself to this limitation and, day in, day out, essayed a series of meteoric onslaughts on the passers-by, ending, at the end of her rope, with a jerk which would have been death to an animal of any other species.  One day the rope would break; she knew it, and so did Frau Dressler's guests."

And then later...

"The milch-goat looked up from her supper of waste paper; her perennial optimism quickened within her, and swelled to a great and mature confidence; all day she had shared the exhilaration of the season, her pelt had glowed under the newborn sun; deep in her heart she too had made holiday, had cast off the doubts of winter and exulted among the crimson flowers; all day she had dreamed gloriously; now in the limpid evening she gathered her strength, stood for a moment rigid, quivering from horn to tail; then charged, splendidly, irresistibly, triumphantly, the rope snapped and the welter-weight champion of the Adventist University of Alabama sprawled on his face amid the kitchen garbage."

The reason why I found this so funny was not because of the cocktail of over the counter flu medication I had taken, but because it reminded me of an interaction I had with a goat in Ravensthorpe.  My Dad was working down there, and we had gone to spend some time with him during the school holidays.  After settling into the motel, I spied an untethered goat in a neighbouring field and immediately wanted to befriend it.  For some reason, my Mother had fortuitously packed a loaf of bread, and I skipped gleefully over to my soon to be new best friend with a few slices.  I got through the fence and held out the bread, and the goat knocked it out of my hand.  I bent over to pick it up and the goat head-butted me in the bottom.  We weren't friends after that.

Speaking of my childhood, here is another favourite from my Mother's repertoire - Tarte aux Pommes - from The Margaret Fulton Cookbook.  It was always a Saturday night post-roast winter staple. 

Apple Tart (adapted from The Margaret Fulton Cookbook)

For the pastry

250g plain flour
100g unsalted butter (softened)
100g icing sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs

For the filling

7 medium Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brandy
30g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp raw caster sugar

For the glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp water

Method

For the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse lightly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the eggs, and pulse until the mixture is just combined.  Do not overmix, otherwise the pastry will become leathery.  Turn out onto a floured surface.

Shape the pastry into a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  When firm, roll out and line a 22cm tart tin.  As pastry shrinks, I always leave a little bit extra around the edges and the cut off any excess after it has come out of the oven. 

Put the tin in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, and blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes. 

Remove the pastry weights and then bake for another 5 minutes until the pastry is a light golden colour. 

In the meantime, make the filling.  Peel and core five of the apples, and cut them into chunks.  Put the apples in a large saucepan with the brandy, water, 15g of the butter, and caster sugar.

Cover, and simmer on a gentle heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, and puree in a food processor.  Spread the puree into the tart shell. 

Peel and core the remaining two apples, and slice them thinly. Toss them with the raw caster sugar and lemon juice, and then lay them in a circular pattern over the puree. 

Melt the remaining butter and brush over the apple slices.  Bake the tart at 190 degrees celsius until the apples are golden brown (about 40 minutes).  I sometimes increase the heat to 200 degrees in the last 10 minutes to encourage caramelisation. 

To make the glaze, heat the jam and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  When smooth and clear, spread over the warm tart.

This tart is a winner, although as a child it always used to give me a headache.  Mum said it was because of the brandy.  The alcohol cooks out, so it is just flavouring rather than a potential child protection issue.  Perhaps it was just too much for my sensitive goat-loving constitution.  It certainly doesn't give me a headache now.

Mothers Day - Fabric Covered Bag

I always make something for my Mum on Mothers' Day.  In the early years, Mum graciously received paper flowers, seedpod jewellery, objets de macaroni, and cards with lots of glitter, silver stars and some crazy texta work.  I also occasionally made Mum breakfast in bed.  When I was seven, I remember making her an egg and toast combination from a children's cookbook I had borrowed from the library.  It involved buttering two slices of bread, cutting a hole in the middle of one slice using a biscuit cutter, putting this on top of the other slice, cracking an egg into the hole and then baking it in a hot oven.  There may have been a tomato or tomato paste involved, but that part is a bit of a blur.  However, I vividly recall getting up early and making this dish on my own, which was a big deal as it involved putting the gas oven on all by myself.   The dish worked out a treat, but it was back in the day when Pure and Simple baking spray was popular and I had sprayed that oven tray within an inch of its life.  I proudly took it into Mum, who was her usual gracious self, but did mention a certain Pure and Simple flavour permeating the bread.  I learnt an important lesson that day. 

So, for today, Mothers Day 2012, I made this cherry crumble cheesecake of awesomeness from Dan Lepard's book "Short and Sweet - The Best of Home Baking". 

In the gift wrapping department, I continued with my use of fabric, this time covering a large gift bag with a 1930's inspired floral print.

I started by measuring the front, base and sides of the bag, and cut the fabric to size.

I removed the existing handles and, using craft glue, stuck the fabric onto the bag, beginning with the base.

I then made some holes where the handles used to be, and threaded through some matching ribbon, tying a knot at each end.

Just the right kind of gift bag for a dressing gown.

Wrapping with Fabric

I'm becoming increasingly interested in using fabric to wrap gifts.  Fabric is recyclable, doesn't require sticky tape, and there are lots of designs to choose from.  People in Japan have been using fabric to wrap gifts for years.  Furoshiki is a traditional square-shaped cloth used to wrap objects of different shapes and sizes, and tied in interesting ways.  I'm not at the furoshiki stage quite yet, but I thought I would see what I could do with some denim/cotton fabric I had lying around.

I started by making a pompom.  I cut a strip of fabric, about 6.5cm wide.

 I then cut some denim tagliatelle of about 1cm in width.

I traced some circles onto cardboard and cut them out.

I put the circles together, then wound the fabric once between the inner and outer circles and tied a knot.

I continued to wind the fabric between the inner and outer circles, joining strips together as I went, until I couldn't get any more fabric through the inner hole. 

I then cut around the circle in between the cardboard and tied a knot in the middle.

I wrapped the gift in a piece of the same fabric in the usual way, fixing the ends with a strip of fabric tied in the centre.  I then tied the pom-pom onto the strip of fabric to complete the look.

The stiffness of the fabric creates a nice pompom and the frayed edges give it a bit of interest.

Using fabric to wrap gifts is win-win.  The recipient can recycle the wrapping, and you reduce your fabric stash giving you room to buy more.

Fabric bag inspiration

You can never have too many shoes or handbags.  Or cookbooks, or kitchenware for that matter, but I digress.  I do love a bag.  I particularly like a big bag, even though it takes me twice as long to find my car keys.  It's a bit like Narnia down there.  You go through the wardrobe to a world of used movie tickets, receipts, post-it notes, scrunched up shopping lists and, weirdly, paper clips.  I know I could reduce my rummaging time if I used the pockets manufacturers put in bags to keep things organised, but everything else in my life is so structured, I need a bit of chaos somewhere. 

I've just added another two bags to my 'big bag' collection.  The first one is the Reversible Everyday Shopper from Amy Butler's book "Style Stitches".  I've used a patterned quilting fabric by Nature's Design for the exterior and a blue organic cotton for the interior.

Amy's shopper has a front pocket, but I decided to leave it off mine as I know I would never use it.

The firm structure of the bag and handles is achieved by using a lot of interfacing. 

The second bag is the "Practical Bag" by Grand Revival Design.  I've used a quilting weight cotton paisley for the exterior and a yellow organic cotton for the interior. 

This is also a reversible bag.

This bag doesn't require interfacing so is more relaxed and slouchy. 

I'm looking forward to losing a lot of things at the bottom of these bags. 

The Macaron Diaries

My work-life balance has been a little bit out of kilter for the past few weeks so I haven't been posting as often as I would like.  I tried to remedy this last weekend by making macarons and bringing you a charming vignette of how I did a macaron making course in Melbourne last year and overcome my macaron hoodoo.   Instead, the hoodoo struck in a big way.  I spent almost all of last Sunday trying different techniques and, at the end of a long and frustrating day, I had six useable macarons and a kitchen that looked like a train wreck.  I had food colouring on my bench, there were smears of coloured meringue on the floor and in my hair, and I somehow managed to burn my upper arm with a baking tray.  Not to be dissuaded, I spent the next couple of days thinking about where I went wrong, and had another go during the week.  I am pleased to report that I broke the hoodoo and was able to give my work colleagues some perfectly formed pre-Easter macarons.

Buoyed with my mid-week success, I had another go this morning.  The hoodoo decided to return just to make sure I didn't get too confident.  I had a Goldilocks and the Three Bears moment with my batter, and also managed to burn myself again.  However, I've come a long way since last week and I'm holding onto to that.  The secret to macarons seems to be practice, practice, practice and patience, patience, patience.  You also need to own a lot of bowls. 

Basic Macaron Recipe (makes about 35 macaron halves)

You need to start this recipe the day before, and be in a good mood.

125g almond meal
125g pure icing sugar
extra 25g pure icing sugar, sifted
100g egg whites
100g caster sugar
pinch cream of tartar
15ml food colouring

Put the almond meal and icing sugar in a food processor and process until you get a fine powder.  Do not over-process otherwise the almond meal will overheat and release its oils resulting in a runny batter.  Sieve the combined almond meal and icing sugar (known as 'tant pour tant') and leave overnight on a covered tray or baking tin to dry out. 

Separate the eggs the night before too as they need to clarify.  Refrigerate overnight, but take them out two hours beforehand as they need to be at room temperature when you use them.

Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy and add the caster sugar in three batches.  Continue whisking until you reach a firm peak and the caster sugar has dissolved (test by rubbing a small amount between your thumb and forefinger and if you can feel grains, keep whisking).  Add the colour, and whisk until combined.  Colours fade in the oven so you need more than you think, but do not add more than 15ml otherwise the batter will become too runny. 

Add the tant pour tant and the extra icing sugar to the meringue and mix until you get a smooth batter.  This mixing process is known as 'macaronage'.  Despite all the hard work that you've put into your macarons up until this point, it is the macaronage that makes or breaks the macaron. Not enough mixing results in macarons with peaks, and too little mixing creates a flat disk that sticks to the baking paper and crumbles easily.  To get the consistency just right, test by peaking the batter with your thumb and forefinger.  If it stays peaked for more than a minute, keep going.  If it de-peaks within a few seconds, you've gone too far.  It is at this moment that you feel crushed and wonder why you started making macarons in the first place.  This is when I had my Goldilocks moment.  The batter for the lavender batch was too firm, the pink batch was too runny and the green batter was just right.

Too firm

Just right

The end results - too firm, too soft and just right

Mark circles onto some baking paper.  I used an upside-down medicine measure, which is 4.5cm in diameter.  Put the baking paper under a silpat mat or some baking paper, and place on a baking tray.

Using a 12 mm piping tube, pipe away, but don't pipe to the edge of the circles as the batter will spread.  Give the tray a tap to de-peak the macarons.  Leave the macarons to dry on the baking tray as they need to form a skin.  Depending on the weather, this may take 30 minutes or more than an hour.  Test by lightly tapping the macaron with your finger and, if the batter sticks to it, continue the drying process.

Put the macarons in a 160 degree celsius oven for 12 minutes.  Allow the macarons to cool before removing them from the mat.  I used both the silpat mat and baking paper, and the silpat mat gives a better result as the macaron is more evenly cooked, and is easier to remove.  Pair like sizes of macarons together and fill.  I used white chocolate ganache.

Making macarons is a confronting exercise.  You will find yourself questioning your ability to bake anything at all and wondering what led you down this path of frustration and insanity.  You will draw deeply on your reserves of patience and find yourself on the brink of disaster and disappointment at every step of the process. It is a marathon effort, but they are just so cute and dainty, and you just know you are going to make them again....and again.

Sticky Tape Hiding Technique

When I have a bit of time up my sleeve, I like to wrap presents using my sticky tape hiding technique.  Sometimes sticky tape can be a feature of gift wrapping (eg. washi tape), but if you're using beautiful decorative paper and don't want the tape to detract from it, hiding the tape produces a really neat result.

I learned this technique while on holiday in Singapore in 1983.  It was just before Christmas and Mum and I were shopping in Tangs department store.  I had secretly bought her some Badedas bath gel for Christmas (remember when that was popular?), and decided to use the free gift wrapping service.  I then watched in awe as the shop assistant wrapped the gift so neatly and precisely, and without showing the sticky tape.  I'd never seen anything like it!  Meanwhile, my mother was completely beside herself as she thought I'd disappeared and was about to put out a lost person call.  We reunited in the nick of time, and I've used this technique ever since. 

To illustrate the technique, I'm using a patterned tape.

Stick half the sticky tape on the edge of wrong side of the paper.

Fold the sticky tape in half towards the wrong side of the paper so the two non-sticky sides are together, and then stick the sticky side onto the right side of the paper.

Now repeat with the ends, sticking along both edges and the tip.

The patterned tape I used wasn't very sticky so you can just see the tape under the edge of the paper.  Normal sticky tape will produce a more flat result. 

Hiding the sticky tape in this way means it is all about the paper, and you don't get that 'busy-ness' on the underside of the gift.  You also get some nice 'ooohs and aaahs' too.

Gift Wrapping - Awkward Shapes

Tomorrow is a friend's birthday, and I have a selection of awkward shaped gifts to wrap.

I could have taken the easy way out and used a gift bag, but where's the fun in that?  Instead, I thought I'd try something different and create a pouch for the chopping board.

I chose a duck egg blue theme as the red cocotte dish and cheese knife spoke to my inner francophile. 

I cut a piece of paper about twice the width of the chopping board, and ironed it (medium heat, dry setting).  I then folded the sides and the base twice and stuck them down. 

I created the pouch by folding the sides and the base over the chopping board and sticking the base to the sides.

To finish the pouch, I cut a piece of paper equal to the width of the board and stuck it down.

I wrapped the cheese knife the same way and popped it into the pouch.  I closed the top of the pouch by folding it over twice and sticking it down.  I then created a faux string tie using some brown buttons, which I stuck on with craft glue, and twine.

I wrapped the cocotte dish in the same paper and tied both presents together with a blue and brown reversible ribbon. 

Tres jolie!

Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding

Until last Christmas, I had never bought a panettone and, for some reason, I decided to buy three.  I am still not quite sure what came over me.  I had only ever eaten panettone twice before - once in 1982 during an Italian language class, and about 4 years ago at a cafe in Leederville when I didn't feel like toast.  I don't mind the taste of panettone, but I generally prefer my bread to be plain and unfruity.  Panettone originated in Milano, and is eaten throughout the year in Italy, but especially at Christmas.  In Perth, we only see panettone in the shops at Easter and Christmas so perhaps I was suddenly overcome with temporary siege mentality and felt the need to stock up.  I have had no idea what to do with them so, since Christmas, I've had two large panettone boxes taking up room in my pantry and one de-packaged panettone in my freezer, waiting for inspiration to strike. 

My only inspiration to date has been to use it in bread and butter pudding.  You may be thinking why on earth would I be baking a bread and butter pudding in the middle of summer.  Well, apart from needing to reduce the occupant:panettone ratio in my household, I thought my northern hemisphere readers would enjoy a winter's dessert.  And for my southern hemisphere readers, it is possible to eat bread and butter pudding cold.  Yes, cold, and it is actually quite nice. 

Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding

1 x 900g panettone
zest of 1 orange
150g unsalted butter, and a little extra for greasing
2 tsp vanilla paste
600m whipping cream
600ml full cream milk
5 eggs
150g caster sugar

Grease a 1.5 litre baking or casserole dish with unsalted butter.  Cut the panettone into thick slices (mine were about 2cm) and remove the crusts.

Place the butter, orange zest, and one teaspoon of the vanilla paste into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter is melted.

Brush both sides of the panettone with the melted butter and arrange in the casserole dish.

Heat the cream, milk and the remaining vanilla paste until just below boiling point.  Using a mixer, beat the eggs and the caster sugar until thick.  Add the cream/milk to the egg mixture and mix on a very slow speed until combined.  Pour over the bread and leave for at least one hour until the bread has absorbed the custard.

Heat the oven to 150 degrees celsius and bake for 45 minutes.  Ideally, you should put the dish in a bain marie.  I didn't, as the casserole dish I used was too big.  The custard did curdle a little bit, but this did not affect the taste.

This is the kind of pudding you eat on a cold, dark winter's night as it does warm the cockles. The panettone adds an extra dimension of sweetness, and hits those sugar cravings whether eaten hot or cold.  Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Any ideas on what to do with my remaining panettone would be gratefully received!