Sunday Bake | Pear and Frangipane Tart

Anyone who knows me well knows that I HATE cooked fruit...so for me eating a poached pear was a big step! Not just eating too, I actually enjoyed it!! Theres no way I'm gonna go on a hot-fruit eating frenzy but if someone offers me a poached pear - I say as if this happens every week - I won't turn my nose up against it!

I'm not one to brag, but this tart is probably one of the best tarts I've ever made. I'm so proud of it, and it tasted delicious too which is always a plus ;). Frangipane is one of my all time favourite fillings and I just love how moist (apologies!) it is.

I made this for desssert after a Sunday roast, and despite the silly amounts of food already consumed the tart was wholfed down! A success in my book! The recipe is from the amazing Patisserie Made Simple by Edd Kimber (as was last Sunday's bake!). I LOVE this book, I have so many recipes flagged to try and the photography is beautiful.

So, on with the recipe!

Ingredients:

For the frangipane:
100g unsalted butter at room temp
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
100g ground almonds

For the poached pears:
150g caster sugar
1 lemon
2 Conference or Bosc pears

For the pastry:
225g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
120g unsalted butter, diced and chilled
2 tbsp ice-cold water

For the decoration:
2 tbsp flaked almonds
2 tbsp clear apricot jam

Method:

To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small pea-sized pieces. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. The dough needs just enough water so that it starts coming together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead until it forms a uniform dough. Press into a flat round and wrap in clingfilm. Put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.

To make the frangipane, put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together for 5 minutes using an electric whisk or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully combine before adding the next. Add the ground almonds and mix to combine. Set aside until needed.

To poach the pears, put 500ml water and the caster sugar in a medium pan. Using a sharp knife, cut off 3 strips of lemon zest and add to the pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl and set aside. Peel, halve and core the pears, putting them into the bowl of lemon juice as you work to prevent the fruit from browning. Add the pears and lemon juice to the syrup and poach for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside while you prepare the tart.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle about 2-3mm thick. Use to line a 35x11cm loose-based tart tin, then transfer the tart shell to the fridge for 30minutes or until firm. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven/gas 4.

Line the pastry with a sheet of baking parchment and fill it with baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the base is a pale golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

To assemble the tart, fill with the frangipane, spreading it into an even layer. Press the pears into the frangipane, cut-side down, and sprinkle the tart with the flaked almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the frangipane is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. While cooling put the apricot jam in a small pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and, while still hot, brush over the tart.

The tart is best served on the day it is made - not too hard an instruction I imagine...;)!

I hope you like this tart as much as I do, and please do let me know if you try it!

Aimée
Xxxx

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adapted from Patisserie Made Simple by Edd Kimber

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Sunday Bake | Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Praline Buche de Noel

I'm aware a Buche de Noel is a very Christmassy dessert, but while Winter is still in full force I thought it still deserved a feature! I made this first for my Flat Christmas with the guys, and then again for actual Christmas Day as it really is that good!!

The recipe is from Edd Kimber's Patisserie Made Simple which is SUCH a good book for amazing bakes. I highly recommend it! This recipe in particular is quite lengthy, but the steps are all actually quite simple. Everyone loved this dessert, as although it looks quite decadent it tastes so light! Perfect for Christmas Day when you're already stuffed with food....or any food-filled occasion really!

On with the recipe!

Ingredients:

For the chocolate sponge:
butter, for greasing

70g plain flour 

4 large eggs

100g caster sugar

30g cocoa powder

For the decoration:

125g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

For the praline buttercream:

50g milk chocolate 

125g caster sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature diced

4 tablespoons hazelnut praline paste 

For the hazelnut syrup:

40g caster sugar

2 tablespoons Frangelico (I just used Brandy though!)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan oven/gas 4) and grease a 33x23cm rimmed baking tray and line with a sheet of baking parchment. Grease the parchment and then dust with a little flour, tipping out any excess. 

To make the sponge, put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and, using an electric whisk, beat until pale and thick, so that when the beaters are lifted from the bowl the batter leaves a trail. Put the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix together. In three additions, sift this mixture over the egg mixture, gently folding together with a spatula until fully combined. Pour this batter into the prepared baking tray and gently level out. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cake springs back to the touch. 

Meanwhile, put a tea towel on a work surface and cover with a piece of baking parchment. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it out onto the parchment. Peel off the parchment from the base of the cake, and then carefully roll the cake tightly, with the parchment and tea towel inside. Leave to cool, wrapped inside the tea towel, for 20 minutes. This will help the cake to unroll and re-roll later without cracking.

Put the hazelnuts for decoration on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

To make the buttercream, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Leave to cool slightly. 

Meanwhile, put the sugar and 75ml water in a small pan over a medium high heat and bring to the boil. When the sugar has dissolved, cook until the syrup reaches 120C on an instant-read thermometer. When the syrup is around 115C, put the egg and yolks in a bowl and using an electric whisk, whisk until pale and thickened. Once the syrup reaches 120C, and with the whisk still running, carefully pour the syrup into the egg mixture. Continue whisking until the egg mixture has cooled to room temperature. 

Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until you have a silky smooth buttercream. Once all the butter has been added, add the praline paste and the melted milk chocolate, mixing to combine. 

To make the syrup, put the sugar and 40ml water in a small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, then cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the Frangelico...or brandy! 

To assemble, unroll the sponge and remove the baking parchment, then brush liberally with the syrup. Spread three-quarters of the buttercream evenly across the sponge, then carefully roll it up tightly. Carefully lift the roll onto a serving plate and spread the remaining buttercream in a thin layer over the outside of the cake. To make the decoration, press the nuts into the buttercream, coating the cake. 

And voila! 

Let me know if you give it a try! Whats your favourite Christmassy dessert?

Aimée

Xxxx

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Recipe adapted from Patisserie Made Simple, by Edd Kimber

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Sunday Bake | Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is Craig's favourite desert. So I've made it my mission to perfect the recipe. Pastry has always been my downfall, but after many a tart and pie coming out of my oven I think I've finally cracked it.

The last time I made this pie, my pastry leaked and my meringue was basically marshmallow; it wasn't my finest baking hour. This time around, everything seemed to work out okay. Its still not perfect, but third times the charm right?

I used Paul Hollywood's recipe, and if you see a picture of Paul's you'll know why!

Ingredients:

for the Pastry:
400g plain flour
1tsp salt
200g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
2tbsp caster sugar
100-125ml ice cold water
1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk, for glazing

for the Lemon Curd Filling:
6 large lemons
230g caster sugar
pinch of salt
80g cornflour
12 medium egg yolks
230g unsalted butter, softened

for the Meringue:
6 medium egg whites
280g caster sugar
1tsp cornflour
1tsp lemon juice

Method:

Put the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse until it forms small chunks, just under the size of a pea.

Slowly add the water while pulsing the food processor until the pastry holds together when squeezed. Tip the dough onto the work surface and gently knead together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. Have a cuppa.

Roll out your pastry onto a lightly floured surface to a large round about 3mm thick. Use the pastry to line a 23cm tart tin, leaving the excess pastry hanging over the edge. Prick the base all over with a fork, then chill the pastry case for 30 minutes. Have a snack.

Heat your oven to 180C, line the pastry case with parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and baking beans, brush the pastry case with eggwash and return to the oven for a further 5-8 minutes until the pastry case is dry and the edges are just golden. Trim off the rough edges and set the pastry case aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C.

Next finely grate the zest of 2 lemons then mix this with the sugar, salt and cornflour in a saucepan. Squeeze the juice from all 6 lemons, strain into the saucepan and beat into the sugar mixture. Heat gently, stirring often, until thickened. This will take a while, but bear with it!

Take off the heat and beat in the egg yolks, then cook gently again, stirring until thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Pour the lemon filling into the baked pastry case.

For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold soft peaks. Now beat in the sugar, 1tbsp at a time. When all the sugar is incorporated, carry on beating for 3-4 minutes until the meringue is really glossy. Fold in the cornflour and lemon juice.

Spoon the meringue over the lemon filling in the tart - it will look billowy and cloud like!

Bake for about an hour, until the meringue topping is crisp and lightly golden. Leave to cool completely before serving (if you can!), dusted with icing sugar.
(adapted from Paul Hollywood's How To Bake)

This recipe is fairly long-winded, with the three main parts. But, it's totally worth it and looks so impressive. Once you have it mastered, its a great one to whip out for dinner parties or any social occasion!

Let me know if you try it! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Raspberry and Almond Friands

Ohhhh yes. These were always going to be a hit with me. A Bakewell Tart flavoured muffin? Yes please! These are a Mary Berry creation (obviously! Who else?), though I do have to give myself some credit as the original recipe called for blackberries. The possibility of adding raspberries to the almond sponge was too much to resist though!

I'd never eaten a Friand before making these, and I fear I may have now begun a slight obsession. The combination of icing sugar and egg whites makes for a melt in the mouth sponge and the combination of flavours could be endless! I'm thinking some sort of pistachio Friand next!

The recipe is adapted from Mary Berry Cooks:

Ingredients:
200g unsalted butter
225g icing sugar
75g plain flour
150 ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
6 egg whites
150g fresh raspberries
25g flaked almonds

Method:

1. Firstly, grease a non-stick muffin tray and cut little strips of baking paper to make a handle. This makes your life SO much easier when you're trying to remove them from tray once baked. No body wants to lose a muffin to the tray!! Next, pre-heat the oven to 200C/180Fan/Gas 6.

2. Melt the butter in a small pan, and then remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.

3. Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl, and then stir in the ground almonds and extract. Or, just pour it all in if you're feeling lazy - and I mean does anyone really sift icing sugar Mary??

4. Whisk the egg whites until they are foamy, but do not hold soft peaks. It should look slightly like a bubble bath! Add the egg whites and melted butter to the dry ingredients and using a metal spoon (or silicone spatula if you don't have one like me!) fold the mixture together until just combined. Don't overmix, you'll only end up with a chewy texture!

5. Divide the mixture between the muffin holes - the mixture should come up to about 3/4 of the way up each hole. Add two or three raspberries to each one, and then sprinkle (liberally!) with flaked almonds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until firm in the centre.

6. Finally dust with icing sugar to serve and ENJOY!

How easy was that?! Best recipe ever!!

Mary states that you can make 20 Friands from this mixture, but I've only ever managed about 14. I think that may be down to me simply over-filling each hole though so perhaps be abit more stingy if you want to make all 20!

Let me know if you attempt these :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Cherry Pie

Ohhhh my, American Pie. Theres nothing that makes me feel more like a Southern housewife than whipping up something in my pie plate. This was my first attempt at a fruit pie though, as generally speaking I don't like cooked fruit. I wish I did though, and I thought cooked cherries might be a good way to try and change my taste buds!

I used Edd Kimber's recipe from Say it With Cake, which I've mentioned on here before - such a good book! It was a really good recipe too; really easy to follow and wasn't a faff at all. My biggest worry in making this was the pastry, I'm usually the worlds worst at pastry. If I were to ever go on Bake Off, pastry week would absolutely be my downfall. But for once, I actually succeeded!! SO happy!

So for those who want to imagine themselves in the mid-west popping round to the neighbours with a pie, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
- 200g caster sugar
- 800g pitted or frozen cherries (I used frozen - they're cheaper!)
- Zest and jucie of 1 lemon
- 45g cornflour
- 400g plain flour
- 1tsp salt
- 2tbsp caster sugar
- 200g unsalted butter (diced and chilled)
- 100-125ml ice-cold water
- 1 medium egg, beaten with 1tbsp water

Recipe
1. Put the sugar, 600g of the cherries and the lemon zest into a large pan over medium heat. Put the cornflour and lemon juice into a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. As the cherries begin to release their juice, add this paste to the pan and cook the cherries gently, stirring, until the juice comes to the boil. Cook, stirring, for a few more minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the reserved cherries. Set aside to cool while you make the pastry.

2. Put the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse until it forms small chunks, just under the size of a pea. Slowly add the water while pulsing the food processor until the pastry holds together when squeezed. Tip the dough onto the work surface and gently knead together. Divide into two balls, one a little larger than the other. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece of pastry, until it is large enough to line a 23cm pie plate. Gently roll the pastry around your rolling pin, and then drape it over the pie plate. Press the dough into the plate and then trim the excess leaving a 2.5cm overhang. Take the second piece of pastry and roll out as before. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into strips 2.5cm thick. Put the pie plate and the strips of pastry into the fridge for 15 minutes to let the pastry rest.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6. Remove the pie plate and strips of pastry from the fridge and tip the filling into the prepared base. Brush the edge of the pie and the overhang with a little egg and water wash, and then lay half the pastry strips over the pie. I then laid the remaining half at a 90-degree angle from the first half, weaving them in and out. You can just lay them on top if you want a simpler look however. Then brush all strips with the egg and water wash.

5. To finish the pie, fold the pastry overhang so that it sits on the rim of the plate and covers the edges of the pastry strips. To crimp the pie, pinch together the thumb and forefinger of one hand against the edge of the pie crust and, using the index finger of the other, press the pastry together along the top edge to form a simple scallop. Scatter sugar over the lattice to create a caramelised golden finish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling.
(recipe adapted from Say it with Cake by Edd Kimber)

Let me know if you try the recipe out! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake: Raspberry Macaron's with Chocolate Ganache

STOP PRESS. I made Macaron's and they actually turned out okay!! I won't lie, I am super proud of these! Possibly my best bake of 2014 I think. I was so worried about making them, so for them to turn out so well has made me a very happy bunny indeed!

I decided to make Macaron's for my sister Katie as it was her birthday this week. I researched a load about them trying to decipher the correct 'macaronnage', the perfect egg whipping time and how long to rest them. I even did a practice run a few weekends back. That time I made simple chocolate macaron's and though they turned out okay for a first attempt the feet (the little ruffles at the bottom) weren't fully formed and they were literally all hollow.

The secret to good macaron's seems to lie in the correct macaronnage and how long you leave them to rest.

So where did I find all this knowledge you may ask? THIS amazing blog post by Eat Live Travel Write literally helped me through every step. The post is actually about fixing hollow macaron's but right at the bottom is her recipe. Follow it to the letter!! Do not stray and I promise you will have amazing macaron's that taste divine! THESE video clips are also a huge help with technique.

I need to work on my filling to shell ratio as I was a little too stingy when filling them, and I want to try and perfect the shape of the shells. But aside from that I am one super happy baker. I can definitely feel a macaron obsession beginning and want to try ALL of the flavours now! First on the list? Pistachio <3 p="">
Let me know if you have any macaron tips! Or if you try out this recipe :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Salted Caramels

Salted Caramels. Oh my. Is there anything better?? I made these caramels as little gifts at Christmas and I've been thinking of them ever since! So the other weekend I figured life was too short and I should just make myself some caramel. That's a valid reason right??

I used a recipe from Shutterbean which you can find here. Tracy who runs Shutterbean has some amazing recipes on there so its definitely worth a look!

The caramels are really easy to make, and use hardly any ingredients too which is always good. You will definitely need a food thermometer though. It also does get superrrrrr hot so be careful!! I learnt my lesson after burning myself last time I made them and genuinely thinking my hand would never not hurt!

But seriously, I urge you to make them! They taste so buttery, creamy, salty, decadent....shall I continue? Or are you already scouring your cupboards for the sugar? ;)

A few notes on the ingredients! As Tracy is American a few changes do need to be made. Corn Syrup is just golden syrup to you and me and heavy cream is simply double cream. For the Salt I really would recommend using Maldon's Sea Salt Flakes (which you can buy in Sainsburys!). They really are the best and you can use them in so many things! If not, any rock salt will do.

Let me know if you make them! I actually made these two weeks ago and have only gotten round to posting now, so I won't lie - I'm tempted to make them again! Why do I have no self control!?!

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Pie

Pie is back on the menu this Sunday Bake and I couldn't be happier. Yesterday, Katie and myself decided to have a day watching films and eating yummy food so obviously baking was going to be a part of that somehow! You may be confused when I say this pie is a White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut considering it looks veryy much like dark chocolate in the pictures above! It is actually the filling that's white chocolate and on top is a yummy dark chocolate ganache. 

The recipe is from the original Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and is actually really easy to make. Although, I would make sure you have a hand-whisk unless you want to kill your arms when whipping cream like we did! So on with the recipe! 

Ingredients:

Crust: 

- 110g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed

- 225g Plain Flour

- 80g Caster Sugar

- 1 Large Egg

Filling:

- 200g Cream Cheese 

- 80g Caster Sugar

- 200g White Chocolate, Chopped

- 1/2tsp Grated Orange Zest (We didn't actually include this, so I'd say its definitely optional!)

- 80g Macadamia Nuts, Roasted and Chopped

- 80ml Double Cream 

Topping:

- 125ml Double Cream

- 110g Dark Chocolate, Chopped

- Handful of Macadamia Nuts for decoration 

Method:

1. Using your hands rub together the butter and flour until a fine crumb consistency is formed, then add the caster sugar and mix together. Add the egg and mix until a dough starts to form. 

2. Turn the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together by hand until smooth and even. Form into a ball and flatten slightly, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. 

3. Roll the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick then place into your pie dish, trimming off any excess. Then place back into the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes and pre-heat the oven to 170C, Gas Mark 3. 

4. Bake the pastry blind, by lining the pie crust loosely with baking parchment and adding baking beans, for 10 minutes. Then remove the beans and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the crust is an even golden brown colour. Allow to cool before adding the filling.

5. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth then melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water and add to the cream cheese mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add the orange zest and chopped nuts and stir to incorporate evenly throughout the mix. 

6. Whip the double cream until soft peaks form, then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon the mixture into the baked pie crust, spreading it out evenly. Then cover with clingfilm and place in the freezer until frozen - about an hour. 

7. To make the ganache topping, heat the cream over a gentle heat and then pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Continuously stir until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture has tuned smooth and glossy. Pour this over the frozen pie, spreading out evenly and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to set.

8. Finally, add the chopped macadamia nuts to serve! 

So there we have it! A reallyy tasty pie, that looks impressive whilst not being tricky to make at all! It's not too sweet either making it all the more easier to eat another slice....;) 

Aimée

Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Ombre Petal Birthday Cake

This week was Craig's Birthday which meant that I had a birthday cake to concoct! I've seen this 'petal' technique ALL over Pinterest recently and I just think it looks so cool! I love the effect it gives, and I love abit of ombre too so I knew I wanted to include that element as well. Mustard Yellow is Craig's favourite colour and that was the original idea, but trying to make mustard is REALLY hard! Mine turned out wayy too orange, but its the thought that counts right? I really want to make this again in a Mint Green (my favourite colour!) or a Sea Blue!

The actual cake is a chocolate and vanilla marble, which as usual I over-swirled so the marbling isn't very defined - darn it! All of the icing is a Vanilla Frosting which I just tinted with food colouring to create the ombre effect. As this cake is all about the decoration I'm not going to write a cake recipe, as you can really do any recipe and flavour that you like! But I will give a recipe and some tips on creating the petal effect.

I actually attempted this technique last year and I failed epicly because my frosting was way too runny! It needs to be quite stiff so that it actually holds its shape on the side of the cake. So I decided to use the Vanilla Cupcake Frosting recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery book Cake Days as I know that it creates a really stiff mixture. I also had to double the original quantity as this technique uses up a lot of frosting! This is definitely a technique to use for an occasion as it's definitely not light on the calories! Oops!

Vanilla Frosting:

1kg Icing Sugar (ouch!)
320g Unsalted Butter, Softened
100ml Whole Milk
1/2tsp Vanilla Essence

(Sidenote! 1kg of Icing Sugar is a hella lot of Icing, so when whisking you may end up coating yourself in the stuff! I actually made mine in two batches (500g of Icing Sugar in each batch) to make it easier for myself, but its completely up to you!)

1. Whisk the icing sugar with the butter until fully combined and sandy in consistency.
2. Add the vanilla essence to the milk and pour into the butter and icing sugar while mixing slowly.
3. Then increase your speed and using a wooden spoon mix the frosting until light and fluffy.

Now if you want to colour your frosting, separate the frosting into bowls depending on how many different colours you want to create and add food colouring. To create the above, I put half the frosting into one bowl and then halfed the remaining half and put that frosting into two bowls. Was that confusing enough?

Essentially I had three bowls of icing, one with half the original frosting as I needed more of the white icing to fill and crumb coat the cake. The other two bowls I tinted with food colouring, ensuring that one bowl was darker than the other.

Next is assembly! First, I filled the cake with some of the white vanilla frosting and then crumb coated the entire cake and put it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This is to make it easier for you when piping as you'll have a smooth, flat surface to work with.

Now onto the piping! It really is so simple, I promise. Starting at the bottom pipe two circles with the white frosting, above that two circles of the yellow frosting and above that two circles of the 'mustard' frosting. Then using a spatula spread each circle to the right making sure to clean the spatula inbetween different colours. You then need to do exactly the same, slightly to the right of the original circle. If you want to create the ombre effect pipe the first line as normal, then on the second line pipe one circle of the darkest colour frosting at the bottom and work up as normal for that line. Then on the next line pipe two circles of the darkest colour frosting at the bottom and again work up as normal. Repeat that all the way around the cake and you will see the pretty pattern appear.

I hope you like the cake anyway and I hope this all makes sense, its actually quite hard to write down but is super easy to create! Let me know if you have any questions :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Lemon Cream Gingernut Pie

Since making my Chocolate and Peanut Butter pie last week I seem to have awakened a pie-obsessive in me and have even gone out and bought a specific pie dish to continue the passion. So I hope you don't mind more pie posts in the future! For this pie in particular I combined a few different recipes as I was creating it for my sister Katie and I wanted her to love it! Lemon and Ginger is a match made in heaven, and it seriously works in this pie.

You'll need:

200g pack of Ginger Biscuits
55g Melted Butter (or more if crust isn't holding together)
1/4 Cup Sugar (57g)
2 Eggs
397g Can of Condensed Milk
2-3tbsp Lemon Zest
120ml Lemon Juice
1/2tsp Salt
250ml Double Cream
50g Icing Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

Firstly set the oven to Gas Mark 4 and line a 9inch pie dish if you have one, or a cake tin like I did! You then need to blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they are rough crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter and blitz again till it starts to come together. You then need to tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press it evenly into the base and up the sides with the back of a spoon. Then bake for 8-10 minutes.

Next you need to make the lemon filling! In a bowl whisk together the eggs, condensed milk, lemon juice, zest and salt until well incorporated. Then pour the filling into the baked pie crust and bake for 15-18 minutes until set in the center. Let it cool to room temperature, before whipping the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until it forms stiff peaks. Then spread this on top of the pie and add lemon slices for decoration if you want! You can then dive in! It does taste best after being refrigerated after a few hours though, if you can wait that long! ;)

I hope you liked this recipe! Let me know if you try it :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Sunday Bake | Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie

Pie. What a wondrous thing. This was my first dabble into the world of American cream pies and oh myy was it a good one. Yes its slightly rough round the edges, but did it taste good? Damn right it did! I made the pie for Craig after he not so subtly mentioned how much he reallllly wanted a pie that evening. I'm not gonna lie though, I'll go with any excuse if it means baking! Especially a new recipe.

I used a recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery book Cake Days, with a few alterations. It was so easy to make, and although it took a while to set in the fridge the actual assembly time was minimal! You will need a hand-held whisk though, unless you want to kill your arm!

 Ingredients:

250g Double-Chocolate Digestives (or any other double-choc biscuit you can find)
50g Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Cornflour
160g Caster Sugar
550ml Whole Milk
3 Large Egg Yolks
180g Smooth Peanut Butter
80g Dark Chocolate
500ml Double Cream
50g Icing Sugar

Method:

1. Firstly, line a 22cm/9in spring-form cake tin with baking paper so it'll be easier for you to turn out. Then blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they are rough crumbs. Melt the butter and add this to the biscuits, then blitz again until both ingredients have come together in a rough paste. Tip the mixture into the lined tin, and press evenly over the base and up the sides using the back of a spoon. You want to try and get this as even as possible, but it is quite tricky to know whether its even. Once you're happy with it, chill it in the fridge for around 40 minutes.

2. Next you need to make the filling. Mix the cornflour and sugar in a saucepan, then mix together the milk and egg yolks and pour this into the pan. Cook over a low heat, whisking continuously until thickened. It won't seem to be doing anything for a while and then it will suddenly thicken, so stick with it! Once thickened remove it from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over about a third of the hot peanut butter filling, mixing well until the chocolate has melted and the filling is smooth and even. Pour the chocolate filling into the chilled biscuit base and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming. Then place back in the fridge for 30-40 minutes to set. Also cover the remaining peanut butter filling with clingfilm and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. In another bowl, whip 250ml of the double cream using a hand-held whisk until it is thick and forms soft peaks. Fold this into the completely cooled peanut butter filling, ensuring it is mixed in well. Remove the pie from the fridge and top with the filling, then place it again back in the fridge for 40-50 minutes.

4. The final stage is to whip the remaining 250ml cream with the icing sugar until it forms almost stiff peaks and spoon onto the set pie filling. I then grated chocolate over the top just for added decoration.

Adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery 'Cake Days'.

It's a really great dessert to whip up for a dinner party, and can be made well in advance! Just keep it in the fridge until you need it. I hope you liked this recipe and it's inspired you to make a pie. :)

Aimée
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