Torta della casa for afternoon tea...

 

 

 

 

Torta della casa (homemade cake)

A classic Italian dessert that is lovely for afternoon tea or the finale of a long lunch.  This version of the cake was made with Granita biscuits as the base but can also be made using a shortcrust pastry.

The base

• 140g melted butter
• 500g Granita biscuits

Melt the butter.  Process the biscuits and place in a bowl with the butter and stir to combine.

Line a tin with removable base with greased baking paper and press into the tin with the back of a wooden spoon.

Note: the above quantity makes about one 20cm tart case and 5 small tins so adjust accordingly.

Custard filling

• 4 cups full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla paste
• 1 cup sugar (for the egg mix)
• 1 cup sugar in the milk
• 12 egg yolks
• 6 level tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 250g cream cheese or mascarpone
• the rind of a lemon
• pine nuts for the topping (see photo) 

Note:  This recipe can be halved as this made a huge amount of custard. 

Raspberry coulis

• 2 cups raspberries
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Cointreau or other white spirit

Heat oven to 160 degrees fan forced.

TIP  soak pine nuts in water to prevent burning.  Just before you're ready to bake the cake drain the pine nuts and place on a paper towel and pat dry.
 
Beat eggs and one cup of the sugar until pale.  Add the cornflour and plain flour to the egg mixture and mix to combine.

Heat the milk and vanilla until hot but not boiling.  Pour about half a cup of the milk into the egg mix and then pour that mix back into the milk mixture.  Stir the custard with a whisk and slowly heat until it thickens.

When the custard has thickened, strain it into a heat proof bowl and cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming.  Place in the fridge.

When the custard has cooled place it in a food processor along with the cream cheese and the rind of a lemon.

Place an icing bag (from the Kitchen Shop in Lincoln) into a jug and spoon in the custard mixture. 
Remove the icing bag and carefully cut an opening at the base and then pipe the mixture into the tart case or cases.

Scatter the dried pine nuts on top of the cake and cook for about 15 minutes.  As soon as you see the cake rising turn the oven off and let it cool slowly - about 10 minutes and this should prevent it from 'sinking'.

Put the cake in the fridge for the final 'set'.

While the cake is setting, place the raspberries, sugar, water and spirit into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy.  Strain if you like or blend the mixture.

Serve the raspberry coulis with the cake.

Thank you to Nada for sharing this recipe.

Buon appetito!




June 2016 -Gina's place with Nada at the helm

Cold roll calling.....

 

Asian style cold rolls

• 2 chicken breast fillets, cooked 
• rice vermicelli
• 1 continental cucumber
• cabbage, finely sliced
• carrots, sliced into julienne 
• red and green chillies, sliced
• fresh coriander leaves
• Vietnamese mint
• mint
• Vietnamese rice paper spring roll wrappers

Peanut sauce

• 4 red shallots
• ginger (a large thumb sized piece)
• coriander roots
• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 270ml can coconut cream
• sweet chilli sauce
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 2 limes

(adjust the quantities above to suit)

Cook the rice vermicelli as per packet instructions and quantity to however many rolls your are making.

Slice the chicken breast into long pieces to fit into the rolls. 

Finely slice the cabbage.  Grate or slice the carrots. Remove the seeds from the chillies and slice into long thin pieces.

Remove the leaves from the coriander and mints.

To make the peanut sauce, chop the shallots and ginger very finely (minced really) and then saute in a frying pan in olive oil until soft and fragrant.  Add some chilli sauce (to taste) and then the peanut butter and the coconut cream and stir continuously to combine while the mixture simmers.

Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and chopped coriander roots and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.  If the sauce separates either add more lime juice or rice wine vinegar.  Place the mixture in a heatproof dish to cool.

Place the rice paper wrappers, one at a time, in a large dish of lukewarm water to soften.  Once they are ready place them on a dinner plate ready to assemble starting with a line of peanut sauce and then small amounts of the herbs, chicken, carrot, cucumber, cabbage and noodles.  Bring the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides and roll up as tightly as you can without the rice paper splitting.  Place on a serving plate seam side down.  Voila!

Tip from Marion:  It is easier and really tasty to have the peanut sauce spread inside the rolls than people dipping continuously into a bowl.   The peanut sauce also keeps well in the fridge.  Also a great way to have a meal with everyone making their own rolls.

A fabulous summer afternoon under Gina's gorgeous grapevine and thank you Marion.

 January 2016 - Gina's place with Marion at the helm.

 

Edible art on a winter's afternoon

A 'lemon basket' in the making.

Gorgeous lemon baskets filled with Italian parsley, chervil and celery leaves.  Perfect as they are as a garnish or top with a seafood or beef tartare or maybe even the 70's classic prawn cocktail!

The fine motors skills being tested making 'carrot flower' garnishes.  Finely slit carrot - like you're making paper lanterns but with the two outer slices slit to make the spikey bit.  Then open into a circle and place a toothpick to hold the shape and place into iced water to set.  Make three of these and then join together with a toothpick.  Also cut out a round piece of carrot to place in the middle of the flower. I think you need to see this being made - a bit difficult to explain!

Another test - lilies made from finely sliced turnip rounds, wrapped around a spring onion stem and then tied with a piece of steamed, softened spring onion.  You need time on your hands and plenty of patience for this one - but oh so gorgeous when you get it!

The creations - including beans wrapped with spring onions.

A piece of finely sliced zucchini then chopped finely and wrapped around an olive!

 

The apple creations taking shape.

 The apple flowers would look fantastic on a cheese platter.

A lovely afternoon spent creating something new to us in edible art.  Thank you Marion.






Marion's place - September 2015

Lovely lavosh afternoon.....

We had a lovely afternoon making sesame and fennel lavosh crackers and then served them with cheese and the fig and fennel roll with a glass of sparkly.  What better thing to do on a Wednesday winter afternoon!

The dough freezes well too.

Lavosh Crackers

• 1 cup wholemeal flour
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 2 tablespoons each of white and black sesame seeds (or cumin, fennel - whatever you like)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup water

Place the flour, seeds and salt and combine.

Add the oils and the water and mix until it forms a ball.  Kneed lightly.

Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for about half an hour.

Heat the oven to 160 degrees celcius.

Roll the mixture onto a flour surface until quite thin.

Place on a tray line with baking paper and cut into small squares with a pizza cutter.

Bake for about 12 minutes - turn the biscuits over in the middle of cooking.

Keep a good eye on them as they cook really quickly being so thin.



June 2015 - Karmen's place

Fig and fennel roll for the cheese platter

Fig and fennel roll

A very simple recipe but tasty and goes so well on a cheese platter at the end of a meal.  It also keeps really well.

• 250 grams soft dried figs
• 11/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 cup of walnuts (freshly cracked)
• 1 dessertspoon of fig syrup or runny honey

Combine all in a food processor and pulse until combined. Test to see if it sticks together, otherwise add some syrup.  Don't over process - it's nice to see the chunks of walnut. 

Roll into a log and pat into a square shape and place in the fridge overnight.

This recipe is based on one that appears on the blog 'Lambs Ears & Honey'.








June 2015 - Karmen's place

All hands on.....for pasta making!

 

Pasta making with Annie at the helm. 

 

Starting with 250 gm pasta (durum) flour with a pinch of salt added, make into a mound on the bench and form a well in the centre. 

Into the 'well' crack either 4 eggs or as Annie prefers - to make a more vibrant coloured pasta using 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture.

Using a fork, or hands if you prefer, draw the flour into the egg mix until it becomes an even dough like consistency.  Knead for a few minutes.

If the dough feels too dry add a teaspoon of warm water or alternately if too moist incorporate more flour into the mix.

Set in a plastic bag or closed container in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

Cut the dough into 2 or 3 portions and on a floured surface, pat gently into rectangular pieces about 4 or 5 mm thick.

To one of the dough portions we added some finely chopped fresh herbs and chilli prior to rolling. The added moisture of the herbs changed the consistency of the dough so a sprinkle of flour was needed.  In retrospect, Bluey suggested fresh herbs be dried in the oven to maintain a more stable dough mix and still provide the flavour kick.

 

The dough is fed through the pasta maker on the lowest setting (1) and successively fed through smaller settings. We ended on the 4th setting feeling further rolling would create a too fragile dough.

 Hung out to dry...

 Tagliatelle attachment was added to the roller to convert sheets to strips.

 

After slicing.. hung out to dry again for 1/2 hour.

To go with the pasta - chopped garlic and fresh herbs from the garden, tossed with some hot olive oil, a splash of white wine, some chilli and pepper.

The pasta swam in boiling salted water for 3 or 4 minutes until al dente, scooped out and then rinsed under cold water to arrest the cooking process.

The pasta was then tossed in a pan to warm through with the sautéed herbs and wine and then a little extra home made pesto because we made so much pasta!!

Delicious!

Enjoying the fruits of our labour -  and only two hours from start to dine!!

May 2015 - Marion's place with Annie at the helm