BLUE CHEESE, PEAR & CARAMELISED ONION TARTLETS
Tartlet Cases:
2 cups plain flour
125 g chilled butter, diced
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
(Makes 24)
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Grease 24 mini tartlet tins.
Sift flour into bowl and rub in butter till resembles breadcrumbs. Make
a well in the center, add the egg and mix with knife, till it comes
together. If it is too dry add some cold water, Press into a ball on a
lightly floured surface. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 min.
Roll out the dough between baking sheets, till 2mm
thick, cut our 24 rounds with an 8cm cutter. Press the rounds into
tins. Prick the bases with a fork and bake for 6-8 minutes till dry and
golden. If they puff out press out air pockets with tea towel.
Allow to cool before filling.
Filling:
2 onions
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
120 g blue vein cheese, crumbled
300 ml red wine
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 pears
250 ml cream
2 eggs
seasoning to taste
Caramelise the onions, by frying the onions in
butter, adding the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar for 10mins. Place
the red wine, 4 tbsp brown sugar and the pears in a saucepan, simmer
until the pears are tender. Make sure that the pears are covered with
red wine. Once the pears are tender, let them cool, and then cut into
thin slices. For the egg custard, mix the cream and the eggs together.
To assemble for baking, place a few thin slices of pear on the bottom of
the pastry case, top with a ½ tsp of the caramelised onion, crumble a
½ tsp of the blue cheese on top, seasoning lightly, and lastly pour the
egg custard over the case carefully until it is level with the pastry
edge. Bake at 180ºC for 15 minutes or until golden brown and set.
MACADAMIA-CRUSTED CHICKEN STRIPS WITH MANGO SALSA
Chicken:
12 chicken tenderloins
seasoned flour, for coating
2 eggs, lightly beaten
240 g macadamias, finely chopped
160 g fresh breadcrumbs
oil, for deep frying
(Makes 24 pieces)
Mango Salsa:
1 small mango, very finely diced
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
Cut the chicken into strips and dust with the
flour. Dip the strips in the egg, then coat them in the combined nuts
and breadcrumbs. Refrigerated for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a
small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill a large heavy-based saucepan one-third full of
oil and heat to 180ºC or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil
browns in 15 seconds. Cook the chicken strips in batches for 2-3
minutes or until golden brown all over - don’t burn the nuts. Drain
well on crumpled paper towels. Serve warm with the salsa.
SUNDRIED TOMATO & ROSEMARY BISCOTTI
110 g soft butter, chopped
1 tbsp castor sugar
1 egg
225 g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
60 g pecorino, grated
25 g (1/4 cup) drained sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp milk
(Makes 25)
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in egg and
beat until well combined. Sift flour and baking powder. Stir in
remaining ingredients and ½ tsp salt and mix to form a dough. Place the
dough mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet, shape into a log 5cm
wide, 2cm high and 25cm long. Bake at 200ºC for 25 min. Remove from
oven and rest for 10 minutes. Cut log into 1 cm thick slices place on
baking sheets and bake for a further 15 minutes or until crisp and
golden. Cool on wire racks. Keep in airtight container for 2 days.
LEMON TARTLETS IN CHOCOLATE PASTRY
Pastry:
150 g plain flour
25 g cocoa powder
45 g castor sugar
100 g butter at room temperature, diced
2 tbsp beaten egg
Filling:
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (large)
150 ml double cream
170 g castor sugar
4 eggs
To make pastry;
sift the flour & cocoa
together, then stir in sugar. Rub in butter till it looks like fine
crumbs. Add egg and work together to form firm dough. Wrap and chill for
20 minutes. Roll out on floured surface and line 6 deep individual tart
tins. Prick the bases with a fork then chill for 20 min. Preheat oven to
190ºC. Blind bake the pastry for 20 min, removing the beans after 10
min.
To make filling:
Pre heat oven to 160ºC. Whisk
together all the ingredients. Pour into the cases and bake for 15 – 20
minutes, until just set. Leave to cool in tins. Take them out there
casings and serve.
