Lemon Tiramisu

Ingredients:

300ml sugar

180ml lemon juice

125ml water

6 egg yolks

65ml flour

500ml milk

60g cubed butter

30g white chocolate chips

15ml lemon zest

325ml whipping cream

250ml mascarpone cheese

24x4inch ladyfinger biscuits

Method:

In a small saucepan, stir together 125ml each of sugar, lemon juice and water over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until dissolved. Set this syrup aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour and remaining sugar and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the milk over a medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Whisk half of the milk into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk this back into the pan of milk. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until the custard boils and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add butter and white chocolate and stir until both have melted. Strain this custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add lemon zest and remaining lemon juice and stir till smooth and well blended.

Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and put in the fridge for 2 hours to cool.

In a bowl, whip the cream. Put mascarpone in a large bowl and whisk in the cooled custard. Fold in the whipped cream.

Arrange half of the ladyfinger biscuits on the bottom of a 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Brush generously with half of the prepared syrup mixture. Spread half of the mascarpone custard mixture over the biscuits. Repeat with a second layer of biscuits brushed with the rest of the syrup and covered with mascarpone custard. Cover and store in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.

Melktert

Melktert is a South African speciality dessert originating from the Dutch settlers. Although there are many different variations of this delicious tart, which in English would be Milk Tart or Custard Pie, this is the recipe that has come down to me through my family.

As the Afrikaans normally host large family gatherings where this dessert is served, my recipe is for two tarts which are best made the day before they are to be served.

Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
125ml caster sugar
125g butter
500ml flour
1 egg
2ml salt
10ml baking powder


For the Filling:
1 litre milk
50ml butter
30ml flour
10ml ground almonds
3 eggs
200ml sugar
40ml cornflour
5ml almond essence
2ml grated nutmeg
ground cinnamon for dusting


Method:

For the Pastry:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream the butter and the sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg, flour, salt and baking powder and mix to form a dough. Press the dough into two pie plates and bake blind for 10-15 minutes until light brown. allow to cool thoroughly before adding the filling.


For the Filling:

Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Blend to a paste then, over a low heat, add half the milk, a little at a time, to make a white sauce. Blend the ground almonds into the sauce.

Slake the cornflour with a little of the remaining milk.

Add the eggs, sugar, slaked cornflour, almond essence and nutmeg to the rest of the milk and whisk thoroughly.

With the pan off the heat, add the milk and egg mixture to the white sauce, whisking well to blend. Transfer the custard mixture to the top of a double boiler and warm, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.

Pour the custard into the prepared pie shells and sprinkle with cinnamon. Allow to cool and then put in the fridge to set completely. Yes, you have read this right - there is no nead to bake this tart once you add the filling - it's ready to serve once it is set.

Syllabub

The story told regarding the origin of this ancient dessert tells that it was created by milking a cow directly into a bowl of cider, or wine. Early recipes can be traced back to Tudor times, where thickened cream was served floating on sweet wine. Making syllabub involves dissolving sugar in lemon juice and sweet wine or brandy, adding a long curl of orange peel then leaving it to infuse overnight. The following day, double cream is introduced and beaten until thick. Infusing the sugar and alcohol with the citrus probably seems a bit mystical, but don’t leave out this bit: the flavour is smoother if you let the mixture steep overnight. The essential ingredients is not something you add to the mixture, but something you do to it; whether this dessert stands or falls, is all in the whipping of the mixture. Beat slowly with a large balloon whisk or electric mixer right to the bottom of the mixture. Watch the texture vigilantly, stopping as soon as you sense a heaviness on the whisk and the mixture sits in soft folds the mixture starts to feel heavy on the whisk, when it will creases in soft folds, like a warm fluffy blanket. The mixture will split if whipped too much.

Ingredients:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1-2 curls of orange peel, cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith
50ml caster sugar
60ml sweet wine
15ml brandy
300ml double cream

Method:

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon zest and juice, sweet wine and brandy. Add one or two curls of orange peel cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith and leave the mixture to steep overnight.

In the morning, add the double cream and whip until the desired thickness is achieved.

Good as it is, the odd embellishment is no bad thing with this recipe. A drop of Eau de vie, perhaps Framboise or Kirsch adds a welcome kick, as does some crushed ginger in syrup, or even a spoon of ginger marmalade. I have had it with a hint of nutmeg, a little rhubarb and flavoured with lime juice and zest. For a particularly fragrant twist use Cointreau, orange flower water and rose water, to give it a Turkish feel.

Here’s a version based on the concept of syllabub with a British-South East Asian fusion twist. Without all the rigmarole of steeping over night, this syllabub can be made in a hurry.

Elderflower Lemon and Ginger Syllabub

Ingredients:
15ml bottle green ginger and lemon grass cordial
15ml bottle green elderflower cordial
30ml sweet sherry or sweet white wine
50ml sparkling water
4 lady finger biscuits
250ml double cream
60ml icing sugar
125ml lemon curd
30 ml chopped crystallised ginger
Sprigs of mint to garnish

Method:

Mix together the cordials, sherry and sparkling water.

Break up the biscuits in the base of each of 4 sundae glasses. Drizzle over 15ml of the cordial-sherry mixture into each glass.

Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.

Fold in the remaining cordial-sherry mixture.

Add the lemon curd and lightly fold through, leaving a marbled effect.

Spoon the cream mixture into each of the glasses. Top with the chopped crystallised ginger and a sprig of mint.

Serve chilled.

Manchester Tart

The Manchester tart is a traditional English baked tart, which consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with raspberry jam, covered with a custard filling and topped with flakes of coconut. The original Manchester Tart is a simple modern version of an earlier recipe, the Manchester Pudding, which was first recorded by the Victorian cookery writer, Mrs Beeton.

Ingredients:

butter, for greasing
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
200g raspberry jam
15ml desiccated coconut
300g fresh raspberries
500ml full-fat milk
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out with a knife
5 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
30ml cornflour
10ml icing sugar, for dusting
400ml double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
50ml desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry frying pan until golden-brown, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a 10in tart pan with butter.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ¼in thickness. Line the prepared tart pan with the pastry. Prick the pastry several times with a fork, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the pastry case has rested, place a sheet of baking parchment into it and half-fill with baking beans. Transfer the pastry case to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Remove the baking parchment and baking beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 4-5 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Spread the raspberry jam onto the pastry base in an even layer. Sprinkle over the three tablespoons of non-toasted desiccated coconut and half of the fresh raspberries. Set the pastry base aside.

Bring the milk, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (put it in a jar of sugar to give ‘vanilla sugar’).

In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.

Pour the hot milk and vanilla mixture over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Return the mixture to the pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the cornflour, a tablespoon at a time, until well combined. Heat, stirring continuously until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Transfer the custard mixture to a clean bowl and dust with the icing sugar (this prevents a skin from forming on the surface of the custard). Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes when cool enough to go in the fridge.

Whisk the whipped double cream into the chilled custard mixture until well combined.

Spoon the custard and cream mixture into the pastry case in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining fresh raspberries.

To serve, sprinkle over the three tablespoons of toasted desiccated coconut and serve immediately.

Leek and Haddock Tart

Leek and haddock go so well together, especially when gussied up as a tart. With a bit of spice and a cream and cheese custard, this makes an interesting change to the common fish pie.

Ingredients:

350 g short crust pastry

225g baby leeks, thinly sliced

25 g butter

2 tsp curry powder

1 bay leaf

1 tsp peppercorns

175 g undyed smoked haddock

175 g cod

small bunch of chives, snipped

3 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

For the Custard:

3 eggs

284 ml carton double cream

black pepper

3 tbsp finely grated parmesan

Method:

Set the oven to 180°C.

Roll out the pastry to line a 25 cm tart tin, cover the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Blanch the leeks for 5 minutes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, drain well.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add leeks, fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder and stir together for a further minute.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil add the bay leaf, peppercorns, haddock and cod, and then simmer uncovered for 4 minutes until just cooked through. Remove the fish and leave to cool. Break the fish into chunky flakes, discarding any skin and bones.

Lower the oven temperature to 170°C.

Place the leeks in the tart shell, sprinkle over the chives and the flaked haddock and cod. Scatter the chopped boiled eggs evenly over the top.

Make the custard by whizzing the eggs and the cream together in a blender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle the custard into the tart case and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just set and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, and then serve immediately.