Baked Apple and Custard Tarts

While I was making the Quiche Lorraine yesterday, I had a tiny bit of pastry left over for the crust. I decided to try something VERY out of my element.

[  Makes: 6  |  TIME: 30 MIN  |  COST: $4  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4  / 5  |  MY RATING: 4  / 5 ]

Ingredients

Filling: Inspired from Essential Kids

1 apple
2 free ranged eggs
2 free ranged egg yolks (in addition to the above)
¼ cup soy milk
¼ cup sugar substitute (or sugar)
sprinkle of nutmeg for garnish

Crust: recipe from Richard Packham

1 2/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup butter
½ cup sourdough starter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. To prepare the crust, sift flour, salt and baking soda together. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh starter, just until all ingredients are moistened. Add a few drops water if too dry, a spoonful more flour if to moist. Cover or wrap and let stand 30 – 60 minutes.
2. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface, turning the dough a ¼ each roll to form a circle. Carefully press it into a greased muffin tins. Place some baking paper carefully onto the pastry and half fill it with dried split peas, heavy dried beans or coffee beans. Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.
3. Peel the apple and slice into thinnish wedges. Add to a saucepan with enough water to just cover it and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Allow to cool.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Place a few cooled apple pieces to the bottom of each muffin and pour in the egg mixture. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg for garnish.
6. Bake at 160°C for 40 – 55 minutes. Check regularly by inserting the tip of a knife into the tart. It is ready when the knife comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool slightly and serve with *whisper* ice cream

Observation

• I over cooked mine ever so slightly resulting in a slightly dry tart. Mine was ready in about 40 minutes so take care.
• Simple recipe, delicious results.
• Diabetic Note: Ice cream? What are you talking about?! I don’t eat that – its bad for diabetics…
• Ethical Note: I made this simply to use up the left over dough from the quick, and I am glad I did. No waste = win!

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Fig and goat cheese tart

You may have noticed my discrete love affair with figs lately. There was figs with mascarpone, chocolate and wine and figs poached in galliano. Well, fearing the fig season is coming to an end and panicked. I snapped up some delicious looking ripe specimens this week at shopping. The idea was to use them in some delightful way when our friend Kat came on her regular visit.

You may remember my recent trip to the Byron Bay Farmers Markets? I picked up some delightful Nimbin Valley Dairys Lemon Billy goats cheese. My mind raced with possibilities – it had to be a marriage of biblical proportions, right? Then I stumbled across this gem by Donna Hay. The rest, as they say, is a delicious memory of savoury delight.

[  SERVES: 6  |  TIME: 15 MIN  |  COST: <$5 - 6  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4/5  |  MY RATING:  4.5/5 |  Kats' RATING:  4.5/5]

Ingredients

• 4 sheets short crust (commercially produced)
• 130 g Nimbin Valley Dairys Lemon Billy goats cheese or similar
• 4 ripe figs
• 3 free range eggs
• 180 ml cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives
• ½ cup grated romano pecorino cheese
• freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Methods

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Spray your tart tins with cooking oil. Cut the pastry sheets in quarters or in half (depending on size) to line your tart tins. Trim the excess from the edges and pierce the base of the tarts with a fork.
3. Cut the figs in half, and place half of a fig in the centre of each tart. Crumble some goat cheese around the fig.
4. In a bowl, combine the eggs, grated cheese, chives, and salt and pepper. Whisk well until well incorporated and aerated. Pour mixture carefully into around the figs.
5. Bake the tarts for 25 minutes or until the cream & egg mixture has set and the pastry is cooked.
6. Delicious hot or cold. nom nom

Observations

• There is a sophistication to this dish that can not be overstated. It is flavourful, delightfully surprising and is quite more’ish. It would make a sensational appetizer for a dinner party, or just a special treat for guests. It would be beautiful served with a fresh salad of greens on the side.
• The cheese I used today was marinated with lemon myrtle, busy pepper and roasted garlic. It gave a delightful subtle lemony flavour to the entire dish.
• We all felt that the punch of the goats cheese was a little too subtle. Next time, Id definitely add more goats cheese than stated above.
• Diabetic Note: Oh dear…….. lets just not worry about that, shall we?
• Ethical Note: Local produce once again with a low carbon footprint make this meal even more special.

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