Puff Pastry Recipe

Puff Pastry Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ lb (2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup iced water
½ teaspoon lemon juice.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add 50 g/ 2 oz (4 tablespoons) of the butter and rub into the flour. Bind the firm dough with the water and lemon juice
Roll out the dough to an 18 cm/7 inch square. Flatten the remaining butter in to a slab and place it in the center of the dough square. Fold the dough over to enclose the butter completely. Roll out the butter to a rectangle about 30 X 18 cm/ 12 X 7 inches. Fold into 3 and press the edges together to seal. Chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough again, with the raw edges to one side. Fold and chill as before. Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling four times.
Variation:Rough puff pastry: Sift the flour with ¼ tablespoon salt and one teaspoon baking powder. Reduce the butter to 175 g/6 oz (12 tablespoons) and cut it into small nut-sized pieces. Add the flour all at once, then mix to a stiff lumpy dough with the water and lemon juice. Roll, fold and chill as above.

Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Banana Cream Pie Recipe

1 quantity sweet pastry
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1 ¼ cups milk
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 eggs separated
2/3 cup whipping cream
3-4 bananas sliced
Lemon juice
Whipped cream to decorate

Roll out the dough and use to line a 23 cm/9 inch pie pan. Bake blind (unfilled) n a preheated moderately hot oven (200*C/ 400F, Gas mark 6) for about 20 minutes. Cool.

Put the butter, brown sugar and half the water in a sauce pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cool, then stir in the milk. Dissolve the gelatin in the remaining water and add to the mixture in the pan with the egg yolks. Mix well, then chill until beginning to set.

Whip the cream until thick and fold into a custard mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold in.

Dip the banana slices in lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Arrange most of them on the bottom of the pastry case and pour over the cream mixture.

Chill until set.

Decorate with the reserved banana slices and whipped cream.

Donuts Recipe

Donuts Recipe
3 cups rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter
¼ cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup milk
Oil for deep frying
Sugar for sprinkling

Makes about 20
Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in the sugar. Bind to a soft but not sticky dough with egg and milk. Knead until smooth.

Roll out the dough to 1cm/ ½ inch thick and cut into 5 cm/ 2 inch rounds. Cut out the centers with a 2.5 cm/ 1 inch cutter.

Deep fry the donuts, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels and toss in sugar.

Lemon Cream Pie Recipe

Lemon Cream Pie Recipe

2 cups crushed plain sweet cookies
½ tablespoon grated nutmeg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup water
½ cup lemon curd or cheese
1 ¼ cups whipping cream

Mix together the biscuit (cookie) crumbs, nutmeg and butter and press onto the bottom and sides of a greased 18 cm/ 7 inch flan ring on a baking sheet or a pie pan
Dissolve the gelatin n the water, then stir in the lemon curd (or cheese). Whip the cream until thick and fold into the lemon mixture. Pour into the crumb crust and chill until the filling is set.

Custard Tarts Recipe

Custard Tarts Recipe

½ quantity pie pastry
2 eggs, 1 separated
2 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
2/3 cup light cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sifted confectioner sugar
Grated nutmeg

Makes 12
Roll out the dough and cut out 12 rounds with a fluted cutter. Use these to line 12 bun tins (tartlet or muffin tins)
Beat the one egg white until frothy and brush over the insides of the pastry cases. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs (this helps to prevent sogginess)
Beat together the egg yolk, whole egg, cream, vanilla and sugar and spoon into the pastry cases. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake in preheated moderately hot oven (190*C/375*F, Gas mark 5) for 30 to 35 minutes or until the custard filling is set and the pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Caramels Recipe

Chocolate Caramels Recipe

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
Filling:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 small can condensed milk
Few drops of vanilla extract
4 oz dark sweet chocolate, broken up

Makes 16
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Rub in the butter, then knead to a smooth dough. Press evenly over the bottom of a greased 18 cm/ 7 inch square cake pan.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180 C/ 350 F, Gas Mark 4) for about 25 minutes or until pale golden brown and just firm. Cool.

For the filling, put the butter, sugar, syrup and condensed milk in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil gently for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth and beginning to thicken. Pour over the shortbread base in the pan. Cool, then chill.

Melt the chocolate gently and pour it over the caramel filing. Spread evenly. As the chocolate sets, mark it into swirls with a knife. Chill until set, then cut into squares.

Chocolate Cherry Bars Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Bars Recipe

1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 cups shredded coconut
½ cup chopped candied cherries
Sifted confectioners’ sugar

Makes about 24
Melt the chocolate gently, the spread it over the bottom of a greased 28 X 18 cm/11 X 7 inch cake pan. Chill until set.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and frothy. Fold in the coconut and cherries. Spread over the chocolate base.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180 c / 350 F, Gas Mark 4) for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool, then chill.

Sprinkle with icing (confectioners’) sugar, then cut into bars.