Pear Tart （梨子挞）

又是梨子季节，超市堆着一箩箩不同种类的梨子，老公是不会买水果的人竟然挑了几粒梨子叫我做梨子挞给他吃。难得有指定的order，好吧，就做个梨子挞。

提到梨子，我们华人都不喜欢结婚买梨子，我们都认为切梨子就是“分离”的意思，大吉利事，这么多水果不选，吃橙也罢吃苹果也好，就是不要“梨”。 但是洋人就刚刚相反了，我在办里自己的婚礼是，彬彬看到洋人的婚礼都出现梨子蛋糕，梨子礼品之类的，心想为什么“梨”嘛！ 后来拼了拼音，才知道原来“pear”音 ＝ “pair”就是一对的意思！

我这个aunty现在更进一步了，除了收旧货，现在连垃圾都拾了也！ 那天去超市买菜，走着走着，看到树叶凋零的样子很美，于是相中地上的落叶，心想等下超市出来时，拿多一个纸袋，那么就可以拾落叶回家拍照。很不好意思的匆匆的拾了一堆就跑。年轻小伙子怪怪望着我，三八华人aunty不懂拾烂叶子来做什么用叻！哈哈哈！

Pear Tart

1x Sweet shortcrust pastry )(I make into 1x22inc and 1x25inch pie shells)

90g butter, softened

90g brown sugar

2 eggs

120g almond meal

40g plain flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

2  pears, peeled, cut into small slices (I used Buerre Bosc pears)

20g cranberries soak in rum (microwave for 15sec)

3 tbs apricot jam + 2 tbsp water

double (thick) cream, to serve

Method:

 1. Prepare sweet shortcrust pastry, to make tart shell. (the recipe can make 2 x 18cm tart shells)

 2. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until just combined. Add the eggs, almond meal, flour, baking powder and lemon rind and process until just combined.

 3. Spoon the mixture into tart shell. Press the pears and soaked cranberries into the tart mixture and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

 4. Allow to cool in the tin. Meanwhile,  add 2 tbs of water into apricot jam and mix well . Microwave the mixture for 10-15sec till warm. Whisk the mixture until smooth and sift. Glaze the pear tart with apricot glaze.

 5. Serve with double cream.

Recipe adapted from:

Sweet crust Pastry -Okashi

Frangipane filling from Donna Hay

http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/sweets/pies-tarts/pear-and-almond-tart

I bake the left over frangipane mixture into a small loft tin. Simply mix  in some cranberries and sprinkle almond flakes on the top and bake for 30 mins or until cook.

Mini Frangipane Loaf

Sticky Date Puddings (枣泥布丁蛋糕）

那天我们都谈到做部落格后也开始懂得珍惜古老的餐具，旧木板，复古的道具等等（只差没有收久报纸呵呵）。于是我的头脑有了复古风。。继做了＂古老派＂的香蕉蛋糕，我忽然想吃西式的＂古老派＂甜点 - 枣泥布丁蛋糕。这个甜点虽属古老派但却非常普遍于各大小餐厅的甜点餐牌里。虽然这个甜点不分季节性，但是我总是在冬天冷冷的季节里会特别眷恋。热的蛋糕，浇上热的butterscotch sauce，然后搭上冷的cream 或ice cream，吃了让人感觉很舒服，也特别的满足， 。

我知道我知道，看起来好像觉得很甜的样子，但是我已经把原食谱的糖粉减减减了。枣泥非常浓郁的但是制做出来的蛋糕却很松软，就算没有其他的配料，蛋糕也很好吃。我隔天带了一个去医院吃早茶，就单吃蛋糕，可是啊，我乘没人是快快躲在一旁把蛋糕吃了下去，免得我的同事问我你吃什么。。sticky date pudding做早茶！！是不是有点不可理喻了呢！哈哈！

久久放纵自己来一个rich 的甜点感觉还蛮爽快的！

Ingredients:

200g chopped pitted fresh dates

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

80g butter (room temperature)

150g light brown sugar ( I used 100g)

2 eggs

150g self raising flour

Butterscotch Sauce

75g butter

185g lightly packed light brown sugar (I used 100g)

185 ml pouring whipping cream
1tsp rum （optional）

Method:

1.   Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 6-hole 185ml large muffin tin and line base with small rounds of non-stick paper. (I used 12-hole standard muffin tin).

2.   Put the dates and 250ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 5 minutes. Then, remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3.   Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and beat well. Gently stir in the flour and dates and mix well with a spatula. (I mix with electric mixer at the lowest speed. Do not over mix). 

4.   Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin holes (I filled up about 2/3 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puddings are risen and firm to touch.

5.   Immediately run a palette knife around the side of each pudding to loosen it from the tin and then turn them out onto a wire rack.

6.   Meanwhile, to make the butterscotch sauce, stir in the butter, sugar and cream in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

7.   Place the warm puddings on serving plate. Drizzle with hot butterscotch sauce and serve immediately accompanied by double cream/ ice cream.

Tips:

I cut down half of the sugar when I made the sauce, and that will give a lighter colour sauce. To yield a better caramel colour to the sauce, I melt the brown sugar in the saucepan first until it turns to darker caramel colour, then slowly add in butter and cream.

Left over sticky date puddings can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge. Simply heat a slice of the pudding in the microwave for about a minute with the sauce and serve with double cream/ice cream

Recipe adapted from : Mastering the Art of Baking pg.351