Category Archives: Pastry

Christmas mince pies

December 2, 2017 6:00 pm / 5 Comments /

Christmas mince pies

I have been making these traditional mince pies since I started the Cookwise children’s cooking classes in 2001.  I even found the original recipe hand-out that I gave the kids with the Santa picture on the top.  They are quick and easy to make as the dough is just all mixed in the food processor.

It was a boiling hot day when we made these and this dough is very forgiving.  We rolled it out and lined all the tins then baked them later in the day.  Just keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to do this.

I don’t bother making the fruit mince as the ‘Robertson’s’ jar tastes great.  The pastry is delicious and perfectly short.  Make lots as they won’t last!

Ingredients:  Makes 24

1½ cups Plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup Self raising flour, sifted
1/3 cup icing sugar
150g chilled butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2½ tbsp. iced water
1 jar purchased fruit mince (for double quantity I used 1½ jars)
extra icing sugar for dusting

Method:

  1. Process flours, icing sugar and butter in food processor until well combined and mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
  2. Beat the egg yolk with the ice water and add into the flour with the motor running.   Process until mixture just starts to come together.
  3. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour
  5. Roll out and cut into shapes to line tins.
  6. Fill with 1 teaspoon of purchased fruit mince and cover with a star shape of pastry
  7. Bake at 180°C Conventional or 160°C Fan Forced for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden
  8. OR you can try in the Combi 180°C + 30% steam for 30 minutes
  9. When cold sprinkle with icing sugar to serve

Will keep for 5 days in an air-tight container (if they last that long 🙂

 

Posted in: Christmas cookery, Pastry

Caramalised onion & goats cheese quiche

March 29, 2016 11:21 am / Leave a Comment /

Caramalised onion and goats cheese quiche

As my daughter said “it’s been ages since we had a decent quiche!”.

Not something I cook a lot, I guess it is not on the low fat radar and still considered a bit of a treat in our house.  There is nothing like a decent quiche with delicious, short pastry and a melt in the mouth filling.

This one was particularly delicious for Easter with a side salad.

Ingredients:

Pastry:
250g plain flour
125g butter
60ml iced water

Filling:
5 large onions, sliced thinly
Olive oil
6 eggs
½ cup cream
pinch salt
115g soft goats cheese or goats curd
fresh thyme leaves

Ingredients:

  1. For the caramalised onion, heat olive oil in a large, heavy based, non-stick frypan and saute onions.  Start on a medium heat until they start to break down and then drop to a lower temperature.  Cook until they turn a light, golden brown and all the sugars are released from the onions.  This can take up to an hour and a half.  Stir frequently so they don’t catch on the base of the pan.  This can be done up to two days before and stored in a covered container in the fridge.
  2. For the pastry, blend the flour with the cold, cubed butter in a food processor until the flour looks like breadcrumbs.  With the motor running add the cold water through the feed tube until the dough just starts to come together.  You may need a couple of teaspoons more water.  Remove from the processor and knead lightly together.   The dough should be soft but not sticky and just come together.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. To assemble the quiche:  Roll out the pastry thinly.  This quantity made 2 x 35x10mm rectangle tins or one large round quiche.
  4. Line the pastry with baking paper and rice or baking weights.  Bake on Fan forced @ 160°C for 15 minutes.  Remove paper and weights and return to the oven for about another 10 minutes until the pastry is cooked, lightly browned and shrinking from the edges of the tin.
  5. In a large jug whisk the eggs, cream and seasonings together.  Spread the cold, caramalised onion onto the pastry base.  Add a reasonable amount, you don’t have to use it all but make sure there is enough for a generous layer.  Pour over the egg mixture, break the goats cheese evenly over the top, sprinkle with thyme leaves and bake Fan forced @ 160°C until the filling is set, about 15-20 minutes.  If you have one deeper quiche use Conventional oven without the fan as it is a more gentle heat.

Slice into generous pieces and serve warm with a side salad.

Posted in: Baking, Dinner parties, Easter, Eggs, Party Food, Pastry, Traditional Ovens, Vegetarian

Pear tarte tatin

July 8, 2014 9:15 am / 4 Comments /

Pear tarte tartin

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good pear tarte tatin!  I certainly know Wendy does in the UK so I thought that I would do a recipe for her so that she can cook it in her combi oven.

Probably one of the most popular French desserts and certainly up there with our all time favourites.   There is just something about the texture of the soft, caramelised pears with the flaky puff pastry that makes it sooooo delicious!

Remember, puff pastry is better cooked in a combi steam oven so this is going to be the best tarte tatin you have ever made.   Honestly, I have never baked one before that had such beautiful puffed pastry as this had so I have added another pic below, just to prove it to you all. 🙂

Ingredients:  Serves 6-8

4-5 large brown (Winter) pears
60g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Frozen sheet of puff pastry, thawed or rolled from a block.

Method:

  1. Peel, quarter and core pears
  2. Melt butter in a heavy-based frying pan that will fit into the combi.  Try something like the base of my Le Creuset 26cm shallow casserole.  It needs to be large enough to hold almost all of the pears in one layer but check it will fit first.
  3. Add sugar, stir to melt then add pears and lemon juice and simmer over a very low heat for approximately one hour.
  4. Turn as the pears start to caramelise being careful that they don’t burn.  You may need to cover occasionally but you will see that by the time they are ready they will be darker and well caramelised.  Checked they are cooked with a skewer.
  5. Move around until they fit into one single layer and are soft and a gorgeous colour.  The pears should be arranged attractively so when inverted they are in a circle.
  6. Preheat oven to 200°C Fan Forced and put in the oven rack
  7. Cut pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pan.  If your pan has a lid like mine then that was the perfect size.  Remember when cutting puff pastry use a sharp knife.
  8. Lay the pastry over the pears and tuck the edges in around the fruit.
  9. Change from Fan Forced to bake in Combination mode 200°C + 30% steam for 20 minutes until golden brown.
  10. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes
  11. Turn onto a heat proof serving plate.

Aviary Photo_130492474663098417

Serve with vanilla ice-cream or thick cream – yum!

 

 

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Desserts, Pastry

Malaysian curry puffs

June 28, 2014 4:15 pm / 5 Comments /

Curry puffs

Nothing makes puff pastry ‘puff’ like a combi steam oven!  It is honestly, the best appliance you can use for cooking pastry.

I am not sure where this recipe came from but I have been making these for years and everyone loves them.

Easy to pre-prepare, wrap up in the pastry and freeze then you only need to put them frozen into a hot oven and brush with milk and they will cook beautifully.  I always prepare the filling the day before the ‘assembly’ and layer them with plastic go-between wrap or baking paper.

It will make about 24 depending on the size.  I usually make double quantity 🙂

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into quarters, cooked @ 100°C in steam oven for 8 minutes until almost cooked.  Dice into tiny squares when cool enough to handle.
pinch cayenne or chilli powder
1tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp. Malay curry powder such as Ayam.  Sometimes known as ‘Meat Curry powder”
2 medium onions, finely diced
250g minced lamb or beef (lean is better)
1tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp peanut oil
knob of ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200ml water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped coriander
6 sheets frozen Pampus Puff Pastry or block rolled
1 egg beaten or milk to glaze

Method:

  1. Start making the filling the day before.  It is easier to assemble them with cold filling.
  2. Heat oil in wok and fry onion, ginger and garlic over medium heat until soft.
  3. Add the meat and brown
  4. Combine the curry powder, chilli and soy and add this to the meat.  Cook for 2 minutes
  5. Add water, sugar and salt and simmer 5 minutes
  6. Now add the frozen peas and cooked, diced potato and continue to cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.  It should be moist but not sloppy.
  7. Taste and set aside to cool.  Refrigerate overnight and add the chopped coriander just before assembly.
  8. Cut circles in pastry and add a tablespoon of filling in the middle.  Put a little water on one side with your finger. Fold over.
  9. Starting at one end pinch a little of the flattened edge back over itself and continue to the other end forming a neat braid
  10. Brush each puff with beaten egg or milk and bake on Combination mode 180°C + 30% steam for 45 minutes for frozen or 25 min fresh until puffed and golden brown

Serve with tomato sauce, spiked with a little chilli, fresh mint chutney or sweet chilli sauce.

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Party Food, Pastry

Chicken & coriander empanadas

June 16, 2014 3:07 pm / Leave a Comment /

Empanadas

These would have to be the ultimate food to serve for the World Cup!

We loved eating the empanadas in South America and as I am never shy of an opportunity for a new post I had to make these for the blog.   A perfect thing to cook at home in the combi steam oven, especially when the soccer is on.

From when we found the tiny basement restaurant in Buenos Aires where we tried our first ‘carne picante’ empanada (spicy meat) then the local market in Santiago when we devoured the classic ‘carne’ (meat) empanadas, we were hooked.  The perfect ‘fast food’ they were being carried around the market on a tray, straight from the oven wrapped in towels to keep them warm for the locals lunchtime treat.  This is the type of thing that us foodies just love.  Local authentic food that is cooked to perfection!

We then tried a few different varieties, ham and cheese, chicken and corn.  I thought I would adapt the chicken recipe from a cookbook we were given, Argentinian Street Food by Enrique Zanoni & Gaston Stivelmaher.  This recipe is definitely tastier than the standard chicken empanada we ate in the streets.  Absolutely delicious served with a fresh tomato and chilli salsa (or a fresh tomato sauce if you have one with a bit of chilli added).

There are heaps of other fillings you can do, the options are endless.

Ingredients:  Makes approx. 12 for the filling with a little pastry remaining

Pastry:  Classic dough for baking

165g unsalted butter
500g plain flour
pinch salt
175ml water

  1. Cut the butter into cubes.
  2. Put the flour and salt into a food processor, add the cubed butter and process until combined.
  3. Pour in water and process until it starts to come together.
  4. Remove from processor and knead into a ball.  Wrap in plastic and set aside in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.

Now make the filling:

250g chicken thigh fillets, cut into very small dice.  Extra fat removed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced finely
1/2 red or yellow capsicum, diced
1 tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
little chicken stock or water
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander

  1. Heat oil in shallow frypan and sauté onion, garlic, ginger.
  2. Add chicken and stir well until sealed and mixed well together
  3. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute
  4. Now add the cumin and oregano and cook another minute.  You may need to add a little water now or chicken stock.
  5. Add capsicum and continue to cook with the lid off for 5-8 minutes.  It should be dry but well combined and not sticking to the base of the pan.
  6. Set aside to cool, add coriander just before filling.

Assembly:

  1. Roll the dough out until a little thicker than you would roll puff pastry.  The pastry doesn’t rise but an empanada should have thicker pastry than say a curry puff.
  2. Cut into 14cm circles and set aside, rolling out the remainder until all used.
  3. Pick up one circle, add a heaped dessertspoon full of cool chicken mixture on one side
  4. With your finger spread some water on half of the pastry circle and fold the top over to make a half circle.
  5. Now wrap the pastry over itself along the edges which makes the lovely scrolled edge.
  6. Lay on baking tray lined with baking paper and when finished put in the fridge to cool before baking.
  7. Brush with beaten egg yolk before cooking
  8. Bake @ 190°C + 30% steam for 20 minutes.  If you don’t wish to serve them all then freeze uncooked ones layered with baking paper in a plastic container.  Defrost at room temperature before baking then brush with egg wash.

Serve with a fresh tomato salsa made with tomatoes, red onion, chopped coriander and a seeded and finely chopped chilli.

Yum, pastry is so much better cooked in a combi steam oven 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Baking, Chicken, Combi Steamer, Party Food, Pastry

Chocolate baklava

June 10, 2014 3:18 pm / 2 Comments /

Chocolate baklava

I took my family to Alpha restaurant in Sydney for a joint birthday celebration in April and this is one of the desserts we chose.  Although I have made baklava on numerous occasions I had never made a chocolate version before.  Everyone loved it so I thought it fitting to make my version for our Greek dinner party.

My version is somewhat different than the typical baklava.  More lemon and less sugar, it doesn’t have that overly sweet hit at the back of the throat that you can get with a lot of middle eastern, syrupy sweets.

My original recipe came from our ancient Greek cookbook from the 80’s that we had in Melbourne.  It really is authentic but I always cut back on the quantities of oil and sugar in the recipes to fit with our tastes.  Eating a plate of something swimming in oil or burning your throat just because it’s ‘authentic’ in my opinion is crazy.  My children and friends just love my baklava and that’s what is important to me.

Served with just plain vanilla ice-cream I think that this chocolate version will also become a favourite!

Ingredients:

375g packet fresh Filo pastry
350g melted, unsalted butter
300g chopped walnuts
250g dark choc chips
1/4 cup sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup:

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
2-3 strips lemon rind plus juice 1 lemon
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 whole cloves plus extra for ‘pinning’ the top layers together.

Method:

  1. Mix all syrup ingredients together in a medium size pot.
  2. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For the baklava:

  1. Chop walnuts and chocolate chips together briefly in a food processor.  This helps break up the chocolate and bind it with the walnuts.  Don’t over-process, you don’t want the nuts to be dust.
  2. Add the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  3. Melt butter slowly without boiling.  Cool slightly.
  4. Open filo pastry packet and lay on the end of damp tea towel.  Cover with the other end to stop the pastry drying out while you work.
  5. Line a tin 23cm x 32cm with double layer of baking paper that can extend up the sides for you to use as a handle to remove when cold.
  6. Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter and start laying your filo on the base.  Depending on the exact size of your tin I brushed half a sheet of filo, folded it over to half and it almost fitted into the base of my tin.  I was about 2cm short on one side but layered them alternatively over this ‘gap’.
  7. Layer about 4 of these doubled, halved sheets on the base and then start layering with spoonfuls of the nut and chocolate mixture.  It shouldn’t be thick, just evenly covered.
  8. Cover each layer with two folded layers of filo and repeat until all the choc/nut mixture is used up.
  9. Now butter and layer the remaining sheets for the top.
  10. Butter the top well and with a sharp knife cut right through the whole thing into diamond shapes.
  11. Pour remaining butter over, stud the centre of each diamond with a whole clove to keep it together and bake in a slow, fan forced oven @ 130°C for 50 minutes then 150°C for 15-20 minutes more until golden brown.
  12. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour over the syrup that has been strained to remove the whole spices.
  13. Set aside to cool.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream.  Delicious!

Posted in: Baking, Cakes and Biscuits, Chocolate, Desserts, Party Food, Pastry