The Portuguese custard tart, pastel de nata (plural: pastéis de nata), has become a popular treat worldwide. They were created in the 17th Century by the Catholic monks of the Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in Belém, Lisbon. The monks used egg whites to starch their clothing, leaving a surplus of egg yolks which came to be used…… Continue reading pastel de nata
Tag: pastry
cooking class in Provence part 2
In my last post I detailed 2 amuse–bouches, a first course and main course I learnt at Jean-Marc Villard’s hands-on French Cooking School. Now for the dessert, a strawberry frangipane tart. The pastry was a very short shortcrust, easy to cut, firm enough not to break and wonderfully crumbly. This was made from 200g (7 oz) of plain flour,…… Continue reading cooking class in Provence part 2
leek, brussel sprout and stilton tart + roasted beets and carrots
A lovely combination of flavours improved by being encased in Maggie Beer’s sour cream pastry. Make the pastry according to the recipe (it works very well with light sour cream too). Roll the pastry out and cut a circle for the bottom of a springform cake tin and some strips for the sides and line the tin making sure there…… Continue reading leek, brussel sprout and stilton tart + roasted beets and carrots
tarte tatin
This classic French dessert comes from the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron south of Paris. The hotel was run by two sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin. The tart was apparently created by Stéphanie Tatin when she left her apples on the stove too long and decided to put the pastry on top, serving it hot from the oven. It became a signature dish at…… Continue reading tarte tatin
ma’amoul
These small shortbread pastries are very popular in Palestine and the Gulf States. Filled with dates, pistachios, walnuts and occasionally almonds or figs, Muslims eat them at night during Ramadan and during the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays and Arabic-speaking Christians eat them at Easter. They are also popular among Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptian Jewish communities, who eat them with nut fillings on Purim, and with date fillings on Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah. The subject of ma’amoul arose in conversation with my friend Caroline who was not only…… Continue reading ma’amoul
raspberry, apple and almond pie
Serve this simple filo pie hot with cream or ice cream as a winter dessert or cold at any time of day. Butter a pie dish. If you prefer this can also be made as a free-form pie on a flat baking sheet. Line the bottom and sides of the dish with at least 6-8…… Continue reading raspberry, apple and almond pie
party pastries
This patchwork quilt of French style savoury pastries kept the food coming at our recent party. Made on sheets of store bought puff pastry they were baked ahead of time and served at room temperature. Here are the six different toppings: artichoke, green olive and pecorino cheese; tomatoes and onions topped with chorizo,…… Continue reading party pastries
smoked salmon and celeriac pie
I’ve made pies in various pie dishes, but a spring-form cake tin is by far the most successful. For this pie I used Maggie Beer’s wonderful recipe for sour cream pastry although I used light sour cream. You’ll find the recipe here. For the filling, I fried a large sliced onion and 2 diced cloves…… Continue reading smoked salmon and celeriac pie
spinach pie + vegetables in filo
When I’m not cooking, I’m lucky enough to have other excellent cooks around me. This spinach pie is a recent example. Thaw a packet of filo pastry and preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Remove the roots from a large bunch of English spinach, wash well (making sure no grit remains) then drain. In a large pot,…… Continue reading spinach pie + vegetables in filo
michelle picker cooks 