How to use perforated tart rings
Learn the technique of making small crisp tart shells using perforated rings. Great for entertaining with a variety of fillings.
Tag: pastry
Cranberry and Whisky Luxury Christmas Mince Pies.
The festive period looms and it’s time to begin thinking about my Christmas Mince Pies and organising things to make the period as enjoyable and stress free as possible. And it’s particularly time for me to think about this year’s mince pies filled with cranberry and whisky mincemeat.
All you need to know about – Eggs
All you need to know about – Eggs. As a cook there are a number of ingredients life would be very difficult without and eggs are definitely one of them. Whether it’s in baking, mousses, meringues or just a fried egg butty we use eggs almost every day. Having an understanding of eggs, and how we can use them, opens a wealth of opportunities. It may also shed some light on the how and why of what we do with them, and possibly what went wrong.
Eggs have suffered from a good deal of bad press over the years. Back in 1988 the government put out a warning that vulnerable people should not eat eggs that we not completely cooked through. This was because teats had shown extremely high levels of Salmonella in the egg which if not completely eradicated by cooking would cause food poisoning. I remember some hotels refusing to serve eggs with a runny yolk to protect themselves from possible litigation.
I’m please to say that today that that danger has been averted and the recommendation now states that it is safe to eat UK Lion Stamped Eggs undercooked. If you’re not using stamped eggs, it still a good idea to check if the flock has been inoculated against salmonella.
Always check the use by date on the eggs, this is not only for safety but gives you an idea if the egg is going to be suitable for the use you want to put it to i.e., Poached Eggs take a look at my Poached Egg, Kale and Bacon post for the best method to poach an egg.
What is a fresh egg?
Now let’s have a look at why freshness is important if we want to poach or fry an egg.
look at the image of a fresh egg above, the yolk is sitting central in the white and the white is sitting up proudly supporting the white. Its this robustness of the white that will form the shape of the cooked egg.
Now in the shot above of an old egg, the white is flat, has no strength to it and the yolk is unsupported. try to poach that and you are likely to get a lonely yolk with strands of white string moving around the pan. However the older egg white is more suitable for meringues and could be used for Butter/Sugar Batter cakes. Have a look at the yolk, the deep rich colour may make you believe it’s a better more nutritious egg. it’s could be if its from somebody who has their own birds. Its more likely the colour has been controlled by additives in the chicken feed. This also applies to brown eggs, see below. Where a belief has grown that they will be better. Its of course the classic route to success. Produce what people think or has been led to believe is better.
Eggs are safe to eat after the use by date in fact the F.S.A advice states that “eggs can be eaten after their best before date, as long as they are cooked thoroughly until both yolk and white are solid, or if they are used in dishes where they will be fully cooked, such as a cake”. So if you have some eggs past their best before date, don’t waste them, get your baking hat on!
A very common question at the cook school related to the storage of eggs. Current advice is that you should store them in the fridge at home. But you say, in the supermarket, they are just sitting on the shelf at room temperature? Yes, that’s right, and there is a logic, have a look at the box you bought then in. It’s there to protect them, right? We yes but it also has a second function. Notice that the eggs are stored pointed end down. The blunt end of the egg contains the air sack where bacteria can enter by keeping this at the top, we keep it away from the yolk which will keep the egg fresher longer and protect the vulnerable yolk. Having more of the liquid egg surrounded by the box means the egg will dehydrate less and be less prone to drawing in contamination. This also has the advantage of keeping the yolk in the middle of the egg which looks much better if you are making hard boiled eggs for a salad.
You should also note that the box prevents the shells touching. If the eggs were in contact with each other contamination could spread from egg to egg and spoil the whole batch. So, if you have one of those metal wire chickens sitting proudly on your worktop, send it off to the charity shop and keep your eggs in the fridge in their box. The shell is porous and will ready absorb flavours in the vicinity of the egg. Now this means we need to be careful not to store our eggs close to strong cheese or onions then try and make a sponge with them. Of course, if you have a truffle or two on hand you can place them in a contain with the eggs and infuse the essence of truffle to impress your friends.
Don’t forget though to bring out any eggs you will be using to warm up to room temperature before use.
So, there we have it, now let’s look at an egg itself. There are three main parts. The shell, the white and the yolk. You may have also seen a couple of while strands or blobs when cracking eggs. These are called `chalazae’ think of them as elastic bungees, there function is to support the yolk and keep it central in the egg where it is protected by the white.
Egg whites v Yolks
Yolks.
The yolk contains all the fat of the egg together with the cholesterol. It also has roughly half of the protein in the egg along with most of the vitamins and minerals in the egg. The yolk is a natural binding agent when added to soups, pastry, mousses, mayonnaise, etc. That’s partly due to it lecithin content which is the mystery ingredient when making chefs foams to top off a dish. It’s the binding and thickening ability of the yolk that makes them so valuable in the kitchen. If you have an excess of yolks keep then in the fridge in a small container with a small amount of water covering them to stop a crust forming on top. Check out our Food Files page on Understanding Pastry to see how egg yolks work in pastry.
Whites.
You may argue that compared with the yolk the egg white is uninteresting, not a bit of it. The white is around 90% water with the balance been proteins. The most important of these to us is albumen which is fundamental in allowing the white to hold an important ingredient – Air.
When egg white are beaten the protein begins to unravel known as denaturation. As we continue to beat the eggs these strands of protein begin to hold air. As the air and the water in the white become in contact the protein begins to bond together and hold a foam. This foam become a vehicle for us to introduce air into a mixture like a mousse or a souffle. A very small amount of acid (lemon juice) added to the white after denaturation assists the binding and make for a more elastic foam. If the beating is overdone and the binding is over stretched the foam will begin to collapse and fall in on itself. Adding sugar to the whites once a good foam is created stiffens up the whites and gives stability (meringue). You can still overdo it though and of course you may not want sugar in the dish you are creating. Any fat present in the whites or on the tools we are using will prevent the proteins from binding and its impossible to create a foam. If you have leftover egg whites keep them in the freezer. Not only is this a really handy standby the process of freezing and defrosting breaks down the protein and helps them wisk up to a foam easier than fresh ones.
Personally, I always prefer to whisk whites by hand as I can control the whisking and judge the density of the foam. When using a machine to do the job for you it all too easy to over whisk and collapse the foam. Years ago, the curved base bowl used for beating whites were made of copper combined with a bulbus whisk known as a balloon whisk. Today we still use the whisk but not the copper bowl, stainless steel is the material of choice. Not only is it easier to clean but the action of vigorously beating the white could remove tiny amounts of copper into the food which is poisonous to us.
So, in the kitchen the whole egg is useful to us as a component in cakes and pasties -understand pasty. But it’s the flexibility of the individual parts of the egg that excite us.
In practical terms use egg yolks to enrich, bind and thicken a preparation. We use egg white to lighten by adding air, like a souffle or strengthen a preparation by adding more protein, like a chicken mousseline. Think of a crème brulee, soft, rich, texture eaten out of a container- we use egg yolks. For a crème caramel, a bit firmer, not as rich and sitting up proudly we use whole egg. The addition of the white gives the dessert the ability to support itself.
The next time you are using egg in a dish or baking try to work out what the egg is providing and how best to maximise on the affect it brings. You may be able to improve the result and begin creating new ideas.
Enjoy life.
John
Demystifying Perfect Pastry.
Demystifying Perfect Pastry provides an insight into the ingredients and methods of making basic pastry.
Blind Baking Made Easy, perfect results every time.
Blind baking made easy. make you own tarts and pies at home without fuss.
Pear and Blueberry Frangipane Tart with the best custard sauce.
Pear and Blueberry Frangipane Tart. Taking things on from our Blind Baking Post. I am making the best use of some of the fruit from the garden, pears, and blueberries. Well to be honest the pears would have been from the garden but for our local contingent of deer. I had no idea they would take a liking to the pears, and there wasn’t a great deal there in the first place. Thankfully, the berries have done well this year and to – date they are still intact.
There is quite a lot to do here, but do give it a try. Not only is is a great Autumn dessert served warm with fresh vanilla custard but it also takes you through some classic skills essential to master tp produce great puddings and desserts.
Alternative Thinking.
Over the course of these blogs one of the things I would like to do is encourage you to look on recipes in a different way this will expand your thinking and simplify your cooking.
The first one of these is Ratio’s. Most baking recipes are simple a ratio of ingredients which of course dictates how they will react with each other and give us the result we require.
Frangipane uses one of the easiest ones to remember been equal quantities of butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds. Flour can also added according to way the mix is to be used and the finished texture you require. For this recipe I have chosen not to use any flour. This will give me a softer texture, almost pudding like which I like to compliment the fruit. If you would like the tart to cut cleanly and have a stiffer texture add the flour along with the almonds in the recipe.
Real custard.
The custard recipe is simple for each 100ml of liquid we need 1 egg yolk and 15g of caster sugar. You can then flavour the custard as wished but I am going for the classic vanilla using fresh vanilla pods. Other flavours that work well with this are, cinnamon, orange or cardamon.
You will be surprised how often a basic ratio appears in cooking. Once you have remembered the appropriate amounts and basic techniques the recipe almost becomes redundant. But let’s get cooking!
Pear and Blueberry Frangipane Tart.
Frangipane, often known as almond cream is a classic component of any pastry kitchen. I believe its invention is attributed to an Italian Marquis, Muzio Flangipani, I cannot guarantee that is the case but whatever its origins this type of paste can be found in dishes across Europe and of course our own Bakewell tart.
Pear and Blueberry Frangipane Tart. Serves 8
1 blind baked 23cm x 3cm tart case (not too dark a bake)
85g blueberries
4 small poached or tinned pears
1 recipe almond cream
Oven temp 165˚c
Cooking time 45 mins
Almond cream – (Frangipane)
155g unsalted butter
155g caster sugar
155g ground almonds
3 med eggs (cracked into a jug and whisked smooth)
½ tsp Vanilla essence
35g plain flour (optional)
If you are baking your tart shell at the same time, use the cooking time to organise your ingredients and make sure everything is at room temperature, particularly the eggs. My store cupboard was a quite cool, so I placed the sugar in the warmth of the top oven while the tart shell baked in the oven below. Remember to make sure your mixing bowl is not cold as well, aim for blood heat.
A food mixer makes this much easier but it can be made by hand, with a bit of elbow grease!
Making the almond cream (Frangipane).
Take the eggs and break them into a jug then whisk well. Adding the eggs one by one as most recipes will require you to do can lead to the mix separating. Add the soft butter and sugar to the bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Now begin to add the egg slowly beating it in as you go. Some recipes will tell you to add the almonds first, this is a bit of insurance against separating but makes the mix heavier. If you’re a bit nervous add a good pinch of almonds before the egg. Once all the egg is added fold in the almonds followed by the flour.
If at any time in the process the mix begins to look a little separated, stop adding any more ingredients and very gently warm the bowl in a little warm water. Gently fold the mix together and it should become smooth again. You can then proceed to finish the mix. Don’t whatever you do apply a lot of heat, if the butter begins to melt all will be lost. Carefully fold the blueberries into the mix then cover the bowl until the shell is ready.
When the tart shell has cooled down remove any pastry overlap if present and spoon the mix into the shell. Using the back of a spoon or small pallet knife level off the filling.
Lift each pear half from the syrup and drain well. Using a small sharp knife we are going to make cuts across the fruit from tip to the base of the fruit and all the way though.
Repeat these cuts on each of the pear halves. Then by pressing down lightly on the the fruit the slices will slide apart and form a fan. Place each pear half equally distant on top of the filling.
Baking the tart.
You are now ready to bake the tart. Have the oven pre-heated to 180˚c. place the tart into the centre of the oven then immediately turn the oven down to 165˚c and bake for about 45 minutes. Its not bad idea to rotate the tart in the oven after 25 minutes, but don’t leave the oven door open too long or the filling will sink. Don’t worry about the pears sinking into the filling. They are supposed to do that, if you have used flour in the filling they don’t sink down quite as much.
To test if the tart is cooked the best option is to use a probe thermometer and check the temperature of the centre of the tart. A reading of 95˚c will guarantee it ready. You can of course pop in a skewer, but the problem is the tart will be soft even when cooked. A light press in the centre of the tart should feel a little soft but without any suggestion of liquid.
If ready lift the tart onto a cooling wire and let cool down. Its nice to serve the tart just warm but if its too hot it can be a little stodgy.
Plenty of time now to make the custard or Crème Anglaise if you’re posh.
Fresh Egg Custard
Makes about 330ml
150ml Double Cream
150ml Full Fat Milk
1 Vanilla Pod split
25g Caster Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
For this we are using a half and half mixture of double cream and milk. Put the liquids into a pan where you can easily access the edges. Aim for a liquid depth of about 3-4cm. bring the pan up to a simmer then split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds, adding both to the pan. Remove to the side of the stove and leave for 5 mins to extract the full flavour of vanilla into the milk and cream.
The best tool for cooking the custard is a heatproof silicone spatula. Been flexible it cleans the sides and bottom of the pan helping to prevent the custard curdling or burning. I would always use a probe thermometer to know when the custard is ready. Chefs can tell by the texture of the custard. They do it every day and even than sometimes get it wrong. Too much heat and the yolks cook hard and separate from the liquid. You will have sweet, scrambled egg! Have a clean bowl and sieve ready to receive the cooked custard.
Separate the egg yolks and sugar into a stainless or pirex bowl and beat well with a wire balloon whisk, the sugar should melt into the egg yolks and produce a thick fluffy mixture. Don’t throw the white away, put then into a clean container and freeze them for a future meringue or souffle.
Slowly pour the hot cream on top of the egg and sugar mixture mixing continually
Return the mixture into the pan and place on the heat stir carefully with the spatula Work backwards and forwards covering the whole base of the pan, then run the spatula around the edge.
Cook the mixture until it starts to thicken on the back of the spoon then begin to test the temperature. Take care not to touch the sides or bottom of the pan with the probe and produce a false reading. We need a temperature of 82˚c to have cooked the custard and produce a nice coating consistency.
When it’s ready immediately strain the mixture through the sieve into the cold bowl to stop it overcooking in the hot pan.
Cover the bowl with cling film to avoid a skin forming and place to cool ready for use. Refridgerate if you have made the custard well beforehand.
Serving.
The tart can be returned to a warm oven if it has completely cooled down. it’s no problem to make the tart in the afternoon, for use in the evening. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge, but it does make it a little heavier in texture.
To reheat pre-made custard sit the bowl in a pan of warm but not anywhere near boiling water, Stir the bowl to lift the custard from top to bottom until warm though. Do not allow the bowl to get too hot or all your hard work will be lost.
When you are ready to serve slice the just warm tart into wedges by cutting between the pears. dust with icing sugar and place onto warm plates with a generous amount of warm fresh custard. Then tuck in!
Enjoy life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
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©John Webber. 2023
Getting to Grips with Pastry
Getting to grips with pastry, Learn how to make the best sweet and short pastry successfully without stress.