Christmas Baking Adventures - Mini Bakewell Tarts

Bakewell Tarts


Make the pastry as for the Lemon Curd Tarts

For the filling:

• 1 jar raspberry jam
• 3oz ground almonds
• 3oz caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 3oz butter
• 2 eggs

Method:

• Preheat oven to gas mark 6
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time
• Stir in the ground almonds
• Roll out the pastry and cut into rounds. Grease a 12 hold cupcake tine with butter or spray
• Place a round into each hole and add half a teaspoon to jam to the bottom of each one
• Cover the jam with a teaspoon of the almond mixture
• Bake for 15-20 minutes then cool on a wire rack

Christmas Baking Adventures - Jam Tarts

Jam Tarts:


Recipe is the same as for the Lemon Curd Tarts, but with jam instead of lemon curd! Delicious!

Christmas Baking Adventures - Lemon Curd Tarts

Lemon Curd Tarts:


Ingredients:

• 6oz plain flour
• 1/2 oz icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 jar of lemon curd

Method:

• Mix the flour and icing sugar together, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in the egg yolk and the water until a dough is formed
• Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes
• Pre-heat oven to gas mark 6
• Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds using a cutter
• Grease a 12 hole cupcake tray with butter or spray and place a pastry round into hole. Lightly press down
• Place a teaspoon of lemon curd into each of the pastry cases
• Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown
• Place on a wire rack to cool

Adventures in Desserts #2 - Apple Crumble Cupcakes

Well, the Lemon Meringue Pie cupcakes were a massive hit!!!!! Yay me! So it got me thinking - "what other desserts can I turn into a cupcake?" and after some crazy suggestions (Chicken Korma Cupcakes anyone???) I came up with Apple Crumble.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

Jar of apple sauce (around 270g)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
55g/2oz butter
85g/3oz  demerara sugar
1 egg
175g/6oz self raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon

For the crumble topping:
50g/2oz plain flour
50g/2oz demerara sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
35g/1oz butter

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with baking cases
• Make the crumble topping by putting the ingredients into a small bowl and rubbing together until they resemble breadcrumbs. 
• For the cupcakes stir the bicarbonate of soda into the apple sauce (you'll need a bigger bowl than you think for this - the chemical reaction between the bicarb and the apple sauce makes it expand!)
• Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg.
• Sift the flour and cinnamon in and mix. Stir in the apple sauce.
• Spoon the mixture into the baking cases, then top each one with 2 teaspoons of crumble mix. Press down slightly. 
• Bake for 20 minutes then allow to cool.
• To make them taste even better, serve with cream or custard!

Picture will appear soon!