Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Peppermint and Chocolate Tart

4|04|2019

I think people are divided when it comes to peppermint flavour. Some love it, some would never opt for it and there are others like me who won’t mind when it is paired with chocolate. Tell you a secret? This peppermint and dark chocolate tart is actually a double chocolate tart in disguise with the base being white chocolate and the roses made of chocolate fudge buttercream. So if you are a true chocolate lover (and may not love peppermint) you will love this tart.

The peppermint filling in this tart is just melt, pour and set. The tart base is store bought. You could of course bake your own using this recipe. These tart bases are inexpensive and I usually store a few in my pantry for days when I’m visiting a friend or am invited to an occasion and expected to take dessert (almost always). Then I can skip the baking part and just play around with the fillings.
The chocolate buttercream is enough to cover up the entire tart. If you’re going to use it to only pipe a border like me, you could halve the recipe or use the leftover buttercream to frost cupcakes. It is absolutely delicious!

If you’d like to skip the roses, you could go that way too. Instead generous shavings of dark chocolate will work equally well.

Peppermint and Chocolate Tart
Makes a 6 inch round tart

One 6 inch tart base (home made or store bought)
100 ml heavy cream
225 g white chocolate melts
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 drops mint green food color
sprinkles (optional)

Chocolate roses
120 gms unsweetened dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup (150 gms) unsalted butter, room temperature
11/3 cups (160 gms) icing sugar sifted
11/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

To make the peppermint filling Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until it just comes to a a boil (do not boil). Remove from heat and add the chopped white chocolate. Leave aside for 5-10 minutes until chocolate melts. Stir with a spoon to make a smooth mix. Add the butter, peppermint extract and food colour and mix to blend.

Pour the mixture into the tart base. Refrigerate until set (about 4-5 hours, preferable overnight). Once set, using a piping bag and 1M nozzle, fill up with chocolate buttercream and pipe rosettes around the edge of the tart. Decorate with sprinkles.

To make the chocolate roses Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.( Or you could use the microwave and melt in short bursts of 10 seconds) Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy(about 1 min). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy(about 2 min). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until buttercream is smooth and glossy (about 2-3 min)

Strawberry and Apple Frangipane Galettes

26|03|2019

When two opposite seasons merge, people benefit greatly from the variety of produce on offer. Over here in Australia, apples are at their best, so are the berries. And we are one month into Autumn! I feel so blessed to be living in a country where we are spoilt for choice and our colourful produce is inspirational.

Remember the raspberry frangipane tarts (my last post) I made recently. I had a bit of leftover frangipane filling. Not enough to make another big dessert or another batch of tarts, but a free form galette was a nice, quick solution. I also had left-over apple pie filling from another recipe I was working on so these galettes seemed like delicious way of killing two birds with one stone. That is the thing I love about galettes. Throw in a mish mash of ripe fruits and nuts and a host of other things and you have a freshly baked treat ready for afternoon tea.

This recipe is more about the idea rather than accurate measurements. I am going to put in the recipes for the individual elements, though I have used leftovers as I mentioned earlier. If you’re short on time, skip the apple pie filling and use thinly sliced apples instead.

Strawberry and Apple Frangipane Galettes
Serves 8

4 sheets ready, rolled shortcrust pastry, slightly thawed
Frangipane filling (recipe below)
Apple pie filling, home made or store bought (recipe below)
Strawberry filling (recipe below)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

For the frangipane filling
100 unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 yolk
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup plain flour
fresh raspberries
sliced almonds

For the apple pie filling
3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used red delicious apples)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
20 g unsalted butter

For the strawberry filling
1 punnet (250 g) fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
2 tablespoons castor sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cut out eight 14 cm round from pastry and place on the baking tray. (You can store the leftover sheet cutouts in the freezer for making pie designs later).
Spread 2 tablespoons of frangipane paste (recipe below), leaving a 3 cm border. Top with 2 tablespoons each of apple pie filling (recipe below) and strawberry filling (recipe below), leaving the same space for the border. Fold over pastry edge in a pleated pattern to enclose the fillings partially, pressing down lightly with your fingers to seal.

Whisk the egg and water together.
Brush pastry edges with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar. bake until 25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Serve warm with ice-cream or custard on the side.

To make the frangipane filling
Using an electric mixer or by hand beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk. Add in the almond meal and flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Wrap in cling film and store in the fridge until needed.

To make the apple filling, coat the apples with lemon juice.
In a medium saucepan, place the apples, water, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Over low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until apples are soft and sauce has thickened (approx 15 mins). Add more water if needed.
Add the butter, stir, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, store in an air-tight container until needed.

To make the strawberry filling , In a medium sized bowl toss the strawberries, sugar and cornstarch together. Cover and leave in the fridge until needed.

Raspberry Frangipane Tarts

12|03|2019

If you’re a fan of nut based desserts, you may have tried a frangipane filling. It’s an almond paste that is used to fill tarts, galettes or pastries and is particularly delicious when paired with fruit. Raspberries, when cooked in the filling not only look fabulous but also taste lovely in this tart. Short crust pastry, a delicious, sweet, nutty filling and tart, jam-like raspberries. Do I need to even explain how good all that is together?

Though it is Autumn in my part of the world, I am greatly influenced by spring vibes from across the world. When I posted a picture of these tarts on Instagram, quite a few said, they’re reminded of Spring. I wish!
But for now, I am slowly moving towards cosy crumbles, baked breakfasts and apples and pears. Can’t wait to share with you!

Raspberry Frangipane Tartlets
Yields 4 tartlets

For the pastry
1 cup 150 g plain flour
1/4 cup, icing sugar mixture
100 g chilled butter, roughly chopped
1 egg yolk

For the filling
100 unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 yolk
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup plain flour
fresh raspberries
sliced almonds

To make the pastry, process the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and process until mixture just comes together. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Divide the dough into 4 parts. With your fingers, press the dough along the bottom and sides of 4, 10 cm loose bottomed pans to form an even crust. Trim edges. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C fan-forced). Place the tart pan on an baking tray. Line with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or dried rice or beans. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is light golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Reduce oven to 180 degrees C.

Meanwhile, make the frangipane filling. Using an electric mixer or by hant beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk. Add in the almond meal and flour and mix with a wooden spoon. Divide and spoon the mixture between the tart pans. Arrange fresh raspberries and sliced almonds over the filling.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until frangipane has set. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Blackberry and Cardamom Sour Cream Cake

4|03|2019

It’s officially Autumn but I’m still not ready to let go of summer. I’ve spent the most part of summer overseas so I feel that I haven’t made enough treats with berries. Raspberries, being red somehow make way into a lot of my Christmas recipes and I use strawberries and blueberries round the year. Blackberries tend to be ignored! It’s sort of unfair as they impart the most beautiful and varying shades of pink/purple when cooked and used in different intensities. Ranging from light pink in a frosting to a deeper purple in cocktails, I am forever mesmerized by their addition. And how good do they look just as they are!

This cake is again a simple one layer cake but one that is very flavorful. A subtle flavour from the cardamom and a creamy sourness from the sour cream. Texture wise it is slightly denser than a regular cake but it melts in your mouth while the blackberries within the batter add a tangy burst to every bite. You could skip the buttercream and serve it like a tea-cake. It’s quite good on it’s own. Or if you’d like to experience some blackberry magic, go ahead with the frosting.

Blackberry and Cardamom Sour Cream Cake
Makes a 6 inch round cake

125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp powdered cardamom
300 g sour cream
1/4 cup milk (optional, if batter is too thick)
1/2 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Grease the base and sides of a 6 inch cake pan and line the base with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flours and cardamom together. Fold in the dry ingredients, sour cream and milk (if using) to the butter mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Push the blackberries into the batter with your fingers. Bake in the oven for 60 – 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, leave aside for 5 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Once cool, pipe or spread blackberry buttercream (recipe below). Decorate with fresh blackberries.

Blackberry Buttercream

125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp fresh blackberry puree, strained
1 tsp vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, little at a time beating continuously until incorporated.
Add the blackberry puree and vanilla extract and beat until buttercream is smooth and well blended.