Grasshopper Pie - (Chocolate and Lime Tart!)

Incredibly naughty and indulgent - perfect treat for the hardworking cook!

Ingredients

For the chocolate pastry:

3oz plain flour

1oz cocoa powder

1oz caster sugar

2oz butter

1 egg yolk

For the filling:

2 egg yolks

Juice and finely grated rind of 4 limes

410g tin of sweetened condensed milk

4 kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced

300ml double cream, lightly whipped

dark chocolate leaves or curls for decorations

Methods

To make the pastry: Mix together the flour, cocoa and sugar. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add one egg yolk. Mix until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry thinly and line a deep eight inch flan ring. Bake blind - lined with parchment paper and dried beans - in a preheated oven at 180C for 10 minutes.

To make the filling: Mix together the egg yolks, lime juice, zest and condensed milk. Pour into the pastry shell and bake for 20 minutes- the filling will not look completely set. Cool and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. Gently remove the flan ring and lift the pie onto a serving dish. Decorate the lime curd with whipped cream and sliced kiwi, topped with chocolate, just before serving.

Marzipan

I have friends who don't like marzipan that will eat this! Perhaps because the natural taste of almonds is more mellow than the intense flavour of almond essence. Naturally, if you do want the strong marzipan taste, then a few drops of essence will go along way :-)

Ingredients

4oz ground almonds

3oz icing sugar

3oz sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp lemon juice

Method

Mix together the sifted icing sugar, ground almonds, sugar and lemon.

Add enough beaten egg to make a stiff paste. Add almond essence if you require a stronger taste. If you are using it to make sweets its also fun to add a few drops of colour.

Medieval Sweet Onion Tart

Ingredients

Pastry for a 12 inch quiche tin

8oz onions or shallots, finely sliced

2oz butter

1/2 pint double cream

pinch of saffron

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

pinch each of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon

2 tsp sugar

Method

Roll out pastry and line a twelve inch quiche tin. Bake blind at 190 C for 15 minutes. Leave to cool. 

Fry the onions/shallots in the butter until caramelized. In a separate pan, bring the double cream to the boil, take off the heat and add the saffron. Leave to infuse for five minutes.

In a clean bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, spices and sugar. Add the onions/shallots, then the cream and stir together. 

Pour into the cooled pastry case and bake at 190 C for 30 minutes or so until set.