Apple and Frangipan Tart

Below is another recipe for you, its an apple and frangipan tart, its using the best of seasonal ingredients and it's super tasty.

Ingredients:
8 large apples, cored, peeled and halved
250g unsalted butter
400g sugar
400-500g puff pastry
Flour for dusting

Frangipane
375g soft butter
375g icing sugar
370g ground almonds
37.5g flour
7 eggs

Method:
Cut the puff pastry into discs that are the size you desire, I usually use a coffee cup as an indicator for the disc size. Line a flat baking tray with grease proof paper, and pace the disc onto the tray. Place the tray into the fridge to let the puff pastry rest until you need it again.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c full fan (gas mark 6). 

Meanwhile melt the butter and sugar in a pan and cook on a low heat until they turn an amber colour and caramelise (if the heat is too high the butter will spilt out of the sugar). Add the apples to the pan, continue to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the apples are lightly coloured.

Remove the apples and caramel from the heat, and with a slotted spoon arrange the apples onto the puff pastry discs, but try not to get too much liquid onto the puff pastry disc while doing this. You want to try and create a ‘fan’ effect with the apples.

Prepare the frangipane but creaming together the butter and sugar, and then adding all the other ingredients until it is combine. Press a layer of frangipane on top of the apples

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through and the frangipane starts turning a nice golden brown colour.

Serve this with vanilla bean ice cream, maple syrup and come apple puree.

Bon Appétit

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This recipe was provided by Kirsty from Eclectic Catering.
Kirsty is the founder of Eclectic Catering; a Private Chef in London Offering Catering Services.

You can take a look at her website here.

Gooseberry and Elderflower Fool

Celebrating spring ingredients, here is a quick and easy to prepare dessert that is packed full of flavours. We love desserts in our house, and this dish is one of the reasons why.

For the compote
500g gooseberries
40g caster sugar
15ml elderflower cordial

Place all ingredients in a pan and cook gently until the gooseberries begin to break down.
Cool the compote in the fridge and then blend to a coarse puree.

For the fool
300g Gooseberry Compote
250ml Semi whipped double cream
30ml Elderflower cordial
5ml Lemon juice
35g Caster sugar

Half whip the cream and then add the sugar, cordial, lemon juice and the compote and carefully fold together. Taste and correct sweetness if necessary, place the complete mix into clear glasses and garnish with fresh mint and summer berries. Now all that’s left to do it tuck in and enjoy.

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This recipe was provided by Kirsty from Eclectic Catering.
Kirsty is the founder of Eclectic Catering; a Private Chef in London Offering Catering Services.

You can take a look at her website here.

Fluffy Lime Cupcakes with Lime Whipped Cream

Makes 24 individual lime cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcake Batter:300g Plain Flour1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
250ml milk
3 Large Egg Whites, at room temperature
300g Caster Sugar
5 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
Zest of a line
113g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

Lime Whipped Cream:
100ml Heavy Cream, chilled
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoons of Fresh Lime Juice

Garnish:
Fresh Lime Slices cut in hall

Preheat oven to 350˚ F/180 C / gas mark 4.  
Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in another bowl.

Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Add the butter and with the paddle attachment beat at medium speed with a stand mixer until ingredients are light and fluffy. Beat in the extract and lime juice, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

Mix in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, mixing until the batter is well mixed, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

Continue beating the mixture for another few minutes to ensure that the batter is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. whip the chilled heavy cream on high until it just holds stiff peaks. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar, add the zest and whip until combined.

Fill a piping bag with a fitted tip. Pipe on the whipped cream on top of cooled cupcakes. Garnish with additional lime zest and lime slices.

Hints and tips:
Although my recipe uses a Kenwood Prospero; you can also use this recipe without. However I do recommend a food processor!

The first time that I am making a recipe; I measure out all of the ingredients into individual bowls. I find this allows you to be a little more in control which is helpful when sometimes you don't realise from a recipe that two things need to happen at the same time!

If you don't fancy; or don't have a piping bag don't worry - as an alternative you can just use a teaspoon and place a small amount on top of the cupcake. Place the lime on top and it still looks fab!

Super zippy chicken

Welcome to the first blog from the planet - we hope you like it!

This recipe is one of our favourites in our home. It is quick, healthy, tasty and a good way to impress guests if you haven't got a lot of time to prepare a meal.

The recipe is originally based around a Weight Watchers recipe; which I have adapted over time. Don't worry it doesn't taste like a healthy meal - it is a truly tasty explosion of flavours!

Ingredients:
6 nests of tagliatelle
200g of tenderstem broccoli
100g of asparagus tips
1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 diced garlic cloves
1 diced red chilli, de-seeded
250g of cherry tomatoes
200ml of chicken stock
210g of cooked chicken slices
1 lemon
15g of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:
1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place in a bowl
2. Dice the garlic and red chilli
3. Tear up the cooked chicken into small pieces
4. Make up 150ml of chicken stock using 2 chicken stock cubes
5. Use a peeler to peel off some of the lemon zest and dice it

Creating the masterpiece:
1. Boil a full kettle of water
2. Add the pasta, asparagus and broccoli to a saucepan. Fill with water and bring back to the boil
3. Add the olive oil to a second saucepan and add the diced garlic and red chilli. Heat for about a minute until the garlic starts to brown
4. Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock and simmer for about 3-4 minutes
5. Add the lemon zest and parmesan cheese to the sauce and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon
6. Drain the pasta, broccoli and asparagus and tip into the saucepan of sauce and toss together
7. Serve in two pasta bowls immediately

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Alternatives
This dish can be made without the chicken and with vegetable stock for vegetarians. I did this once by accident and no-one even noticed!

Hints and tips
1. The moment you have served to pasta; put the saucepan in the sink and fill with hot water unless you want to spend half an hour scrubbing as the parmesan creates a glue like consistency that is impossible to clean once dried on! The same for the pasta bowls and forks - throw in the sink and fill with hot water if you want to entertain rather than wash up straight away!
2. Get yourself a Lakeland slice and dice if you want to save time on the dicing and get really good diced garlic and red chilli
3. Don't put your hands near your eyes! After cooking scrub your hands with a scrubbing brush and wash with a lemon-based washing up liquid - trust me - it is the only way to not wake up in the middle of the night in pain where you have wiped your eyes in your sleep and there is still chilli and garlic under your nails!

Recipe by Naomi