Sunday, August 31, 2014

Pumpkin Pie.

"Eeewww, pumpkin! I don't like pumpkin!"
A lot of students say this before they actually try the pumpkin pie.
A lot of students don't say anything after they have tried it, their mouth is too full to talk!


Pumpkin Pie

Equipment
·      Pie dish (flan ring)
·      Sharp knife and chopping board
·      Rolling pin
·      Small pot and lid
·      Sieve
·      Whisk/ potato masher
·      Measuring cups/spoons
Ingredients
·      Sweet pastry, 1 sheet or half a block
·      Pumpkin, 300g (boiled and dried)
·      Eggs, 2, beaten
·      Condensed milk, 2 Tbspn
·      Castor sugar, ¼ cup
·      Cinnamon, ½ tsp
·      Ginger, ¼ tsp
·      Cloves, pinch
Method
1.    Cut out the base of the pie from the pastry, mold into shape in the pie dish and then use the excess pastry for the sides. Chill in the fridge.
2.    Peel the pumpkin with the knife, cut into cubes and boil in 1 cup of water until soft (about 10 minutes).
3.    Drain the pumpkin through the sieve, dry on paper towels then puree with whisk or potato masher in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool down a bit.
4.    Mix the egg, condensed milk, sugar and spices into the pumpkin puree.
5.    Pour into the pastry base and bake at 1800C for 30 minutes. A knife should come out clean.
6.    Cool on wire rack.


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Filo Triangles (mince and vege).

A simple and tasty finger food.
We have filled the filo with a mince/vege/cheese mix  but you could quite easily create your own filling.
The filo pastry requires some care and technique to master. Try to keep the pastry under a cloth to stop it drying out. It is very fragile and can easily rip if wet or dry.
The first folded triangle needs to be as accurate as possible. Fold from the bottom up.
Bake until golden brown.
I served them with a sweet chilli sauce

Filo Triangles (Mince and Vegetable)
Equipment
·      Oven tray
·      Small fry pan
·      Mixing bowl
·      Wooden spoon
·      Measuring cup
·      Chopping board and knife
·      Pastry brush
Ingredients
·      Filo pastry (4 sheets- 2 per person)
·      Butter, 25g, melted in ramekin
·      Cheese, 1 Tbspn
·      Mince, 1/4 cup
·      Frozen Mixed vegetables,1/2 cup
·      Onion, ½ sliced
·      Seasoning (small pinch of salt, pepper, herbs, curry powder)
·      Oil for frying
Method
1.    Slice the onion and fry in a little oil until soft.
2.    Add the mince first, brown then add the mixed vegetables into the fry pan and cook until soft.
3.    Mix this together with the cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool.
4.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave.
5.    Lay out the filo pastry and brush each sheet lightly with butter, using the pastry brush.
6.    Lay the 2 sheets of pastry on top of each other and cut 4 strips (down the long side).
7.    Place a small amount of filling on the bottom of the pastry and fold triangles up the strip.
8.    Place folded side down onto a greased oven tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 1900C.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Food Academy- Lemon Tart.

We make our own sweet pastry and then fill it with sweet lemon curd.
Mmmmm.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
I used a small blow torch to caramelize the icing sugar on top of a cooling lemon tart. You could alternatively carefully put it under a grill in the oven.


Short Sweet Pastry

Makes 400g
Ingredients
·      Flour, 1 ½ cups
·      Salt, ¼ tsp
·      Butter, soft, 125g
·      Icing sugar, 1/3 cup
·      Egg, 1

Method
1.    Sieve flour and salt together.
2.    Rub in the butter until the texture is like crumbs.
3.    Make a well in the centre.
4.    Beat the egg with the sugar to dissolve it.
5.    Pour the egg and sugar into the well.
6.    Gently and quickly mix to make firm dough.
7.    Rest pastry before use.

Lemon Tart

Ingredients
·      Sweet pastry, 400g
·      Eggs, 5
·      Sugar, ¾ cup
·      Lemon juice, 50ml
·      Lemon zest, 2 tsp
·      Cream, 150ml
·      Icing sugar, to dredge

Method
1.    Line a flan ring with pastry, dock and bake blind.
2.    Beat eggs and sugar together.
3.    Add juice and zest and stir well.
4.    Stir in the cream.
5.    Pour into the flan case.
6.    Bake at 1500C for 30-40 minutes, until set.
7.    Allow to cool.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and caramelize with heat gun

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

This cheesecake recipe uses the set method (as opposed to a baked cheesecake).
This dessert has 3 different types of dairy products in it (butter, cream cheese and cream) so it is very rich and full of fat. It also contains gelatine to make it set. Gelatine is a beef product, made from the skin, hooves and horn of cows.
So enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (set method)

Equipment
·      Small round tin
·      Baking paper (to fit in the bottom of tin)
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Small mixing bowl
·      Rolling pin
·      Chopping board
·      Whisk/ egg beater
Ingredients
·      Biscuit crumbs (from 6 biscuits)
·      Butter, 50g, melted
·      Cream cheese, 2 Tbsp
·      Icing sugar, 1 heaped Tbsp
·      Cocoa powder, 1 tsp
·      Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp
·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp
·      Gelatin, 1 tsp
·      Hot water, 4 tsp
·      Cream, ¼ cup, whipped
·      Chocolate chips, 1 ramekin, heated in microwave.

Method

1.    Crush up the biscuit with the rolling pin on the chopping board.
2.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave and then mix it with the biscuit crumbs.
3.    Line the bottom of the tin with the baking paper.
4.    Pack the buttery biscuit crumb into the bottom of the tin.
5.    Place into the fridge.
6.    Beat the cream cheese, cocoa and icing sugar until they are soft.
7.    Mix the lemon juice, vanilla essence and hot water together.
8.    Dissolve the gelatin in the lemon juice mixture. Heat in microwave if necessary.
9.    Stir the gelatin mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.
10. Fold in the whipped cream.
11. Add the heated chocolate chips to this mix and pour into the chilled base from the fridge.
12.  Return to the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.
13. Carefully remove from the tin, cut up and serve.