Life, the Universe and Chickens
So I am in France! With Wireless!! WOOT!!
Today was glorious weather; sunny and warm with a slight breeze so pale and ginger me didn't die. We had all the doors (and there are MANY) open and the grass had been cut and it smelt all summery so I decided that instead of painting radiators I would BAKE!!
Apricot and Almond Tart...
Before ya'll run away screaming PASTRY!! NOOO!! Stop, turn around, release the fear. This is a completely and totally fool proof (and by that I mean it survived me) recipe and is SO TASTY!!
Word of warning, if you don't have a food processor (like me) you will develop excellent arm muscles...
PASTRY (makes enough to line one 28cm/11inch tart tin)
*250g cups plain flour
*60g caster sugar
*155g unsalted butter (take out of fridge 10 mins before using)
*1 SMALL egg
*1 egg yolk
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or just use vanilla sugar)
0.5 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
1. mix the flour, sugar and butter in a processor for about 15 secs until it looks like breadcrumbs. Alternatively cut the butter into small cubes and rub into sugar and flour with hands until bread crumb like things appear!
2. make a well in the middle and add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract. I find using a fork is best until you have to start using your hands! Use just the one hand to bring the dry and wet together (do not be afraid!! you get to knead it later anyway!)
3. once it's all incorporated you should have a big lump of dough. Generously flour your work surface and then knead the dough until it is totally smooth.
4. Grease a 28cm tart tin. Roll the dough til it is roughly half a centimetre thick. lift up either using the rolling pin or pizza dough styley and carefully put in the tin (don't worry if it tears, just patch it up). BEWARE, it shrinks a LOT when baked so be generous (2 inches generous) when cutting the edges.
5. chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
6. put something in it to weigh it down (I used dry beans wrapped in tin foil) and bake for 25 mins until the pastry is just going golden.
FILLING
*250g unsalted butter
*250g caster sugar
*2 eggs
*2 egg yolks
*almond essence/some form of almond-y alcohol
*250g ground almonds
*50g plain flour
TOPPING
*500g of apricots stoned and quartered
*4 spoons of apricot jam
*juice of half a lemon
*more almond-y alcohol
1. preheat oven to 180C/350F
2. First make the filling. Beat the butter and sugar together (HIGHLY recommend using a blender, my arm died) until it's creamy.
3. beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, also throw in a nice splash of almond alcohol
4. fold in the ground almonds and flour. You should end up with a cake dough like consistency.
5. Spread this nice and evenly in your prebaked tart case.
6. arrange the apricot quarters in a nice even pattern over the filling.
7. bake for 40/45 mins until the filling is going golden brown and the apricots are tinged slightly brown.
8. melt the jam and lemon juice in a saucepan until it is bubbling (happen very fast) and at the last moment throw in more almond-y alcohol. Brush over the top of the tart.
and VOILA!!! Tres tasty tart!
and for people who use cups to measure things... a handy converter: www.gourmetsleuth.com/gram_calc.htm
and for those who use imperial: http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm
Also, we have CHICKENS!! And they are so cute!! My father will not let me name them (as they are intended for our tummies) but I have anyway. Presenting Doris, Phyllis and Sybil...
Doris is the white one (after Doris Day, and she's all pure an innocent right, so she had to be white), Sybil is the one on the far left (and while it is hard to tell from this pic is actually speckled grey, she is named after Sybil Trelawny so of course had to be grey like the nutty divination teacher's eyes) and Phyllis is the middle one (and well, i just liked her name...)
They were quite scared of me and ran away (sad times) hence the awful pic, especially of Doris' arse, but she is a total wuss.
And it has become clear that they arel Sybil's bitches, she is in charge and won't let no one forget it. Personally I think it's cos she's the prettiest...
SEE!! So pretty! She is also the fattest, so will probably be eaten first...
I also got bored this afternoon so went for a wander around the garden with the camera and took a couple of pretty photos. Nothing mind boggling, but I thought seeing as I was in a sharing mood, I would inflict them on you all:
the 'pond'
The orchard and the next door church in the background.
and the house itself... You can see all the crap out from from where all the radiator were being painted...
Also here in France is a toad... a toad that I want to kill. It makes a sound like an electrical beep from about 7 pm to 7 am ALL THE FREAKING TIME!! If I find it, it will die.
Today was glorious weather; sunny and warm with a slight breeze so pale and ginger me didn't die. We had all the doors (and there are MANY) open and the grass had been cut and it smelt all summery so I decided that instead of painting radiators I would BAKE!!
Apricot and Almond Tart...
Before ya'll run away screaming PASTRY!! NOOO!! Stop, turn around, release the fear. This is a completely and totally fool proof (and by that I mean it survived me) recipe and is SO TASTY!!
Word of warning, if you don't have a food processor (like me) you will develop excellent arm muscles...
PASTRY (makes enough to line one 28cm/11inch tart tin)
*250g cups plain flour
*60g caster sugar
*155g unsalted butter (take out of fridge 10 mins before using)
*1 SMALL egg
*1 egg yolk
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or just use vanilla sugar)
0.5 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
1. mix the flour, sugar and butter in a processor for about 15 secs until it looks like breadcrumbs. Alternatively cut the butter into small cubes and rub into sugar and flour with hands until bread crumb like things appear!
2. make a well in the middle and add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract. I find using a fork is best until you have to start using your hands! Use just the one hand to bring the dry and wet together (do not be afraid!! you get to knead it later anyway!)
3. once it's all incorporated you should have a big lump of dough. Generously flour your work surface and then knead the dough until it is totally smooth.
4. Grease a 28cm tart tin. Roll the dough til it is roughly half a centimetre thick. lift up either using the rolling pin or pizza dough styley and carefully put in the tin (don't worry if it tears, just patch it up). BEWARE, it shrinks a LOT when baked so be generous (2 inches generous) when cutting the edges.
5. chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
6. put something in it to weigh it down (I used dry beans wrapped in tin foil) and bake for 25 mins until the pastry is just going golden.
FILLING
*250g unsalted butter
*250g caster sugar
*2 eggs
*2 egg yolks
*almond essence/some form of almond-y alcohol
*250g ground almonds
*50g plain flour
TOPPING
*500g of apricots stoned and quartered
*4 spoons of apricot jam
*juice of half a lemon
*more almond-y alcohol
1. preheat oven to 180C/350F
2. First make the filling. Beat the butter and sugar together (HIGHLY recommend using a blender, my arm died) until it's creamy.
3. beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, also throw in a nice splash of almond alcohol
4. fold in the ground almonds and flour. You should end up with a cake dough like consistency.
5. Spread this nice and evenly in your prebaked tart case.
6. arrange the apricot quarters in a nice even pattern over the filling.
7. bake for 40/45 mins until the filling is going golden brown and the apricots are tinged slightly brown.
8. melt the jam and lemon juice in a saucepan until it is bubbling (happen very fast) and at the last moment throw in more almond-y alcohol. Brush over the top of the tart.
and VOILA!!! Tres tasty tart!
and for people who use cups to measure things... a handy converter: www.gourmetsleuth.com/gram_calc.htm
and for those who use imperial: http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm
Also, we have CHICKENS!! And they are so cute!! My father will not let me name them (as they are intended for our tummies) but I have anyway. Presenting Doris, Phyllis and Sybil...
Doris is the white one (after Doris Day, and she's all pure an innocent right, so she had to be white), Sybil is the one on the far left (and while it is hard to tell from this pic is actually speckled grey, she is named after Sybil Trelawny so of course had to be grey like the nutty divination teacher's eyes) and Phyllis is the middle one (and well, i just liked her name...)
They were quite scared of me and ran away (sad times) hence the awful pic, especially of Doris' arse, but she is a total wuss.
And it has become clear that they arel Sybil's bitches, she is in charge and won't let no one forget it. Personally I think it's cos she's the prettiest...
SEE!! So pretty! She is also the fattest, so will probably be eaten first...
I also got bored this afternoon so went for a wander around the garden with the camera and took a couple of pretty photos. Nothing mind boggling, but I thought seeing as I was in a sharing mood, I would inflict them on you all:
the 'pond'
The orchard and the next door church in the background.
and the house itself... You can see all the crap out from from where all the radiator were being painted...
Also here in France is a toad... a toad that I want to kill. It makes a sound like an electrical beep from about 7 pm to 7 am ALL THE FREAKING TIME!! If I find it, it will die.