Berry and Sour Cream Pie

The Husband and I are not so much of dessert people, but tried making this one lazy Saturday, it was good and so am confidently sharing the recipe with the dessert enjoying folks out there....

This is for a 9 inch pie dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream
2 tbsps all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg. beaten
2 1/2 cups berries (i used a mixture of blueberry,rasberry and black berry)
Short crust pastry, cooked (the recipe to which i have mentioned in the tarte tatin recipe, since i used the same pie dish the proportions mentioned in that recipe will be good for this as well.)

Crumble topping

3 tbsps Macademia Nut chopped ( i am sure you can also use walnut, pecan,hazel nut etc)
3 tbsps softened butter
3 tbsps all purpose flour

Method:

Beat sour cream, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and egg until smooth. Gently fold in the berries and once incorporated pour it into the cooked pie crust and bake for 25 minutes at 190 deg C

For the crumble:

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. At 25 minutes, sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the cooked pie, return to the oven and cook for 10 minutes more.

Bon appetit -  Mimi

Tarte Tatin

As i mentioned earlier i do not bake as much so this recipe is a wee bit special as this was one of the first things i baked and the poor pic is proof enough that i did not have enough left for a decent pic...so apologies for the poor pic...will replace when i bake one next.

Tarte Tatin is just about the easiest things to bake and the fancy name does not hurt either! The short crust pastry in this recipe can also be used for quiches,pies and tarts. I use regular salted butter (no butter like amul butter).  So here goes my friends presenting to you Tarte Tatin:

Ingredients:
(This is for a 9 inch baking dish, not the tart dish as the juices tend to overflow so use either an oven proof round pan or a regular 9 inch cake tin)

Short Crust Pastry:

100g Self Raising Flour
50 g diced butter (measure the butter when diced) (the butter to be cold but slightly soft)
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp ice cold water

For the Apple topping:
3 large Granny Smith apples (if medium sized you can use 4)
Rind and Juice of 1 lemon (if using lime then juice of half a lime should do)
75gms butter
75 gms demerara sugar

Method

Pastry:

Flour,icing sugar and butter goes into a bowl and using your fingertips start crumbling the butter into the flour and sugar.  It is important that the consistency remains crumbly at this stage so do not knead just crumble  using your finger tips, continue to do so till the mixture resembles a breadcrumb consistency (if the butter is at room temperature you will not achieve this consistency). Add the yolk and the water to form a firm dough, it should not be sticky dough.  Just knead the dough very gently for a couple of minutes and put in an air tight container or wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Topping:

Peel and slice the apples thinly immediately sprinkle with the rind and juice of lemon/lime. In a pan melt the butter and sugar as mentioned in the topping ingredients. Once the 2 have been fully melted and incorporated pour melted liquid into the bottom of your cake tin, or if you are using the pan then let it remain in the pan itself.  On top of this arrange the slices of apples around the base and pile in a circular manner to fill the dish.

Roll out the refrigerated pastry and cover the pan or cake tin with the pastry. Bake in a pre heated oven at 200 deg C for 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked to a golden brown.

Once done remove from oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Slice a piece....serve yourself some and enjoy....

Bon Appetit Mimi

Starting on a Sweet Note.... Brownies!

In India, you should (ideally!) start something on a sweet note..... now since I'm diabetic, I cheated on this one!

But this recipe makes these gorgeous, slightly sweet, very dense brownies!!

Bon Appetit - Fifi !

Perfect Brownies!

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup sugar (I substituted 1/2 cup of Splenda!)

3/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup butter (melted)

3/4 cup flour

3 eggs

3/4 cup chocolate chips

walnuts / hazelnuts (optional, but of course you've got to put them in!!)

Method: - Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and melted butter

- Do this by hand until the dry ingredients are just about incorporated into the wet and stop (The more you stir it, it accelerates the production of gluten)

- Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

- Line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment

- Pour in the batter and spread it out 

- Bake at 325 F or 165 C for 20-30 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clear.

- Lift the parchment out of the dish. Peel the edges and cool before slicing.