Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

It feels so good to be cooking again after such a long hiatus. I a, of course spoiling you with another Christmas themed bake, it is my favourite time of year! This tart could use up any left over Christmas stilton you have lying around, or if you have none left (likely), it gives you an excuse to buy more, because as I've said before Christmas is really all about cheese. This pear, stilton and walnut quiche is a lovely vegetarian option to a Christmas feast.

Ingredients

375g shortcrust pastry
50g walnuts
4 shallots
Thyme leaves
100g Stilton
3 pears
6 eggs
Salt and Pepper

Putting it all Together

Preheat the oven to 200c/180fan/gas mark 6

In a food processor, whizz the walnuts until they are broken up to a crumb. Keep a little of the pastry back and then add the remaining shortcrust pastry in chunks. Blitz together until the pastry has broken down and then come back together with all the walnut crumb, giving you a lovely walnut pastry.

Using the pastry, line a fluted tart tin, pressing gently into the sides and allow the excess pastry to hang over the edges. Cover this with clingfilm and pop in the fridge to chill.

While the pastry is chilling, heat a frying pan with a little oil add in the sliced shallots and thyme with salt and pepper. Cook these on high until the onions sizzle and then turn down to low. Cook the shallots for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and golden. Set aside.

Remove tin from the fridge and remove the cling film. Fill the tin with baking paper and baking beans and place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the baking paper and beans before baking for a further 5 minutes or until golden.

Reduce the temperature to 160c/140fan gas mark 3 and take the tart out of the oven.

While the pastry is still hot, use a sharp knife to cut the pastry flush to the rim of the tin and then fill the pastry with the caramelised onions.

Cut two of the pears into cubes and slice one of the pears lengthwise. Top the onion with the cubed pear and sprinkle over the stilton. Decorate the top with your sliced pear. With the pastry you saved earlier roll out and cut out a little partridge to sit on top.

Whisk the eggs and season before pouring around the sliced pears to cover the ingredients underneath. Pop bake in the oven to bake for around 20 minutes until golden.

This can be eaten straight out of the oven or served cold. A gorgeous quiche that mixes the sweetness of the pear with the savoury of the stilton and walnut. A very Merry Christmas indeed!

Recipe - Pumpkin Pie

I'm not a coffee lover so you will never find me with a PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Latte) over the autumn months even though I'd love to try one. Something else that I have never tried but thought, 'why the hell not give it a shot!' is Pumpkin Pie.

Making use of the leftovers from carving that pumpkin this is a sweet treat way to make sure nothing goes to waste. The spices make it taste just like my favourite season should and it will be a struggle not to eat the whole thing. Maybe just one more slice, I must say I don't know why I had never given it a go before!

Ingredients

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

110g butter
300g flour
80g caster sugar
1 egg

Pumpkin Pie Filling

750g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
350g sweet shortcrust pastry
plain flour, for dusting
140g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
25g butter, melted
175ml milk

Method to the Madness

Make up pastry by rubbing the flour and butter together until in crumbs. Add the sugar and egg and bring together into a soft dough.

Place the pumpkin in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Once tender drain the pumpkin and let cool.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a loose-bottomed tart tin. Pop in the fridge to chill for 15 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the baking beans and paper, and cook for another 10 mins until the base is pale golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

 Increase oven temperature to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a different bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Next mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.

Pour into the pastry shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set. If you fancy take out after 20 minutes to add some pastry decoration.

Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Serve chilled.

Happy Halloween!
C x

Recipe - Coconut Macaroons

I love coconut and I love condensed milk so this recipe might just be one of my favourites. Crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle these macaroons are quick to make and keep for while (if they last that long!)

Ingredients

400g sweetened shredded coconut
200ml condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs whites
120g milk chocolate

Method to the Madness

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two trays with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded coconut, condensed milk and vanilla extract.

Separate the yolks and whites carefully!

  
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Using two spoons, form heaped tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and the bottoms and edges are deeply golden.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 30 second intervals so it doesn't burn. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and return upside down to the trays.

Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the chocolate to sets then eat the whole lot with a cup of tea.

C x