pizza dough

125ml oil
250ml water
herb de provance (or herbs of choice)
10g salt
650  strong flour
7g yeast instant active yeast (or 14g fresh yeast)

Mix all ingredients on medium speed for 7-10minutes
Allow the dough to rest for about 30-40 minutes

Roll dough into circles or squares-whichever you find easier-the size is also up to you.

Rest 10 minutes, then spread with your tomato sauce base and toppings of choice.

Cook until base is crispy (depends on size) at 190C.

You can make a cheese stuffed crust by spooning or piping some spreadable garlic or herb cheese along the sides of your pizza base and then folding the dough over this and pressing firmly to secure

Pictures to follow

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Buttercream and sour cream make delicious soft and moist cakes.  This chocolate cake is quick and easy to prepare.

makes 16-20 squares (or you can make in round or preferred tins)

60g dark chocolate chopped
120g butter
170g brown sugar
1 egg
220g self raising flour
1/2  tsp bicarbonate of soda
25g cocoa
165ml/g of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 180C

Melt the chocolate and butter for about 1 minute on high in a microwave. Stir to ensure all the chocolate is melted.

Stir the sugar and egg into the chocolate mixture.

Mix the flour, soda and cocoa together and stir in half, then half the buttermilk and then the rest of the flour mixture, finishing with the buttermilk.

Spoon into a 20cm tin which has been lined with grease proof/baking parchment or brushed with butter and dusted with flour.

Cook at 180C for 30 mins approx.

Pictures to follow

Royal Icing

100g egg whites (approx 2 medium egg whites)
500g icing sugar
few drops lemon juice

• Sieve the icing sugar.
• Whisk the whites to a froth but not to a stiff foam
• Add the icing sugar lemon juice
• cover with cling film, with the film touching the surface

Hazelnut Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart

Roll out the chilled pastry to desired thickness

cut out pastry to fit your prepared moulds.  Ease into the moulds and secure along base with your thumb as pictured

Dock the base of the pastry (prick the base) and place in the freezer for about 1 hour (so the edges stay firm and baking blind is unecessary).

Cover the base with a thin layer of hazelnut frangipane

Add a layer of Rhubarb and strawberry compote

Top with pastry cream

Cover with a pastry top and secure with decorative edge (or you can top with hazelnut frangipane instead) brush with egg wash or milk and cook at 170C for about 30 minutes

Tarts topped with pastry or frangipane

 turn out from tin when cooled

Pastry Cream (Creme Patisserie)

500ml milk
80g egg yolks (4 yolks)
35g cornflour
100g sugar
vanilla extract, few drops

bring the milk, vanilla and sugar to the boil

Meanwhile whisk the yolks and cornflour together

When boiled, add half the milk to the yolks-whisk to mix (don't add all the milk-or the base of the pot will burn and you'll need to use a new clean pot)

Then return the yolk and milk mix to the rest of the milk in the pan and return to a low heat stirring all the time (with a whisk or wooden spoon)

The mixture will start to thicken-with experience you'll know when it is ready, in the meantime you can check by stirring the mix with a wooden spoon, the custard will coat the back of the spoon, now draw you finger across the custard that coats the spoon-if a visible line of the wood underneath apprears and holds well then the custard is ready.

Pour the custard into a bowl (it will burn on the base if you leave it in the pot) and cover to the surface with cling film.  Leave cool

Hazelnut Frangipane

250g sugar
250g ground hazelnuts (this is now available in Aldi supermarkets)
4 eggs
250g butter
1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar, add the ground hazelnuts then add the eggs and rum

Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

650g Rhubarb
150g Strawberries
225g sugar
180g Honey
vanilla 1 pod or few drops of extract

Clean and prep the rhubarb, cut into chunks and place in a bowl and cover with the sugar.  Leave to sit overnight, the sugar will cause the excess water in the rhubarb to be extracted-drain off this excess.

Place the rhubarb and strawberries in a large pot with the honey, over a low heat leave the fruit to reduce until soft (stir occasionally)

When cold add vanilla to taste.

Pastry

This is a large recipe, it can be reduced or freeze the excess for later

500g softened butter
500g caster sugar or icing sugar
3 eggs
1Kg flour
Zest 1 lemon (optional)

stir the flour and sugar together

rub in the butter

add the eggs and mix
turn out onto a floured board and knead to smooth

Cover in cling film and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before use.

Pastillage

Pastillage is ideal for making decorative sugar pieces that require the strength and stablility that roll out/fondant icing cannot provide.

It is similar to petal paste/gum paste but dries much quicker so can be difficult to work with for intricate pieces.

4 gelatine sheets/leaves
680g icing sugar
1tbsp water
1/2 a lemon, juice only (if using fresh juice, strain to remove the pieces first)

soak the gelatine sheets in cold water (make sure the sheets are covered in water) for about 15 minutes

Place the icing sugar in a mixing bowl and fit mixer with a paddle attachment

Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves.  Add the water to the leaves and melt the leaves in a pot over the lowest heat or in the microwave-it is important that the gelatine does not boil.


Pour the gelatine mixture into the bowl with the icing sugar and mix at low speed until combined.

turn out on to a surface dusted with sieved icing sugar or some cornflour and knead until smooth.

Use straight away or if storing for later rub the surface with white fat/lard (this prevents a skin forming) and cover with cling film.