Coffee Éclairs

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 100g Plain Flour
• Pinch Salt
• 75g Butter
• 150ml Water
• 3 Eggs

Filling:

• 2 Eggs Yolks
• 5 tbsp Caster Sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp Cornflour
• 3 tbsp Double Cream
• 4 tsp Instant Coffee in 200ml Water
• 50g Butter

Topping:

• 100g Chocolate
• 2 tbsp Double Cream

Method

1. For Pastry, Melt Butter in Salt and Water
2. Bring to boil then tip into pan with Flour
3. Beat firmly with wooden spoon until smooth
4. Lightly heat mixture until glossy (2 mins)
5. Allow to cool
6. With electrical whisk beat Eggs into mixture one at a time
7. Pipe the mixture into fingers on a baking sheet and Bake @200C (15 mins)
8. Reduce oven to 180C and continue to bake (15 mins)
9. Allow to cool
10. For Filling, beat together Egg Yolks, Sugar, Cornflour and Cream
11. Gradually beat in Coffee and then bring to boil
12. Remove from heat and stir in Butter
13. Cover with cling film and leave to cool (1 hour)
14. For Topping, in a bowl over a pan of water melt the Chocolate and Cream
15. To assemble, slice the Pastry in half and spoon then filling into the middle
16. Spread the topping over the top

Spring Vegetable Boxes

Ingredients

• Puff Pastry
• Egg
• Whole Baby Carrots
• Whole Asparagus Tips
• Whole Green Beans
• Sliced Baby Leek
• Sliced Spring Onion

Sauce:

• Garlic
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Dill
• Parmesan Cheese
• Lemon Juice
• Sugar

Method

• Roll out Puff Pastry and cut into rectangles
• Use trimmings to create a raised edge on top of each rectangle
• Brush with beaten Egg, then Bake @220C until browned
• Cut out the middle, reserve for the lid
• For Sauce, fry Garlic in a little oil (2 mins)
• Add Chopped Tomatoes and simmer (20 mins)
• Stir in chopped Dill and grated Parmesan
• Season sauce and add a little Sugar and Lemon Juice
• For filling, boil Carrots, Asparagus and Beans (7 mins)
• Drain Vegetables then fry with sliced Leeks and Spring Onion in butter (2 mins)
• Season Vegetables
• For the Boxes, pour a little sauce onto box, put a couple of each vegetable in each box, cover with a little more sauce
• Pour remaining sauce on plate then place box on top and then pastry lid on top of that
• Serve with Dill and grated Parmesan sprinkled over

One Crust Vegetable Pie

Ingredients

• Onion
• Aubergine
• Pepper
• Mushroom
• Oregano
• Olives
• Red Kidney Beans
• Basil Leaves

Sauce:

• Chopped Tomatoes
• Tomato Purée
• Garlic

Pastry:

• 75g Plain Flour
• 75g Wholemeal Flour
• 75g Margarine
• 50g Grated Parmesan

Method

1. For the pastry, blend Flours, Parmesan and Margarine into crumbs
2. Add enough water for pastry to come together, roll into a ball and chill (20 mins)
3. For Sauce, fry Garlic in a little Olive Oil (1 min)
4. Add Tomato Purée and continue to fry (1 min)
5. Add Chopped Tomatoes and turn heat down, simmer until reduced by half (30 mins)
6. For filling, fry Onion (5 mins)
7. Add Cubed Aubergine (5 mins)
8. Add chopped Pepper and Mushrooms (5 mins)
9. Add Oregano, Olives and Kidney Beans (5 mins)
10. Mix in the Sauce, season and set aside
11. Roll out pastry to around 30cm diameter
12. Tip filling into center (allowing 2 inch border), then roll up edges
13. Bake @190C (30 mins)
14. Serve with chopped Basil leaves

Asparagus Flan

Ingredients

• Asparagus Tips
• Plum Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Ricotta Cheese
• Egg
• Parmesan

Pastry:

• 250g Plain Flour
• 125g Butter
• 1 Eggs
• 1 tsp Caster Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Water

Method

1. For Pastry, tip Flour out and make a well in middle
2. Mix Butter, Egg, Sugar and Salt into well
3. Gradually incorporate flour until crumbly
4. Add enough Water for dough to come together, then wrap in cling film and chill (20 mins)
5. Roll out pastry on floured surface and press into buttered tin, pick base a few time and chill again (20 mins)
6. Place baking paper and baking beans over pastry and Bake @190 (10 mins)
7. Remove baking beans and paper and continue to bake until brown (5 mins)
8. Remove, allow to cool and trim edges
9. For Filling, boil Asparagus tips
10. Remove skin from Tomatoes (place in boiling water for a few seconds and skin will come away more easily)
11. Remove seeds from Tomatoes and chop with the Garlic
12. Mix Ricotta Cheese with Egg and Season well
13. Place Tomatoes and Garlic in base of Flan
14. Add Ricotta mixture on top, then Asparagus, then a little more Ricotta mix and finally grated Parmesan
15. Bake @200C (10 mins)
16. Serve with Salad

Mushroom Tart

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 250g Plain Four
• 150g Butter
• Pinch Salt and Sugar
• 1 Egg (medium)

Tart:

• Onion
• Bay Leaf
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Hendersons Relish
• Mushrooms
• Single Cream
• 2 Eggs

Method

1. In food processor mix Flour, Salt and Sugar
2. Add Cubes of butter until combined
3. Add beaten Eggs
4. (Add a little water if mixture doesn’t come together)
5. Take out, dust in flour, wrap cling film and chill (20 mins)
6. Meanwhile fry Onion, Garlic, Hendersons Relish, Bay Leaf and Thyme on a very low heat (40 mins)
7. Roll out pastry to fit tart tin
8. Press into edges, pick base with fork and chill again (10 mins)
9. Fry halved mushrooms in a separate pan until soft
10. Scrunch up greaseproof paper (it will line the tin easier), butter the under side so it doesn’t stick to the pastry
11. Line the pastry with the greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, press them right into the corners of tin
12. Bake @180C (10 mins)
13. Remove greaseproof paper and baking beans, bake again (5 mins)
14. Whisk together Single Cream and Eggs, season
15. Remove Bay Leaf and Thyme from Onions
16. Layer onions on pastry base, then Mushrooms (flat side up), then poor over two thirds of Cream and Eggs
17. Place the tin on the oven shelf and pour in the rest of the Cream and Eggs right up to the tins edge (easier than carrying full tin to oven!)
18. Bake @160C (30 mins)
19. Serve with Salad