Yes, I’ve been slack. I haven’t updated this blog in over three weeks due to sickness (you can add a smidgen of laziness and a slight lack of inspiration to that excuse). It began with a throat infection and then I was hit with a rather nasty case of bronchitis which I’m still recovering from – I have that ‘pack-a-day’ cough which I must say is highly unattractive. But I digress, I’m much better now and ready to get down and dirty in the kitchen! Aprons on, here we go…

 

 

 

I made an apple tart yesterday because I simply felt like making something quick and easy. The ‘recipe’ below is a rough list of what I used and I say ‘rough list’ as I didn’t follow a recipe. Just kind of made it up and added a bit of this and a bit of that as I went along (yes, yes I am amazing). I had everything I needed in the pantry and a roll of puff pastry in the freezer (always a last-minute lifesaver) and it only took thirty minutes from start to finish (including baking time). It’s simple, fast and delicious.

 

 

Give it a go and adapt it to suit your tastes or what you have in the fridge/pantry. You may choose to replace the apples with pears, stone fruit or even berries! Instead of almonds, you could use ground hazelnuts or pecans. You could make a large square tart, or individual round ones. It can be anything you want. Baking/cooking is always up for interpretation!

Simple Apple Tart

180g sheet of puff pastry, defrosted (I cut a 375g roll of Câreme puff pastry in half – you could use a sheet of regular puff pastry)

2 small green apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (you may have some apple slices left over)

1 egg yolk

honey, to drizzle

toasted slivered almonds, to sprinkle

Frangipane

5 tablespoons (or so) ground almonds

1 big tablespoon of unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons caster sugar

splash of vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. For the frangipane, combine all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
3. Place the rectangle of pastry onto the baking sheet and using a very sharp knife, score a smaller rectangle one centimetre from the border. Prick all over the inside rectangle of the pastry with a fork (this helps the pastry to expand and stops it buckling in the middle). Spread the frangipane mix over the base of the pastry – I find it best to use wet fingers as a knife doesn’t do the job properly. Arrange the apple slices over the frangipane and make sure you overlap them tightly (if you don’t, the frangipane mix may bubble up). Brush the pastry edges with the egg yolk.
4. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the pastry is a pale golden brown and the tips of the apple slices begin to brown. Remove from the oven and liberally drizzle the tart with honey. Return the tart to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top.

With a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream, this tart should serve four for dessert – or two very greedy people (such as Z and myself) :)

I am in love with a man named Nigel Slater (sorry Z). Slater is one of Britain’s most well-known cookery writers and I am currently enjoying his book Appetite. His book won ‘Cookbook of the Year’ in 2001 and it’s not hard to see why, as Slater’s wit and knowledge jump off every page, with wonderfully written prose, non-fussed recipes and accompanied with beautiful photography by Jonathan Lovekin. Through his writing, he easily demonstrates the true joy of cooking and appreciation of good food. As I read his book, he continues to remind me why I love to bake/cook and eat.

“… if you decide to go through life without cooking you are missing something very very special… Cooking can be as passionate, creative, life-enhancing, uplifting, satisfying and downright exhilarating as anything else you can do with your life. Feeling, sniffing, chopping, sizzling, grilling, frying, roasting, baking, tasting, licking, sucking, biting, savouring and swallowing food are pleasures that would, to put it mildly, be a crime to miss out on. And to that buzz, the satisfying tingle that goes down your spine when you watch someone eating something you have made for them, and you have one of the greatest joys known to man.” * (Nigel Slater, Appetite, page 10).

For that Nigel, I salute you.

To reflect Slater’s view that good food doesn’t always have to be fancy, I share a recipe for Cinnamon Teacake. Its sheer simplicity is ultimately what makes it special.

Happy cooking/baking/eating! :)

Cinnamon Teacake

75g unsalted butter, softened

150g (1 cup) caster sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g (1 cup) plain flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

85ml milk

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

15g unsalted butter, melted

1.5 tablespoons caster sugar

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line with non-stick baking paper a 20cm/8-inch round cake tin.
2. Beat together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl (or food mixer) until it is very pale and creamy.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and milk. Spread the batter into the prepared tin.
4. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
5. Whilst the cake is still warm, brush the melted butter on the cake and sprinkle the combined sugar and cinnamon over the top.

This cake is best eaten on the day it is made (not like there will be any left).

* Nigel Slater, 2000, Appetite, Fourth Estate, London, Great Britain, page 10