.@nevenmaguire Rustic Pear and Hazelnut Tarts @BordBia

These tarts are absolutely perfect for a relaxed Sunday lunch. They can be made in the morning and left covered with cling film in the fridge. Pop them into the oven before sitting down to the main course and they will be in about half an hour.

Serves 4

Cooking time:

Preparation time:

Ingredients

  • 5 firm ripe pears
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 heaped tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 50g skinned hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
  • Icing sugar, to dust
  • Crème fraîche, to serve
  • Honey, to serve

For the Pastry

  • 225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • pinch of fine salt
  • 150g (5oz) butter, chilled and diced
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

To Cook

To make the pastry, place the flour in a large bowl with the salt and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then bring the pastry together with the egg (it may also need 1 tablespoon of cold water if it’s a little dry). Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight is fine).

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Peel, core and slice the pears and put them in a bowl. Toss them in the lemon juice, then toss with the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.

On a lightly floured board, cut the pastry into 4 even-sized pieces. Roll each piece of pastry out to a rough circle about 15cm (6in) in diameter and no more than 5mm (¼in) thick. Carefully transfer to the lined baking sheets. Arrange the pears in the middle of each one and scatter the hazelnuts on top, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) border. Using the sides of the baking paper to help lift the pastry, fold the sides up and over the pears. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the tarts are cooked through and golden.

Serving Suggestions

Dust with icing sugar and arrange on plates. Add dollops of crème fraîche and a drizzle of honey to each one to serve.

 

Terrine of Vanilla Ice cream with Meringue & Blackberry Sauce @BordBia

terrine-of-vanilla-ice-cream-with-merringue-and-cranberry-sauce

This dessert is really timeless – meringue and ice cream have been part of country house cuisine for hundreds of years and it would not have been out of place at the finest tables in Ireland at any time since ice houses were introduced in the 17th century

Serves Makes two small terrines, each serving four.

Ingredients

  • 6 egg whites
  • 150g (6 oz) caster sugar
  • 150g (6 oz) icing sugar, sifted

Ice Cream

  • 500ml (scant pint) milk
  • 60g (2½ oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 60g (2½ oz) caster sugar
  • Gelatine – 2g leaf (1 level teasp.) granulated -soaked in a little cold water

Marinated Blackberries

  • 450g (1 lb) blackberries
  • 250g (9 oz) sugar
  • 125ml (5 fl oz) water

To Cook

First make the meringues:

Preheat a very cool oven, Gas Mark ½, 125°C (250°F). Butter and flour a large baking sheet. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add the caster sugar slowly, whisking until completely dissolved, then lightly fold in the icing sugar. Pipe the mixture into small circular shapes and bake in the low oven for about 1½ hours to dry out without colouring. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Next make ice cream:

Heat the milk with the granulated sugar and split vanilla pod (scrape seeds into the milk). When just boiling, remove from the heat, cover and leave 10 minutes to infuse. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Bring the milk infusion back to the boil, add to the yolk mixture, keep whisking and return to the rinsed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking all the time, to thicken a little – be very careful not to overcook – then strain through a very fine sieve. Whisk softened gelatine into the mixture and allow to cool, whisking occasionally. When cold, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker until thick.

To marinate the blackberries:

Sort through the blackberries, removing any stems; wash and drain. Put sugar and water into a pan and heat to dissolve, then bring up to the boil. Allow to cool, then add the blackberries.

To assemble the terrine:

Line two small loaf tins, 18cm x 6.5cm (7″ x 2½”) with overlapping clingfilm. Break up the meringues and fill the bottom of each tin, add ice cream, then some of the marinated blackberries. Cover with another layer of ice cream, close with overlapping clingfilm and freeze.

Serving Suggestions

Liquidise the marinated blackberries and strain to make a sauce. Pour a little onto large dinner plates, slice the ice cream terrine and lay on top of the blackberry sauce.

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/fruit/pages/terrineoficecream.aspx

Dublin Bay Prawns with Lemon & Garlic

dublin_prawns-266x266

This is a quick and easy recipe, and allows the true flavours of the prawns to be enjoyed.

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons
  • 16 Dublin Bay Prawns – Shells removed
  • Splash olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic – crushed
  • 50g Avonmore Butter

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil and butter in a frying pan until it begins to bubble.
  2. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds over a medium heat.
  3. Add prawns and fry for 1 or 1 ½ minutes each side (depending on size).
  4. Squeeze half a lemon into the pan and mix into the cooking juices.
  5. Remove from pan and drizzle with cooking juices.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with salad leaves, lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Tip

Mix a little sweet chilli sauce with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise to create a delicious dipping sauce for prawns.

Courtesy of Bord Bia http://www.bordbia.ie

    
4.00 avg. rating (76% score) – 2 votes

Strawberry tartlets for afternoon tea


legra_cookingandbaking
Gluten-free Strawberry Tartlets 🍓

Ingredients
For the tart crust – 
300g ground almonds
4 tbsp melted coconut 
4 tbsp maple syrup
Good pinch of sea salt

For the jam – 
300g strawberries
1.5 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup

Fresh Strawberries, washed and sliced, for decoration

Method

Preheat the oven to 180deg celsius. Combine all tart crust ingredients in a bowl, they should resemble fine breadcrumbs but come together into a crumbly dough with a little pressure.

Line a muffin tin with paper cases. I used silicone reusable ones which can easily be purchased online or in a homeware dept, they are better for the environment too. Place a large dessert spoon of the mixture in each case, then use your fingers to push the mixture into the sides of the cases until they stick and resemble a crust. This is a little messy but well worth the effort.Place tartlet cases in the oven for 10-12 mins until they are golden brown. 

In the meantime, take 150g strawberries and place in a blender until they are smooth and frothy. Add the chia seeds and maple syrup and blitz for a further two minutes. Place to one side and allow the jam to thicken until you are ready to serve the tartlets. Prepare the remaining strawberries for decoration.

Remove tart crusts from oven and allow to cool fully before prepping to serve. When ready to serve, fill the cases with jam and place strawberry slices on top. 

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy! x

@bordbia 🍓

#legrabakes #legracookingandbaking
#strawberries #irishstrawberries #tartlets #strawberrytarltets #glutenfree #afternoontea #wheatfree #homebaker #baker #baking #shoplocal #supportlocal #delicious #summer #july #celebratestrawberryseason9w

Girls Night In @bordbia


bordbia
Whether you’re ladies who lunch or planning a #GirlsNightIn – our chocolate pots are the ultimate in Galentines recipe inspiration! 💗

Using just 4 ingredients, these pots are easy to make and simply delicious:
125g plain chocolate
250ml cream
1 egg
Half teasp. vanilla essence

Method:
Break up the chocolate and place in the food processor.
Heat the cream to almost boiling. Add to the chocolate. Buzz until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the egg and vanilla and buzz again until smooth.
Pour into individual dishes and chill for at least 24 hours.

Go nuts and add some (nutty) biscuits to go with.

Head to our #LinkInBio to find out how to make them in less than 15mins.