In which we bake a pie and farewell a beloved pet

There is something very soothing about baking on a Sunday afternoon.

This recipe is made to our taste which means it’s very tart – if you prefer it sweeter you will need to adjust the recipe, I’ll include notes below.

Pastry – a rich shortcrust

This represents a ¾ quantity, suitable for lining the bottom and sides of your pie dish.

1 ½ cups of plain flour

¾ tablespoon caster sugar

1 egg yolk (save the white for the meringue)

3/8 (or approx 94 grams( of butter

A pinch of salt

1 ½  teaspoon of lemon juice

water

This can be done by hand or in a food processor.

• Mix butter, sugar and salt until combines.
• Add flour and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Mix egg yolk and lemon juice together and add to mix (if mixing by hand, make a well in the centre and add the liquid to the centre and fold from the outside in.
• Add water until the mixture comes together – if mixing by hand, your dough will come together with less water than if you mix in the processor and allow dough to form in the machine.
• Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface, wrap in greaseproof paper or cling wrap and allow to rest for at least half an hour before using.
• Preheat the over to 220ºC. Grease a pie dish (approx 20 cm)
  After half an hour, roll the pastry thinly and line your pie dish. Prick the bottom of the flan and line with baking paper and baking beans.

• Bake blind at the top of the oven for around 15 minutes, then remove the blind filling and return to the over at 190ºC for a further 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Filling

30 g (1 tablespoon) butter

60 g (4 tablespoons) cornflour

150 ml of water (if you like it sweeter, you can adjust the water/lemon juice ratio anywhere up to 300 ml of water)

200 ml of lemon juice (approx 4 medium lemons)

125 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

2 egg yolks (save whites!)

• Combine all ingredients, except the egg yolks, in a saucepan and stir until combined. (you may wish to dissolve the cornflour in the water and then add those in for a smoother mix).
• Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring continuously.
• Once mixture thickens, reduce the heat and keep beating for a further 1-2 minutes.
• Cool.
• Once mixture has completely cooled, stir through the egg yolks.
• Add mixture into the pie casing.

Meringue

the whites of your 3 eggs

4 tablespoons of caster sugar

• Whisk eggs using an electric mixture until stiff peaks form.
• Add half of the sugar and whisk.
• Fold in the remainder of the sugar gently with a metal spoon.
• Pour the meringue on top of the filling and spread evenly over top. Swirl from the outside in.

• Bake in the middle of a moderately hot oven (160ºC) for 15-20 minutes or until meringue is golden.

Serve with cream, or icecream.

So, I had some pastry leftover and got a little carried away. I rolled the pastry thinly and lined a muffin tray with teensy pastry cases. I baked them and then made up an experimental filling. I mixed espresso cofffe (freshly made!) with milk, brown sugar and about 5 tablespoons of cornflour. I stirred that over a medium heat until it thinkened and then popped that in a bowl and into the freezer to cool. Once it had cooled, I whisked it with an electric beater until it was light. Then I whisked the whites of three eggs until stiff and folded that through my coffee toffee mixture to create a mousse. Only problem was that I ended up with too much mousse...

So I filled brandy goblets! This would be lovely served with some fresh berries and cream or icecream and maybe a short of coffee.

Today we lost one of our pets. She was pretty old for a guinea pig and we think she had a good life. I suspected this was coming and she seems to have gone peacefully.I thought I was prepared but the sadness caught me by surprise this afternoon. So I’m feeling a little down tonight and comfort food was in order.

The kind of comfort food that goes nicely with a glass of red.

This one is for you Wilhemina.

We had some lovely black forest ham (which is a bit like prosciutto) so for me, it had to be pasta with prosciutto and peas.

• Heat olive oil in a pan and fry a few eschallots (or a brown onion) in a frying pan with a garlic clove and some chopped prosciutto.
• Fry until the eschallots are golden and the prosciutto is a little crispy.
• Add one large tin of chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes or tomato puree – whatever you have on hand) and simmer down.
• Boil and salt water and cook your pasta – we went with some lovely egg pasta – a pappardelle.
• When the pasta is almost ready add your peas – I used frozen but if you have fresh wait and throw them in when you toss the pasta through the sauce.
• Once your pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot. Add your sauce and toss.

• Serve with some cracked black pepper and a sprig or parsley and basil.