Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:25a.m.
By Lyn Potter
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Soon there’ll be hordes of the young (and not so young) bearing gifts of roses and chocolates and asking hopefully “Will you be mine?”
There are quite a few people out there who are cynical about Valentine’s Day, seeing it as yet another commercial ploy to persuade them to go on a buying spree. But I’m not one of them. A bit of fun and romance never goes amiss. After all it’s Love which makes the world go round and keeps the wheels turning.
And it doesn’t have to cost the earth. A hand made card and some baking will be just as appreciated as an expensive box of chocolates. It’s the thought that counts!
Girls used to sit and wait for their Valentine to appear, but the world is a changing and increasing numbers of women are sending their own Valentines. Good done them!
In Korea it’s always the girls who take the initiative. On Valentine’s Day they start the ball rolling by giving chocolates to the boys. A month later, on March 14 there’s another special day called White Day when the boys have to give sweets to the girls.
In Mexico Valentine’s day is a day of both Love and Friendship. A friend described how on that day little flower stalls all over the city are inundated with eager buyers. Flowers are given to everyone, lovers, family, workmates and friends. Even the aged matriarch of her family was showered with roses and serenaded!
Valentine’s Day is also becoming a good opportunity to fund raise. At work this year we are showing a bit of heart for the people of Haiti by putting on a special morning tea on the Friday before Valentine’s Day and asking everyone to contribute a Koha.
At home we’ll go for a walk on the beach (with the dog). They say two is company and three is a crowd, but who’s counting…she’s a chocolate Labrador after all!). Then we’ll have a glass of bubbly and a barbecue out on the deck, by candlelight. He’ll cook the steak to perfection while I toss the salad.
For afters a special dessert for which I have invested in a small heart shaped pie dish. But baked in a round dish it would taste just as good.
I’m using a family recipe but I’ll take the time to make my own pastry as I love that slightly crunchy nutty flavour which you get if you add a few ground almonds.
Making pastry in the food processor is incredibly fast and easy. And it saves all that rubbing of butter into flour. The secret is the chilling. It’s a three times rule. First the butter should be cut in small cubes and chilled till it is really hard before whizzing and the water should also be chilled. Secondly after the pastry is made it should be put in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
And thirdly the pastry lined pie dish should go back in the fridge to harden again. So although the pastry is made in seconds you need to allow sufficient time for all that chilling.
For my contribution to Valentine’s Day at work I’ll be making smaller versions (for which the recipe follows). These are great for a crowd as they look irresistible with their fruity tops and shiny glaze.
When you bite into them there’s the sweet mellow flavour of custard with a little zing from the brandy!
Margreet’s Fruit Tartlets
To make this quick and simple dessert it is easiest to buy pre-baked tartlet cases from the Supermarket.
Filling:
3 tablespoons custard powder
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 cup whipped cream
Method:
Mix custard powder to a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Whisk in remaining milk and sugar. Cook over a low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens then add the egg yolks. Do not allow to boil. Stir in the brandy. Cover the surface of filling directly with glad wrap to prevent skin forming. Cool for 1 hour and then fold in cream.
Spoon the filling into the tartlet cases
Arrange diced or sliced fruit on top of the custard e.g. grapes, melon, strawberries kiwifruit
Spoon over a glaze: Gently heat 1/4 cup apricot jam with 2 tsp water. Sieve before brushing over fruit
If you would like to make your own pastry here is my recipe:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of plain flour
2 tablespoons ground almonds
125 grams of butter
1/3 cup of castor sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of chilled water
Method:
Chill the butter and then cut into small chunks
Put the flour, butter and sugar in the food processor and whizz until it looks like small breadcrumbs.
Through the funnel, add the yolk and chilled water.
Whizz again until the mixture comes together.
Knead very briefly. Just enough to bring the dough together. Flatten into a disc and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of glad wrap.
Line the tart tin.
Put baking paper over the pastry and fill with rice/macaroni.
This will prevent the pastry from rising.
Bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven.
Then take out the rice/macaroni and bake again for 10-15 minutes.
Watch carefully and if the edges start to brown too much cover them with some baking paper.
Fill when cool.