Category: Fruit
Apple Brown Betty
This is my idea of a perfect winter dessert. It’s mostly apple, with a bit of lemon zest, sugar and stale bread, cooked down to a caramelised (if you look hard at the picture, you can see that on the lower right hand side) soft, crispy luscious mess. I’ve just had left overs for breakfast. The bread makes it quite filling (even though there’s not to much there) and it finishes off a meal of soup perfectly. Did I mention it’s easy and quick?
The Betty is a seriously old fashioned dessert – very often made with bread crumbs. I prefer to cut the bread into small dice (always sourdough) – I think it gets too mushy and confused with the crumbs. Almost certainly American (and southern at that), Mum tells me that Grandma used to make this when she was little but would cover the dessert for cooking with the apple peels (rather than paper and foil – see recipe).I first came across the recipe when reading In Pursuit of Flavour, by Edna Lewis – a much loved book and an inspiring woman. I often find myself wondering who was the Betty that inspired or created this if indeed there was one….
A couple of things in the cooking. I’ve found the best dish to use is cast iron – it holds the heat and gives you better caramelisation – in truth, it was my daughter Nessie who used the 24cm Le Creuset first, in a flash of inspiration. The lid makes it all so much easier. You’ll still get great results using a china dish, which you cover (see recipe), but the cast iron gives you sticky, gooey yummy bits. You can use just about any apple, but one that collapse a bit are best – Granny Smith, Mutsu are both good and make sure to slice them very thinly – approx 3 mm. Freshly grate your nutmeg – it makes the world of difference, as much of those glorious flavours diminish rapidly after grating. You can use any sugar, but I do prefer a crystallised sugar here and go for the larger demerara, but can’t see why you couldn’t give a rapadura a go if you’d like.
Do give it a try, and I hope you love it as much as I do. Oh, and before I go – yes, I agree the font is way too small, and we’re in the works of updating the blog site….
Layered and ready for the oven” width=”480″ height=”http://wholefoodcooking.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IMG_0613-654×491.jpg”> Layered and ready for the ovenAPPLE BROWN BETTY
serves 4
If using a china dish, choose a dish with a good surface area rather than a similar capacity that is deeper with less surface area – 22cm diameter x 4.5cm depth, with a capacity of 5 cups is good.
4 – 5 pieces good sour – dough bread, crusts removed cut into 1 cm dice. You need 3 cups approx (gently packed) bread cubes.
½ cup raw or demarara sugar
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
grated zest from 1 lemon
40 gm unsalted butter – melted
800 gm apples – if bruised, extra to compensate
Pre heat oven to 200c or 180 if fan forced.
Combine the nutmeg and sugar in a medium size bowl – remove 2 tablespoons of this and set aside. Add the bread cubes to this bowl (that has the larger amount of sugar) together with the lemon zest and toss through to mix with the sugar and nutmeg. Add the melted butter and toss through to distribute the butter evenly.
Peel the apples and cut into quarters. Remove the core and cut into 3 – 4 slices, approx 1 cm thick. Place 1 cup of the bread cubes on the base of the baking dish or 24cm cast iron French oven. Layer half the apples over the bread, then top with ½ cup bread cubes. Layer the remaining apples and drizzle 60 ml water over them. Top with the remaining bread cubes, and sprinkle the reserved sugar and spice over this. It will be very, very full but will bake down. Pat down and best you can, and cover with a piece of baking paper and foil, with the foil on the outside, and the baking paper touching the apples.
Bake in oven for 40 – 45 mins, or until the apples are bubbling and noticeably cooked. Remove the foil and paper (or lid) and bake for a further 15 mins or until lightly golden, crispy and caramelised.
The Rustic Tart
The Rustic Tart – it’s a glorious dessert really, just lots of fruit and a little bit of pastry. I like to use a sweet shortcrust for this , but you could also buy a good quality one like the Careme brand, available from all good supermarkets and specialist food stores throughout Australia. I prefer to make this with spelt, I love the flavour and crumb that spelt imparts, and it’s just a little more digestible and more easily tolerated than wheat. If you live in the United States, and would prefer to use wheat I would use a pastry wheat flour, and it will approximately weigh the same (see recipe). You may need to add just a touch more water for wheat.
Now, making pastry. You can do this, it’s not hard. You just need to know the rules for shortcrust pastry world… namely, keep everything cold, and try to touch and play with it as little as possible. You can do it, it’s easier than you think, I promise you. The entire aim is to not overwork the butter into the flour, and the heat from your hands melt it. Don’t play with it (there, I’ve said that again), and don’t keep mixing it once you’ve added the water. This will only help develop gluten, which will make it tough. When rolling, make sure your pastry is cold – if it starts to soften and the butter smears, do not, I repeat do not just keep adding more flour – pop it on a tray lined with baking paper, back into the fridge so it chills up a little, then take it out and go again.
Remember, very cold pastry goes into a very hot oven. As it cooks, butter should sizzle around the base of the tart. Why don’t you give it a go this weekend ? The beautiful photos you see here are by Harriet Harcourt.
Favorite Things
I know we are well into 2010, but there’s still time for me to share with you a few of my favorite things from 2009. But what’s that in the picture above??? THAT dear reader is one of my most favorite summer desserts. It’s been a spectacular fruit season here in Perth, Western Australia. Right now I have a tray of mango’s (awaiting the chutney pot and freezer), a big bag of cherries that my daughter Nessie bought back from Manjimup (very sweet, they might not make it to the pie), a big bowl of sublime peaches left over from bottling, and a freezer full of blueberries (thanks to our picking expedition a couple of weeks ago). We have a glut of fruit. I will bottle more, freeze more, jam more and eat more. But tonight, it’s a peach and cherry rustic fruit tart. The picture above is one I did in Melbourne, before Christmas – apricot and cherry. It’s my fall back position for a yummy summer dessert (and left overs for breakfast the next day), as it’s so quick to make and so delicious to eat. Not too much pastry, just enough, and lots of fruit.
But before we go to that, here’s a few of my favorites from 2009:
Books:
Farm City
Novella Carpenter
Some of the best reading of the year – and my vote for best book of the year. All about Urban Farming in the heart of a city.
The Vegetarian Myth
Lierre Keith
Well written and researched, all vegetarians and vegans should read this. It challenges the premise that a vegetarian and vegan diet is more ethical and sustainable, and is full of common sense.
Fat – a Misunderstood Ingredient
Jennifer McLagan
Wonderful recipes, brilliant book.
Tender: Vol 1
Nigel Slater
Nigel, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. A cook and his garden – what more in a man could a woman want.
Favorite Websites:
Heidi Swanson’s website, full of brilliant meals for everyday eating using whole, natural and sustainable ingredients.
First stop for me when in San Francisco. Beautiful cakes, organic and oh so stylish. So, this is how I get my food porn when in Perth. Go to the Blog.
Rustic Fruit Tart
Pre heat your oven to 200c or 180c if fan forced.
Take a sheet of sweet shortcrust (I do prefer to make my own – you can find it in Wholefood page 208) but if it’s bought or nothing, go buy it. In Australia the Careme brand is available from good shops and will do the trick. Roll out and cut into a large circle – it will be about 35cm wide. Transfer the pastry to a tray, lined with baking paper.
Toss the cut fruit into a bowl (about 1 kg) with some sugar or maple to sweeten (taste the fruit to check) and some flour or arrowroot to thicken the juices (the wetter the fruit, the more you need – about 2 1/2 tablespoons). Oh, and vanilla. Toss together gently and place into the middle of the pastry, leaving a border of approx 6cm. Gently fold the pastry border over the fruit, peeling it from the paper underneath as you go. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar if desired.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180c (about 165c if fan forced) for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the juices are bubbling.
The Best Summer Dessert
This would have to be one of my favourite summer desserts – the Trifle. It’s in competition with the Crumble, but when it’s really hot, well, it’s a winner. The traditional trifle is a sponge or genoise, jelly, custard, cream and fruit. When it’s really hot, and the fruit is gorgeous, I find the custard and cream a little too rich. I prefer my Almond Custard Cream which has the added bonus of being dairy free. For the cake? As noted, a sponge (from Wholefood) or genoise will be fine, but any simple plain cake (Spring Cake – Wholefood) will work. When I’m feeling particularly energetic, I will make a killer strawberry jelly from scratch – that is cooking up strawberries and getting all their juices. I sweeten the juice to taste with organic raw sugar (why sugar and not some other whole sweetener ? – because I can use a very small amount and get a clear taste of fruit) add agar and dissolve it, then add a little Cassis. Other times, it’s simply some sponge, a drizzle with alcohol, some fruit, and custard cream. When I was little, Mum did it in beautiful individual glasses and called it a Parfait… Do give this a try – it’s so delicious, not too sweet and a wonderful way to celebrate all that is summer. I’ll give you the quick run down, and the recipe for the Almond Custard Cream to get you started.
1 cup blanched almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons agar powder
70 ml maple syrup
1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract, or vanilla paste)
1 1/2 tablespoons (note this is for a 20ml tablespoon) kudzu or cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut milk
Put the blanched almonds and 3 1/2 cups water in a blender. Blend well. Peg 4 layers of muslin onto a jug or bowl and pour the almond mix through. Squeeze out the remaining milk from the muslin. This should give you 3 cups almond milk.
Measure out 2 1/2 cups almond milk into a saucepan and add the maple syrup. Whisk in the agar to stop it clumping. Lay the vanilla bean flat on a chopping board and, using a small sharp knife, cut down the length of the bean. Open the bean up and flatten to collect the seeds – add these to the milk. (Or, just add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste – much quicker, but !!! not as nice).
Stir together and bring very gently to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir frequently as agar loves to sink to the bottom and stick as it dissolves.
Add the kudzu to a small bowl and mix to a slurry with 1/4 cup almond milk. When the agar is dissolved, remove the milk mix from the stove and whisk in the almond milk and kudzu. Return to the stove and stir constantly as it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl. Place some parchment paper on the surface and refrigerate until cool.
When set, put what will be a fairly solid mix back in the blender. To this, add the remaining almond milk and coconut milk. Blend for a few minutes until silky smooth.
Making the Trifle:
Arrange pieces of sponge at the base and side of the bowl. Drizzle with alcohol of choice – sherry, cassis, kahlua are all good – you don’t need too much. Top with fruit – currently, I’m using strawberries and peaches. You can either just layer it in, or arrange it so it can be seen through the glass. If using jelly, add pieces of that also and drizzle with a little almond custard cream. Do that all again and finish with a good thick layer of almond custard cream. Top with a sprinkle of lightly toasted, blanched almonds. Enjoy!
Getting Ready for Christmas – Puff Pastry
You must be wondering where I’ve gone – my blog is up, and no posts. Well – you know that desk I showed you? It’s not been looking so clear these past weeks since I posted that first blog, and the work was covering it. Now that’s all gone, new flowers are set, the space is clear – in more ways than one. So, with a clear desk and work put behind me for a bit, my thoughts have turned to stocking up the kitchen. My daughter is returning home after traveling, my niece is arriving, my cousin and her children arriving (all next week) and one of the best things to have on hand is puff pastry. A good puff can take you anywhere and do anything. Now, I know. I hear you before you even say it – truly Jude, when do I have time to make puff? But truly, this recipe is so easy – the pastry spends most of it’s time in the fridge, resting. It demands very little from you. AND – once made, wow, do you save time. It will give you a variety of meals for very little work. So, here we go…
2 cups white/unbleached spelt flour
3/4 cup iced water
250gm unsalted butter – well chilled
1/2 cup white unbleached spelt flour, extra
Before we start: The most important thing about making this pastry, is to take care that the butter does not melt into the flour dough – it needs to be firm at all times. You are layering dough, butter and air, many times over. If, when rolling, the butter starts to soften and smear through, immediately put your pastry on a tray lined with baking paper, cover this with baking paper and put in the fridge until chilled (but not solid) again. It’s a great pastry to use in summer, but an easier one to make in winter. What do I do when it’s warmer? Make it early in the morning, chill my rolling pin and flour for rolling, and chill the pastry well between rolls.
1: Place the flour in a bowl. Using a butter knife, gradually ‘cut’ the water into the flour. The dough should hold together, but not be at all wet – you will be surprised how the spelt ‘gives’ as it sits for a couple of minutes. (You might need to use 1 – 2 tablespoons more water, as different batches of spelt flour absorb different amounts of water. Form the dough into a ball – do not knead or play with it, and wrap in a tea towel, then flatten a little and chill in the fridge.
2: Place the butter between two sheets of baking paper and beat (gently) with a rolling pin until it forms a rough 20cm square – about 1cm thick. You may need to lift the paper from both sides from time to time, to release and allow the butter to spread. it doesn’t matter if the butter ends up more of a rectangle.
3: Return the butter, between the paper sheets to the fridge to chill for a bit. Put the extra in a bowl near where you will be rolling, to use for dusting. Place the dough on a floured work surface. Sprinkle a little four over the pastry and rolling pin. Roll the dough into a square, about 26cm – again, it doesn’t matter if it’s slightly rectangular. To prevent sticking, keep the pastry and rolling surface lightly dusted with flour, even turning the pastry from time to time. Starting from the centre of your square, roll out each corner to make an ‘ear’, creating a king of ‘cross’ shape.
4: Remove one piece of baking paper from the butter and invert it onto the centre of the pastry. Remove the remaining paper, and fold over the pastry ears, so they completely cover the butter – you should need to stretch the pastry. They will overlap and that is fine. You should end up with a completely sealed parcel of butter. Pat the edges a little to make a nice, neat rectangle – the pastry should be right up against the butter. If the pastry and butter at this stage still feel cold and chilled, you can start to roll. if not, cover and place in the fridge to chill.
5: You are now commencing to make turns. (You’ll be rolling the dough lengthways, so make sure you have plenty of space.) Making sure your rolling surface and pin are dusted with flour, begin to roll out the dough lengthways. When the butter is very chilled, this might take a couple of times where you simply press along the pastry to gently flatten it evenly. As the pastry begins to ‘give’, continue to roll out until you have a rectangle about 67cm long and 24 – 26 cm wide. You are only ever rolling lengthways.
As you roll, you need to continually move the pastry and dust with the flour underneath and on top of the pastry. As you are moving the pastry, take care not to hold it for too long, as your body warmth will soften the butter. Work swiftly to prevent the butter softening. Try to avoid ending up with pointy, uneven bit at the two outside edges on the ends of the pastry, using the rolling pin to push (not press or roll) them back into a more even line. Otherwise you can incorporate the pointy ends into the fold (next step). You are now ready to commence the first turn.
FOLD THE PASTRY INTO THREE – the pastry up from the bottom, and down from the top. Repeat the rolling to make a rectangle about 67cm long, following the guidelines above. Fold the pastry as described, rotate so the closed fold is to your left, and mark it with two dents. This lets you know you have completed two turns.
Folded into three
Rotated so the closed fold is to the left, ready for rolling again.
6: Place the pastry on a tray lined with baking paper, top with the baking paper (to avoid drying out) and cover well, so it doesn’t dry out. Place in the fridge to rest and chill for 2 hours. Repeat the above rolling and folding twice – you have now completed four turns. Mark the pastry with four little dents. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, top with baking paper and cover, sealing well. Chill in the fridge for another 2 hours.
Repeat the rolling and folding twice more – you have now completed six turns and the pastry is ready. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, top with baking paper and cover, sealing well so it doesn’t dry out. Place in the fridge to rest and chill.
You can now freeze the pastry, but I prefer to cut it into quarters and roll the pastry into four sheets ready for use, each about 24cm square. To roll keep the table, rolling pin and the top of the pastry lightly dusted with flour. Try to keep the shape fairly even as you roll, but don’t worry too much as you can trim it to shape later. The pastry should end up about 2 – 3mm thick. As each sheet is rolled, place it on a tray ( I use a cake cardboard) covered with a sheet of baking paper, with a piece of baking paper between each pastry sheet. Top with a sheet of baking paper, cover and seal well with plastic wrap and freeze, or use immediately.
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