Recipe: Michaels Rich chocolate tart

For the pastry:
250g plain flour
100g diced butter
100g icing sugar
Pinch of salt
Two eggs at room temperature

For the filling:
400g good-quality cooking milk chocolate
200ml milk
300ml double cream
Seven eggs
70g caster sugar

For the glaze:
300ml water
350g sugar
120g cocoa powder
240ml double cream

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and add the diced butter. Using the fingertips, lift the butter up with the flour and rub gently with the fingers, letting it fall back into the bowl.
Once the mixture resembles a uniform crumble, add the sugar and salt and mix well. Then add the eggs and mix again, carefully bringing the mixture together to form a smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5). Roll out the pastry enough to line an 8in flan dish, trim to fit and prick the base with a fork a few times. To bake blind, cover the pastry on the bottom and sides of the flan with foil and weigh it down with a handful of dried beans or pasta. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and cool. Turn the oven down to 140°C (gas mark 1).

To make the filling, break up the chocolate and place in a mixing bowl. Put the milk and cream in a saucepan, bring to the boil, pour over the chocolate and mix. Place a small mixing bowl containing the eggs and caster sugar over a pan of simmering water. Whisk while it’s heating until it turns white and thickens. Fold the egg and sugar mixture into the chocolate with a large metal spoon using a cutting action rather than stirring them together.
Pour the mixture into the pastry flan case and bake for 20 minutes (turning the tray after 10 minutes). Allow to cool and then refrigerate until firm.

For the glaze, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Add the cocoa and cream, bring to the boil again and allow to reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, whisking occasionally. Do this until it looks like melted chocolate. Allow to cool a little and pour the glaze over the tart, smooth with a pallet knife and allow to set.
For a final flourish you could use a blow torch to “dust” the top of the glaze – one second should do it, otherwise you’ll melt the tart. When serving, to get a smooth cut, use a knife that has been dipped in hot water and dried.

Recipe: Crab tart with spinach

For the pastry

125g diced cold butter
One beaten egg
250g plain flour
Seasoning
Two table spoons of water

For the filling

One handful of diced red onion
Two handfuls of chopped leeks
Two handfuls of chopped spinach
One packet of crab meat
A small carton of double cream
Two eggs beaten
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes
One handful of rocket
Seasoning

Method

Preheat the oven to 170c

First make the pastry by placing the egg and butter into a food processor and blitz until smooth
Add the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper, with the food processor running, pour in the water until the mix forms a ball.
Remove the pastry and wrap in cling film, place it in the fridge and allow to rest for thirty minutes.

Then roll out the pastry, line four moulds and blind bake.

To make the filling, in a saucepan gently saute the onion, leek and spinach until tender. Remove from the heat and add the rocket and crab, add enough cream to bind the mixture and mix in the eggs seasoning as you go.

Spoon the mixture into the tart cases and bake in the oven until set.

To serve, mix the rocket with the sundried tomatoes and place the tart on top.

Recipe: Crab and Tomato Tart

Ingredients

One handful of diced red onion
Two handfuls of washed and chopped leeks
Two handfuls washed and chopped spinach
Olive oil
Two handfuls of washed rocket
One cup of crab meat
A small carton of double cream
Two hens eggs beaten
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes- chopped
Seasoning

Method

Bake four tart cases ( please see blog for pastry recipe)
In a saucepan gently saute the onion, leek and spinach in a little olive oil for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
Remove from the heat and add half the crab and rocket, with enough cream to bind the mixture together, then mix in the beaten eggs.
Spoon the mix into the pastry cases and bake in the oven until set.
To serve, mix the tomatoes crab and remaining rocket together, place the salad on to the plate and put the baked tart on top

Recipe: sticky toffee pudding

Ingredients
250g stoned dates
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
2 rounded teaspoons bicarbonate powder
150ml water
1 strong cup coffee, 100ml
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
350g plain flour

Method
Pre-heat oven at 150c
Put the dates, water, baking powder, bicarb and coffee into a saucepan and bring to the boil
Remove from the heat and cool, pour the mix into a blender and blitz to a smooth paste

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together. Then add the eggs and flour. Stir in the date mix then spoon into a baking tray lined with parchment paper, this mix will fill a dish 8"x10"

Bake in the oven until set, check with a skewer, dont forget it will carry on cooking when it comes out of the oven, you dont want it to dry out.

To serve cut into portions and serve with icecream, clotted cream or you can make a salted caramel to serve with it.

Recipe: Sable Biscuits

Ingredients
240g soft flour
180g butter
120g caster sugar
2 egg yolks

Method
Beat the sugar and butter to a cream
Add the egg yolk and beat into the cream
Add the flour and beat to a smooth paste
Transfer to a clean piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe into a silicone lined tray
Bake in an oven at 380c until golden brown in colour, allow to cool then store in an air tight container

Recipe: Mille-Feuille of Iced Pear Parfait, Warm Poached Pear, Liquorice and Caramel Shot

For the parfait
300g caster sugar
63ml cold water
300g whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 ltr whipping cream
500g pear puree

Method
Mix the water and sugar together and boil. heat to 120c.
Mix the egg yolksand eggs together and whip.
Whisk the sugar in to the egg to make a sabayon.
Allow to cool.
Whip the cream.
Fold the egg, puree and cream together.
Freeze in moulds until required

For the pears
4 pears
1 ltr water
375g sugar
2 lemons

Method
Put the water, sugar and lemons in to a pan and bring to the boil
Peel the pears and add to the poaching liquid
Poach the pears until they are just cooked, remove from stock and allow to cool

For the filo
4 sheets of filo pastry
2 egg yolks

Method
Cut out 24 discs,
Coat 12 of the the discs with egg and top with the other discs, bake until golden brown

For the latte
200g sugar
200ml double cream
100ml water
2 leaves gelatine
4 liquorice straws

Method
put the sugar in the pan with 20ml water
Cook until golden
Remove from the heat and add the rest of the water
Add the gelatine, pour into a shot glass and chill

To serve
Layer the parfait and pastry to build the mille feuille. Put the poached pear and the latte onto the service dish. Pour the cream on top of the latte and add the liquorice straws