This recipe follows along similar lines to the Musk scented Berry Tartlets and it finally gives me a different way to use figs than my stock standard Maple Figs with Savoiardi Biscuits.

 Ingredients

90g Byron Bay Cookie Company Chocolate and Almond Biscuits (or use any dry chocolate biscuit – The Arnotts Choc Ripples would be perfect
40g Melted Butter
50g dark chocolate melts

1 fresh fig – per person
1 tsp Dulce De Leche - per person
Sugar
pinch of salt

Raspberries

Method

1.Grease a mini-muffin tin

2. Crush the biscuits – there are a few different methods
Put it a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin/mallet/brick wall/cricket bat
Put in a food processor.

My favourite method is the old rolling pin… do you like my zip lock bags?

3. Mix the biscuits and butter together. It will still be crumbly
4. Press a small amount into each muffin tin until it forms a cup shape. Use a teaspoon to press it around the edges
5. Freeze until firm

6. Melt the chocolate and with a brush (even an artist’s brush) coat the inside of each tartlet shape with chocolate.
7. Freeze or refridgerate again. This will make a number of tartlet cases. Take out the ones you need by edging a paring knife into the edge – it should pop straight out – and keep the rest in the freezer until you require them.

8. Cut the figs almost to the bottom in a cross pattern and let it fan out on the plate. (I was planning to have them sit up like little flower buds but they collapsed!) You may want to do this on a heat-proof surface and then transfer it onto the plate.

9. Get a kitchen blow torch and have it ready to go. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the fig flesh and immediately torch it with the flame. The idea is to turn it into hard caramel before it dissolves into the fig flesh. Keep doing this until you have a thin crispy coating over most of the flesh.

10. Pop the fig and tartlet case onto a plate, drop a small dollop of Dulce De Leche into the tartlet case and then add a pinch of crushed salt (Fleur De Sel if you have it) onto the dulce de leche. Crush some frozen raspberries into their little pods and arrange around the plate.

Sometimes we all want a little bit of devilish food.  And, like most people, give me a plateful of tasty food and I’ll eat more than I really need to. This is where this little dessert is perfect! It’s sweet enough to satisfy any sweet-tooth craving, but not big enough to make you need to loosen your belt by the end of the dish. The berries are a high antioxidant blend of wild blueberries, bilberries and blackcurrants, and 80% dark chocolate was used!

JUSTIFIED.

OK, so on the naughty side – there is coconut biscuits and butter. But let’s not dwell on the negatives.

The (not so) secret ingredient in this tartlet is the Musk liqueur made by the local Tamborine Mountain Distillery. This boutique distillery creates a myriad of flavours from their small still on the top of Mt Tamborine – about an hour’s drive from Brisbane. I picked this bottle up from the Good Food and Wine Show, but you can buy it any time from the ‘cellar door’ or – “still door” in this case, or online at www.tamborinemountaindistillery.com . I do recommend going up there for a Sunday drive to experience the place for yourself. It’s a beautiful place to visit. They grow a lot of their own ingredients themselves and source them from the local community.

The next secret ingredient is sourced from over the Tasman. Griffin’s Krispie Biscuits http://www.griffins.co.nz/by-name/krispieare perfect for making tart and cheesecake bases. They truly are crispy – with a good amount of toasted coconut (and saturated fat!). And lucky enough – New Zealanders (and their Aussie wives) can breathe a sigh of relief as many Brisbane stores are starting to stock Kiwi products. I got these from Supa IGA in Mitchelton. I’ve also seen them in the lolly store in Anzac Square in the CBD. Get them! They are awesome!

Ingredients:

1/2 pack Krispie biscuits
about 50g Butter, softened

small amount of Dark Chocolate, melted (we used 80% dark – it added a great bitterness to it to even out the sweet)

Handful of frozen berries (use anything – Cherries, raspberries, but we used these ones http://www.creativegourmet.com.au/products/high-antioxidant-berry-mix-details.htm

Splash of Musk Liqueur from TMD

Icecream, to serve

Method:

1.Grease a mini-muffin tin

2. Crush the biscuits – there are a few different methods
Put it a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin/mallet/brick wall/cricket bat
Put in a food processor

3. Mix the biscuits and butter together. It will still be crumbly
4. Press a small amount into each muffin tin until it forms a cup shape
5. Refrigerate until firm

6. Melt the chocolate and with a brush (even an artist’s brush) coat the inside of each tartlet shape with chocolate.
7. Refrigerate again

8. Throw the berries and liqueur into a hot saucepan and swirl around until warmed through

To Serve:
Put a tartlet case on a plate, add berries and icecream.

You will be able to make about 10 tartlet cases with this mix. Keep the others in the fridge for another time. It’s a really quick way to make a dessert.
Why not try:
lemon curd and cream
or
summer fruits and custard
or
chocolate ganache and raspberries
or
Cherries with port and vanilla spiked mascarpone
or…

oh man! I want to try all of these now!
Right – back into the kitchen I go!

She’s my cherry pie
Cool drink of water
Such a sweet suprise
Taste so good
Make a grown man cry
Sweet cherry pie

Aw YEAH! 

This was lots of fun to make, the pastry is lovely to work with, I recommend trying this recipe out, and put any sort of fruit in the middle, or make little cookies.  In the spirit of learning and sharing, I used a technique that I learnt from Julia, where I brushed the pastry with cream then dusted it with icing sugar before putting it in the oven. It makes the pastry shiny and crunchy.

Ingredients

90g plain flour

50g butter, chilled, cubed

40g caster sugar

1tbsp cold water

a handful of cherries

10 Almonds, or 2tbsp Almond Meal

1tbsp Icing sugar,  extra to dust

Method

1. Place flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. I used a Tupperware Quick Chef II instead. It works just as well, and you get an awesome arm workout!

2. Add the tablespoon of water and blend again, it will come to form lumps or a ball.

3. Flour your hands and the bench, and knead the dough until it becomes unified.

4. Wrap in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.

5. In the mean time, pit the cherries into a bowl, then add the icing sugar and toss.

6. If using whole almonds (i didn’t have any almond meal) Buzz about 15 of them with a stick blender in the cup that comes with the stick blender. Buzz them until they resemble almond meal. Or alternatively crush in a mortar and pestle.

6. Take the pastry out of the plastic wrap and flour 2 pieces of baking paper. Put the ball of pastry in the middle and start rolling it out slowly with a rolling pin, doing quarter turns after every few rolls. Roll it out til about 3-5mm thick. Trim any rough edges.

7. sprinkle the base with almond meal, and arrange cherries on top. Fold the edges up around outside of the cherries. Brush the pastry with cream and dust with icing sugar

8. Pop in an oven at 180 degrees until cooked and golden. Serve with Yoghourt, cream or icecream.

200g Strawberries, hulled and cut in half
3-4tbsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (the thick stuff is best for this)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 sheet of Puff Pastry
1 egg
1 tbsp Milk

Cream, whipped with Vanilla extract, to serve.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Choose a small fry pan with a handle you can either put in the oven or remove.
3. Trace around frypan with a knife to cut the puff pastry into a round that will fit within the pan.
4. Place the sugar in the pan over a medium heat. Keep a good eye on it until it turns a light golden colour.
5.Take off heat and add the vinegar and vanilla.
6. Arrange the strawberries over the bottom of the pan, cut side down. Gently warm so the caramel smoothes over the surface of the pan.
7. Spray the edges of the pan with oil spray. Place the pastry over the top and brush with egg and milk wash.
8. Pop in oven until pastry is puffed and golden.
9. Take out of the oven and let it rest until warm.
10. Place a plate over the fry pan, and with both hands and one quick movement, flip the tart over.
11. Serve with the whipped cream spiked with vanilla.