Food & Drink
Once you have a batch of sweet pastry, the creativity and fun can begin to create a delicious pudding, writes author and baker Julie Jones
Get baking, says author Julie Jones, plus Rose Murray Brown on the best dozen spring whites
Being creative with pastry is my favourite pastime. The hours I have spent honing my skills have been the most peaceful of my life. I find the whole process soothing. Artistry aside, what we mustn’t forget is that the fundamental, most important and rewarding aspect of making and baking with pastry should always be the eating. I have many food memories, yet it is those that are enveloped in pastry that are the most memorable. My Nana Maud’s custard tart, mince pies at Christmas, an unctuous oxtail pie and Sfogliatella, to name just a few.
I often hear that reccurring disappointments in baking not only dishearten but completely deter even the most experienced home baker from making pastry again. Pastry, it seems, is the nemesis of many. With this in mind, my aim in writing The Pastry School was to ensure making and baking with pastry would be a pleasurable, peaceful, successful experience for all. ■
The Pastry School by Julie Jones is published by Kyle Books, £25. Photography by Peter Cassidy Instagram: @julie_
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Sweet shortcrust pastry Makes 1 quantity (for recipes below)
230g plain flour
125g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes, no need to be precise 50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp milk boiling water
1 Place the flour and butter into the bowl of a freestanding mixer and attach the paddle beater. Mix on a medium speed until the butter has been incorporated into the flour and resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2 Add the icing sugar and mix for a few seconds before adding the egg yolk and milk. Continue to mix until a cohesive dough forms – this should only take 30-60 seconds, depending on your mixer.
3 Turn out the pastry onto a work surface – there’s no need for more flour – and bring it swiftly together with your hands, without overworking it.
4 Lay out a long sheet of cling film and place the dough on one half. Flatten the pastry with the palms of your hands, then fold the remaining cling film over the top, fully encasing the dough. Roll out swiftly between the cling film to an approximate depth of 5mm, trying your best to keep it in a circular shape. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before using.
5 After resting, roll out between two sheets of non-stick baking paper – there’s no need for more flour – and use according to the relevant recipe instructions.
Roasted rhubarb and raspberry tart
Fruit tarts are so delicious, yet simple, really. Pastry, custard, fruit... that’s it. I never feel the need to glaze the fruit as the natural flavours and vibrant colours are splendid enough as they are. I have used a selection of summer fruits here, but you can use anything you like, depending on season, availability and personal preference.
Serves six 1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry 4 egg yolks
85g caster sugar (and a further 75g for the rhubarb)
60g plain flour
330ml milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g rhubarb aromatic spices, star anise and cardamom work well juice of 1 clementine, or 50ml water a selection of fruits, including raspberries, red-fleshed plums, baby figs, cherries, blueberries and black seedless grapes baked pastry shapes (optional) Greek basil (optional) edible flowers (optional)
1 Make the pastry following the previous recipe. After resting, line, blind bake and trim a pastry case and use a rectangular, fluted loosebottomed tart tin measuring 30 x 12 x 2.5cm. Any spare pastry can be cut into shapes, baked separately and added to the tart for extra decoration.
2 Make the crème pâtissière by adding the egg yolks and one-third of the 85g of sugar to a large bowl. Whisk until the yolks are pale and have some volume, then add the flour, whisking to combine.
3 In a large saucepan, bring the milk, the remaining sugar from the 85g portion and the vanilla to the boil, removing from the heat as soon as it does. Pour a little of the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously, then add the remainder.
4 Pour the custard back into the pan and bring to a gentle boil again. Allow the custard to bubble and thicken for about 2 minutes, whisking throughout. Once thickened, remove from the pan and place in a bowl, covering the surface with a layer of cling film before it cools, to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool completely, then keep in the fridge until needed.
5 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas Mark 4. Cut the rhubarb into long pieces, so they fit into a roasting tray. Toss with the 75g of sugar and add some spices, if desired, then squeeze over the clementine juice or pour over the water. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stems. When tender yet still intact, remove the rhubarb from the tray to a plate lined with a clean tea towel and allow to cool. Discard the spices, if used. Once cool, cut into bite-size pieces and place to one side.
6 Wash and prepare the other fruit – varying how you slice each will add interest and texture to the finished tart.
7 Whisk the cooled crème pâtissière vigorously until smooth, then spoon a generous layer over the prepared pastry case, levelling it off. Start placing the fruit over the custard, being decorative and creative in the design, until it has been completely covered. Tuck any baked pastry pieces that may have been made in and around the tart, then add extra little dots of crème pâtissière to
highlight the design.
8 Finish with some Greek basil leaves and edible flowers, if you like, remembering that these are added for their flavour, not just for décor. Here I have used a variety of Phlox flowers and Salvia ‘Hot Lips’, along with some white Forget-me-nots. Best served at room temperature.
Chamomile panna cotta tart
This really is a dreamy dessert – sweet, creamy and meltingly unctuous, and the pristine white surface makes the perfect canvas for artistic decoration.
Serves eight to ten 1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry egg wash
150ml milk
4 chamomile tea bags
4 sheets gelatine (I use Dr Oetker) 800ml double cream
200g caster sugar a selection of prepared fresh fruits baked pastry shapes edible flowers and herbs sugar sprinkles
1 Line, blind bake and trim a pastry case, using a fluted, loosebottomed 23 x 3.5cm circular tin. Any leftover pastry can be cut into decorative shapes, egg-washed and baked separately to be used as extra decoration.
2 For the panna cotta, add the milk and tea bags to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, switch off the heat and allow the tea to infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags, giving them a good squeeze before discarding.
3 Soften the gelatine by soaking the sheets in a bowl of cold water.
4 Add the cream and sugar to the pan of infused milk. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring now and then to dissolve the sugar. As soon as boiling point is reached, turn off the heat.
5 Drain the softened gelatine and pat dry with kitchen paper before stirring into the hot cream. When the gelatine has fully dissolved, pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and allow to cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge, checking and stirring every so often until the panna cotta starts to thicken.
6 Once thickened, carefully pour into the prepared pastry case. Any bubbles that rise to the surface can easily be popped by running the flame of a blow torch over the surface, however this isn’t a necessity, it’s purely for aesthetics.
7 Place back in the fridge until fully set – this should take around 4 hours.
8 Decorate the tart with a variety of fruits, baked pastry shapes, petals, edible flowers, sprinkles and herbs. When ready to serve, use a hot dry knife to slice the tart perfectly, wiping the knife between slicing.
Serve with an extra portion of fruit macerated with a sprinkling of caster sugar and a splash of booze, if you like.