Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 300g plain flour
- 75g salted butter, cubed
- 100g cream cheese
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
For the filling:
- 150g salted butter
- 200ml maple syrup
- 250g light brown soft sugar
- 100g dark brown soft sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400g pecans, finely chopped
- 200g dark chocolate chips, or a bar, chopped
Method:
- First, make the pastry. Tip the ingredients into a food processor with 1 /4 tsp salt. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle 2-3 tsp cold water into the funnel while the blade is running – the mixture should start to clump together. Tip onto a work surface and bring together, kneading briefly into a ball. Pat into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for at least 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 5 mins to soften. Flour the work surface, then unwrap the pastry and roll to a circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to line a deep, 23cm round fluted tin – mine was about 3cm deep. Press the pastry into the corners and up the sides, making sure there are no gaps. Leave 1cm pastry overhanging (save some of the pastry scraps for later). Line with baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable) and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15-20 mins until the sides are set, then remove the parchment and beans and return to the oven for 5 mins until golden brown. Trim the pastry so it’s flush with the top of the tin – a small serrated knife is best for this. If there are any cracks, patch them up with the pastry scraps.
- Meanwhile, weigh the butter, syrup and sugars into a pan, and add 1 /4 tsp salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the syrup mixture, vanilla and pecans, and mix until well combined. Pour half the mixture into the tart case, scatter over half the chocolate chips, then cover with the remaining filling and chocolate chips. Bake on the middle shelf for 50-55 mins until set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hrs before serving.
Tip:
An indulgent chocolate and pecan treat with buttery pastry and a gooey filling everybody can get stuck into.
Ingredients:
- 2cm piece ginger, grated
- 4 Williams pears, 3 grated over a sieve, reserving the pear juice for the caramel, 1 peeled, cored and chopped (do this when about to decorate)
- 360g self-raising flour
- 15g rye flour
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 150g light brown muscovado sugar, sieved
- 150ml rapeseed or vegetable oil
- 120g natural yogurt
- toasted buckwheat, dehydrated pear and rosemary, to serve (optional)
For the Pear-Salted Caramel:
- 50g unsalted butter, plus extra for the tins
- 50ml reserved pear juice
- 150ml perry
- 100g light brown muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp double cream
- generous pinch sea salt
For the Icing:
- 4 egg whites
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 250g butter, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
How to Make Easy Salted Caramel Pear Cake:
- Heat the oven to a 195C / 175C / 5ºC gas fan. Brush with butter and form the base of three round cake molds of 20 cm. Add the grated ginger to the grated pear and push with a wooden spoon to squeeze as much juice as possible.
- Mix the flours, spices, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugars vigorously for 3 minutes until they are thick and sparkling. Slowly pour the oil into a steady stream. Reduce the speed, then add the flour mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, alternating with the yogurt, until it is incorporated. Mix the grated pear (no more than 20 seconds). Divide the mixture between the boxes and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out dry.
- For the caramel, heat the pear juice and fry it until it is reduced to about 50 ml. Add the sugar and butter and beat to a soft caramel, then add the cream and beat again until smooth. Add sea salt to your taste; I would take a generous pinch, so that the caramel remains fruity and sharp, but has a little salt flavor, then let it cool slightly until it is warmer than the room temperature.
- To make the butter cream, put the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the container on a pan of boiling water, then beat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is no longer gritty. Place the container in the blender, then beat until soft peaks form and the container returns to room temperature. Switch to the palette accessory, then add the butter, one shovel at a time. Add tahini, vanilla and a pinch of salt, and beat until it forms a light and fluffy layer.
- Place the bottom layer of sponge on a plate or cake base, then cover with a layer of butter cream and sprinkle over one-third of the chopped pear. Repeat with the next two layers. To cool the cake, make an initial layer on all sides, relax in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and use the rest of the frosting to cover everything. Use a stepped spatula to spread evenly. Pour the candy on the cake and let drain on the sides. Spread with buckwheat, dehydrated pear and rosemary, if desired.
Recipe By Rosie Birkett from BBCgoodfood.
"This is a beautiful Christmas Cherry Cake with cherries and raisins added for those of you who do not want to bother making fruitcakes, it freezes well."
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 12 ounces golden raisins
- 8 ounces halved glace cherries
How to Cook:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and line a loaf pan with 9 x 5 inches of parchment paper.
- Beat butter or margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add beaten eggs and orange juice and mix well.
- Sift flour and baking powder. Reserve 1/3 cup flour mixture and mix with raisins and cherries (this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Add the flour mixture to beat and mix. Add the raisins and floured cherries to the dough and mix until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2-1 / 2 hours. Do not serve until several days before. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in a sealed box.
Recipe by: Carol