Long Weekend Celebrations

Note to self: I need better photographs, so ask Bud.

Also note to self, write post about my perfect cup of tea.

Two items were created this weekend, an Almond Tea Cake for Bud's birthday celebration with her family and also some White Chocolate Macadamia Tarts from the Lindt Chocolate Recipe book.

First the Almond Tea Cake... made upon request by my best friend for her birthday. Nice and simple, just like her. Any cake with almonds in it is always a hit, it makes anything remind me of a macaron. Which isn't as bad as it sounds considering how the macaron phase is slowly dying away. Classics are always classics so it will be stay around forever and make a comeback in the not too distant future, just like Rocky B.

Back to the cake, it was made because it it simple and for the fact it has a very unique crunch factor. The top of the cake is crumbled  with a mixture of brown sugar, butter and flour creating a biscuit like topping similar to that of sand and small rocks. Once baked it forms the sweetest crust for such a simple cake. Almonds and a crunchy topping in a cake is a winning combination... I'm pretty sure Akuma's "Rage" was based on this combination idea.

Monday morning I was going to make a cheesecake but after some reading I realised it was going to be too sweet, so instead I will be using the ingredients to make other goodies.

Looking through my shelf of knowledge I pulled out my Lindt Recipe Book and flipped the pages over to a White Chocolate and Macadamia tarts. Made more like a cake mix, there was no pastry lining the bottom of the tart tins, which in turn I should have thought harder and made a finer mixture of the nuts so that the tart would set once baked. As I popped out the first one, a small but in the middle had broken off the bottom so I could get a glimpse inside. It was still moist and gooey like a soft centered pudding, but the outside was just set and wobbly like jelly. Knowing a good thing when I see it, I flipped it over, dusted it in icing sugar and pretty much breathed it in. Some berries or a strawberry sauce would have gone well, especially to make the photo a bit more pleasant to look at. Anyway, it is now here for reference.

I also started making a Lemon Tart from Heston Blumenthal's TV show How To Cook Like Heston. I made this tart once before and it was so F*&^%$ good. The pastry I made last night, will make a soft and super buttery biscuit which I believe the key ingredient being the icing sugar as it is able to completely dissolve into the egg yolks. I shall attempt to finish the tart case tonight as good pastry can not be a rushed dish. Will post it tomorrow ; )

Peace.