RECIPES AND MORE

This site has been created to collect, post, or trade recipes.
Some will be good, some not so good.
But, we will try it out.

We will try to post a new recipe each week.
We will always add the author's name and/or website or place of origin.
Some we will make up.

We would like to receive your recipes and comments.

Of major interest are recipes for the "SOUTH BEACH DIET."

THE FOLLOWING ITEM IS NOT FROM THE "SOUTH BEACH DIET"

Really???


chocolate and almond apricot tart
For the pastry:
2 tbsp cocoa powder plus extra for sprinkling
220g plain flour
30g ground almonds
80g caster sugar
150g butter not too chilled cubed
2 tbsp double cream plus extra for serving
For the filling:
220g dark chocolate
30g plain flour
100g ground almonds
100g unsalted butter at room temperature
100g caster sugar plus extra for sprinkling
3 free range eggs lightly beaten with a fork
10 apricots halved
Put all the pastry ingredients into a processor and pulse together until combined to make a dough.
If you don't have a processor mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl toss through the cubed butter then rub the butter into the mixture squishing the butter and flour between thumbs and forefingers until it resembles breadcrumbs then add the 2 tbsp of cream and knead the lot together.
If the paste is too stiff add a drop more liquid; if it's too soft add a touch more flour.
Form the dough into a ball pat it flat into a giant burger shape then wrap in alingfilm and rest in the fridge for about
20 minutes.
Meanwhile lightly grease the inside of a 250mm tart tin (with a removable base) or a tart ring (greased with a little butter) set on a greased heavy baking sheet.
Neat roll the pastry out to about 5mm thick:
Lightly sprinkle the work surface with cocoa powder and turn the pastry over and swivel it a tad after every two rolls so that you end up with something vaguely circular.
If it's a little too stiff and cracks every time you apply pressure with the rolling pin then leave it at room temperature for a good 10 minutes until it becomes malleable.
This pastry is slightly temperamental in warm weather and can be tricky to get from table top to tin in one piece.
If it splits don't fret.
Just lay the pieces m the tin as best you can then press them together patching in here and there where necessary.
Pop the lined tin in the fridge while you make the tilling.
Meanwhile break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set it over a pan of simmering water (without the base of the bowl touching the water) and leave until the chocolate has melted. Alternatively put in a Pyrex bowl and melt gently in the microwave.
Remove from the heat to cool it mustn't be too hot when combined with the rest of the filling.
Mix the flour with the almonds.
Then in a separate bowl and using a hand whisk or an electric mixer with Kbeater attached beat the soft butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
Next gradually beat in the eggs interspersed with the almond and flour mixture.
Add a little of each at a time so that everything homogenises do it too fast and your mixture could separate.
Finally beat in the cooled melted chocolate.
Spoon the chocolate mixture over the base of the chilled tart shell and :niooth out.
Push the apricot halves cut side up into the chocolate bed so they stand just a little proud.
Lightly prznkle the flesh of the fruit with caster sugar then bake for 1 hour on the middle shelf of a preheated 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 oven.
Serve with double cream for pouring.
Serves 12


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