Rose Apple and Apple Crumble Tartlets

I would say apple is one of the best winter dessert. They are never too sweet and is always so satisfying. Cooked apple is also easier to digest and contains good fibre.

This rose apple is quick and easy to make and looks as pretty as a real rose. It's an ideal food for the last minute entertainment.

For the apple crumble, I got the idea making it after seeing it selling at the local bakery. When my son had it, he asked if they were the frozen apple tarts from the supermarket. Oh, yes and no, I use the ready made frozen tart cases and make the filling using fresh apples. They are also a good snack to have anytime of the day.

Thanks for the new "like" at my Facebook page! Have a good weekend!

Rose Apple
(make about 11)

3 Fuji apples
2 sheets of puff pastry
2-3 tablespoons apricot jam
1 -2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Cut the apple into halves. Use a knife to remove the core. Then slice vertically into thin slices.
2. Place the apple into a microwavable bowl, add the lemon juice and water nearly cover the top. Microwave for about 3 minutes then another 2-3 minutes or until the apple is soft enough to roll up but not over cooked. Then drain the apple.
3. Mix the jam with water and microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Cut each sheet of pastry into 5-6 portions. 5 would be easier the roll up. Spread with some jam then lay the apple slice slightly above the top edge (about 1cm) with the skin side facing up. 
5. Overlapping each piece, sprinkle with cinnamon then fold the bottom pastry upward and roll up the rose starting from the left to the right. Place them into a greased 12 holes muffin tray. Repeat the process until you finish all the pastry.
6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190c for 25 minutes or until the pastry turns golden.

Apple Crumble Tarlets
(make 4)

4 ready made frozen tartlet cases
1 green apple
1 teaspoon sugar

for the crumble:
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Method:

1. Peel, cored and cut apple into small chuck.  Cook in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water.  Cook until the water evaporated, add sugar and stir well.
2. Put the flour and sugar into another bowl. Rub into butter until resemble crumb.
3. Spoon the apple into cases, then sprinkle with the crumb.
4. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180c for about 15-20 minutes until the topping turns golden.

Quiche Lorraine with French Salad Dressing

Life is always busy towards the end of the year! 

This week we celebrate my daughter's graduation from high school and my son's 14 years old birthday.  There is a lack of sleep trying to be the best mum I can from picking up my daughter from graduation party at 1am in the morning and baking a cake for my son at 10pm at night. The following month would be even busier with a family holiday and visit from families for Christmas. 

This is another inspiration from my daughter of the French salad dressing after her French trip. I have several attempts to try to make it to her liking.  The dressing is light and full of flavour, great for quiche and salad for the coming "hot summer".

Enjoy!

Quiche Lorraine 

Ingredients:

For the butter shortcrust pastry:
250g plain flour
125g salted butter, cold and diced
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:
200g diced ham
4 eggs
200ml thickened cream
50g grated cheese
salt and pepper
nutmeg

For the French dressing:
juice of half a lemon
1 gloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
olive oil
salt to taste

Method:

1. For the pastry: Blend the butter and flour in a blender in pulse motion till crumble, then add the eggs one by one and finally add the cold water.  Keep blending till it forms into dough.  Wrap the dough with glad wrap and fridge for at least 30 minutes or till it is harden. If you have a small blender, you may need to do it in two lots.
2. Roll the pastry between two sheets of non-stick baking paper to 24cm wide circle and about 5mm thick. You can put the left over pastry into the freezer for later use.
3. Place the pastry over the quiche pan and place a piece of baking paper over the top, then topped with baking beans. Blind bake for 10 minutes at 200c. Take off the baking beans and baking paper and brush the pastry with some egg white. 
4. Reduce the heat to 180c. Bake for a further 5-8 minutes or just before it starts to turn golden.
5. For the filling: Whisk the eggs with cream and cheese. Add in ham and flavour with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Pour the filling mixture into the pastry case and bake for 25 minutes until is is golden. Serve with salad.
7. For the French salad dressing: Mix all ingredients together and add enough olive oil to make it a cloudy look rather than a creamy look.  If you want a creamy look, you can add some mayo into the dressing.

Pumpkin and Ricotta Puffs with Avocado Green Salad

Mother's Day is one of the big promotion for retail stores and restaurants, you see the ads for gift ideas everywhere or ads for Mother's Day special at the local restaurants. We like to give kitchen appliances for my mother because she can use it to cook delicious food for us!  My husband bought me this Phillip's Air Flyer last year, although not a Mother's Day present but I just loved it!  It cooks wonderful crispy potatoes chips and chicken wings without using any oil.  It doesn't only fry food with less oil, you can also baked creamy potato gratin or pasta using its brownie pan.   It is a good kitchen helper that now sit permanently at my kitchen bench. The cooking time is shorter than a built in oven as it takes less time to heat up and the food get both sides cooked nicely.  The downside is that it only has a small cooking tray and the maximum temperature goes up to 200c.  However it's a great helper if you need an extra oven to cook up something small within a short time.

I roast the pumpkin using the Air Flyer and it takes only 12 minutes to get done.  Then I bake the puffs in the big oven.  The avocado salad goes well with the puffs, these day I just prefer something light liked this.  I'm expecting my kids to make me breakfast in bed, some raisin toast with a glass of oat milk would be nice!

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

Pumpkin and Ricotta Puffs with Avocado Green Salad
(make 8)

350g pumpkin
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
40g cashew, toasted and grounded
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon light ricotta cheese
extra 1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of chilli powder
2 sheets of puff pastry
egg wash for glazing

Avocado Green Salad:
Leafy Mixed
1/4 of a whole avocado
lemon infused olive oil
white rice vinegar

Methods:

1. Cut off the skin and seed of the pumpkin and cut into cubes.  Season with salt and oil, toss through.  Then place into the cooking tray of the Air Flyer and cook for 12 minutes at 180c.
2. Mesh the cooked pumpkin with the back of the fork, add in the cashew, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and season with the extra salt and chilli powder.
3. Cut the puff pastry into quarter, brush the sides with egg.  Place a heap tablespoon of pumpkin mesh on a corner, seal.  Repeat for the rest of the pastry.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Bake in hot oven, 230c until it puffs up and starting to turn golden brown, turn down to 180c until the puffs turn all golden brown. 
5. Rinse the leafy mix under the sink and drain, cut the avocado into cube, dress with the olive oil and vinegar.

Rustic Caramelized Peach Tart

This peach tart is the front cover for the cookbook written by Maxine Clark.  I made her strawberry vanilla tart a few months ago when strawberry is in season.  I don't think that tin peach would taste the same as the fresh one so I wait till the peach season arrives to make this French style tart.  I chose to make the pastry using the cheat's rough puff pastry method by grating frozen butter onto the flour before folding.  The best part of this tart is the crispy buttery crust and the sugary caramelized peach syrup.  It's a simple form of tart that doesn't need any special tart tin but you need the skill to fold the pastry.  And I could tell you that it worths the effort!  I could image myself sitting at the veranda with red and white checkers tablecloth looking at the rural view from the French farm while sipping a cup of tea.  It's so simple and so good.  

Rustic Caramelized Peach Tart


Pastry:
250g plain flour
a pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter. frozen
150ml or a bit more iced water

Filling:
4-6 ripe peaches
55g butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
150g caster sugar
whipped cream or creme fraiche, to serve

Method:

1. For the pastry: Sift flour and salt in a mixing bowl.  Hold the butter in a tea towel (I use glad wrap) and quickly grate the butter into the flour.
2. Stir the butter into the flour with a knife.  Pour in water and mix with knife again until a messy lump is form.  Add a bit more water if needed.
3. Knead until it forms a streaky, lumpy ball.  Wrap with glad wrap and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
4. Sprinkle some flour onto the kitchen bench or work on a piece of baking paper.  Unwrap the dough and roll out away from you into a long rectangle 3 times longer than it's wide with 1 cm thick.  Remove any excess flour on the surface with a brush.
5. Lightly mark the pastry into 3 equal parts with knife then fold the 3rd closest to you over the middle and then fold the top third to cover the folded parts.
6. Turn it anticlockwise 45 degree like a book shape, then mark at one edge with finger to indicate you have completed 1 roll, then repeat the rolling and folding once more.  Rewrap and chill for 15 minutes.
7. Repeat rolling and folding twice more then wrap and chill for 30 minutes ( I chill for 15 mins) before rolling into shape.
8. Roll out the pastry and cut into a circle with 28cm in diameter about the size of a large dinner plate over baking paper.  Twisting the pastry over itself to make the edge.  Press slightly to seal and transfer onto a baking tray and chill for a further 15 minutes.
9. For the filling: Halve and pit the peaches and cut into chunky slices.  Heat butter in a saucepan the add the lemon juice and 1/2 sugar.  When the butter and sugar melted, add the peaches and toss gently.  Pile the peaches over the pastry with some butter sugar sauce and sprinkle the remaining sugar.  Bake at preheated oven at 230c for 20-25 minutes or until golden, puffed and caramelized. Serve with cream.

Source: adopted from the cookbook, Tart - sweet and savoury by Maxine Clark

Mini Cream Horns & Palmiers with Honey Cream

cream horns with honey cream and nutella cream

What a start off for the summer holiday with rain!  It has been raining for a few days and the kids are feeling bored staying indoor (they may not be that bored if I haven't restricted them to use computer for only 2 hours a day!) So we head into the kitchen and look for things to make.  We have some frozen puff pastry and cream, and I have these cream horn moulds and some very large strawberries. The first batches of the cream horns and palmiers were gone in a flash as we were so hungry and they tasted so delicious.  My daughter made her palmiers with white chocolate and caster sugar from the recipe she learnt at school and I put in nutella with whipped cream for the cream horns for something different.

Mini Cream Horns

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

thicken cream, whipped

honey

nutella

strawberries

icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Cut pastry into 12 strips about 2cm wide.  Lightly grease the mould, then starting rolling the pastry onto the mould starting from the points of tins.  Place horns on baking tray lined with baking paper and brush them with egg.  Bake in hot oven till puff up then reduce to moderate until horns are lightly browned and crisp.  Pipe in honey cream or nutella cream, dust with icing sugar and garnish with strawberries.

For honey cream and nutella cream: add 1/2 teaspoon of honey to 1/3 cup whipped cream and add 1 heap tablespoon of nutella to 1/2 cup whipped cream.

Palmiers with Honey Cream

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

raw sugar

ground nutmeg

honey cream

Sprinkle sugar and nutmeg evenly over the pastry, loosely roll one side at a time into the middle until both sides meet.  Sprinkle extra sugar onto the bottom of the pastry as you roll up so that both sides are coated with sugar.  Roll the pastry over to form a log shape. Cut pastry into 5mm thick pieces.  Place the cut side up with a V-shape onto the baking tray lined with baking paper.  Bake at hot oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with honey cream.

white chocolate palmiers

My daughter made this for her art project. Couldn't stop hugging it!

Strawberry Vanilla Tart

Instead of staying in bed with a bad cold, I think I should get up to work on the computer.  Couldn't remember the last time I logged into blogger but there are so many new posts of yummy dishes from my blogging friends.  I guess if I don't change, the world still changing so I got to keep up...

I have been collecting tart tins and baking equipments at the moment so I can try to make some of the pies and tarts I always want to make.  I got very excited with my first oblong tart tin.  After I made this french dessert, I realise I don't have a plate long enough to fit it in.  I'm using my bread board until I find a plate to fit it properly.

Strawberry Vanilla Tart


For the pastry:
200g plain flour
75g caster sugar
75g butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch of salt
2-3 teaspoon s of iced water

For the custard:
4 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
25g plain flour
300ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons kirsch

For the topping and glaze:
450g equal sized strawberries, sliced
75g fresh strawberry, chopped
1 tablespoon caster sugar
5 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon gelatine mixed with 2 tablespoon hot water

Or replace the glaze with 1/3 cup strawberry jam stirs with 1 1/2 tablespoon water under low heat

Methods:

1. For the pastry: Put the sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Add the cold water and blend again then add in sift flour and salt.  Use "pulse" action and blend until the dough is just combined.
2. Transfer the dough to the working space lined with baking paper and dusted with a little flour.  Knead gently until the dough is smooth and not sticky.  Cover it with wrap and put into fridge for half and hour.
3. Dust the rolling pin with a little flour, then roll the dough into thin long shape to fit into the oblong tart tin.  Wrap up a little of the extra dough with plastic wrap and press along the side of the edges.  Use a fork to prick some holds at the base and chill for further 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven at 180c, line the base with baking paper with pie weight.  Bake blind for 15 minutes.  Remove the paper and pie weight and bake a further 10-15 minutes.
5. For the custard: beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, add in flour and vanilla.
6. Bring the milk to boil in a saucepan then pour in the egg mixture and stir constantly.  Cook gently in low heat until a few minutes until the custard is thicken.  Add in kirsch and let it cool completely.
7. Pour the custard over to the tart tin and spread evenly.  Lay the top with sliced strawberries and glaze.
8. For the glaze: Combine the strawberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan, let it simmer for a few minutes or until the strawberries become tender.  Blend the mixture into a puree and add in the gelatine mixture.  Return the puree into the pan and stir until it thickens. 
9. Keep the tart into the fridge for 4-5 hours until the custard is set and the flavour develops. 

Source: adopted and modified from "Tarts Sweet and Savoury" by Maxine Clark

Custard Tart

Many people may have heard or have had Hong Kong's egg tart already.  Some may have already master  how to make this delicious food.  There are a few different types of egg tarts, one of it has a shortcrust pastry that usually sell in bakery.  The other one has puff pastry that is sold at Yum Cha in Chinese restaurant.  When I first come to Australia, we find custard tart selling in the bakery that look and taste so close to Hong Kong's egg tart except the one in Australia is larger.   As Hong Kong and Australia are both Commonwealth countries, I believe that British has the influence in the creation of Hong Kong egg tart.

Talking about Britain, I have just got an emil saying I have won 1 million pounds from the British Lottery but I need to give some of my personal details to this yahoo email.  I have not purchased any lottery ticket so how could I win this...... wouldn't it be nice to win a million!

This recipe is taken from the book "a passion for pastry" again and it is the recipe given by Grace Henderson.  I am not going to put this post up because ready roll shortcrust pastry really not as tasty as homemade pastry.  However, it is so easy to make if you are craving for a quick dessert.  On the other hand, it's also difficult to get the floral shape right if you are making your own shortcrust pastry.  My son takes one for school and he gives a piece to his friend.  His friend asks where does he gets it and the answer is homemade by his Mummy.  So, if my kids and his friends like it, it should be OK!  My kids eat around the crust, then take a deep bite into the middle, that's not bad as they say. 

Custard Tart

(make 8)

2 sheets of shortcrust pastry

2 large eggs

25g caster sugar

a few drops of vanilla essence

150ml milk

nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 200c.  Cut a piece of pastry into 4 equal size squares.  The recipe asked to be 10cmx10cm and I have mine 12cmx12cm.  Repeat for the other pastry.
2. Grease 8 muffin holes if needed.  Push the pastry into the hole with four corners poking upward like petals.  Bake for 10 minutes then remove it from the oven.
3. While the pastry is cooking, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence.  Heat the milk until almost boiling, then stir briskly into the eggs.  Strain into a bowl then pour into the pastry cases.  Sprinkle some nutmeg over the top.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the custard is set.

Chinatown Chicken Pies with Sticky Rice Sushi

This recipe is adopted and modified from the cookbook "a passion for pastry" written by Britain's top chefs and food writers that I borrow from the library.  This is Jill Dupleix's recipe and I have never thought of putting chinese mushroom into pies and I like the name of it.  I've changed some of the ingredients to suit my liking and I serve it with sticky rice of my own creation.  When I was living in Hong Kong, my favourite winter breakfast is sticky rice filled with yu tyau (油條) and a glass of warm soy milk.  Yu Tyau is a deep fried pastry that is eaten with rice congee at breakfast.  I  mixed the rice with chinese mushroom and dried shrimp, filled and topped with yu tyau and Japanese fish eggs as my Chinese version of sushi.  I really like this asian twisted kind of dish! 

As I don't live near Chinatown, I often go there on school holiday to stock up some Asian groceries and take the kids to enjoy some authentic asian food.  We always come home with bags and bags of goodies that will last us till the next trip.      

Chinatown Chicken Pies with Sticky Rice Sushi
(make 8-9)

Ingredients:

1 chicken fillet
1-2 dried shiltake mushroom, soaked with water till soft
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup baby peas
4-5 puff pastry
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon corn flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
coriander leaves
egg, beaten
Method:

1. Cook the chicken with the vegetables, add in the sauces and water.  Then season it with salt, sugar and pepper.  Thicken it with the corn flour mixture and finally add in the cooking wine.  Leave cool a little.
2. Cut the pastry into 4 equal sized squares.  Place 1 tablespoon of filling onto the pastry.  Brush the sides with egg then place another pastry over the top.  Use a cup as a guide to fold up the pastry.  Brush the top with egg and place a piece of coriander leave on top.  Brush the leave with more eggs.  Repeat the process until all the fillings is gone.
3. Bake at a preheat hot oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed.  Turn down to moderate and bake for further 10 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. 

Egg, Tomato and Spinach Tarts

Kids have started the 2 weeks winter holiday and I'm taking the opportunities to relax and do a bit of craft.  I have been knitting scarfs and baby jumper for family and friend.  I love knitting in winter as it is the best thing to do while watching TV and it keeps you warm as well.  I hope I don't sound too much like an old granny.  We had this egg and tomato tart on Sunday for lunch.  I served it with baked beans with toast and pan-fried bacon wrapped in pineapple.  It was actually a breakfast and lunch together as we slept in.  

Have you got problem with filo pastry tearing into pieces after using the packet once or twice?  Instead of throwing away the pastry, I cut up into small square pieces to fit into the muffin pan.  The presentation is so nice and I am going to make this for breakfast next time if I have guest visiting me.  I also served this with HongKong style borsch soup that I will post later.  We really enjoy this relaxing and cosy Sunday lunch. 

Egg and Tomato Tarts

(make 4)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 bacon rashers, cut the shortcut bit into small pieces and use the rinds to roll up pineapple pieces OR

2 shortcut bacon, cut into small pieces

filo pastry, about 15cmx15cm

baby spinach leaves

4 cherry tomatos, halves

1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.  Grease the muffin cups with oil.
2. Lightly pan-fried the bacon, leave aside.
3. Place 3 sheets of pastry into the muffin tin, brush with oil.  Repeat the process two more times until the tin is well covered.  
4. Line the pastry cases with few spinach leaves, place the tomato cut side up, add some bacon pieces and chopped onions.  Carefully break an egg into the case.  If you are using a muffin tray, fill the unused hole with water.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg white has set.  Use a knife to lift up the tart and stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Apple Strudel

I have been making dessert with apple a lot lately.  After I made the apple pie, we had this apple strudel and followed by apple crumble for dessert.  With the cold weather we are having, it is always nice to have something warm after dinner.  Having the oven working also keep the house extra warm.  I use to be able to buy apple strudel from the bakery but it is not easy to get it this day.  I substitute dried cranberry instead of sultanas and this strudel can also be served cold as an afternoon snack.  When my son asks for more of it, I know I should keep this recipe close at hand.

  

Apple Strudel
(make 3 rolls)

Ingredients:
3 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

2 large cooking apples
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoon dried cranberry

15g butter
1/2 white breadcrumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar

Method:

1. Peel, core and slice apples thinly.  Mix apple slices into bowl with sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon rind and cranberry.  Allow to stand for about 30 minutes then drain off excess liquid from apples.
2. Melt butter in a pan, add breadcrumbs, stir over low heat until breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Let cool a bit and mix the crumbs with the brown sugar.
3. Lay a sheet of pastry onto the chopping board, sprinkle 1/3 of the breadcrumb mix over the pastry.  Spoon apple mixture along one end of pastry and brush some egg wash toward the end edge. Fold in sides of pastry to edge of apple filling, then carefully roll up the strudel.  
4. Repeat the procedure for the rest of the pastries.  Brush egg over the strudels and bake in 230c hot oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  When cold, dust with icing sugar and cut into thick slices.

Source: Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Cooking Class Cookbook" published by the Australian Women's Weekly - Home Library

Apple Pie

Winter has come and apple is in season.  When I put winter and apple together,  I could only think of the warm and crusty apple pie.  The last time my daughter asked me to make her apple pie for dessert, I made her an easy apple turnover instead.  Apple pie isn't my favourite dessert and I have only made it once until I tried Mrs Marshall's apple pie.  She is our customer and her pie wins a lot of prizes in the show.  How funny is that a customer comes to your restaurant and give you food in return!  She's such a lovely old lady! I love her fruit mince tart the best.  I make this apple pie to satisfy my daughter's or mine (?) craving for a warm dessert.  The apricot jam has done its magic to enhance the favour and I am going to try another flavour such as apricot, apple with raspberry in the future.  Homemade sweet pie has just opened its door for me to explore!

I have learned a lot working with chicken in May, trying new techniques and ingredients.  I am going to work on pastry in June.  Sweet and savoury, buttery and flakey,  serve warm or old....    


Apple Pie


Ingredients
Pastry:
185g butter
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup custard powder
1/3 cup cornflour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 egg white for glazing
extra sugar

Fillings:
3 large cooking apples
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoon apricot jam, warmed

Method

1. Peel, quarter and core apples.  Cut the apple into 1cm cubes.  Put in saucepan with water, sugar and lemon rind.  Cook until apples are almost tender and still holding shapes.  Remove from heat and drain.  
2. For the pastry: sift flours, custard powder and salt into a mixing bowl.  Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add sugar and mix well.
3. Make well in the centre of dry ingredients, add egg yolk and enough water, mix to a firm dough.  Knead lightly and refrigerate pastry for about 1 hour.   
4. Divide the pastry into half.  Roll the pastry between baking paper and spread onto the base of a 23cm pie plate.  You don't need to grease or line the plate with paper as there is sufficient oil in the pastry to prevent it from sticking.
5. Spread base of pie with apricot jam.  Put cooled and drained apple over jam.  Roll out remaining pastry, brush edges of pie with milk and cover with pastry.  Press edges together firmly, trim and decorate.  Brush top with lightly beaten egg white, sprinkle with extra sugar.  Cut a few slits in top.  Bake in moderately hot oven 20 minutes, reduce heat to moderate and cook further 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Source: The cook book "Best Ever Recipes" published by the Australian Women's Weekly - Home Library

Chicken and Leek Triangles

Chicken and leek is a good combination, you can make that into pie, soup, quiche or even stuffing.  I should use leek more often in my Asian cooking considering the nutrient it has.  I'm lucky to get the last leek from the supermarket as many people buy it to make soup for the cold weather.  (My guessing!)  This time I'm putting it into little triangles as finger food.


Chicken and Leek Triangles
(makes about 24)

300g chicken mince
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 bacon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 sheets filo pastry
melted butter or vegetable oil for brushing

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan, cook the chicken until brown then add the leek, bacon and garlic.  Stir for a few minutes until the leek is soft.  Add the wine, cream and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese.  Let cool.
2. Lay the pastry onto the bench top, cut it into 4 strips lengthways.  Take 2 strips and cover the rest while folding the triangles.  
3. Brush the bottom strip with butter and cover it with another strip.  Place 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture at the end of the strip.  Fold the end diagonally over the fillings, then continue folding to the end of the strip to from a triangle.  Brush it with more butter.  Repeat the process for the rest of the pastry.
4. Bake the triangles in an 180c preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until browned.

Source: Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Homestyle Chicken" published by Murdoch Books.