Stuff and nonsense

I’m typing this rather gingerly as I have sustained 1st degree burns to both my index fingers, courtesy of attempting to make my own nougat. It hurts like buggery, and I now have a seemingly unmovable coat of burnt, rock-like candy welded on to the bottom of the kitchen bin. Damn you sugar syrup and your heat retaining properties!

So the recipe I’d like to share with you is one which is hopefully relatively painless, in both the somatic and mental sense. The crowning achievement of all of my Emergency term was cooking the following pie – a pastry with a deep mature chocolate base and hints of marzipan, studded with soft pears that cut through the richness. Ohhh baby, believe me it’s good, and what’s more, I can shortcut my way around the original Jamie recipe and have on the table without so much as a bead of sweat. Go here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/dessert/chocolate_and_pear_tart for the original recipe, but if you want to save yourself a lot of hassle, I highly recommend being lazy like me (no one will know). The pic below is from Jamie’s website, but mine looked even better.

Chocolate and Pear Tart

serves 6 or more
• a frozen tart shortcrust shell (about $3 at my IGA – stuff making my own pastry)
• 125g ground almonds
• 2 large eggs
• 125g butter, softened (chuck for 20 seconds in the microwave or melt with the chocolate)
• 95g sugar
• 185g dark chocolate, melted*
• large tin of pears in natural syrup
• Jamie suggests “crème fraîche” (whatever), I say cream would be perfect

Preheat the oven to 190°C or to whatever the instructions are on the frozen tart shell packet. Bake the pastry for around 10 minutes in the preheated oven as per instructions, then remove, set aside, and reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.

Chuck the almonds, eggs, butter and sugar into the melted chocolate while it’s still warm and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into the pastry case and then press the pears into the pie in some kind of nice-looking arrangement.

Bake the tart for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the chocolate and almond mixture is firm. Serve warm with crème fraîche or softly whipped cream.

Ridiculously easy.

*I like to put the chocolate and butter in the microwave on high for 1 min, then stir, then repeat for 30 second intervals, being careful not to burn it. I seem to have a knack for burning things, including myself.