Maids Of Honor Recipes

PRUE LEITH'S MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• For the curd cheese, pour the milk into a large pan and add the salt. Bring to a very gentle boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Leave to stand without stirring for 5 minutes, until the curds separate from the whey.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared sieve and leave to drain into the bowl for at least 30 minutes, until cool. Tip the curd cheese into a separate bowl. You should have just over 200g of curd cheese.
• For the rough puff pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add 5-7 tablespoons of water to form a dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring 30 x 12cm. Grate half of the frozen butter over the bottom two thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if you were folding a letter. Rotate the dough through 90 degrees and roll it again into a 30 x 12cm rectangle.
• Grate the remaining frozen butter over the bottom two thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if you were folding a letter. Rotate the dough through 90 degrees. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Repeat the rolling and folding of the pastry twice more, each time wrapping in cling film and leaving to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• For the lemon curd, put the lemon zest and juice and the sugar and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted, then whisk in the beaten egg. Gently whisk the mixture over the heat for about 10 minutes, until thickened like custard. Pour the cooked curd through a sieve into a clean bowl to remove the zest, then leave to cool and set.
• Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick and, using a 10cm round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Use these to line the 12-hole muffin tray, then line each with a square of baking paper. Fill with baking beans and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and set aside.
• For the filling, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Place the curd cheese, lemon zest, sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• Place 1 teaspoon of lemon curd into the base of each pastry case, then pour the filling into the cases until they are full, but not overflowing. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set, then transfer the tray to a wire rack and allow the tarts to cool.
• Hold the stencil over a tart and dust with icing sugar to create a rose motif. Repeat for the remaining tarts.

MAIDS OF HONOUR TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Roll the pastry out slightly thinner than a one pound coin, then stamp out twelve 9cm/3½in rounds and use to line a 12-hole non-stick patty tin. Place the tray of pastry discs in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, flour, ground almonds, nutmeg (or ground mace) and lemon zest. Stir in the curd cheese, being careful not to overwork the mixture as it can split.
• Spoon the mixture into the tart cases and bake for 25 minutes, or until risen and lightly browned on top. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.

MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) Roll pastry carefully in both directions until about 1/4-inch (7 millimeters) thick, cut in circles about 3-inches (75 millimeters) in diameter and allow to rest. Mix cheese, sugar, lemon rind, and almonds, then add egg and mix until combined. Press pastry into mini muffin pans. It is important that it is thin on the base and thick on the sides. Fill about 2/3 full with mixture and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

MAID OF HONOUR SQUARES

Steps:

• Base;.
• In bowl,beat together butter,sugar and salt until fluffy;stir in flour.Press into parchment-paper lined or greased 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan;prick dough with fork.Bake in center of 350°F oven for about 17 minutes until golden.Let cool on rack.
• In bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar until fluffy.Beat in eggs,one at a time,beating well after each.Beat in milk and lemon rind.Beat in ground almonds;stir in flour and salt.
• Spread jam over base;Pour almond mixture over jam.Sprinkle with slivered almonds.Bake in center of 350°F oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.Let cool in pan on rack.Sprinkle with icing sugar.

MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. and line a tray with 12 small shallow cases
• Add the plain flour into a large bowl and add the 100g of butter. Mix together using the rubbing method/ using fingertips until it had a bread crumb consistency.
• Use a butter knife and slowly add in the water until a dough has formed. Then roll out onto a surface, preferably with plain flour sprinkled onto it, to the thickness of approx. a £1 coin
• Cut into circles so you can line it in the cake case and it will just start to hang over. Do this until you have used up all of the pastry
• Add 1/2 tsp of your choice of filling( e.g jam) into every case with pastry and then leave to the side
• Add all filling ingredients and beat into a bowl together. Then add 1tsp of mixture into every tart and put into the oven for 20 mins or until golden brown.