Richmond Maids Of Honour Recipes

RICHMOND MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• Set oven to 400*F or Mark 6.
• Grease and flour 20 patty tins.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the tins, trimming the edges neatly.
• In a bowl, mix together the ground almonds and sugar, then stir in the beaten eggs, flour, cream, nutmeg and lemon juice.
• Divide the mixture between the pastry cases and bake for about 15 minutes or until firm and golden.
• Turn out on to a wire rack and allow to cool.
• Serve dredged with a little icing sugar.

RICHMOND MAIDS OF HONOUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F ro 200C and grease some tartlet tins.
• Roll out the pastry very thinly on a floured surface, and use an 8cm cutter to make rounds to line the tins.
• Spoon a little jam or jelly into the bottom of each pastry tin.
• Chill while you make the filling.
• Sieve the cottage cheese into a bowl and mix in the caster sugar, lemon rind and ground almonds.
• Beat in the eggs and brandy.
• Add this to the curd mixture and mix until thoroughly blended.
• Fill each pastry case two-thirds full with the mixture.
• Bake for 25 minutes until well risen and puffy.
• Cool slightly before serving and dust with icing sugar.

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.

MAIDS OF HONOUR - TRADITIONAL ENGLISH CUSTARD CHEESECAKE TARTS

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 425F degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour with the diced butter and the scant teaspoonfuls of shortening. Cover and place the bowl into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, place the eggs, lemon juice, rosewater or orange-flower water, and a pinch of salt and put in the refrigerator. Using a food processor (or by hand, but this will take some elbow grease), blend the fats and flour until the pastry just begins to come together, yet still is a little coarse and crumbly. Take care not to over-blend, as this process goes quickly, so watch carefully. Gradually feed the liquids in through the feeder spout until the pastry is almost coming together. Scoop it out onto a flour-dusted work surface and knead a few times with your hands, then form into two discs, wrap each disc in cling wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling out.
• While pastry is chilling, make the filling. Cut lengthwise down the vanilla bean with the tip of a sharp knife. Place the vanilla bean with the cream into a saucepan, and heat to just under the boiling point over a medium heat. Do not boil or it will curdle. Off the heat and remove the bean, scraping some of the seeds into the cream. Now add the butter, sugar, ground almonds, egg, lemon zest and juice, and the rosewater or orange-flower water, stirring well to combine. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
• Roll out half the pastry, cut out 12 rounds with a 3-inch round cutter, and place into a 12-hole tart or muffin pan, pressing down with your fingers so they're well lined. Spoon half the filling into the pastry cases (remembering you'll have a second batch to do). Leave a good inch below the rim, as the custard will rise up as it bakes. Dust lightly with some fresh nutmeg and transfer carefully to the pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the custard's golden and puffy.
• Let the tarts sit in the pan for a few minutes before standing, unmolded, on a wire rack to cool. Dust tops with icing sugar.
• When the pan is cool, repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Leave the tarts to cool a little before serving (arrange them on a pretty serving plate or silver platter), but they are best eaten still slightly warm.