Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts

Ingredients

Puff Pastry:
300 g All-purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Lemon Juice
155 ml Cold water
200 g Butter, unsalted
Custard Filling:
4 Egg yolks, at room temperature
120 ml Milk, warm
50 g Castor sugar
1 tbsp Sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Coconut flakes or sesame seeds

Method

1.Sieve the flour and salt. Rub in butter and make a well in the center. Fill in water and lemon juice, and mix well into a smooth dough ball. Wrap tightly and relax the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut a cross halfway through the dough and pull out four corners to form a star shape.
2.Roll out the points of the star into flaps, keeping the center thicker. The total thickness of four points is about the thickness of the center dough. Knead the butter between two baking paper to the same texture as the dough. This is extremely important. As the fat will melt and then ooze out if too soft, if too hard it will break through when rolling. Place the butter on the center and fold to seal in butter and press out any air. Make sure no butter is exposed.
3.On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough with a rolling pin, and then roll out to a 7x21-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle up toward the centre, and brush off any extra flour. Fold the top third down to make a neat square and brush off any flour. This is a single fold. This folding method is similar to folding a letter into thirds to fit into an envelope. Give the dough a 90 degree turn to the left and again roll it out to a 7x21-inch rectangle. Fold in both the edges so that they meet in the center. This is called a double or book fold. Wrap and chill the dough overnight or at least 45 minutes. To get the maximum rising, turn the dough in the same direction so the seam is always at the same side.
4.Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Repeat both the single and double folds. Although the dough at this point is ready for use, allow to rest for two hours after the final turn before using in recipes. Alternatively freeze it for up to two months. If a recipe calls for a lighter pastry, then repeat the single and double folds again. In this case, relax the dough just for one hour.
5.Beat all the ingredients for the filling until well-blended. Strain the filling through a strainer. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Roll out the pastry dough into 3mm thickness and cut out 18 circles with a round cookie cutter and press into tart pans. Spoon the mixture evenly into the pastry cases, leaving about 1 cm below the rim of the pastry, and if desired sprinkle the top with coconut flakes or sesame seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

Candied Banana Fritters

Ingredients

500 g Banana (not too ripe)
Frying oil
30 g All-purpose flour
20 g Cornstarch
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp Water
150 g Granulated sugar
5 g Corn oil

Method

1.In a bowl combine the egg, AP-flour, 10 grams cornstarch and water to form a smooth batter. Heat a frying pan half filled with oil till 180C/350F. Prepare a serving plate lightly greased with oil or butter.
2.Peel bananas, cut into 3 to 4 diagonal chunks and roll in 10 grams of cornstarch to coat. Dip into the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Low the coated banana pieces into the heated oil and deep fry them until golden in color. Remove and drain.
3.Heat 5 grams of oil in another clean skillet, add sugar and stir fry over low heat until the sugar dissolves and turns into a syrup. Turn off the heat and return the fried bananas into the syrup. Quickly and carefully mix them and plunge into the prepared serving plate.

Frikadellen / German Meat Patties

Ingredients

500 g Ground meat (pork and beef mixed)
70 g Onions
½ tbsp Oil
4 tbsp Breadcrumbs
1 pc Egg
60 ml Milk
1 tsp Basil, dried
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp White pepper

Method

1.Peel and dice the onions, then saute in oil until transparent. Add sauteed onions to ground meat in a mixing bowl. Stir together breadcrumbs and milk and add to meat mixture.
2.Add egg, basil, salt and pepper and mix well. Dampen hands and form meat mixture into a palm-sized patty.
3.Fry on both sides in oil until golden brown and served with salad, fries and tzatziki.

Dominosteine

Ingredients

Dough:
150 g Butter, at room temperature
100 g Sugar
1 pack Vanilla sugar
50 g Honey
3 Eggs
150 g Ground hazelnut
100 g Milk couverture, shaved
50 g Oatmeal, instant
30 g All-purpose flour
Filling:
80 g Raspberry jam (or other flavors)
100 g Marzipan
Couverture chocolates or sugar icings
Pine nuts

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a baking tray, about 30cm by 40cm, with parchment paper. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla sugar until creamy. Add in honey, eggs, one by one and beat until well-blended. Add in ground hazelnut, chocolate shaves, oatmeal and flour. Blend well.
2.Spread the whole mass onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread jam over while it is still warm. Place marzipan between two plastic wrap and roll it out to about half size of the dough. Cover half section of jam with marzipan, and slice off another half to cover the marzipan. Lightly press them together. Cut it into 2cm squares.
3.Melt chocolates on a double boiler or using a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Dip each square into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the pot. Place dominosteine onto a wax paper and let harden. Garnish dominosteine if desired.

Sweet Woodruff Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:
150 g Oatcake
70 g Margarine, softened
Filling:
8 sheet Gelatin
400 g Whipping cream
500 g Quark, low-fat
300 g Philadelphia cream cheese
100 g Sugar
1 pack / 8 g Vanilla sugar
100 ml Milk Jelly Topping:
150 g Fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 pack Sweet Woodruff
jelly powder
80-100 g Sugar
500 ml Water

Method

1.Combine cookies and softened margarine, then press into the bottom of a 26-cm baking pan with a removable bottom. Chill crust 30 minutes. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form and store in the fridge until ready.
2.Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes until softened. Gently squeeze out excess water. Melt it in a heat proof bowl placed over simmering water until dissolved. Combine first 4 tablespoons of cheese mixture with the melted gelatin, then blend with the rest of cheese mixture until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and until fully incorporated. Pour the cheese mixture over the crust and arrange the blueberries on top. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
3.Whisk together sugar and jelly powder in a medium pot. Pour in the water and cook over the slow heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove and turn the heat off. Pour 1/3 of the jelly into a square shallow dish. Press and push a cookie mould into the set jelly to create the "heart". Pour the rest of cool jelly over the cheesecake. Place some heart-shaped jelly over if desired. To serve, loosen cheesecake and place it on a serving plate. Decorate the side with heart-shaped jelly.