Maids of Honour - Traditional English Tarts

Maids of Honour Tarts, also called Richmond Maids of Honour, are said to date back to Tudor times and have had a tearoom/bakery devoted to them since 1850 not far from Henry VIII’s home, Hampton Court Palace, in the southwest London borough of Richmond upon Thames.

Not a custard tart, the filling is more akin to cheesecake than custard. The primary ingredient is curd cheese, something even people in England sometimes have trouble finding. With a name like that, you’d think cottage cheese would be the best substitute. But no.

Cottage cheese, even pressed through a sieve, is not similar to curd cheese. Curd cheese is, so I’m told, more like Neufchatel cheese (also called 1/3 less fat cream cheese), in both texture and fat content. Though my filling cracked on top, the texture was perfectly smooth and lovely.

If you don’t have a 12-cup shallow bun tray/patty tin or mince pie/jam tart tin or tartelette pan, those are two I have and recommend. Or you could use a standard muffin tin, though it might be more difficult to get the tarts out.

Don't worry about the cracks. Both the taste and texture are superb. These are going on the menu for my next afternoon tea party, but I'll be making them even before then because Mr Delightful loves them! 

Maids of Honour Tarts

(Makes 12)

Half of 17.3ounces/490 grams package frozen puff pastry
OR 1/3 of my Rough Puff Pastry recipe 
4 ounces (113 g) curd cheese or low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1/4 firmly packed cup (1 ounce/28 grams) super-fine almond flour (ground almonds)
Finely grated zest 1 lemon 
1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce/15 ml) lemon juice
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: a faint dusting of powdered sugar

1 Remove frozen pastry sheet from box and wrapping. Thaw at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes, until pastry unfolds easily but is still cold. Remove egg and cheese from the refrigerator and let cheese soften at room temperature for same length of time.

2 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Spray with cooking spray, or lightly butter, a 12-hole shallow bun tray/patty tin/tartelette pan. If you don’t have one, you may use a standard muffin tin.

Note: Some people bake them at 400F/205C/Gas6, probably thinking that's best for the pastry, but the pastry is fine and the filling is much better baked at the lower temperature. 

3 On lightly floured surface, roll out thawed pastry to about 9.5x12.5 inches/24x32 cm (pastry should be very thin) and with 3-inch/7.5 cm cutter, cut out 12 circles. Fit the pastry circles firmly into the tin, but do not stretch the dough. Place in freezer while you make the filling. Melt the butter and leave it to cool.

4 In small mixing bowl (I use a 1-quart glass measure), mix together the softened cheese, sugar, almond flour, lemon zest and lemon juice. Beat in the egg and then the melted and cooled butter until thoroughly combined. Spoon the filling into the tart shells, filling them nearly to the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

5 Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling. They will sink a little as they cool. You may give them a very light dusting of powdered sugar (icing sugar), if you like, just before serving.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Dal Makhani - An Indian Dish

Dal Makhani (pronounced doll mock-NEE), a buttery lentil curry, is a popular Indian (Punjabi, to be precise) dish introduced to me by Tony of the delightful blog London Calling after his autumn trip to northern India. 

Tony was part of a group of six whose guide organized a cooking experience for them in the home of a family in Old Delhi. This recipe is my adaptation of one he learned.

Dal Makhani is only the second Indian dish I’ve ever made, the first being Chicken Tikka Masala. With copious amounts of butter and cream, this is a very rich vegetarian, though not vegan, dish often reserved for special occasions.

It can be the main dish or an accompaniment. For me, a 1-cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) portion makes a perfect lunch all on its own, but it’s strictly a side dish for Mr Delightful.

The recipe Tony got from his hostess/instructor in Old Delhi called for cooking it in a pressure cooker. But I thought, since I’m brand new to pressure cooking, I’d adapt it to stovetop.

Lentils require no soaking and have quite a short cook time, and by using canned red kidney beans instead of dried, which take a long time, it really comes together rather quickly.

Dal Makhani requires no special equipment, just a 3-quart saucepan and a 2-quart saucepan and a food processor or blender to puree the fresh tomatoes. I’ve converted the difficult-to-find-here spices, such as black and green cardamom pods, to available ground spices.

Though I make no claims to authenticity, I think my adaptation captures the flavors quite well. But feel free to play with the spice amounts to suit your own palate.

Dal Makhani

(Makes seven 1-cup servings)

3 cups (24 fluid ounces/710 ml) water
1 1/8 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) lentils (I could not find the whole black gram lentils/urad dal called for)
1 15-ounce (425 grams) can red kidney beans, drained
3/4 cup* (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) heavy cream, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or 4 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) tomatoes, pureed in food processor
1 4-ounce (113 grams) can diced green chiles (hot or mild, I used the hot) or 2 to 3 green chiles, minced
Garnish: cilantro (also known as fresh coriander leaves)

* That is a very generous amount of cream. I think next time I make it I'll use half the amount.

1 In 3-quart saucepan, bring water just to the boil. Stir in lentils that have been rinsed and picked over for debris. Bring the water to a rapid boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.

Note: If you use urad dal, whole black gram lentils, they will require soaking and longer cooking.

2 Stir in the kidney beans, half the cream (3 ounces), salt, half the paprika (1/4 teaspoon), ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and cayenne. Leave it simmer for 15 minutes or so while you proceed with the tomato mixture.

3 In 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the coriander, cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon paprika, tomato puree and green chiles. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes “or till the butter leaves the gravy.” (If you don’t know what that last bit means, don’t ask me; just cook it for about 6 minutes and let that be that!)

4 Stir the sauce into the lentil mixture and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. Stir in the remaining cream and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and naan or roti.

Jean

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew - Instant Pot

I know what you’re saying: “Beef stew? Didn’t she just post Beef Stew last month?” Yes, but that was Slow Cooker Beef Stew. This is Pressure Cooker Beef Stew. 

Beef Stew is the first thing I made when I finally succumbed to all the hype and got an Instant Pot. But I made Slow Cooker Beef Stew, using the Instant Pot in its slow cooker mode, which is really what I bought it for. It was fabulous!

Then I decided to try it out in pressure cooker mode. I wasn’t entirely happy with the result. I tried not browning the meat as an added timesaver, but browning adds flavor, so I added back that step the second time around. 

And I shortened the cooking time on this second batch. Went from 35 to 30 minutes, and next time I’ll try 25 minutes. I cut the beef into much larger chunks this time, as the typical size pieces all but disappeared that first time.

It’s always better to buy a 3-pound (or so) piece of chuck and trim and cut it up yourself, as I did this time and usually do. Packaged “stew meat” simply disappears in the pressure cooker. If you have a good sharp knife, you won’t have any problem. 

I’ve come up with two ways to cut down on grease splattering during the meat browning in Saute mode. The first way, shown in my Slow Cooker Beef Stew post is fine if the second way isn’t an option for you. The second way works with your range hood/extractor fan.

Protect your kitchen from grease spatters when you saute in your Instant Pot or other countertop appliance by setting the appliance on your stovetop to take advantage of your range hood/extractor fan.

This recipe serves six OR makes three meals-for-two, so I immediately divided it into three and popped one in the freezer for a future meal. We love having a stash of homemade freezer meals.

If you're new to Instant Pot cooking, you'll like the detailed instructions included in my recipe. If you haven't yet jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon but are contemplating it …

My "verdict," so far, is: I don't think I really need a pressure cooker and will probably use my Instant Pot as a slow cooker most often. It's the only multi-cooker slow cooker I've found with a stainless steel cooking pot.

As I get more proficient with the Instant Pot pressure cooker, I’ll come back here and make updates to this post. And if you have any hot tips for new Instant Pot users, do let me know. 

Don't forget to Pin it and share it!

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

(Serves 6)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2.75 pounds (1.25 kg) 2-inch cubes of well-trimmed lean beef chuck

1/4 cup (1.25 ounces/35 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces/473 ml) chicken broth or water, divided

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces/680 grams) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 medium carrots (12 ounces/340 grams), peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch slices

3 stalks celery (6 ounces/170 grams), sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces

1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped (6 ounces/170 grams—about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
4 to 5 tablespoons (half a 6-ounce can) tomato paste

Slurry of 1/4 cup (1.25 ounces/35 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) water

Garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley and/or 1 cup of frozen peas

Note: Some Instant Pot and slow cooker users have told me they don’t bother to brown any meats, they just throw the meat in with all the other ingredients. But I’ve never been happy skipping that step, and I brown the 2.75 pounds of beef in three batches.

1 Plug in the Instant Pot. Select the Saute program. Leave the indicator on Normal temperature. When the word Hot appears on the display, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the stainless steel cooking pot of the Instant Pot. 

2 Put the flour on a dinner plate. Dry the beef cubes a batch at a time with paper towel and dredge lightly in the flour, add to hot oil and brown very well in single layer, sprinkling with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Transfer browned beef to a bowl. Repeat twice, adding 1/2 tablespoon of oil each time.

3 Deglaze the cooking pot with 1/2 cup of the broth or water or drinkable dry red wine. Press the Cancel key. Add the beef back to the Instant Pot, along with all remaining ingredients except the slurry and garnish. 

4 Put the lid in place and turn the steam valve to Sealing. Attach the condensation cup to the back of the unit. Plug in the Instant Pot. Press the Pressure Cook key. Leave the indicator on High Pressure and change the cooking time to 25 minutes.

Note: It took 25 minutes to reach working pressure. This varies with the amount and temperature of the ingredients in the pot. 

5 Allow the pressure to release naturally until the float valve drops down. 

Note: This took 42 minutes. It can take 10 to 40 minutes or more, depending on the amount of food in the cooker.

6 When the float valve drops down, press Cancel (display will read OFF, indicating the cooker is in standby mode) and open the lid.

7 Shake together flour and water until mixture is smooth. Stir the smooth slurry into the stew, taste and adjust seasoning; press Saute and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to thicken. Remove bay leaf, and sprinkle on parsley or stir in frozen peas.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Magical Coconut Pie - A Quick and Easy Retro Dessert

Magical Coconut Pie popped into my head the other day because I needed a quick and easy, but “from scratch,” dessert. I've been cooking way too much lately. Our favorite restaurants and takeaway places are going to forget who we are! 

Unlike some of my historical foods that are hundreds of years old, this one is just “retro” or “vintage” since it’s from the 1970s. Anyone who grew up, or cooked, in the 1970s might remember Impossible Pies, so called because they formed their own crust (not really) while baking. 

They were made with Bisquick, which we never had in our house because my mother never used mixes of any kind. I still don't. So several years ago when I had some extra organic coconut on my hands, I came up with my “from scratch,” organic version. 

This "pie" puffs way up while it's cooking and then shrinks down as it cools. So I like to set it on a baking sheet “just in case.” Nobody wants to clean up a burnt-on mess from the bottom of their oven less than I do!

What is your favorite quick and easy from-scratch dessert to make when you just don't have the time or energy to get too carried away? Of course, if you have more time you can make my Coconut Cream Pie.

Magical Coconut Pie 

(Makes one 9.5-inch/24 cm deep-dish pie, 8 servings) 

1/2 to 3/4 cup (3.5 to 5.25 ounces/99 to 149 grams) sugar

1/2 dip-and-sweep cup (2.5 ounces/71 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 1/2 cups (20 fluid ounces/591 ml) milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Spray a 9.5-inch/24 cm glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Set it on a baking sheet if you’re worried about oven spills.

Note: Don’t try to use a standard 9-inch pie plate; it will not hold this amount. For that size, you can make my original 9-inch Magical Coconut Pie.

I know, it looks like a Pyrex farm. I'm the Pyrex queen!

2 In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and coconut. Add eggs, butter, milk and extracts; whisk until thoroughly combined (I whisked vigorously for about 30 seconds). 

3 Pour into prepared pie plate. Bake about 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and set. If it has just a bit of a jiggle, it will firm up nicely as it cools. 

4 Let cool to room temperature before cutting and serving or refrigerating. Serve with some barely sweetened whipped cream.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Guildford Manchets - A British Historical "Receipt" (Recipe)

A few weeks ago my heart was in southwest England, and I made Devon Flats. This week it moved over to the southeast, Surrey to be precise, and I made Guildford Manchets (pronounced man-chits).

Guildford Manchets are pastry-like bread rolls that date from Medieval times in Guildford, Surrey. They are flaky, buttery rolls that make a perfect continental breakfast or fit in at the finest dinner party. 

It makes me so happy to find an old ‘receipt’ (recipe) with directions like “Make the bread dough in the usual way” and imprecise (or sometimes no) measurements and turn it into something my dear readers can easily do.

I found this one at Foods of England and couldn’t resist. I didn’t have any lard on hand and didn’t want to buy a pound of organic lard for the 1 ounce called for, so I used organic unsalted butter, which also makes the recipe vegetarian.

And, of course, bakers didn’t have instant yeast back in the Middle Ages. But I didn’t want to trouble any of my craft beer brewing friends for a bit of barm from the top of their vats, so I “made do” with store-bought yeast.

I love historical cooking, but only when it’s good! These are some seriously good rolls, and I hope you’ll try my updated version soon.

Guildford Manchets

(Makes 16)

1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces/142 grams) unsalted butter, divided
3 dip-and-sweep cups (15 ounces/425 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons (8 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) salt

1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces/296 ml) milk and water, about the same amount of each, room temperature

Egg Wash: 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water, pinch of salt*

* The egg wash “goes far” so there is lots left over; I just stuck it in the microwave for under a minute and had a scrambled egg snack so as not to waste that good organic egg--I hate food waste!

1 Take the butter out of the refrigerator. In a tiny bowl, melt 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of the butter; let cool slightly. Put the remaining butter in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature until needed. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the melted butter, milk and water into it, stirring to form dough. It might look like you need more liquid, but knead lightly with one hand, right in the bowl, to bring the dough together.

2 Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes. Use only as much flour as you need to keep dough from sticking to the counter (I measure out 1/8 cup in advance to work from so that I'm sure to not add too much) . The dough will feel sticky, but it won't actually stick. Place flattened ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure so I can quickly see when it has doubled) and cover loosely with lightly oiled lid or plastic wrap (no need to oil lid or plastic wrap if container is large enough that the doubled dough won't reach it). Let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Note: Rising time will vary with the temperature. We keep a rather cool house, which makes for a slower rise.

3 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cream the room temperature butter. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface. Press and roll it out to a 16x8-inch/40x20 cm rectangle about 1/2 inch/1 cm thick. 

4 With short edge facing you, spread the butter over two-thirds of the rectangle. Fold the unbuttered third over the middle third, and then fold the remaining third over that. Pinch the edges to seal. Roll the dough again to the same size rectangle and fold. Repeat two more times.

5 Roll out the dough a final time into an 11-inch square. Cut the square of dough into 16 equal pieces. To shape the buns, take a square of dough and turn its corners under into the center, pressing down to seal, and form a round, flat bun. Place buns on a greased or parchment-lined 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

6 Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas6. When buns have risen and are ready to go into the oven, whisk together the egg wash and brush it on the tops of the rolls. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: They keep well stored tightly covered at room temperature for a few days. Reheat loosely wrapped in foil for about 8 or 10 minutes in preheated 350F/180C/Gas4 oven.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean