Welcome back to another lactose free recipe. This week I wanted to share with you a recipe that is technically challenging. There is an art to making beautiful pastry and stunning sugar decorations but do not worry this step by step recipe will teach you how.
It is important to remember in cooking that you may not be able to get everything right the first try. All it takes is one little slip. The thing I want everyone to remember is to keep trying. I am an amateur cook with absolutely no training under my belt. If I can do this, then you can too.
As always, I have tested this recipe many times and found it to be successful providing you keep to the recipe. Plus, it works amazing with lactose free products. This recipe is lactose free providing you use the right ingredients. Always make sure your ingredients are safe.
Pastry Base
Ingredients
- 175g plain flour
- 100g Lactose free margarine
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1tbs Cold water
Steps
Add all the ingredients into a food processor.
Mix the ingredients together so it just comes together into a ball of pastry.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the mixture is completely smooth.
Roll the dough out and line four small fluted flan tins.
To achieve an even edge, use a rolling pin and press around the top of the edges.
If the pastry cracks you can just press it together.
Prick the base all over with a fork and chill the bases in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat your oven to 180 ºC. Line each pastry base with baking paper and fill with baking balls or dried rice.
Place into the oven to cook for ten minutes.
Carefully remove the filling and place the bases back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Set aside to cool while you make the caramel.
Then unmould the pastries and place on a flat tray that can fit in your oven.
Caramel
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Caster sugar
- 55g Lactose free margarine
- 100ml Lactose free cream
- ½ tsp Salt
Steps
To make the sauce add the sugar to a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Melt the sugar while constantly stirring.
Keep stirring until you notice it becoming a lovely amber colour.
Immediately take the sugar off the heat and add the margarine whilst whisking continuously.
The mixture will produce a lot of steam so be careful.
Place the saucepan back on a low heat and add the cream whilst whisking continuously again.
Add the sugar and cook for a few minutes.
Leave the caramel to cool down slightly.
Fill each pastry base up with the caramel leaving a small gap at the top that will fit the chocolate ganache.
Place the tray in the fridge to set the caramel tarts for at least 2 hours.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
I will be the first person to say that I do not enjoy dark chocolate under normal circumstances. Surprisingly, this was the first recipe that I have ever been able to admit that the dark chocolate tasted delicious. Normally dark chocolate is so bitter and overpowering that I cannot stand it. However, when you add the super sweet caramel the bitterness vanishes, and it really evens everything else.
Ingredients
- 75g Lactose free dark chocolate
- ¼ cup Lactose free cream
Steps
Place the chocolate and cream into a small saucepan.
Cook over a low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is beautiful and smooth.
Spoon two tablespoons of the chocolate into the centre of each tart.
Use the spoon to smooth out the chocolate so it touches the edges and becomes a lovely even layer.
Place the tarts back into the fridge for an hour or two to set the chocolate.
Sugar Decorations
These sugar decorations are a little tricky to make however once you get the hang of it, it will be well worth it. Keep in mind the liquid sugar is very hot, make sure it doesn’t get on your body or it will hurt immensely. The sugar decorations will only last for a few hours before they melt so keep that in mind for when you make it and when you are serving the little tarts.
Ingredients
- 125g Caster sugar
- 12ml Water
- Almonds, skewers, polystyrene box to hold the skewers and a knife sharpener (anything cylindrical will work)
Steps
Put a skewer into the bottom of each of the almonds. Making sure that they are secure.
Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Like the caramel you want to bring the mixture to a boil until it reaches a lovely amber colour. When it starts to boil that is when you need to stop stirring.
Leave the sugar to cool down very slightly until you can get a spoonful of the mixture and tip it into the pan. You should eventually be able to see tiny threads forming.
Dip the almonds into the caramel.
Lift it gently out and let the caramel drip off the end of the almond.
Eventually that drip will harden. If it does not coat the almond do not worry the sugar is just too hot and needs to cool down a little bit more.
Place the skewer into the polystyrene box to keep the spike upright.
Moving onto the swirls. For this decoration I decided to use a knife sharpener. It is smooth, cylindrical, small and made of metal so the decoration will set and harden a lot quicker.
Hold the sharpener in your left hand. Get a spoonful of the caramel and let is drizzle so you and see a thin constant drip form.
Move the drip so it falls over the top of the sharpener.
Quickly bring it under.
Then bring the sugar back over.
Keep twirling the sugar around the sharpener.
When you want to stop simply use a pair of scissors to snip the ends off.
Gently slide the swirl off and place onto a tray lined with baking paper.
Place a few of these decorations onto each tart and cover the outside with cookie crumbs.
Serve and enjoy.
