CLASSICAL PASTRIES

Desserts with sweet pastry Apple frangipane tartlets Line the tart mould with sweet pastry. Fill the pastry case with apples that have been poached and drained well. Cover with frangipane mix and bake at 204 degree Celsius. Mince pies Mince pies are made with mince meat which is a spicy preserve consisting of a mixture of dried fruit, apple, suet etc. steeped in rum, brandy or Madeira, used as a filling for pies served warm during Christmas. They are made with sweet paste filled with mince meat and then further covered with a thin layer of puff pastry, with a hole in the centre to enable steam to escape. Desserts with puff pastry Almond twists Spread almond mixture over two thirds of the rolled puff pastry and fold into three to obtain a strip that is 5 inches wide. Cut into strips 2 cm wide; give two twists, sprinkle with egg wash and streusel mixture and bake at 215 degree Celsius. When baked dip both the ends in chocolate. Palmiers A small pastry made of a sugared and double rolled sheet of puff pastry cut into slices, which when baked has the distinctive shape which resembles the foliage of a palm tree. Maids of honour tartlets A small English tart with an almond filling. Originally they were small cheesecakes with almond and lemon filling. Mille feuille A small rectangular pastry that is made with thin layers of puff pastry that are separated by layers of whipped cream that may be flavoured, or with jam or some other filling. The top is covered with icing sugar, fondant or royal icing. The term mille- feuille means a thousand leaves. Strudel The name strudel means whirlwind. It is one of the most famous Viennese pastries, inspired by the Turkish Baklava. The dough is made with strong flour that is stretched so thin that it is almost transparent. It is then sprinkled with breadcrumbs and ground almonds, spread with a filling and rolled up. Apples with raisins, cinnamon and grated lemon zest is the most commonly used filling.

Desserts with choux pastry Paris Brest This variation of choux pastry was created by a pastry cook whose shop was situated in the suburbs of Paris on the route of the bicycle race between Paris and Brest. It consists of large ring shaped clairs resembling bicycle wheels, which are filled with praline flavoured cream and sprinkled with shredded almonds Swans Swans are made with choux pastry dough that has been piped in such a way so as to resemble a swans head and neck. The whipped cream is piped at the base then the neck and head is set on it and then the two half top sections are arranged to resemble a swan.