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This is where I note my efforts as I try to recreate some old recipes. Most are taken from my small collection of handwritten recipe books which date from the late 1700's to around 1922. I also have a collection of old tatty old recipe books, well thumbed and heavily splashed from years of use. I love all of them.

The old-fashioned very stylised handwriting writing is sometimes difficult to decipher, measurements and cooking instructions are minimal, no tin sizes given. Luckily I enjoy a challenge. Just to complicate things I cook and bake on my wood-fired Rayburn, which can be... unpredictable.

I suspect this blog is less about the food and more about my passion for these lovely old books and the wonderful women who wrote them.


Saturday, 13 May 2017

Chocolate and Rhubarb Tart

Chocolate pastry with a layer of chocolate custard topped with rhubarb which has been gently poached in red berry coulis.

I served it with an extra portion of the berry coulis - sharp, tangy, and delicious.   

 Indulgent?  Yes!   

 Sweet chocolate and tangy fruits, unctuous custard over a lovely crisp pastry base.   If you are not so keen on the sharper notes just add more sugar to the fruit.

 I used a Victorian recipe for the pastry.   I am tweaking the balance of ingredients at the moment because I found it very difficult to handle.    Once I have it perfected I will post it here.     This pastry makes the most delicious and crisp base for a tart or pie.

 Make a thick chocolate custard and spread it on the base of the baked pastry shell, top it with the poached rhubarb and add a little of the red berry coulis.    Chill.  Serve with extra red berry coulis.  Simple!

 Because I made this up as I went along, I haven't got any accurate weights and quantities to share with you, next time I make it I will take note.

 I used two sticks of rhubarb, washed, trimmed, stringy bits removed, sliced about half an inch thick and very gently poached in red berry coulis.

 The coulis was simply made with some red berries from the freezer, I defrosted them and then gently heated them in a saucepan, along with a dessertspoonful of dark brown sugar.     I just let them do their own thing on the slow plate of the Rayburn, so the heat was very gentle.

 Push the berries through a sieve and discard the seeds.   The resulting coulis didn't look quite enough to poach the rhubarb in, so I added a small glug of blackcurrant juice and then tumbled the rhubarb into the pan and left them to slowly and very gently poach.  The key to this is a really low heat.   The rhubarb will cook through but will also keep its shape and take on the most beautiful ruby red colour.

 Pile the cooled rhubarb on top of the custard, pour over a little of the coulis.   

 Chill the tart for an hour or so and then enjoy those taste and texture sensations!






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2 comments:

  1. local alien13 May 2017 at 15:31

    Chocolate and rhubarb, an interesting combination. Looks lovely.

    Glad to hear your back is better!

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    Replies
    1. Elaine13 May 2017 at 17:21

      Hello Linda, I had to make another one today, for my younger son, he really enjoyed it!
      This old body is back to normal now, or what passes for normal these days. I just need to get stuck into reading blogs, catching up on what has been happening in the last couple of weeks! I'll be stopping by for a read later.x

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