Jam Tarts

These are a perenial tea time treat and so easy to make. They are ideal to make with left over pieces of most types of pastry.

Ingredients
1 quantity of shortcrust pastry, sweet shortcrust pastry, rich shortcrust pastry
few tablespoons jam

Method
1 Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with a little plain flour.
2 Place the ball of pastry dough onto the flour.
3 Lightly roll the pastry out making sure to turn it 90 degrees after each roll of the rolling pin.
4 Dip a 3" fluted cutter into flour, shake off the excess.
5 Stamp out as many rounds as you wish.
6 Line a patty tin with the pastry rounds.
7 Prick the bases with a fork.
8 Bake in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade/gas mark 6 for about 8 to 12 minutes.
9 Place the tins directly onto a wire cooling rack for a couple of minutes.
10 Transfer the tart cases directly onto the wire cooling rack.
11 Place a few spoons of jam into a saucepan.
12 Place over a medium heat.
13 Allow the jam to just melt.
14 Spoon the jam carefully into the pastry cases.
15 Allow the jam tarts to cool before eating.

Serve either on their own, or with ice cream, freshly whipped cream, creme fraiche or custard.

Oil Pastry

This is an unusual pastry, it is great for those who have to be careful of the amount of animal fats we eat. It can be used instead of short crust pastry.

There is a downside, it does not keep well so it has to be used as soon as possible after making and it does not freeze well raw. If it is kept for 24 hours in the fridge the oil seeps out and the pastry is rendered useless!

Vegetable oil is more suitable for savoury dishes. Groundnut oil suits spicier dishes. Olive oil is superb with cheese dishes (try extra virgin olive oil for an ever more wonderful pastry). For sweet dishes grapeseed is much better.

Ingredients
40ml vegetable oil
140g plain flour
pinch salt
cold water

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour and salt.
3 Shake the sieve to allow the flour to be sifted into the mixing bowl.
4 Make a well.
5 Pour the oil into a measuring jug.
6 Add 1 tablepsoon of cold water to the oil.
7 Whisk to mix the oil and water into an emulsion.
8 Gradually add the emulsion to the flour and salt, stop when you have a firm dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out large enough to cover the base of a 20cm pie dish.

Sweet Flan Pastry

This is the basic recipe for sweet flan pastry, it is the very best pastry to use for baking sweet flans with a pastry base. Any leftovers can make superb jam tarts or turnovers.

Ingredients
4oz/110g plain flour
pinch salt
1oz/28g castor sugar
1 medium size egg yolk
1 teaspoon cold water
2oz/55g diced butter at room temperature

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour and the salt.
3 Shake the flour and salt into the mixing bowl.
4 Add the butter.
5 Using the tips of the fingers only rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6 Add the sugar.
7 Stir in the sugar.
8 Make a well in the centre of the breadcrumb mixture.
9 Pour the egg yolk into the well.
10 Draw the breadcrumb mixture into the egg yolk with your fingers.
11 The dough should be pliable, but neither sticky or dry. Add a little water if the dough is dry.
12 Wrap the pastry in cling film and rest in the fridge before using.

Notes
This pastry can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for a month. To defrost leave it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Cheese Butterflies

These are the most wonderful party food, easy to make and wonderful to eat. They look superb when decorated with finely diced tomato concass, finely chopped chives, a little sweet paprika, finely diced olives, finely diced gherkins, diced shrimps or even caviar!

Ingredients
1 amount basic cheese pastry
4oz/110g cream cheese
heaped tablespoon good mayonnaise
white pepper

Method
1 Sprinkle a work surface and a rolling pin with flour.
2 Place the ball of chilled cheese pastry on the flour.
3 Roll out the pastry to 1/4 inch thick.
4 Dip a 1 1/2 inch cutter into flour, shake off the excess.
5 Stamp out as many rounds as possible (gather up the pastry form into a ball and re-roll).
6 Cut half of the rounds in half.
7 Place the whole and half rounds onto a baking sheet.
8 Bake in the oven at 210 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the rounds are crisp and slightly golden brown.
9 Place the baking sheet onto a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes.
10 Transfer the rounds and half rounds directly onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.
11 Into a medium sized mixing bowl place the cream cheese.
12 Beat the cheese until really soft with a wooden spoon.
13 Add the pepper to taste.
14 Beat thoroughly.
15 Add the mayonnaise.
16 Beat thoroughly.
17 Place the cheese mixture into a piping bag with a small star shaped nozzle fitted.
18 Pipe the mixture onto a cooked pastry round.
19 Place on two halves to look like a butterflies wings.
20 Pipe a line of cheese mixture to cover the join.
21 Repeat this process with the remaining cheese circles and half circles.
22 Decorate as wished.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cheese Straws

These make wonderful party food, either eaten on their own or dunked into a super creamy dip. One end looks extreemly attractive when dipped into paprika and the excess shaken off.

Ingredients
1 amount of basic cheese pastry

Method
1 Sprinkle the work surface and rolling pin with flour.
2 Place the chilled ball of dough on the work surface.
3 Form the dough into a rectangle.
4 Roll out the pastry to 1/4 inch thick.
5 Cut the dough into fingers.
6 Place the fingers onto an oiled baking tray.
7 Bake in the oven at 210 degrees centigrade/gas mark 7 for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and a pale golden brown colout.
8 Place the baking tray onto a wire cooling rack and leave for about 5 minutes for the straws to set firm.
9 Transfer the straws directly onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.
10 Store in an airtight container.

Notes
To make the straws look even more attractive for a party. before you roll out the pastry cut a small piece off and roll into a round, cut out several circles, then cut the circle with a smaller cutter, transfer the circles of pastry with the holes in onto a baking sheet and bake as before. When serving place the cooked straws through the hole and serve.

Cheese Pastry

This is the basic recipe for cheese pastry and also cheese straws. This pastry makes a superb quiche or savoury tart. You can use other cheeses if wished, but the texture and flavour will be different.

Ingredients
6oz plain flour
1/4 teaspoon English mustard powder
pinch cayenne pepper
3oz diced hard margarine at room temperature
3oz extra mature cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
2 to 3 teaspoons water

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Pour the flour, mustard powder and cayenne pepper into the sieve.
3 Tap the sieve to allow the contents to fall into the bowl.
4 Add the margarine.
5 Using only your fingertips, rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6 Add the grated cheese.
7 Mix thoroughly.
8 Make a well.
9 Add the egg yolk.
10 Start to mix it into the mixture with a knife or your finger.
11 Gradually add sufficient water to make a firm dough that is not sticky.
12 Cover with cling film.
13 Place in the fridge and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before use.

Note
This pastry can be frozen at -18 degrees centigrade for 2 months. To defrost either place in the fridge overnight or leave at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

This is the basic recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry. It is ideal for use in tarts, turnovers and pies when you want something a bit sweeter and richer than ordinary shortcrust pastry.

Ingredients
1 medium egg yolk
1oz/28g castor sugar
3 teaspoons cold water
8oz/250g plain flour
pinch salt
5oz diced butter at room temperature

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour and salt.
3 Shake the flour and salt into the mixing bowl.
4 Add the butter.
5 Using the fingertips only rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6 Make a well in the centre of the breadcrumb mixture.
7 Add the castor sugar.
8 Stir in the sugar thoroughly with your fingers.
9 Tip the egg yolk into the well.
10 Draw the flour into the egg yolk.
11 Add sufficient cold water to form a stiff but pliable dough that should be neither dry or sticky.
12 Place the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.

Notes
This pastry can be frozen for a couple of months at -18 degrees centigrade.

To defrost leave in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Shortcrust Pastry

This is a wonderful light pastry, it is most versatile, it can be used in savoury and in sweet recipes.

Ingredients
8oz plain flour
2oz diced hard margarine
2oz diced lard
cold water

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon the flour into the sieve and shake the flour through.
3 Add the margarine and lard.
4 Using only the tips of the fingers rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5 Add about 6 teaspoons of chilled water.
6 Using a knife stir the water into the flour mixture, then finish off with your fingers.
7 Keep working the mixture until a ball of dough is formed (you may have to add a little more water).
8 Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes.
9 Use the pastry as per recipe or freeze wrapped in cling film and then placed into a polythene bag and sealed.

Notes
Freezable at -18 degrees centigrade for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.