Strawberry Tart with Custard

A fresh Strawberry tart to be flavoured in a beautiful Spring day.

Ingredients:

6 brick pastry sheets
strawberries
Filling:
1/2 pint (300 ml) milk
4 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour

Preparation:

Cover a buttered tart mould with the Brick sheets and bake it until golden brown.

Prepare the filling: Mix the softened butter with the cornflour and add the milk.Beat in the yolks and add the sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time and cook very gently until it thickens.

Place in the refrigerator. When it is cold pour into the baked pastry and place again in the refrigerator. After cooling filledd with the strawberries and serve it.

Soft Cheese Slices (fatias de Requeijão)

This is a Traditional recipe from Alentejo usually done at farmhouses because the farmers do their own cheese and they use it to prepare this kind of cake-pudding.

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 gr) soft cheese (riccota, requeijão)

7 oz (200 gr) granulated sugar

4 oz (110 gr) flour

4 egg yolks

6 whole eggs

1 coffeespoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Combine the sugar with the cheese, to obtain a soft paste. Add the flour, the cinnamon, the eggs and the egg yolks. Mix very well. Prepare a baking tray , 8x12 inches (20.5 x 30.5) well greased and lined.

The lining paper must also be greased and sprinkled with flour. Pour the mixture onto this and bake at 180ºc/350ºF/Gas 4 for 20 minutes, until firm and golden.

Cut the cake into slices and sprinkle with icing sugar or cinnamon.

Chocolate Truffles

Truffles are bite-sized petit four made with a creamy mixture of chocolate, butter and liqueur.

I usually make them for Easter but also for Christmas and other parties. I hope you like this recipe with portuguese liqueur Tia Maria, they are really creamy and flavoured.

Ingredients:

7 oz (200gr) dark chocolate

31/2 oz (100 gr) butter

31/2 oz (100 gr ) icing sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon Tia Maria Liqueur

Preparation:

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, then add the butter and stir continuously until the mix is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, the egg and the liqueur. Let rest in cold two hours.

With a teaspoon, take small pieces of chocolat and work them quickly with hands to form a ball. Then roll it in cocoa. Let rest in cold again.

Potato Delights - Delicias de batata

These delights are from Ribatejo Province and they are made with mashed potato that give them an interesting texture. They are delicate and very sweet.

Ingredients:

3 oz (90 gr) ground almonds

31/2 oz (100 gr) mashed potatoes

7 0z (200 gr) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs

3 tablespoons water

Preparation:

Mix the water with the sugar and boil to make a light syrup ( achieved very quickly, almost immediately after reaching boiling point - 101ºC/215ºF).

Add the mashed potato and almonds. Boil until thick, over a low flame, stirring. Set aside until almost cold. Add the eggs and flour and beat well.

Bake the mixture in well- buttered patty tins, at 210ºC/425ºF/gas 7 for 20 minuteas or until golden brown. Take out of the tins carefully, before they are completely cold.

Pasta Pudding - Aletria

This is a traditional dessert from Minho and Douro Litoral provinces. The pasta ( fine noodles or vermicelli) is used in this recipe for a sweet resembling rice pudding, portuguese style. It usually served in large serving dishes or in a bowl and then take out of it only when quite cold.

Ingredients:

4 oz(90 gr) vermicelli, just crumbled

4 oz(110 gr caster sugar)

1/2 pint (300 ml) milk

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter

cinnamon

1 piece of lemon rind

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in plain water with a pinch of salt. Drain. Mix with the milk, sugar and lemon rind. Bring to the boil and simmer until creamy. Mix the butter and beaten egg yolks. Bring just to the boil for one second and remove from the heat. pour into a serving dish or in a bowl and dust with cinnamon. Serve cold.

Orange Roll

The citrus fruits were introduced into Portugal and Iberian Peninsula by the arabes who had themselvs brought them from eastern countries. In Portugal they are cultivated mainly in the Setúbal and Algarve regions. Oranges from the Algarve are the best for the table and oranges from Setúbal are smaller and used for the table and for juices, jams and preserves.

Oranges are adopted as a flavouring for puddings, cakes, biscuits, desserts and homemade liqueurs. Their peel can be candied and is very popular for cakes.

This roll is a very popular dessert in Portugal, made with orange juice and orange rind.

Ingredients:

1/4 pint (150 ml)pure orange juice
grated rind of 1 orange
2 tablespoon cornflour
10 oz (280 gr) caster sugar
8 large eggs

Preparation:

Dissolve the flour in the juice and mix in the sugar, grated ring and beaten eggs. Combine well, without whisking too hard. Prepare a baking tray suitable for a roll, 8x12 inches ( 20 x 30) well grased and lined. The lining paper must also be greased and sprinkled with sugar.

Pour the mixture onto this and bake at 180ºC/350ªF/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes until firm. turn into a sligtly damp cloth, sprinkled with sugar. Trim the edges and roll up carefully, with the help of the cloth. Put in a serving dish and sprinkled again with sugar, when cold.

Coconut Cakes (Bolinhos de Coco)

These are small cakes very popular in some Portuguese houseolds. Because they are very easy to do and its appearance and taste make them suitable for wedding and birthday parties.

Ingredients:
7 oz (200 gr) desiccated coconut
6 oz (175 gr) caster sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons flour
grated rind of 1/2 small lemon

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients toroughly. Divide the mixture among small paper cases. Place in a tray and bake at 200ºC/425ºF/Gas7 for about 10 minutes or until golden.

These cakes can also be baked in little mounds or pyramides in a well-buttered and floured tray.