Lemon Curd Cream Filled Strawberries

I wanted to make dessert for my husband today as we celebrated our wedding anniversary. Problem is he is not that keen on sweets - crazy I know! On the rare occasion that he does have any dessert he would always lean towards something with a tang. So after thinking about what to make and realising I really did not have a lot spare time to make it with I decided to steal the idea from another recipe I have. There is a summer berry tart that I make called Creamy Lemony Summer Tart that is quick and easy and it's fruity and tangy so it made sense that I'd use the filling from that tart for our dessert tonight.

Dessert tonight was quite simple strawberries filled with a tangy lemon curd cream. Hardly any time needed and very little cooking. Here's how to make it.

20 strawberries
4-5 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)
2-3 tablespoons lemon curd (I use store bought)
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water

1. To core the strawberries simple use a sharp knife and cut a cone shape out from the centre. The more you take out the more you can fill so do take out as much as possible.
*Be careful not to go too deep and make a hole at the bottom*
**I use an egg carton to hold the strawberries in for ease when filling**
*** don't waste the core, it's delicious!!***

      

2. Mix lemon curd and cream cheese. You want a nice thick consistency.
*if filling is too runny add more cream cheese or too thick ad more lemon curd*

store bought is fine

3. In a small saucepan make toffee by boiling sugar and water. Once the bubbling sugar changes colour to a lovely golden brown turn fire off.

4. Use a spoon and drizzle toffee on baking paper. You want to make a random pattern of webbing or netting. Have some thin strains and some big thick drops so that you have some crunchy bits and some lovely big chunks. Make it random and it looks quite pretty.

5. When toffee cools remove from paper and simple break shards for garnish.

6. Fill strawberries with lemon curd filling. Garnish with toffee shards.

7. Try to stop eating all of it by yourself!!

Coconut and Almond Tart

One of my all time favourite tart in the world is this Coconut and Almond Tart. The tart is based on a Dutch recipe of a coconut cake called Klappertaart. Like all old amazing recipes the world over many people have their own version and this is mine. I must admit that I got inspired by looking at a recipe from a South African site but the name eludes me at the moment. I will give it credit when I come across it again.


You can make one large tart or lots of little bite size ones. If you love coconut like I do, this is a must try. The short pastry with that salty buttery goodness, followed by the amazing texture filled coconut filling countered with a little tang from the jam .... mmmmmmmmmm!

Coconut and Almond Tart
Filling
2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup water
2 eggs (separated) 
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
2 or 3 (or more if you really like almonds) handfuls of slithered or sliced almonds
approx 3 tablespoon jam (anything that's not too sweet)
pinch of salt
Crust
1 cup plain flour
125g butter (cubed)
1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)
pinch of salt
cold water



1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a loose bottom pie dish or individual moulds if you're making bite size ones.
2. Put coconut, sugar, water, butter and salt for in a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. While the coconut mix is simmering start making the pastry. In a large mixing bowl put flour and salt and then with your fingertips rub in butter. Once the mixture starts looking like breadcrumbs add the beaten yolk and some ice water. Add the water a tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough until it comes together in a ball. Press dough on to the pie dish or individual moulds. Spread the jam over the crust.
4. Whip 2 egg whites until it reaches stiff peaks.
5. Add egg yolks, sliced almonds and vanilla and almond essences into coconut mixture.
6. Fold in egg whites and spoon mixture into crust.
7. Place on bottom shelf of oven for approx 40 minutes until a golden crust is formed and coconut mix is set.

I didn't use a loose bottom dish -
when I should have really

Coconut Sugar Jelly

When my Mum visits from Malaysia I take full advantage of her amazing cooking skills and set her to work for my belly and my cravings for the duration of her stay. I suddenly go from Goddess of My Kitchen (it's my blog and I can call myself anything I wish) to a kid needing Mum's cooking and she never disappoints. Mummy's are amazing aren't they?

Tonight after a banquet for dinner which was followed by a luscious dessert I thought out loud "Mum, remember that coconut jelly you used to make" and without skipping a beat Mum starts on this delicious jelly - after we had all had pavlova mind you!! 

Now my Mum's way of cooking is never precise, always a dash of this, a pinch of that, a splash or 2 of something else so I have had to try to learn with my eyes and by tasting so this recipe is a flurry of note taking and me trying to sum up some measures as my amazing Mum Goddess does her pinch of this and drop of that.

For lovers of hard jelly (it's not of the wobbly ilk) and of the taste of coconut this is a must try. I love coconut in any shape or form so now that I know how to make this it will be on my repertoire of things to whip up when I want a taste of Malaysia. Delish!!

Coconut Sugar Jelly

1 packet of 40g agar-agar
2 strips of pandan leaves
250g of coconut sugar (palm sugar, gula melaka)
400ml coconut cream
2 big pinches of salt
1.5l water

1. Dissolve agar-agar in a pot with 1.25l water. Knot the pandan leaves together and leave them in the pot with agar-agar.









2. When most of the agar-agar is dissolved add the palm sugar and over a gentle flame slowly stir until all sugar is dissolved as well. Add salt.









3. Mix the coconut cream and approx 250ml water and then add to agar-agar solution and taste.
*** If you feel you may like a sweeter jelly add a tablespoon or 2 of castor sugar to taste.

4. Stir until everything looks well mixed and then let boil. Take mixture off the fire as soon as it reaches boiling point. Sieve once and pour coconut mixture into whatever mould you want.

5. Leave to set on kitchen top or fridge. The jelly will set quite fast compared to the wobbly ones as the agar-agar works a lot faster than gelatine. Our efforts tonight was not placed in the fridge at all for setting.

6. Once set use knife and cut everyone a slice and then give yourself a big spoon and shovel jelly in face!! YUM!