POTATO AND BLUE CHEESE SAVOURY TART

What a way to start the day !

Who doesn't  love puff pastry for breakfast.. or lunch... or dinner! 

I love the simplicity  of this recipe.  Gorgonzola cheese is very similar to Stilton, it has such a delicious sharp bite but yet creamy aftertaste and works beautifully when matched with creamy mascarpone cheese . Match made in heaven if you ask me.

POTATO & BLUE CHEESE SAVOURY TART 

INGREDIENTS

320g Jus-Rol Block of pastry (or whatever shop brand you prefer)

150g Gorgonzola Piquante cheese

60g Mascarpone cheese

3 Tablespoons cream (50ml) 

2 large potatoes (thinly sliced, I used red rooster)

2 Tablespoons Olive oil (for the potato)

1 red onion (thinly sliced)

Black pepper

Salt 

1 egg yolk (egg wash) 

1 tablespoon milk (egg wash)

Fresh Rosemary (Optional)

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 220C 

Take your pastry out of the fridge 20minutes before you need to use it (easier to unroll)

Unroll you pastry and place on a greased tray lined with baking parchment

Chill pastry while you slice your potatoes and onions no point in leaving it hanging around while you chop!

Toss the sliced potatoes with the oil and mix well, the oil  helps cook the potatoes in the oven.

Using a knife score about an inch away from the edge to create a border all the way around your puff pastry.

With a fork prick the base within the rectangle but not the border. You want the border to rise.

DO NOT PRICK THE BORDER OR YOUR PASTRY WILL DEFLATE WHILE BAKING.

You want the walls of the puff pastry to rise while your potato and cheese filling bubbles away contained within the border.

Next mix your cream and mascarpone along with most of the gorgonzola to a paté and smear the base of your pastry tart ( within the walls of the border ) 

Sprinkle the rest of the gorgonzola on the cheese base, scatter the onion over the cheese mixture and layer thinly sliced potato on top of the onion .

At this stage you could also add a touch of chopped Rosemary to the mix for another Flaaaaaaavour ….

Season with a little sea salt and ground black pepper

Place in your oven for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling at 220C

Remove and cool on a rack before slicing and serving with a gorgeous salad and cold glass of SOMETHING!

KA-BOOM…. HERE COMES THE WEEKEND!!! 

TOOTY FRUITY TRAY-BAKE

TOOTY FRUITY BREAKFAST TRAY-BAKE

Thursdays are made for Tray-bakes and this one is a keeper, baked in a swiss-roll tin
for easy cutting perfect for kids snacks throughout the week,  if they last that long!

Full of fruity goodness along with porridge oats makes them a healthy alternative to sugary snacks,  you can be sure after eating one you will be fuller for longer throughout the day .

As a treat serve them up after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and some seasonal fruit.



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef6EIjiNUpY

 TOOTY FRUITY TRAYBAKE

INGREDIENTS

180ml Milk or Buttermilk

180ml Sunflower oil
2 large eggs 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract
300g Self-Raising Flour
140g Caster sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
100g Porridge oats
200g Frozen berries** or fresh if seasonal (See Tip**) 

METHOD

• First pre-heat your oven to 180C\
• Line and grease your swiss roll tray or  13” x 9” 
• Measure out all your ingredients so you have everything at hand 
• Mix your milk, sunflower oil, egg and vanilla extract in a jug 
• In a separate bowl add your flour, baking powder, oats 
• Toss the berries into the flour mix before you add the sugar. 
• Add your wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently stir, blend but
  don’t over mix as you want to be as light as fairy wings! 
• Pour the batter into a greased and lined swissroll tin about 13” x 9” 
• Sprinkle a little pinch of oats on top for the crunch before they bake. 
• Bake in your preheated oven for about 30minutes 
• Remove from tray and cool on baking rack for 10 minutes 
• Leave for at least 15 minutes to cool as the fruit is very hot and will burn
  your mouth!!!! You have to be patient, they’re worth the wait.
• Lash on your glacé icing either with a palette knife or pipe in a zig zag fashion using a piping bag 

ICING GLAZE

200g Icing sugar 

2 -Tablespoons of water 

(Add water to icing and stir for desired thickness)

• TIP• Toss the frozen berries in flour before you mix in the rest of the ingredients so they won’t sink to the bottom

2 MINUTE MAGIC NAAN BREAD

This is ridiculous,  how could something so simple  taste so good.

If you're ready to take on some madness follow the clip for visual instructions...

https://www.facebook.com/atouchofmagiccork/videos/1525204564305549/

The clever use of natural yoghurt helps make these naan bread so soft and pillowy and soooooo... easy to make.

Kids have great fun deciding on what flavours to include, chopped Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon whatever flavour tickles your fancy or even make them sweet with the addition of Cinnamon .

Keep it simple... don't go mental...

 INGREDIENTS

100g Self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon salt

100g natural Yoghurt 

½ teaspoon dried Rosemary or Thyme (optional)

METHOD

• Put all your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, youR flour salt & herbs if using.
• Now add your yoghurt and stir until well combined.
• Knead into a little flour ball and cover for 10 or 15 minutes to settle
• Cut into four and finely roll our each dough piece into a flattened Naan
• Place on a pre-heated frying pan and bake until you see little bubble air pockets forming.
• Flip over and cook for another minute.
• I like to have a pot of warm water simmering away with a bowl and plate ready to place my naan bread in to keep warm before I serve.
• I don’t microwave as you lose the soft pillowy texture. 
• Brush with some melted flavoured butter of choice and chopped parsley

KA-BOOM! Done

TIP

Sauté an onion or clove of garlic( or both) until caramelised , cool and add to dry flour mix

Or… 

Add a little chilli flakes to spice up the Naan

Add some sweetness by replacing the salt with ½  teaspoon of caster sugar and adding ¼ teaspoon cinnamon , serve with natural yoghurt and some fresh berries with a drizzle honey

Use as a wrap and fill with your favourite lunch fillings

Crack an egg on top and serve with bacon for breakfast ……

Na -Na -Na -Na- Na- Na- Na -Na……..NAAN BREAD

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Waffly Versatile Wonderful Wholesome Wholewheat Waffles!

Follow my journey as I bake my way through the Corona Pandemic. What started off as a one off baking recipe has now developed into a daily Facebook routine , 10am every morning since the 15th of March I bounce into my kitchen and Facebook LIVE every day.

https://www.facebook.com/atouchofmagiccork/videos/246470333389941/

I'm sharing some wonderful Irish traditional recipes that I grew up on and loved. Let's have a generation born again to bake, let's whisk it for a biscuit or ....a waffle !!

These delicious fluffy wholewheat waffles are just made for breakfasts! Every mouthful just screams goodness.

Recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3.... perfect for kids to make at home , these are also great served with a scoop of ice-cream for an after dinner treat.

INGREDIENTS - 
WHOLEWHEAT WAFFLES
(Serves 8 or one hungry teenager)
260g Wholewheat flour
3 Teaspoons Baking powder
½ Teaspoon cinnamon
2 Large Eggs
100ml sunflower Oil
2 Tablespoons Brown sugar
420ml Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

• Pre-heat your waffle iron , once hot you must slather in melted butter or the waffle will stick, years of experience having this Russell Hobbs Waffle machine!! **
  
• Mix all the wet ingredients together in a jug to make it easier to pour
  
• Mix all the dry ingredients together
  
• Now combine the wet into the dry ingredients and blend until completely combined
  
• You will have a sloppy batter perfect for your waffle iron or a greased frying pan.
  
• It takes 6 minutes for a soft waffle or 8 minutes for an little extra crunch (I love the extra two
  minutes for a crispy shell)
  
• Dust with icing sugar or top with your favourite yoghurt and fresh fruit with a drizzle of honey
  and sprinkle of nuts.
  
• This batter is very versatile, you can add dried or fresh herbs to the batter to make them
  savoury, add chopped pieces of cooked bacon ,the list is endless! Get creative.. the are WAFFLY VERSATILE
  ** This is not a paid or promotional post , it is my honest opinion of a great product that has got a hammering over the years with my family of six and still smiling! ... the machine , just like me , waffles on ....
  

https://www.harveynorman.ie/small-appliances/small-cooking-appliances/health-grills-en/russell-hobbs-fiesta-3-in-1-deep-fill-sandwich-maker-24540-black.html