When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing blogs or cooking for the lovely Mr G, this is wha

Baker & Foodie Content Creator

Hi.

My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?

When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).

What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.

No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .

There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?

For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.

Be Brave

Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes

Pistachio Bakewell with Orange & Thyme Curd

Pistachio Bakewell with Orange & Thyme Curd

Lee Majhen-Todd

A bit of a change from the usual Bakewell tart which usually uses ground almonds for the frangipane and at the bottom, a layer of jam.

 This recipe lifts the humble Bakewell tart to another level.

 A tangy floral layer of orange and thyme curd and the top, is a soft and spongy layer of nutty pistachio and almond flavour. It’s almost the perfect bite if you get the right proportions on my fork.

 Find the recipe my Orange and Thyme Curd here

Obviously, if you want to use your own curd, go ahead.

 Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!

Slice and serve

 What You Need

 Pistachio Frangipane

  •  150g Butter – Room temperature and cut into pieces – See Tip Box

  • 150g Castor Sugar

  • 150g Ground Almonds

  • 100g Ground Pistachios – See Tip Box

  • 30g Plain Flour – Plus extra for preparing the tin and rolling out the pastry.

  • 4 Large Eggs

A mix of ground pistachio and almonds

Pastry

  •  325g Plain Flour

  • 250g Butter – Cold and cut into pieces – Plus extra for preparing tin

  • 100g Castor Sugar

  • 25g Ground Almonds

Use baking bead to blind bake the pastry

Orange & Thyme Curd

 See Recipe Page for my Orange & Thyme Curd here – See Tip Box

Orange and Thyme Curd

 How It’s Done

 Heat the oven to 180c

 Prepare Tin

  •  A scalloped edged 23cm loose bottom tin is traditionally used for this tart, but I also like to use a rectangular scalloped edged loose bottom tin, just to mix it up a little.

  • Use some margarine or butter to rub inside the tart tin, making sure to get into all of the cervices.

  • Pour a little bit of flour into the tin and roll it around, making sure that some of the flour covers all of the inside.

  • Tap any excess flour out of the tin.

  • Cut out a piece of non-stick baking parchment to fit the bottom of the tin

  • Set the tin aside until needed.

Fold the dry into the wet so it doesn’t get over mixed

 Pastry

  • Place the flour and sugar into a food processor and let it run for 30 seconds to mix together

  • While the machine is still running, feed the butter into the flour mixture, once piece at a time.

  • Let the machine run until the pastry comes together into a large soft ball of dough.

  • Remove the ball of pastry dough from the machine, wrap in cling film and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.

The centre is moist and flavourful.

  • Remove the pastry from the fridge and dusting a clean worksurface with a little flour, take the pastry out of the cling film and gently bring the dough together, a few times, with your hands.

  • Using more flour to dust the pastry so that it doesn’t stick, roll it out to fit the prepared tin, leaving an overhang of about 1 inch – See Tip Box

  • If there is any pastry leftover – See Tip Box 

Once blind baked, use a sharp knife to cut off the over hanging edges.

  • Cut out a piece on non-stick baking parchment, about 2 inches larger that the tin and scrunch the paper up.

  • Lay the crumpled paper on top of the pastry, pour baking beads on top of the paper, and put the tin to blind bake in the oven for 12 – See Tip Box

  • Remove the paper and the baking beans, and return the tin to the oven until the bottom of the pastry is dry to the touch, this time will vary depending in the tin you use and your oven, but take a peek after 12 minutes – See Tip Box

  • Once the pastry has finished blind baking, remove it from the oven, and using a very sharp knife, remove the excess pastry from around the edges.

  • Set it aside until needed. 

An even layer of Orange & Thyme Curd in the blond baked pastry case

 Pistachio Frangipane

  •  Beat the room temperature butter and sugar together in an electric mixer, (or by hand, but it will take longer) until they come together into a creamy light paste.

  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg is combined before adding the next – scrape down the bowl a few times as you beat.

  • Remove the bowl from the machine and add the ground pistachios, ground almonds and flour.

  • Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, but don’t over mix it. – See Tip Box

  • Set it aside until needed, or refrigerate until needed, but allow to come to room temperature before using – See Tip Box

An even layer of pistachio frangipane on top of the curd

Getting it in the Oven

  •  Spoon a thin layer of the orange and thyme curd on the bottom of the pastry case and gently spread it out so there is an even layer.

  • Spoon dollops of the frangipane over the top of the curd, and using very gently, spread it out in an even layer, if there is some of the frangipane leftover, don’t waste it. - See Tip Box

  • Put the tin on to an oven proof tray and into the hot oven until the edges are firm to touch, and the centre still has a little give to it – The edges may become brown, but don’t worry as long as the rest of the top isn’t dark brown. This may take 25- 35 minutes – See Tip Box

  • Let the tart become completely cold before removing it from the tin, don’t forget to remove the paper from the bottom.

Firm around the edges and less form in the centre.

 Tip Box

  • Pastry - 1) Lining the tin with pastry – The pastry may break up when lining the tin, but done worry too much about this. This pastry is pretty forgiving, so use fingers to repair the pastry.

2) Leftover Pastry – Don’t throw any leftover pasty away, it freezes really well. Wrap it a couple of times in cling film and put it in the freezer until needed.

  • Ground Pistachios – If you can’t get your hand on some ground frangipane, make your own by putting whole shelled pistachios into a food processor and giving it a whizz up until they are ground to a fine grain.

  • Over Mixing – Over mixing the frangipane will mean that it could become tough to eat. So, folding dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients, using a spatula or large metal spoon.

  • Room Temperature Butter – Having the butter at room temperature means that it will mix with the sugar more quickly.

Curd – If you don’t want to make your own curd, buy your favourite and use that.

  • Blind Baking - Blind baking is a way of partly baking pastry before adding a filling so that there is no soggy bottom to the tart.

  • Leftover Frangipane - This is way too good to go to waste, so don’t throw away any of those leftover bits. But into an air tight bag and in the freezer.

  • Baking – Baking times may vary depending in ovens and size of tins. So, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

A great way to use Orange & Thyme Curd.

Orange & Thyme Curd

Orange & Thyme Curd
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