Glazed Prune Tart

Ingredients:
1 cup ready to eat prunes
60 ml/ 4 tbs brandy or kirsch

For the sweet pastry:
175g / 1.5 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
115/ 1/2 cup butter
25g/ 2 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg yolks

For the filling:
150 ml double cream
150 ml milk
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
50g caster sugar

To finish:
60 ml apricot jam
15 ml/ 1 tbsp brandy or kirsch
icing sugar for dusting

serves 8

method:

1. Put the prunes in a bowl wih the brandy or kirsch and leave for about 4 hour until most of the liquer has been absorbed.

2. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add thebutter, cut into small pieces, and rub in with the finger tips.
Stir in the sugar and egg yolks and mix to a dough using a round bladed knife.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to a smooth ball. Wrap closely and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 24- 25 cm loose-based flan tin.

5. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans or rice or baking beads.
Bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper and bake for further 5 mins.

6. Arrange the prunes, evenly spaced, in the pastry case, reserving any liquer left in the bowl.

7. For the filling, put the cream and milk in a sauce pan with the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to infuse for 15 mins.

8. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Remove the vanilla pod from the cream and return the cream to the boil. Pour over the eggs and sugar, whisking to make a smooth custard.

9. Cool slightly then pour the custard over the prunes. Bake the tart for about 25 mins until the filling is lightly set and turning golden around the edges.

10. PRess the apricot jam through a sieve into a small pan. Add the liqeur and heat through gently. Use to glaze the tart. Serve warm or cold dusting with icing sugar.

"Country Mediterranean Cooking" by Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow.

the recipe is from the same book which gave us the Italian restaurant standard foccacia bread...and to think that i got it during one of my many visits to the Salvation Army shop in my first year and just left it languishing on the shelf for more than 2 years before i realised what a gem this book is!! It is filled with so many interesting dishes and true to its title..very country style cooking.

Can't believe that this is my fourth (and final!!) year in Adelaide and I have stayed in the same townhouse all this while...
*sigh* Will be leaving for Tasmania for a two month placement in less than 3 weeks and then i will move to another place...i think i will really miss this house, the kitchen...and all the meals that i've cooked and enjoyed with friends. It's the memories which are created in a place which makes it special, isn't it? And my neighbours....I just realised (!!!!!) that i m surrounded by so many lovely people all around!!! Truly, it's in times of need that you find out who your friends are!! And I think I will miss them sorely!!!!!!

Hmmm...having second thoughts about moving already??!

Not exactly...my new housemates have been the most challenging people i've ever met in my life yet and have reduced me to a sobbing mess a couple of times and........and I've decided, for my emotional/ mental well-being, it's best to move out.
And besides, the next place will be somewhere near or in the city...so I m pretty excited about that...yay!!

So yeah...m thinking of having a farewell party soon...to say goodbye to this house..a place I've called home for more than 3 years. (and for those who know me well...to clear out the pantry!!!)
All you lovely friends in Adelaide who read this blog are invited!! Pot luck!! Shall get clearance from housemates first though!! :)

Oh..and back to the tart, actually i used Aunty Yochana's egg tart recipe (sugar reduced to 120g/100g though..made it a couple of times and always found it a tad too sweet) for the filling as I didn't have any cream on hand and this recipe was a back up option to the perfect party cake which was going to Culinary Princess' place...and of course, it was great for using the left over egg yolks from the cake!