Tag: Baking

London cheesecake recipe

Is it a cheesecake? No.

Is it a cake? No.

Does it have cheese? No.

Is it from London?

Honestly, I’m not sure, but from what I’ve heard it comes from an English chap who coined it with the name when given a task to do under pressure (scroll to the bottom for the story)

Recipe!

Ingredients (makes 6 pastries, or 1 huge one)

  • 1 (or more) sheet of pre rolled puff pastry
  • Frangipane, enough to fill the pastry, 250-300g should be plenty
  • Jam, whatever you like best
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Icing sugar to make enough chocolate icing to cover the top of the pastry(s) (200-400g)
  • Eggwash or some milk

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Baking tray
  • Baking paper
  • Desert spoon
  • Mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Pastry brush

Prep and cooking (30-60 minutes)

  1. Start by heating the oven to about 180°c fan.
  2. Unroll the sheet of pastry and cut it in half along the long edge.
  3. Now you want to cut each half into 6, (with each half separately) cut the half in half vertically and then into thirds horizontally. This should leave you with 12 equal square/rectangles of puff pastry.
  4. line a baking tray with baking paper and put 6 pieces of pastry on it, these are the bases for your London cheesecakes.
  5. In the middle of each put about 1 tbsp of jam and flatten it a little, you want to leave 0.5-1 inch bare around the edges.
  6. Put some frangipane on top of the jam and spread out a little to cover it.
  7. Brush a small amount of egg wash/milk around the edges of put the top on each ‘cheesecake’. Push down lightly and try to make sure no filling comes out.
  8. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden and risen.
  9. When they’re ready take out of the oven to cook and make the icing by sifting the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add 1-2 tbsp of water and mix, add more water accordingly but only a tiny bit at a time as it’s easy to over do. Mix until thick but plyable.
  10. When the pastry is cool cover each one with icing and sprinkle desiccated coconut oven the top.
  11. Eat one, or two, or..ten?

Where did it come from?

I first heard about this a coworker mentioned a cockney cheesecake, some kind of pastry with coconut.

After looking into it turns out he meant a London cheesecake, and after some research it seems there’s mixed opinions on why it’s given that name, a lot of people seem to think it’s because the coconut represents cheese curds.

The most amusing story I found, and is the one I always go with, is that on a trip to America an English person was asked by an American friend to show him what a cheesecake is as he’d heard how great they are.

No knowing how to make it, the Englishman went through the cupboards and put together something with what he could find, the end product was given to the American as a ‘London cheesecake’.

Or so the story goes.

More recipes soon!

Manchester tart recipe

No, not a northern woman with loose morals (or loose something), but a delicious desert!

This recipe was a request from the Facebook page (feel free to message any requests) and I’m glad it was bought up because it’s brilliant!

Ingredients (makes 1 tart, 24-26cm)

  • 500g shortcrust pastry
  • 250-300g raspberry jam
  • 200-400g fresh raspberries
  • 100g desiccated coconut
  • 100-150g caster sugar
  • 500ml full fat milk
  • 400ml double cream
  • 60-80g cornflour
  • 5 egg yolks
  • Either vanilla flavouring, essence, extract or 1 fresh pod (scrape out the inside)
  • Some flour and icing sugar for dusting
  • Some butter for greasing

Equipment

  • Rolling pin
  • Tart case, about 10 inches
  • Baking beans/rice
  • Tin foil or baking paper
  • Desert spoon
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Saucepan
  • Bowl or container that fits in fridge.

Prep and cooking (60-120 minutes)

3. Use the rolling pin to pick up the pastry
  1. First heat the oven to about 160°c fan (gas 4).
  2. While it warms up roll the pastry out, use flour on the work surface to stop it sticking, roll it into a disc about 1-2 inches bigger than the case. Use the rolling pin to pick it up and place it in the case.
  3. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes until it’s a pale golden colour. Then remove the baking beans/paper and put in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until cooked
  4. While the pastry is baking make the custard by heating the milk and vanilla in a pan, make sure it doesn’t boil over but you need to get it heated to just before boiling point.
  5. Whilst the milk is warming, whisk the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar until thick and creamy.
  6. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture a little at a time while whisking, then return it all to the pan on a low heat until you’re left with a nice thick custard.
  7. Put it in a clean bowl/container and dust the top with icing sugar (this stops it getting a skin on the top of it). Chill for 30 minutes or until cold all the way through.
  8. When the tart case is ready (don’t forget it’s in the oven) already the jam to cover the bottom of the pastry case and put to one side.
  9. Whisk the double cream until whipped and then mix into the custard with the coconut with a whisk/wooden spoon.
  10. Cover the layer of jam on the pastry case with fresh raspberries.
  11. Fill the case with the devilish cream custard and top with more fresh raspberries.
  12. EAT!

Serve with custard

Be careful, it’s a dangerous combination..

More recipes soon!

Learn how to make Harry Potters favourite desert; Treacle Tart (with a hint of fresh lemon and ginger)


Get your mince pies on this, treacle tart (that’s cockney for get your eyes on this, sweetheart).

image from lylesgoldensyrup.com

A classic from way back in the 19th century; the treacle tart. Bought back to light through none other than Harry Potter, starring as his favourite treat at Hogwarts in the series of books.

Originating in England, this sweet treat was created by a lady called Mary Jewry, and contrary to common misconception despite being called a treacle tart it doesn’t actually contain any treacle at all, it’s golden syrup.

So enough chat, let’s get on with this treacle tart recipe!

Ingredients (makes 1 treacle tart)

  • 400-500g breadcrumbs
  • 800g golden syrup
  • 500g shortcrust pastry
  • 1 lemon (optional)
  • 2 tsp ginger powder (optional)
  • 1 egg yolk (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 tart dish/quiche dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Rolling pin
  • Food processor
  • A microwave comes in handy but not essential, as is a pallet knife
  • Baking beans or rice
  • Baking paper

Prep (20-25 minutes)

1.Roll a disc of pastry
  1. This recipe requires blind baking the pastry first, so start by heating the oven to about 160°c (fan), then roll out the shortcrust pastry into a big disc, about 2 inches bigger than your tart/quiche dish.
  2. Grease the dish with either butter or oil and be sure to spread it around the whole dish. Using oil is more cost effective, but butter will give the pastry a (slightly) richer taste.
  3. Pick the pastry up with the rolling pin and place in the dish. Straighten around the edges on the inside of the dish with your fingertips to tidy it up, there should still be a fair bit of overhand coming over the edges.
3.Pick the pastry up with the rolling pin
  • Trim the overhanging edges with scissors, be sure to still leave a bit, as shortcrust shrinks when it cooks, but not so much that it touches the worktop .
  • Gently prick the base of the pastry with a fork, it doesn’t need to go all the way through the pastry just thin enough for steam to pass through.
  • Cover with baking paper then fill with the baking beans/rice and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the overhang starts to colour.
Cover with baking paper,
then fill with rice(left)
or baking beans (right)
  • Remove the baking paper and rice/baking beans and you have your blind baked pastry case, ready to fill!(and eat)
  • If you want to ensure a crisp bottom, put a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, then put the dish on the baking tray.

Cooking (40-60 minutes)

  1. Now we have our case we can get a move on, put the golden syrup in a large mixing bowl and warm in the microwave until runny (if you have a microwave, you could make a Bain Marie with a saucepan if not or you could just wrestle with cold syrup)
  2. Juice the lemon into the syrup with the ginger powder and mix.
  3. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well until smooth.
  4. If using, add the egg yolk and mix well.
  5. Fill the pastry case with the bready syrupy goodness and smooth the top with a pallet knife. If you have any leftover pastry you could use it to decorate the top with a lattice or something but it’s only aesthetics.
  6. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, check every ten minutes.
  7. Engulfed yourself in the sweet delight that is Harry Potters favourite desert.

Not this tarts first time on the big screen

So it appears it’s been in films before Harry Potter, the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang used it to lure the kids, treacle tart loves the spotlight, slag.

I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to waste this luring kids(!)(I would just like to make it clear I have no intention to lure kids, I already have 1 and another on the way)

This is definitely a desert for those of you (like myself) with a sweeter tooth.

This delightful slice of heaven is best served warm or hot, with some kind of cream or custard (I recommend clotted cream or ice cream).

Traditionally the recipe contains no egg so it’s completely optional, if you made a vegan pastry then this could quite easily be made into a vegan desert.

More modern recipes also include the addition of cream, or using almonds instead of breadcrumbs, but why mess with the classic treacle tart!

More recipes soon..

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