It all started with a tart...

6th August 2011. I've never attempted to make a desert before, I've faked it by buying a Victoria sponge, adding jam and calling it my own (I got away with it), but apart from that have always shied away from pudding and opted to buy them instead. So as a challenge I decided to make a tart for Ian (my father-in-laws) 51st birthday.
I have set myself a task of cooking, baking, freezing, boiling, catching... a new dish everyday for a year, so you might say...it all started with a tart!

Actually it started with a 'Cherry and Almond Tart'
I am so excited to make a lovely fresh, summer desert and with a mixture of Camera Obscura and Rizzle Kids on my iTunes i was all set and ready, nothing could hold me back...Delia Smith eat your heart out!

We are currently living in my parents house whilst they are off traveling the world in retirement bliss. First baking hurdle Mum and Dad have no weighing scales, a quick phone call to Italy confirms that they have a battery powered one, which after getting my hopes up doesn't work...guess the batteries have run out. I can see my little weighing scales all neatly packed in a box in the storage unit. After trying the bathroom scales with now look resorted to using Google to convert grams into fluid Oz's.

Step One (after weighing) using a food processor mix the flour, butter and almond dust. Problem number two, the processor (which i got Dad for his birthday last year) doesn't work.
Step Two reach for a Kastel Cru Rose from the fridge, two gulps and calmer music on the computer and we're off....Cherry goodness here I come!

The butter is all stuck at the bottom of the blender I've decided to use a whisk instead, if I can find one.
                                               "Success comes from preparation."

Add a sprinkle of flour, its not in the recipe but it adds a sense of adventure. The whisk is no good, the mixture keeps getting stuck in the gaps. I've found a hand held blender, third time lucky perhaps?
Must add I'm still completely failing at the first line in the recipe book.
reluctantly asked Dave (the husband) for help and am now on to a good old fashioned fork.


More Flour
More Almond Dust (just because)
more Beer (Jack Johnson on iTunes)

Repeat all!

Finally I've achieved mixture that 'resembles breadcrumbs', now to add caster sugar, and almond extract, which I have forgotten to buy, so just caster sugar then. Added an egg, got my hands in the mixture and finalised my pastry. I've wrapped it in cling film and it's in the fridge for 30 minuets.

Although the recipe did say 650g of de-stoned cherries Tesco's was chaos on Friday tea time so I grabbed whatever cherries I could find. My cherries have stones in them so I'm quickly learning to how to de-stone them and have dyed my hands fushia in the process.
Three large table spoons of Morello Cherry Cordia, Ian doesn't drink and 125ml of water in the pan and we wait.

I can feel my grasp on domestic godess creeping back within reach.
 Pretend to play the trumpets along to music to amuse myself whilst waiting for the cherries.

I have to say my cherries don't look half as nice as the ones in the photograph which initial enticed me to make this tart, but onwards and upwards.  The pastry comes out of the fridge....

After attempting to roll out the pastry I found it easier to assemble the broken pieces inside the pastry dish, it was either that or balance it on as many spatulas as possible.

Now to add baking Paper (grease proof paper) and baking beans (pearl barley) I had no idea these two things existed never mind if I have any or where to get them from so have improvised hopefully it wont make any difference. In the oven my pastry goes woooohoooo good luck.
My cherry juice is still reducing long after it was supposed to have halved itself but the pastry is in and my main concern. I have forgotten how messy baking can be, from baking as a child with my Mum, there's flour everywhere Rupert (our black poodle puppy) looks like a dalmatian.

Right now on to the filling. The Mascarpone tub has the right amount of grams, I've dodged a bullet there. Followed by a school girl error of adding icing sugar to a measuring jug with water in the bottom...this of course equaled icing, not what I was after. Attempt number two and we're off.
The oven cooked pearl barley smells nice.
tried the Mascarpone (for the first time) it tasted weird., tried it after adding the sugar and elderflower...mmmm tastes nice although I'm missing the vanilla pod which i forgot oops again. What was that I was saying about success and preparation?
 

The pastries out! the middle isn't cooked and the outside is burning a little, maybe the paper wasn't a good idea. I'm very disappointed. However more beer, Noah and the Whale and I'm whisking my cream. The cream is getting thicker and my arm hurts.
I can see through the oven door and my pastry is rising, I don't know much about baking but I'm sure that's not supposed to happen, the pastry may be rising but my spirits are defiantly sinking.

I drown my sorrows in my cream whisking, I have no idea what 'peaks' are but hopefully I will know when I see them. I think I may have achieved peaks, and Marina and the Diamonds are cheering my spirits. Next step folding the cream into the yummy Mascarpone....folding...Eeeek! I'm guessing it's just stirring but gently.

The pastry is finaly out of the oven, I'm actually very pleased with it, not bad for a frist try, maybe it's a bit hard but something to learn from.

 Beer number two and I'm waiting for the pastry to cool, Brief sit down watching Harry Potter and look around the kitchen at the mess.The boys come in to join me.

I have now spread the Mascarpone on and managed to FAIL at the last hurdle...NOT ENOUGH CHERRIES!!

So we walk the dog to Booths and collect more wine and more cherries, well it is a Saturday night. I'm not going to lie whilst stoning these cherries a few ended up in my mouth all this baking is making me hungry.
The cherries are added and the tart is complete, only 364 more dishes to go, I've enjoyed the challenged and look forward to tasting it tomorrow, wish me luck!

Soaps x