Brownie Cheesecake Tarts

January was one busy month. Holiday blues, a series of flu attacks, guests, and then daughter's birthday. The month seemed too short to fit in all the work. Now that it is over I almost feel jobless!! Nevertheless, the cooking classes are starting this week and I am looking forward to a new series even more successful than the previous one. Coming back to daughter's birthday, I decided this time to do the food myself and among other things, this cheesecake tart was the star of the entire spread and turned out awesomely delicious. If you want to step out of the regular cheesecake fad, then this is a must!

Ingredients 

For the tarts

300 gms plain flour

150 gms cold butter, cut into cubes

Pinch of salt

1 egg (optional)

2-3 tbsp ice cold water for kneading (reduce quantity if using egg)

For the brownie

140 gms dark chocolate 

1/4 cup butter softened 

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup plain flour 

2-3 tbsp milk 

For the cheesecake 

250 gms (1 package) Creamcheese at room temperature 

2 tbsp icing sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup strawberry compote or sauce 

Direction 

Step 1: Making the tarts

Measure out the flour and butter and add the salt. Now keep the bowl in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill. Once done, take the bowl out and using your fingers or the dough hook of your stand mixer, start breaking the butter cubes with the flour till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 

Now add the egg and mix. If not using egg, add the ice cold water 1 tbsp at a time till the dough just comes together. Do not make it wet. The dough should just hold together. If using egg, reduce the quantity of water to just about as much required to hold the dough together. 

Now you can divide the dough equally into as many portions you require and tightly cling wrap it and freeze it if not using in the next couple of days or put in the refrigerator to chill until the next step. You can skip the dividing part and freeze/chill the dough as such tightly wrapped in cling wrap. Remember to slightly bring it to room temperature (not completely soft) whenever you are ready to use them. 

Once the dough is chilled at least for 30 minutes, prepare your tart cases and start rolling the dough placed between two sheets of cling wrap. Carefully place the rolled out dough on the prepared tart cases and continue for the rest of the dough. If making a single tart, simply place the rolled out dough on the tart pan and ensure that the dough reaches until the edge of the tart case. Prick the base and sides with a fork and place a parchment paper filled with pie weights or raw beans. 

Preheat the oven at 170 degree celcius and bake the tarts for 12-15 minutes until the sides are golden. Now quickly remove the weights along with the paper. You may at this point choose to brush the base with an egg so as to avoid a soggy base later. You can skip the egg wash though if you are a vegetarian. Now put back the tarts in the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the base is golden. Remove from oven and let them cool. 

Step 2: Preparing the brownies 

In a bowl melt the chocolate and the butter either in the microwave or on a double boiler. Stir in between to avoid the chocolate getting burnt. Now to this add the sugar and the egg and whisk until smooth. Next add the flour and mix. The mixture will be quite thick at this point. Add 2-3 tbsp milk at room temperature depending on how fudgy or cakey you like your brownies. 

Spread out the brownie batter on the single baked tart case or spoon out 1 tbsp of the batter onto the baked individual tarts and even out the top. The brownies will rise while baking. So it is important that you do not fill too much else there will be no space left for the cheesecake topping. 

Bake in the preheated oven at 175 degree celcius until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool until the next step. 

Step 3: Preparing the cheesecake topping 

In a bowl, take the cream cheese and beat till smooth. Now add the whipping cream and beat till smooth and incorporated. You do not need to beat them to soft peaks but well beaten and smooth. Now add powdered sugar as per taste and whip further. Keep aside and prepare for assembling. 

Step 4: Assembly 

Spoon out the cheesecake topping equally among all the brownie tarts or the single brownie tart and even out the top. Now with a spoon, scoop a small portion of strawberry (or any topping of your choice) compote or sauce on top of each tart and with a toothpick make swirls on top. Chill the tarts until served and enjoy!! 

Classic Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Cheddar Cheese Short Crust Pastry

Conducting cooking and baking classes also means that I need to do my homework really really well. I like to give my class participants the best of all I know and so I do a lot of reading and experiments before I announce my next class. A pie and tart class has been long due and repeatedly requested and so here is my homework for the next schedule which is in November. There are three more recipes that I will need to try. Stay tuned!! Do read my notes at the end for vegetarian options.

Ingredients 

For the filling 

1 chicken breast, about 150 gms, cut into medium pieces

200 gms white button mushrooms quartered 

1 large onion chopped 

2 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tbsp chopped rosemary 

1 tbsp olive oil plus more if required 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp flour

200 ml milk

200 ml chicken/vegetable stock 

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pie crust (for a 22 cm pie plate)

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

2 tbsp butter, chilled 

2 tbsp vegetable shortening , chilled 

Pinch of salt

4 tbsp grated cheddar cheese 

1 egg (I used a little less than 1 large egg)

Direction 

Start with making the pie crust first. Take the flour, salt, butter and shortening and start rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. There should still be some traces of butter and shortening visible in the mixture. Do not overmix. 

Now add the grated cheese and the egg, little at a tine, till the dough just comes together. We don't need a smooth or fine dough. Just the one which holds everything together. I used little less than 1 large egg. 

Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate till further use. 

Now start preparing the filling. Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry till they turn white. Now add the mushrooms and fry on high heat till the moisture evaporates and the chicken and the mushrooms turn slightly golden. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 

Now, in the same pan, add a little more oil if required and fry the chopped onions and   garlic till translucent. Remove from pan and keep with the chicken. 

Now, to make the sauce, you can either use the same pan or use a new one. Heat the butter and add the flour. Stir till you get a lovely aroma and the flour looks pasty. Now mix the milk and the stock and add it to the pan along with salt and pepper. Stir on a medium flame till the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. 

Now add the chopped parsley and rosemary and mix and remove from heat. Put the chicken mixture into a pie plate and pour the sauce over it. Spread to evenly cover the chicken beneath. Keep aside and let it cool. 

Preheat the oven at 200 degree celcius for 10 minutes. Now, take a parchment paper and spread it out on the kitchen counter. Take the dough out of the fridge and remove the cling wrap. Put another sheet of parchment paper or cling wrap and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough gently from all sides to a uniform thickness of about 3 mm and just enough to cover the top of the pie plate. 

Brush the sides of the pan with egg wash. Gently lift the rolled out dough and place it on the pie dish covering the edges and sitting on top of the filling. Seal the edges with your fingertips and filling in any edges with scrap dough. Make some cuts in the center to let the steam escape. 

Brush the top with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes till the edges and top and browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let it cool for sometime before serving. 

Notes:

1. You can use any assorted veggies instead of the chicken like broccoli, sweet corn, carrots, beans, spinach, or cottage cheese as well. 

2. You can use 2-3 tbsp ice cold water instead of the egg while kneading the dough. 

3. You can skip the egg wash if you are a pure vegetarian. You can use milk wash instead but the shine won't be there. 

A British Classic- Shepherd's Pie

It's always interesting to cook new recipes, especially classic ones which you have only read about but never tried. Today's recipe is a classic British pie, traditionally made with minced beef or lamb. Since we do not eat beef and didn't have lamb at hand, I decided to try it with minced chicken. There are also a few tweaks included, which makes this dish "no one can have just one" type of a dish. It is extremely simple and serves as a great meal in itself, served with some salad or pita bread. 

Ingredients

350 gms minced chicken

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium capsicum, chopped

1/2 cup frozen/fresh peas

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

5 medium potatoes, boiled

1/4 cup milk 

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp curry powder (I used pav bhaji masala; you can use any curry powder of your choice like meat masala or something similar)

1 cube knorr chicken broth, mixed in 1/2 cup warm water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

In a medium skillet, heat the oil and fry the onions and garlic till the onions are translucent. Add the chopped capsicum, carrots, and peas and fry for 5-7 minutes. Add the minced chicken and continue stirring till the chicken gets evenly broken and pink. Now add the sauces and the curry powder and give a good stir. Tip in the chicken broth and mix well. Cover and cook till the chicken is tender. Lastly, add the cornflour mix and cook uncovered till the gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper, although I did not find it necessary to add further salt as per my taste. Remove from heat and cool.

In a separate bowl, take the boiled potatoes and mash it with the back of a fork. Add the milk and butter and mash further. It is easier and better to use a hand blender at this point to ensure a creamy texture. Add one beaten egg and whip further. Add a little salt, pepper, and oregano and mix well. If you find the texture too thick you can add 1-2 tbsp milk. 

Pre-heat the oven in the broiler mode. Take a square casserole dish and lay out the minced chicken mixture spreading evenly. Top it with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Broil it for 10-12 minutes or until you get a golden crust on top. Serve it with a salad if your choice or enjoy it as a meal in itself.