Gruyere cheese tart

Last night’s dinner was amazing. I LOVED it. And I so meant to take a photo. I’m trying to get better at taking photos of what I cook but I keep forgetting. I was so annoyed with myself when I realised that yet again I’d forgotten. But especially this time when the tart looked perfect. Absolutely 100% perfect. And there’s no evidence.

So a little while back I bought some gruyere cheese. I bought it for a particular recipe that I’d wanted to make for a while but had never got around to making. And ever since I’d had the cheese in the fridge I’ve not been able to find the recipe. This is the only down side to having too many recipe books. I have started a recipe index to help with this but it’s not finished, so it erm…wasn’t very helpful.

So, I had this gruyere cheese and its use by date was fast approaching. So I decided to use it in a pie type dish. I’d never cooked with gruyere before so I looked up a few recipes and picked one for a gruyere and asparagus quiche. I used filo pastry instead of a pie case and called mine a tart  (just cause I like the name, and get a good giggle out of trying to imagine my gruyere cheese poking its sexy legs out seductively from under it’s plastic wrapping) and I altered a few other small things.

So, my tart involved some softened spring onions, a few eyes of bacon diced and cooked for a few minutes, 3/4C gruyere, 3/4C cream, 4 large eggs (whisk eggs and cream together before adding the rest to this mixture), the ends of the asparagus (after partial softening), seasoning, all in the pastry then tomatoes and the remainder of the asparagus spears on top. Hot oven for about 25 mins.

And it was heavenly. I don’t usually add cream to my quiches, pies or tarts, preferring them to be a little lighter than that, but I had cream that needed using as well as the offending cheese. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why it was so good, the cream…

Ahhh…..cream……I’m off to day dream about whipped cream now, whipped cream and what? Ah scones with jam and cream for sure….day dreaming away….

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chocolate mousse

I was tempting fate when I decided to make chocolate mousse for my dessert making class on Friday at work. Tempting fate because I am not supposed to eat chocolate for health (as opposed to weight) reasons. Just to go on a tangent I’ve decided I’m really going to start playing with carob. I tried a little bit last year and didn’t get very far, but I know a bit more now, and prepared to break the stubborn carob in…

Ok, tangent over with, I can get on with my real entry (gotta love doing that don’t you? Letting your mind run away with itself that is).

So…I made chocolate mousse…

The mousse was rich, as I thought it was going to be. It was dark, rich, thick and creamy. It was strong, not the light and fluffy stuff you get in bistros. This was thick and heavy. It was PERFECT. And because it was so rich a small serve was enough.

I must admit I was impressed with it and am so keen to make it again I can hardly wait. And even better, it was easy.

Here is what I did:

Melt 250g dark chocolate over a double boiler, set aside to cool.

Beat 3 eggs and 1/4 C caster sugar with electric beaters til pale, thick and increased in volume.

Separately beat 1 C cream until softly peaking.

Gently fold cooled (but still melted) chocolate through egg mixture until almost combine. Add cream and gently fold through until just combined.

Place into serving bowl or individual dishes. Cover and leave in fridge for 2 hours until set.

I then served it with a dollop of softly whipped cream, a fluted strawberry and a slice of fig.

It looked quite good. Good enough to have been served in a restaurant I think. The younguns were impressed that’s for sure. I wish I wish I had taken my camera so I could add a picture. I will have to remember to start taking some photos. Can someone remind me please if I haven’t added any over the next few entries.

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