Cooking from the books - Cordon Blue Cookery book

I don't know about you, but I have a pile of cookbooks and magazines for inspiration. But a lot of the time I just don't get around to using the recipes that I mean to. But I have decided to occasionally cook one of the recipes.

The first recipe is .... Berry fruit flan - Pate Sucree... from Cordon Bleu Cookery book page 389

Page 389

Page 390

Years ago when I did my OE in my 20's I completed the Introduction to Cookery course with Cordon Bleu at 114 Marlybone Lane, London, England. At the time there were only a few places you could do Cordon Bleu courses and Marlybone Lane was the original school. I loved it. This is my cookbook from my time there. This sweet pastry we turned into Tarte aux Fraise. (Strawberry tart). Today I turned it into a raspberry and strawberry tart and glazed it with some sieved left over raspberry jam, instead of the traditional apricot.

Although the cookbook advises to use a pastry board or slab, I have only ever used the kitchen bench and there seems to be no impact to the sweet pastry because of that. You use the first two fingers and your thumb held together to blend the sugar, butter and eggs before gradually bringing in the flour. 

Chilling in the fridge is mandatory. Do not miss that step, or make the pastry the day before. 

When rolling out the pastry I put it onto the baking paper that will sit directly on the oven tray and I use the cling film from refrigerating the pastry on top so that it does not stick to the rolling pin. You do not want to add any flour when rolling as it will completely change the pastry.

Watch the cooking time. I forgot mine and it became a bit beyond golden but was OK.

Once the pastry has cooled, brush it with a thinned jam. This seals the pastry and stops it getting soft. Cordon Bleu always taught us to use sieved apricot jam thinned down with lemon. But I had leftover raspberry jam which I used and it accentuated the berry taste. Place the fresh fruit on top and then use your brush and jam and glaze all over. It was as delicious as I remember and I can't think why I have not been making this, I think the last time I did it was when in London while on the course.

Linking to various places including some of these.