Toasting nuts

❶    Toasting nuts before use enhances their flavour.

❷    Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast in a 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) oven for 5–8 minutes, or until they are lightly coloured. Once they start to brown, nuts burn very quickly, so watch them carefully.

Melting chocolate

❶    When melting chocolate, always use a clean, dry bowl. Water or moisture will make the chocolate seize (turn into a thick mass that won’t melt), and overheating will make it scorch and taste bitter.

❷    To melt chocolate, chop it into small even-sized pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then remove from the heat. Sit the bowl over the saucepan of water — make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water and that no water or steam gets into the bowl or the chocolate will seize. Leave the chocolate to soften a little, then stir until smooth and melted.

❸    Remove the chocolate from the saucepan to cool, or leave in place over the hot water if you want to keep the chocolate liquid.

Shortcrust pastry

❶    This recipe makes about 375 g of shortcrust pastry, which is enough to line the base of a 23 cm pie dish, or just the top. Simply double the recipe to make 750 g of pastry.

❷    To make 375 g of shortcrust pastry you will need 250 g (2 cups) plain flour, 125 g chilled butter, chopped into small pieces, and 2–3 tablespoons iced water. To line the top and base, you will need 600 g of pastry, and for this you need 400 g plain flour, 180 g chilled butter, chopped into small pieces, and 3–4 tablespoons iced water.

❸    Sift the flour and ¼ teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Sifting the flour aerates the dough and helps make the finished pastry crisp and light.

❹    Add the chopped butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips (not your palms as they tend to be too warm) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. As you rub the butter into the flour, lift it up high and let it fall back into the bowl. If applicable, stir in the other dry ingredients such as sugar (if making sweet pastry).

❺    Make a well in the centre, add nearly all the water and mix with a flat- bladed knife, using a cutting rather than a stirring action. The mixture will come together in small beads of dough. If necessary, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together. Test the dough by pinching a little piece between your fingers — if it doesn’t hold together, it needs more water. Use just enough to hold the pastry together — if it is too wet it will toughen and may shrink on baking; if too dry, it will be crumbly.

❻    Gently gather the dough together and lift out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a ball and then flatten it slightly — don’t knead or handle the dough too much.

❼    Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes — this makes it easier to roll out the dough and helps prevent shrinkage during cooking.

Rich shortcrust pastry

❶    This pastry is often used for fruit pies, flans and tarts as it gives a richer, crisper crust.

❷    To transform a basic shortcrust pastry into a rich one, gradually add a beaten egg yolk to the flour with 2–3 tablespoons iced water. Mix with a flat-bladed knife, as described in the technique for shortcrust pastry .

Sweet shortcrust pastry

❶    Follow the directions to make the shortcrust pastry and add 2 tablespoons caster or icing sugar after the butter has been rubbed into the flour. If preferred, you can also add egg yolks to enrich the pastry (see rich shortcrust pastry).

Food processor shortcrust

❶    Shortcrust pastry can be made quickly and successfully with a food processor. The obvious advantage is its speed but, also, you don’t handle the pastry much so it stays cool.

❷    Process the flour and cold chopped butter in short bursts, using the pulse button if your machine has one, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the processor is running, add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough holds together. Process in short bursts again and don’t overprocess or the pastry will toughen and shrink while cooking. You will know you have overworked the pastry if it forms a ball in the processor — it should just come together in clumps.

❸    Gather it into a ball on a lightly floured surface, flatten it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

Lining the tin with pastry

❶    Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap, or on a lightly floured surface. Roll from the centre outwards, rotating the dough, rather than backwards and forwards

❷    If you used baking paper to roll out the pastry, remove the top sheet and carefully invert the pastry over the tin, centre it and then peel away the paper. If you rolled out the pastry on a floured surface, roll the pastry back over the rolling pin so it is hanging, then ease it into the tin.

❸    Once the pastry is in the tin, quickly lift up the sides so they don’t break over the sharp edges of the tin. Use a small ball of excess dough to help ease and press the pastry shell into the side of the tin.

❹    Allow the excess pastry to hang over the side and, if using a flan tin, roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin to cut off the excess pastry. If using a glass or ceramic pie dish, use a small sharp knife to cut away the excess pastry. If the pie or tart is to have a pastry lid, leave the excess pastry hanging over the edges of the dish — this can be trimmed once the pastry lid is in place.

❺    However gently you handle the dough, it is bound to shrink a little, so let it sit slightly above the side of the tin. If you rolled off the excess pastry with a rolling pin, you may find the pastry has bunched down the sides a little — press the pastry with your thumbs to flatten and lift it.

❻    Refrigerate in the tin for 15 minutes to relax the pastry and prevent or minimize shrinkage.

Blind baking

❶    If the pastry is to have a moist filling, it will probably require partial blind baking to prevent the base from becoming soggy.

❷    When blind baking, the pastry needs some weights put on it to prevent it rising. Cover the base and side of the pastry shell with a piece of crumpled baking or greaseproof paper. Pour in some baking beads, dried beans or uncooked rice.

❸    Bake the pastry shell for the recommended time (usually about 10 minutes), then remove the paper and beads and return the pastry to the oven for 10–15 minutes, or as specified in the recipe, until the base is dry with no greasy patches. Allow to cool completely.

❹    Cooked filling should also be cooled before putting it in the pastry shell to prevent soggy pastry.

Making and testing sugar syrup

❶    When making sugar syrup, put the sugar and water (or other liquid ingredients) into a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. It is important that the sugar has dissolved completely before raising the heat. Bring to a rolling boil, boiling for the time specified in the recipe. Do not stir the liquid once it is boiling. Use a wet pastry brush to brush the side of the pan to prevent crystals forming.

❷    For the home cook, a sugar thermometer is helpful in determining the exact temperature and stages of the boiled sugar syrup. The correct temperature is very important, or the mixture will not set properly. If you don’t have a thermometer, the syrup can be tested by dropping about teaspoon of the syrup into a glass or bowl of iced water, then moulding the ball between your fingers.

❸    At soft ball (112–116°C/234–240°F) stage, a blob of syrup when dropped in cold water will form a very soft ball, but will lose its shape in the air. At firm ball (118–121°C/245–250°F), the syrup will be firmer but still pliable and will lose its shape in the air.

❹    At hard ball (121–130°C/250–265°F) stage, a blob of syrup will form a very firm but pliable ball that will hold its shape at room temperature.

❺    At soft crack (130–143°C/265–290°F) stage, the ball of sugar will stretch to form slightly sticky threads.

❻    At hard crack (143–157°C/290–315°F), the ball can be stretched to form brittle threads.

Meringue

❶    To make one quantity of meringue, beat 6 egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Gradually pour in 340 g(1½ cups) caster sugar, beating until the meringue is thick and glossy.

Caramel sauce

❶    To make one quantity of caramel sauce, put 40 g unsalted butter, 230 g (1¼ cups) soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla essence, 200 ml (¾ cup) cream in a saucepan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.