Baklava & the Filo Dough for it

 

Gerda's Redcurrant Flan

RIBISEL KUCHEN

This recipe is from a dear, elderly, Austrian woman named Gerda. Measurements and wording are all her own….. I can hear her reciting it to me, in the beautiful way she spoke….

Prepare a pastry with two ounces sugar, four ounces butter and six ounces flour, a few drops of lemon juice and line a buttered and floured flan tin with this. Bake 'blind'.

When baked, but still hot, cover thickly with red-currants, sprinkle with a little sugar.

Whisk two egg whites until stiff, whisk in two ounces sugar, fold in another two ounces sugar.

Pile the whipped egg white over redcurrants.

Bake in cool oven until meringue top has set. Cut into slices when cool.

Gerda's Notes:

This simple pastry is ideal for any fruit you have that does not need precooking, such as berries.

Finely ground almonds or hazelnuts may be substituted for some of the flour. Toasting them in a dry pan first adds extra flavour.

JEAN'S SHORTCRUST PASTRY

These are old recipes and all the measurements are imperial. Good luck!

Crumb
4.5 ozs self-raising flour
1.5 ozs plain flour
pinch of salt
3 ozs butter
Add with a knife to form a stiff dough
1 tspn lemon juice
1 beaten egg yolk
A little cold water

For sweet pastry add 2 tsp sugar

Lightly flour a board or the bench. Roll out thinly. Use a bit more than half to line the pie tin. Tip in filling, dampen edge with water and lay top over. Press to seal. Prick top. Decorate with left over pastry cut into shapes. Glaze.

Glaze
For sweet pastry - brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar
For savoury pastry - brush with egg yolk or milk.

Healthy Pastry

Good for pies, flans, pasties or anything calling for short pastry. This amount is for one 25cm pie crust - double the quantities for both base and top.

1 Cup of either a mixture of half and half white /wholemeal SR Flour or all wholemeal.
125g Ricotta cheese
2 tblspn milk

Simply work the ricotta into the flour with a fork and add the milk - lightly knead into a ball and roll out as required.
If you are using it for a flan or tart, blind bake for 10mins. before adding the filling and returning it to the oven.
For pies, 165 degrees C. for 35mins ensures a nicely browned crust.