French bite : Little Praline Tarts

These days I work, I work, I work, and I work. 
But it's time for a break. I'm going on holidays!
The Man is taking me to Cornwall, a place I've been dreaming to visit for a long time. 
I will bring you back lots of pictures and I hope some nice recipes!

In the meantime, a short pause for a French recipe!

Prink Praline Tart

and sweet pastry

Sweet pastry doesn't have to be difficult to make. this one isn't, and it's delicious!
For the praline filling, you can choose to add more or less cream to it. Mine was quite creamy and therefor not as sticky as a usual praline tart. 
If I do it again, I think I might put a little less cream, just because I like sticky tarts. But if you're a creamy type of person, the recipe as it is a perfect for you!
(PS: as the filling sets, the creamy colour appears, which is why the tarts look a bit different from picture to picture). 
Pink praline are a speciality from Lyon (France). In the UK, it can be bought online from Melbury and Appleton

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry: 
250 g flour
100g butter, cubed and slightly softened
100g confectioners' sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
2 medium eggs, at room temperature

For the praline filling:
1 cup praline, crushed
1/4cup double cream

Instructions

Make the pastry:

1/ Put the flour in a mound on a counter (ideally marble) and make a well. Put in the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt and mix together with your finger tips.

2/ Gradually draw in the flour into the center and mix with your finger tips until the dough becomes slightly grainy.

3/ Again, make a well and add the eggs. Work them into the flour mixture, using your fingertips, until the dough begins to hold together.

4/ When the dough is well amalgamated, knead it a few times with the palm of your hand until smooth. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before using.

Preheat the oven at 180deg C.

5/ When the dough is rested and you are ready to use it, unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured counter to a 2 - 3 mm thickness. Line small tart moulds or rings with the pastry, cut out the pieces hanging over, cover the pastry with baking parchment and dried beans or baking beans, and bake blind for 15min until golden.

Make the filling: 

1/ In a small pan, slowly melt the pralines until completely melted, adding the cream as you go along.

2/ Pour the praline filling over the pastry case and leave to cool for at least a couple of hours until set and hard. 

Pastry recipe adapted from Michel Roux's pâte sucrée by The Messy Baker
Praline tart recipe adapted from the Book Recette d'Antan, editions Stephane Baches 

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Pink praline madeleines

I've been feeling down and exhausted for the past few weeks. Don't ask me why, I don't even know myself. I think that's part of the joys of being a woman. Sometimes, strong feelings coming from nowhere lend on us and we just need to deal with them (I know you ladies understand what I'm talking about, don't you? Please tell me yes, or I think I might start crying now!)

Usually, whenever I feel tired or down, the easy things that make me feel better are baking, eating, and shopping. On my own. 
Like Men withdraw to their caves (thank you Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and your ever so useful metaphors), I need to withdraw to my kitchen and wander in the aisles of TK Maxx on my own for hours. 
So that's settled, next week I'm taking a week to myself. While The Man will be busy at work, I'll be tuning to Magic fm, baking bread, making cakes, and going shopping.
If that doesn't do any good to my diet or my wallet, I'm sure I'll come back to work fit and ready for action the following Monday!

Pink praline Madeleines 

This is not a purist French recipe, which usually doesn't include honey and doe include lemon, but I think I like this one better. The honey gives a denser texture to the madeleines, giving them a slight "financier" style. (It's getting too complicated, isn't it?) Anyway, these are gorgious and dead easy to prepare. 
I added little crushed Pink praline from Lyon (France), but they are delicious plain as well.

Ingredients 
225g unsalted butter, melted

250g plain flour

250g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 free-range eggs

2 tbsp runny honey

1 small handful pink praline from Lyon, coarsely crushed

  
Make the madeleines
1/ Preheat the oven to 170C. Butter and flour a madeleine tin or silicone mould.

2/ Place the flour and caster sugar into a bowl and add the vanilla extract, eggs, honey and melted butter. Stir well

3/ Fill the madeleine tin/moulds almost to the top and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden-brown and springy to the touch. Dust with the remaining caster sugar.

Recipe adapted from James Martin's Madeleine recipe