There is something special about cake! There is also tart art. Cakes and tarts have a value that comes from the heart.

Many years ago, I went to Chinatown on an outing at night with some friends. We had dinner, and then we walked to China Square. There was a small café with a sign that said desserts were half price after 9pm. We were a big group, but there were enough seats for all of us, so we went in. We shared the desserts so that the desserts only cost each of us a quarter of the original price.  I had half of a really good lava cake. Half a cake was just the right amount to enjoy, and not feel guilty about the calories and the sugar.

Last Saturday was a special day, and we had a celebration at home. The dessert was praline chocolate sable tarts.  They were so good, I had to get the recipe to share on the blog.

Pate sucree

(for 10 tarts)

120g  butter

120g icing sugar

40g almond powder

30g unsweetened cocoa powder

50g eggs

230g flour

Instructions

Cream the butter and the sugar

Add almond powder, salt and eggs and mix

Add flour and cocoa powder

Stir and cover and refrigerate for 4 hours

Mould and freeze for 1 hour

Bake frozen tarts at 155 degrees celsius for 30 minutes

Chocolate ganache

195g of whipping cream

22g of butter

100g dark chocolate

50g milk chocolate

6.5g honey

Instructions

Boil the whipping cream

Add honey

Pour chocolate

Add butter

Praline paste

75g hazel nuts

75g almond

100g sugar

25g water

Instructions

Roast the almonds for 10 minutes

Mix water and sugar and bring to boil for 2 minutes

Add nuts

Mix well, nuts will turn white and hard

Keep stirring until the mixture turns to caramel

Spread over parchment paper

Allow to cool, then crush coarsely and mix in mixer until creamy

Cream

110g cream

1 gelatin sheet (2g)

50g white chocolate melted

55g double cream

55g praline paste

Instructions

Hydrate gelatin or dissolve in 10g water

Heat 110g of cream and add gelatin

Add white chocolate

Add 55g cream and praline paste

Mix in blender

Refrigerate for 1 hour

Whip ganache

Fill the tarts with the ganache, pipe the cream and add gooseberry for the finishing touch.

A mother's heart

Fancy desserts can cost an arm and a leg. When I saw the recipe for the praline chocolate sable tarts, I understood why. Elena, Homskil's culinary expert, will tell you that it's not so difficult to make fancy desserts, it's a matter of being organised. In the case of tarts, it's good to make the tart pastry a few days ahead and the filling on the day you want to serve them.

When you have the heart of a mother, most things are possible, and nothing is ever too much of an effort. There are simpler desserts which are great for Sundays and don't take so much time.

Tang Yuan soup
Creme caramel
Carrot cake

A heart that is full

Recently, I had lunch with a friend who said that as a working mother of three, she ferries her husband to work and the children to school, goes to work, does the housework and cooking herself, she ends her days tired but with a heart that is full. She had a gleam in her eyes and a smug smile on her face. Her life is a testimony that happiness isn't found in an easy life, but in having a heart that loves and hands that care.

Have a great week ahead.

By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 27 March 2022