Masterchef

So i've been baking like crazy over the last couple of weeks as I got a call for an audition on masterchef. I had to make one dish that could be eaten cold as I would have to bring it up to london from Bournemouth and the studio didn't have reheating facilities. I knew straight away that I was going to make a dessert as i figured that's probably one of the most impressive things to serve cold and I would be able to incorporate lots of skills and it would look pretty - the most important thing.

I took out my recipe folder from Ashburton cookery school that has 'expert' details on how to make pastry. Pastry's impressive... only thing is i hadn't made it since the course - having been a complete pastry phobe before going. Luckily i have cold hands and I started with the nectarine and pistachio frangipane tart that i saw on cannelle et vanille's blog. I fluked it - my pastry was really thin, crisp and delicate but it had shrunk down the side of the tart case. The tarts tasted gorgeous but I wanted to try some others before making my decision.


Next I tried Pioneer Woman's chocolate pie which was delicious and incredibly rich although my parents got a bit funny about the raw eggs in it and refused to have more than a 'finger'. Oh well, their loss - if salmonella comes a'knocking at least it came in a tasty outfit! My pastry so thin again - I was literally euphoric.
















I decided, however, that i ought to go for something really summery and fresh though so next I made zenman's apricot and almond tarts.


Now normally i can't stand apricots but baked in this tart they took on the most amazing tang and just screamed out summeriness. I made it in a larger dish though and it just wouldn't cook through! I gave it nearly an hour and took it out of the oven deciding it 'felt ready'. 20 minutes later the apricots had sunk down into the tart and broken away from the frangipane. I still had hope though! until i cut it open and it was still slushy. My boyfriend and I hungrilly chomped down the delicious uncooked parts and, in a desperate attempt to cook it further i bunged it in the microwave for a bit. BAD IDEA! The whole tart fell apart and the pastry turned chewy. I do not advise microwaving tarts. ever! After reshaping the tart a bit and ignoring the pastry, it was really yummy. seriously pigs bum!


My last attempt was La Tartine Gurmand's chocolate passion fruit tarts. Oh my goodness these were probably one of the most glorious things i've ever put in my mouth! It was like eating sunshine. The cream was so rich, fresh and fruity and the pastry was dark and intensely good although thicker than before. The mint leaves gave it a real zing too! My family loved them and i set about making the recipe 'my own'. I had already altered the pastry recipe and i began to brainstorm aditions. I made candied lime and orange zest covered in dark chocolate, chocolate infused with fresh mint (to decorate), i did tarts with passion fruit sponge under the cream and tarts with mango arranged in different styles on top, I made chocolate dipped mint leaves and a mint syrup to glaze the tart.

After making 5 different designs I gave my parents taste and appearance charts to mark each one against. It was a tough call, the sponge added an extra texture and filled the tarts higher, the lime chocolate and the orange chocolate were incredible but the fresh mint chocolate was truly divine and worked perfectly to highlight the mint in the syrup that glazed the mango on top of the final tart.

This was the chosen tart, but it also had a triangular shard of fresh mint chocolate placed in the centre.



The interviewers loved the tart, the rest of the interview I'm less confident about - I talked too much and made several jokes (a mistake as my jokes are notoriously un-funny). Oh well, fingers crossed!