A little piece of lemon..

I'm in awe of how easy it was to make this and how yummy it turned out.
This will be on the list of things to bake for my husbands birthday next month.

Lemon Meringue Tart

Base

A packet of rich tea biscuits (or Donna Maria if you're in Portugal)
125g unsalted butter

Filling

A tin of condensed milk
125ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 egg yolks

Meringue topping

3 egg whites
125g caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees


1.Crush the biscuits. You can wrap them in a tea towel and release your new found passion for baking with a rolling pin.
2. Add melted butter and mix. Press into a pre greased tart tin or dish.
3. Put it in the fridge so that it can set.
4. Mix the condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks in a bowl.
5. With the remaining egg whites, beat and gradually add the sugar until white satin peaks form. You can also add a spoon of cornstarch to thicken it.
6. Start assembling! Take the base out of the fridge. Spread the filling first and spoon the meringue on top. You can use a pipe bag if you happen to have one. It would certainly make it look a lot prettier than mine.
7. Pop it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meringue is browned lightly.
8. Once done, allow to cool and eat it on the same day or pop it in the fridge and eat it the following day. But trust me, you won't wait that long.

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...

Look at my delicious cake. Professionally photographed too!

There has been a cloud hanging over us at work these last few weeks. Unprecedented changes has led to a general sense of doom and gloom. Cake. Just what the doctor ordered. Chocolate raspberry pavlova. Not as pretty as Nigellas, mine collapsed as soon as i took it out of the oven, but it went down a treat! I have made this a couple of times already and it makes people smile. That makes me smile too.

Alright alright, here's what it really looked like, run over by a lorry it seems.

One can never have enough of bechamel

and cannelonni ..how many n's weren't i supposed to use in that word?
The list of things I can rustle up in the kitchen without setting fire to myself is quite a short one (though thankfully, when I mean setting fire to myself I mean the an unhappy finger or two and Mr T sporting his classic 'I told you so' look) I am proud to say that this is a new addition to my list. The filling was cauliflower and broccolli. Filled us up so much Mr T wouldnt have guessed it was...cough coughvegetarian. I have to say this word quietly around here because the Portuguese folk think it's practically a curse. Go to any restaurant and if you ask for a green salad, most waiters look at you like youre speaking Icelandic. Or they swing little objects in your face whilst chanting things from a book. But if you ask for the classic 'bitoque'(which is basically steak with a fried egg on top and french fries) they look at you oh so lovingly.
I love food. It's something I always take time to eat. My problem is to take time to do it. Mr T is a bit of cooking wizard. Thank God I married a wizard. Otherwise I'd be living on sandwiches with strange fillings for the rest of my life. He loves his food and he likes to invent interesting dishes himself because he has an intense dislike of recipe books. Well,in my book, I don't think theres anything wrong with enjoying comfort food and I don't just mean junk food here. Its the food that makes your kitchen smell lovely and your belly warm. Its the food you share with your friends, family, or on your own as you watch a good film. And the best thing about comfort food is the comfort of having your food cooked for you too. Yes darling I'm talking about you.
I will be back on drawing track soon. Promise. I will.