RONDO'S for Pam

250 g (all-purpose) flour
200 g butter, cold and diced
160 g soft white sugar
1/2 egg (about 25 g)
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp baking powder

300 g almondpaste
25 g water
17 amarena cherries, drained (the one you buy in syrup)(optional)
1/2 egg, beaten
17 almonds, whole

Mix the flour, lemon zest, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 egg in a bowl. Add the butter and knead this quickly in to a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the refrigerator. Preferably one day ahead.

Preheat the oven to 380ºF. Grease the rings and place them on a bakingsheet with baking parchment. Mix the almondpaste with the water until smooth.

Take the dough out of the fridge and give it a short knead. Roll out , about 1/6". and cut out circles that fit the rings. (if you use a muffintin, measure the bottom and the top diameter of the molds and cut out these two sizes.

Place a dough disk on the bottom and scoop (or use a pastry bag with a plain tip) a little of the almondpaste in the middle, leaving 1/4" free around the edge. Place a cherry in the middle. This is optional, but gives a great surprise of flavour if you bite into the rondo.
Put another circle on top. No need to push it down or cover the sides. Brush with the eggwash, place a almond on top and eggwash again. Bake the rondo's for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Take them out of the molds at once (carefully) and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

You're in for a real dutch treat...enjoy!

Upside-down Chicory Cheesecake

Passed on to me by Ingrid.

Serves 6 to 10
Difficulty - easy!
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 2 hours
Suggested wine - Fairview Viognier

Ingredients
3 medium-sized heads of chicory
1 cup cream
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Grated nutmeg for seasoning
3 eggs
500 g low-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon flour
50 g toasted breadcrumbs (I bought the ready-to-use ones, but you can make them yourself...)
⅓ cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra shavings for serving
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Chives or Italian flat leaf parsley for serving

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Line a 30 cm round springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with a round of baking paper. Cut two rounds of the same size and set one aside for later.
3. Cut the ends off the chicory, then slice lengthways.
4. In an saucepan over a medium heat, simmer the chicory in the cream, covered, for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until just cooked but still tender-crisp.
5. Strain over a bowl, reserving the liquid.
6. Arrange the chicory in the prepared cake tin.
7. Blend the eggs, cream cheese, flour and reserved liquid, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
8. Pour into the tin. Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and melted butter, and sprinkle on top.
9. Butter the last round of baking paper well on one side, and place on top of the breadcrumbs.
10. Bake on a baking tray for about 90 minutes or until set. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven for another 10 minutes.
11. Remove and cool for a further 10 minutes.
12. Invert onto a serving platter, top with shavings of Parmesan and sprinkle with roughly chopped chives or flat leaf parsley. Serve warm.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

250g whole dates, pitted and chopped

175g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

60g soft butter

125g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon black treacle

100ml milk

For the Sauce:

250g muscovado sugar

75g butter, diced

400ml whipping or double cream

1. Start the pudding the day before serving. Put the dates in a bowl with 150ml boiling water and soak for about half an hour. Set the oven at 160 degree C. Grease an 18cm square cake tin, line the bottom with non-stick baking parchment and dust the sides with flour.
2. Sift the flour and soda into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together in another bowl until fluffy and paler in colour. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. Beat in the treacle, then gently fold in the flour and milk using a large metal spoon Take care not to overmix.
3. Lightly mash the soaked dates with a fork then stir them into the pudding mixture. Pour into the cake tin and place in the oven on a backing sheet. Bake for a bout 45 minutes or until the top of the pudding feels springy when gently pressed.
4. Make the sauce. Put the sugar and butter in saucepan with half of the cream. Bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce is a rich toffee colour, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the cream.
5. Remove the pudding from the oven and slowly pour half of the sauce over it. Cool, then cover the tin and leave the pudding to soak in the fridge for 24-48 hours. Keep the rest of the sauce in the covered pan in the fridge.
6. To finish, reheat the pudding in a 140 degree C oven for 20 minutes. Reheat the remaining sauce in the pan on top of the stove. Service the pudding cut n squares with the extra sauce and custard and/or vanilla ice cream.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Ideal served with panfried marinated duck breasts

Thinly sliced:

Red cabbage

White/green cabbage

Red onion

Grated:

Carrots

Courgette

Optional:

Bean sprouts

Add:

Cashew nuts

Dressing:

Equal quantities of:

Soy Sauce

Japanese Mirin

White vinegar

Add to taste:

Honey

Salt & Pepper

Adjust seasoning by adding more of any of the first 3 ingredients to taste.