One of our favourite recipes for easy summer entertaining this light, fresh and creamy Strawberry and Almond Torte, you can dress it up or down to suit your occasion, wither way it will leave yu wanting for more!

 

4 eggs                                                                  10ml baking powder

250ml castor sugar                                               1ml salt

5ml vanilla essence                                              30g margarine

280ml cake flour                                                   125ml milk

125 ml of Ground Almonds

Pre-heat oven to 180^o C. Grease and flour two 20cm cake tins.

Bring the margarine and milk to the boil. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until they begin to froth and are light. Slowly pour in the sugar, beating all the time. Add the vanilla, beat for a few seconds, then add the baking powder. Add the sifted cake flour and ground Almonds, the hot milk alternately: this must only take a few seconds. Do not overbeat the mixture. Pour into the Flan tin, taps the tin to release any large air pockets and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

CREME PATISSIERE

One quarter of a vanilla bean or                       2 large eggs

5ml vanilla essence                                          2 large egg yolks

600ml milk                                                      150g sugar

35g flour                                                         35g cornstarch

125ml Frangelica Liquer

 

Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place seeds and pod in a two litre saucepan with the milk and bring to a simmer. Take care not to let the milk boil over. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour and cornstarch with a whisk until lemon-coloured and smooth. Slowly pour in half of the simmering milk, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Pour custard back into the saucepan and blend with the remaining milk until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the creme patissiere to the boil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.

The creme should already be quite thick. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer, stirring constantly and vigorously with a wire whisk, until the creme no longer has a raw flour taste ( about 2 – 3 minutes). The finished creme should be very thick and completely smooth add Frangelico and pour the mixture into the centre of the Flan and smooth out and garnish the top of the flan with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.