Bee’s Kitchen

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From Wikipedia:

The pitaya (also known as pitahaya, dragon fruit, huǒ lóng guǒ, strawberry pear, nanettikafruit, or thanh long) is the fruit of several cactus species, especially of the genus Hylocereus, but also see Stenocereus. Native to Mexico and Central and South America, these vine-like epiphytic cacti are also cultivated in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. They are also found in Taiwan, Okinawa, Israel, and southern China. The pitaya only flowers at night; they are large white flowers that are often called Moonflower or Queen of the Night.

The species Stenocereus gummosus in the Sonoran desert has been an important food source for Native American peoples. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the highly appreciated fruit of the pitaya agria (Spanish), which the Seris call ziix is ccapxl “thing whose fruit is sour”.

• The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants.
• The bonsai version of pitaya plants can be found in flower markets in Taiwan.
• The pitaya fruit is rich in vitamins.
• The pitaya fruit helps the digestive process.
• The pitaya fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes.
• The pitaya fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
• Consumed regularly the pitaya fruit can help against asthma and cough.
• The pitaya fruit can be grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

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During Christmas I had a bit of fun experimenting with making chocolate truffles, they’re beautifully rich and delicious treats and a lovely gift idea too.

I went with the traditional chocolate ganache centres (made with chocolate and cream), and decorated most with a thin shell of hard chocolate coating.

A few days ago, Edith emails me a recipe for Portuguese Custard Tarts I was thinking, okay I’ll try this one out later in the week. So here I am, coming out of hiding with a successful batch, a group of happy guinea pigs, and a long overdue post.

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Preparation Time – 30 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 12

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3/4 cup cream
1/2 cup water
1 strip of lemon rind
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 sheet ready made puff pastry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to hot, 220 degrees Celsius. Grease a 12 hole (1/3 cup/80mL) muffin pan.

2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a small saucepan until combined. Gradually whisk in the cream and water until smooth. Add the lemon rind, stir over medium heat until the mixture boil and thickens. Remove pan from the heat, remove and discard the rind, stir in the vanilla essence and then transfer the custard to a medium-sized bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools).

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3. Cut the puff pastry in half, stack the two halves on top of each other and then roll the pastry up tightly, and cut the log into twelve 1cm rounds. Lay pastry cut side up and roll each round to about 10cm width using a rolling pin. Press the rounds into the prepared muffin pans with your fingers.

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4. Transfer spoonfuls of the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until browned well. Stand tarts for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Tastes best when served fresh!