So rather than aimless rambling today, I've been tagged to do a meme by Pixie at You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto! Thanks Pixie, and if you've not been on her blog, do!
These are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them). 4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their Blogs.
So here are a few things about me!
1. One of my more bizarre habits is looking at my friends, or other people I love, and thinking about all the things I want to cook for them. (I.e. 'Oh, she loves cheesecake, I'll have to make this one for her...'). I admitted this over lunch at school once, and after my friends stopped laughing (so, about twenty minutes) they told me it was adorable X__X . I think I just show affection through food - there are a few recipes that I'll only make for people if I really love them, heh. See below.
2. I got an interview to do English Literature at Oxford University at the end of last year. It went okay, but I didn't get a place (there were eight places at the college I applied for, and about fifty people had interviews. God knows how many people applied). So I'm probably going to uni at Southampton in October =]
3. I adore everything about Japan (I went there with a friend last summer) and want to live there some day. Occasionally I feel achingly homesick for it, which is pretty ironic seeing as I was only in the country ten days, haha.
4. I've been planning a novel since I was about twelve and want to get it published one day. Obviously it doesn't bear much resemblance to the twelve-year-old version, but it's grown into something I'm pretty proud of. I'm still not done planning though - it's turned into a bit of an epic, heh.
5. I hate the winter (I have SAD) and was obviously not at all pleased to get up yesterday thinking, 'ah, the first of February! The worst is over!' and open the blind on my skylight to find snow outside. Hopefully it'll get lighter soon and I won't have to wait til the weekends to have natural light for photographs!
I'd like to tag Ellie at Kitchen Wench, Ovenhaven at Epicurian Escapism, R Khooks at R Khooks, Jessica at Su Good Sweets, and Jennifer at Bake Or Break. Obviously you don't have to do it unless you want to!
This recipe happens to be one of the things I often think of when pondering what I'd like to make for someone. My gran used to make these (I'm going in for my gran's recipes a lot recently, aren't I?) so I like to make these for my mum, along with a cup of tea, or when I'm feeling nostalgic. Tea is pretty much the answer to everything, in my view.
Despite the name and appearance, these are NOT Bakewell Tarts, and don't taste anything like them - SO many people, when I offer them one, say, 'no, I don't like Bakewell Tarts'. This enrages me, haha, because they really really don't know what they're missing. TRY them. Give them away if you don't like them, but you will =P. These slices are pretty much the greatest expression of love I can give.
Almond Slices
Family recipe from my Gran
Base:
225g (8oz) plain flour
170g (6oz) butter
60g (2oz) ground almonds
60g (2oz) caster sugar
2 egg yolks
Raspberry jam
Top:
115g (4oz) ground almonds
170g (6oz) caster sugar
2 egg whites
1. Mix dry ingredients for the base in a bowl, rub in butter and mix with egg yolks. Knead together into a soft dough, then place in a flat tin, pressing flat and into the corners with your fingertips (she doesn't say what size, typically, but we use a rectangular slice tin).
2. Spread the base with raspberry jam (a couple of heaped tablespoons should be enough, but depends how much jam you want). Mix the ground almonds, sugar and egg whites for the base together and spread this over the jam, being careful not to get them mixed together.
3. Bake for about 20mins at 200C until the meringue-like topping turns golden. Leave to cool a little while before cutting into slices, but they taste best eaten still slightly warm ^__^
Now you see it...
...Now you don't!
12 comments:
Lovely sounding recipe. I was glad to read it had ground almond and not coconut in it :) I'll be sure to give it a try.
Lovely blog and great photos!
Fascinating facts about you Indigo, thanks for sharing and participating.
Also, love your family recipes, they are to treasure always. Keep them coming! (and be brave join the Daring Bakers :) )
I looooooove slices, I never knew what a bakewell tart was till I started reading food blogs, I just assumed everything that looked like this was a jam slice!
Thanks for the tag hon, but I did this meme awhile ago and am not particularly huge on memes in general (>_<) But thanks for the thought :)
these look really good! i love that you make and share your gran's recipes!
Sweetrosie- thanks! I'm not very confident with my photography so that's nice to hear, heh =]
Pixie - I'm still veering between will I/won't I on the DB front... maybe one day I'll take you by surprise =P
Ellie - I just remember having Bakewell Tarts when I was younger and always hating them ^__^. But these are godly. No worries on the meme front, I know some people find them annoying.
Steph - thankyou! I have a bit of a weakness for her recipe books to be honest; I have to translate them from imperial to metric and try and decode her handwriting, and she always leaves out crucial instructions/temperatures/timings/ingredients... but somehow it's part of its charm!
I would love one of those slices right now. I actually love bakewell tarts so am hoping they might be just a teeny, tiny bit like them?!
Antonia - Maybe a teeny tiny bit =P. They're based on the same general idea, but probably these are less over-whelmingly sweet, since the icing is replaced with the meringue-y topping ^__^. Give them a try, anyway!
how many slices does this recipe make?
Do you slightly whisk the egg whites before mixing in the almonds and sugar ?
Anonymous - I can't remember how many I cut this into, sorry. Maybe 12?
Over whisking the egg whites, again I've not made these in ages, but I'm pretty sure you don't - I copied the directions straight from my gran's recipe, but I think you just mix in the almonds and sugar and spread it over the top =].
I've just made these and eaten a slice - DEVINE - I have hold myself back otherwise I'll eat it all in one go! only problem was that the eggwhite topping puffed up while baking which meant that it didn't look so perfect afterwards!
This is the first time I leave a comment for a recipe but it would feel very ungrateful not to :)My husband and kids loved it, so it's a regular one now for me. And the fact it came from your grandma makes it all sweeter. Thanks so much for sharing. Julia from NZ.
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