Darina Allen: Traditional desserts for Father's Day after a year of change

And Darina discovers a 'new' treat — have you tried Manchester Tart?

Spotted dog and custard Darina Allen July 19, 2021

The second Father’s Day with a difference is coming up. At least this year there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been such a crazy time for so many families trying to adjust to both dads and mums working from home. This scenario has certainly brought its challenges.

In virtually every household, there have been highs and lows… tempers have flared from time to time as we all scrambled to adjust to the new reality and tried to seem in control in the midst of all the uncertainty and seemingly endless lockdown confusion. It’s been a serious learning curve for each and every one of us. Almost everything has changed in our COVID parallel universe.

Today we celebrate dads who together with mums have had to rise to the challenges of the past year. I chatted to lots of dads and asked what special treat they would love for Father’s Day. It was so funny because they all mentioned traditional desserts of their childhood. 

A new one on me was something called Manchester tart. I had never heard of before — apparently it's a school meals favourite.

Manchester tart

recipe by:Darina Allen

This retro pudding is delicate and fluffy with a creamy custard filling, burst of raspberry jam and sprinkle of desiccated coconut

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 175g plain white flour

• 50g icing sugar

• 90g butter, cubed

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tbsp water or 1 small egg

• For the custard filling:

• 4 eggs

• 75g caster sugar

• 75g custard powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 750ml whole milk

• 180g raspberry jam 

• 50g desiccated coconut

Method

1. Combine the flour and icing sugar. Add the diced butter. Pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Add the beaten egg yolk and water or egg and pulse again for a few seconds until it begins to come together.

3. Turn out onto the worktop and knead lightly to form a smooth pastry. Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Roll out thinly, line the flan ring and chill for a further 15 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5. Line the pastry case with parchment and baking beans. Cook for 25 minutes or until pale golden brown. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. By then the pastry case should be crisp and fully cooked.

6. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.

7. Meanwhile, make the custard. Whisk the eggs with the sugar, custard powder, vanilla extract and 50ml of milk.

8. Heat the remainder of the milk to the shivery stage. Whisk into the custard base. Return to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick and smooth.

9. Spread a layer of jam over the base of the cold tart. Pour the custard evenly over the top. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut. Transfer the tart onto a serving plate. Chill and serve with softly whipped cream.

Jam and custard featured a lot and of course rhubarb and apple pies. This apple and custard pie ticks several boxes and Bumble’s ginger roll is an all-time favourite.

Apple custard pie

recipe by:Darina Allen

Combining a creamy custard into the pie, this delicate apple dessert with a hint of vanilla is perfect with a dollop of ice cream

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 900g Bramley cooking apples

• 2-3 cloves

• 110g caster sugar

• 350g flaky pastry or shortcrust pastry (note different cooking temperatures)

• For the custard:

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 150ml cream

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Peel and core the apples and chop into chunks put them into a pie dish and add sugar and the cloves.

2. Roll the pastry into a sheet 1/8 inch (3mm) thick, cut several thin strips to fit onto the lip of the pie dish. Brush the 'lip' with cold water and press the strips of pastry firmly onto the dish. Brush the pastry strips with cold water and then press the lid of pastry firmly down onto the edges, trim off the excess pastry. Flute the edges and scallop with the back of a knife, cut some pastry leaves from the excess pastry, egg wash the pie, decorate with the pastry leaves. Make a hole in the centre and egg wash again.

3. For the flaky pastry: Preheat the oven to 230°C. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 180°C.  Whisk the egg and sugar together then mix in the cream and vanilla extract. Make a hole in the centre of the pie and pour in the custard, put back into the oven for a further 20-30 minutes or until the custard sets and the apple is fully cooked.

4. For shortcrust pastry: Preheat the oven to180°C for 20 minutes. When the apple is almost cooked (test with a skewer). Whisk the egg and sugar together then mix in the cream and vanilla extract. Make a hole in the centre of the pie and pour in the custard, put back into the oven for a further 20-30 minutes or until the custard sets and the apple is fully cooked.

5. Sprinkle the pastry with a little caster sugar and serve.

So give Dad a big ‘well-done’ hug and make his day by cooking his absolute favourite pud — the way to everyone’s heart.

Happy Father’s Day.

Bumble's ginger roulade

recipe by:Darina Allen

Rich and bursting with a depth of ginger flavour, this roulade is a delicious dessert with a creamy finish

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 27 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 75g butter

• 225g golden syrup or treacle

• 50g caster sugar 

• 110ml hot water

• 110g plain white flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 egg

• 300ml softly whipped cream

• 50g chopped crystallised ginger 

• icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Barely melt the butter, golden syrup or treacle and sugar with the water.

3. Mix flour and baking powder and spice together in a bowl.

4. When the liquids have melted and cooled, add the flour, spice and egg yolk.

5. Lastly, whisk the egg white until they reach a stiff peak and fold gently into the other ingredients.

6. Pour into the lined Swiss roll tin and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool.

7. Turn out onto a sheet of silicone paper which has been dredged with icing sugar. Fill with softly whipped cream and crystalised ginger and roll up. Transfer to a serving plate, decorate with a few rosettes of whipped cream and crystallised ginger.

Spotted dog

recipe by:Darina Allen

With a generous dollop of homemade custard, this retro dessert with a zesty twist is bursting with sultanas and a gentle hint of vanilla

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 20 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 75g yellow sultanas

• 110g butter, at room temperature

• 110g caster sugar

• grated rind of 1/2 unwaxed lemon

• 2 eggs

• 175g plain flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1-2 tbsp milk

• 15g butter for greasing the pudding bowl

• For the custard:

• 1/2 vanilla pod or a few drops pure vanilla extract

• 300ml rich milk

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Method

1. Brush the pudding bowl with melted butter. Press some of the sultanas or seeded and split raisins around the sides.

2. Cream the butter, add the sugar and lemon rind and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in the flour and baking powder and enough milk to make the mixture just loose enough to drop from a spoon, add the remainder of the fruit.

5. Spoon into the pudding bowl. Cover with a pleated piece of double greaseproof paper or foil and tie down. (The paper is pleated to allow for expansion.) Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, put in the pudding bowl, the water should come halfway up the sides. Cover and steam for 2 hours. Check the water level regularly to make sure the water doesn’t boil off.

6. Meanwhile, make the homemade custard. Put the vanilla pod into the cold milk and bring slowly to the boil.

7. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl.

8. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour the milk onto the yolks, whisking all the time, (add the pure vanilla extract if using), return to the saucepan. Stir over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon, careful it must not boil. Pour into a cold bowl and stir occasionally as it cools.

Treacle tart

recipe by:Darina Allen

An all-time favourite, this treacle tart with a pretty pastry lattice is bursting with intensely rich flavour and a encased by delicate shortcrust pastry

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 55 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the shortcrust pastry:

• 225g plain flour

• 110g butter

• 1 egg 

• For the filling:

• 400g golden syrup

• 150g fine white breadcrumbs

• 2 lemons, zest and juice

• 1  egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour, rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2. Whisk the egg with 2 teaspoons of cold water and add enough to bind the mixture. But do not make the pastry too wet — it should come away cleanly from the bowl. Flatten into a round and wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

4. Using 150g of the pastry (save the rest for the lattice top, cover and chill until needed), roll out thinly on a lightly floured worktop and use it to line a 23cm flan tin. Line with kitchen or greaseproof paper and fill to the top with dried beans. Rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.

5. Bake the tart base blind for about 25 minutes or until pale and golden, remove the beans and paper. Brush the pre-baked tart shell with a little beaten egg and pop back into the oven for 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked. Cool.

6. Be careful not to overcook because if this pastry gets too brown, it will be bitter, hard and unappetising.

7. Place the reserved pastry for the lattice top on cling film and roll out thinly. Egg wash the pastry and set aside to chill in the fridge (the cling film makes it easier to move later). Do not cut into strips at this stage. Do not egg wash the strips once they are on the tart as it will dribble into the treacle mixture.

8. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the syrup gently in a sauté pan. When the syrup has melted, add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and the finely-grated zest to the syrup. If the mixture looks too runny, add a few more breadcrumbs. Cool for a few minutes. Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.

9. Take the reserved pastry from the fridge and cut into 1cm wide strips. Make them longer than the edges of the tart tin. Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, lattice the top of the tart pressing each strip down at the edge to create a neat finish.

10. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden and the filling is set. Remove the tart from the oven and allow leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.

Hot Tips

Why not treat your Dad to a Father’s Day gift of a Ballymaloe Cookery School Online Course: There's a ‘Dads Do Dinner Cookalong with Rachel Allen and Andrew Lahart’ on Wednesday, June 23 from 5.30pm - 7pm.

Andrew Lahart, best known for his Bullet Proof Dad fitness program, has joined up with Rachel Allen but this time to focus on the food.

This cookalong is aimed at luring busy Dads into the kitchen to have fun and become more involved in what the family eat.

Andrew will be online to provide nutritional information and some advice about what and when to eat as part of a training schedule.

cookingisfun.ie

Learn to grow 12 vegetables in 12 weeks with GIY (Grow It Yourself Ireland)

It's such a brilliant feeling to put some of your own home-grown food on the table. This large-sized GROWBox is the perfect accompaniment to the online version of GIY’s popular course, ‘How Food Grows’ — which is free with every purchase of this GROWBox (€39.99). It includes everything you need to follow Mick throughout the 12 weeks including seeds, pencil, notepad and plant labels, pots/trays, compost discs, seaweed feed and a little grow your own guide.

giy.ie

Midleton Farmers Market celebrates 21 Years of Trading

Midleton Farmers Market stallholders are celebrating 21 years of selling a huge selection of local produce to local people. Bouquets of home-grown flowers, organic vegetables and fruit, multi-ethnic food, seafood, lobsters, farmhouse cheese, home baking, gluten-free options, artisan bread and smoked fish, organic raw milk, local pork sausages, spit-roasted chicken, salads, Summer currants and berries from Rose Cottage, apples and freshly pressed juice from Little Orchard and a tantalising choice of take out…from tacos to Fizzy’s utterly delicious Ethiopian vegetarian and vegan dishes and so much more.

Every Saturday from 9am – 2pm on the Fair Green.

Wild Food of the Week

Frothy elderflowers are everywhere….

It’s late this year but at last the elderflowers are blooming in the hedgerows. Pick them when dry, infuse 4-5 heads in 1 litre of cold water and 300g (10oz) of sugar and bring slowly to the boil. Allow to macerate until cold, add the juice of 3 lemons and use as a base for a spritzy elderflower lemonade with sparkling water — taste and add more sparkling water if necessary. The syrup will keep refrigerated for weeks.