An Upside Down Tart

I've made this tart a few times now and it is delicious! It's an upside down honeyed pear and  macadamia tart. It was a recepie I spotted being made on the Lifestyle Food Channel some years ago, so Googled and found it in writing. I've tried Googling now to share the recepie, but I seem to be having trouble finding this particular one. Lucky I saved to my favourite recepie book at the time.

It's taken me a few goes to get it right, and it can be a bit tricky as it needs to turn upside down at just the right time. Too hot and it goes everywhere, too cold and it sticks and will not come out of it's cooking dish.

 Its started off with butter, honey and lime zest, melted and placed in a foil lined tart tray. Then there is the layer of pears. Finally there is the base mix of blitzed macadamia nuts, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and more lime zest. The lime zest gives it a lively zing ! It's baked in the oven, then left to sit for a while before tuning out.

I find it best served with some whipped cream and a lime syrup. Yummy!

Little Orange and Chocolate Tarts

Last week we were given a whole bag of oranges. We get them every year from one of my husband's squash partners. When we do get them, there is usually a lot of different orange flavoured things on the menu. This was the second batch for the year, and as I had already made a batch of marmalade, I needed to do something different.

I searched on-line for orange desserts, and found a recipe for a chocolate and orange tart. I must add here that it was delicious, especially with fresh strawberries and blue berries. For this recipe I needed orange curd, and that meant I had to make it. No worries, it was easy enough, I just had a jar of it left over after making the tart. What to do with it?

Back when I was a child my Mother would make a batch of little sweet pastry tart cases, then fill them with lemon curd when needed for afternoon tea. So I had an idea that I could make little sweet pastry cases and fill them with orange curd. Then I had another idea that I could top them with a chocolate ganache. Mmmm......... an interesting idea that needs some work.

The little sweet tart cases were fine, but the orange curd was soft. It was a nice spreading consistency for toast, and went into the little tart cases OK, it just wasn't good when I went to spread the chocolate ganache on the top. With the first one, I tried to spread the ganache, but dumped that idea very quickly as the orange curd and ganache mixed together. From then on I just dolloped the ganache on the top. The prettiness may not be there, but gee the taste is. One little mouthful of yummyness.

Would I make them again? Yes, but differently. Maybe the ganache could go on the bottom of the tart, be left to set, then the orange curd added to the top. Something to think about.

I must show you my little tart tins too that I used to make them. This one was my mothers, and has been well used. I have others that I have bought that have that same shell shape on the bottom too, so can make many at the same time. It's a shape that I have not seen in a very long time. I'll treasure this one for as long as I can.