Still Cornish - Cornish Pasties

Having written something about Cornwall and using Cornish clotted cream, it didn't let me sleep properly so to say. Somehow I was still in Cornwall, mentally of course, after this post. It was really lovely there.

We met some nice fellows over there - couldn't resist to make contact. They would have loved to escape their "prison" - at least one of them at that time.

Then there were those beautiful houses to inspect, both inside and outside, including beautiful gardens with a lot of colour.
Well there are some kind of encounters she doesn't appreciate. I don't know why!

But the horse was safe this time. Lucy couldn't get it.
What more then can I do apart from looking through my old pictures. Of course, I can cook something. Cornish pasties would be very nice! By the way, there is still some beef in the fridge I need to get rid of.
For the pastry, though, I'm not ready for experimenting. So I think hard, where I have a recipe. Of course, there must be one in Jamie's Great Britain.  I know I can trust him, these things work.
Said and done with 500 g of flour, 250 g butter, pinch of salt and about 200 ml of cold water. Worked well! As expected!

As to the filling then, I have to go my own way, again throwing things I find together to a bowl. Can you spot what I used?

Of course, there is this leftover beef, and maybe you can spot the potatoes and the onions lingering in there. You might even notice tiny bits of cheese. What you might not be able to see in here is the rosemary, salt and pepper. Fair enough! They are quite to small to see on here. The olive oil you don't see as well. Maybe this is due to the fact that I took the picture before adding it. But who knows whether you would spot it if I had it done the other way round. Finally there is the secret ingredient, having something to do with Guinness (of course, if I would tell you, it wouldn't be secret anymore, would it).
Whatever you like in your Cornish Pasties, you would use that, I guess.

So, no big deal! Rolling out the pastry and placing a handful of filling in the middle. I used a bit of egg wash as a glue here.

That doesn't look too bad. It only needs to go to the oven with it's five other friends for 35 minutes at 200°C. 
After that you only have to decide how to eat your Cornish Pasties. That shouldn't be too difficult. I got some salad from my windowsill and some cucumber wedges from the depths of the fridge!

However, will one Cornish Pasty be enough? I will talk about it no more ...

Well, initially, I didn't intend do it, but now this post goes as well to the blog challenge: Best of British.

 

This blog challenge you still can find here (Chocolate Log Blog) and here (The Face of New World Appliances) and here (London Unattached).

Cornish Strawberry-Rhubarb Tiramisu

What a beautiful day! I don’t have to go to work today – an extra day off. I saw even the sun today and was tempted to lie down in the garden, in the sun.

 

It almost felt like holiday! At least a few features were fitting: no work, sun.

Of course having these two features and adding Cornwall to it would make things perfect.

Well it was a great time in Cornwall. There are tons of good memories.

Tintagel castle (with guard dog)

you have a great view from up there

nice fishing villages

the harbour of St. Ives

view from Lands End

the Minack Theatre ...

... with a nice view as well

 

The memories also have to do with food. I can’t remember how many Cornish pasties, but “I had them all!” and would I have had more time, even more.

Well, in between, of course there needs to be time for a good old cream tea with fine Cornish clotted cream.

From the past back to the present.

That brings us also to a blog challenge: Best of British, which features, what a surprise, the region of Cornwall this month.

More about this blog challenge you find here (Chocolate Log Blog) and here (The Face of New World Appliances) and here (London Unattached).

Let's talk food then.

Cornish Strawberry-Rhubarb Tiramisu

What do we need then for this waistline developing dish (if you are careful, nothing might happen, though)?

Let’s talk food then (of course I know that tiramisu is not Cornish, but clotted cream is not Italian).

Ingredients

200 g strawberries

200 g rhubarb

250 g mascarpone

250 g Cornish clotted cream (that is what it makes Cornish)

8 sponge fingers (at least)

one vanilla pod

5 teaspoons of vanilla sugar

one tablespoon of fructose

8 cl of strawberry liqueur (you might meed more when you like to drink during the preparation)

some wild strawberries

50 g of white chocolate

Then do it

Oh, you want me to tell you. Good!

Line a 24 x 24 cm form with the sponge fingers. You can add more in a second layer if you feel like it. 

Use the strawberries and rhubarb to make a nice compote in a pot on a medium heat. Add here also 4 cl of the liqueur (to the pot – and one to yourself if you have to (I’m not encouraging drinking though)) and the fructose. Cook it until the rhubarb starts to melt.

In the meantime whip up the mascarpone and the clotted cream together with the vanilla sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod (if you can get only cheap dry vanilla pods, don’t bother using them). Well, and don’t forget to add 4 cl of the liqueur here as well (yes, I know). You get a slightly pinkish cream.

Spoon the compote over the sponge fingers. Do it carefully, you don’t want to make a mess, do you?

 

If you have managed, you can spoon over the slightly pinkish cream. Then you have to decide, what to do with the remaining cream you didn’t manage to get from the bowl.

Although I got unexpected company in the kitchen, I didn’t do what you might think I did.

(That is Willy. I try to keep an eye on him while his owner is away - EXTRA CHALLENGE! No worries, we get by!)

The whole thing we finish off with some nice wild strawberries I just got fresh from my garden today (while keeping an eye on Willy and Lucy – OK – Molly was also visiting – three dogs – no worries).

Finally or last but not least, grate the white chocolate on top.

Put it as it is in the fridge for a few hours and then indulge!

That should be all then. Now I can continue enjoying my holiday in "Cornwall".