Eamon Sullivan's Chocolate Delice

For Christmas last year (it feels funny calling it last year when it was less than a month ago), I volunteered to make dessert for my family's Christmas lunch. It was a toss up between a Bouche de Noel and a chocolate delice, both of which I have made for Christmas once before. After careful consideration I decided that chocolate is always the answer, so I went with the chocolate delice.

Chocozumbo macarons

During my recent whip around the countryside post Christmas, I stayed for a few nights with my sister. Her teenage son asked me a few weeks ago if I could help him out with a batch of macarons, so of course I had to say yes!

My Mystery Pastry Lemon Tartlets

I've been longing for lemon tarts recently, and have been looking for an opportunity to get into the kitchen without any interruptions to make some lemon curd and some little pastry cases.

Such an opportunity arose this afternoon. I had vaguely remembered seeing some leftover pastry from something lurking in the freezer. Don't ask me what it was from. I don't remember putting it there. My dear husband denies any knowledge of it either. Whatever it was from, I was pretty sure that I could make it work as a dainty pastry shell for my little lemon tarts.

Pastry circles all rolled out ready to go...

While the pastry was defrosting I quickly made my lemon curd. I used this recipe from Taste.com.au. Now, onto the pastry! As I was rolling it out I had a bit of a taste test. I'm pretty sure that it has yeast in it. It was quite springy, and a bit sweet. Blind baking was a must to stop this yeasty, springy pastry from puffing up too much. I baked the cases in a mini muffin tray that I "borrowed" from my mother in law (I don't think I've told her that I have it yet). About 15 minutes in a 200 degree oven seemed about right for cooking time, although those cases that were rolled a bit thinner do seem just a little browner than the rest.