French with Nicole

  Two French sisters who run the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte- Beuvron created the tarte Tatin accidentally. Stepanie Tatin was renowned locally for her beautiful crusty caramelised tarts. The legend says that during a very busy service, she placed the tart upside down in the oven and was surprised by the guest’s positive reaction as she served the strange dessert. The tart gained its popularity when it appeared on the famous Maxim’s Restaurant menu.   Serves 4 Cooking time: 1h10   Ingredients 900gr (about 6) Braeburn apples 100 g caster sugar 60 g unsalted chilled butter diced 30 g unsalted melted butter 300 g all butter puff pastry   Method On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 3 mm thickness and cut out a 25 cm circle (use a plate as a template). Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking tray, cover and freeze whilst preparing the apples Pre-heat the oven to 180 C Peel, core and cut the apples into quarters Place the sugar in a 20

It is often said that wine and cheese go wonderfully well together but how about pairing gin with cheese? Try this slightly different version of a French 75 cocktail to accompany your cheese tray for a tasty alternative. As a quick reminder, the classic French 75 cocktail was named after the 75mm M1987 artillery gun used in the WW1 – the gun was not only known for its speed but also for its kick! Ingredients: 35 ml gin 15 ml lemon juice 10 ml honey syrup * 100 ml sparkling wine 2 dashes orange bitters (optional) Lemon or orange peel to garnish Method : Add the first 3 ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a champagne glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a large piece of lemon or orange peel and the optional orange bitters. *to make the honey syrup, add 50 ml of boiling water to 250 ml honey, stir to combine and store in the fridge  For the perfect cheese tray