Apple Tarts (or apple pies) are serious business in Ireland. Most Irish people will claim that their mother or their granny makes the best apple tart. Both my grannies always made amazing apple tarts. I think the secret was lots of butter and apples fresh from the trees. Continue Reading…
Ferrero rocher sweets were the type of chocolates that only ever appeared on special occasions. Advertisers would have us believe that they were served at Ambassador’s receptions and reserved for the finest of company. Continue Reading…
Carrying on from my Rose Apple Tarts, I decided to make a similar savoury version using bright coloured vegetables – courgettes, carrots and aubergines. It turned out to be very pretty, but it did take a lot of work and patience! It’s a good one to make if you have a glut of vegetables in the summer, and a bit of time on your hands 🙂 Continue Reading…
You may not know it, but, the 6th of April is in fact Tartan Day. It’s a day to celebrate Scottish heritage and a day for the Scottish diaspora all over the world to celebrate tartan and Scottish culture. April 6th marks the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath which confirmed Scotland’s status as an independent sovereign state. During the 18th century there was an attempt to ban tartan in an effort to bring warrior clans under control. Thankfully it never happened and tartan remains as popular as ever today. As a McDonald, I feel I should pay some attention to my roots and wanted to celebrate this quirky feast day with some food. I think Tartan Day is a great way to wear some beautiful colours, cook up some Scottish food and celebrate our ancestors. So what better way to celebrate tartan day, than with a tart. A wee tartan tart *to be said in a Scottish accent*.
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There’s something about Mary Berry. She’s the kind of cook that stands the test of time and produces recipes that can always be relied on. My mother’s favourite cookbook at home was the old Hamlyn cookbook and Mary Berry was one of the books contributing authors. Mary’s recipes were the ones we always used, her tarts, cakes and pies were always the crispest, the lightest and the tastiest. On the inside cover of the old Hamlyn cookbook there is a black and white photo of Mary as a young cook, she was quite a stunner in her day and still looks great. Mary’s career continues to thrive and her talent and charisma have wowed a whole new generation of bakers on the Great British Bake off. Mary Berry is somewhat of a baking icon and the kind of person you’d love to share a cup of tea and a slice of cake with. Continue Reading…
Warning! These tarts are ridiculously easy to make and highly addictive. Stop reading now, if you, like me, have no willpower. These creamy custardy tarts are taken from a recipe by Bill Granger. They are amazing with a little apple sauce and crème fraiche on the side. I first had these tarts on holiday in Portugal and couldn’t get enough of them. I always thought they would be really fiddly to make, but it turns out, they are a piece of cake.
You can find some of my favorite gluten-free recipes in my eBook available from Amazon.
I'm Vicky and Stasty is my simple and tasty food recipe blog. I love to cook and I love to talk about food, so this blog is really my ramblings and thoughts about cooking and eating. Some of the recipes are my own and some are ones that I found on the net or picked up from my favorite cookbooks. I cook everything in our little kitchen in beautiful Washington. I am aided and abetted by my I.T guru/tantrum-trouble-shooter/editor and chief-taster otherwise known as the OH or Nelius.