What is egg wash? I’m often asked about egg washes at cookery demos. To make one, I use 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of cold water and beat well with a fork. Brush onto raw baked goods just before they go into the oven and perhaps again three quarters of the way through baking.
Ingredients
For The Pastry
- 150g plain flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- 50g chilled butter, diced
- 1 egg yolk
For The Filling
- 100g chocolate
- 120ml double cream
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- 3 pieces crystallised ginger, chopped
- 3 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts and crystallised ginger, to decorate
Method
Catherine says: “Macadamia nuts are wonderfully creamy and one of my favourites. Cashew nuts are a good alternative if you can’t find macadamias. When I say that these are delicious, believe me, that’s an understatement! I love them (in moderation of course, because I’m supposed to be eating healthily this year!)”
- Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C, gas 5). Brush 6 loosebased tartlet tins with melted butter and dust with flour.
- To prepare the pastry, place the flour, cocoa powder and icing sugar in a bowl and add the butter. Rub it into the flour to form fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg yolk to make a soft pastry. Add a little water if you feel the dough is too dry. Allow to rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Roll the pastry out thinly and use a large, round fluted cutter to make circles of pastry and carefully fit into the muffin tray.
- Line each pastry with a little square of parchment and fill with baking beans. Chill in the fridge again for about 20 minutes.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and baking beans.
- Brush the pastry cases with egg wash and return to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, place the chocolate, cream and ground ginger into a medium saucepan over a medium heat and slowly melt the chocolate, stir well until all is combined, thick and glossy.
- Allow the chocolate to cool and thicken, this will take about 30 minutes or so.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle the nuts and crystallised ginger into the base of the pastry cases and spoon the chocolate mix into the tartlet cases.
- When set, sprinkle the ginger and macadamia nuts on top.
Note:
"I'm often asked about egg washes at cookery demos. To make one, I use 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of cold water and beat well with a fork. Brush onto raw baked goods just before they go into the oven and perhaps again three quarters of the way through baking."
