I was set a challenge this weekend. My good friend Muss was inspired by the film Grease and requested an 'Eskimo Pie' for our Saturday girls night in dessert. I had never heard of Eskimo pie before and so I had to clarify what she was expecting. The answer: Ice cream completely encased in shortcrust pastry - a bit like a pastry bomb. After a bit of head scratching and internet surfing I realised it could be done but would be more a case of assemblage than baking!

The first thing I had to do was blind bake a shortcrust pastry case using baking beads to weigh down the pie shell. I also baked a flat pastry top on a baking sheet with another baking sheet weighing it down to use as a lid. When this had cooled I softened some vanilla ice cream and mixed through some fresh raspberries. Working fast so the ice cream didn't melt, I spooned it into the pastry case and swirled through melted milk chocolate (Dairy Milk of course). The lid was then placed on top and the whole thing placed back in the baking tin to protect it in the freezer. A few wraps of cling film and a final layer of foil protected the pastry from freezer burn. 4 hours in the freezer and it was ready to transport to Catford (with the help of some ice packs)

At the end of dinner we removed the pie from the freezer and the pan and  left it on a plate for 20 minutes to allow the pastry to thaw slightly. I'd like to say at this point we ignored the pie and carried on having a raucous time but in all honesty we sat with the pie in the middle of the table, staring and salivating for 20 minutes... When the time was up I said a silent prayer and attempted to cut a slice. To my surprise it actually held together quite well. The pastry was nicely thin so it had thawed well and the flavour combination meant it was a bit like eating a raspberry shortcake dessert. The verdict: well, I'm a little ashamed to say the four of us ate the whole pie which probably says it all...

Sorry for the long break in posts. We have been away for our annual holiday in Spain. It bit manic with a 2.5yr old but a lovely break from the daily routine. So, not much cake has been made but lots in the diary so watch this space.

In the meantime here's a picture of Eloise enjoying a Spanish delicacy -  Churros. Check out my old blog posts to find out more about churros.

Sorry for the slack update on the butterscotch tart but it was probably my least favourite dessert ever (excluding anything banana flavoured) so i have not been in a hurry to report my findings. However, feedback reveals it tasted exactly how it is supposed to taste, so i guess it was a success. In fact everyone cleared their plates... beyond me as to why. Apparently it has something to do with school dinners. As i was always a packed lunch child his could explain the mystery.

So to recap the pastry case was a bit of a disaster because the sides shrunk down and i did slightly over bake it so it was more like a biscuit than pastry - but no soggy bottom so Mary should be proud.

I then heated up butter and milk and when it was boiling added soft brown sugar and a little flour. After a severe beating and much head scratching i allowed it to cool then spread over the pasty case and refrigerated.

A little gold shimmer just before serving finished it off along with the obligatory birthday candle. After Chris the kiddies had a turn to blow out the candle and I served with whipped cream (although i was informed custard would have been more appropriate and may have helped warm up the rather cold butterscotch) Suffice to say i will not be rushing to make this tart again!

This evening was all about baking butterscotch tart for my husband's birthday meal tomorrow. I make cakes so pastry is not my thing. I did what any good wife would do in this situation and bought ready made pastry from the supermarket! I did roll out the sweet shortcrust pastry myself to line my new tart tin...

As recommended I popped the pastry case in the freezer for 20 mins, lined it with baking paper and baking beads then blind baked for 15 mins.

And this happened... Shrunk pastry. Why!!! I don't understand why it has slid down the pan side and given me this weird, uneven edge. Clearly I am going to say I'm going for the rustic look but I'd like to know why this happened for future tarts. Someone is probably tutting as they read this muttering & 'this wouldn't have happened if you'd made your own pastry'...

The butterscotch is now cooling after I completely winged it over the hob (I can't stand the stuff so have no idea how to make it and for the first time in the history of man the internet appears to only have 3 recipes for butterscotch tart and each one is different. So i went for the one with the least ingredients) I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Sorry for the break in blog posts. I took my daughter to Spain on holiday and whilst there got to enjoy one of my favourite Spanish customs - Churros!

Churros are Spanish doughnuts which are fried until they become crunchy. They are long tube like shapes which can be straight, curled or twisted. They are traditionally served with super thick hot chocolate for dunking or sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe with a star-shaped nozzle.

In Spanish markets churros are often sold by street vendors, who fry them freshly and sell them hot covered in sugar. For 1 euro you get a huge bag full of greasy, hot, sugary doughnutty goodness. They always reminds me of the doughnut sellers on Brighton pier but half the price for twice as many!

Personally I only like churros hot as they are very chewy once they cool down. Eloise didn't seem to mind what temperature they were and scoffed most of our bag.