Showing posts with label pine nuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pine nuts. Show all posts

20110610

Spinach and pine nut pies

900g spinach, washed or 500g frozen
30g butter
1 brown oinon, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
5 sprigs dill, finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
265g fresh ricotta (don't use smooth ricotta as it will be too runny)
30g parmesan, grated
30g pine nuts, toasted
2 eggs
salt and black pepper to season
8 puff pastry sheets
2 tbsp sesame seeds
tzatziki, pomegranate molasses or tomato sauce to serve

1. Preheat oven to 225C. Blanch spinach in boiling water for 2 mins. Drain well into colander, pressing to squeeze out any excess moisture. Roughly chop and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add oinon and garlic, and cook for 6 minutes or until soft. Add dill and spinach, stir to combine, then add nutmeg to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add ricotta, parmesan, nuts and 1 egg to bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Put remaining egg in a small bowl and whisk to make an egg wash.
4. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Cut 4x10cm diameter circles from each pastry sheet. Brush 16 circles with egg wash. Divide spinach mix between circles, leaving a 1 cm border. Top with remaining 16 circles. Press edges together with your fingers, then press firmly with a fork. Put pies on prepared trays. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake pies for 15 mins or until golden and puffed. Cool for 5 mins, then serve with sauce of choice.

20110602

pine nut biscuits

1 cup plain flour
1 cup polenta
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup pine nuts
125g unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
extra flour, for kneading
extra 1 cup pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Combine flour, polenta, sugar and pine nuts in a large bowl. Combine butter, eggs and vanilla in a large jug. Add butter mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surgace and gently knead until mixture comes together to form a dough. Form dough into a disc shape. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 mins.
2. Using a 1 tbsp of dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Put balls, 5cm apart, on prepared trays. Sprinkle extra pine nuts over top of each ball, the press each down to flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15-20 min or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.