Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Bad Habit Cafe, Daylesford

I should now go back to where I left it a month ago. Daylesford. Want to write about this place we had our lunch. Bad Habits Cafe is located right inside The Convent Gallery, which is just a short drive from the Sunday market.


The cafe is just next to the art gallery and you can see they deco the place with small red umbrellas along the walkway.


Pretty nice and cosy place, and we managed to get this quiet corner for our sittings. I was captivated by the pastel coloured wall and how well the seats and table blend in, creating a mood for this picture.


It was too late to order brekkie, and therefore we jumped right into their lunch menu. I ordered Steak sandwich with their local made sourdough and Peppered beef fillet pie with Tomato Relish, Chat Potatoes and Garden Salad for my wife.


The steak sandwich was average to me. But the sourdough is certainly good.


But this fillet pie is definitely good. We rate it 9 out of 10. So if you have a chance to go to Daylesford, you must give it a try. Overall the food is not bad and the dining experience is good.

Here's their food menu:

Bad Habits Cafe
Cnr. Hill & Daly St, Daylesford
Ph: +61 3 5348 3211
Fax: +61 3 5348 3339



Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Lemon Curd Tart

It's been awhile since I last posted something. Was really busy the last couple of weeks. Today I just want to post this recipe which I tried last weekend, incase I lost it. It is my favourite desert, Lemon Curd Tart.


I will divide this recipe into 2 parts. 

First Part: Making of the Tart Crust (for a 9 inch tart crust).
Here's the required ingredients:
1) 1 and half cup of all-purpose flour.
2) Half cup of caster sugar. I saw some recipes uses brown sugar as well.
3) 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4) 9 tablespoons or 4 and half ounces very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
5) 1 large egg.



Now pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl (food processor will be best). Drop in small pieces of butter into the mix. The butter will be coarsely cut via this process. Stir in the egg, little at a time until all butter is in the mix. Bring the formed dough out to a work bench and very lightly and sparingly, knead it just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped. Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic, for about 2 hours (I was lazy, I only chill it for an hour) before rolling. You can choose to put them in freezer (10-15 mins).

While the dough is being chill, you can actually start working on the Lemon Curd mix. 

Second Part: Lemon Curd Mix.
Ingredients required:
1) 3 large eggs.
2) 1/3 cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons).
3) 3/4 cup sugar.
4) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces.
5) 1 tablespoon lemon zest. You can put more if you like, I definitely put more than 1 tablespoon, cause I love lemons.




In a stainless steel bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, whisk eggs, lemon juice and sugar. Cook, constantly stirring, until mixture becomes thick (8-10 mins). Then bring the mixture out from heat and slowly mix the butter. Finally the lemon zest. Allow mixture to cool.

Now the dough should be ready to roll. Oil the 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom using butter. Now roll the dough to 1/2 cm thickness, add flour if needed. Then fit the dough to tart pan, patch up any cracks. You may then freeze the completed dough in freezer for 15-20 mins for it to retain its shape. 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Then baked the tart for 12-15 min, when it is slightly brown you are ready for lemon curb mixture. (You may need a tin to weight down the tart base during baking, incase it gets bloated). Now set the oven temperature to 160 degrees celsius, pour in the lemon curd mixture and allow it to baked for another 8-15 mins.


Now bring out the tart, allow it to cool to room temperature (if not tart will crack) before putting it into the fridge. Best is to leave over night in fridge. Sprinkle some icing sugar when serving. I can't find my, so I use caster sugar instead. But what's really important is the lemon, so who cares about the sugar.


Now you can have Lemon Curd tart for desert. And for me, no more spending money outside to eat them.