For the coffee part, I made up a batch of caramel sauce, with a strong kick of coffee added.Then, for the walnut, I made a walnut frangipane, using blitzed walnuts, and added in some walnut pieces to sit between the caramel and the frangipane, to give some crunchy textures...it all sits in a sweetcrust pastry case.
Coffee and Walnut Frangipane Slices
Coffee Caramel Ingredients
- 200g caster sugar
- 125ml water
- 100g butter
- 100g double cream
- 4tsp instant coffee (to taste, but you want it pretty strong)
- 3-4tbsp milk
1) Dissolve the coffee into the milk. Use as little milk as possible
2) Place the sugar and water into a clean pan over a low heat
3) Heat until the sugar has melted, then bring to the boil
4) Continue to boil until the mixture begins to turn a deep golden brown colour (but be careful not to let it burn)
5) Remove from the heat, and whisk in the butter, then the cream, then the coffee mixture
6) Return to the heat while whisking until it just starts to boil again (this just thickens it up)
7) Pour into a glass jar and allow to cool
Sweet-crust Pastry Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 120g butter
- 120g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- Chilled water
2) Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
3) Add the egg while still mixing
4) Slowly add the water until a dough begins to form
5) Turn the mixture out onto a cool surface, and knead a couple of times to form a smooth dough
6) Wrap in cling-film and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
7) Pre-heat the oven to 190'C
9) Line the tin with the pastry, allowing the extra to hang over the edges.
10) Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork
11) Line the pastry with cling-film, and add in baking beans/dry rice
12) Bake in the oven for 12 minutes
13) Remove the cling-film and baking beans, and return to the oven for another 5-6 minutes to dry and cook the base
14) Remove to a wire rack
15) While it it still hot, add 4-5 tbsp of the coffee caramel to the pastry, and allow it to melt and spread out evenly across the base
16) Turn the oven down to 170'C
Frangipane Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g ground walnuts (I used walnut pieces that had been blitzed in a food processor)
- 2 eggs
- 50g plain flour
1) Put the butter and sugar into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment
2) Beat until light and soft
3) Add the 2 eggs, and beat in thoroughly
4) Add in the ground walnut and flour, nad mix until consistent
5) Put the frangipane into a piping bag
6) Pipe the frangipane over the slightly cooled caramel
7) Smooth the top out
8) Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes
9) Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack