Confession: I use the gluten free sour cream shortcrust Careme pastry most of the time guys , I won’t lie ( *not sponsored but now that you know Careme call me ok ; ) * ) but if you have the time to make from scratch , I have really liked making my own variation with sour cream dough based on the excellent ones on this website.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 - 2 packets of frozen sour cherries (800-1000grams depending on the depth of your dish)
About 1/2-1 bottle maple syrup ( or to taste )
Cornstarch, about 3 tablespoons
A good dash of Vanilla essence or the inside of 1 1/2 vanilla beans
Optional extras I personally like to add (not necessary) :
a couple of eggs
a couple of large dollops of cream
a dash of Kirsch
some sliced apple for decorating
You could also experiment with a touch less cornstarch and some pasture raised gelatine powder instead for a more jelly texture or almond flour for frangipane texture.
METHOD
Pour frozen cherries into a pot and heat up until they thaw. Pour just over half of the liquid out when the cherries just come to boil, leaving some juice for sauce. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, Kirsch, mix and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the liquid has thickened significantly into a cohesive mass on a low simmer (about 5 minutes). The basis of the filling is done but I like to wait for the filling to cool and then add 2 beaten eggs (take 1/2 spoon cornstarch off) or 2 egg yolks and cream and mix that through before pouring into the shell for a richer, more indulgent taste.
I am so lazy with this I do not roll out the pastry dear reader. If I had to go through doing this every time I wanted pie there is no way the pie would happen every week. Gluten free pastry is a nightmare to roll out and I don’t need more stress or mess in my life. Besides I find this does the near enough thing and the process makes me feel like a kid playing with clay without flour everywhere. Simply line the pie or tart dish with baking paper, then place the mostly defrosted dough in the middle. Squish the dough down and massage it over the whole surface of the dish, distributing evenly over the bottom and the sides until you made an even thickness pie shell (feel free to use creative finger moves!) Next up add the filling and distribute evenly. Place maple syrup brushed sliced apples on top. Bake at 220ºC for 15 minutes in a pre heated oven, then decrease the oven temperature to 190ºC . Bake till the crust is golden and the filling is thick, 35-50 minutes depending on your oven. Sit the pie to cool completely to set the fruit filling, at least 2 hours, then cut into wedge slices and serve at room temperature with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream . The pie will keep a day in the oven or 3 days in the fridge and is wonderful with morning coffee...if it lasts till the morning!
Photography and food styling by Alice Wesley Smith
What does a girl do when given the chance to attend New York Fashion Week? Well, pack a suitcase full of spring trends and jump on the plane of course!
The weather was beautifully temperate, Australian designers rocked NYC catwalks, many Manhattan cocktails were drunk and beautiful dinners with friends accompamied by quite a bit of dancing took place — to give you an idea.
Here, I've pulled together three trends I loved wearing while in New York.
( Zimmermann playsuit, Chloe x Net-a-porter sunglasses, Gucci Bag, Alice McCall jacket and JYJewels earrings)
Playsuits
Playsuits are a favourite come warm weather for their cute yet practical versatility. Floral prints are always in, come spring, but throw on a big fluffy coat and a pair of oversized sunglasses and you have a 70s redux outfit that is somewhere between rockstar and disco diva. Lay on the glitz this season.
( Trelise Cooper coat, Double Rainbuu sweater, vintage skirt and Balenziaga mules)
Colour blocking
Colour blocking is back in a big way for spring, so choose primary colours for maximum impact. Big, feathery coats, oversized sweaters and pencil skirts are also a current trend. Try a kitten heel mule for ultimate comfort.
(Tanja wears vest by Tome, Elley flares, YSL bag and sunglasses)
Suiting
Suiting is one of those trends that will never age, but this season it’s de rigueur, or required. Choose from oversized, slouchy to form fitting and feminine, long suits a lá dresses, or vests as tops.
Shot by: India Hartford in New York
read the original story up on the newly relaunched vogue.com.au here!
It has been a month since my last post - a long time to be engrossed in my daughter's school holiday activities,perpetual playdates, long afternoons on the beach and thick adventure books like the Northern Lights which I read to her in crazy voices and hushed tones so she sits at the edge of her seat and cannot go to sleep for racking her brain on what will happen next.
Anticipation is an amazing thing. I remember a study being done once on the fact that people who go on holidays actually get more joy anticipating the holiday that going on in. That may be the case, but I still get giddy waiting for next season's clothes and upon arrival, the endless combinations they provide.
This season, I'm coveting 70s fashions , now back in full force. They have always been one of my favourite style decades - a period compressed such a wide variety of ideas style-wise, that it seemed fashion took a radical turn every couple of years; from brightly coloured polyester, playful knits, paisley and the ever-present bellbottoms in the early years, to the mid-70s when denim reigned supreme and khaki and drill cotton were de rigour, down to the latter part of the decade where everything got looser and more folky.
From Chanel, Saint Laurent and Tom Ford, to Gucci, Sonia Rykel and Dries Van Noten everyone seems to have taken the retro route for the European spring/summer ’15 season - it's time once again to get out those flares, dust off your suede and prep that lamé.
For this story, I played with some groovy, transeasonal items coming our way for autumn that will work dressed up or down.
This multi-tiered dress evokes languid Indian summers with its pretty pastel tones and lace cutouts. Pair with tan everything.(Zimmermann dress, Jerome Dreyfuss bag & Panama Hat co. hat.)
Now is the time to swap your skinnies for flares - the new cuts and stretchier fabrics are suprisingly slimming and flattering.
(Frame denim jeans, Miu Miu sunglasses & Romance Was Born shirt)
This khaki skirt in drill cotton works dressed up for work or dressed down with slides for weekends. Accessorise with a smattering of gold, aviator sunnies and did I mention this season there is never enough tan?
( Lover skirt, Jets bikni worn as top, Monica Vinader bracelet, Pink Lou Lou shell bracelet and Cartier love bracelet , Versace sunglasses & Karen Walker bag.)
The new 70s suit sports a wider leg with a slim fitting jacket (Asos suit, vintage Chloe platforms, Karen Walker sunglasses & Elke Kramer earrings)
Photographed by Alice Wesley-Smith
