It started with a rumour. An unguarded comment by a complete stranger. And suddenly I was consumed with the knowledge that my best friend, my best BEST friend, has been lying to me for years. And it broke something I thought was unbreakable.
With no one in my entire life ever have I told more, confessed more, shared more. I'm talking the ugliest the baddest the filthiest the cruelest the most shameful the most embarrassing the most intimate truths. What started in youth has survived until now when we lament how age has curbed, if not destroyed, our inability to drink a bottle of spirits a night (not to mention the whatnot) and to stay up until the early hours. Which we did, talking until the glimmer of light shone through the curtains. About rubbish. And about ourselves. Open books, hearts laid bear.
We had faults and fights. We were different in too many ways to count. Opposite poles yet we defied the rules of magnetism and even though after blow ups there would be months, once years, when we didn't speak, we'd always come back together. Not like Romeo and Juliet. But like Benguela and Agulhas. Forced by invisible powers beyond our control to join up again.
Distance, differences and time separated us for months and years. But each time we got together I'd feel the wave of comfort and trust and joy that one can only feel when one is with the one you love.
But SUCH a lie. Not a little one that trips you. But a big one that levels you. The nature of the lie I don't care even remotely about. But what crushes me is the fact that after everything, despite everything, despite knowing me and my beliefs and my values, that you think there is the need for it.
Above all it's not that there is a lie. But that this lie means everything that came before it was a lie. And what does that say about us?
xx
J
MILK TART
With no one in my entire life ever have I told more, confessed more, shared more. I'm talking the ugliest the baddest the filthiest the cruelest the most shameful the most embarrassing the most intimate truths. What started in youth has survived until now when we lament how age has curbed, if not destroyed, our inability to drink a bottle of spirits a night (not to mention the whatnot) and to stay up until the early hours. Which we did, talking until the glimmer of light shone through the curtains. About rubbish. And about ourselves. Open books, hearts laid bear.
We had faults and fights. We were different in too many ways to count. Opposite poles yet we defied the rules of magnetism and even though after blow ups there would be months, once years, when we didn't speak, we'd always come back together. Not like Romeo and Juliet. But like Benguela and Agulhas. Forced by invisible powers beyond our control to join up again.
Distance, differences and time separated us for months and years. But each time we got together I'd feel the wave of comfort and trust and joy that one can only feel when one is with the one you love.
But SUCH a lie. Not a little one that trips you. But a big one that levels you. The nature of the lie I don't care even remotely about. But what crushes me is the fact that after everything, despite everything, despite knowing me and my beliefs and my values, that you think there is the need for it.
Above all it's not that there is a lie. But that this lie means everything that came before it was a lie. And what does that say about us?
xx
J
MILK TART
As always. When in doubt. Or pain. Cook.
180ml Butter
90ml Sugar
1 Medium egg (I normally use jumbo but reduced recipe = smaller eggs)
1t Vanilla essence
450g Flour
1t Baking powder
750ml Milk
45g Butter
3 Medium eggs
180ml Sugar
60ml Flour
90ml Maizena
180ml Milk
Beat together butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. While still beating add one egg and the vanilla. In a separate bowl sift the flour, a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Mix into the butter mixture to form a soft dough. Spray a pie dish and press the dough into the sides and bottom. Bake at 350F for about 12-15 minutes until light brown. (I found the base too thick at that point so I pressed it down some with a tea towel to thin it out a bit, but that's up to you).
Beat together the other 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and 180ml sugar until thick and creamy. In a separate bowl mix together the flour and maizena, then slowly add the milk while whisking to ensure you get no lumps. Add it to the egg mixture.
Heat the milk to almost boiling and add the butter. Whisk until melted then add the egg/flour mixture slowly while whisking vigorously to ensure no lumps. Keep a beady eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Keep whisking until the mixture turns into a thick custard. Turn the heat down to prevent burning but keep whisking for another 5 minutes to ensure it cooks through.
Allow to cool a little bit then pour into the crust and leave for a few hours - it will set until it's thick enough to slice.
Note: Since I initially made this with the too-thick-base I ended up trying the excess in a muffin pan and it worked perfectly. So you can use this recipe for mini milk tarts, I'd say you'd get about 24 though that's a bit of a guess. Only bake the crust for about 8 minutes though.
90ml Sugar
1 Medium egg (I normally use jumbo but reduced recipe = smaller eggs)
1t Vanilla essence
450g Flour
1t Baking powder
750ml Milk
45g Butter
3 Medium eggs
180ml Sugar
60ml Flour
90ml Maizena
180ml Milk
Beat together butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. While still beating add one egg and the vanilla. In a separate bowl sift the flour, a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Mix into the butter mixture to form a soft dough. Spray a pie dish and press the dough into the sides and bottom. Bake at 350F for about 12-15 minutes until light brown. (I found the base too thick at that point so I pressed it down some with a tea towel to thin it out a bit, but that's up to you).
Beat together the other 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and 180ml sugar until thick and creamy. In a separate bowl mix together the flour and maizena, then slowly add the milk while whisking to ensure you get no lumps. Add it to the egg mixture.
Heat the milk to almost boiling and add the butter. Whisk until melted then add the egg/flour mixture slowly while whisking vigorously to ensure no lumps. Keep a beady eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Keep whisking until the mixture turns into a thick custard. Turn the heat down to prevent burning but keep whisking for another 5 minutes to ensure it cooks through.
Allow to cool a little bit then pour into the crust and leave for a few hours - it will set until it's thick enough to slice.
Note: Since I initially made this with the too-thick-base I ended up trying the excess in a muffin pan and it worked perfectly. So you can use this recipe for mini milk tarts, I'd say you'd get about 24 though that's a bit of a guess. Only bake the crust for about 8 minutes though.
4 comments:
I remember getting a milk tart recipe all wrong. I mistyped 2TBS sugar with 2LBS. The horse across the road loved it. Sometimes you get things wrong. But somewhere somebody or some animal is ok with it.
Hey Tres, hope you're well!
Luckily my parents are like bergies, they eat EVERYTHING.
Anyway, no matter how things turn out, it's always better to try to find a solution rather than to throw it out, right...?
Yes CCC, I am very well thanks. I love reading your blog, it's a good soulful blog. Sometimes the solution is to throw it out...into the horse's mouth, who ends up loving it even if the original recipe was all wrong. It might even be the basis for a completly new extremely sweet tart.
Hmmm. Maybe I should get a horse, though I've had some failures that no horse would touch! Maybe I should rather switch to painting like you - then I can just cover my flops with lathers of paint!
Post a Comment