Last week I nailed gluten-free, low FODMAP muffins and yesterday I made great gluten-free pastry. I have tried several different pastries over the months and they have been fine but this one is my favourite so far. It is light and holds together well. I created my own chocolate custard by using what I had in the pantry and fridge and it too worked out well. I have had nothing but compliments for these. The recipe made about 25 and there are already only a handful left. I guess I will be baking midweek again.
Tonight on TV I saw this documentary of a beautiful love story which has endured for 70 years although they have been apart for almost all of it. They fell in love during the war and were separated when he went into secret training for the D-Day landing. He wrote letters to her via her parents and they destroyed them because they didn’t approve of the relationship. She was distraught, believing he had found someone else. Eventually they both married other people and had long, happy marriages. But their spouses died not long ago and he decided to search for her. They are both in their late eighties and just got married. Their love for each other after all those years was so evident as they met once again – the camera recording their reunion. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. She said that she didn’t see an old man but saw the young soldier. Unfortunately, she has various health problems including a weak heart so their time together will be brief but oh so sweet.
It’s so important to enjoy the time we have with those closest to us. You never know when it will be over. After a beautiful period of sun and mild temperatures, today, it was gloomy and rained. This can lead to morbid thoughts of loss – past and future – and then I saw the love story. A fitting end to a less than perfect day.
Chocolate Custard Samosas
Ingredients
For the pastry
133gms/4.7oz white rice flour BUY HERE
45gms/1.6oz potato starch BUY HERE
22gms/.8oz tapioca flour BUY HERE
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp xantham gum
1 egg
For the filling
125gms/4.4oz dark chocolate
2 heaped tbsp lactose-free sour cream
1 ripe banana
Rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp coconut
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
Method
For the pastry
1. Place all ingredients except the egg in a food processor and process until fine crumbs form.
2. Add the egg and process until a ball forms.
3. Remove from the processor and knead until it comes together well.
4. Wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge while you make the custard.
5. Heat oven to 180°C/350°F.
6. Once the custard is made and cooling, take the pastry from the fridge.
7. Roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper until thin.
8. Using a cookie cutter, cut out circles to the size you want. (If you think they are too thick once cut, roll them out a little more.)
9. Place a small spoonful of the chocolate custard on one side of the pastry circles.
10. Fold over to form semi-circles and firmly pinch closed the edges.
11. Place a sheet of baking paper on an oven tray and cover with the samosas.
12. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned in top.
13. Remove and drizzle with a little extra chocolate.
For the custard
1. Place the chocolate, butter and sour cream in a saucepan over water and melt.
2. Process the banana in the food processor until smooth.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients including the banana to the chocolate mixture and heat, stirring, until it thickens.
4. Remove and cool completely.
Oh these look fabulous and I’m sitting here laughing as I read through your post. I wish I could show you a post which is sitting in my drafts – chocolate pop tarts which look very similar to yours. Of course there is a big difference in that yours are much healthier than mine 🙂 Lovely as always.
Great minds think alike. I look forward to seeing your version.
These look perfect Suzanne. That sounds like a heartbreaking story no wonder it touched you so much
And they were such a beautiful couple even though in their late eighties. My heart went out to them.
These look wonderful! Always a good thing to have to bake again before the week’s over – you know you’re making good stuff!
Thanks, John. I guess it is good but time is so short in the evenings. Muffins are always quick to make though.
Shame on her parents destroying those letters. They could have had a lifetime of happiness together. At least they’re now able to enjoy some time together but it’s very tragic it’s only happened in the winter of their lives. What beautiful looking samosas and I have to say I’ve never had one filled with chocolate – only potato! xx
In fact, they were both very angry when they found out what had happened.
I think I have only had savoury samosas before too but I figured there was no reason not to make sweet ones too.
These samosas look wonderful (love the chocolate drizzle) and I’m so impressed by your gluten-free pastry!
Thanks, Laura. I am impressed by the pastry too. In fact I am going to use it tonight to make sausage rolls for dinner. Fingers crossed it works with them too.
Somehow this is a beautiful story. They had good lifes, they were happy and now they’re together. You never know if they would be happy before…Your samosa looks beautiful. I always enjoy your photography.
You are right. They had good lives even though they were apart. Not all can say that. Thanks for the compliment. Your photography is gorgeous too,
These sounds like a delicious treat! The chocolate custard filling must be divine.
Lisa, I had a little of the custard filling left over and used it as a surprise filling in banana muffins the other day. Yum!
I’ve made some apple samosas before though never chocolate. I did try a chocolate one at an Indian restaurant here in DC and they were good. Yours look gorgeous and I liked that they are baked.
Ah, so I wasn’t the first to think of them. They were definitely healthy as far as baked goods go. No frying for my samosas!
What a beautiful story, I feel so happy for them and sad at the same time !
Your chocolate custard samosa looks amazing !
It is sad but I guess they had pretty happy lives overall and now have a little time together.
Sweet sentiments and sweet desserts. Love this. That last picture makes me want to sink my teeth into one or ten of these.
I will keep aside ten when I make them again and bundle them up for a long trip to the US.
I don’t see banana in the ingredients. Did you use a whole banana, big/small, ripe, chopped/mashed?
You are quite right. I have added the one ripe banana into the ingredients. Thanks for alerting me to that oversight.