Fat Friday #36 Danish Pastry

So last week I had a synoptic test in which I had to prepare Florentines, Croissants, Sacher tort, Baked Alaska and classic Danish. I did very well I not only passed but I also got a... so happiness all round! It was my last pastry test but I have one more assignment left which is a centrepiece display but more on that soon. Lets get back to my favourite day of the week, its Fat Friday. This week is Danish pastry, its very similar to last weeks croissant dough, but more buttery. Again the suggestion is to weigh everything in pounds and ounces because its foolproof to make, if you weigh it this way.

 

Recipe makes about 12 small Danish (Kindly provided by my pastry tutor):

• 1 lb Strong Flour / (680.39g)
• 1oz butter/(113.40g)
• 10oz butter
• 1oz milk powder/(28.35g)
• 1 egg
• 1 oz sugar/(680.39g)- Extra sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 oz yeast/(680.39g)
• 1 batch of Crème patisserie
• Ground cinnamon
• Raisins that have been soaked in boiling water (so that they are plump, best to do this about 2 hours before)

Equipment:

• Sieve
• Saucepan
• Bowl x 2
• Clingfilm
• Rolling Pin
• Knife
• Pastry brush
• Baking sheet lined with silicone paper
• Palette knife

Method:
1.Sieve the flour, salt and milk powder.
2.Add 1 oz butter and rub into the dry mixture.
3.Warm the milk in a saucepan until body temperature. Add the yeast and sugar. Add the egg to form the dough.
4.Place in a clean bowl, cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.
5.Roll out the dough vertically and place the larger amount of butter in the middle. Fold the dough into thirds to cover the butter. Roll out and perform 2 single turn. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
6.Repeat 2 more single turns.
7.Roll out the dough to about 2 ½ mm thick. Spread the crème pastisserie with a palette knife, then sprinkle the raisins and cinnamon sugar but leave about an inch.
8.Start rolling the dough up, egg wash the inch and seal firmly.
9.Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, to make it easier to cut.
10.Cut into 1 inch circles and place into a tray and leave to prove until doubled in size.
11. Bake in the oven to 200c/400f/Gas Mark 6 until golden brown.
Have an excellent weekend

Fat Friday #30 Cinnamon Breakfast Loaf

Can you believe that its been a straight 30 weeks since I've been doing Fat Fridays? Its pretty unbelievable, but the idea would never have been conceived if it wasn't for my good friend Lucy Madz. She was the one who really came up with Fat Fridays, or as it was known back when we were working together, Fat F**k Fridays... I'm glad the name was changed...

Anyway, the reason why I'm speaking about her is that, she (and her boyfriend) are coming over to Portsmouth to see me and Rob. It's been such a long time since we've seen each other, so I'm super excited. In honour of Lucy and Ben's arrival, I'm making a breakfast loaf to serve, in case they fancy something sweet early in the morning.

*Edit- Poor Lucy is feeling sick this week, so our catch up weekend has been postponed. But not to worry, this loaf freezes really well and will be ready to serve at a later date* 

This loaf is easy once you've mastered the basic kneading. Its great on its own with a little butter or made into French toast!

Recipe: Makes 1 loaf (Recipe adapted from Great British Bake Off Showstoppers by Linda Collister)

Bread dough:

·       500g strong bread flour
·       1 ½ teaspoon seasalt flakes, crushed
·       2 tablespoons caster sugar
·       1x 7g fast action yeast
·       125ml milk
·       50g unsalted butter
·       1 large egg

Filling:

·       50g caster sugar
·       1 teaspoon strong bread flour
·       1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

To Finish:

·       Milk to brush on the loaf
·       Small knob of butter

Equipment:

·       A greased and lined loaf tin
·       Saucepan
·       Bowl
·       Fork
·       Rolling pin
·       Small bowl
·       Pastry brush
·       Plastic bag
·       Wire rack
 
Method:
1.Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and dried yeast in a bowl.
2.Gently warm the milk and butter in a saucepan, until melted. Take off the heat.
3.Add the egg to the milk, and beat with fork until combined.
4.Pour the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and work with your hands or with a mixer.
5.Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes by mixer with the dough hook attachment until smooth and pliable.
6.Return to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave for about an hour in a warm place. At this point you can make the filling.
7.After an hour, punch the dough and turn out on a lightly knead for a few seconds.
8.Pat out until a rough rectangle, roughly about 2mm thick. Cover with cling film and leave to relax for 5 minutes.
9.Flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a rectangle as wide as the length of the tin and about 50cm long.
10. Brush the dough with milk, then sprinkle with the cinnamon filling in an even layer, leaving a small 1cm boarder.
11.Roll up the dough, neatly and tightly as you can.
12. Lift the dough into the loaf tin, gently tucking in the ends under to make a neat shape. Pop the tin into a small plastic bag, trying to not to let the plastic bag touch the dough. Leave to rise as before until just doubled. Towards the end pop the oven onto Preheat on 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
13. Uncover the dough and brush lightly with milk. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a golden brown.
14. Transfer the bread onto a wire rack and rub the butter over the top to give a glossy finish.

For the filling:

1.    Mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  DONE!

Don't forget I'm going to be at Mrs H Vintage Fair in Warsash in the Victory Hall tomorrow, if you like sugary treats feel free to pop on by and say hello! Me and My 2 friends will be on the sweetie stall called Cake by Chloe. Have a great weekend folks!

Fat Friday #22 Homemade Mulled Wine

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas fellow food lovers. Do you overstuff your faces on chocolate and turkey? I hope so! (Just not at the same time at least!) I'm still in a festive mood and am still enjoying my mulled wine left over from Christmas. If you've never made your own, its worth making some as it is really easy to make. Mulled wine solves everything.

Got unexpected friends coming over and want to served something special? Mulled wine solves it. Talkative relatives? Mulled wine solves it and dulls the noise coming from their mouths. Had a rough shift at work? Mulled wine solves it. Even at 3pm in the afternoon.... I don't have a mulled wine alcohol problem!

Recipe: Makes 4 servings (Recipe inspired by Boutique Baking by Peggy Porschen)

Ingredients:
·       1 orange, plus a extra orange slices to serve
·       1 bottle red wine
·       1 teaspoon of ground ginger
·       100ml water
·       45g sugar
·       1 teaspoon ground cloves
·       2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
·       ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
·       1 star anise, crushed

Equipment:

·       Saucepan
·       Fine sieve
·       Serving glasses or mugs
·       Peeler
·       Knife

Method
1.    Peel the rind from the orange and cut the orange in half.
2.    Place the peel, orange halves and the rest of the ingredients into the saucepan. Warm for about 20 minutes. Don’t allow to boil.
3.    Take pan off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.
4.    Strain the mulled wine through a sieve to remove the solid ingredients.
5.    Serve warm in glasses with slices of orange. 

Have a great Boxing day and a happy Friday! 

Christmas Eve Cooking

Baking at the last minute? Or just want to make something festive at this time of year? Here is the blog's rundown of festive recipes!

 Stained Glass Cookies

 Christmas Tree Cupcakes

 Killer Snow Woman Cupcakes

Yeti Cupcakes

Snow Day Cupcakes



Yule Log Cake

Banoffee Cupcakes

 Chocolate Orange Tart

Salted Butter Toffees

 

So that's my Christmas baking list! Have a really great Christmas eve, a merry Christmas and I'll see you on Boxing Day with Fat Friday!

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

Fat Friday #17 Autumn Strudel

Welcome to that time of the week! It's Fat Friday! This weeks recipe is a great recipe to do with a friend, as you'll need some help with the strudel pastry. Its tons of fun to stretch and play with!

Recipe: Makes 4 large or 8 small strudels

Strudel Pastry:
·       250g Plain flour, sieved
·       1 egg
·       30ml vegetable oil
·       25g melted butter, plus a little extra
·       113ml water
·       100g poppy seeds

Spiced Apples:

·       3 apples cored, peeled and cut into chunks
·       20g raisins
·       20g apricots cut into pieces
·       100g granulated sugar
·       30g water
·       A pinch of cinnamon

Equipment:
·       Chopping Board
·       Saucepan
·       Wooden Spoon
·       Measuring Jug
·       Teaspoon
·       Tablespoon
·       Timer
·       Baking sheet lined with silicone paper
·       Pastry Brush
·       Fork
·       Loaf tin lined with silicone paper
·       Knife

Apple Filling

1.Place all of the filling ingredients in a saucepan and cook until apples are cooked through and the mixture is slightly mushy.
2.Put aside in bowl to cool and place into the strudel pastry.

Strudel pastry

1.Sieve the flour into a bowl.
2.Add the egg, oil, water and butter and mix with your hands to form a dough.
3.Knead for 5 minutes until elastic.
4.Rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5.Once rested, roll the pastry out on a floured surface until ½ inch thick.
6.Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/ 170c/325f
7.Stretch the dough by hand until it is as thin as paper.
8.Brush the pastry with a little melted butter

9.Cut the pastry into long oblongs. Spoon in the apple filling across a little of the pastry and roll into a cracker shape.
10.Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
11.Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes

What other flavours do you like in strudel?