![]() I always think Chelsea Buns make a great alternative to Hot Cross Buns. They have similar ingredients, but don't need to be slathered in cold butter to bring out their best (as it's already in the dough!). I find lashings of fruit, spices and that all important syrup glaze to go with that soft dough make a heavenly combination; sticky and sweet enough without being cloying. Chelsea Buns of course have a history. Invented in London during the 18th Century, they soon became popular and were a traditional Easter treat. Like the fruit in a Christmas cake, I like to soak my currants before using as they absorb flavours and it makes them plumper. Check the recipe for my secret twist. ![]() INGREDIENTS: Dough - 50g Butter 200ml Milk 500g Strong bread Four 7g sachet fast action Dried Yeast 50g Caster Sugar 1tsp fine salt Zest of 1 lemon 1 large Beaten Egg Filling - 50g Soft Butter 100g Brown Sugar 2tsp cinnamon 200g Currants (soaked overnight in rum, whisky, or cold tea.. depending on your preference Just enough to cover the fruit in a medium bowl. This will make it swell and taste juicier when baked) Glaze 50g caster sugar 3 tablespoons of water, or fruit juice. METHOD:
1 Dry the soaked fruit in a tea towel. 2 Grease and line a baking tin (20 X 30cm) Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add the milk. Set aside. Combine the flour, yeast, caster sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large mixer bowl with a dough hook, and make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk/butter mixture. Mix for 5 minutes on a low speed. (10 minutes if kneading by hand). Cover the dough and leave in a warm place if possible to rise for 2 hours (or until doubled in size) 3 Knock the dought down and roll out on a floured surface 23 X 46 cm. Spread with the soft butter, leaving a border along one of the long edges 2-3 cm wide. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, dried fruit and spread along the rolled out dough (avoiding the border you have created) Press the mixture lightly into the dough with a rolling pin. Dampent the border with water and roll the dough swiss roll like towards it. press the seam closed and trim the ends. Cut to roll into about 12 slices. arragnge on the baking tin with about 1cm between each bun. Cover and rest for 45minutes. 4) Heat the oven to 180 degrees, 160 fan, gas mark 4. Bake the buns for about 25 minutes until golden and cooked though. Dissolve the sugar in 3 tablespoons of water or fruit juice and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Let this cool a little and then brush the buns with it as soon as they come out of the oven. Any water will evaporate and leave a stick glaze on the buns. Once cool, they are ready to eat. They keep for 2-3 days in a tin, but are best eaten fresh.
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This recipe was published in Food Connects Us magazine, and I shot it on location at a garden centre where they sold garden buildings. I brought all the props with me, including the table, the candles and foliage, along with the fragile hero of the scene, and arranged my scene in the small building. The shot was supposed to be set in summer, but was in fact photographed in March, so shooting outdoors wasn't really possible as the setting would have been completely out of season, but the brief was a rustic vibe, that was set towards evening when the light would have been warm. The photos were taken in the early afternoon, so I adjusted the light temperature in Lightroom to get a softer, wam effect with the deeper shadows you migh associate with a sinking sun. The process and ingredient shots were captured in the studio with natural light. ![]() INGREDIENTS: PASTRY BASE 110g cold unsalted Butter cubed 225g plain flour Pinch salt 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp cold water MERINGUE 6 egg whites 280g caster sugar LEMON CURD Zest and juice of 4 large lemons 50ml water 6 tbsp cornflour 6 egg yolks 100g caster sugar 100g unsalted butter METHOD
Preheat oven to 190 °C/375 °F/ Gas mark 5. Grease 23 cm, fluted, loose-bottomed tin and place on baking tray. To make the pastry, first mix together flour, icing sugar, salt, and then add the cubed butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the center. Mix the egg with the lemon juice and water and pour into the well gradually, mixing with your fingers until you have a soft (but not wet) dough. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for 20 minutes. After refridgeration, roll the dough into a circular shape large enough to line the baking tin, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. (If desired, let the pastry exceed the size of tin, and using the baking paper to support, build your pastry higher to create a cradle for the deep meringue toppping, but it's not necessary as a case the height of the standard tin is enough to contain the lemon curd) Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully discard the paper and beans. To make lemon curd, bring the water and lemon juice to boil in a saucepan. Dissolve the cornflour in a little water and pour the heated lemon juice mixture over it, stirring all the time until all smooth. Return to the saucepan and beat in egg yolks, sugar and butter. Place back on the heat, add zest, and whisk until the mixture thickens. Tip into the pastry case and leave to cool. To make the meringue - heat the oven to 200 °C /400 °F / Gas mark 6. Pour the sugar on to a baking tray and place in the oven to heat. After 5 minutes, beat the egg whites until stiff. Remove the sugar from oven and set the mixer to the lowest speed. Gently pour sugar into the eggwhite mixture. Once incorporated (no more than 2 minutes), the meringue is done. Spread or pipe onto the lemon curd, shaping as desired and finishing with a cooks blowtorch for colour. It's now ready to serve. I unearthed this recipe from my mum's battered, handwritten recipe book - so well used, the brown cover is mottled with the fingermarks of bakers past. To be honest, I've a few cherished recipes where the pages stick together as I'm always turning them with cake batter, or flour on my fingertips. The simnel cake began life in medieval times as a bread and the name Simnel is derived from the type of flour used to bake it Simila. This was a high grade flour. It evolved into a boiled pudding before becoming the cake we know now. In my view, the marzipan is the element that raises this cake into utter yuminess. Best enjoyed with a cup of filtered coffee in my view.
Ingredients: 225g softened butter 225g SR flour 2 tsp mixed spice 400g mixed dried fruit 150g light brown sugar 50g golden syrup 4 medium eggs - beaten 500g marzipan Dessert spoon apricot jam Icing sugar for dusting Method: 1) pre-heat oven to 170c (150 fan) gas mark 3 2) Grease a 20cm round cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment 3) Stir flour, mixed spice and dried fruit together in a large bowl 4) In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine with a large spoon. 5) Put into the prepared tin and bake for 1.5 hours or until the cake is has risen and is springy to touch. Set aside to cool. 6) Dust a surface with some icing sugar and roll ou the marzipan. Size using the baking tin. Warm the jam in a small dish in the microwave or over a small pan of water. When runny, spread over the cake. Stick the marzipan to this. Shape the edges as desired. 7) Roll any leftover marzipan into balls with your palms.. Use a blow torch to brown them off. Use the back of a teaspoon to create a groove around the edge of the marzipan on the cake so the balls won’t roll off. Ingredients:
Biscuits 100g ground almonds 125g Caster Sugar 300g Plain flour 200g Butter 1 medium egg 1 medium egg yolk Baking tray, greaseproof paper/parchment, cookie cutters of choice - one large, others smaller to cut holes in the top section of the cookie. Filling: 100g butter 100g icing sugar dash of vanilla extract Jam of choice Method 1) grease a non stick baking tray and line with a baking sheet. 2) Mix the ground almonds and flour together. 3) Cream the sugar and the butter. 4) Whisk the eggs and beat very slowly into the sugar and butter mixture 5) Add the flour mixture gradually, beating as you go until you have a soft dough. 6) Divide in 4 patties and store in the fridge for 2 hours (or overnight) 7) Pre-heat oven 180 degrees, fan 160 degrees, gas mark 4 8) Take the dough from the fridge and let it rest for about 10 minutes. When it feels soft enough to roll out do so to a thickness of 2mm. Use your cutter to make the shapes you want and place on the baking tray. This mix doesn't spread so you don't have to leave a lot of space. 9) roll out the second batch and use the same cutter for the shape. Then cut out your centre hole with the smaller cutter. 10) Place on a baking tray. 11) cook for about ten minutes until golden. 12) Leave to cool and repeat process with the other two dough patties to make more cookies. 13) Make the buttercream by beating the butter and icing together. Spread this on the cooled cookie bases and add a blob of jam the size of the hole in the lid section. 14) Dust the lid with icing sugar if desired and then place on top of the filled base. |
A Wedding Breakfast
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