Cluck, Muck & Cook

Baking & Foodie Blog From Sunny Brentwood Essex

Pastry and Pies

5 Pastry and Pies

Apple and Pear Crumble Pie

Winter Pies

As the nights draw in for winter and we move towards the delicious variety of winter fruits, it is a perfect time to think of comfort foods and pies. Especially with all the lovely variety of apples and pears we have in the UK.

I generally steer clear of cooking apples which disintegrate to a mush when baked and look to use my favourite eating apples and pears such as a Cox, Braeburn, Conference or Williams, which hold up well in cooking.

Sunday roasts in the winter need a good rib sticking dessert. I grew up on crumbles filled with whatever fruit was on hand or being grown in the garden. This is a slight twist on a normal crumble. The deep dish pie crust is filled with a mixture of apples and pears, that are in abundance at the moment. Topped with a buttery and nutty crumble mixture, I use pecans a lot in my baking as I love the sweet nutty taste but walnuts would work just as well. The demerara sugar also gives the crumble the extra crunchy texture.

Apple and Pear Crumble Pie

Mix it up – If you have blackberries to hand swap the raisins out for a lovely alternative.

Recipe originally created for Kitchen Garden Magazine.

Apple and Pear Crumble Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry
225g plain flour
150g butter, chilled
25g icing sugar
1 large free-range egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.

Crumble Topping
110g plain flour
160g demerara sugar (or soft brown sugar)
90g butter
90g pecans, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Fruit Filling
4 large Cox’s apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into thick slices
4 Conference pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into thick slices
½ lemon (Juice only)
100g raisins
100g caster sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour

Instructions:

Pastry
• Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar and cinnamon.
•Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of cold milk and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
•Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill For 30 minutes
• Roll the chilled dough into about a 14-inch disk, then line a 9 to 10 inch wide, (2 to 3 inch deep) pie dish.
• Pop back in the fridge and chill for another 30 minutes while you prepare the fruit and crumb topping.

Topping
• Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Then mix in the roughly chopped pecans and pop the bowl in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.

Filling
• Peel, core and chop up the apples and pears into thick slices. Place into a bowl and add the lemon juice to stop them going brown.
• Mix together the sugar and cornflour and add to the apples and pears .
• Add in the raisins and mix until everything is distributed evenly and the apples and pears are coated with sugar and cornflour.
• Preheat the oven to 190c/170c Fan/ Gas Mark 5.
• Add the filling to the pastry case, then top with the crumble. Heap it up in the middle to get it all on, as the fruit will settle a little when cooked.
• Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until the crumble topping is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edge.
• Allow to cool to room temperature to get the perfect slice.

Apple and Pear Crumble Pie
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Sunday roasts in the winter need a good rib sticking dessert. I grew up on crumbles filled with whatever fruit was on hand or being grown in the garden. This is a slight twist on a normal crumble. The deep dish pie crust is filled with a mixture of apples and pears, that are in abundance at the moment. Topped with a buttery and nutty crumble mixture, I use pecans a lot in my baking as I love the sweet nutty taste but walnuts would work just as well. The demerara sugar also gives the crumble the extra crunchy texture.
Author:
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • Ingredients:
  • Pastry
  • 225g plain flour
  • 150g butter, chilled
  • 25g icing sugar
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
  • Crumble Topping
  • 110g plain flour
  • 160g demerara sugar (or soft brown sugar)
  • 90g butter
  • 90g pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • Fruit Filling
  • 4 large Cox’s apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into thick slices
  • 4 Conference pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into thick slices
  • ½ lemon (Juice only)
  • 100g raisins
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour.
Instructions
  1. Pastry
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of cold milk and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
  4. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill For 30 minutes
  5. Roll the chilled dough into about a 14-inch disk, then line a 9 to 10 inch wide, (2 to 3 inch deep) pie dish.
  6. Pop back in the fridge and chill for another 30 minutes while you prepare the fruit and crumb topping.
  7. Topping
  8. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  9. Then mix in the roughly chopped pecans and pop the bowl in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.
  10. Filling
  11. Peel, core and chop up the apples and pears into thick slices. Place into a bowl and add the lemon juice to stop them going brown.
  12. Mix together the sugar and cornflour and add to the apples and pears .
  13. Add in the raisins and mix until everything is distributed evenly and the apples and pears are coated with sugar and cornflour.
  14. Preheat the oven to 190c/170c Fan/ Gas Mark 5.
  15. Add the filling to the pastry case, then top with the crumble. Heap it up in the middle to get it all on, as the fruit will settle a little when cooked.
  16. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until the crumble topping is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edge.
  17. Allow to cool to room temperature to get the perfect slice.

 

4 Pastry and Pies

Raspberry and Lemon Bakewell Tart

The last of the late fruiting raspberries are picked and rather than just make jam with them, I thought I would get some fresh raspberries into a bake before the season was totally over.

 

Raspberry and Lemon Bakewell tart

 

I always associate raspberry jam with Bakewell tarts. Rather than go for a standard Bakewell, I thought a nice fresh lemon Bakewell would work wonders dotted with some fresh raspberries in the lemon frangipane. I think I have created my most favourite Bakewell tart ever.

 

Makes: 1 x 23cm pie base or 6 individual tarts
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Ingredients

Pastry:
225g plain flour
150g chilled butter
25g icing sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk

Frangipane:
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
125g ground almonds
2 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons milk

Extras:
Lemon curd
30 raspberries

 

Instructions

Pastry:
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
2. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of cold milk and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
3. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin.
5. Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin. Line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Or line 6 individual tart tins.
6. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
7. Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes to finish off the pastry.

Frangipane:
1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add the beaten eggs until fully combined.
3. Add almonds, flour, lemon zest, milk and lemon juice and mix until fully combined.
4. Spread some lemon curd onto the base of your pastry so there is a nice thin layer. Then spoon in the frangipane mixture.
5. Push the raspberries into the frangipane. If using individual tart cases put 4-5 raspberries per tart.
6.Bake at 180C (160C) Fan for about 30 minutes for a large tart or 20 minutes for individual tarts.

 

Raspberry and Lemon Bakewell Tart
 
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The last of the late fruiting raspberries are picked and rather than just make jam with them, I thought I would get some fresh raspberries into a bake before the season was totally over. I always associate raspberry jam with Bakewell tarts. Rather than go for a standard Bakewell, I thought a nice fresh lemon Bakewell would work wonders dotted with some fresh raspberries in the lemon frangipane. I think I have created my most favourite Bakewell tart ever. Makes: 1 x 23cm pie base or 6 individual tarts Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
Author:
Serves: 1 large tart
Ingredients
  • Pastry:
  • 225g plain flour
  • 150g chilled butter
  • 25g icing sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Frangipane:
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 125g ground almonds
  • 2½ tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • Extras:
  • Lemon curd
  • 30 raspberries
Instructions
  1. Pastry:
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
  3. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of cold milk and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
  4. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
  5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin.
  6. Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin. Line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Or line 6 individual tart tins.
  7. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
  8. Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes to finish off the pastry.
  9. Frangipane:
  10. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  11. Slowly add the beaten eggs until fully combined.
  12. Add almonds, flour, lemon zest, milk and lemon juice and mix until fully combined.
  13. Spread some lemon curd onto the base of your pastry so there is a nice thin layer. Then spoon in the frangipane mixture.
  14. Push the raspberries into the frangipane. If using individual tart cases put 4-5 raspberries per tart.
  15. Bake at 180C (160C) Fan for about 30 minutes for a large tart or 20 minutes for individual tarts.

1 Pastry and Pies

Classic Croissants

Before we start, are you sitting comfortably? Like the actual process of croissant making, this post will be long and require some commitment. This recipe is made over three days which sounds a long time but with some good planning, if you start on Friday evening, you will have some perfect flaky croissants ready for Sunday brunch.

Croissants

I love croissants, a love from many a schoolboy holiday in the south of France with my family. Freshly baked and either slathered in butter and jam or dipped in a cafe au lait, you cannot go wrong. A skinny flat white supermarket croissant does not quite hit the mark and are a poor relation to a freshly cooked traditional croissant.

As I had a few days off work, I thought it was the perfect time to try making my own. I must admit my first attempt were an epic fail. Using a different recipe to the one listed below, I tried to rush through the steps to my own peril and ended up with a soggy, buttery roll.

So on the second attempt, using a recipe I found from the weekend bakery site which I tweaked slightly, lowering the amount of butter to be laminated in the dough produced some great results. On my internet search I found a tip that if you are a croissant newbie like me, reducing the butter makes the lamination process easier. As you build your skills you can up the butter content.

Fortify yourself with some strong coffee, practice a few gaelic shrugs, adopt a laissez faire approach  and as they say on the Great British Bake Off…..BAKE.

Ingredients for the dough

500g plain flour (extra for dusting)
140g water
140g milk
55g sugar
40g softened unsalted butter
11g instant yeast
12g salt

Other Ingredients
250g butter, unsalted (chilled) for laminating
1 egg to wash

Makes 15 Croissants
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Instructions

Day 1. Make the dough

  1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a bowl and knead for 3 minutes until the dough comes together. You do not have to knead for as long as you would do for bread. At this stage you are not looking to build up too much gluten as this will make the lamination stage harder. Just a nice soft pliable dough.
  2. Flatten the dough into a disc about the size of a dinner plate. Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge overnight.

 

Day 2. Lamination day

Now this next stage requires some precision and patience.

  1. Draw a square 15 cm x 15 cm on a piece of baking parchment. Then draw another square 17 cm x 17 cm around the outside with an equal gap on each edge (see photo).
  2. Cut the butter lengthways in approximately 1 cm thick slabs. Arrange the pieces of butter to fill the 15 cm x 15 cm square.Croissants
  3. Cover the butter with another layer of waxed paper and with a rolling pin pound butter until it all forms one sheet and spreads beyond the 17 cm x 17 cm square.
  4. Trim the edges of the butter back to the 17 cm x 17 cm square, put the trimmings on top of the square.
  5. Now pound gently to incorporate the trimming, ending with a final neat square of 17 cm x 17 cm.Croissants
  6. Wrap in the baking parchment and put in the fridge until needed.
  7. Take the dough out of the fridge.
  8. Roll out the dough disc into a 26 cm x 26 cm square.
  9. Like the precision on the butter square try to get the square as perfect as possible.
  10. Remove the square of butter from the fridge.
  11. Place the dough square so one of the sides of the square is facing you and place the butter on top at a 45 degree angle to the dough (see picture).
  12. Fold each flap of dough over the butter, so the point of the flaps reaches the centre. The edges of the dough flaps should slightly overlap to fully enclose the butter.
  13. Press the seams to seal in the butter.Croissants
  14. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the the dough to a rectangle of 20 x 60 cm.
  15. Fold the dough like a letter in thirds, fold one third up and the other third on top of that. Then cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. This is 1 “turn”.
  16. Repeat the rolling and folding two more times, each time rolling the dough to 20 cm x 60 cm. After each “turn” turn the dough 90 degrees before rolling again. The open ‘end’ of the dough should be towards you every time when you start to roll.
  17. After the third “turn” put the dough in the fridge overnight until day 3.

Day 3- Time to eat…almost.

  1. Take the dough out of the fridge.
  2. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough into a long strip of 20 cm wide and just over 100 cm long.
  3. Make a little paper triangle croissants template, save the faff of measuring each croissant. The base of the triangle should be 12.5cm wide and 20cm tall. With both sloping side equal length.
  4. Cut out your croissant shapes working from left to right. A pizza wheel is ideal for this.
  5. Cut a notch about 1cm in the middle of the base of the triangle and stretch the base a little so it looks like the Eiffel tower (or Wigwam).Croissants
  6. Roll from the base rolling tightly and firmly but without squashing the croissant.Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. At this stage you could freeze them. When frozen put them in a ziplock bag and defrost overnight on a lined baking tray covered with oiled cling film)
  7. Egg wash the croissants and allow to rise for a couple of hours, until doubled in size.Croissants
  8. Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan . Bake for 18-20 minutes.

 

3 Pastry and Pies

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Yes, you can buy shortcrust pastry from your supermarket. However it is so simple to make and takes no time at all and you probably have all the ingredients in your cupboard. I really don’t think there’s an excuse!

Shortcrust pastry

Puff pastry or filo pastry, now that’s a different story. They can both be a lot more time consuming and a bit more daunting and may not be worth the faff if you just want to whip up something delicious and quick at the weekend.

You can swap caster sugar for icing sugar and add the milk slowly as you may not need it all.

Makes: 1 x 23cm pie base
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Ingredients:
225g plain flour
150g butter, chilled
25g icing sugar
1 large free-range egg
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1.Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
2.Add the egg and 2 tablespoons cold milk, and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
3.Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
4.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a pound coin.
5.Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin, line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
6.Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
7.Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake  for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes to finish off the pastry.

You are now ready to make your favorite pecan pie, bakewell tart, lemon meringue pie or use with any of your favorite fillings.

 

 

1 Pastry and Pies

Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving week has passed, Winter is taking hold and my mind turns to those rib sticking recipes that fortify you through those dark, cold winter months and long, cold, wet and muddy dog walks.

pecan pie

As a Brit, the traditional family winter favorite is the treacle tart. But from my few years living in the States, I was converted to the Thanksgiving favorite, the humble but delicious Pecan Pie. A rich, sugary pie which gives a nod to our favorite treacle tart but filled with creamy pecans which caramelize and toast on top, giving a rich nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious.

pecan pie

Then I came across Nigella Lawson’s “Pecan Pie Plus” recipe, where she dares to change up the classic with a bag of Christmas mixed nuts. This got me thinking and in this recipe I decided on a mix of pecans, walnuts and macadamia nuts. All deliciously creamy but each with its own flavor that complement each other perfectly.

Whether you go traditional or mixed up, I like to serve it warm with a big dollop of cream or ice cream.

 

Makes: 1 x 23cm pie
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Ingredients:
225g plain flour
150g butter, chilled
25g icing sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
150g golden syrup
100g soft butter
200g soft light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
350g pecans ( or 200g pecans, 100g walnuts, 50g macadamia nuts)

Instructions:

1.Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
2.Add one egg and 2 tablespoons cold milk, and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
3.Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
4.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a pound coin.
5.Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin, line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
6.Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
7.Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper.
8. In a pan melt the syrup, butter, vanilla and brown sugar over a low heat until melted and everything is combined, leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Fill the part baked pastry case with the nuts.
10.Whisk the eggs into the sugary syrup until fully combined, then pour it over the nuts.
11.Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan.
12.Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set.

 

Pecan Pie
 
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the humble but delicious Pecan Pie. A rich, sugary pie which gives a nod to our favorite treacle tart but filled with creamy pecans which caramelize and toast on top, giving a rich nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious.
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 225g plain flour
  • 150g butter, chilled
  • 25g icing sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 150g golden syrup
  • 100g soft butter
  • 200g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 350g pecans ( or 200g pecans, 100g walnuts, 50g macadamia nuts)
Instructions
  1. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Or blitz in a food processor. Then mix in the icing sugar.
  2. Add one egg and 2 tablespoons cold milk, and mix until it forms a dough. Try not to overwork the dough.
  3. Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
  4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about the thickness of a pound coin.
  5. Carefully transfer the pastry to a 23cm flan tin, line the tin with pastry and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan.
  7. Blind bake the pastry. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper.
  8. In a pan melt the syrup, butter, vanilla and brown sugar over a low heat until melted and everything is combined, leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
  9. Fill the part baked pastry case with the nuts.
  10. Whisk the eggs into the sugary syrup until fully combined, then pour it over the nuts.
  11. Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan.
  12. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set.
Notes
Cook time- 15 Mins blind baking the pastry case , 40 Mins for the filling
Do not forget to Turn the oven down to 180C/160C Fan to cook the filling.

 

7 Pastry and Pies

Cheese Straws

The Christmas adverts have started on the telly, the kids are writing their Christmas lists and I start thinking of nibbles to have with Christmas Eve drinks.

Cheese Straws

Time to practice the family staple of cheese straws, crumbly buttery pastry with a good hit of a super strong mature cheddar and a kick of smokey paprika, or swap out the paprika for some English mustard powder. Delicious with a cold beer or glass of fizz.

Cheese Straws

Ridiculously moreish , I would recommend making two batches so you have some left when the guests arrive!

Cheese Straws

This recipe with English mustard powder has been around in the family for as long as I can remember but I personally prefer the smokiness of the paprika.

Makes: about 20
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)

Ingredients:
100g  plain flour
50g  unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
50g  cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/8th teaspoon paprika
Pinch of sea salt
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:

  1. Mix the flour, paprika and a pinch of sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, rub together until the mixture is like breadcrumbs. Or put it in a food processor and blitz.
  2. Add the cheese, egg yolk and milk with a butter or dinner knife, in a cutting motion through the mixture. It should look like damp sand. Bring the dough together into a ball. You may need to add a little more milk to make the mixture come together.
  3. Use your hands to gather it into a ball, wrap in cling film / food wrap and refrigerate for half an hour. Do not over work the dough whilst bringing it together as the cheese straws will not be flaky.
    Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan.
  4. Once the dough has chilled, carefully roll out onto a lightly floured surface. You want them to be quite thin.
  5. Use a ruler and a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into straws, whatever size you fancy.
  6. Transfer onto a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden.
  7. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

 

Cheese Straws
 
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A crumbly buttery pastry with a good hit of a super strong mature cheddar and a kick of smokey paprika, or swap out the paprika for some English mustard powder. Delicious with a cold beer or glass of fizz.
Author:
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 100g plain flour
  • 50g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 50g cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • ⅛th teaspoon paprika
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
  1. Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
  2. Mix the flour, paprika and a pinch of sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, rub together until the mixture is like breadcrumbs. Or put it in a food processor and blitz.
  3. Add the cheese, egg yolk and milk with a butter or dinner knife, in a cutting motion through the mixture. It should look like damp sand. Bring the dough together into a ball. You may need to add a little more milk to make the mixture come together.
  4. Use your hands to gather it into a ball, wrap in cling film / food wrap and refrigerate for half an hour. Do not over work the dough whilst bringing it together as the cheese straws will not be flaky.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan.
  6. Once the dough has chilled, carefully roll out onto a lightly floured surface. You want them to be quite thin.
  7. Use a ruler and a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into straws, whatever size you fancy.
  8. Transfer onto a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden.
  9. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

9 Pastry and Pies

Pain Aux Raisins

The king of all breakfast pastries for me is the Pain Aux Raisins.

Pain Aux Raisin

Plump raisins wrapped in a swirl of rich buttery laminated yeast risen dough, glued together with thick vanilla crème pâtissière, dusted with cinnamon to give a delicate background spice. Alongside a cafetière or rich dark coffee to cut through the sweetness.

My current favourite coffee is a fruity and citrus flavoured single origin Ethiopia coffee from a local artisan roasters “Coffee Officina“.

The only small set back is that making a Danish pastry dough is a whole weekend commitment. I start on a Friday evening making the dough so it can prove overnight in the fridge. Then through Saturday I attack the lamination process. Finally after resting the laminated dough on Saturday, I roll the pain aux raisins and slice. I then put them on a baking tray, cover in cling film and freeze. After about 4 hours you can take them off the tray, pop in a storage bag and put them in the freezer.

 

Pain Aux Raisin Dough

Then the night before you want them, just before you go to bed, pull out as many as you need onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Cover lightly with oiled cling film. Leave them on the side for the morning. Then in the morning pop them into a preheated oven at 200(180 fan) for about 15 mins.

pain-aux-raisin-close

I like to give them a brush with some maple syrup for a nice shine.

Makes: about 24
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
Ingredients:
For the dough
500g white bread flour, plus a little extra for dusting
80g caster sugar
10g salt
10g instant yeast
2 medium eggs
90ml cool water
125ml lukewarm milk
250g chilled unsalted butter

For the Crème Pâtissière
250ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g caster sugar
2 free-range eggs, yolks only
20g cornflour
20g butter

For the raisin filling
225g raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Maple syrup to glaze (Optional)

Instructions:
To make the dough

    1. Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a mixer. Keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides so that the salt does not retard the yeast. Combine all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix with a dough hook attachment for about 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
    2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.
    3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your chilled dough to a rectangle, about 50 x 20 cm. Flatten the butter to a rectangle about 33 x 19 cm, by putting in between two sheets of cling film and whacking it with a rolling pin.
    4. Lay the butter on the dough so that it covers the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Try to be neat and tidy.
    5. Fold the third of dough that does not have the butter on it down one-third of the butter. Now gently cut off the bit of the piece off butter you can still see without cutting the dough, and place it on the top of the dough you have just folded down. Fold the bottom third of the dough up. You will now have  two layers of butter and three layers of dough.  Re wrap the dough in cling film and chill for an hour.
    6. Unwrap the dough and put it on the lightly floured surface with the short end towards you. Roll out to a rectangle, about 50 x 20 cm, as before.
    7. This time fold up one-third of the dough and then fold the top third down on top. Wrap the dough again and chill for another hour. Repeat this twice more, putting the dough back into the fridge between turns.
    8. Double wrap in clingfilm and let your dough rest in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. It should rise slightly. It is then ready to use.

Lamination steps

To make the Crème Pâtissière

  1. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla extract. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat.
  2. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornflour together in a large bowl.
  3. Pour a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, keep whisking as you pour. Whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well-combined, then return to the saucepan.
  4. Simmer the mixture over a low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture becomes like a thick custard.
  5. Remove from the heat and sieve the mixture into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Add the butter and stir until melted and combined.
  6. Rest cling film on the surface of the custard to prevent a skim forming and allow to cool. Once cool chill in the fridge.

To make the Pain Aux Raisin

  1. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut in half. Roll one half out on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle, about 5 mm thick. Turn so a long edge is facing you.
  2. Spread half the crème pâtissière over the dough, leaving a 5 cm margin along the near edge. Sprinkle half the raisins and cinnamon on top of the crème pâtissière .
  3. Roll the dough towards you like a Swiss roll, keeping it tightly rolled and keeping tension on the dough as you roll. When you reach the end, wet the 5 cm strip you left with a little water and roll backwards and forwards on the join to seal. Repeat with the other piece.
  4. Cut the rolls into about 3 cm slices. Lay flat on the baking trays and gently lay some oiled cling film over the top of them. At this stage you can freeze them on the trays. Once frozen put into a freezer bag. Bring them out of the freezer the night before you want to use them and cover them with oiled cling film and they will be ready for the oven in the morning.
  5. Or if you want to taste the fruits of your labour now, leave to rise in a cool place until at least doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  6. Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Brush the risen pastries with beaten egg and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown.
  7. I brush mine with a little maple syrup as they come out but that is optional.

Adapted from a Paul Hollywood recipe.

8 Pastry and Pies

Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls in my mind are a match made in heaven, delicious crisp, flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around a succulent sausage. (Sounds a bit “carry on”, keep your double entendres to yourselves ;-)).

sausage roll cooked

Sausage Rolls

My eldest son has always had a morbid fear of sausages rolls and cocktail sausages, built from many children’s parties, where a tub of cold cocktail sausages and prepacked cold sausage rolls are the main stay of the kids buffet. Cold, damp pastry is never good in my opinion.

Eventually this year I convinced him to try a freshly made sausage roll straight out of the oven. To make the transition to real sausage rolls I used his favourite sausages in the centre, wrapped in a buttery, crispy homemade ruff puff pastry. He was a convert.

Sausage Rolls

Sausage Rolls

These are great for picnics or can be cut up smaller for buffets and finger food. To make them a little more adult, a small dollop of onion marmalade or Branston pickle in them before you roll them up gives them a little extra flavour.

Now you could cheat and buy some puff pastry and sausages and wack that in the oven but I think the rough puff pastry is pretty easy to make and makes a world of difference to the end product.

Rough puff is easy to make but it does take time, more because it needs to be rested in the fridge in between rolling to keep the butter cold and chilled for a couple of hours before being used. I normally make it the night before and leave it in the fridge for baking on Saturday.

sausage-roll-uncooked

Sausage Roll

Makes: 6 large
Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
Ingredients
225g plain flour
200g chilled butter
180ml chilled water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tsp salt
6 of your favourite sausages
1 egg to glaze

Instructions
1. Put the butter into the freezer for 15 mins before use. Then cut into cubes.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the butter.
3. Mix the butter around with a butter/dinner knife, to separate the cubes and coat them in flour. Do this gently to keep the butter in lumps.
4. Mix the water and lemon juice together in a jug and pour it into the flour and butter mixture. Reserve a little.
5. Using a butter/dinner knife, stir and cut the contents of the bowl several times, turning the bowl around as you chop the butter into the flour, bringing the dough together.
6. The dough should be quite wet and sticky, if not add a little more of the reserved water.
7. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and shape it into a rectangle about 30cm x 20cm.
8. With the pastry vertically on the work surface, fold the bottom third of the pastry up onto the middle third, then the top third down onto the other thirds. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
9. Bring the pastry out of the fridge, with the folded edge to the sides (90 degrees to the way you rolled it the first time), roll the pastry again into the same size rectangle as the original narrow rectangle and fold in the same way again.
10. Chill again in the fridge. Repeat this twice more. After the last rolling stage, wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for two hours or leave overnight.
11. When you are ready to make your sausage rolls, preheat the oven to 200c/180c (Fan). Carefully remove the skin from the sausage by cutting the skin along the length of the sausage. You want to retain the shape of the sausage to wrap the pastry around.
12. Roll out the pastry so it is 3 sausages long and about 30 cm wide.
13. Cut the pastry length ways so you have 2 long pieces 15 cm wide . Then cut each piece into 3 rectangles the length of a sausage each.
14. Place a sausage on the edge and roll up. Seal the edge of the pastry with some egg wash and place on a baking tray with the join underneath. Slash 4 times diagonally across the top and repeat with the other sausages. Then brush egg wash on the tops of all the sausage rolls. If you want more bite size sausage rolls cut each one into 4.
15. Bake for 25-30 mins at 200c/180c (fan) until golden brown and crispy.

Adapted from a Paul Hollywood recipe.

 

Sausage Rolls
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Sausage rolls in my mind are a match made in heaven, delicious crisp, flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around a succulent sausage. (Sounds a bit "carry on", keep your double entendres to yourselves ;-)).
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Oven Temp: Gas 6, 400F, 200C (180C Fan)
  • 225g plain flour
  • 200g chilled butter
  • 180ml chilled water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 6 of your favourite sausages
  • 1 egg to glaze
Instructions
  1. Put the butter into the freezer for 15 mins before use. Then cut into cubes.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the butter.
  3. Mix the butter around with a butter/dinner knife, to separate the cubes and coat them in flour. Do this gently to keep the butter in lumps.
  4. Mix the water and lemon juice together in a jug and pour it into the flour and butter mixture. Reserve a little.
  5. Using a butter/dinner knife, stir and cut the contents of the bowl several times, turning the bowl around as you chop the butter into the flour, bringing the dough together.
  6. The dough should be quite wet and sticky, if not add a little more of the reserved water.
  7. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and shape it into a rectangle about 30cm x 20cm.
  8. With the pastry vertically on the work surface, fold the bottom third of the pastry up onto the middle third, then the top third down onto the other thirds. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  9. Bring the pastry out of the fridge, with the folded edge to the sides (90 degrees to the way you rolled it the first time), roll the pastry again into the same size rectangle as the original narrow rectangle and fold in the same way again.
  10. Chill again in the fridge. Repeat this twice more. After the last rolling stage, wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for two hours or leave overnight.
  11. When you are ready to make your sausage rolls, preheat the oven to 200c/180c (Fan). Carefully remove the skin from the sausage by cutting the skin along the length of the sausage. You want to retain the shape of the sausage to wrap the pastry around.
  12. Roll out the pastry so it is 3 sausages long and about 30 cm wide.
  13. Cut the pastry length ways so you have 2 long pieces 15 cm wide . Then cut each piece into 3 rectangles the length of a sausage each.
  14. Place a sausage on the edge and roll up. Seal the edge of the pastry with some egg wash and place on a baking tray with the join underneath. Slash 4 times diagonally across the top and repeat with the other sausages. Then brush egg wash on the tops of all the sausage rolls. If you want more bite size sausage rolls cut each one into 4.
  15. Bake for 25-30 mins at 200c/180c (fan) until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Active time is about 30 mins in all, but there is waiting between the pastry steps.

 

2 Biscuits

Rugelach

Rugelach, a perfect marriage between a cookie and a mini rich filled pastry, that looks like a mini croissant.

rugelach cooked

I came across these delights in Chicago when we lived in an apartment block above a Whole Foods store.

My lazy Sunday morning treat was to pop down and grab a box of freshly cooked Rugelach. The delicious fresh soft and crispy pastry, filled with a sweet almost baklava like nut and honey filling, went perfectly with a steaming hot cappuccino from the local coffee shop and back to the sofa with the Sunday papers.

Since returning to the UK, I have had to recreate them myself. The smell of them fresh out of the oven is to die for and they are so moreish. Make sure there are few people around, otherwise you may devour the 4 dozen all yourself!

Whilst I am a fan of the traditional nut filled version, one of my team members at work hates nuts with a passion. So I have adapted the recipe to use everyday store-cupboard staples, any jam, marmalade or spread will work. Although at Christmas time my favourite is blending up a jar of mincemeat and spreading that across the dough, for a mince pie inspired version.

As the dough makes 4 dozen cookies, have fun and try various fillings and find your own favourite.

The pastry is made with a mix of cream cheese and butter giving it a light buttery flavor with a slight delicious cream cheese twang.
With the addition of cream cheese though the dough is soft. So lots of time in the fridge is needed to be able to work and roll out. Work one ball at at time and leave the rest in the fridge until you are ready.

rugelach rolled

Makes: 4 dozen cookies
Oven Temp: Gas 3, 350F, 180C (160C Fan)

Ingredients
Pastry:
225g cream cheese, at room temperature
225g butter, softened/room temperature
50g caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g all-purpose flour
1 egg for egg wash

Traditional filling:
250g walnuts(chopped)
85g honey
110g raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

You can swap the walnuts and honey for pecans and maple syrup and leave out the raisins. Alternatively try pistachios and honey for a baklava inspired rugelach.

Quick and Easy Filling Ideas:

  • Raspberry Jam
  • Nutella/Chocolate Spread
  • Mincemeat(Blended in a food processor)
  • Peanut Butter and Jam

Instructions
To make the dough:
1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon nonstick baking mat.
2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment or with wooden spoon, cream together butter and cream cheese until well combined light and fluffy. Make sure both are at room temperature or they will not blend as well.
3. Add the caster sugar, salt and vanilla extract and mix until ­combined.
4. Mix in the flour until combined. Do not over mix or the dough will get tough.
5. Form the dough into a ball and put onto a well floured surface. Cut the ball into quarters and wrap each in plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for an hour.

Making the traditional filling:
1. Put all the ingredients apart from the raisins into a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb.

Putting it all together:
1. On a well-floured board, remove one ball from the fridge and roll into a 9 inch circle(I use a cake tin as a template).
2. Sprinkle a 1/4 of the nut mix and a 1/4 of the raisins.
3. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges – cut into quarters, then each quarter into thirds (I use a pizza cutter for ease).
4. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge like a mini croissant. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Lightly beat the egg and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with some additional sugar.
6. Repeat until all balls of dough have been used .
7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown

If using one of my quick filling suggestions, just spread lightly and evenly over the dough and roll.

Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.

 

Rugelach
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Delicious rugelach cookies
Author:
Recipe type: Biscuits
Serves: 48
Ingredients
  • Pastry/Dough
  • 225g cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 225g butter, softened/room temperature
  • 50g caster sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 250g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • Traditional filling:
  • 250g walnuts(chopped)
  • 85g honey
  • 110g raisins
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
  1. To make the dough:
  2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon nonstick baking mat.
  3. In a mixer with a paddle attachment or with wooden spoon, cream together butter and cream cheese until well combined light and fluffy. Make sure both are at room temperature or they will not blend as well.
  4. Add the caster sugar, salt and vanilla extract and mix until ­combined.
  5. Mix in the flour until combined. Do not over mix or the dough will get tough.
  6. Form the dough into a ball and put onto a well floured surface. Cut the ball into quarters and wrap each in plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for an hour.
  7. Making the traditional filling:
  8. Put all the ingredients apart from the raisins into a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb.
  9. Putting it all together:
  10. On a well-floured board, remove one ball from the fridge and roll into a 9 inch circle(I use a cake tin as a template).
  11. Sprinkle a ¼ of the nut mix and a ¼ of the raisins.
  12. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges - cut into quarters, then each quarter into thirds (I use a pizza cutter for ease).
  13. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge like a mini croissant. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
  14. Lightly beat the egg and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with some additional sugar.
  15. Repeat until all balls of dough have been used .
  16. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown
  17. If using one of my quick filling suggestions, just spread lightly and evenly over the dough and roll.
Notes
Makes: 4 dozen cookies
Oven Temp: Gas 3, 350F, 180C (160C Fan)

You can swap the walnuts and honey for pecans and maple syrup and leave out the raisins. Alternatively try pistachios and honey for a baklava inspired rugelach.
Quick and Easy Filling Ideas:
Raspberry Jam
Nutella/Chocolate Spread
Mincemeat(Blended in a food processor)
Peanut Butter and Jam