Flour, Cake and Pastry

Its Burns Night! January 25th marks the annual celebration of the life of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Cock-a-Leekie Soup This traditional soup, with prunes included in the ingredients, is mentioned as early as the 16th century. It's often served on Burns Night or St Andrew's Day, as well as an every-day soup in winter. Some people omit the prunes though! This serves 6-8 people. Ingredients 1 boiling fowl, about 4lb, including legs and wings 12 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces 4 pints stock or water 1oz long grained rice 4oz cooked, stoned prunes One tsp. brown sugar Salt and pepper Garni of bay leaf, parsley, thyme Method Put the fowl in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary. Remove the bird....

Hello! Would you believe it's Monday again already? This weeks recipe is a simple yet scrummy one, and it makes use of all those left over bits and bobs you may have in your cupboards. I absolutely love quiche, it's so fun to make, takes very little effort and is so versatile, you can pretty much add any flavours and fillings you want! Ingredients *For the pastry* 200g plain flour 100g butter 1-2 tbsp. water *For the filling* 4 eggs 220ml milk Salt and pepper (to season to your taste) 400g grated cheddar 10 rashers smoked bacon This recipe makes a quiche large enough to fit a 24cm flan dish. Method For the pastry, rub together the flour and butter in a mixing bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add in sufficient water, one tablespoon at a time (mixing with your hands after each addition) until your pastry is formed. Grease your flan dish well with butter. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, until about 5mm thick and wide enough to fill t...

It's the weekend! So today it's our fifth and final instalment of Sugar and Salt . I hope you've enjoyed the last 8 recipes we have shared with you as much as we have shared writing them! Mary Berry's Complete Cook Book This book is AMAZING. Like seriously. It's one my mum bought many moons ago, and I think we use it near enough every week to whip up a meal, or to get some baking inspiration. It's packed with recipes for every dish you could pretty much ever think of, and obviously, its Mary Berry, so you know it's going to taste yummy. Tiramisu This is a traditional Italian dessert; a sponge base layered with creamy mascarpone cheese flavoured with brandy, chocolate and coffee. This recipe serves 12 and takes approximately 45 minutes. Ingredients 1.5 tsp. instant coffee granules 175ml boiling water 150ml brandy 3 eggs 125g caster sugar 425g mascarpone cheese 450ml double cream 150g plain chocolate chips 1 packet trifle sponges 60g whit...

Hello! Welcome back to my Sugar and Salt series, day four. So as it's Thursday that means we only have 4 recipes left to go through! If you missed any of our previous recipes, follow the links below! Home Baker The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers The Hairy Biker's Family Cookbook: Mums Know Best Grandma's Best Recipes Today's instalment comes from a really unique recipe book. It really makes you feel like you're reading a recipe book that was written by your own Grandma, and with little hints and tips on every page, it really gives it that family feel. Lemon Meringue Pie This dessert is usually served cold, but why not mix it up and serve it fresh out the oven with a little ice cream...you won't regret it believe me! Lime or orange juice and rind can be substituted for the lemon juice and rind for a different flavour too. This pie serves four. Ingredients *For the pastry*       ...

Here we are, once again half way through the working week, Friday is finally in sight, and the middle of January is somehow upon us. Welcome back to my Sugar and Salt series, today is day three, and I hope you've enjoyed the last two instalments where I shared two recipes from  Home Baker and The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers . The Hairy Biker's Family Cookbook: Mums Know Best Today's recipes comes from those friendly northerners who love their food. I absolutely adore this book, as they're filled with home grown recipes from families up and down the country. Plus every recipe has a little paragraph about the family it's come from and what makes it so great. So if you're looking for a truly scrumptious set of recipes this book is the one for you. Very Special Chocolate Mousse Trio This recipe comes from a relative of the Hairy Bikers, who made it for a silver wedding anniversary. Three different chocolates are ...

It's Tuesday! Which means its also the second day of our Sugar and Salt series; where we will be looking at a sweet and savoury recipe from 5 of my favourite recipe books. So we have 8 more recipes for you guys to feast your eyes on over the next 4 days. If you missed yesterday's Home Baking recipes, check out the post here . The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers So this book is pretty much my baking Bible, as are the rest of the GBBO recipes. I just love how they simply are home-grown recipes, that any baker, no matter how skilled, can reproduce anytime, anywhere. This particular book includes technical challenges and signature bake recipes by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood too! Caramel Layer Cake This is a 3-layer cake with a rich sea-salt caramel filling and icing plus a dark chocolate caramel layer. It's decorated with melted chocolate feathered through the still-soft caramel. The cake is made from an all-in-one sponge mix, ...

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and your first week of 2017 was one to remember! Today's post is the first of this week's new series Sugar and Salt , and includes recipes from one of my 5 favourite recipe books at the moment, so with a sweet and savoury recipe from each book, that's 10 new recipes to get your taste buds tingling! Home Baker First up on the list is 'Home Baker'. This book includes a vast array of recipes from biscuits to tarts, all the way through to bread-it really is the perfect guide for any home baker. They've also got some insanely good flavour combinations, they have really pushed the boat out, and boy do they work! Hazelnut, Chocolate and Orange Tart This tart is to die for; with a pasta frolla dough base (an Italian sweet pastry), a rich filling of ground hazelnuts, plain chocolate and orange zest, and a topping of chocolate ganache, this is perfect for any special occasion. Ingredients *For the Pasta F...

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely time over the Christmas period, and are looking forward to all the exciting adventures 2017 will surely bring! As we go into this new year, I thought I'd share with you 10 of the best tips and tricks in the world of baking, helping you to get your new year bakes off to the best start! 1) How to store baking products. From baking powder to honey, it can sometimes be difficult to know what's best for your baking ingredients. After all, the last thing you want is for everything to go off before you even get round to using them. So from expiration dates, to storage and ways to test your yummy ingredients, check out How To: Simplify 's definitive guide to what's what in your cupboards...and always remember, if in doubt, throw it out. 2) Baking substitutions. We've all been there. Half way through your recipe and you run out of a key ingredient. Many bakers tend to go into a 5 second blind panic of thinking your bake i...