Hot Cross Buns

I'm back to baking this week, and what could it be besides Hot Cross Buns?

I knew I wanted to bake something this weekend, knowing two of my nieces would be visiting and wanting to spoil them a bit (isn't that what aunties are for?), but it wasn't until I saw the Easter Bake Off Masterclass a few nights ago that I had the light bulb moment.

I suspected dad would also want to make some since he usually does at Easter, but I knew there would be little contest between them since he now uses a bread-making machine for all his bread.  It's just not the same.  It never rises as well and it always has a more yeasty taste.

<memorylane>
I remember growing up with the smell of proving dough in the house.  It's possible that I remember dad baking bread more often than he actually did, but it remains to this day one of my favourite memories of my childhood.  The dough would be sat beside or on the radiator for what seemed like hours upon hours upon hours, covered with a tea towel, the pungent smell of yeast making my mouth water with the promise of what was to come.  Maybe that's why I don't like machines making it for me; it takes away the cosy nostalgia and leaves behind just another gadget in a kitchen already overrun with them, and gives you a perfectly pleasant loaf at the end (if you're lucky enough to have a decent machine), but one that doesn't have that level of love and care baked into it that makes it so special.
</memorylane>

So I decided to use Paul Hollywood's recipe, since that was the inspiration for making them at all.  The recipe I used is here.

Now, I already know that you know that I like to make adjustments to recipes.  I'm a creative person who loves crafty things and experimentation even if it turns out horribly wrong, and baking is no different.  I read some of the reviews and decided to take the advice of a number of people, and I increased the volume of cinnamon (I used 2 tsp).  I also added the zest of a lemon as well as the orange in the recipe, partly because I had a lemon that needed to be used!

The unusual ingredient in this recipe is apple, but let me tell you it makes such a big difference.  It adds extra moisture and it's such a fabulous partner to cinnamon that it couldn't fail.  The apple I chose was Granny Smith because I knew the flavour would stand up to the rest of the fruit and cinnamon, and it wouldn't disintegrate to nothing.  The recipe calls for 'finely chopped' apple, but I wanted a bit more texture so I chopped about a third into bigger chunks.

The result is wonderfully soft, moreish, sticky hot cross buns with a fabulous flavour.

Half of my soft and squidgy Hot Cross Buns

I know I refer to Paul Hollywood a lot and I try a lot of his recipes, and some people may think I have no interest in other bakers and recipes.  Not true.  I have, for example, a fabulous French book I'm going to dip into a lot over the next few months (watch this space!).  I love Paul Hollywood's recipes because they work, they taste good, and they're adaptable.  The man isn't a master baker for nothing, you know!  Still, some variety will be forthcoming, you mark my words!

Anyway, I digress slightly.  I did say that dad made buns too.  We joked before the buns were made that my nieces would just have to try both and judge for themselves which are better, but I did add that they'd choose mine if they know what's good for them (hear that, sis?!).  I decided to do a little comparison photo for you, and here are our buns side by side...

Left - my bun
Right - dad's bun

No contest!

I think it's safe to say the opinions of my nieces are not really required, but I have no doubt they'll be forthcoming anyway!  Don't get me wrong, the buns dad made are tasty but even he admits they're just not right.  The crosses didn't come out after baking, and the sugary glaze on top ended up just a bit wet and... well a little odd.

My fluffy bun!

I haven't the faintest idea how I managed to wait until they were completely cool before trying them, and I have even less idea how I was able to take photos before I shoved them down my neck, but take photos I did!  Hopefully you can see how light they are, and the lovely, moist pieces of apple inside that are just scrummy.

You know, even I'm amazed how long I can babble about Hot Cross Buns.  Did you even reach the end?

I'm looking forward to the Great British Bake Off, and I can't wait to try the technical challenges each week. Rest assured though, that in between all the challenges I'll be trying some of the incredible French recipes I have waiting for me.  Perhaps eventually I'll do an A-Z round the world trip via the oven!

Happy Easter!

An exercise in happiness

First, I should say this post is nothing to do with cakes!  This is all about something I believe in very strongly, and I hope you can forgive this little aside.  A handful of people tried to belittle what a large, diverse group of people did purely to put smiles on people's faces on Stockton High Street yesterday, Friday 15 March 2013.  This is my response, and I hope that even if it doesn't make the negative people consider others more, perhaps it will help those negative comments fade into the background for those of us who were uplifted and happy on a cold day in Stockton.

#smile

I made a decision in the new year, and especially more recently, to be happier; to be thankful for and appreciate the beautiful and wonderful world and people around me, and to try to bring a little more joy into other people's lives too.

When I joined Stockton Town Choir I had no idea I would end up being involved in something as incredible as #smile.  A year ago I wouldn't have dreamed of singing in public regardless of how many people were singing with me, so yesterday was more than nerve wracking for me.  I rearranged my working week to be part of it and it's one of the most wonderful things I've ever done.  And I want more!

Spreading happiness and working towards a sense of pride about not only where we live, but who we are, starts with one person.  You.  Sadly, no matter what we do as individuals, if someone can't or refuses to see the good things in life and just be happy, for however brief a moment, we won't make a difference to them.  But for the countless others who just want to be happy, why stop?

I used to work in Stockton.  I've never lived there, and I rarely visit anymore.  Should I have let that stop me from wanting to be part of such a positive beast as #smile just because I live 10 miles away?  For many people it's a struggle just to be happy within themselves.  I get that.  I've been there.  It gives me an understanding that perhaps some others don't get, so since reading the negativity from a tiny percentage of people who witnessed what Mike McGrother pulled together yesterday, I took a step back.  I slept on it.  I decided this morning that I wouldn't be negative.  I won't 'bite'.

I would only suggest one thing to those people with nothing positive to say about #smile.  Take a moment to stop and consider this; happiness spreads faster than a virus, but so can misery.  The feedback from yesterday proves that the people who want to be happy are in the majority in a BIG way.  Do you really choose to be in the minority who can't find the joy in something that's obviously so special?  Do you really want to spread that to the people you love?  Do you want the next generations to find the bad in everything around them, or would you rather they can see the joy and help others see it too?  You can be the start of a change in outlook that can help everyone around you to enjoy their moments on this earth without feeling the need to justify why they just feel happy.  No one should ever have to justify happiness.

Yesterday I was proud to be part of #smile.  I would have stood there singing all day to make more people happier.  I even started dancing, and I never dance!  I had the biggest smile on my face while I was singing and dancing, looking out at all those faces smiling back at us all, some with tears in their eyes, some joining in.

See us #smile

I was, and still am, proud of every last person involved in yesterday's performance.  I'm grateful for the new friends I've made through the choir, and I hope to make more.  I'm happy to know we made people's lives a little more joyful, regardless of how short-lived it may have been.

I'm awed by the infectiously determined and genuinely lovely Mike McGrother, who worked his backside off to pull together #smile.  I have no doubt that he suffered sleepless nights and lost hair while organising it, and I know even without asking them that every last person involved yesterday is incredibly grateful for everything he did.

I'm going to continue to try to make people's lives a little more pleasant.  I'll respond cheerily when the supermarket worker greets me as though we've been friends for years.    I'll leave friendly notes for colleagues when I haven't seen them for a few days.  I'll smile and thank people for holding open a door for me, and I'll do the same for others.  I'll let other drivers into traffic when I actually want to be stubborn and make them wait.  I'll randomly send chocolate through the internal mail to colleagues with just a note to say they're appreciated.  I'll continue to be the best version of myself I can possibly be, and hope that someone's day is a little brighter because of it.

And one day I'll stand up again on a high street in the cold and the threatening rain, maybe Stockton, maybe not, and I'll sing and dance like it's the last thing I'm ever going to do on this earth.

It makes me happy.

I want it to make you happy too!

For those who weren't there, this is the first full video I've seen for #smile.  I'm hoping more start popping up.  I've just watched this through for the first time and I cried a little, but with a big smile on my face all over again.

Watch us #smile 1

Watch us #smile 2 

BTW, did you know that Wednesday 20 March is the International Day of Happiness?  What will you do to make someone's day a little brighter?

Love to you all.  Thanks for reading this far!

K x

An eight strand plaited loaf & a bit of crumpet

Ever since I watched the technical challenge of Paul Hollywood's eight strand plaited loaf on The Great British Bake Off last year I wanted to attempt it myself.  Mentioning it in my last blog post kept it at the front of my mind and I was determined to give it a go today.  And give it a go I did.

I should say that despite my love of experimenting with baking, it's been so long since I just made bread (20 years ago was my last proper loaf!) that this time I stuck with the recipe.  No seeds or herbs or cheese or anything extra, just white bread.

I'm very happy to say I haven't lost my touch.  After the first prove I had a wonderful monster on my hands!

Bread dough - first prove

So things were looking good but the hard part was yet to come.  After knocking it back I did what you would surely expect from me by now, and I grabbed the scales and weighed the dough before cutting it up into eight equal pieces (121g each in case you were wondering).

I followed every bit of the instructions to the letter.  I tacked the end of the dough down nice and firmly so it wouldn't move while I was playing.  I did my best to keep all the strands the same length and an even thickness.  Then I prayed to the flour fairies that I wouldn't screw it up!

Eight strand plaited loaf before final prove

I didn't screw it up!  Hurrah!  Of course it wasn't perfect and I hate that it wasn't, but for a first attempt at anything like this I'm rather feckin' happy.  The results after baking are here.  Look down.  There ya go!

Eight strand plaited loaf
(finally baked!)

I look at it now and see the curve and it bugs me, but it's not one huge knot of dough, which was what so easily could have been the result.

A close-up
Because that's what I do

I'm not sure how I managed, but I actually waited until it was completely cool before cutting into it and scoffing a slice with real butter.  I did take one final photo of it though, just to make your mouth water a teeny bit!

Mmmmmmmm............ butter!

You know, I forgot what proper home baked bread not from a machine tasted like, but I won't forget again.  I know it takes some time to mix and knead and knock back and shape, not to mention the proving time, but by heck it's worth it!

I didn't stop there though, did I?  No, by jiminy, I did not!  I made crumpets too.  I've never made crumpets before today but I'll definitely make them again.  Think of the ones you buy in the supermarket.  Close your eyes and imagine biting into one.  Remember the taste?  Now take away the kinda plasticy taste and the slightly rubbery texture, and add extra softness and depth of flavour.

And butter.

You need to add butter.

A bit of my buttery crumpet

They're really, really bloody lovely!  It can be a bit fiddly removing them from the crumpet/poached egg rings before flipping them over in the pan, but it's worth it.  The added bonus is that because it's a batter instead of a dough there's no kneading, it's just mix it, prove it, add the bicarb and salt, let it sit for a few mins, then cook.

These crumpets are very easy to make, and I see no reason on this earth why anyone would choose to buy them ready-made once they've tasted them made fresh at home.

Both these recipes were taken from Paul Hollywood's 'How to Bake'.  The more I use his recipes the more I want to get in the kitchen.

No, I'm not on commission... sadly  ;)

Right now, bugger off and bake something.  Go on.  Really.... go!

I can still see you.

Two birthday cakes, some balls, and that's a wrap!

Right then, here we go.  This will be an epic post for no other reason than for three of the four things I've made in the last few weeks, I had to stay hush for fear of spoiling surprises.  I wasn't avoiding you!

Chocolate Orange Cake

I made this for my sister's birthday.  She didn't know I was making it.  She didn't get it on her birthday either, but it was close enough.

I wanted to try something different using some of the orange curd I made at the beginning of February.  I also wanted to redeem myself a little for the ultra-rich chocolate ganache experience on the Buche Noel we made together at Christmas!

Unfortunately there were some problems when I made this.  I'd bought two new silicone cake moulds and was trying them for the first time.  It turns out these particular ones were only non-stick if they were greased first, which sorta ruins the point (are you listening, Tesco?).  So I had some trimming to do, then some filling plasterer stylee using ganache.

The intention with this cake was to have a chocolate sponge sandwiched with orange curd, coated with milk chocolate ganache and stylishly finished with a topping of orange jelly.  It would be all glass-like, shiny and posh.  Instead, to finish off my run of bad luck, the jelly fell apart thanks to aforementioned crap silicone moulds.  It turns out that they're useless for anything.

So this was the result.

Chocolate Orange Cake
The decoration went a bit wrong!

I was reliably informed that it tasted lovely.  Looks aren't everything, and that's as true with cakes as it is with people, apparently!  My final issue with the cake was that I let the ganache set too much before using it, leaving it a bit dull and ... well, you can see for yourself.  The orange stuff on top was a spread of orange curd, some of the broken-up jelly and some chocolate sprinkles.  If you ask me it was the chocolate sprinkles that finished it off to be the artful masterpiece it so clearly happens to be.  It doesn't look at all like someone hurled on it!

Chocolate Caramel Cake Balls

I seem to recall there's some big thing about cake pops.  Well these aren't cake pops.  They're not ultra sweet with butter icing and with a stick shoved up them!

I don't usually aim for trends when it comes to anything, as my clothing may well confirm to anyone who sees me.  The fact that I made cake balls on this occasion was a fluke.

I was experimenting with using little pieces of chopped up fudge in my cake mix, to see whether they would all just sink to the bottom before I added them to a colleague's birthday cake.  I was right to test the theory first as they did indeed sink.  Not only that, they also stuck to the paper cases (I made cupcakes) and the fudge hardened to something more like toffee; the light crunchy kind that doesn't break your teeth.  So even as cupcakes they were a disaster.

Now then, do I waste food?  Yes, sometimes, despite my best attempts.  Do I waste cake?  Um.  Do I look like I waste cake????

So I grabbed a big bowl and I scraped all the cake from their cases, broke it all up, and instead of binding it together with butter icing like people do with cake pops (so I'm told), I used some cream.  This was mostly because I don't like super-sweet butter icing cakes so much, but also because I couldn't be fecked making the butter icing!

I think you already know what I did next.  Clever clogs!  Yes, I made little balls then finished them by dipping them into melted milk chocolate, then drizzled them with white chocolate.

Chocolate Caramel Cake Balls

As mistakes go this was one of my better ones!  They tasted fab; light vanilla sponge, crunchy pieces of caramel, belgian chocolate.  What's not to like?

Chocolate Caramel Cake Balls
Delectable!

The only thing I would do differently in future, and I will make these again, is that I would use a little less cream to make sure they're not too solid.  A couple were a little dense.  It didn't stop them being eaten, though.

Caramel Cream Cake

This was the birthday cake I made for a colleague, for which I experimented and ended up with non-violated cake pops.

I decided to keep this one simple.  I'd already had accidents happen, so I held back this time.  I always knew I wanted to make a caramel cake for her but I also knew they could be ridiculously sweet.  That wasn't what I wanted people to remember.

So, I made a basic vanilla sponge and sandwiched it with the same caramel I used for the Caramel Slice back in January, and some whipped cream.  I topped it off with more caramel and some little crispy chocolate ball things for a little texture.

Caramel Cream Cake

I can honestly say it's one of the nicest cakes I've made for some time.  It was simplicity itself.  There were no gimmicks and I didn't try to be clever with the filling, design or the finish.  I just wanted it to look okay and taste wonderful.  From the sounds that came from my colleagues it tasted orgasmic.  I'm certain the guy in the office down the corridor would have had no choice but to investigate had he heard us.  I'm not sure whether he would've been relieved or disappointed to find four women only eating cake!

Wraps

We're finally on the home stretch!  This will be a short one, I promise.  This time I wanted to make something I can actually eat without feeling guilty or naughty, and as I flicked through my new book from Paul Hollywood (How To Bake) it was obvious what I'd try first.  I knew if I didn't make them today I'd only end up buying some in the supermarket tomorrow, and why would I do that when I already know his recipe will be so much tastier?

That's a Wrap!  (or seven; the rest are already in the freezer)

They're lovely!  They're soft and delicious and so easy to make.  Because they're only for me I wasn't all that concerned with whether or not they were perfectly round (as you can clearly see!).  However I do feel the need to add extra flavour the next time I make them.  Perhaps some garlic.  Maybe toasted sesame.  A few herbs.

I have no doubt that these will become a regular bake for me, especially as they usually replace bread in my diet.  Although now I have this book I have an intense desire to attempt plaiting eight strands of dough until I go dizzy!  Don't know to what I'm referring?  Take a look here, and watch this space!