Homemade Marshmallows

“At the end of the war, all the guns were collected and melted down”. This was what a friend and historian once told me. The romantic in me likes to think they used the metal for good, cast into medics to help the future generations.

Perhaps that’s why people think medics are so strong, forged from tanks and flak 88s, Rheinmetal running through our veins – we are indestructible. The great battleships used to make consultants; although when I think about it 617 Sqn might have proven this wrong.

So what do medics do when they take a hit, well there is always wine I suppose. The problem with this is that it’s not exactly healthy. Fear not though, for I have found a solution – Marshmallows (with hot chocolate and a friendly shoulder).

Marshmallows are basically just diabetes in solid form; made from egg white, sugar and gelatine, they form an integral role in breaking the silence when you need to talk, or comforting you when you are low. I mean when hasn’t an open fire to toast a marshmallow cheered someone up?

Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites
• 13 sheets gelatine
• 25oz caster sugar
• 2tbsp liquid glucose
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• 4oz icing sugar
• 4tbsp cornflour

Start by going out for all the gelatine and sugar the nearest town will supply. You will need it, otherwise your marshmallows won’t set or will taste strange.

In a bowl, combine the gelatine sheets with 200ml warm water and set aside to soften.

Whilst this softens, add the sugar, liquid glucose and water to a pan and heat. You need to bring this up to 130C but this will take some time (10-15mins).

In the mean time, separate out 3 egg whites and whisk in a mixer till soft peaks form. At this point you can stop whisking till the sugar has reached the nuclear heat of ‘soft crack’.

When the sugar mix has heated up to 130C, take off the heat and add in the gelatine and water. This is a very violent reaction so be careful. Mix to fully disolved.

Restart the mixer till the egg whites make firm peaks. At this point add in the sugar as a constant stream. Keep the mixer whisking for 10mins during which time the mixture will thicken considerably. At the last moment add in the vanilla.

Now for the fun bit, line 2 deep trays with clingfilm and brush with oil. Cover this with the icing sugar mixed together with 4tbs of cornflour.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the tins. At this point you can swirl in some colours or flavours.

Now the waiting game – around 2hrs to be precise. This allows the marshmallows to form their unique outer shell.

After a period of time, turn the marshmallow out onto a surface heavily dusted with the icing sugar/cornflour mix. Cut into squares and slightly toss in the sugar.

Let’s eat

So, I mean the possibilities with these are endless: S’mores, coated in chocolate, topping a hot chocolate or simply toasted on an open fire.

So, for when you have run out of shop bought marshmallows but need a hot chocolate – there is a back up.

 

Dairy Free Pecan Danish

Who doesn’t love a morning pastry?!

For some reason the idea of fresh black coffee, pastries and orange juice in the sun has a certain romance in my mind. I suppose it reminds me of scenes from black and white films, the ones where you get to walk into the sunset. But what happens if you can’t have dairy. Don’t you get to walk off into the sunset………….

Well, with the rise of veganism there is hope for all the people that can’t have dairy for whatever reason. Now that you can get a block of vegan butter, the book turns of Danish pastry are possible. Replace the milk with soya and you are on your way.

That’s the theory at least and with a dairy free F2 currently on surgery with me the pressure is on. This F2 isn’t your normal F2 though, if its not from F&M you probs won’t stand a chance. In fact, she’s probably a missing member of Made in Chelsea (I can say this because I bribed her with Danish Pastries luckily)……….

 

So without delay, I give you dairy free Maple Pecan Danish Pastries

 

Danish Pastry

Ingredients

• 8oz Vegan Butter
• 1lb Plain Flour
• 1/2oz Salt
• 4oz Caster Sugar
• 5g Fresh yeast
• 250ml Soya milk
• 4tbsp Maple syrup
• 4oz Pecan nuts
• 4oz Dark brown sugar
• Vanilla
• 1oz Vegan spread

As you can tell I’ve got slightly better at the artistic shot of all the ingredients. In addition to the soya milk for the baking I also got some single soya cream for pouring over/having with coffee- on a side note it’s really good.

Start by making a simple dough; combine the flour, salt, caster sugar and yeast in the kitchen aid using a dough hook.

 

To this, add the soya milk and eggs – knead for 5mins till you have a silky smooth dough which is very pliable (slightly wet). Form into a ball and leave to proof for an hour -perfect time to write the first part of this blog.

After an hour, the dough should have almost doubled in size and the gluten inside relaxed. Turn it out onto a floured work surface and let the fun begin. It’s time for book turns:

Step1 – Roll the dough out into a large rectangle (about 40x20cm)

Step 2 – Place half the Vegan butter at the centre in slices in a little raft.

Step 3 – Fold the bottom third of the dough up to cover the ‘butter’

Step 4 – Place the second half of the butter in slices over the top of the fold (to form another raft)

Step 5- Fold up the bottom third as shown in progress above

Step 6 – Seal the edges using a rolling pin – cover in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for an hour (it stops the vegan butter going soft)

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And there you have it – book turns using Vegan butter – at this point I feel obliged to say you can make the recipe with real butter and milk and it will probably be a million times tastier……….

After the hour is up, retrieve the pastry (now it has vegan butter and folds it’s a pastry not a dough) and roll out onto a floured work surface. The idea is to get somewhere close to the original size.

Once rolled out, fold the bottom third up and the top third down like before. Seal again and return to the fridge for 30mins – (cold hands and a cold rolling pin help a lot to stop the Vegan butter from melting and ruining the laminations)

Repeat these further book turns another 3 times which should give you plenty of delicious laminations and ultimately a very flaky pastry.

Once on your last “turn” you can think about making the filling. For this you will need more vegan butter, vanilla paste or extract, dark brown sugar, pecans and maple syrup.

Start by slightly toasting the pecans for 5 mins in an oven set to 180C. Once brown, keep around a dozen back and blend the rest to form a sort of chunky pecan dust.

In a bowl, combine the vegan butter, sugar, vanilla and the pecans. Then fold in the maple syrup to form a deliciously diabetic purée.

Now the pastry should have fully rested, remove from the fridge and divide into two to make working with it easier. Roll it out to form a large rectangle about 5mm thick. Divide this into 6 smaller rectangle which will form the pastries.

In the centre of each pastry place a line of the pecan purée and then cut a fan each side. Wet each side with a little water. It is then simply a case of overlapping the pastry to form the distinctive shape of the pastry.

Remember to pinch the pastry together otherwise it will break open. I learnt the hard way with my first batch – tasty rejects for the theatre team to eat.

With the pastries made – allow one last proof for around an hour in a coolish room before glazing with a beaten egg.

Bake at 180C fan for 20mins

Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Then top with a little icing and some of the pecans kept from before (I’ve cheated on the icing because of timing and I had this left over from a cake bake)

 

Let’s eat.

Well there you have it – a Dairy free maple pecan danish. For the life of me I can’t understand why you could elect to eat it, but if you can have dairy for allergies then this is a pretty good alternative. It’s wonderfully flaky and very tasty – enjoy with coffee whilst slightly warm.

Right – have to work out what’s next now…………. I’m feeling nostalgic so homemade nachos to celebrate a family trip to Vancouver I think!!

Warming Winter Goulash – Chicken and bean

Winter is closing in and that means the yearly escape to Wales is nearly here. I’ve written on here before about the warming beef stew they serve and there are a few other items on the menu that I’ve been dying to try out.

Chicken goulash with chips is one such item on the menu. Succulent chunks of chicken in a rich tomato sauce with lashings of paprika; what’s not to love. Traditional Hungarian versions of the stew are made with beef, but variations exist which are made from chicken, lamb or even beans.

In my version of Goulash I’ve gone for chicken but added in some beans and used three different types of paprika for added warmth. With lots of added veg you could even argue this is a healthy dinner option. The addition of hassleback potatoes and homemade wraps to soak up the sauce make a lovely winter feast.

 

Goulash

Ingredients

• 6 Large Chicken thighs
• 2 Tins chopped tomatoes
• 3 Large peppers
• Onions, Carrots, Celery and Garlic
• Paprika (Smoked, Sweet and Hungarian)
• Haricot and Cannellini beans
• Coriander
• Chilli, Caraway seeds and bay leaves

 

As per usual start by taking a photo of all the ingredients together. I still maintain this is an important part of life, not just for blogging.  I have to move loads of stuff around each time to take it.

Once the photo has been taken you can put all the kitchen back together and start browning the chicken. It’s best to leave the skin on and bone in place, it adds to the flavour and can be removed later.

Once browned, remove from the pan and add in the chopped carrots, onion and celery. This time I have to confess I cheated slightly and used a pack of frozen veg. They come in handy after a long shift.

After the onions have softened, add in the peppers. Again you could use frozen but fresh are better. Once cooked, add in the chopped garlic. Adding it in early risks it burning which creates bitterness, so be careful.

With all the veg cooked out, add in the chopped tomatoes, spices and beans. Bring up to the boil and add back in the chicken. Place the lid back on the Le Cresuet and simmer for an hour.

With the chicken cooked, remove from the Goulash and strip the meat from the bone. This can then be returned to the pan to soak up the tomatoey goodness until the rest of the dish is ready.

Wraps

Ingredients

• 1lb Strong bread flour
• 1oz salt
• 2oz Caster Sugar
• 5g Fresh yeast
• 1oz Butter
• 320ml Water

Wraps are very easy to make as it turns out. Measure all the ingredients out and transfer to the bowel of a mixer with a dough hook. My favourite is a kitchenaid but I’m biased.

On a medium speed, mix in the water and knead for 5 mins until a smooth dough has been formed. Once done, proof for 2-3 hours. Perfect time for a coffee

With the dough proved, form into balls and then roll out flat. Try to make them look like wraps, but be creative.

Cook in a hot pan with just a small amount of oil, flipping over after 2mins – this should leave you with a lovely brown mottled pattern.

Lets Eat

Right, that’s about it I think.

I like to serve the goulash with some fresh coriander and also a hassleback potato. These are easy to make, just make some cuts almost completely through a potato and then bake in the oven. You can top with some paprika as well to add to the flavour.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed the blog as much as I enjoyed the goulash. But saying that, what’s not to like about chicken, paprika, wraps and crispy potatoes.

 

Cornish Pasties

Originally Cornish Pasties were created so that the hard-working Tin miners of the region would have a delicious lunch. Indeed the distinctive crimped edge was rumoured to have been there to avoid getting dirty hands on their food.Our family have some what of a checkered history with the Cornish pasty however. On a summer holiday my dear brother was tucking into one when he was dive bombed by a hungry seagull. Not only did he lose his lunch but from there started a mortal fear of picnics which lasts till today.This recipe is somewhat of a traditional one containing beef, turnip, onion and potato. They are fantastically easy to make, tasty and great as savoury snacks with a little side salad.

Ingredients

• 1lb Beef steak mince
• 8oz White onion
• 8oz Turnip
• 8oz Waxy potato
• White Shortcrust Pastry
• • 1lb Plain Flour
  • 4oz Butter
  • 4oz Stork

Start by making the pastry. This is very simple and I’ve covered it in multiple previous blogs.In short, measure out the flour, butter and stork and rub together. To this add cold water until the mixture comes together to form a ball.

A handy tip is to make the pastry when the butter is cold and use cold water. This makes the pastry more flaky when you come to taste the pasty later.To make the filling, finely chop the onions into small cubes. This is important as the filling goes into the oven raw and is baked in the pasty. So the smaller the better.

Secondly, peel the waxy potatoes. I didn’t have any in the kitchen at the time, so used some of the new potatoes with the skin removed. Again cut into small cubes.

Lastly peel the turnip and cut into cubes. Combine all the ingredients with a liberal helping of salt and pepper. I added a little less pepper than normal, but remember this is one of the main tastes so go wild if you love it.

With the filling made and the pastry well rested, roll out the short crust to around the thickness of a pound coin.

Cut out circles from the pastry, use a plate as a guide and aim for the size you want to eat. I’m make these as savoury snacks for the tea room, so the size of a side plate is perfect.

Make the pasties by taking a disk of pastry and brushing the edge with water. Add a generous helping of filling to the centre and spread along the middle.

Form the distinctive shape of the pasty by drawing the disk together along the midline and crimping together between your fingers.

Lastly brush with a beaten egg and transfer to a greased breaking sheet.

Cook in the middle shelf of an Aga (around 180C) for 45 mins.

Let’s Eat

Serve with a little side salad, some chutney and a few crispy potatoes.I would say have with a nice beer, but for the tea room a shandy will do just as well.

Beef and Ale Stew with Yorkshire Puddings and Herby Dumplings

As you’ve probably realised by now, I am a Birmingham Medical School graduate. As a student we all had one fear; being placed at Hereford. This meant that for 18 weeks you were isolated from your friends, girlfriend, and a decent Calzone. It did however mean you got amazing teaching, opportunities which were only comparable to the old school training days (find me another 5th year that can put in central lines and do an open appendicectomy – quids in they went to Hereford as well ). It also allowed some long-lasting relationships to form.
Now, I can’t claim to have made any long-term romances, but I did discover something amazing………..

Llanthony, a ruined Abbey just across the border in Wales.

The Priory was founded in 1100 and, following the dissolution of the monasteries, has laid dormant for centuries. Luckily, in the late 19th century, someone converted the remaining tower and cellar into a bed and breakfast which still remains. The rooms are cosy, the perfect place to bring a lover for a secret weekend away, and the bar serves good honest food. It inspired this recipe in fact, a hearty beef casserole slowly cooked in local Stout with herby dumplings and Yorkshire puddings; what’s not to love. The lads certainly did on our recent walking trip.

Beef Stew

For this recipe you either need an Aga or a slow cooker

Ingredients 

• 4lb Chunk Steak
• 2lbs Onions (ideally small)
• 2 bottles of Stout
• 4 Carrots
• 1 Head of celery
• 1 Parsnip
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• Thyme, sage, salt, pepper 
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Flour and oil

Start by taking your beef and removing all the obvious fat, tendons and membranes. What you should be left with is delicious meat, some marbling but none of the chewy fat. I’m using beef from Coates butchers – they are great!!

Toss the beef in seasoned flour and then brown off in a Le Creuset – I’m using Bertha, a pan I bought in Hereford years ago. Alternatively you can cook it in a frying pan and transfer to the slow cooker.

Take the browned meat out and then saute the carrot, onion and celery (finely dice these first). I’ve used Grans ridged cutter here for the carrots – rumour is it was made from the old air raid shelter.

Now for the fun part – deglaze the pan with the beer. You can use lots of different types of beer, stout is best and I’m using one from the local brewery, Derventio brewery.

With the beef, carrots, onion, celery and beer combined in the Le Creuset, add the thyme, sage and some tomato puree/soup (it helps tenderise the beef). Finally add the garlic. A little goes a long way.

Leave to cook overnight in a low oven till the meat is tender. At this point you can add in some small onions to go with the diced up ones. Pickling onions are perfect. Return to the slow oven again. Around another 12hrs should do it.

In the mean time you can make the dumplings and Yorkshire puddings if you want to plan ahead.

Herby Dumplings

I’m a great fan of dumplings, they are a great addition to an already hearty meal. Proper dumplings are made with suet and if you don’t ask too many questions about its origin it’s great. According to mum the box hasn’t changed since she was a young girl. I’ve added some horseradish and parsley for added flavour.

Ingredients

• 8oz Self raising flour
• 4oz Suet
• 1tbs Parsley
• 2tsp Horseradish
• Water

Start by weighing out the flour and suet then transferring into a large mixing bowl along with the parsley.

Add the horseradish, then add cold water, one spoon at a time.

Bring together to form a relatively wet dough and divide into walnut sized balls. Roll them in to shape.

To cook, add the dumplings onto the top of the stew and replace the lid.

Cook for 20mins, removing the lid in the last 5 mins to allow a bit of browning action.

Yorkshire Puddings

Currently theatres are having a debate around Yorkshires with Christmas dinner. Unless you have beef then the answer should be no.

Ingredients 

• 8oz Plain flour
• 1pint Milk
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Pinch of salt

Again start by weighing out the flour and transferring to a mixing bowl as well as a pinch of salt.

Add in the wet ingredients; the milk and eggs.

Combine and beat together using a novel whisk – this one I think was used by my Victorian relatives…………… It works really well though.

Set aside to rest in the fridge. In the mean time, heat up some fat in a red-hot oven. I’m using real beef dripping. This is not exactly heart healthy but tastes great.

When the fat is smoking hot, fill each well about 3/4 full and return to the oven.

Cook for about 20mins, turning half way through.

When cooked, remove and serve whilst still warm and crispy. Otherwise they can be rewarmed later.

 

Lets eat.

Right!! With your hearty stew cooked, serve with a couple of dumplings, yorkshire puddings and some veg. If you are greedy, a side of crispy potatoes mops up the gravy perfectly.

 

And don’t forget the horseradish.

Beef Brisket Chilli aka Posh Chilli

Along side medicine and the tea room I do some consulting work on drones. Now, this is mostly boring but I do get an office. On the desk alongside the plans, a miniature jet engine and an old slide rule, lies a stethoscope. Now, this is important because recently it came up in an interview when I was asked about the most expensive item in my life……………..

“The stethoscope, for it has cost me my youth”

Doctors spend most of their youth stuck in lectures or commuting to and from placements. This is the reason most medics either have crazy hobbies or love elaborate long winded cooking. The chilli recipe below is a prime example of this, taking 2 days of slow cooking, it makes a great recipe to enjoy with friends. It’s not too spicy either………

 

Ingredients

• 2kg Beef Brisket
• 2 Carrots
• 2 Onions
• 1 Head of Celery
• 3 Peppers
• 2 Tins Kidney Beans
• 1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
• Spices – Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, chilli, cinnamon
• Moonshine
• Camp coffee
• Worcestershire sauce

 

Start in the usual fashion, collect the ingredients together in the kitchen and take a pretty photo for social media. If it’s not on facebook it didn’t happen after all.

 

Chop the carrots, onions and celery roughly and place into the bottom of a large roasting dish, something like a Le Creuset is perfect. Then combine the spices in a pestle and mortar. The amount of each spice will depend on personal preference, but a tiny amount of cinnamon goes a long way.

Rub the beef in the spices mix and place into the pan on top of the veg. If you can’t be bothered to make a spice mix of your own you can always buy a packet………I won’t judge, I promise.

We haven’t quite got to the oven part yet I’m afraid. I told you, medics like long-winded cooking. My favourite chilli from my time in America was at this smoke pit near Reno where they used burnt ends to add smokey depth. Now, I’ve resisted the urge to build a smoker and instead added some moonshine, camp coffee and a dash of Worcestershire sauce instead.

Cook in a low oven  (the bottom of an Aga) overnight.

Feeling well rested from a long night dreaming of homemade chilli, retrieve your beef from the oven and set aside. From the stock remove and finely dice the veg, these can be added back to the chilli later.

Roughly chop 3 peppers and gently soften in some oil on a low heat, then when cooked add in the veg from before. To this veg mix, add the kidney beans and a tin of chopped tomatoes.

Now the fun begins. Remove the butchers string from your beef brisket and cut into chunks along the grain of the meat. Then take out all the stress in your life….using forks or your fingers shred the beef.

Return the shredded beef to the Le Creuset along with more herbs and spices. As you can tell I’ve cheated and used a Colemans mix. Now add the stock and combine all together.

Then it’s back to the oven. Again its an overnight job, but then it will finally be done. I promise.

Time to eat

 

Right, after 2 days of slow cooking you should have made the decision of what you are going to have your chilli with……..I’ve gone simple with a jacket potato and a bit of cheese. I contemplated chilli cheese fries, but……………

Anyway, well done if you make this at home, it takes a long time but is definitely worth the wait. I’m tempted to add it to the tea room menu, what do you think?

 

Homemade Strawberry Jam

If you’ve ever visited the tea room, you might be aware that we do group tours of the Abbey and church. Normally we organise these for WIs or historic groups, but occasionally we just do a drop in. Well, after one tour we had a few strawberries left over………

So what do you do if you have 3.5lbs of fruit left over and a tea room. The obvious answer is to make jam. Now, I make chilli jam all the time but shy away from fruit generally. It’s relatively difficult to make because it requires an accurate ratio of fruit to sugar and pectin to set. This is in addition to boiling to a specific temperature. However, as a pretty girl once told me, you’re a surgeon that flies drones, builds model aeroplanes and helps run a tea room, you can do everything……….

So, to rise to that challenge –

Ingredients

• 3.5lbs Strawberries
• 3.5lbs Jam sugar
• 2 Lemons (juice)

You ideally also need a jam pan, jam jars, sugar thermometer and a funnel

Start by getting all the ingredients and equipment and taking a pretty photo. Really don’t know what I’ll do if I have to move to the city – farmhouse kitchens are nicer.

Once the photos have been taken, remove the stalk and tops off all the strawberry’s. You can cut into half’s or quarters at this point as well to help them cook faster.

Place the fruit into the jam pan and put on a low heat- the simmering hob of an AGA works fantastic. Simmer the fruit down till it has formed a pulp. At this point I wondered if the pulp cooled, served over ice with gin would be an option- but that’s another day’s experimenting.

To the pulp add the sugar and lemon juice. Return to the Aga but on the boiling hob this time.

Start to increase the temperature to the jam mark on your thermometer. That’s about 104C

While the jam cooks, heat the jars up in the bottom Aga till they are too hot to touch – this sterilises them and helps the jam last.

When the jam is boiling and a spoonful placed onto a cold saucer forms a skin it is time to bottle up. Using a sterile funnel and spoon transfer the jam into jam jars. I decided to go for 4 large jars and a dozen minis. It should last for a couple of months.

 

Let’s eat

Ok, so what do you do with that much Jam.

Well, so many options – eat it on scones, use it to make a cheesecake, fill a Victoria Sponge

Either way, what it gets used for will be available to buy at the tea room tomorrow (22/7). Enjoy………

Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs with homemade pitta

‘I’ve never seen him this angry……. Well you say you hated beer, what did you expect’

Sometimes it’s good to act out. This happened whilst I was out having a drink with a surgical SHO  and his girlfriend. She was stunningly pretty, but nothing can excuse that comment – I just had to leave.

In true Cox fashion I jumped into my Alfa, put the hood down and ignored the texts and calls asking if I was returning. I was not!! About 30mins later I found myself in a country village; it was cold, dark and I was hungry. To my good luck the village had a wonderful little Mediterranean bar, so I got a kebab and a beer and ate them on the boot of the alfa – it’s like a table anyway.

Why a kebab – well the girl was a personal trainer – so that, plus beer seemed like a moral win. Of course, I suspect that she might approve mildly. This is no normal Kebab; made with fresh ingredients, homemade pitta, chicken thighs and of course cooked on a rotisserie which helps remove fat (ish)…………

Chicken Shish

This is nothing like the 3am kebabs we remember from Uni, less greasy and a lot more tasty

Ingredients

• 8 Chicken thighs
•  Olive oil
• 2 lemons – Zest and juice
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 tsp parsley
• Honey

Start the day before you intend to make the kebabs, it allows the meat to marinade overnight.

Start by prepping the chicken thighs. You can either use breast or filleted thighs if you don’t fancy removing the bone yourself. Otherwise, use a pair of scissors, a knife and your fingers to remove the bone.

Cut the chicken into chunks and add to a large bowl. Then marinade, combining the spices, garlic, oil, lemon and honey. Use your hands to get the chicken fully covered.

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Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to infuse overnight.Whilst this happens phone a few people about buying a LHD MGTF and parts to convert it to an RHD………..

Right, it’s time to make a BBQ, everything’s better cooked over the coals after all.

Cooking the kebab couldn’t be easier. Just put on the BBQ when the fire’s ready (BBQ rules apply) and start cooking. It should take around 20mins. The alternative is to cook  in the oven at 200C for around 15-20mins on an oiled baking sheet.

Once the chickens cooked, take off the heat and carve into strips. All you need to do is have something to eat them in.

Pitta Bread

I’ve been making Pitta bread for years, it goes so well with Hummus. In fact I might well blog that later for you all – I stole the hummus recipe of TS during one long night.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 9oz white bread flour
• Fresh yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 160ml water
• 2 tsp olive oil

(olives to nibble on)

Start by mixing the flour, salt and yeast in your mixer. Add  1.5tsp of oil, I’m using a garlic infused oil for extra taste..

Bring the dough together and then add the remaining oil and water a little at a time till the dough is soft and smooth. Then knead for around 10mins.

You should end up with a pliable soft dough, which needs to proof for an hour or doubled in size.

Once doubled, knock back the dough and divide into 6 equal balls. Roll out into an oval approx 4mm in thickness.

Bake on a pre-heated tray in the top of the Aga or an oven at 250C for 10mins or golden brown.

Lets Eat

All that remains is to take some of the succulent chicken and stuff the pittas with lettuce, peppers, onion and homemade chilli sauce.

To finish the picture, all you need is a beer, some chips and the boot of the Alfa to eat it off.

Homemade Cinnabons – Cinnamon Rolls

So far I’ve eaten these little buns of delight in 5 different states, but London still has the best. It’s only recently that I realised that you can even get them in England though. In fact for a unhealthy price you can even get them delivered outside of the M25. However, if you run a proper tearoom you can’t just buy in the cakes, you have to make them.

I first made Cinnamon rolls years ago during F1 and the breakfast club. In fact they were so good that people even took them away for their boyfriends who had already started ward round. The only difference is that these Cinnabons have a decadent cream cheese frosting.

 

Cinnabons

Buns

• 1lb Bread Flour
• 4oz Caster Sugar
• 4oz Butter
• 1tsp Salt
• 2tsp Yeast
• 250ml Milk
• 2 Eggs

Filling 

• 6oz Brown Sugar
• 4oz Butter
• 3tbsp Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2oz Butter
• 4oz Cream Cheese
• 6oz Icing Sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Start by arguing with the Easter bunny about whose ingredients they are and then persuade him to get into the photo.

Warm the milk until body temperature and add the yeast. Then wait 5-10mins until the yeast starts to do its magic and the mix begins to froth. Then weigh out the flour, sugar and butter.

Transfer the flour, sugar and butter into the Kitchenaid and make a well in the centre. Break the 2 eggs into the centre and then fish out any shell you might have accidentally included.

Slowly combine the milk with the flour, you are aiming for quite a wet dough, something akin to the waffle dough from previous blogs. Knead on a high speed with the dough hook.

After 10mins of kneading, form the dough into a ball and proof for around 1 hour. The aim is for it to double in size. Grab a cup of tea to relax with in the mean time.

Once the dough has doubled in size, knock back and roll out onto a well floured surface. Work away from yourself until a rectangle has been achieved which is about the thickness of 2x£1 coins.

Combine the ingredients for the filling, beating together the sugar, cinnamon and softened butter.

Spread the mixture evenly over the dough, making sure to get it right to the edge. Then, tightly roll the dough towards yourself. This will give the attractive spiral for which Cinnabons are famous for.

Cut the giant Cinnabon log into individual buns, the size will depend on your hunger. I think about 4cm gives a bun of perfect size. Place into a lined tin with enough room between each bun to allow them to grow. Proof for approx 30mins till just touching.

Bake at 180C for around 35mins till golden brown. Whilst they cook make the cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese with the balloon whisk. Once creamed together add the icing sugar and, then when smooth, the vanilla.

All that remains is to spoon the frosting onto the warm buns and then smooth on top.

Let’s Eat

Strike whilst the iron is hot, so to speak. Grab a cup of tea, a small aircraft kit and a warm Cinnabon. Enjoy, but remember to save a little for the bunny.

P.s it’s not a bunny but a hare I’m informed.

 

Hot Cross Buns

I love hot cross buns, it’s like someone crossed bread with fruitcake and then decided that what resulted couldn’t be had all year round so decided to give it a religious connotation. Officially eaten to symbolise the end of lent, the cross depicting the crucifixion, they are now cheap and easy to get from most supermarkets.

Although the tea room always gets its bread from Stacys in Ilkeston, this year I thought I should really make these. So sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy me fooling around making them rather than buying them.

 

 

Ingredients

• 300ml Full fat milk
• 2oz Butter
• 1lb Strong Bread flour
• 1tsp Salt
• 4oz Caster sugar
• Yeast (back to fresh yeast yay)
• 1 Egg
• 6oz Currants 
• 2oz Mixed peal
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Orange zest
• Apricot Jam for the glaze
• 3oz Plain flour for the cross

 

Start by collecting all the ingredients that you need and then taking a picture. Or in this case forgetting to…….Then start planning a couple of hours walks while the dough proves. This is a recipe for people with a lot of time to spare…………….

Start by heating the milk on the AGA till nearly boiling. Don’t let it fully boil, just warm till it’s on the verge and then take it off. You know it’s done when you start to get little bubbles forming at the side and middle. Then add the butter (cut into small chunks). Cool till warm.

 

Whilst the milk/butter cools, measure out the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Don’t be fooled into leaving the salt out, it brings out the full flavour of the fruit. The flour should be a good strong white bread flour – Allisons is my go to choice.

Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the cooled milk/butter. When the dough has formed, slowly add the heated egg. This enriches the bread dough and makes it lighter and richer.

Continue kneading for around 5-10mins, till it has gone through the wet stage and forms a nice smooth ball. Now put into an oiled container with a lid and allow to prove till doubled in size. This usually takes around an hour, so go for a walk.

When doubled, add the currants, cinnamon, mixed peal and orange zest. Knock back the dough and gently knead again till all the fruit is evenly distributed. Then guess what, leave to prove again for another hour (or doubled)……… Walk number 2 of the day.

Ok, now well exercised, it’s time to form the buns. Knock back the dough for the last time and separate into the required amount. I’m selling these so 4oz wet weight to allow people to get value for money in the tea room.

Weight out and roll all the buns into tight balls. I’ve slightly got the maths wrong for a dozen, but who cares. Transfer to a lined and greased baking tray then cover with a buttered piece of cling film (stops it sticking to the buns).  Prove again for 1hour or till doubled – Just get a coffee this time………

Ok, home stretch. When doubled in size, remove the cling film and admire. The next step is to add the cross. I always though this was icing when I was a child, but in fact it’s just plain flour and water mixed to form a thick paste. Pipe onto the bun to make it neat (observe the free hand mess at the back left!!)

Bake in the oven at around 220C (or upper part of the AGA) for around 20mins till they are  a lovely golden brown.

Glaze with warm Apricot Jam to give them a beautiful shine.

Lets eat.

 

All that remains is to taste the bun on the Aga……….

Now sit down, get a cup of tea and enjoy with some butter and if you are feeling very posh a small put of honey.

I even managed to find some flowers and a matching plate and mug (both Emma Bridgewater)