A Delicious Duo of Danish Pastries

These delicious homemade Danish Pastries see the laminated dough shaped and flavoured two ways:  Fig, Goats' Cheese & Honey and Blackberry & Apple, both equally delicious!

 

Danish Pastries, with their layer upon layer of rich butter pastry which flakes, crumbles and almost melts whilst it's enjoyed are perfect for those indulgent breakfasts, lazy brunches and tantalising teatime treats.

These butter rich, cholesterol boosting, cardiac inducing Danish Pastries are a first for me, having never made them before.  But knowing how delicious they are with that wonderful flaky pastry and having watched the home-bakers attempt them in the GBBO tent this past week I knew that I wanted to challenge myself in making them, along with the classic Bakewell Tart.  

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Cherry & Chocolate Bakewell Tart

A classic British tart containing almond frangipane, a layer of morello cherry jam and decorated with a chocolate feathering through the simple water icing.

Bakewell Tarts, as Jane from the GBBO's tent said, are classic and classy.  They've certainly stood the test of time, and seem to have their origins in the Bakewell Pudding which was first made in the late 18th or early 19th century.  Of course, whatever their history, there's a very good reason for their longevity and put simply it's because they're down right delicious.

Who could not defy the enticing, simple charms of a Bakewell Tart?   Crisp sweet pastry.  Fruity flavoursome jam.  Moreish almondy frangipane.  Simple water icing.  Finished with a pretty coloured feathering.

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Beer Cake with Stoodley Stout

Perfect for the coming colder months, this easy to make beer cake is low in fat & packed with flavour courtesy of the dates, walnuts, spices and stout.   

It's now becoming noticeable that the days are shortening.  Only a few weeks ago the sun shone from high in the sky at a time only known to the milkman, and now when we awaken from our slumber to the sound of the bedroom alarm the sun is struggling to climb above the horizon.  Even the artificial sun of the streetlights, which the moths waltz and tango around, are being switched on earlier.

The change of season to the darker, colder months often sees us crave rib-sticking stews, slow cooked casseroles and fruity crumbles draped with custard.  Not to mention moist, flavoursome, and filling rich fruit cakes.

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Savoury & Sweet Filled Yorkshire Puddings

Inspired by GBBO, these Yorkshire Puddings are filled two ways.  Firstly a savoury ratatouille style filling which is full of flavour, followed by macerated berries and chantilly cream which makes a lovely change to this usually savoury batter.

GBBO has seen some quite eventful changes this past week, but parking my personal thoughts aside let's focus on what's important.....the baking!

This week was a first for GBBO seeing the remaining bakers challenged with making three different batters.  The signature bake was to make 24 savoury filled Yorkshire Puddings.  Twelve lace pancakes were made in the technical challenge, and these were followed by the showstopper bake where they were challenged with making 36 churros.

Being a Yorkshire lass, living in Yorkshire, it seemed fitting that I tackled Yorkshire Puddings for my Blogger's Bake-Off bake!  I absolutely LOVE Yorkshire Puddings, whether they're served at family gathering like Sunday lunch or during the Christmas festivities, or simply as a mid week meal with toad-in-the-hole, they're just so delicious.  Not only that, they're easy to make using just a handful of store cupboard ingredients.

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Chocolate & Pepsi Cupcakes

These delicious cupcakes are easy to make and result in a soft & light sponge which is packed with chocolate flavour and a background hint of Pepsi.

  
There's no beating around the bush with these Chocolate and Pepsi Cupcakes. We absolutely loved them.  Not only were they delicious with their hit of chocolate and background notes of Pepsi, they were also light, super soft and a doddle to make.  Rather than being made with the classic techniques of creaming and folding, these delicious cupcakes were made with a simple melting method, which even Mr E, a self professed non-baker, would manage to rustle up!

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Springtime Gingerbread Scene

Inspired by springtime, this gingerbread scene features birds, hares, and blossom trees alongside a house, people and a cat!

It seems as though I blinked and suddenly week 2 of GBBO arrived, biscuit week.  The 11 bakers were challenged with making a batch of decorated iced biscuits in the signature challenge, Vienesse Whirls (or swirls as I seem to call them) in the technical bake, and a 3D Gingerbread Story in the showstopper challenge.

For some years now I've been drawn to gingerbread houses during the festive period, but have never taken the plunge to make one myself.  So although the Vienesse Swirls looked enticing, my bake, to continue with my efforts in the Great Bloggers Bake Off, hosted by Jenny at Mummy Mishaps, is a Gingerbread Story.

Our gingerbread scene leaves behind the depths of winter, with its dark short days, frosts and snow and embraces my favourite season, springtime.

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