Wensleydale and Apricot & Apple Cake

I baked this for J's work colleagues and it was very well received. I've made the same cake using Wensleydale & cranberry cheese previously but I saw the apricot version and decided to give it a go. We debated about pears or apples and decided to go with apples which worked beautifully. The cake is incredibly light and the crispy cheese bits are delicious! It was a good combination of sweet and salty. 

 The star ingredient

 adding in the crumbled cheese

 sprinkle some demerara sugar on top before baking

 

 you can see the light and soft crumb texture here

Recipe from Wensleydale Creamery

150g butter
175g golden caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk
175g self raising flour
2 apples – peeled, cored & sliced + 1/2 apple for the topping
125g Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese with Apricots
1 tbsp Demerara Sugar

• Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Grease a 20cm / 8" cake tin.
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the milk and flour.
• Fold in the apples and crumble over the cheese.
• Spoon the mixture into a tin.
• Arrange the apple slices (from approx 1/2 an apple - depends on your cake tin size) on top and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
• Bake for 55 minutes until risen and golden brown.
• Leave to cool in the tin.

Baked Stuffed French Toast

For J's birthday brunch, I made these baked stuffed french toast. It's a proper meal on it's own as it contains bread, ham, cheese, tomato, spinach, eggs and milk. We also added a drizzle of maple syrup for decadence and it works really well with the french toast as it gives the perfect balance of sweet and salty. You can prepare the french toast in advance and bake them when required which is ideal if you have guests staying over or just for a lazy weekend brunch. 

I'm sending it to Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes. The theme is Bank Holiday Bakes and we are asked to share what we make to relax, share with friends or take on picnics.

 

 Make a slit in the bread 

 fill it with ham, cheese, spinach and tomato or fillings of your choice 

 let it soak in the egg/milk mixture for about 30 minutes 

 turn it over and soak again or place in the fridge overnight 

 For extra decadence, I added a slice of ham and cheese on top before baking 

 Fresh from the oven - the cheese melted beautifully on the outside  

 With a drizzle of maple syrup 

Makes 2 large servings (enough to feed 4 or 2 very hungry people)

2 large slices of bread from a large loaf (I used a poppyseed bloomer)

4 slices of ham

2 slices of cheese

2 tomatoes, sliced

handful of spinach

4 eggs

2/3 cup milk 

salt and pepper to taste 

Maple syrup to serve (optional) 

• Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the milk and stir.
• Pour into a large shallow dish.
• Prepare the bread by making a slit in each slide of bread - you need quite a thick slice of bread to fit the fillings
• Fill your sandwich with fillings of your choice -  used a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, some sliced tomatoes and a few spinach leaves
• Place the bread in the egg/milk mixture and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
• Turn the bread over and soak for a further 30 minutes. You can wrap it in clingfilm and place in the fridge overnight at this point if required. 
• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Place a slice of ham and cheese on top of the sandwich (optional)
• Bake in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the egg mixture is set. 
• Slice and enjoy with a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Chorizo and Manchego Cheese Hot Cross Buns

When I was brainstorming ideas for Stork's Hot Cross Bun challenge, J came up with this chorizo and manchego cheese combination. As my savoury hot cross buns were a surprising succes, I decided to give these a go as well and we both agree that this is much better. The bread is soft with a lovely crumb texture and the chorizo really gives it an added depth of taste and flavour. The manchego cheese is quite mild and you could probably get away with a stronger cheese like cheddar which I am planning to try next week. I tried making the cross out of grated cheese which worked a bit better than melted cheese piped on to the buns. 

I'm sending this to The Biscuit Barrel Challenge hosted by Laura from I'd Much Rather Bake Than... which has the theme of 'fun' this month. These were fun to create and tasted absolutely delicious.

I'm also sending this to Treat Petite hosted by Stuart from Cakeyboi and Kat from the Baking Explorer. The theme this month is 'Spring into Easter' and these are perfect to serve at Easter breakfast or brunch.

And to the Easter Bake & Make Competition hosted by Ruth from The Pink Whisk and Two Little Fleas 

And Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes. The theme this month is Easter Bakes.

 paprika, white bread flour, butter, chorizo sausage, manchego cheese, yeast 

 adding grated cheese and cooked chorizo 

 before proofing 

 ready to bake 

 add the grated cheese after baking for about 10 minutes 

 fresh from the oven 

 delicious served warm with butter 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

1 cup warm water
7g dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
450g strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons paprika
75g butter, melted
1 egg
130g cubed chorizo sausage
1 teaspoon paprika
100g manchego cheese, grated + extra to create the cross on top

For the egg wash

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

• Start by placing warm water in a jug. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar and set aside for at least 10-15 minutes. It will become frothy when it's ready. 
• Lightly pan fry the Chorizo cubes with 1 teaspoon of paprika and allow to cool slightly. 
• In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sea salt, paprika, butter and egg.
• Add in the fried chorizo and grated cheese and continue mixing.
• Stir in the yeast mixture. 
• Knead the dough until firm and smooth. 
• Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film.
• Leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size (preferably overnight).
• Punch the risen dough and knead for a few minutes.
• Divide into 12 even pieces (I weighed the dough then divided by 12)
• Place on a baking tray spaced apart and cover with cling film that has been sprayed with cooking oil or non stick spray. 
• Leave for about 30 minutes or so until the dough has risen further.
• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Using a pair of kitchen scissors, make a small 'x' shaped cut on top of each bun.
• Brush with egg wash and then bake for about 10 minutes.
• Take the buns out of the oven and sprinkle grated cheese on top in the shape of an 'x'. 
• Return to the oven and continue baking for a further 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack or eat warm straight from the oven with some butter. 

Savoury Hot Cross Buns

Easter is fast approaching and I've been thinking about what I want to bake this year. I've never made my own hot cross buns mainly because I'm not too keen on eating them. However, Stork have a blogging competition at the moment looking for Hot Cross buns with a modern twist so I thought I'd give it a go. 

My secret to better Easter Baking with Stork is giving Hot Cross Buns a modern twist by making them savoury! I decided to use pancetta, mixed herbs and cheddar with herbs. I made the cross for the bun using cheddar cheese flavoured with herbs and it worked really well. This is my first time baking a yeasted dough and I was really impressed at how well it turned out. The buns were really tasty and were best served slightly warmed with butter. You can clearly taste the herbs and cheese and the hidden bits of pancetta were a bonus. The bun was light and had a good texture to it.

 adding yeast and sugar to warm water 

 lightly fry pancetta with some mixed herbs 

 this smelt amazing! 

 activated yeast, after about 15 minutes

 cheddar with herbs 

 dough ready for proving 

 it really did double in size! 

 ready to bake 

 trying to create the cross - slightly messy! 

 savoury hot cross bun 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

1 cup warm water

7g dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

450g plain flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

75g stork, melted

1 egg

130g cubed pancetta 

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

50g cheddar cheese with herbs, grated

100g cheddar cheese with herbs (to make the cross for the buns)  

• Start by placing warm water in a jug. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar and set aside for at least 10-15 minutes. It will become frothy as shown in the picture above.
• Lightly pan fry the pancetta cubes with 1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs and allow to cool slightly. 
• In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sea salt, dried mixed herbs, stork and egg.
• Add in the fried pancetta and herbs and grated cheese and continue mixing.
• Knead the dough until firm and smooth. 
• Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film.
• Leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until the  dough has doubled in size. 
• Punch the risen dough and knead for a few minutes.
• Divide into 12 even pieces (I weighed the dough then divided by 12)
• Place on a baking tray spaced apart and cover with cling film that has been sprayed with cooking oil or non stick spray. 
• Leave for about 30 minutes or so until the dough has risen further.
• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Using a pair of kitchen scissors, make a small 'x' shaped cut on top of each bun.
• Brush with egg wash and then bake for about 10 minutes.
• Place the cheddar and herb cheese in a ziplock bag and melt in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds until soft and pliable. Snip off the end of the bag.
• Take the buns out of the oven and pipe a cross on top of each bun with the soft cheese. 
• Return to the oven and continue baking for a further 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cheese would have melted and should leave the shape of a cross.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack or eat warm straight from the oven with some butter. 

Disclaimer: I was sent some basic baking ingredients from Stork to help create this recipe. I paid for all additional ingredients to make a modern twist to my hot cross buns. 

Roasted Tomato, Basil and Gruyere Quiche

I have a savoury recipe to share for a change. My work had a Xmas buffet lunch where everyone brings something so of course I offered to make cake. One of my colleagues prefers savoury food and has been asking for another quiche as she really enjoyed the one I made previously so I dutifully obliged and found this recipe on BBC Good Food. I did also make a cake but I'll save that for another day.

This is a really simple recipe with only 3 key ingredients - tomato, basil and cheese. It was really tasty and would be perfect for the festive season as the colours are very festive.

As usual, I'm entering this to several challenges this month

Cooking with herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage.

Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior.

Four Seasons Food hosted by Anneli from Delicieux and Louisa from Eat your Veg. The theme this month is Party Food.

Let's Cook Christmas Party Food hosted by Nayna from Simply Food.

Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes and co-hosted by Laura from Laura loves Cakes. The theme this month is Jingle Bell Rock.

 flour, basil, olive oil, butter, tomatoes, cream, eggs, cheese 

 drizzle olive oil on tomatoes, season and roast in the oven 

 adding chopped basil 

 my tart shell after blind baking 

 sprinkle grated cheese 

 add roasted tomatoes 

 pour in the egg/cream mixture 

 sprinkle more grated cheese on top 

 

Recipe adapted slightly from BBC Good Food

For the pastry
280g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140g cold butter, cut into pieces

8 tablespoons cold water 

For the filling

300g cherry tomatoes
drizzle olive oil
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
2 eggs
300ml double cream
Approximately 15-20 basil leaves, shredded, plus a few small ones left whole for scattering

• Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly add water one tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. 
• Roll into a ball, wrap with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. 
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line your tart tin. 
• Use a small ball of pastry scrap to press the pastry into the corners of the tin. 
• Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Place the tomatoes in a baking tray/roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for at least 30 minutes or the tomatoes are well roasted with slightly charred skin. 
• Prick the base of the tart with a fork.
• Line the tart case with kitchen foil or baking paper and fill with baking bean. Blind bake for 20 minutes, then remove the beans and foil/paper and continue baking for 5 - 10 minutes until the pastry is light brown. 
• Remove the tomatoes and pastry from the oven. 
• Whilst the tart and tomatoes are in the oven, make the filling by beating the eggs in a large bowl.
• Gradually add the cream followed by the chopped basil. 
• Season with salt and pepper. 
• When the tart case is ready,sprinkle half the cheese over the base, scatter over the tomatoes, then pour over the cream mix. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 -25 minutes or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden brown.
• Allow to cool completely before trimming the edges of the pastry and serving 
• Scatter over small whole basil leaves before serving