Ready, steady, bake!
This weekend, it’s World Baking Day. But when, over the last couple of years, hasn’t it been baking day, you might legitimately ask. It’s like the jokers who thought up Chocolate Week… duh, it’s always chocolate week…
But anyway, here we are, celebrating Baking Day 2013 and, as you might have expected, given the number of books on the topic that have been published in the last 12 months, there’s yet another baking bible to go with it.
This time it’s the second book by Jo Wheatley, who won The Great British Bake Off in 2011. Her first, A Passion For Baking went straight to the top of the bestseller lists, and is renowned for accessible recipes that really work. This one, Home Baking, looks set to do the same, being stuffed with family recipes (many handed down by her grandmother) aimed at the speedy feeding of ravenous children or hungry returning workers.
There are loads of recipes for easy pies and tarts, and breads such as focaccia, potato bread, blueberry brioche rolls, as well as a section on one-tray suppers (beef cobbler, pork chop bake, salmon en croute) and some very impressive cakes (rose and chocolate wedding cake, and a pavlova tower). Apricot frangipane makes the most of this delicious summer fruit, and savoury roasted vegetable cream slice is a deliciously vibrant bake that combines creamy cheese with roasted vegetables and herbs.
Home Baking by Jo Wheatley, with photography by Martin Poole, is published by Constable, priced £16.90.
World Baking Day, on 19 May, has collected 100 recipes ranging in difficulty from complete novice, up to master baker. View all 100 recipes at www.worldbakingday.com
For the frangipane
You will need
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/gas mark 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll pastry out into a neat disc with a thickness of about 2mm. Carefully line the tart tin, pushing the pastry neatly into the corners and trimming off the excess from the top. Prick the base of the tart shell several times with a fork.
Screw up a sheet of baking parchment and use to line the inside of the pastry case. Chill for 10 mins in the freezer. Tip the baking beans into the lined pastry case and blind bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 18-20 mins until the pastry turns a pale golden colour. Remove the parchment and beans.
For the filling, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and ground almonds until light and fluffy. Spoon the frangipane into the pastry case and spread level. Arrange the apricot halves evenly spaced, rounded side up in the frangipane. Bake for 50-60 mins until golden. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve.
Serves 8
You will need
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/gas mark 6.
Cut the ready-rolled puff pastry into three 20cm x 27cm pieces, place on the lined trays, prick with a fork and brush with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven for 12-14 mins or until risen and golden. Remove from the trays and cool on a wire rack.
Mix together the cream cheese, ricotta, herbs, lemon zest and pepper. Cut the drained artichoke hearts and roasted peppers into pieces the same size as the tomatoes.
Spread half the mixture over the first pastry tile, then layer with half the artichokes, sunblush tomatoes and roasted peppers.
Top with the second pastry tile, repeat with the remaining cream cheese mix and roasted vegetables and sandwich with the final tile. Serve.
But anyway, here we are, celebrating Baking Day 2013 and, as you might have expected, given the number of books on the topic that have been published in the last 12 months, there’s yet another baking bible to go with it.
This time it’s the second book by Jo Wheatley, who won The Great British Bake Off in 2011. Her first, A Passion For Baking went straight to the top of the bestseller lists, and is renowned for accessible recipes that really work. This one, Home Baking, looks set to do the same, being stuffed with family recipes (many handed down by her grandmother) aimed at the speedy feeding of ravenous children or hungry returning workers.
There are loads of recipes for easy pies and tarts, and breads such as focaccia, potato bread, blueberry brioche rolls, as well as a section on one-tray suppers (beef cobbler, pork chop bake, salmon en croute) and some very impressive cakes (rose and chocolate wedding cake, and a pavlova tower). Apricot frangipane makes the most of this delicious summer fruit, and savoury roasted vegetable cream slice is a deliciously vibrant bake that combines creamy cheese with roasted vegetables and herbs.
Home Baking by Jo Wheatley, with photography by Martin Poole, is published by Constable, priced £16.90.
World Baking Day, on 19 May, has collected 100 recipes ranging in difficulty from complete novice, up to master baker. View all 100 recipes at www.worldbakingday.com
Apricot frangipane
Serves 8- Plain flour, for rolling out
- 1 pack of sweetcrust pastry, chilled
- 240g tinned apricots, drained
For the frangipane
- 250g unsalted butter
- 250g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 150g self-raising flour u
- 100g ground almonds
You will need
- One 23cm tart tin with a depth of about 3cm-5cm
- Baking beans
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/gas mark 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll pastry out into a neat disc with a thickness of about 2mm. Carefully line the tart tin, pushing the pastry neatly into the corners and trimming off the excess from the top. Prick the base of the tart shell several times with a fork.
Screw up a sheet of baking parchment and use to line the inside of the pastry case. Chill for 10 mins in the freezer. Tip the baking beans into the lined pastry case and blind bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 18-20 mins until the pastry turns a pale golden colour. Remove the parchment and beans.
For the filling, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and ground almonds until light and fluffy. Spoon the frangipane into the pastry case and spread level. Arrange the apricot halves evenly spaced, rounded side up in the frangipane. Bake for 50-60 mins until golden. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve.
Savoury roasted vegetable cream slice (pictured top)
Serves 8 - 560g ready-rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
- 500g full-fat cream cheese
- 250g ricotta
- Small handful each of chopped herbs (I used basil and chives, but you could use soft herbs such as chervil, flat-leaf parsley, coriander, lemon thyme)
- Grated zest of 1 small lemon
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 250g roasted artichoke hearts, drained
- 250g roasted peppers, drained
- 250g sunblush tomatoes, drained
You will need
- 2 baking trays lined with baking parchment
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/gas mark 6.
Cut the ready-rolled puff pastry into three 20cm x 27cm pieces, place on the lined trays, prick with a fork and brush with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven for 12-14 mins or until risen and golden. Remove from the trays and cool on a wire rack.
Mix together the cream cheese, ricotta, herbs, lemon zest and pepper. Cut the drained artichoke hearts and roasted peppers into pieces the same size as the tomatoes.
Spread half the mixture over the first pastry tile, then layer with half the artichokes, sunblush tomatoes and roasted peppers.
Top with the second pastry tile, repeat with the remaining cream cheese mix and roasted vegetables and sandwich with the final tile. Serve.