Baking Bo

I was treated to a copy of this series GBBO Cookbook! Decided to attempt Sarah Jane's Banana Tart Tatin... Banana, caramel and pastry. Easy as... Oh no. No. No.  The pastry proved to be the easy part! Making the caramel took three attempts and turning the tart out wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, lots of the bananas stayed in the dish. But oh well, it tasted great in the end! Ingredients for the rough puff pastry 225g plain flour a pinch of salt flakes 190g butter, cubed 1 teaspoon lemon juice 140ml icy water For the caramel 100g caster sugar 60g butter, cubed For the topping 3 large bananas  Method 1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter and toss them until they are coated in flour. 2.Mix the lemon juice and icy water together and add to the bowl. Using a palette knife, work in the liquid, cutting the butter as you mix and rotate the bowl. 3. When the dough has come together in a shaggy lump, turn out on...

Once again, I was inspired by the Great British Bake Off to try and bake a strudel, pastry and all! This is, without a doubt, the most stressful thing I've ever made, but it was totally rewarding and delicious!  Finding a strudel pastry recipe proved to be one of the most difficult things! Tried one recipe off the internet which must have had a typo... 300ml of vegetable oil for pastry? Needless to say it didn't turn out well... Disastrous dough Then decided to adapt Danny's pastry recipe off the BBC Food section for her savoury strudel from episode six! Here it is! Ingredients for pastry 285g plain flour 1 tsp vegetable oil pinch of salt 1 medium egg 150 ml water  butter for scattering Ingredients for filling 6 apples a handful of sultanas 1 tsp cinnamon Method 1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the middle.  2. Add the oil and egg to the well. Stir in a little. Gradually add the water until it forms a soft dough....

I have always had a soft spot for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipes. I am especially fond of this one. Enjoy!  Ingredients 100g dark chocolate 125g melted butter 100g caster sugar 75g soft brown sugar 1 egg 2 tsps vanilla extract 150g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder pinch of salt Method 1. Preheat the oven to 170. Line 2 trays with baking parchment. 2. Mix together  the two kinds of sugar. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. 3. Break the egg into the bowl and stir. Add the vanilla extract and stir. 4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir. 5. Chop up the chocolate into tiny pieces and add to the mixture. 6. Dot heaped teaspoons of the mixture on to the trays. Leave plenty of room as they spread!  7. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Today's batch These went down a treat with my chums. Highly recommended! X Bo

As much as I love my apron, I do find myself straying to the Anthropologie Apron section an awful lot...  I have a feeling one of  these may appear on my Christmas list this year! X Bo

I have been inspired by this series of 'The Great British Bake Off' to try and be more adventurous with my recipe choices. I've made this loaf about five times now and I'm always pleased with the results. Ingredients 500g strong bread flour 2 x7g sachet fast action dried yeast 10g salt olive oil 340ml warm water extra flour for dusting oil for greasing the bowl 1 egg for the glaze Method 1. Place your flour in a large mixing bowl. Add your yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt to the other. Stir the ingredients together. 2. Add a good splash of olive oil. Add three quarters of the water to the bowl and mix together. Then add the rest of the water to make a dough. 3. Flour your work surface and turn the dough on to it. Knead for 10 minutes. 4. Oil your mixing bowl and place your dough to it. Cover in cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour.  5. When risen, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knock back.  6. Divide into eight e...