Poires au Chocolat

Brownies & Emma Hilton Ceramics: a one-off update

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 19:08:00 +0000

I promise this is a one-off – I’m not returning properly – but it felt important to acknowledge my new website on my original website. To give Poires, the blog I grew up with, who taught me so much, the proper respect.

After I retired from blogging and didn’t get a regular creative rush from photography or developing recipes or writing about life, I tried various other creative pursuits. Nothing gave me the same fire until I sat down at a potter’s wheel and starting working with clay. I returned home from my weekly lessons beaming from ear-to-ear.

Around the same time, I discovered the joys of growing flowers. The whole process is magic, from sowing the seeds to seeing them bloom. One day – I can still remember exactly where I was - I had an idea. I wanted to combine the two and sell handmade vases inspired by growing flowers and bringing them inside. I have been working hard ever since to make that idea a reality.

I have just pressed the button to open my website shop for the first time. I am so, so nervous. I can’t quite believe that each carefully planned element is coming to life, but here it is.

You can find the website and shop here: emmahiltonceramics.co.uk. I chose to change my name when I got married, hence Hilton. I also use Instagram a lot: @emmahiltonceramics.

My vases are thrown on the wheel and each one is unique and sold individually. My plan is to update my shop once each month - you can sign up to get an early preview and reminder when it goes live here.

I really hope you like it!

To celebrate my new website, I thought I would share one of my most beloved recipes from the eight (!) years since I retired from blogging: my best brownies. They're not ground-breaking, but they're one of my favourite things to make and to eat and I haven't been tempted by any other brownie recipes since.

The first Christmas after I retired from Poires, I made a wedding cake for two of my friends, E and A. We decided to go for a three tier ombré of brownies and blondies. I developed this recipe for the bottom layer, the darkest and most chocolately. I have vivid memories of the drive down to Wales with all the layers wrapped up in the back, trying not to brake too hard. It was still dark when we arrived to set the cake up and the car park was slick with ice as Sarah and I carried each layer inside. It was worth the nerve-racking moments to celebrate E and A. Being around them in the months up to their wedding taught me to believe that a loving, equal partnership could happen outside of books, and to hope.

I gave some of the leftover testing brownies from the wedding to a friend, Bryn, who took them home to his family over the holidays. He is now my husband, and they are now my family. They met my brownies before they met me.

These brownies have been a regular feature over the years. I've taken them into work, frozen them to make them last longer, and made them just because. I change what I mix in according to my mood and what I can find in the cupboards. A few memorable batches were made with some halva a friend brought as a gift from Israel when they came to stay. I broke up the halva and dotted it over swirls of tahini.

More recently, they were the first baking I took into the community pottery studio that I am a member of. Nowadays Poires doesn't tend to come up in conversation, so most people don't know about my baking past. It came out quickly, though, with the 'where did you get this recipe from?' question.

So that's my update: I made lots of brownies, I became a doctor, I married the loveliest person, I am a gardener instead of being called Gardner, and I make ceramic flower vases.

With the distance of time, I also want to say thank you again for all your support 2009-2014. It genuinely meant the world to me and made all sorts of dreams come true.

My Favourite Brownies
(This recipe, particularly the beating technique, has roots in David Lebovitz's recipe in Ready for Dessert, where David credits Robert Steinberg for the technique)

100g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate (quality makes a difference here, I tend to go for eating chocolate)
150g soft brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
35g plain flour

Mix-ins (this has been my favourite combination recently, but feel free to experiment):
100g pecan halves, toasted in the preheated oven for 5 minutes then roughly chopped
75g white chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 9"/23cm round tin (or similar) with greaseproof baking parchment - I just squish a big square in, no need for carefully measuring/cutting. Place the butter and chopped dark chocolate into a medium-sized saucepan and put over a low heat. Keep an eye on the mixture as it melts and stir regularly. When you have a smooth liquid take off the heat. Stir in the brown sugar and leave to cool for a few minutes. I use this time to organise and chop my mix-ins.

Add one egg to the chocolate saucepan and stir until combined, then add the other egg and stir again. Stir in the flour. Now for the really important bit: stir the mixture vigorously for one minute (time it if possible) - I find a wooden spoon easier than a spatula for this step. The mixture will look grainy and rough at the beginning, then appear to split a little and come away from the sides, but by the end it should be silky and smooth and stick to the sides of the saucepan again (see the photo directly above the recipe). Stir in the chopped white chocolate and pecans (or other mix-ins). Scrape into the prepared tin and spread evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top is set in the middle. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove the tin and allow to cool before slicing.

(I cut a 9" round tin into 16, 12 small brownies and 4 smaller edge bits, like this)

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 14:50:00 +0000

As I explained in my final post, Poires au Chocolat will now function as an archived 'book' of recipes instead of an updating blog.

I've picked my 20 favourite posts to form a homepage of sorts (I didn't use the ones already in the sidebar, but they would definitely be included), starting above with Hot Cross Buns v.4. After that, the Recipe List is the next place to look and will lead you to just over 150 recipes (I've edited the list down to ones I trust from over 300 in total). The Foundations Index also lists all of the foundations posts, from how to make brown butter or meringue to dealing with yeast.

I hope you'll still enjoy making the recipes and reading the posts, and thank you again for the years of support.

Seed Cake

Apple and Cinnamon Layer Cake

Treacle Tart v.2

Salted Caramel Brownies

Raspberry-Redcurrant Jam Swiss Roll

Treacle Flapjacks

Ginger Bourbon Pecan Pie

Pear & Caramel Pudding Cake

Chocolate Cardamon Cookies

Seville Orange Marmalade

Vanilla Bean Biscuits

Dutch Baby a.k.a puffed pancake

Steamed Chocolate Sponge Pudding

Strawberry Jam (with a touch of lime)

St Lucia Saffron Buns

Champagne Truffles

Butterkuchen

Apricot & Fig Tea Loaf

Brown Butter Pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 23:12:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry it's taken me a few extra weeks to post. I've been very busy - though very happy and content - with my new life in Cambridge and I wanted some space to think.

The truth is I don't have enough time to blog. I can't cut corners and spend less time on things like testing and editing - it would feel so wrong and I can't bring myself to do it. Over the past few years I've approached this as a (much beloved) professional piece of work and as a result, blogging doesn't feel like relaxing time off. There's no finish line for a blog - no deadline or obvious point to retire - so it's difficult to work out when to let go, but I know that I want to finish on a high, feeling proud of Poires.

My plan is to turn the site into something that functions more like a book than an updating blog.

I will still try to answer any questions you have about the recipes in the comments or by email, though it may take me a touch longer than it used to. (On that note, I'm really sorry if you've sent me an email in the past few weeks and I haven't replied yet - I will get to them soon.)

One of the most exciting things about this is that I get to revisit the recipes myself - there's so little time to go back when you're always working on new content. If they need it, I'll edit any recipes I retry, so the site won't be completely static. Poires is not disappearing or being forgotten - it's just time to retire from the week-to-week work.

This little corner of the internet is very important to me. I've learnt and gained so much from the last five and a half years. It's hard not to sound cheesy and I really don't know how to convey how I feel... but it's been wonderful. Thank you.

All the very best,
Emma
(or Poire, as my lovely new friends have nicknamed me)

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 14:06:00 +0000

I feel like I'm living in the midst of a storm at the moment, with excitement, nerves and stress blustering around. I move house and leave Oxford in a few days, and I start my four years soon after. The majority of my kitchen and all of my books are in boxes. I keep reaching for my stress-reducing activities - plums in the fruit bowl, crumble! Oh wait... - without success. It's odd and disjointing.

Thankfully, I stashed some logs of cookie dough in the freezer and kept a baking tray out. I have some Peanut Butter Biscuits (I rolled the dough into a log instead of individual balls), some Chocolate Cardamon Cookies and these chocolate chip pecan cookies. They're crispy and chewy, nutty and sweet and generally comforting.

Wish me luck - I'll be back when I've unpacked my kitchen in Cambridge...

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
(adapted from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert)

115g pecans
200g dark chocolate (I use 70%)
115g unsalted butter
150g light brown sugar
75g white caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
175g plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg

Toast the pecans in a dry pan then leave to cool down. Chop the chocolate into small chunks (bigger than normal chips but not huge). Beat the butter, both sugars and vanilla extract together until uniformly smooth (if you're not using a mixer, room temperature butter is easier to combine). Sieve in the flour, bicarbonate and salt then add the egg. Beat together on low until the mixture comes together. Roughly chop the pecans then add them along with the chocolate and mix until combined. Scrape out onto a big square of parchment lined foil, baking parchment or clingfilm (or two sheets if you'd prefer two smaller logs of dough) and arrange into a log. Roll it up and twizzle the ends. Place into the freezer.

After at least an hour or up to a month later, preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Unwrap the end of the log (and if you've used clingfilm, take it all off and place the remaining log into a plastic bag) and cut off however many 1 cm slices you want to bake. Place on a parchment lined tray and bake for 11-13 minutes until the cookies are browning around the edges. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Best eaten while they're still warm from the oven.

(Makes about 24 cookies)

Two other biscuit doughs that I've frozen before:
Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut (in a log)
Triple Chocolate Pecan (in spoonfuls on a tray, then transferred to a bag when frozen)

...and one dough I haven't:
Roasted Hazelnut Butter

Erin's Golden Millet Crêpes

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 20:19:00 +0000

You know how sometimes you meet someone and it feels like you've known them forever? When you sidestep the slightly awkward beginning of a friendship and immediately feel easy and relaxed?

It was like that when I met Erin.

At the time of that first visit to California, Erin had just got her book deal and was about to begin writing. I was at the beginning of my will-I-won't-I book saga and so we talked a lot about the whole process. It feels crazy that I can now, over two years later, hold her book in my hands. It's called Yummy Supper after her lovely blog and it came out a few days ago.

Last spring Erin let me test a few of the recipes. I tried the poached eggs with greens and hash browns (p.27), spring omelets (p.22) and the brown butter almond tea cakes (p.205), which were all delicious.

I was also sent this recipe. When it first popped into my inbox, I was a bit apprehensive. I've nurtured a lifelong love for crêpes and they're one of my favourite things to make and eat. But millet? I'd never bought it or eaten it before and I had to go to a health food shop to find it. I'm also rather wedded to wheat flour and don't like several of the alternative flours (rice flour being my particular enemy). Then, when I actually made the batter, it smelled different. Unidentifiable.

Yet once I'd eaten one, I immediately asked if I could write about the recipe once the book was out. There's something really lovely - sort of nutty, but hard to describe - about the flavour and the slightly nubby texture is wonderful. The combination of maple syrup and crème fraîche makes them sing and is my favourite topping by far. They may not be my classic crêpes, but they're definitely worth trying.

They are slightly harder to handle as they tear easily. Having said that, if you're relatively happy making normal crêpes/pancakes it shouldn't take long to figure out how to cope. Making them in a small pan makes it easier.

I'm interested to see what other types of crêpe you could make using this method (blasting the millet in a processor with some of the milk before adding the other ingredients). Oat? Nut?

Golden Millet Crêpes
(adapted from Yummy Supper by Erin Scott)

100g golden millet grain
180ml whole milk
15g unsalted butter + a bit extra to fry
1 large egg
2 tsp maple syrup
pinch of salt
more maple syrup and crème fraîche to serve

Tip the millet into a sieve then wash under the tap. Scrape into a food processor and add half the milk. Blast for a minute (I time this as it's always longer than I think). Scrape the sides down then give it another 30 seconds or so - you should have a thin gritty mush. Place the butter into a small pan and melt (you can keep going and make brown butter if you fancy). Add the rest of the milk along with the butter, egg, maple syrup and salt. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Scrape into a jug and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to two days.

Place a small 6" or 7" skillet or frying pan over a medium-high heat. When it is properly hot (hold your hand a few inches above the centre - you should be able to feel the heat), turn the heat down to medium. Add a little piece of butter to the pan and move it around as it sizzles so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Stir the batter throughly then pour a splash into the pan, tipping it so it coats the bottom (Erin suggests 2 tbsp batter - I've been doing it by eye). Once the edges start to brown, loosen the sides and flip carefully. Cook for another minute or so then slide out onto a plate and serve immediately.

Stir the batter and add a little nugget of butter to the pan before making each crêpe. Any remaining batter keeps for two days (overall, including your original rest).

(Makes about 12 small crêpes)

Three other posts involving maple syrup:
Maple Nutmeg Mini Madeleines
Ginger Bourbon Pecan Pie
Homemade Granola

Caramel Parfait

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 20:58:00 +0000

On the night of the Guild awards, mum and I booked an early table at Honey & Co. A particularly fantastic dessert - a just-set milk pudding topped with syrupy poached peaches and rose - and the meal in general affirmed that I definitely needed to buy a copy of their book, which came out two weeks later.

The day I received it, I went straight into the kitchen to try out the honey parfait. If you don't have lolly moulds the book suggests making cones out of greaseproof paper and propping them up in the freezer. I made some out of my favourite foil lined parchment (it's stiffer, which I thought would be useful), using the technique for making paper piping bags but securing them with a staple. I didn't have any lolly sticks either so I used some cotton thread to secure a few chopped up pieces of wooden skewer together. Though I enjoyed the honey flavour, the texture and technique were the things that really captured me.

To play with the technique, I decided to try substituting the honey. I toyed between caramel and maple syrup before, predictably, picking caramel. The only problem with caramel is that once you've got to the caramel stage of a sugar syrup, it's not at the right stage to pour onto the egg yolks (I was 99% sure it wouldn't work but decided to check anyway - it was a mess). I found that adding a little cold water to the caramel when it reaches the right stage brings it back down to roughly 100-110C. The resulting syrup then works beautifully. I want to see if the same technique works for Italian meringue, too - does caramel meringue sound good?

I've been shaping the parfait into a little loaf, which I then serve in tiny slices. It's very rich. I've also added some caramel pieces to boost the flavour and to provide a bit of textural contrast. The caramel pieces liquify a little at the edges and soften - though they still crunch - in the freezer. I have salted the caramel, but only lightly - you could increase it a touch for a more pronounced flavour.

Parfait has a different texture to ice cream or gelato or any other creamy frozen dessert I've tried. It's like very cold, smooth mousse, as it doesn't become particularly hard when it freezes and has quite a bit of air incorporated - it's almost foamy (in a good way). Definitely worth trying, anyway, whether you choose honey or caramel, loaf or lolly.

Caramel Parfait
(inspired by Honey & Co's Honey Parfait)

For the caramel pieces:
25g white sugar (caster or granulated)
pinch of fine sea salt

For the parfait:
2 large egg yolks
25ml cold water
pinch of fine sea salt
50g white sugar (caster or granulated)
140ml double cream

Start with the caramel pieces. Tear off a bit of baking parchment and place on a worktop near the stove. Spread the sugar (25g) evenly over the bottom of a small pan. Place over a medium-high heat and watch carefully - after a few minutes, the sugar will start to liquify at the edges. Don't stir it - you can flick some of the crystals onto a liquid bit, but don't fiddle too much. Once it's nearly all melted and starts to caramelise, swirl it all together. Keep heating until you have a clear liquid with a deep golden-bronze colour, then swirl in the salt and quickly pour onto the parchment. Leave to cool. When it has solidified, chop into tiny pieces with a knife (and watch out, it tends to splinter and fly off the board - it can be quite sharp at this point).

Line a baby loaf tin or small box (roughly 6" x 3") or another shape (perhaps a small bowl for a bombe shape?) with a big piece of clingfilm. Place the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attached. Combine the water and salt and put them near the stove. Don't bother to wash the caramel pan - just sprinkle in the sugar for the parfait (50g). Make the caramel as before, but when it is ready, turn the heat off and immediately pour in the salty water. It will react quite wildly, steaming and bubbling, but after the first few moments, start stirring and keep going until the mixture is smooth. It should still be bubbling away (if not, or if the pieces aren't dissolving, turn the heat back on for a moment). Turn the mixer with the egg yolks in up to medium high, then carefully pour the hot caramel down the side of the bowl into the whisking yolks (see this video). Turn the mixer up to full speed and leave to whip.

While it whips, start whipping the double cream until it thickens and starts holding shape in very soft peaks - it's important to not overwhip it (see this photo for the way both the cream and caramel mixture look when ready). The caramel mixture should be pale yellow and very thick and when you lift the whisk out the trail should stay on the surface for at least the count of five.

Scrape the caramel mixture into the cream bowl and fold in with a big spoon (see this video for technique, though these mixtures are the same consistency). When the mixture is uniform, add the caramel pieces and fold them though. Scrape into the lined mould, level off, pull the clingfilm over the top and put in the freezer. It's best left overnight but will have hopefully firmed up enough after 5-6 hours.

(Makes about 6-8 very small slices)

Three more recipes that involve whipped cream:
2010: Eton Mess
2011: Coconut Cream Cake
2013: Caramelised White Chocolate Éclairs

Raspberry Redcurrant Jam & Victoria Sponge

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 18:09:00 +0000

A few months ago I was asked by Borough Market to write a guest post for their site. They just managed to slip two recipes past before I wound up any bits of work outside the blog. I met my last deadlines a few days ago and it feels wonderful. Now I can focus on preparing Poires for the year to come, saying goodbye to Oxford and having a bit of a holiday.

I've been sitting on this recipe for a few years, partly because I made so much of it in 2012 that I've only just finished the last jar. It's my favourite jam. It's vibrant, slightly tangy and generally gorgeous, especially as part of a cream tea.

You can read the post and find the jam recipe here.

Update 17/01/17: the website seems to be no longer working - in case you want the recipe, I've pasted it below (along with the Victoria Sponge recipe below the photo):

Raspberry Redcurrant Jam

450g redcurrants
1 kg raspberries
1 kg white granulated or caster sugar

Collect your equipment before you start. You'll need a big saucepan or jam pan, about 5-8 jam jars depending on size, matching lids and a ladle (and preferably a jam funnel, as it makes life so much easier). Place a saucer in the freezer to test the set with. Sterilise your jars and lids - I put mine through a dishwasher cycle just before I start. Pop the jars and lids onto a tray (to make them easier to move) and place the tray in an oven set at 100C/210F.

Wash the redcurrants, picking through to find any berries that are going off but leaving the stalks. Place a sieve over a mixing bowl. Squash the redcurrants through the sieve in batches, pressing them against the edge of the sieve with a spoon until you just have a seed/skin/stalk paste. You should have 275-300g of redcurrant puree.

Pour the puree into the big pan, followed by the raspberries and sugar. Place over a low heat and stir – crushing some of the raspberries against the side with your spoon - until the sugar crystals have dissolved. Turn the heat up to full and bring to the boil. Once it has started to boil and foam up, let it continue for 3-4 minutes, then start testing for the set. To test, dribble a few drops of the jam onto the saucer in the freezer, then leave it in the freezer for roughly 30 seconds to a minute. Push your finger through the jam – if it wrinkles in front of your finger, it’s ready. It usually takes a few tests for it to be ready (with it boiling in the gaps as each test cools). When you’re happy, turn the heat off.

Skim any remaining foam off the jam then let it sit for 15 minutes (this means that the seeds will be evenly distributed when it sets). While it cools, the top of the jam often just starts to set, causing a massive version of the wrinkle test if you stir it. Take the jars out of the oven a few minutes before the jam has finished sitting and have them ready next to the pan.

Ladle the jam carefully – remembering that it is still exceedingly hot - into the jars (using, if possible, a jam funnel). When done, carefully screw the lids on, holding the hot jar firmly with a tea towel. When you’re sure the lid is on tightly, cover with the tea towel and give the jar a quick, small upwards shake so that the jam coats the sides and lid at the top with a seal of jam. Leave to cool on a tray, enjoying the delightful popping noise as the lids contract over the next few hours.

As long as your jars are well sterilised and sealed, jam keeps for years. I’ve just finished the last jar of this jam from my 2012 batch and it was still lovely.

(Makes 5-8 jars, depending on size)

I also wrote up my recipe for Victoria Sponge - the jam works brilliantly with whipped cream as the filling (for many of the same reasons that it's perfect for a cream tea). The combination of just-cooled sponge with a crisp sugar-sprinkled top and the jam and cream is sublime. If you need to keep the cake for longer, I suggest serving the cream on the side (whipping it when you need it).

Edit: As above, link no longer working, recipe now below:

Victoria Sponge

For the cake:
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
170g caster sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
170g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk

For the filling:
raspberry redcurrant jam to fill (or another jam)
125ml double cream
a sprinkle of caster sugar to top

Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Grease and line the bottom of two 7"/18cm round loose-bottomed sandwich tins with baking parchment.

Place the room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl if using a handheld electric whisk) and beat for a minute or two until smooth, pale and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for at least 5 minutes on medium-high, scraping down occasionally - the mixture should be fluffy and thick. Whisk the eggs together in a jug to break them up. Sieve the flour and baking powder together into another bowl.

Add the egg to the creamed mixture in small splashes, beating on medium-high as you go and making sure each addition is incorporated before adding more. After adding about a third of the egg, add a teaspoon of flour from the bowl and scrape down the sides. Occasionally add another few teaspoons towards the end (this helps stop the mixture curdling, which will give you a flatter cake).

When you've added all the egg, sift in the rest of the flour and fold in with a big spoon. When the mixture starts to come together, add the milk and fold until uniform. The mixture should be dropping consistency - if you get a big spoon of it and turn it sideways over the bowl, it should fall off the spoon.

Split the mixture between the two tins (each one should be roughly 340-350g). Spread out into an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake on the middle shelf - don't be tempted to look until at least 15 minutes has passed. It should be ready after 18-20 minutes and be golden brown, springy to the touch, coming away from the sides and a cake tester/toothpick should be able to be removed cleanly from the middle. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edge of the tins and carefully remove from the tins to the rack. Leave to cool fully.

Place one of the cooled cakes onto a serving plate then spread liberally with jam. Whip the double cream until it thickens and just starts holding shape – it’s important to not over whip it. Spread the cream over the jam. Top with the other cake and sprinkle with a bit of caster sugar. Keeps in an airtight tin for a few days if you just fill with jam, best immediately if you use cream (but you can keep the rest in the fridge for a day or so).

(Serves 6-8)

Other posts where I've used/mentioned this jam:
Raspberry Redcurrant Jam Swiss Roll
Almost-Linzer Torte
Cinnamon Cardamon Kringel Bread

Some Thoughts on Starting a Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 08:33:00 +0000

I was recently asked to work with the Stella team at The Telegraph to put together a piece on How to Start a Food Blog. It was my first phone interview and I was really nervous about it. In the end it was fun - Rachael, the lady who wrote the piece, is lovely. It's out today and you can read it online. I thought it'd be good to elaborate a bit here and share some of the general blogging statistics from my surveys.

First, it's worth noting again that I don't think there's only one way to blog about food. The best thing about blogging is the freedom. You have no editor - it's just you. I've set up patterns and guidelines for the way I like to run my blog, but they're not universal. For instance, I've found my momentum is easily sustained if I post once a week, but that might not work at all for someone else (and I'm going to need to create a new rhythm soon). I wrote a little bit about my patterns and finding your own in this post.

Though there are books and guides and posts out there on how to blog or take photos I'm not sure that I really recommend them, especially when you're first trying out new ideas. Experimenting is fun and leads to variety, and variety is wonderful. I really hope blogs don't become monotonous or start trying too hard to follow one way of doing things.

I've said before that I think stopping submitting my photos to sites like tastespotting and foodgawker in 2011 was the best thing I ever did for my blog. It freed me to find a style I liked, rather than trying to create the one I thought they liked. It made me stop valuing my work on whether it was accepted or not and let me be happy as long as I was content with what I'd done.

In the piece it mentions a bit about recipe attribution. It's worth learning about and involves the only exceptions to the 'no rules' idea - I always recommend this article by David Lebovitz. As I understand it, the way in which the method is worded is the copyright part of a recipe (under literary expression, like a novel). This means that you should always re-write recipes into your own words, which I think is a great thing - it's a little glimpse into how you do things. You should also give clear credit to any recipes that you have adapted or have inspired you. It's important to show respect for the work that other people have put into a recipe.

As an example, my working method if I'm beginning with an existing recipe rather than starting from scratch or working with ratios is to read the recipe throughly first to make sure I understand all the steps, then write the ingredients and method into my kitchen notebook in the shorthand I use (things like c b/s, sift fl/bp/se/cin and so on). Every time I test the recipe I add notes and details and record any changes. When I come to write it up, I only use my notes, expanding and clarifying as much as I can.

If you're just beginning to play with recipes, I think it's easiest to begin with a recipe from a book or another trusted source. Adapting is a great way to learn how things work. Even posting some notes and a picture of what your dish looked like when you've followed a recipe exactly adds a new record of how the recipe works. To me, that's what I want a post to do - to add something of value. It could be a recipe developed from scratch, some notes on a recipe that's already out there, a story that references the recipe or some thoughts on a technique. If you re-write and give full and clear credit to the original recipe, I don't think adapting is a lesser way of doing things. In many ways blogging about recipes is curating a collection, and as a reader, I'd like to know about all the recipes you adore, not just the ones that you've created yourself.

Two last things: First, I really recommend reaching out to other bloggers, joining social media and making friends in the community (it makes such a difference) and second, unless you want to be anonymous, put a bit about yourself on an about me page (a first name, photo and country is good) - it gives a reader someone to connect with and is certainly the first thing I click on when I visit a new-to-me blog.

Blogging is subjective, and that's what makes it interesting. It's a glimpse into other kitchens and other lives, created by the freedom to write what you want. It allows me to choose my recipes based on my cravings and only to post something if I really love it. I hope that's what comes through - I love doing this.

I thought this would be a good time to give you some of the survey data from the past two years. Obviously the survey is self-selecting and represents a relatively small selection of my readers (and therefore an infinitesimal selection of blog readers in general) but I think people are generally quite honest on a anonymous survey (I know I am).

The 2013 survey had 762 replies.

What part of a blog is most important to you?
24% selected recipes, 6% writing, 5% photography, 63% said a blog needs all three and 2% said other (specifying things like a sense of connection with the author or a combination of recipes + photography).

Do you read all of the writing in a blog post?
35% said yes, 47% said most of the time, 16% occasionally and 2% never.

When asked to select as many as they liked from a list of my post types, only 26% picked posts that were just about the recipe itself - the top four were personal stories (72%), the science behind the recipe (62%), more detail on the technique (61%) and the history of the recipe (59%).

Do you appreciate a regular posting schedule (i.e. every Thursday)?
35% liked it, 39% didn't mind, 25% hadn't noticed and 1% didn't like it.

Have you made a Poires au Chocolat recipe?
66% had made a recipe. If so, how many? 19% had made one, 24% two, 40% three to five, 13% six to ten and 4% more than ten.

The 2014 survey had 412 replies.

How many recipes have you tried from Poires au Chocolat?
81% had made a recipe: 13% one, 17% two, 16% three, 12% four, 10% five, 3% six, 2% seven, 1% eight, 0.2% nine and 8% more than ten.

Of those that had tried a recipe 98% found it easy to follow (comments for the 2% were mainly about the recipes being in metric not US cups).

Do you make recipes from other blogs?
40% regularly, 47% occasionally, 11% rarely and 2% never.

Do you comment on blog posts to say you've made a recipe?
2% always, 5% often, 17% sometimes, 30% rarely and 46% never.

I think the last two stats from the 2014 are particularly useful - I'd guessed that there was a big gulf between the number of people making recipes and the number of people telling bloggers they'd made them, but it was even more pronounced than I'd thought. I also found the position of recipes above writing and photography in the 'most important part' question in 2013 interesting (though, of course, the majority wanted all three). The most exciting thing in both years, though, was definitely to hear about so many of the respondents making recipes.

As I half-mentioned a few paragraphs ago, the rhythm is going to slow a little around here as I move to Cambridge and start medical school in September. I have every intention of keeping posting regularly - I can't imagine life without blogging after all this time. I'm planning to start with a post every fortnight and see how that goes. I'd love to up the frequency again but I also want to have plenty of time to focus on my degree and making new friends as well as seeing my friends and family. It's going to be a bit of an experiment and I hope you'll be ok with that.

To illustrate this post I've put pictures from some of the recipes from over the years that I particularly fancy today (though some aren't exactly seasonal) - links below. One of the only problems with blogging and always moving forward is often not having the time to go back to old recipes.

Top-bottom: whole vanilla bean biscuits, two ingredient chocolate mousse, apple and quince pie, chocolate cardamon cookies, seed cake, coffee and walnut cake, treacle flapjacks and apple and blackberry crumble.

Tarte aux Framboises

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 13:46:00 +0000

Though Simon's Tarte aux Pommes is the most beloved and evocative tart from my childhood, Tarte aux Framboises comes second. It's one of my favourite things to buy from the bakeries in town - a slice, with the sides protected by slips of clear plastic, tucked into a white box and carried carefully home.

This is a slightly simplified version. It's made up of a puff pastry base (I've been making my favourite rough puff), barely-sweetened vanilla whipped cream, the best raspberries I can find and a sweet, jammy glaze.

If you don't want to make your own pastry (though I think that this is a great recipe for it, as you really notice the quality in something simple) then do try to find some made with butter. I made one batch of rough puff, trimmed the sides and then divided it into three chunky rectangles of pastry of roughly 160g. I think it's best freshly made but if you wrap each piece tightly in a few layers of clingfilm it can be frozen for a few weeks (defrost it slowly in the fridge, still wrapped up).

I think the best thing about a tart like this is how both the textures (crisp pastry, billowing cream, seedy raspberries, jelly glaze) and the flavours (buttery, vanilla, cream, tart, fruity, sweet) contrast and combine to create a balance. It's a familiar and comforting combination and no lesser for being so.

Tarte aux Framboises

For the tart case:
160g puff pastry (I use homemade rough puff)
a splash of milk

To assemble:
2 tbsp raspberry jam
1 tbsp water
100ml double cream
1/2 tsp icing sugar*
1/4 tsp vanilla paste
24 raspberries (roughly 200g)

Roll the pastry out to a rectangle of roughly 25 x 15cm (10 x 6"). Trim the edges to create a clean rectangle. Cut a 1-1.5cm (0.4-0.6") strip from each of the sides. Score the main piece lightly in a criss-cross pattern. Brush the top of the main piece with milk (not making it soggy, but covering the whole piece lightly without going over the sides). Arrange the strips around the edges, trimming the ends so that they fit. Press the strips down lightly, then brush the tops with milk. Transfer onto baking parchment and onto a baking tray. Chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/390F (fan). Bake the tart case for 20-25 minutes until caramel brown on all sides and the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, press the centre down to make room for the filling (so it looks like this).

Put the raspberry jam and water into a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat until combined and liquid. Strain through a sieve into a bowl to catch the seeds. Put the cream, icing sugar and vanilla paste into a mixing bowl and whip until it thickens and just hold shape - the floppiest of peaks - it's important to not over whip it. Spoon into the middle of the case and spread out. Arrange the raspberries on the top. Brush the raspberries with the warm glaze. Best served immediately.

*If your raspberries are on the sour side, increase to 1 tsp.

(Makes one tart, slices into four)

Three other pie and tart posts:
Chez Panisse Almond Tart
Ginger Bourbon Pecan Pie
Tarte aux Pommes

Yeasted Waffles

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:05:00 +0000

I used to have two problems with making waffles.

First, by the time I'd got up, mixed the batter, left it to rise and then actually made the waffles, I was ravenous. I don't like waiting around for my breakfast. Second, I didn't like the way that they a/ went limp quickly and b/ had to be served as each one was ready to avoid a/. Despite the problems, I still made a lot of waffles whenever I was back in Switzerland (and therefore in close vicinity to mum's waffle iron).

Last week I got my own waffle iron as a birthday present. It's a stovetop one that sits on my gas hob. I've been practicing nearly every day since (I think the batch this morning was the 9th) and I think I've finally worked out how to cook with it. It seems that every type and even model of waffle maker is quite different - I think you probably have to retouch your recipe and technique every time you try a new one (though I think the bulky electric ones are easier to use and get good results with).

With my new waffle enthusiasm, I set about solving my two problems. I knew the first could be solved by an overnight rise in the fridge, though adjusting the amount of yeast and deciding on the optimum amount of rise took some time. I thought the second might be solved by a warm oven. It turns out that you need a medium-hot oven, but it does work, creating lovely crispy edges. I haven't tried it with a bigger batch (I was so used to making this recipe I forgot to double when I had my friends to stay this weekend, much to my despair) and I'd be a bit worried that the first ones might get a bit too crispy, but it's worth a try.

I like mine with very crispy streaky bacon, some banana or strawberries and lashings of maple syrup (despite the fact that apparently fruit and bacon is weird?). I've also recently discovered the purer pleasure of a bit of salted butter melted over the top with some maple syrup. What do you like with your waffles?

Yeasted Waffles

30g unsalted butter
125g plain flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
a few pinches of fine sea salt
3/4 tsp instant yeast (about 3.5g or half a normal packet)
1 large egg
200ml milk
1 tsp vanilla paste

The evening before, make the batter. Place the butter in small saucepan and melt. Keep heating until the butter foams up and and the flecks go brown (see foundation if you're not used to brown butter). Pour into a bowl and put into the fridge to cool. Sieve the flour, brown sugar and salt into a big mixing bowl, then stir in the yeast. Make a well in the middle and add the egg, then whisk in, bringing some of the flour into the centre. Add the milk in several additions, whisking as you go. Once you have a smooth batter, whisk in the vanilla and the cooled brown butter (can be warm but not hot to the touch). Cover with clingfilm. Leave to rise at room temperature for half an hour or so then place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, take out the mixture (it won't have doubled in size but it should be full of bubbles) and preheat the oven to 180C/350F with a baking tray inside. Let the mixture warm up a bit as you organise toppings, make a pot of tea and preheat the waffle iron. Make according to the instructions on your waffle iron, placing each one straight into the oven as it's done. I get 4 ladles of mixture from this recipe (don't stir it and lose the bubbles). Set up your plates etc while the last one crisps then serve immediately.

(Makes 4 waffles, usually serves 2, 4 at a push)

Three other breakfast recipes:
Dutch Baby (a.k.a. puffed pancake)
Seville Orange Marmalade
Homemade Granola

Strawberry & Balsamic Caramel Meringues

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 22:50:00 +0000

It's my birthday in ten minutes. I'll be 25. A quarter of a century!

I created this recipe for my birthday party last year but the post about it lingered in my draft folder. Strawberry season ended and so here we are, a year on.

This batch of balsamic caramel had the distinction of being the first thing I made in my SAVEUR awards pan (we were given them as a sort of trophy, as you can see here - they have engraved handles).

The only word I can think of to describe my time in Vegas is surreal. Vegas itself, the desert heat, the jet lag, meeting people I didn't think I'd ever know in person - the whole thing had a dreamlike quality.

After the awards, I flew to California to spend a few days with my lovely friend Erin and her family. Erin and I first met at O Chamé in Berkeley, which has sadly now closed. That day I had their balsamic caramel gelato, which I later wrote about as one of most inspiring tastes of our trip. Strawberry and balsamic go well together, so last summer I decided to combine all three.

The balsamic in the caramel cuts through some of the sweetness of the meringue and strawberries. I also add a bit of crème fraîche to the whipped cream to give it a sour hint. It all comes together to make the classic combination a bit more interesting. You get crunchy, chewy and sweet from the meringue; softly whipped and slightly tart cream; fresh, bright strawberry, and then the complex caramel on top.

Finally, on Thursday I won Food Blog of the Year at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2014! It's such an honour to be chosen and I'm absolutely thrilled that lightning has struck twice.

In case you're curious, the five posts from 2013 that the judges looked at in particular:
Brown Butter Pound Cake
Caramelised White Chocolate Éclairs
Hot Cross Buns v.4
Dutch Baby a.k.a. Puffed Pancake
Foundations no.8 - Meringue Part I

The last post must have been the inspiration for this amusing comment in the awards booklet - so I think it's particularly appropriate that this post happened to be about whipping whites into meringues.

Strawberry & Balsamic Caramel Meringues

For the meringues:
slice of lemon
2 large egg whites (roughly 80g)
105g caster sugar

For the balsamic caramel sauce:
25g caster sugar
35g cold double cream
1/8-1/4 tsp good quality balsamic vinegar

To assemble:
150g double cream (25g per person)
90g crème fraîche (15g/1 tbsp per person)
600g strawberries (100g or roughly 4-6 per person)

For a detailed guide to making meringue with lots of pictures (using the same quantities as here), see here. Preheat the oven to 100C/210F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Wipe down a mixer bowl with the cut side of a slice of lemon. Add the egg whites to the bowl and attach the whisk attachment. Start whipping slowly, then increase the speed to medium-high. Keep whisking until the foam only has tiny bubbles then start adding the sugar slowly while whipping. Once it's all added, stop and scrape down the sides. Turn up to high and whip until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks (see guide for pictures) - this usually takes at least 2-3 minutes.

Divide the meringue into six dollops on the baking sheet, then use a teaspoon to form them into nests. Place into the oven and bake for an hour, then turn the oven off and leave to cool inside (you can either do this overnight or for a few hours). Store in an airtight tin until needed.

To make the caramel, spread the sugar evenly over the bottom of a small pan. Place over a medium-high heat and watch carefully - after a few minutes, the sugar will start to liquify at the edges. Don't stir it - you can flick some of the crystals onto a liquid bit, but don't fiddle too much. Once it's nearly all melted and starts to caramelise, swirl it all together. Keep heating until you have a deep golden-bronze colour. Take off the heat, pour in the cream and stir until the bubbling stops. Scrape into a bowl then stir in 1/8 tsp of balsamic. Once it's cooled a bit, taste and see if you want to add another 1/8 tsp. Store in the fridge until needed.

To assemble, re-warm the caramel by pouring boiling water into a slightly bigger bowl and lowering the caramel bowl into the water, being careful the water doesn't spill into it (or place over a smaller pan of simmering water). Stir occasionally until it becomes warm and thinner in consistency. Place the cream and crème fraîche into a mixing bowl and whip until it thickens and you have very soft, floppy peaks (I do this by hand). Remove the tops of the strawberries and cut into quarters. Place a meringue onto a plate then top with cream, strawberries and a drizzle of caramel. Serve immediately.

I assemble them as-and-when for however many people I have to feed (or myself) - so I've put the per person amounts up above.

(Serves 6)

Adaption: For my birthday last year I made a meringue stack version of this recipe. I used a three egg white meringue mix (165g sugar) and spread it into 6" discs. It was hard to cut and I prefer the individual portions but it did look impressive. I had to take a photo of it outside at night, so it's not the best image, but still:

Three more posts about birthdays:
Chocolate Ice Cream and a very lovely 21st
Blueberry and Ginger Layer Cake
That Chocolate Cake

(Credit for the Guild portrait is to Charlotte Medlicott)

Treacle Tart v.2

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 29 May 2014 17:30:00 +0000

Though most treacle tart recipes on the internet mention that it's Harry Potter's favourite dessert, I couldn't find much detail or thought on the matter. So, to remedy such a terrible situation, I skim read the books again to find the quotes (thankfully I know them well enough that it only took an afternoon) ~~and then got sucked in and shed yet more tears at the end.~~

As I think I've mentioned before, Harry Potter was a big part of my teenage years. The books will always be special to me - as, I think, they are to many of my generation, those of us who grew up with them, year by year, as we went through secondary school. I wrote my first quote-backed, detailed arguments about the books (H/Hr forever) and I genuinely think those arguments taught me more than most of the English lessons at my school.

"When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding...
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families."

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter Seven, The Sorting Hat, p. 93.

"'Slave labour,' said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. 'That's what made this dinner. Slave labour.'
And she refused to eat another bite.
The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark windows. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings.
'Treacle tart, Hermione!' said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell towards her. 'Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!'
But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter Twelve, The Triwizard Tournament, p. 162.

"Harry was too used to their bickering to bother trying to reconcile them; he felt it was a better use of his time to eat his way steadily through his steak and kidney pie, then a large plateful of his favourite treacle tart."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter Eleven, The Sorting Hat's New Song, p. 191.

"'You missed the Sorting, anyway,' said Hermione, as Ron dived for a large chocolate gateau.
'Hat say anything interesting?' asked Harry, taking a piece of treacle tart.
'More of the same , really... advising us all to unite in the face of our enemies, you know.'
[...]
Draco Malfoy was miming the shattering of a nose to raucous laughter and applause. Harry dropped his gaze to his treacle tart, his insides burning again."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter Eight, Snape Victorious, p. 155-7.

"The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapours and odd smells. Harry, Ron and Hermione sniffed interestedly as they passed large, bubbling cauldrons. [...] They chose the one nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at The Burrow. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling him up like a drink. A great contentment stole over him; he grinned across at Ron, who grinned lazily back.
[...]
'It's the most powerful love potion in the world!' said Hermione.
'Quite right! You recognised it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?'
'And the steam rising in characteristic spirals,' said Hermione, enthusiastically, 'and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and -'"

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter Nine, The Half-Blood Prince, p. 174, 176.

"Harry's scar was becoming more and more painful. He stood up. At once, Kreacher hurried forwards.
'Master has not finished his soup, would Master prefer the savoury stew, or else the treacle tart to which Master is so partial?'"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter Twelve, Magic is Might, p.191.

Harry attends five sorting feasts over the years and, as the quotes show, he eats treacle tart at four of them. The sorting feasts are about arriving at Hogwarts - first, as a new student, getting to know the people around him - and then, later, being welcomed back to the first real home he can remember. The treacle tart heralds a time of friendship, belonging and being looked after. I think that's why Harry smells it in the Amortentia and why it attracts him so much.

And so from Harry's first night at Hogwarts to bickering about S.P.E.W., from potions to burning scars, the sweet and comforting treacle tart runs through it all.

I wrote my first post about treacle tart just over four years ago. At the time I thought I couldn't replicate the tart of my childhood, but I think I've got pretty close now (except for the pastry, but I've decided I prefer my pastry anyway).

As you can see above, the filling is formed from golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, egg and a touch of cream. I've tried adding other bits like ground ginger and lemon zest but they started to mask the pure flavour I love. I also tried a tablespoon of black treacle to see if it deepened the flavour but it totally overwhelmed it with a metallic tang (I've seen some recipes on google that make treacle tart with just black treacle, which - much as I like treacle - sounds awful). I also don't believe in lattices or anything like that - the crust is one of the best bits and it doesn't need more pastry.

I know it can appear to be a slightly odd idea, but it's genuinely one of my favourite desserts.

Treacle Tart
(I started with a Good Food recipe for the filling years ago)

For the pastry:
130g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
75g unsalted butter
milk to bind (about 1 tbsp + 1 tsp)

For the filling:
250g golden syrup*
75g breadcrumbs**
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large egg
1 tbsp double or single cream

Sieve the flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Cube the butter, add to the bowl and rub in (see foundation for help). Add the milk and bring together with your hands into a ball (see video here, though you shouldn't have butter lumps left). Squish into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes in the fridge.

On a lightly flour-dusted surface, evenly roll the pastry out to a circle that's roughly 12"/30cm in diameter. Transfer the pastry to the tin and let it rest in the shape for five minutes in the fridge (see first video above). Take out again and press carefully into a 8"/20cm round tart tin, making sure you get into the corners. Trim the edge, keeping a few scraps (see second video above). Place into the fridge and chill for 20 minutes or until cold and hard.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (fan). Line the pastry case with baking parchment (I used parchment lined foil in the photo) and then fill to the top with baking beans or weights. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Once the case is in the oven, make the filling. Weigh the syrup and breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl then add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until uniform. Leave to sit while the case bakes.

After the 15 minutes carefully lift out the beans in the parchment. If you have any small cracks, fill with a tiny bit of leftover pastry. Place back into the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the bottom looks cooked (paler, drier). Give the filling another stir then scrape into the tart case. Place back into the oven and reduce the temperature to 160C/320F (fan). Bake for 25-30 minutes until set in the middle and browning around the edges.

I keep mine in the fridge and it's good for about 5-7 days - in fact I think the filling tastes better as time goes on. You can serve it slightly warm, room temperature or even, as I've recently discovered I like it, from the fridge (it's slightly chewier and doesn't taste as sweet when cold). I always serve it with clotted cream and I can't imagine it being as good with anything else.

(Makes 8-10 small slices)

* The truth is that there is absolutely no substitute for golden syrup in a treacle tart. You can get it on amazon.com and hopefully in other places too.

** My favourite breadcrumbs to use here are made from the Plaited Milk Bread, but any plain white loaf or brioche-style bread would work (except sourdough, I think). Some people like it with brown bread or a mixture, but I prefer white. I make breadcrumbs by (intentionally or not) letting the bread go slightly stale, then whizzing it up in the food processor. I leave them to dry out on a tray for a bit, then keep them in a bag in the freezer.

Edit 07/06/16: I recently made a double recipe, using a 10" tart tin - it worked wonderfully. I had quite a bit of spare pastry with a double recipe, so I'd probably do a 1.5x recipe on that another time. The filling was just the right amount. It took 20 minutes to blind bake and 35 minutes to bake with the filling.

Three recipes that actually do have treacle in them:
Treacle Scones
Ginger Root Bundt Cake
Treacle Flapjacks

Plaited Milk Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 22 May 2014 15:47:00 +0000

I have some exciting news: in September, I start the Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine! It's a four year accelerated course for graduates of other degrees (medicine is usually a 5-6 year undergraduate course in the UK but there are a handful of graduate courses too). It's not out of the blue, though I imagine it might seem so from the blog.

I'm really delighted to have this opportunity and I hope you'll stick with me through this change and as I become a doctor. Blogging is important to me and I want to continue so it shouldn't make too much difference to this space.

This is a lovely recipe that I've been making for a year or so. It's lightly enriched with a glossy crust and a soft, cream coloured interior. It's great as bread and toast (especially with butter and jam) and also for dishes that use stale bread like french toast and bread and butter pudding (and the recipe coming next week).

It's a simple three strand plait, just like the one I had in my hair for the majority of my childhood. You could also try a more complicated plait with this recipe - I'd love to have a go at an eight strand à la vintage Bake Off.

Finally, the Poires au Chocolat 2014 Survey is still open - I'd be very grateful if you could fill it out. If you don't add any comments, it only takes about 30 seconds. To take it, just click here.

Plaited Milk Bread
(adapted from Signe Johansen's Scandilicious Baking)

250ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed work)
50g unsalted butter
250g white bread flour
250g plain flour
50g caster sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
7g instant yeast (1 sachet usually)
1 large egg

Place the milk and butter into a small saucepan and heat until the butter has melted and the milk is steaming (scalding the milk helps soften the bread). Pour into a bowl (a metal one will help it cool quickly) and place into the fridge to cool down.

Sieve the bread flour, plain flour, sugar and salt into a mixer bowl. Stir together then sprinkle in the yeast and stir it in too. Briefly beat the egg up then remove a teaspoon to another bowl (to use as egg wash later). Check the milk has cooled down to blood temperature or less. If it has, add the milk and the egg to the bowl and stir together until you have a shaggy dough. Knead on the mixer with the dough hook (I use 6 on my KA) for 5 minutes until the dough is silky and elastic. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place - it generally doubles in size in roughly 1hr 15 - 1 hr 45 minutes.

When it has risen, scrape the dough out of the bowl and divide into three pieces - they should be around 300g each. Roll each piece out into an even rope that's about 30-35cm (roughly 12-14") long. Place them next to each other heading away from you (i.e. looking like I I I) and squish the top ends together, so you have a tripod. Pull one of the outer strands over so that it rests between the other two. Repeat with the outer strand on the other side and so on. When you get to the end, press the strands together and tuck both ends under the loaf (like this). Transfer to a large, lightly greased baked sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for about 40 minutes to an hour - if you poke it gently with a finger the indent should stay visible without springing fully back.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/390F (fan). When ready, add about 1/2 tsp of milk to the extra bit of egg and carefully and gently brush the loaf all over. Place a dish of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven and then place the bread in the top half of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C/350F (fan). Bake for an additional 15-25 minutes or until the bread is a shiny and deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (I slightly overbaked the loaf in the photos by mistake, but only just). Remove to a wire rack to cool fully before slicing.

(Makes one large loaf)

Three more posts about yeast:
Foundations no.9 - Using Yeast
Blueberry Braided Bread
Butterkuchen

The Poires au Chocolat 2014 Survey

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sat, 17 May 2014 20:09:00 +0000

Last year I decided to create a reader survey to gather some answers for a few questions I'd been mulling over to do with the blog and blogging in general. It was brilliant to hear from so many readers (762 to be exact) and to get a feel for your thoughts.

This year the focus is slightly different but the survey retains the same format. There are ten questions - they're mostly multiple choice for speed and ease but there's room for writing too. None of the questions are compulsory and the survey is anonymous. I hope you enjoy completing it - it was wonderful to read the responses last year and I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to say this year.

The survey is now closed. Thank you for all of your responses!

P.S. The weather is warming and so I'm dreaming about ice cream again... the top photo is Raspberry Froyo and the bottom is Choco-Caramel Sauce.

Chocolate Torte with Hazelnut Praline

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 08 May 2014 21:29:00 +0000

Back in April, Mum asked for three things for her birthday tea: chocolate cake, praline and ice cream. A coeliac friend was coming to the tea so it also had to be gluten free.

Mum had already tried making this chocolate torte with cocoa powder instead of flour, so I decided to start with that. Next, I made a batch of my favourite vanilla ice cream. On a whim I ground the praline down to a fine crumb, which turned out to be wonderful (both on top of the torte and on a spoon).

Last weekend I went to Wales to celebrate a housewarming and generally enjoy the bank holiday. I thought this would be a good recipe to take down as the torte improves with time so it didn't matter which day we ate it. I kept the praline in a separate airtight box (it doesn't keep well on top of the cake) so I'm afraid I don't have an image of the assembled cake for you.

Despite that, I think you can imagine it: a dark torte topped with a thick layer of nutty, crunchy praline crumbs and a big scoop of melting ice cream to meld it all together.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Hazelnut Praline
(adapted from Alice Medrich's Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts)

For the torte:
70g whole hazelnuts
30g cocoa powder
170g dark chocolate (70-85%)
150g light brown sugar
140g unsalted butter, slightly softened
big pinch of fine sea salt
4 large cold eggs (from the fridge)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the praline topping:
70g whole hazelnuts
40g white granulated or caster sugar
big pinch of fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (fan). Lightly butter a deep 8"-9" springform or loose-based tin. Place the hazelnuts on a small tray in the oven and toast for a few minutes until they start to smell and darken and the skins begin to split open. Rub any loose skins off with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll. Put into a food processor with the cocoa powder and blast until they are finely ground.

Place a mixer bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Chop the chocolate and tip into the bowl. Stir occasionally as it melts. Meanwhile weigh out the brown sugar and salt and cut the butter into cubes - it should be starting to soften, not squishy. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take it off the heat and stir until it's smooth. Place on the mixer (with the whisk attached) and add the sugar, salt and butter. Whisk on medium until the ingredients have fully combined and the mixture has lightened a little. Scrape the sides down then add the first egg. Whip until combined, then add the next egg. Repeat until they're all combined then add the vanilla and whip for 2 minutes on high until stiff and pale.

Add the cocoa-ground hazelnut mixture and fold in. Scoop into the pan and level out. Bake for 23-30 minutes - a tester should still bring up a sticky crumbs and it won't look fully cooked in the middle (a bit like brownies - don't overcook it or it gets dry and crumbly). Place on a wire rack and leave to sink and cool fully in the tin. Wrap in kitchen foil and try to leave for at least one day and up to three before serving.

To make the praline topping, place a sheet of baking parchment near the stove. Toast the hazelnuts (as above, or in a frying pan until a similar stage) - they need to still be warm when they're combined with the caramel. Spread the sugar over the bottom of a medium sized heavy-bottomed pan and place over medium-high heat. Watch carefully - after a few minutes, the sugar will start to liquify at the edges. Don't stir it - you can flick some of the crystals onto a liquid bit, but don't fiddle too much. Once it's nearly all melted and starts to caramelise, swirl it all together. Keep heating until you have a deep golden-bronze colour then stir in the salt and the still-hot hazelnuts so they become covered in caramel. Quickly scrape it all out onto the baking parchment and spread out. Leave to cool (it's ready once the caramel snaps). Break into big chunks then place into a food processor (no need to wash between the earlier hazelnut/cocoa mix) and pulse until it is finely ground (same sort of texture as ground almonds).

Spoon the praline over the top of the cake then serve. It's best with softened vanilla ice cream but a big spoonful of gently whipped cream or crème fraîche also works.

(Serves 10-12)

Three more hazelnut recipes:
Fig & Hazelnut Crumble Bars
Roasted Hazelnut Butter Biscuits
Brown Sugar, Cinnamon & Hazelnut Meringues

Deb's Double Chocolate Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 20:11:00 +0000

Last summer I started a recipe review series. I thought it would be a great excuse to tackle the long list of online recipes I want to try. I started with Emiko's Elderflower & Polenta Cookies. The next recipe I tried tasted awful. Though I'd started with the idea that it was a recipe review, I didn't actually want to be damningly critical. The post remained a draft and I soon forgot about the whole idea.

This morning I realised I had some overripe bananas and no legitimate ebook-based recipe I could use them in. This recipe begged to be tried and as it came from that long list, I thought I'd revive the recipe review. I'm only going to write one when I enjoy the result - I guess it's really more of a recipe recommendation.

The recipe is Deb's Double Chocolate Banana Bread from Smitten Kitchen. It doesn't fit any of my original ideas about unusual recipes or techniques but I really fancied eating it. I made a half recipe in a 6" x 3" mini loaf tin as I only had one big and one tiny banana. I skipped the cinnamon, used 20g cocoa (i.e. 40 for the whole loaf) and used baking powder instead of bicarb. It took 40 minutes to cook.

It's lovely - slightly sticky, dense and heavy on chocolate without defeating the banana flavour. I have a feeling it might be even better tomorrow.

Three more banana recipes:
2011: Banoffee Pies
2011: Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
2013: Pancakes with Caramelised Banana and Cream

Hot Cross Buns v.5

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:18:00 +0000

"Morel, as usual, was up early, whistling and sawing in the yard. At seven o'clock the family heard him buy threepennyworth of hot-cross buns; he talked with gusto to the little girl who brought them, calling her "my darling". He turned away several boys who came with more buns, telling them they had been "kested" by a little lass. Then Mrs. Morel got up, and the family straggled down. It was an immense luxury to everybody, this lying in bed just beyond the ordinary time on a weekday. And Paul and Arthur read before breakfast, and had the meal unwashed, sitting in their shirt-sleeves. This was another holiday luxury. The room was warm. Everything felt free of care and anxiety. There was a sense of plenty in the house."

Sons and Lovers, D. H. Lawrence, 1913, Chapter 7 (describing Good Friday).

After last year, I wanted to look at another element of the history of hot cross buns. I did start looking at the Elizabeth I decree a few weeks ago but sadly it seems I've run out of time (I blame the ebook). I have made some buns today, though, and I thought the Sons and Lovers quote was worth sharing.

The things I did differently this year:
- Switched the caster sugar for brown sugar.
- Put the dough in the fridge overnight for the first rise.

I also experimented with using a gluten free flour mix for the crosses, to see if it stopped it clumping up a bit. It wasn't a good idea - it was hard to pipe and went a bit weird in the oven.

The recipe from last year still stands - rather than writing it out with so few (and not especially big or essential) changes this year, it seems simpler to direct you back: Hot Cross Buns v.4.

Finally, Poires won the Best Use of Video award at the SAVEUR Best Food Blog Awards 2014! Thank you so much for your votes - I never thought I'd win a Readers' Choice award. They're flying me to Las Vegas for the awards party next month, which should be an excellent adventure.

To celebrate, I made a little video of the bun shaping process I use (the one I explained with words and pictures in v.3). Normally I avoid direct sunlight for photos & videos but the buns needed to be shaped so I thought I'd go outside my comfort zone a little. I'm not sure I like it but I can't really resent a sunny spring morning.

Thank you, once again, for your support - it means a lot.

The other versions:
Four
Three
Two
One

Apple Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 15:35:00 +0000

When you crack open an apple dumpling the steam escapes, streaming up towards the ceiling. The buttery juices run out from the core. When you pour cold cream over the top it glosses the sides of the pastry then swirls into the juices.

I bought a copy of Jane Grigson's Fruit Book after reading Diana Henry's excellent piece on food writing & cookbooks - a lifelong love. I was looking for something to do with a bowl of apples so I opened it up and found this recipe. Essentially, you peel and core the apples, plug the core with butter and sugar, wrap them in pastry and bake.

Jane recommended a plain pastry, so I've been using the one in the recipe below that is relatively light on butter and bound with milk. You could use another pastry recipe that you like, though I also don't recommend using a rich or sweet pastry. In the test for the photos I rolled my pastry a little too big so it's a bit thinner than normal (though it doesn't particularly matter).

I've written the recipe for two but it can easily be scaled up - I think it would be great for a group or party. I haven't tried assembling them in advance and chilling them for a few hours before baking but I don't see why it wouldn't work. For scaling, here's some more pastry quantities:

For 3 - 85g/pinch/40g/3 tbsp
For 4 - 110g/2 pinches/50g/4 tbsp
For 8 - 220g/4 pinches/100g/8 tbsp (etc.)

I used small apples, which created a nice pastry to apple ratio and a good portion size. Cox's orange pippins are great as they have a lot of flavour and they don't disintegrate as they cook - you want a firm but tender apple inside, not mush. If you use bigger apples you'll need more pastry - perhaps try the amounts for three above.

I like the fact that this recipe doesn't have any other competing flavours - there are no spices, for instance. It's all about the sweet, simple flavour of the apple.

Apple Dumplings
(adapted from Jane Grigson's Fruit Book)

For the pastry:
55g plain flour
pinch of fine sea salt
25g unsalted butter, cold
2 tbsp milk, cold

To assemble:
2 small Cox apples (or a similar variety)
2-4 tsp caster or brown sugar
4 small pieces of butter - maybe 10g total
double cream, to glaze and to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/390F (fan). Sift or whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cube the butter and add it to the bowl and rub in (see foundation if you're unsure about rubbing in). Add most of the milk and bring together into a ball (if it doesn't, add the last dribble of milk). Split into two (they should be roughly 55g each), squish into discs and wrap in cling film. Chill for 15 minutes or more (can be kept overnight).

Peel the apples and cut the cores out with a corer. Plug one end of the core with a small piece of butter, then tip in one or two teaspoons of sugar. Plug the top with another piece of butter. Repeat for the other apple.

Take one of the pastry pieces out of the fridge, dust a work surface and roll out into a circle big enough that you can place the apple in the middle and bring the sides up round it with a little spare to seal it together. Place the apple in the centre then bring two opposite sides up and press the seam together, then repeat with the other sides. Cut away the excess at the seams, leaving maybe half a centimetre. Press them together again, sealing the edges. Turn over and cut a small hole in the top. Use the offcuts to make a few pastry leaves to add to the top (cut out the shape then use a knife to gently press in the pattern). Brush the outside with a little bit of cream (you could also use egg wash but the cream is easier). Place them on a lightly greased baking tray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (for small apples like this - increase if larger) until the apple is tender if you poke a tester through the hole in the top and the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot with cold double cream.

(Serves 2)

Three more apple recipes:
Apple & Cinnamon Layer Cake
Apple Fritters
Apple & Quince Pie

The Saveur Best Food Blog Awards 2014 - Best Use of Video Finalist

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 23:07:00 +0000

I'm thrilled to say that I've just found out that I'm a finalist in the Best Use of Video category in the SAVEUR Food Blog Awards 2014! I'm so excited to be nominated again and I'm particularly touched that it's for this category.

I started using videos for my Foundations Series in 2012, as I thought they would help to illustrate techniques. Some things are very hard to describe with pictures and words - they need the movement. Though I am interested in the videos looking good and telling a story, my main aim is to create something useful.

If you'd like to vote to pick the winners or to see all the nominees, click here - if you don't have a SAVEUR account already then I'm afraid you have to sign up to vote but it doesn't take too long. Voting ends on the 9th of April.

I don't use sound as I think the visuals are the most helpful bit and - this might be weird - but personally, I find videos with music or sound intrusive and will often avoid playing them. So I go for silent moving pictures. I find them calming and I hope others do too.

The videos tend to focus on a single technique or a few in quick series rather than a whole recipe. I try to think of them as an additional part of a post, rather than a replacement for photos, words or the recipe. It also means that the clips or snippets are applicable to many recipes instead of one and that they generally don't take that long to watch. Having said that, I don't edit my videos down (except for the beginning & end when I'm reaching for the camera button) so they retain a sense of how long things take. I want to create something that reflects how things look in reality.

As they're hidden amongst all my normal posts, here are the three main video posts I put together in 2013:
- Foundations no.7 - Rough Puff Pastry
- Raspberry-Redcurrant Jam Swiss Roll
- Coffee & Walnut Cake v.2 (one video was also used again for Foundations no.8 - Swiss & Italian Meringue)

Since then, I've been making several new videos for my Glossary - I've put one of them above, which is to illustrate dropping consistency for cake mixtures. Just like my stills, the videos are a mixture of colour and black & white. I'm still relatively new to video and I'm learning all the time - which is partly why I'm so honoured that SAVEUR chose this category for me.

P.S. the little photo they chose to represent me on the voting form (at the top) is my Pear & Caramel Pudding Cake.

Five Years

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 18:59:00 +0000

It's Poires au Chocolat's fifth birthday today!

The past five years have taken me from being a 19-year-old fresher to a few months off 25. So much has changed but blogging has been one of the strongest threads through it all. It's hard to describe how important this space has become to me and how protective I feel - it's been a part of my entire adult life. As I sit here facing my next five years, I know that a lot of things will look very different. Though I'm sure my path won't make it easy, I really hope that Poires au Chocolat will reach ten.

In the end, I decided to celebrate five years by writing an ebook. I'd been looking for a fun project for a few months - something I could get my teeth into - and it seemed like the perfect thing to do. I wanted it to be different to the blog but still working along the same lines. I thought something historical with lots of references to stories and literature was the sort of thing that would work.

So the ebook I'm writing is about the food sent out to the front in parcels by loved ones in World War One. It's the sort of topic I love - slightly random but fascinating to research.

I studied WWI literature for my A Level synoptic paper in my last year of school. We could read anything we liked on the topic - poetry, prose, British, German, modern or contemporary. It was one of my favourite papers to study (tough competition came from my introduction to Chaucer and a paper on William Blake) and certainly my favourite to write, with the sort of open questions I came to love at university. The things I'd read stuck with me and suddenly resurfaced when I was thinking about possible topics.

The scale of the horror and suffering during WWI is hard to comprehend as someone who has never known war, looking from a century's distance. Despite that, I hope I can commemorate it with respect. I want to focus on the small moments of joy and on the comforting power of food from home. To remember those small personal details, in some ways insignificant and everyday, but vital nonetheless.

I'm not an expert on the history (it would take a lifetime - or at least several decades - to be that) and I'm not trying to write a textbook. In many ways this ebook will be a collection of all the anecdotes and comments that have made me smile or touched me as I've read and researched. It's a way of bringing together all the bits I don't want to forget and that I find myself excitedly blurting out to friends and family.

I think that blurting feeling comes from having found the research really gripping - it's had lots of moments, twists, and surprising gems. It's also been emotional at times. Sitting in the Imperial War Museum research room reading letters written in the trenches - touching the very paper - is an experience I won't forget.

I'll also remember - for different reasons - a day I was working in the Bod and stacked up a beautiful first edition of a 1915 cookery book to find that about a third of the edges had never been cut (it looked like it hadn't been read in several decades). I had to go and ask the librarians what to do and then sit there, paper knife in hand, slitting each page of the cakes chapter. The sound of tearing paper ripping through the silence in a no-seats-left lower Rad Cam is engraved upon my memory - I was half expecting a fellow reader to perform an enthusiastic citizen's arrest.

The ebook will be split into two sections. The first part will cover the sort of things that were sent out (from cakes and chocolate to two brace of grouse, smoked salmon & clotted cream), rationing, the rules, Christmas and various other topics, with quotes and contemporary photos and that sort of thing. The second part will contain ten recipes (things like shortbread and toffee) with headnotes that describe the letters and stories that mention them.

I'm going to experiment with selling it as a PDF from the blog (though Selz.com). You won't have to leave the site to buy it. I like the idea of a PDF ebook because I want to be able to design attractive, static pages with the images set in properly.

I'm planning to finish and release it in May - I'll let you know about a date soon.

I hope you'll all like it and find it as interesting as I have. Even if not, it's been just what I needed personally. It's felt completely different from working on the beginnings of bigger book projects (far less stress and fear). It's still a challenge, just of the right sort of size. There's something wonderfully satisfying - and, to let the geek really flow, thrilling - about being on a research hunt, chasing quotes and references from book to book and archive to library and back again. It's like fitting a puzzle together.

Anyway - back to the birthday. As I've mentioned many times, one of the reasons this blog is called Poires au Chocolat is because of the pear and chocolate loaf cake (as below) that I tested that fateful Easter holiday in 2009. Yet there's also another layer, in that one of my favourite desserts growing up - and today - is the humble combination of freshly chopped pear and melted chocolate.

It's too simple for a recipe but I thought it would be perfect as the background to this post. If it helps I reckon we usually use roughly 10-15g dark chocolate per pear (melted as per the glossary) and a pear serves one. A few splashes of double cream finish things off.

My first, 100th, 200th & 300th posts (this post makes 332 overall):
1: Lemon Curd Cake
100: Butterfly Fleur de Sel Caramel Cake
200: Toffee Apples
300: Dutch Baby a.k.a. Puffed Pancake

Introducing the Glossary

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:24:00 +0000

A few months ago I was watching the Sport Relief Bake Off when one of the contestants - I can't remember exactly who - looked at the recipe in front of him and said that he didn't even know what half the words meant (or something to that tune).

It got me thinking about recipe language and how the words we use convey a meaning that can be converted into action. I can write an instruction and hope and expect that anyone will be able to replicate my movements and technique just from seeing that word. Each term is loaded with information and experience that has has to be supplied by the reader. It made me realise that a recipe - especially, perhaps, a baking recipe - could feel quite foreign.

To try and help, I thought it might be useful to put together a glossary that explains and shows what I mean by each word I use. Currently it has 60 entries, each with a photo, series of photos or video to illustrate the definition. I've added tips, links and foundation post references. While many of the images have come from previous posts or outtakes, there's also a lot of new images and five new videos (separating eggs, flouring a tin, dusting a surface, scraping down, dropping consistency). The alphabet at the top should link you to the beginning of that letter section but you can, of course, just scroll.

Are there any other words or terms you think I should add? Do you think it'll be helpful?

You can find the glossary here (it's also now in the 'Links' section at the top of the sidebar) - I hope you find it useful.

The three entries that the images/video in this post correspond to are:
Ice Bath
Separate the Eggs
Zest

Garibaldi Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:53:00 +0000

I think the simplest way to explain this recipe is to tell you that the biscuits photographed here were the ninth batch that I've made in a little over two weeks. Only the first four included any changes to the recipe - the rest, including a double batch, were because we were craving more. The last of this batch disappeared this afternoon and I'm already having to restrain myself from making a tenth.

It all started when Yotam Ottolenghi tweeted about the Garibaldi they've started selling online. Curious, I searched and found the great piece Bee Wilson wrote about their history. Garibaldi are slightly unusual in that they have been factory produced from the beginning, so there isn't a big home baking tradition - but I think they're well worth it (and quite different - though still recognisable - to the ones you buy).

I started my testing with Delia's recipe. I added an egg yolk - partly because I didn't want to have one left over - and more milk to the dough. I added lemon zest to the middle (though it's not traditional) and I doubled the amount of fruit (adding bit by bit - it was the main change between my first four tests).

It's hard to explain why they're so good. I wasn't expecting to love them. They're somehow both plain and flavourful. The fruit becomes a little caramelised around the edges and the chew it provides contrasts with the short, crumbly texture of the biscuit itself. A few fingers with a cup of tea makes for a solid, satisfying snack. They also travel well - I had a little box on my flight home last weekend and took some on a day trip to London yesterday - and don't take long to whip up when a craving hits.

So here's to the homemade squashed fly biscuit, my new favourite.

Garibaldi Biscuits
(I started with Delia's recipe)

110g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
big pinch of fine sea salt
25g unsalted butter, cold
25g caster sugar + bit extra to sprinkle
1 large egg
3 tbsp milk
100g dried fruit - I tend to use 1/2 currants + 1/2 sultanas
zest of 1/4 lemon

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F (fan). Line a big baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Chop the butter into cubes then add to the bowl and rub in. Stir in the caster sugar. In a bowl or mug whisk the egg yolk and milk together, then add to the bowl and gently mix in just until the dough comes together. Use your hand to bring it into a ball.

Dust the worktop with plenty of flour then place the mix in the middle and dust again. Roll out to a rectangle of roughly 7 x 11" or 20 x 30 cm, using more flour when needed. Tip the fruit onto one half and zest the 1/4 lemon on top. Spread the fruit out into an even layer so it covers half the dough. Fold the other half over the fruit. Check it hasn't stuck to the surface, dusting again if needed. Roll out to 7 x 11" or 20 x 30 cm again.

Trim the sides with a sharp knife so you have a clean rectangle (the offcuts are delicious) then cut into two lengthways. Cut each strip into 8, so you have 16 small strips. Transfer to the baking sheet. Brush the tops with some of the egg white (you'll only use a small amount) then sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar. Bake for 14-16 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

(Makes 16)

Three more biscuit recipes:
Whole Vanilla Bean Biscuits
Caramelised Milk Chocolate and Espresso Shortbread
Roasted Hazelnut Butter Biscuits

Best of... Pancake Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 16:21:00 +0000

As I've mentioned before, Pancake Day is the only food holiday I always celebrate. This year Shrove Tuesday falls on the 4th of March (a.k.a. tomorrow).

I'm not sure lemon and sugar can be beaten for Pancake Day but in case you fancy a change, I thought I'd round up all of my pancake/crêpe posts. The best place to find my basic pancake recipe is here - it's the one I'll be whisking together tomorrow.

2010 - Brown Butter Wholemeal Crêpes with Vanilla Ice Cream, White Nectarines & Maple Syrup

2011 - Dusky Caramel and Raspberry Crêpe Cake

2012 - Crêpes Suzette (a.k.a. fire, caramel, blood oranges and cinnamon ice cream)

2013 - Pancakes with Lemon Thyme Sugar or Maple-Butter Bananas and Cream

2014 - Nutella Crêpes with Toasted Hazelnuts

Chocolate-Laced Sour Cream Soufflés

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:15:00 +0000

I'm not sure when I first had a twinge of nerves at the thought of making sweet soufflés. I can't think of any other examples of a cooking technique where I will happily make a savoury version (there's a family recipe for leek soufflé with a crusty cheese top that I absolutely adore) but worry about a sweet recipe.

Sometimes I wonder it if it had anything to do with watching Sabrina (1954) with Audrey Hepburn (you can watch the scene here to get you in the mood too). I felt that any attempt would be subjected to a similar line up of faults: 'too low... too pale... too heavy... too low... too high...'.

When I looked them up in my two most beloved resources, McGee and the Companion, they both mentioned how soufflés had gained an unfair reputation for difficulty. Even though, as McGee notes, "they can be among the most delicate, as their name - French for 'puffed', 'breathed', 'whispered' - suggests", they're not as fussy as their reputation dictates.

I chose to begin with this recipe, adapted from Alice Medrich, because it is so simple. You don't have to make a pastry cream or a roux - the glossy meringue is just folded through with sour cream, the yolk and a touch of flour, salt and vanilla. Once I'd absorbed Xanthe Clay's advice, I found them surprisingly straightforward.

Before the soufflé is cooked, it is filled with tiny air bubbles from the carefully combined meringue. You need this volume and, with it, the potential for more. As with many dishes that involve folding, the technique you use can make a difference. Here's the way I do it:

When the mixture is put into the oven, the gases in the incorporated bubbles expand and the water vaporises into steam, causing the bubbles to grow, expanding the soufflé to its full height. When the soufflé is taken out of the oven and begins to cool the reverse happens as gases in the bubbles start to contract and the steam condenses into liquid water, causing the soufflé to shrink and fall (unless you've already eaten it, of course).

I was surprised to discover that soufflés can be held for a bit before baking. After trying various delays I found that 4-5 hours was the point that these started to deteriorate - enough to prepare them before dinner, perhaps, though they don't take long to make.

My experience with this recipe has made me feel more confident about sweet soufflés. I think I might tackle one of the twenty-nine recipes for sweet soufflés in Escoffier next. 4496 Soufflé Praliné, which is infused and sprinkled with almond praline, sounds tempting.

I hope you will consider trying them too, if you haven't before - baking a tall, stately soufflé is very satisfying. I kept being surprised by this recipe - there's something attractive about the delicate flavour of the sour cream base that keeps getting better as you eat. Then, of course, there's the crisp, sweet top and the pockets of shiny melted chocolate that you sudden upon with your spoon.

Chocolate-Laced Sour Cream Soufflés
(adapted from Alice Medrich's Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts)

20g dark chocolate (70%)
75g full fat sour cream
1 large egg
1 tbsp (15g) plain flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
big pinch of salt
25g caster sugar + a little to sprinkle
bit of butter and granulated sugar, to grease

Preheat the oven to 210C/410F (fan). Prepare the ramekins (I've found this mixture perfectly fills 4 small 6.5cm ramekins but I imagine you could use bigger ones) by fully greasing the insides with butter then carefully swiping up the side from the bottom to the top all the way around (this encourages them to rise up the sides). Tip in a bit of granulated sugar and turn the ramekins around until the inside is fully coated. Tip the excess into the next buttered ramekin and repeat. Place the ramekins on a small baking tray.

Cut the chocolate into small shards. Whisk the sour cream, egg yolk, flour, vanilla and salt together. Whip the egg whites until they form a foam with tiny bubbles (see foundation on meringue for pictures and advice) then slowly add the caster sugar while whisking. Keep whipping until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Fold about a 1/3 of the meringue into the sour cream mixture until uniform, then transfer all of the sour cream mixture into the meringue bowl and fold in carefully (see above for the video) until no lumps or big streaks remain. Reserve a small amount of the chocolate to sprinkle on top then delicately fold the rest into the mix.

Spoon the mixture gently into the ramekins - you want to fill them right to the top. Use a palette knife or knife to smooth the top off then sprinkle with the reserved chocolate and a little bit of caster sugar. Use your little finger to swirl round around the edge of the ramekin, leaving a little trough and clearing about 5mm of the sides (you can see the result in the photo on the right in the trio - this helps them rise evenly).

Place the tray of ramekins into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 190C/375F (fan). Bake for 11-13 minutes without opening the oven (it may be up to 15 or so if using bigger ramekins) until risen and brown on top. Serve absolutely immediately - straight from oven to table.

(Makes 4 small soufflés)

Three more chocolate chunk/chip/shard recipes:
Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Toasted Coconut and Dark Chocolate Blondies
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Nutella Crêpes: A Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com (Poires au Chocolat) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 14:00:00 +0000

This February, the recipes on Cup of Jo are all nutella themed. So far there has been Nutella Swirled Banana Bread by Zoë François (of Zoe Bakes) and Nutella Pudding by Ashley Rodriguez (of Not Without Salt).

Joanna (and Shoko, who helps run the series) asked me to contribute a recipe a few months ago. I chose to make crêpes - my favourite ones with brown butter and a good pinch of salt - slathered in nutella and scattered with toasted hazelnuts.

You can see the post here.

Three other guest posts I've written in the past year or so:
Blackcurrant Baked Alaska
Blueberry Braided Bread
Coco-Cocoa Brownies