Apple & Almond Puff Pastry Tart
TIER 1
Apple & Almond Puff Pastry Tart
In Tier 1 we’re mastering the essential technique of laminating inverse puff pastry. This is trickier as the dough is wrapped in a butter block which means it can get a little sticky, but the resulting pastry melts in the mouth. We’ve covered laminating a few times so if you’ve tried those classes, you will be really confident heading into this. Once the dough has rested, we cut it into discs, fill it with an almond cream and finally add some sliced apples. After your first bite, you’ll want to eat the whole tray!
6
TARTS
Ingredients
Makes 6 Individual Tarts
Inverse Puff Pastry
Butter Block
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
300g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
Dough
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
4g Fine Sea Salt
120g Double/Heavy Cream
20g Cold Water
5g White Vinegar
Almond Cream
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
55g Icing Sugar
130g Ground Almonds
10g Cornstarch/Cornflour
45g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
2-3 Pink Lady Apples
Egg Wash
35g Egg Yolk
30g Double/Heavy Cream
Icing/Powdered Sugar To Decorate
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
12cm cookie cutter
Piping bag
Method
Inverse Puff Pastry
Butter Block
1. Add the soft butter and flour into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- 100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 300g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
2. Trace a rectangle 35 x 20 cm/14 x 8 inches in the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper or acetate, then flip it over. Place the butter mixture into the centre, folding over the edges of the paper and taping them in place if needed.
3. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle with even thickness. Chill for 3 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Dough
1. For the dough, add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir together until there are no more dry ingredients. It can help to squeeze it together with your hands.
- 200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 4g Fine Sea Salt
- 120g Double Cream
- 20g Cold Water
- 5g White Vinegar
2. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 1–2 minutes. Initially, it will be quite dry, but as you continue to work it, it will become smooth and gain some very slight elasticity.
3. Trace a rectangle 17.5 x 20cm into the centre of a large sheet of baking parchment or acetate and flip it over. Place the dough in the centre and fold over the edges of the parchment, taping it in place if needed. Roll the dough to the edges until you have an even block. Refrigerate for 3 hours, or ideally overnight. A longer chill is preferable to relax the gluten.
4. Once both have chilled, remove the butter block from the fridge, it needs to be 9–10°C (48–50°F) before using. Once it is close to temperature, remove the dough from the fridge; this needs to be at 6–7°C (43–45°F).
5. Place the dough block in the centre of the butter and fold the butter over, sealing the seam with your fingers. Be quite generous with flouring the work surface and the dough here, or the butter will stick.
6. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the seam is facing you horizontally, and use a sharp knife to score the edges of the dough where it is folded over the butter. This will release tension and make it easier to roll.
7. Lightly roll the dough to give it some slight width, then rotate the dough 90 degrees again so the seam is now vertically in line with your body.
8. Roll the dough lengthways into a long rectangle, being liberal with the flour so that it doesn’t stick, until it reaches a thickness of about 5–7mm. Use a sharp knife to trim off any wonky ends and dust off any excess flour.
9. Perform a double fold, folding one side of the dough up about 1/5th of the way, bringing the opposite side over to meet it, and then folding the whole piece in half. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the dough from the fridge, and with the open seam facing you (i.e if you were looking at the dough straight on, you would be able to see where it has been folded over itself), use a sharp knife again, to score the edges of the dough where it is folded.
11. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is now horizontal to you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
12. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again and begin to roll the dough. Roll the dough into a long even rectangle, very very lightly flouring it, just as we did in step 8.
13. Perform another double fold, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
14. Repeat this process one more time, but finishing with a single fold rather than a double fold. To do this, take one-third of the dough and fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top.
15. Wrap the dough tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate, ideally overnight. Again, a longer chill helps to relax the gluten.
Almond Cream
1. Into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and icing sugar on a medium-low speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
- 55g Icing Sugar
2. Scrape down the sides and add the ground almonds and cornstarch, then mix again just until combined.
- 130g Ground Almonds
- 10g Cornstarch/Cornflour
3. Finally pour in the eggs and beat until it is evenly combined.
- 45g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
4. Cover this and set it to one side at room temperature.
Assembly
1. Preheat the oven to180C/355F Non-Fan assisted (165C/330 Fan).
2. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and lightly flouring it, roll it into a rough square shape, around 3-4mm thick.
3. Using a 12cm/4.5” cookie cutter, cut 6 discs of pastry and lift these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat (or a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat). Cut more discs if you have enough dough.
4. Add the pistachio cream into a piping bag, and pipe and even layer into the centre of the puff pastry, leaving about a 1.5cm/0.6” border around the outside.
5. Take the apples and core them, then cut them in half. Next, thinly slice them with a knife or a mandolin.
6. Stack the apple slices together, fanning them apart just slightly and place enough into the tart to cover the pistachio cream, but avoid going over the border of puff pastry.
7. Whisk the egg wash ingredients together and with a pastry brush, very lightly brush the border of puff pastry. You can sprinkle some coarse brown/demerara sugar over the top too for some added crunch, or even toasted flaked almonds.
- 35g Egg Yolks
- 30g Double/Heavy Cream
8. Place these into the centre of the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes, or until a golden brown colour.
9. Remove them from the oven and lift them onto a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then serve. They can be eaten warm or you can allow them to cool completely. Before serving, add a dusting of icing/powdered sugar to finish.
Shop the Equipment
île Flottante
TIER 1
île Flottante
For Tier 1 I decided to try a twist on the classic Île Flottante, inspired by working in the kitchen with Tom Aiken. Typically made by poaching a meringue and serving it in a warm bowl crème anglaise, this version is much more refined, with a Swiss meringue that is cut into a perfect disc. We fill the centre with crème anglaise and then top it with a thin caramel disc and clear caramel sauce.
4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS
Ingredients
Makes 4 île Flottantes
Crème Anglaise
125g Double Cream
250g Whole Milk
75g Caster/White Sugar
75g Egg Yolks
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt
Caramel Sauce
200g Caster/White Sugar
60g Water
100g Water
Caramel Discs
70g Caster/White Sugar
70g Liquid Glucose
Swiss Meringue
300g Egg Whites
205g Caster/White Sugar
5g White Vinegar
Roasted & Chopped Almonds or Hazelnuts To Serve
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
13″ x 9″ x 2” baking dish
Stand mixer
Blender
9cm/3.5” cookie cutter
Piping bag
Method
Crème Anglaise
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod (keep the leftover vanilla pod as we will use this in the caramel sauce). Place this onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.
3. Once the cream is hot, slowly pour it over the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine.
4. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk until it reaches between 82-85C (180-185F) on a digital thermometer.
5. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk through a pinch of salt.
6. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour. Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.
Caramel Sauce
1. Into a small saucepan, add 100g of water, along with the leftover vanilla pod from above. Place this over a low heat so that it becomes steamy.
2. Meanwhile, add the remaining 60g of water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place it on a medium heat, and cook it to 180C/355F on a digital thermometer. This will be a light golden colour.
3. Whisk in the hot vanilla water and cook for a further 30 seconds. Pour it through a sieve, into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.
Caramel Discs
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose and sugar.
2. Place it over a medium heat and allow the mixture to bubble up and start to caramelise.
3. Once it begins to go a light golden colour you can stir it.
4. Stir it occasionally until it turns a deep golden colour, then immediately remove it from the heat and pour it onto a silicon mat.
5. Allow it to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Swiss Meringue
1. Take a 13x9x2” baking dish (something deep), and very lightly grease the bottom with butter and place a sheet of parchment along the base. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and vinegar.
3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 60-65C (140-149F) on a digital thermometer.
4. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick and glossy and holds a medium stiff peak. Be very careful not to over whisk this as it is a slightly lower amount of sugar, so we don’t want to make the meringue go grainy by mixing it for too long.
5. Tip the meringue into the lined baking tray and use a palette knife to smooth it so it is flat.
6. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until it is a light golden brown colour on top. Remove it from the oven but leave the oven on.
Assembly
1. While the meringue is cooling, blend the caramel to a fine powder. Take a sieve, and sieve the powder in an even layer onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. You may not need all of the caramel powder.
2. Use a 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter to create indents in the powder, gently shimmying it around to create a circular outline.
3. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 2-4 minutes, or until the caramel powder has just melted and it is a glass like consistency. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool.
4. Pour the chilled creme anglaise into a small saucepan and just gently stir it over a low heat until it is steaming, then transfer it into a serving jug.
5. Scoop the thickened caramel sauce into a piping bag and set this to one side.
6. The meringue should have cooled for around 10-15 minutes now.
7. Use the 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter which is slightly warm, to cut 4 discs.
8. The easiest way to remove them is to pull away the excess meringue around the disc, then carefully slide a palette knife underneath the disc, and lift it onto your serving plate.
9. Use a teaspoon to dig a hole out of the centre of each meringue disc, but do not cut all the way through to the bottom.
10. Pour the warm creme anglaise into the hole, then with a palette knife, slide it underneath a caramel disc and place this on top.
11. Cut a small hole in the end of the piping bag, and drizzle this across the caramel disc.
12. Finally finish with a sprinkle of roasted nuts for texture and serve immediately.
Vanilla Danish Twist
TIER 1
Vanilla Danish Twist
This recipe is all about the dough. We walk through hand lamination step-by-step, so make sure to watch the video before diving in. Once the dough is ready, we use a simple shaping technique to twist the dough, then finish the flakey pastry with a simple vanilla glaze. I think these are the perfect breakfast pastry, so I suggest wrapping them up once baked and leaving them at room temperature, then glazing them the next morning!
8-10
TWISTS
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 Twists
Danish Pastry Détrempe (Dough)
565g Strong White Bread Flour
30g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
14g Instant Dry Yeast
230g Whole Milk
65g Whole Eggs
38g Caster Sugar
12g Sea Salt
Buerrage (Butter Block)
250g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour
Vanilla Icing
400g Icing Sugar
Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Digital thermometer
Ruler
Method
Danish Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all of the ingredients for the dough. Start with the wet ingredients on the bottom and the dry on top as it makes it easier for everything to incorporate.
2. Knead the mixture on a medium speed, for 6-8 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and elastic, passing the window pane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough. The dough is quite low hydration so initially may look quite dry but should pull together. If it does appear too dry, add up to 20g more milk to help pull it together.
3. Remove the dough from the mixer and briefly knead it on the work surface. Shape it into a rough rectangle, then wrap it in clingfilm, but not too tightly as it will need some room to proof. Place it onto a baking tray and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively if you want to do this whole process in one day, you can chill it for 3 hours.
Buerrage (Butter Block)
1. For the butter block, start by preparing your parchment paper. Take a large sheet, and with a marker, draw a 17.5x20cm square. Flip the paper over so the pen is facing the work surface.
2. Add the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour on top, and beat briefly, to combine them and there are no streaks of flour.
3. Scoop the mixture into the centre of the parchment. Wrap the excess parchment around the butter, folding the edges in to match the guides of the neat square you drew. It can help to tape the edges together to stop the parchment paper from moving around or opening up as you roll.
4. Flip it back over and use a rolling pin to roll the butter, pushing it to the edges and creating an even layer of butter across the rectangle of parchment. Place this in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or again, ideally overnight.
Lamination
1. When you are ready to laminate, remove the butter from the fridge, it needs to be 13-14C (55-57F) when you insert a digital thermometer. If it is too cold it will shatter when you start to laminate.
2. Just before it is at temperature, remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly flour it and roll it to just over double the length of the butter, 44cm, but the same width, 17.5cm.
3. The dough will be slightly curved at the top when you roll it out, so I like to trim the dough down, so that it is 40cm in total length. This then gives you a really neat rectangle to fold over your butter.
4. When the butter is at temperature, place it into the centre of the dough and then fold the edges of the dough so they meet in the centre of the butter.
5. Pinch the dough together to form a seam. Using a sharp knife, score the folded edges of the dough.
6. With this seam facing towards you, turn the dough 90 degrees so the seam is now horizontal to your body and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
7. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the seam is vertical in line with your body and begin to roll the dough. Working relatively quickly. Apply even pressure and roll the dough into a long even rectangle, flouring very lightly if needed.
8. Don’t focus too much on the length of the rectangle, but more on getting it into an even rectangle that ends up around 5mm thick (0.2”).
9. Once you are happy with the thickness and shape, dust off any excess flour with a brush, and if the ends of the dough have gone a bit wonky, cut them off so you have straight edges on either side.
10. Perform a single fold of the dough, where you take one-third of the dough and fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top. This is called a ‘single fold or ‘single turn’.
11. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
12. Remove the dough from the fridge, and with the open seam facing you (i.e if you were looking at the dough straight on, you would be able to see where it has been folded over itself), use a sharp knife again, to score the edges of the dough where it is folded.
13. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is now horizontal to you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.
14. Turn the dough 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again and begin to roll the dough. Roll the dough into a long even rectangle, very very lightly flouring it, just as we did in step 7.
15. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then into the fridge for 10 minutes.
16. Repeat steps 12-14 one more time, completing 3 single folds in total. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
17. Lightly flour the chilled dough, and use a sharp knife to score the folded edges of the dough to release the tension.
18. Roll the dough out, so that it is roughly 25cm tall, and 8-10mm thick. Don’t worry about the length.
19. Once you are at the correct thickness, trim the edges of the dough so you are left with a rectangle that is 20cm tall.
20. Then cut the rectangle into 4cm wide strips.
21. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the centre of each rectangle.
22. Lift up each piece of dough and take one edge, and fold it over and through the slit to the other side, then feed the opposite edge under and through the slit. Pull both ends gently to tighten, which will form the twist.
23. Line two trays with baking paper and place the twists on, evenly spaced out, 4 per tray.
24. Place the trays into the oven, switched off, and place a small cup of boiling water in the bottom. Change this every 30-45 minutes, proofing the twists until they have puffed up and the layers appear to be separating slightly. It can take 3-4 hours, but don’t worry too much about overproofing them as the dough is resilient.
25. Remove them from the oven and preheat it to 185C/365F fan assisted. Once the oven is hot, load the trays into the oven, and immediately drop the oven temperature to 170C/340F. Bake the danishes for 15-20 minutes, or until they are an even golden brown colour.
26. Once baked, remove them from the oven and carefully lift them onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Keep the oven on.
Vanilla Icing
1. Into a large bowl, add the icing/powdered sugar, salt, beans from a fresh vanilla pod and then slowly start adding milk. Whisk the mixture, adding enough milk until you have a runny, glue-like consistency.
2. Keep the danishes on a wire rack, but place a tray underneath.
3. Pour the glaze over the top of each danish, coating them completely. If you need, scoop up the excess glaze from the tray underneath, and re-use it to glaze any remaining danishes.
4. Place them back into the oven, just for 1-2 minutes, until the glaze goes slightly transparent.
5. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes then serve.
Note – the process can be quite long, that you end up finishing the danishes quite late which is not the ideal time to eat them (!). What I like to do is to bake the danishes, then wrap the tray tightly once they are cool and leave them at room temperature overnight. The next morning, I heat the oven to 175C/345F and just place them back in for 3-5 minutes, until they feel hot to the touch, then glaze them.
Alternatively you can freeze them once baked, and then just reheat them for longer in the oven (8-15 minutes).
Shop the Equipment
Lemon Meringue Tart
TIER 1
Lemon Meringue Tart
Lemon meringue tart is something I’ve been a bit hesitant to make before – I always thought there was way too much meringue, and it was overly sweet, so it was my mission to be proved wrong! The lemon filling is slightly richer than my Dad’s recipe, with more egg yolks which means it sets slightly firmer. We make a Swiss meringue for the topping, but with less sugar, which we press flat against the filling to create a more modern design.
1
9-INCH TART
Ingredients
Makes 1 9-inch tart
Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour
Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream
Lemon Filling
160g Whole Eggs
120g Egg Yolks
230g Caster/ White Sugar
200g Double/Heavy Cream
6g Lemon Zest
150g Lemon Juice
Swiss Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Hand blender
Baking beans
Blow torch
Digital thermometer
Method
Lemon Sweet Pastry
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.
2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.
3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.
4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. Shape it into a disc and warp it in clingfilm, before refrigerating for an hour or longer.
5. Once it’s chilled, remove it from the fridge and let it soften slightly at room temperature. The dough needs to be cold but flexible. If it is too cold when you roll it, it will crack.
6. Flour the dough and your rolling pin and applying even pressure, roll the dough out into a large, rough circle shape, around 3-5mm thick.
7. Working quickly, carefully lift this into a 23cm fluted tart ring on a baking tray. Use your fingers to press the dough into the side of the tin, then with the excess dough, fold it to create a thick rim around the outside of the tin. We will remove this excess later, but it will help to prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes.
8. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, and then freeze it for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 175C Non-fan assisted (345F or 160C fan-assisted).
Lemon Filling
1. Into a large measuring jug, add the cream, sugar, eggs and egg yolks and blend until smooth.
2. Add in the lemon juice and zest, and blend again to combine, avoiding adding too many air bubbles.
3. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface, and refrigerate until needed.
Pastry Continued
1. Once the pastry has chilled, scrunch a large circle of parchment/baking paper up, then press it firmly into the tart. Fill it to the top with baking beans or rice.
2. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans, then bake for a further 5-10 minutes until it is a pale golden brown.
3. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, then brush these all over the tart. Bake for a further 8-15 minutes, or until it is a deep golden colour.
4. As soon as it is out of the oven, use a serrated knife, holding it against the edge of the tin, and carefully trim off the excess pastry. Brush out any crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 110C Non-fan assisted (230F or 95C fan-assisted).
5. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and peel off the clingfilm. Scoop off any remaining bubbles with a spoon, then pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
6. Place the pan onto a medium low heat and stir constantly until it reaches 40C/104F on a digital thermometer.
7. Immediately remove it from the heat and gently pour it through a sieve, back into a tall measuring jug.
8. Place the tart shell, on a tray, into the centre of the oven and pour the lemon filling in. Use a blow torch to pop any remaining bubbles.
9. Bake for around 55 minutes, or until the filling has just set when you gently wobble the tray.
10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, before refrigerating for 1-2 hours.
Swiss Meringue
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk), add the egg whites and sugar.
2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, whisking constantly until it reaches 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat, and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 5-7 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak.
4. Remove the lemon tart from the fridge and with it still in the tin, spread the meringue over the top. Then using a large offset spatula, starting at one edge, press it firmly against the rim of the tin and drag it firmly across the tin, to smooth the top. You can do this a few times if needs be.
5. Use a blow torch to caramelise the meringue to an even golden brown colour. Alternatively place it under a hot grill, keeping a very very close eye on it.
6. Remove the tart from the tin and slice it with a hot knife to serve.
Shop the Equipment
Pistachio Marble Travel Cake
TIER 1
Pistachio Marble Travel Cake
The beauty of this cake lies in the pistachio, a flavour that’s hugely popular right now. Two batters, vanilla and pistachio, are gently swirled together to create a stunning natural green, with the added excitement of discovering what the pattern will be when you slice it! The cake is lovely on its own, but can be elevated with a really simple chocolate glaze too (try this one, with pistachios instead of peanuts!).
1
2lb CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 2lb cake
Vanilla Sponge
105g Unsalted Butter, Soft
175g Caster/White Sugar
1 Fresh Vanilla Bean or ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
130g Whole Eggs
175g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
6.5g Baking Powder
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
70g Whole Milk
Pistachio Sponge
120g Whole Eggs
145g Caster/White Sugar
65g Double/Heavy Cream
110g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
5g Baking Powder
130g Pure Pistachio Paste
90g Unsalted Butter to make 50g Brown Butter
Soft Butter To Pipe
Special equipment
2lb loaf tin
Stand mixer (optional)
Piping bags
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 165C/330F Non-fan Assisted (150C Fan). Lightly grease a 2lb/900g loaf tin with butter and coat the sides and base with parchment paper. Set to one side.
2. Start by making the brown butter for the pistachio sponge as this will need some time to cool. Add the unsalted butter into a small saucepan and place it onto a medium heat. Cook the mixture until the butter has melted and begins to smell nutty and caramelised. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool.
3. For the vanilla batter, into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer, add the soft butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes, with the paddle attachment until it is a smoother consistency, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Next, add the eggs in 3-4 additions, slowly incorporating them as the mixer is beating. Once you have added all the eggs, scrape the bowl again.
5. Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and then tip this in a mix on a low speed until there are no more dry ingredients.
6. Finally, add in the milk and mix just until you have a smooth cake batter.
7. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl and into a piping bag and set this to one side.
8. For the pistachio cake batter, add the eggs and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2 minutes on a medium speed. Then, pour in the cream and mix to combine.
9. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Tip this into the bowl and mix just until there are no more dry ingredients.
10. Add in the pistachio paste and mix until it is completely combined.
11. Finally, weigh 50g of brown butter that you made earlier and pour this in, mixing until there are no streaks. Add the cake batter into a piping bag.
12. Pipe alternate lines of the pistachio and vanilla cake batter into the tin, filling it up until you have used all of the batter in the cake bags.
13. Take a skewer, and starting at one end of the cake tin, zig zag this through the batter until you get to the other end, and then drag the skewer vertically, through the centre of the cake.
14. Take a small amount of soft butter and add this into a piping bag. Pipe a thin line down the centre of the cake.
15. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for around 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
16. Once baked, tip it out of the tin onto a wire rack, and immediately wrap it in clingfilm. Refrigerate the cake overnight.
17. The next day, allow the cake to come to room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving.
Shop the Equipment
Swedish Semlor Buns
TIER 1
Swedish Semlor Buns
I will admit I’m a bit early to be sharing a semla recipe with you – typically this Swedish treat starts popping up just after Christmas in bakeries. But after a trip to Sweden a few years ago and a bakery tour of eating different Semla, it felt like the perfect month to share my version! It is a soft bun, with an almond filling and topped with a simple mascarpone cream. The bun is spiced with cardamom and vanilla which gives makes it a really fragrant bake. So if you’re a purist, save this one until December, but I won’t tell anyone if you make it early!
12-14
BUNS
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 buns
Tangzhong
80g Whole Milk
20g White Bread Flour
Dough
500g White Bread Flour
9g Fine Sea Salt
12g Fresh Yeast/6g Instant Dry Yeast
255g Whole Milk
50g Double/Heavy Cream
55g Sweetened Condensed Milk
50g Whole Egg
75g Unsalted Butter
7 cardamom pods
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Egg Wash
1 Whole Egg
Splash of cream
Almond Filling
400g Almond Paste
40g Ground Almonds
40g Flaked Almonds
3g Ground Cardamom
15g Caster/White Sugar
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
125g Whole Milk
Mascarpone Cream
600g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Mascarpone
20g Icing/Powdered Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Oil spray (optional)
Piping bags
Star tip nozzle
Method
Tangzhong
1. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and bread flour and cook it over a medium heat, whisking until it reaches a thick paste like consistency.
2. Scoop the mixture into a pan and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Dough
1. Take the fresh cardamom pods and crack them open. Pour the seeds into a pestle and mortar and crush them to a fine powder.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cardamom, bread flour, salt and yeast. Split half a vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the beans into the dry mixture.
3. Add the cooled tangzhong paste and crumble this through with your fingertips. Set the bowl to one side.
4. Add the milk, cream, egg and sweetened condensed milk to a small saucepan. Over a low heat, stir it until it reaches 46-48C/114F-188F and then immediately take it off the heat and pour it over the dry ingredients.
5. Stir the mixture together with a spatula and a plastic dough scraper, until there are no more dry ingredients at the bottom. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
6. Add in the cold cubed butter and with the dough hook, knead for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7. Remove it from the bowl and shape it into a tight ball on the work surface, before lifting it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and proof for 1 hour.
8. Remove the proofed dough from the bowl and lift it onto your work surface – no need to flour it.
9. Cut the dough into 75g portions, you should get 12-14.
10. Cup your hand around the dough in a ‘C’ shape and rotate it underneath your fingers and palm, to create a smooth, round ball.
11. Lift each ball onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. You will fit 6 balls per tray. If you have it, spray the balls with an oil spray and cover them with cling film. If not, cover them loosely with a clingfilm. Proof them for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until doubled in size.
12. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C fan assisted).
13. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and use a pastry brush, to cover the whole bun. Place them into the centre oven (you will likely need to swap the trays halfway through baking). Bake them for around 25 minutes or until golden brown all over.
14. Remove them from the oven and lift them off the tray, straight onto a wire cooling rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
Almond Filling
1. Add all of the ingredients except the milk into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on a medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes, until slightly smoother (there will be some chunks of flaked almond).
2. Slowly add the milk until you have a smooth mixture. Add it into a piping bag and set it to one side.
Mascarpone Cream
Note: You’ll want to split this into two batches as the cream isn’t stabilised so if you try and pipe it all in one go, it will go quite grainy by the last few buns.
1. Add all of the ingredients into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until you have a medium peak, being very careful not to over whip it.
2. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle.
Assembly
1. Using a knife, cut a triangle out of the top of each bun and set the lids to one side.
2. Pipe the almond cream into the gap, filling it to the top.
3. Pipe the cream in an anti-clockwise spiral motion on top of 6 of the buns.
4. Place the lid on top, pressing down slightly to press the cream outwards.
5. Finish with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar and serve. Whisk the remaining cream ingredients and repeat the process for the final 6 buns.
Shop the Equipment
Coffee & Peanut Financier
TIER 1
Coffee & Peanut Financier
I’m a huge fan of “finger” style desserts and the great thing about this recipe is that it builds all the fundamental elements you’ll need to take on tier 2. The financier is almost like a brownie texture with a smooth coffee cremeux and a simple chocolate glaze. Peanut and coffee is a delicious combination but feel free to swap the peanuts with any other nut. The financier also stores really well so you can bake it, wrap it tightly and store it in the fridge for a few days until you need it.
12-14
FINANCIERS
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 Financiers
Coffee Cremeux
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Water
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
75g Espresso
1g Freshly Ground Coffee
Small Pinch of Flaky Salt
Chocolate Peanut Financier
200g Unsalted Butter
560g Dark Chocolate (70%)
160g Plain Flour
200g Icing Sugar
16g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
520g Double Cream
400g Egg Whites
160g Ground Peanuts or Almonds
Chopped Peanuts To Garnish
Chocolate Peanut Glaze
300g Dark Chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
30g Neutral Oil
30g Chopped Peanuts
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
13×9” cake tin
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Large round tip nozzle
Method
1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin and water to a small saucepan and let it bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream, espresso, coffee grounds and beans from the fresh vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat until steaming.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined.
4. Pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then add it back into the saucepan. Place it over a medium heat.
5. Cook to 80-82C on a digital thermometer, then immediately pass it through a sieve, on top of a tall measuring jug.
6. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend till smooth with a hand blender. Sprinkle in a pinch of flaky sea salt and stir it through with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.
7. For the financier, preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C for fan assisted). Lightly grease a 13×9” cake tin with soft butter. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the base of the tin and extend up and over two opposite sides, creating “handles.” Press it into the tin so it sticks to the base and sides. Then cover the other sides with two strips of parchment.
8. Add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl and melt this over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.
9. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground peanuts on top and whisk to combine.
10. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.
11. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.
12. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 70-75 minutes.
13. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for 1 hour.
14. When the financiers have cooled, use the parchment handles to lift it out of the tin and onto a chopping board. Cut it into 12-14 rectangles, or as small/large as you would like to make them.
15. Remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and add the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it has thickened to a medium stiff peak. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
16. Pipe long lines of the cremeux along the top of the financier, and then use a slightly warm knife to trim off the ends so they are flush with the edge of the financier.
17. Place some chopped peanuts into the top of the cremeux, then place the financiers into the freezer for 3-6 hours or until they are solid.
18. When they are frozen, prepare the glaze. Add the chocolate and oil into a bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, stirring until it is melted.
19. Remove it from the heat and stir through the chopped peanuts. The glaze needs to be around 45C/113F when you use it. Pour the mixture into a tall but thin rectangular container. Take the temperature and heat it up if needed or allow it to cool further.
20. Remove the financiers from the freezer and place a knife into the bottom. Dip the financier into the glaze until it is completely covered, then lift it up, allowing the excess to drip off before quickly flipping it over and placing it onto a tray.
21. Repeat this with the remaining financiers.
22. The financiers can be left at room temperature for 30 minutes then served, or stored in the fridge until needed.
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle
TIER 1
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle
Now this isn’t any ordinary trifle. This has layers of soft chocolate sponge, orange marmalade, vanilla and chocolate custard, then finished with whipped cream. It’s not really traditional, but the texture when you get a spoonful of all the layers is amazing. This can be scaled up to a large trifle, you will just need to increase the quantities.
4
MINI TRIFLES
Ingredients
Makes 4 Mini Trifles
Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
75g Caster/White Sugar, Divided
150g Egg Whites
45g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk
Custard Base
350g Double/Heavy Cream
175g Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
160g Egg Yolks
55g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch Flakey Sea Salt
Chocolate Custard
260-285g Custard Base
65g Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
Vanilla Custard
260-285g Custard Base
40g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Unsweetened Whipped Cream
200g Double/Heavy Cream
Orange Marmalade To Fill
Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Special equipment
39x27cm baking tray
Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Cookie cutter
Piping bag (optional)
Method
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F Non-Fan Assisted.
2. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and 20g of caster sugar. Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk (or stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the remaining 55g of caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
5. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.
6. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold the mixture carefully until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.
7. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
8. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly.
9. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Custard Base
1. Into a medium saucepan add the cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod.
2. Place this over a medium-low heat and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 82C/180F on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve into a tall measuring jug.
4. Split the mixture into half in between two measuring jugs, you should get around 260-285g per jug.
5. Add the chopped chocolate into one, butter into another, and then blend each until smooth with a hand blender. Add a pinch of flakey sea salt to each and stir it through with a spoon. Alternatively, if you want the vanilla version to be thicker, try using white chocolate instead of butter.
6. Pour the vanilla custard onto a shallow baking tray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the surface of the chocolate jug with cling film and refrigerate – this will thicken faster than the vanilla version.
Assembly
1. Take the cooled chocolate sponge and flip it out of the tray onto a large silicon mat or piece of parchment paper.
2. Take a few tablespoons of orange marmalade and spread this evenly across the sponge with an offset spatula.
3. Take a cookie cutter that is just slightly bigger than the width of your individual trifle dishes.
4. Place a disc of sponge into the base of each trifle dish.
5. Remove the chilled chocolate custard from the fridge (it needs 15-30 minutes to thicken and cool slightly).
6. Add it into a piping bag if you want, otherwise, pour an even layer across each dish.
7. Place it into the freezer or fridge just until a skin has formed on top and when you poke it with your finger, you feel there is enough of a ‘barrier’ to support the weight of the next layer.
8. Add a second disc of sponge, then remove the chilled vanilla custard from the fridge – this will be a looser consistency.
9. Pour this on top of the sponge, leaving enough room at the top for cream.
10. Place the trifles into the fridge or freezer just until the vanilla mixture has set to create a slight barrier and support the weight of the cream. This can take slightly longer as the mixture is softer.
11. For the whipped cream, simply add the cream to a bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until you have a medium stiff peak.
12. Spoon the cream on top of the set vanilla custard, and then level it completely with a slightly warm palette knife.
13. The trifles can now be refrigerated until needed or served immediately. Dust with a light coating of cocoa powder when ready to serve.
Shop the Equipment
Apple Crumble
TIER 1
Apple Crumble
I like to call this my ‘restaurant crumble’ – not quite your simple butter, flour, sugar mixture as this crumble topping has oats, nuts and muscovado sugar. It’s a bit fancy but I love all the textures. The base of an apple crumble is a great apple filling and this is the fundamental thing we are learning here which we take through to Tier 2. It’s rich with spices and has a lovely soft, almost caramel like sauce wrapping around the apples. Serve with custard (and ice cream!).
4
INDIVIDUAL CRUMBLES
Ingredients
Makes 4 Individual Crumbles
Crumble
125g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
85g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
15g Oats
30g Whole Hazelnuts, Skinned
60g Ground Almonds
40g Muscovado Sugar
Pinch of Flakey Salt
Apple Filling
35g Unsalted Butter
600g Braeburn Apples (About 12 Apples)
55g Dark Muscovado Sugar
10g Caster/White Sugar
14g Cornstarch/Corn flour
½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ Tsp Ground Ginger
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
75-100g water (adjust based on desired consistency)
Lemon Juice
Flakey Sea Salt
Special equipment
Food processor
Ramekins
Method
Apple Filling
1. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into cubes – 1x1cm as a guide.
2. Toss them in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice once chopped, to prevent them from browning.
3. Into a medium saucepan, add the butter and place it over a medium heat.
4. Stir it until the butter begins to brown slightly and smells nutty.
5. Add in the apples, and stir, cooking over a medium heat for 2 minutes.
6. Add in the sugars, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, to release some of the moisture from the apples.
7. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add in the spices, cook for 30 seconds, then add in the cornflour and cook for a minute.
8. Stir in the water, starting with about half, until you have a sauce that is thick and glossy – the consistency of a runny caramel. If you prefer a crumble with a saucier consistency, then you can add more water.
9. Finally, stir through a pinch of flaky sea salt.
10. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Crumble
1. Into a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the crumble.
2. Pulse the mixture until the butter has broken down into pea size pieces.
3. Tip it out onto a large tray and use your hands to squeeze it together until it clumps up.
4. Then rub it between your hands to form a crumble-like mixture. Spread it evenly across your baking tray.
5. Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.
7. Once the crumble has chilled, bake it in the oven for 12 minutes. No need to stir it, just remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Assembly
1. Remove the chilled apple filling from the fridge.
2. Take 4 ramekins or individual saucepans (I used small copper pots) and fill them up about ¾ of the way with the apple filling.
3. Take the cooled crumble and scoop it on top, filling it to the top of the ramekin.
4. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble is a deep golden brown colour.
5. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately with ice cream or custard!
Shop the Equipment
Sesame Bloomer
TIER 1
Sesame Bloomer
The Tier 1 dough is relatively low hydration so simple to work with – by hand or in your mixer. The great technique here is lightly soaking the dough and then coating it in sesame seeds. It is a technique I use to get perfect coverage of seeds over the loaf, rather than spilling seeds everywhere! This is a slightly softer loaf than Tier 2 so great for sandwiches. Feel free to swap out sesame seeds for poppy seeds too.
1
LOAF
Ingredients
Makes 1 Loaf
12g Fresh Yeast/6g Instant Dry Yeast
12g Fine Salt
400g Strong White Bread Flour
100g Wholemeal Bread flour
325g Tepid Water
15g Sesame Seeds + Extra To Coat
20g Unsalted Butter, Soft
5g White Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Bread scorer
Digital thermometer (optional)
Method
1. Add all of the ingredients for the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Attach the dough hook and knead on a medium speed for around 6-7 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and appears smooth. It should pass the windowpane test, which is when you stretch a small piece of dough out and it forms a windowpane without tearing.
3. Lift the dough onto your work surface, and perform a few slap and folds with the dough, then use your hands to shape it into a smooth ball shape.
4. Lift the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with clingfilm – the dough needs to proof for about an hour at room temperature or until doubled in size. This may take longer if your room is cold.
5. Just before it is ready, soak a tea towel and ring out any excess water. Set this next to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Lightly toast a tray of sesame seeds for about 10 minutes at 180C/355F. They just need to be a light golden brown – not too dark!
7. Lightly flour your work surface, and scoop the dough, smooth side down, onto the flour.
8. Gently flatten the dough with lightly floured hands into a large circle. Stretch the left side out slightly and fold it toward the center. Then stretch the right side and fold it in to overlap the first fold.
9. Reshape the dough into a tidy rectangle. Starting from the top edge, roll the dough tightly towards you, using your thumbs to press the dough firmly inward with each turn to create a taut log.
10. Once fully rolled, pinch the seam closed by using your fingers to stitch it together.
11. Working quickly, tilt the dough side to side on the wet tea towel, then transfer it to the toasted sesame seeds, tilting it to cover the entire loaf.
12. Flip the dough over and place it seam side down onto your baking tray.
13. Cover the dough with a tea towel to proof for about an hour at room temperature. The dough should almost double in size.
14. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230C/445F non-fan assisted and place a small tray on the bottom shelf.
15. Once the dough is proofed, take a razor blade and slash the dough. I used multiple diagonal slashes across the top of the dough, but you can slash it any way you prefer.
16. Splash a cup of boiling water onto the preheated tray and immediately place the bread on the middle shelf of the oven.
17. Immediately drop the oven temperature to 190C/375F non-fan assisted and bake for around 50 minutes – the dough should be a golden colour, and a digital thermometer inserted into the centre should reach 90C/195F or just above it.
18. Lift the baked loaf onto a wire rack and cool for at least an hour before slicing.
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate Orange Tiramisu
TIER 1
Chocolate Orange Tiramisu
I couldn’t make ladyfingers and not use them in a tiramisu! In Tier 1 we keep the technique of a tiramisu very classic – no cream! But I’ve mixed things up with a chocolate orange flavour. You soak your homemade ladyfingers biscuits in espresso, and layer them between orange mascarpone cream and chocolate shavings. This is a great dessert you can make ahead of time.
8-10
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Makes 8-10 Servings
Savoiardi Biscuits
115g Egg Yolks
25g Whole Eggs
40g Caster/White Sugar (A)
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (A)
260g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar (B)
1.5g Fine Salt
35g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (B)
Icing Sugar To Finish
Orange Mascarpone Cream
600g Mascarpone
65g Egg Yolks
50g Caster/White Sugar (A)
Zest 2 Oranges
145g Egg Whites
50g Caster/White Sugar (B)
Coffee Soaking Syrup
150g Freshly Brewed Coffee
15g Kahlua
Dark Chocolate, Grated
Special equipment
10mm round tip nozzle
Piping bag
Stand mixer
Method
Savoiardi Biscuits
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.
2. Take 2 large sheets of baking paper and draw two sets of train track lines on the baking sheets, 90mm/3.5” tall. Flip these upside down (so the ink doesn’t touch the pastry) and place them on a baking sheet.
3. Take a small round tip nozzle (10mm) and add it into a piping bag. The piping nozzle needs to be smaller than you think, as the batter will spread slightly as it is piped.
4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar (A). Whisk this to combine, then add the flour (B) and whisk to form a thick paste. Set this to one side.
5. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (room temperature) along with the salt.
6. With the whisk attachment, whisk on a medium-low speed until it becomes frothy, with small bubbles on top (this will take a few minutes).
7. Slowly add in the sugar (B), about a tablespoon at a time. Once you have added all the sugar, whisk until you have a stiff peak.
8. Take about ⅕ of the meringue mixture and whisk it through the egg yolk mixture. This will be quite stiff, so it needs to be whisked firmly to smooth it out.
9. Add the remaining meringue in 2-3 parts, gently folding it through to ensure you don’t beat out too much air.
10. Once smooth, sift over the remaining flour (B) and fold through until there are no more lumps.
11. Add the mixture into your piping bag and let it rest for a few minutes; this will just make it slightly easier to pipe.
12. Using the guides on your baking tray, pipe individual lines, ensuring they’re not too close together, as they will spread slightly.
13. Once piped, add a good dusting of icing sugar over the top, wait 1-2 minutes, and then repeat.
14. Place them directly into the oven and bake until a deep golden brown colour – be sure not to underbake them. It should take around 30 minutes, but it can depend on how big you’ve piped them and your oven.
15. Remove them from the oven and then allow them to cool at room temperature. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months.
Orange Mascarpone Cream
1. Into a medium bowl, add the sugar (A) and zest of 1 orange, then massage this zest into the sugar.
2. Add the egg yolks and whisk by hand for a minute until thickened slightly.
3. Add the mascarpone and remaining orange zest, and whisk again until completely smooth. Set this to one side.
4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium-low speed until frothy.
5. Slowly add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time. Once you’ve added all the sugar keep whisking until it reaches a stiff peak.
6. Take the meringue, and fold it through the egg yolk mixture in three parts until smooth and evenly combined.
Coffee Soaking Syrup
1. Combine the two ingredients in a shallow dish.
Assembly
1. Take the cooled lady fingers and check to see how they fit into your chosen dish. If you need to cut them down to size, use a knife or a microplane to shave them down so that they fit snugly in the dish.
2. Take the lady fingers and soak them one by one, then, lay them into the base of your tiramisu dish.
3. Once the bottom of the dish is covered, take a few large spoonfuls of the mascarpone cream mixture and spread this evenly across the lady fingers with an offset spatula.
4. Using a microplane, grate a fine layer of dark chocolate over the cream (or cocoa powder)
5. Repeat this two more times, finishing with a layer of the mascarpone cream. Use an offset spatula to completely smooth the top so that it is flush with the rim of the dish.
6. Place the tiramisu into the fridge to chill – ideally 4-6 hours, but overnight is absolutely fine too.
7. When ready to serve, remove it from the fridge and grate over one final layer of dark chocolate (or cocoa powder) and serve.
Shop the Equipment
Boston Cream Pie
TIER 1
Boston Cream Pie
A childhood favourite of mine, a Boston cream pie often comes as a donut, but it’s also fantastic in cake form. It starts with two layers of vanilla sponge, which are filled with a thick layer of smooth vanilla crème pâtissière. The cake is then finished with a thin chocolate glaze.The beauty in the cake lies in how it is layered in the tin, and using acetate really helps to get a smooth, clean finish.
7"
CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 7-inch Cake
Vanilla Sponge
245g Caster Sugar
245g All Purpose/Plain or Cake Flour
15g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
245g Whole Eggs
100g Vegetable Oil
85g Whole Milk
145g Unsalted Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Crème Pâtissiére
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
75g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
1g Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Chocolate Glaze
100g Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids)
50g Unsalted Butter
80g Double/Heavy Cream, Slightly Warm
Special equipment
2 x 7″ springform/removable base cake tins
Acetate
Hand blender (optional)
Stand mixer (optional)
Method
Vanilla Sponge
1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/355F non-fan assisted.
2. Lightly grease the bottom of two 7” cake tins, and place a circle of parchment on the base. Lightly grease the sides and coat them with flour, tipping out any excess.
3. Place the butter & vanilla into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Once it has just melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, sieve together the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, salt & baking powder. Whisk until they are evenly combined.
5. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil & milk.
6. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, whisking to combine until you have a smooth batter with no more streaks of flour.
7. Finally, pour in the melted butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined and you have a smooth batter.
8. Pour 500g of batter into each cake tin.
9. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for around 30-35 minutes, at which time the cake should be golden and a skewer should come out clean.
10. Once baked, remove them from the oven and run a knife around the outer edge of the cake tin to ensure it releases. Then carefully flip it onto a wire rack.
11. Let the sponges cool for a few minutes, then flip them onto a sheet of cling film and wrap them, before refrigerating. 3-4 hours will be enough but overnight works great too!
Crème Pâtissiére
1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.
6. Blend (or whisk) in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Assembly
1. Once the cakes have chilled, use a serrated knife (or cake leveller) just to trim the top of the cakes off – don’t cut off too much!
2. Take a 7” cake tin with a removable bottom/springform tin/cake ring and line the inside with acetate. Place this onto a tray.
3. Take one of the sponges, and lift it into the tin/ring mold. Ensure the acetate is tight around the cake – if you need to, adjust the acetate and re-tape it so that there are no gaps between the acetate and the cake.
4. Remove the créme pâtissiére from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer (or whisk by hand) and whisk for around 2 minutes until the mixture becomes much smoother in texture. It might initially look slightly lumpy/gelatinous but as you whisk it will smooth itself out.
5. Scoop the créme pâtissiére on top of the sponge and use a spoon to spread it to the edges, creating an even layer.
6. Next, take the second layer of cake and flip it upside down so that the side you cut is now facing down. Lift this on top of the créme pâtissiére and carefully press it in with your hands.
7. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate and butter to a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it until it has completely melted.
8. Take some slightly warm cream and pour this in, and then stir with a spatula until smooth.
9. Working quickly, immediately pour the ganache on top of the sponge, and then tilt the tin/ring mold so that it spreads evenly to the edges.
10. Place the entire cake in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set (or overnight) then remove it from the fridge.
11. Lift it out of the tin/ring mold and peel off the acetate. If any of the créme pâtissiére has stuck, simply smooth the edge of the cake with an offset spatula so that it is neat.
12. It is best served, left at room temperature for 30m-1 hours so that the chocolate can soften slightly.
13. To give it a nice finish as you serve it, gently blow torch the chocolate to give it a quick shine!
Shop the Equipment
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
TIER 1
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Unlike a traditional dense cheesecake, this one has a light, mousse-like texture (Triple Chocolate… Choussecake?!). The process is simple as we start by making a ganache with cream cheese, then fold in whipped cream to create that incredible texture. Each layer is easy to replicate since the measurements are nearly identical, with just a few small tweaks. The only tricky part is waiting for each layer to set! But once it’s ready to serve, you’re left with a beautiful ombré effect.
1
8" CHEESECAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 8-inch Cheesecake
Chocolate Cookie Base
120g Oreos
20g-40g Unsalted Butter
Milk Mixture
275g Whole Milk
30g Honey
White Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g White Chocolate, Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Milk Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
6g Cocoa Powder
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Dark Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
65g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream
Special equipment
Food processor
8×2.75” ring mold
Acetate (optional)
Hand blender
Stand mixer
Method
Chocolate Cookie Base
1. Add the Oreos into a food processor and blend to a fine crumb. If you want, you can remove the white filling and just use 120g of Oreo biscuits.
2. Pour these into a medium bowl and set it to one side.
3. Add the butter into a small saucepan and place it on a low heat until melted.
4. Slowly pour about half of the butter mixture into the Oreos and stir to combine. Keep adding butter until the mixture resembles slightly wet sand. Oreos don’t require as much butter to pull together unlike a traditional biscuit base so add it slowly to avoid a very wet biscuit mixture.
5. Take an 8×2.75” ring mold and place a piece of acetate along the inside. Acetate isn’t completely necessary as we are freezing the mousse. If you don’t have acetate you can simply heat the outside of the ring mold with a hair dryer/heat gun when you need to demold it. Acetate just makes this process much easier and you end up with a slightly cleaner finish. Place the ring onto a baking tray.
6. Pour the Oreo mixture into the base of the ring and use the back of a measuring cup or something flat, to smooth the base out so that it is even. Place the tray into the freezer.
Milk Mixture
1. Add the milk and honey into a small saucepan, and place it over a medium-low heat until it is steaming – stirring occasionally. We are going to split this mixture between all three cheesecake bases.
The process for making the layers is identical, so it is easiest to set up three measuring jugs at once, each with the chopped chocolate in, then pour in the weighed milk mixture.
White Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Milk Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Dark Chocolate Layer
1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.
2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).
Assembly
The assembly process is slightly tedious, as you have to wait for each layer to set before you can add the next one!
1. Remove the white chocolate layer from the fridge and place it into a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed, until the mixture thickens and holds a medium peak. Set this to one side.
2. Into a bowl, add the remaining 60g of double/heavy cream and whisk until it holds a medium peak. Note – 60g can actually be quite tough to whisk if you are using an electric stand mixer so it is worth mixing 100g so that the whisk attachment can actually catch it, then just weigh the required 60g of cream.
3. Take the 60g of whipped cream, and fold this through the white chocolate layer, until smooth and combined. The final texture of the mixture should be thick, but still soft and slightly runny. We want a texture where we can pour the mousse into the tin and it will almost settle itself without too much assistance!
4. Remove the chilled chocolate base from the freezer and pour the white chocolate layer in. It should spread to the edges and settle, but if not just use a palette knife or a spoon to gently spread it, so that it is even. You can even give the tray a bit of a tap on the work surface to help it settle. Place the tray into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until the white chocolate layer feels firm enough to the touch to support another layer of mousse.
5. Repeat this exact same process with the milk chocolate and dark chocolate layers, freezing the mousse in between the milk and dark chocolate each layer. Note that because these layers have more cocoa solids, they will become thicker more quickly as you whisk them, so be careful not to over-whisk them and let them become too thick.
6. Once you have added the dark chocolate layer, place the entire cheesecake into the freezer. If you need to serve this quickly, 2-3 hours in the freezer will be absolutely fine, but you can also freeze it overnight too.
7. When you are ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the freezer, and lift it onto your serving dish. Carefully pull off the ring mold and then peel away the acetate, to reveal a smooth cheesecake. The cheesecake now needs 2 hours to defrost before you can eat it (maybe slightly less if you only freeze it for 2-3 hours). Or, you can defrost it for 2 hours then get it straight into the fridge.
8. Just a note that the longer you leave it at room temperature, you will begin to see the base ‘weep’. This is just because the sugar draws moisture from the cheesecake mixture. Nothing has gone wrong, it’s just a natural scientific occurrence of the ingredients of the hygroscopic properties of sugar!
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate Orange Swirl Cookies
TIER 1
Chocolate Orange Swirl Cookies
These stunning cookies use the same base dough, one flavoured with orange and the other flavoured with cocoa powder. The doughs are laid on top of each other and carefully rolled into a tight log to create the spiral effect. You can get creative and colour one of the doughs, or even make a quick ganache and sandwich the cookies together!
18-20
COOKIES
Ingredients
Makes 18-20 Cookies
Chocolate Dough
170g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Fine Sea Salt
30g Cocoa Powder
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
110g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
40g Whole Eggs
Orange Dough
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Fine Sea Salt
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
110g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Zest 1 Medium Orange
40g Whole Eggs
Egg Wash
1 whole egg, whisked
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Silicon mats (optional)
Rolling pin
Method
Chocolate Cookie Dough
1. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the cubed butter.
2. Mix on a medium low speed for 2-4 minutes, until the butter has broken down, and the mixture has a breadcrumb/sandy-like texture.
3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix for about 20 seconds, the dough will not pull together however, so remove the bowl from the mixer and squeeze the dough with your hands, until it forms a dough.
4. Place the dough in between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper and roll it to about 3-5mm thick – the thinner the better really. You want to roll it as best as possible into a neat rectangle shape as that will reduce the wastage later on.
5. Place the dough into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
Orange Cookie Dough
1. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the cubed butter.
2. Mix on a medium low speed for 2-4 minutes, until the butter has broken down, and the mixture has a breadcrumb/sandy-like texture.
3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix for about 20 seconds, the dough will not pull together however, so remove the bowl from the mixer and squeeze the dough with your hands, until it forms a dough.
4. Place the dough in between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper and roll it to about 3-5mm thick – the thinner the better really. You want to roll it as best as possible into a neat rectangle shape as that will reduce the wastage later on.
5. Place the dough into the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
Assembly
1. Once the doughs have chilled remove them from the fridge, and apply a light egg wash to the chocolate dough. Then, lift the orange dough on top, gluing it in place.
2. Leave them at room temperature to soften for just a few minutes – this will make them easier to roll.
3. Once softer, with the chocolate dough on the bottom, carefully roll the dough, lengthways (with the short side of the rectangle of dough facing you), into a tight log. Wrap this in clingfilm and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour
4. Before they are done chilling, preheat the oven to 150C/300F, non-fan assisted.
5. Once chilled, use a very sharp knife to cut the log into discs of equal thickness – about 5mm, then lift the biscuits onto a tray lined with a silicon baking mat.
6. Immediately place the tray into the oven and bake until lightly golden around the edges – about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool then serve.
Shop the Equipment
Kugelhopf
TIER 1
Kugelhopf
This bread has ties to Germany, Austria and France and is a popular bread served around the holidays. Think of it like giant hot cross bun in a bundt tin! The dough is a soft, buttery brioche flavoured with soaked raisins that have been steeped in orange, lemon and vanilla. When the cake is finished it is soaked in melted butter and then coated in sugar. I have to say, this is one of the most delicious recipes I’ve made ALL year! I’ve used a Kugelhopf tin, but the dough can also be made in a classic bundt tin.
2
400G LOAVES
Ingredients
Makes 2 400g Loaves
Soaked Raisins
100g Sultanas
20g Sugar
150g Water
Peels of 1/2 Lemon
Peels of 1 Medium Orange
Brioche Dough
425g Strong White Bread Flour (13-14% Protein)
10g Salt
50g Sugar
17g Fresh Yeast or 8.5g Instant Dry Yeast
190g Eggs
65g Whole Milk
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
210g Unsalted Butter, Slightly Cold & Cubed
To Finish
Melted Butter
Caster/White Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Dough scraper
Kugelhopf tin/Bundt tin
Digital thermometer
Method
Soaked Raisins
1. Into a small saucepan, add all the ingredients for the soaked raisins. Bring it to a boil and then pour the mixture into a tupperware. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally overnight.
Brioche Dough
1. For the brioche dough, add all the ingredients, except the butter, to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
2. Mix for 10 minutes on a medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. After 10 minutes, add the butter slowly, a few cubes at a time. It helps to squeeze the cold butter in between your fingers gently just before you add it into the mixer.
4. Once all the butter has been added, continue to mix the dough until it is pulling away from the sides of the mixer and the dough passes the windowpane test.
5. Right at the end, drain the soaked raisins and briefly mix these in. We don’t want to knead them for too long or it will discolour the dough.
6. Scoop the dough out of the bowl, and shape it into a round ball using a dough scraper before lifting it into a lightly oiled bowl.
7. Allow the dough to proof for 2 hours at room temperature. It should double in size.
8. While it is proofing, lightly butter your Kugelhopf tin and coat the inside with flour, before tipping out the excess.
9. Once the dough has proofed, remove it from the bowl, knocking out the air.
10. Cut it into two equal 400g pieces of dough.
11. Carefully shape each piece into a ball, then with one of the dough balls, use your fingers to press a hole in the middle, creating a donut shape.
12. Confidently lift it into the greased tin and cover the tin with cling film.
13. With the other piece of dough, simply shape it into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the surface of the dough and the bowl with cling film. Place both the tin and the bowl in the fridge overnight.
14. The next day, leave the tin at room temperature and proof for 2-3 hours, while leaving the other dough in the fridge.
15. Before baking, preheat the oven to 170C/355F Non-Fan Assisted.
16. Once proofed, the dough should have doubled, to just below the top edge of the tin. Bake the dough for around 35 minutes, it should be a golden colour and register 95C/203F when a digital thermometer is inserted in the middle.
17. Allow it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then flip it out and use a pastry brush to cover the entire dough in melted butter, before rolling in sugar.
18. Allow to cool before serving.
19. You can now remove the second dough from the fridge, and re-use the tin. Shape it into a donut again by piercing a hole in the centre and lift it into a the lightly greased tin.
20. Cover the tin with a tea towel and allow it to rise again until doubled – about 2-3 hours at room temperature. Bake as per step 16/17.
Shop the Equipment
Sablé Viennois
TIER 1
Sablé Viennois
In Tier 1 we tackle a simple Sablé biscuit, and learn the foundations of a Sablé dough. A spin on the recipe I share in my book, the biscuits are elevated by piping the dough into a zigzag pattern! Although the piping can be a little bit tricky, it’s worth the effort as it holds its shape really well, resulting in a stunning biscuit. To finish, I’ve dipped mine in a little dark chocolate, but you can get creative here with the toppings.
12-14COOKIES
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 Biscuits
140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
120g Plain Flour
40g White Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
Chocolate Variation:
140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
115g Plain Flour
30g Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
15g Cocoa Powder
To decorate:
200g Dark Chocolate (50-60% Cocoa Solids), Melted
Special equipment
Basket Weave Piping Nozzle
Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
Silicon Baking Mat
Method
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl), add the soft butter, sugar and salt.
2. Beat this on a medium-low speed for 2 minutes until lighter and fluffier in consistency. If doing this by hand, simply use a rubber spatula to beat the ingredients together.
3. Add in the egg white and beat again to combine. The egg white, won’t fully incorporate so don’t worry if the butter is slightly lumpy/separated.
4. Finally, sift in the flours & cornflour. Mix this until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. We need the dough to be quite soft otherwise it will be very difficult to pipe. Add this mixture into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave piping nozzle (or any other nozzle you prefer!). Massage the dough in the bag to soften it further.
Note: If you want to make chocolate cookies, simply follow the same steps, but add the cocoa powder in with the flours.
5. If you want to be accurate, draw a stencil on some parchment paper, with pairs of lines, about an inch apart, and place this under your silicone mat.
6. With firm pressure, pipe tight zig zags, roughly 3-4” long. Then, use a bench scraper or sharp knife, neaten the top and bottoms of the biscuits by trimming off the shaggy ends.
7. Place the tray of cookies into the freezer, while you preheat your oven to 175C/350F Non-Fan Assisted.
8. After the cookies have chilled for 20 minutes, place the tray into the middle shelf of the oven and bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
9. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
10. To decorate, melt some dark chocolate, and dip the edges of the biscuits before placing them carefully on a silicon mat. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Shop the Equipment
Raspberry & Strawberry Jam
TIER 1
Raspberry & Strawberry Jam
In these recipes we learn the basics of making jams. I walk you through the recipe for raspberry and strawberry jam. The techniques are very similar but I’ll take you through each step, and discuss crucially, the jam setting point, which is a really important temperature to hit to make sure your jam sets! I’ve also included a bonus recipe in the PDF – my dad’s homemade marmalade (thanks Dad!). This was something I grew up eating, so I hope you guys love it as much as me!
4
JAM JARS
Ingredients
Makes 4 Jam Jars
Raspberry Jam
500g Fresh Raspberries
50g Honey
300g Caster/White Sugar
3g Pectin NH + 50g Caster/White Sugar
5g Lemon Juice
Strawberry Jam
750g Fresh Strawberries
450g Caster/White Sugar
225g Water
4.5g Pectin NH + 70g Caster/White Sugar
8g Lemon Juice
BONUS RECIPE
Seville Orange Marmalade (makes 8 jars)
1kg Seville Oranges
Juices of 2 Lemons
2500g Water
2000g Caster/White Sugar
Special equipment
4 x 100g jam jars, sterilised
Digital thermometer
Pectin
Method
Before starting your jam-making, you want to make sure you have cleaned, dried and sterilised your jam jars. Simply wash them in soapy water, dry them, then place them into the oven for 10 minutes at 140C.
Raspberry Jam
1. Into a small bowl, add the pectin and sugar (50g) mixture. Stir the mixture together and set this to one side.
2. Add the fresh raspberries, honey, and remaining sugar into a medium saucepan. Place the pan onto a medium heat and stir it together.
3. Keep cooking the mixture until it reaches 80C on a digital thermometer, and stir in the sugar/pectin mixture.
4. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 104C – this can take a little while, between 5-10 minutes so keep a close eye on the thermometer, stirring it pretty continuously.
5. 104C is an important temperature as this is the setting temperature for jams. The closer it gets to this temperature, the thicker and darker the jam will become, and the bubbles will become heavier.
6. As you are cooking it, use a spoon to skim off any foam/impurities that rise to the top.
7. Remove it from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and then distribute it between your jam jars. You should get 2 jars.
8. Leave them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Strawberry Jam
1. Into a small bowl, add the pectin and sugar (70g) mixture. Stir the mixture together and set this to one side.
2. Hull the fresh strawberries and slice them in half. If the strawberries are smaller, then you can leave them whole.
3. Add the sugar and water into a saucepan, and cook it until it reaches 120C.
4. Once at temperature, immediately tip in the strawberries, stir them through the sugar mixture, then add the pectin sugar mixture.
5. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 104C – this can take a little while, between 5-10 minutes so keep a close eye on the thermometer, stirring it pretty continuously. 104C is an important temperature as this is the setting temperature for jams. The closer it gets to this temperature, the thicker and darker the jam will become, and the bubbles will become heavier.
5. As you are cooking it, use a spoon to skim off any foam/impurities that rise to the top.
6. Remove it from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and then distribute it between your jam jars. You should get 2 jars (or maybe slightly more)
7. Allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating/storing.
Seville Orange Marmalade (My Dad’s Recipe)
1. Wash the Seville oranges if they are dirty.
2. Cut the oranges in half and juice them. Pour the juice into a medium saucepan.
3. Scoop out the flesh from the inside of the oranges and place these into a muslin cloth.
4. Take the remaining peels of the oranges, and cut them into thin strips (or thicker strips if you prefer slightly chunkier strips in your marmelade). Add these to the pan.
5. Add the juice of the lemons into the pan, and place the juiced lemons into the muslin cloth too. Tie thie up so the orange flesh and lemons are secured.
6. Place the muslin into the saucepan, along with the water.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower it to a simmer, and continue to cook the mixture until the orange peels are very soft. Anywhere from 1-2 hours!
8. Remove the muslin and squeeze out the juices from it, into the pan.
9. Add in the sugar and boil the mixture, cooking it until it reaches the jam-setting point of 104C.
10. Once it has reached the setting point, remove it from the heat for 15 minutes, and during this time a lot of froth/impurities will rise. Skim these off. The resting time will also help to distribute the orange peels.
11. Scoop the marmalade into your sterilised jam jars (it will make 7-8 jars!). Allow them to cool to room temperature and then place the lids on and refrigerate/store.
Shop the Equipment
Chausson Aux Pommes
TIER 1
Chausson Aux Pommes
Ok these are essentially apple turnovers, but I felt the name didn’t do them justice and it sounds much more fancy in French! In this recipe I take you through how to make rough puff pastry in detail, so make sure you watch the video to master those folds! Then we cut it into a classic turnover shape and fill it with a sweet apple compote. It’s the perfect buttery, fruity, flakey dessert!
4-6
TURNOVERS
Ingredients
Makes 4-6 Turnovers
Rough Puff Pastry
500g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
10g Fine Sea Salt
240g Ice Cold Water
10g White Vinegar
400g Unsalted Butter, Very Cold & Cubed
Apple Compote
500g Apples (Braeburn/Pink Lady/Golden Delicious – about 5-6 large apples)
60g Dark Brown Sugar
25g Unsalted Butter
1 Vanilla Bean/1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes
Bowl of ice water with the juice of 1 lemon
Egg Wash
25g Egg Whites
60g Egg Yolks
15g Double/Heavy Cream
Glaze
60g Water
60g Caster/White Sugar
Or
65g Water
125g Sugar
30g Liquid Glucose
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Hand blender
Digital calipers (optional)
Oval template (see PDF)
Fluted pastry wheel
Method
Rough Puff Pastry
1. Pour the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the salt.
2. Pour in the cold water and vinegar.
3. Tip the cubed butter into the centre, then with the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed, just until the dry bits of flour have been absorbed. This should only take 15-20 seconds. The lumps of butter will still be there!
4. Scoop the mixture out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle. You need to work quickly here especially if it is a warm day as the butter will start to soften too much.
5. Once you’ve rolled it out, you might need to use a lightly floured bench scraper to loosen it from the work surface.
6. Perform a single turn, by folding one-third of the dough up on itself, and then folding the remaining third of dough over the top as seen in the PDF.
7. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill it. If it is a warm day, I prefer to do 10 minutes in the freezer then 15 minutes in the fridge. But on a ‘normal day’, 20 minutes in the fridge will be enough.
8. Unwrap the dough and with the open seam facing you, turn the dough 90 degrees so it is now adjacent to you. Roll the dough slightly to give it a little bit of width, then rotate it 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again. Roll the dough into a long rectangle again, flouring as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick.
9. Use a bench scraper to get underneath the dough if it feels like it is sticking, then perform a double turn, by folding ¼ of the dough up on itself, then the remaining ¾ of the dough to meet. Fold the dough in half, then wrap in cling film to chill again.
10. Repeat steps 9&10, 2 more times (performing two more double turns) and chill the dough.
11. Unwrap the dough again, and roll it out, performing one final single turn (as seen in step 7). In total you will have done 1x single turn, 3x double turn, 1 x single turn. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (or overnight).
Apple Compote
1. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into small cubes (‘brunoise’ as they would say in French!). As you are chopping them, add them to the bowl of cold water with the lemon juice to prevent them from oxidising.
2. Once chopped, drain them and add them into a medium saucepan. Cook them over a medium heat until the juices start to come out of the apples – about 3 minutes. Strain them to remove the excess liquid, then add in the light brown sugar, butter and vanilla.
3. Continue to cook them, stirring frequently, until you have a golden caramelised mixture, this should take about 6-10 minutes. Once cooked, stir through the sea salt flakes.
4. Add the mixture into a jug and blend until you have a thick compote texture.
5. Add this mixture into a bowl and set it to one side in the fridge to cool completely.
Assembly
1. To create the classic chausson aux pommes shape, we need a fluted oval shape which is then folded in half. You can buy special cutters for this but they are expensive, so I created a little hack so that we can do it at home!
2. At the bottom of the PDF there is an oval template you can print off (ideally on some thick card). This will give you an oval that is 6.7”x4.8”.
3. Print this off and then to get the fluted edge, we use a fluted pastry wheel and cut around the template while it is on top of the puff pastry. If you do not have a fluted cutter don’t worry you can just cut around it with a knife. But this template will give you the perfect size!
4. Remove the chilled puff pastry from the fridge and place it onto a floured work surface. Note – it can be easier to work with the pastry in two batches so that it doesn’t get too warm, in this case, just cut the chilled dough in half, and reserve one in the fridge while you roll the other. For the following steps I will assume you are working with a half batch and you just need to repeat the steps to make the remaining pastries.
5. With the open seam facing you, turn the dough 90 degrees so it is now adjacent to you. Roll the dough slightly to give it a bit of width – it needs to be around around 7.5” tall so that it is taller than the oval template.
6. Rotate it 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, flouring as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick.
7. Don’t worry about the length of the rectangle, we are more concerned about the thickness – it needs to be around 0.2”/5mm thick. If it is too thick, when it bakes, it will puff up too much! If the dough feels too soft at this point, get it straight into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up a little. It is much easier to work with when it is cold.
8. Assuming you are working with a half batch of the dough, use the oval template to cut out 2-3 ovals (the number you get will depend on how efficiently you were rolling it and how thick it is!)
9. Lift the fluted ovals onto a tray lined with a silicon mat, and place them in the fridge for 15 minutes.
10. At any point during the process, if you find the dough is getting too warm, place it back into the freezer for 5/10 minutes to chill it down then carry on.
11. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together all the ingredients until you have a homogenous mixture.
12. To ensure you get the same amount of filling, I like to decant my chilled compote into little dishes, each weighing 50g. Then I can just scoop it straight into the pastry knowing I’ve got the correct amount.
13. Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and, working quickly, scoop 50g of compote into the centre. Refer to the drawing below, we want to make sure we keep the compote away from the edges so it doesn’t leak out later so use your fingers to keep it nice and centred.
14. Brush an egg wash around the edge of the pastry surrounding the compote and fold the bottom half of the pastry over. Use your fingers to seal the dough together, being careful not to warm the dough too much with your hands and ‘smoosh’ it.
15. Use a knife to poke 4 holes in the back of the pastry and then flip it over so this side is now touching the baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash then refrigerate it for 20 minutes. At this point, preheat your oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.
16. Remove the pastry from the fridge and apply a second egg wash, then using a sharp knife, lightly score a decorative pattern into the pastry, I just do a series of vertical lines!
17. Place the pastries straight into the oven on the middle shelf and bake for around 45-50 minutes. The apple compote is already cooked so all we are looking for is a nice golden puff pastry.
18. About 10 minutes before you can prepare the glaze so that it is still slightly warm. Add the sugar and water into a saucepan, and simply bring it to a boil. Continue to cook it until it has thickened slightly but is still runny. Slightly looser than the consistency of honey.
19. I’ve given you two options for the glaze, the second one is just slightly shinier from the addition of glucose but is prepared with the exact same method! Just boil the ingredients together.
20. Once the pastries are baked, lift them onto a wire rack and brush them lightly with the glaze. They can be eaten warm or served once cooled, but they are best eaten the same day so that the pastry is as fresh as possible.
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé
TIER 1
Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé
I’ve cheated a bit in Tier 1 and used the chocolate soufflé recipe from my book, because you honestly can’t beat it! But I tried adding a frozen raspberry insert in the middle, which oozes out once baked, and it really takes the dessert to the next level from both a flavour and a wow factor perspective. Make sure you use good quality chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids to ensure the right consistency.
4-5
SOUFFLÉS
Ingredients
Makes 4-5 Souffles
Raspberry Insert
50g Raspberry Jam
50g Fresh Raspberries
Splash of Water
Chocolate Soufflé
– Beurre Manie
50g Unsalted Butter, Softened
50g Plain Flour
Pinch of sea salt
– Chocolate Base
270g Whole Milk
50g Granulated/Caster Sugar
200g Chopped Dark Chocolate, 50-60% Cocoa Solids
110g Egg Yolks
French Meringue
180g Egg Whites
70g Granulated/Caster Sugar
Special equipment
3.8cm x 1.9cm silicone half-sphere mould (15 hole) OR a small silicone ice cube tray
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Ramekins
Method
Raspberry Insert
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the fresh raspberries, raspberry jam and just a little splash of water (3 tsp roughly).
2. Place it over a medium low heat, and stir it together until the raspberries have broken down, and it is bubbling and has thickened just slightly.
3. Into a silicone half sphere mould, or a silicone ice cube tray, pour the raspberry mixture in, spread it out so it is even, and then freeze for 3 hours or until it is solid.
Chocolate Soufflé
– Beurre Manie
1. Into a small bowl, add the butter, flour and salt and use a spatula to form it into a paste. Sometimes it is actually easier just to use your hands and mix it together as the quantities are so small.
2. Set this bowl to one side.
– Chocolate Base
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk and sugar. Place it over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is steaming.
2. Remove it from the heat and add in the beurre manie from above. Whisk this through until it has dissolved, then place the pan back on the heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened and holds a slightly more elastic consistency.
3. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Don’t worry if it looks slightly greasy or split here. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl.
4. Add the egg yolks on top and immediately whisk this (to make sure the eggs don’t cook from the heat), until you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
5. Cover the surface with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
French Meringue & Assembly
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F Fan Assisted.
2. Lightly grease the ramekins with soft butter, using an upwards stroking motion.
3. Tip in a few tablespoons of sugar and swirl this around, tipping out the excess. Place these on a tray and set to one side.
4. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on a medium low speed until the mixture is frothy and thick bubbles have formed.
5. With the speed on medium, slowly add in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds in between each addition.
6. Once you’ve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue.
7. Fold the meringue in thirds, into the chocolate base, until you have a homogenous mixture with no streaks of meringue.
8. Remove your frozen raspberry inserts from the freezer.
9. Add the soufflé mixture into a piping bag, and pipe the mixture into the ramekins, filling them about 3⁄4 of the way. Then press your raspberry into the middle and cover it up, filling the ramekin to the top with the remaining soufflé mixture.
10. Use a palette knife to smooth the top and create a flush edge, then quickly run your thumb around the outside of the soufflé to create a rim.
11. Place them into the oven immediately and bake for 18 minutes.
12. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately. They should be well risen!
Shop the Equipment
Vanilla Glazed Donuts
TIER 1
Vanilla Glazed Donuts
In Tier 1 we start with a classic glazed donut. I walk you through my (new) favourite donut dough, how to create the iconic donut shape, and how to fry your donuts to perfection. Then we smother them in an insane vanilla glaze for that classic Krispy Kreme finish. The end result is the lightest, fluffiest donuts – it’s a struggle just to eat one!
6-7
DONUTS
Ingredients
Makes 6-7 Donuts
Donut Dough
550g Strong White Bread Flour
125g Whole Milk
7g Instant Dry Yeast
200g Whole Eggs
12g Fine Sea Salt
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Small Cubes
75g Caster/Granulated Sugar
20g Powdered Milk (Full Fat)
10g Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Glaze
500g Icing/Powdered Sugar
20g Glucose (or Golden Syrup)
80g Whole Milk
25g Water
15g Double/Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pods
Zest ¼ Lemon
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
3 Litres of Vegetable Oil For Frying
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
80mm cookie cutter
30mm cookie cutter
Piping bag
Deep fat fryer (optional but recommended)
Method
Donut Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients, followed by the dry. Attach the dough hook and mix it on a medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 3-4 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the next part of the mixing easier!
3. Turn the mixer back on, and knead for a further 10-12 minutes. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl, but there will still be a little bit stuck to the edges.
4. Remove it from the mixer and lift the dough onto your work surface. Give it a quick knead and shape it into a nice tight ball. The dough should feel smooth and pass the windowpane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough.
5. Lift it into a lightly oiled bowl, then lightly spray the top of the dough with an oil spray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film too and refrigerate the dough overnight (12-18 hours). This will make it much easier to work with.
6. Before you are ready to work with the dough, prep a baking tray by cutting 6-7 squares of parchment paper and lightly oiling them before placing them on the tray. This will make it easier to transfer the donuts to the fryer.
7. The next day remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Very lightly flour your work surface and lift the dough on. Lightly flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin, and roll the dough out, the shape doesn’t matter, but you want it to be around 12-15mm thick (0.5”).
8. Take an 80mm cookie cutter and dip it in a bowl of flour to make sure it doesn’t stick to the dough. Press the cookie cutter into the dough. Then take your 30mm cookie cutter, dip it into the bowl of flour and press this into the centre of your donut to create a hole. Lift your donut onto a sheet of parchment paper, then repeat with the remaining dough.
9. Very lightly oil the top of the donuts with an oil spray, and then cover the entire tray with a sheet of cling film and allow the donuts to rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature. In warmer weather, 2 hours should be fine, but when it is colder it will be closer to 3 hours. The donuts should look puffier and will have increased in volume when they are done.
Vanilla Glaze
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, sift in the icing sugar then add the remaining ingredients, starting with 80g of milk.
2. Beat the ingredients together with the paddle attachment. You want the consistency to resemble a runny glue, so add more milk if needed. Once you have the desired consistency, beat for a further 30 seconds on a medium-low speed, ensuring all the ingredients are combined.
3. Pour this into a piping bag, tie the end (so that the glaze doesn’t dry out) and set this to one side while you fry the donuts.
Frying
1. When the donuts are close to being proofed, add the oil to your deep fat fryer (or a large pan) and heat it to 170C/340F. A deep-fat fryer is ideal here as it is able to regulate the temperature at a much more consistent level vs frying in a pan.
2. When the donuts are ready, drop 1 at a time into the oil, and slowly peel off the sheet of parchment paper.
3. Fry for 90 seconds, flip, fry for 60 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds.
4. Remove your donut and place it on a wire rack, allowing any excess oil to drip off. After a minute, coat the donut in your vanilla glaze. Repeat with the remaining donuts.
5. Best served the same day (I can’t not eat mine immediately!)
Shop the Equipment
Basic Lemon Sorbet
TIER 1
Basic Lemon Sorbet
In Tier 1 we walk through the fundamentals of a sorbet, and make a basic sorbet without getting too technical! This is the perfect palate cleanser – quite a tart lemon flavour that’s so refreshing. As we don’t add any stabiliser in this recipe, this sorbet is best served within 24 hours to prevent the sugar from recrystallising. It’s a simple and delicious recipe to get you warmed up for Tier 2!
1
TUB (APPROX. 300G)
Ingredients
Makes 1 Tub (approx. 300g)
145g Caster Sugar
55g Dextrose
435g Water
345g Fresh Lemon Juice
Special equipment
Hand blender
Ice-cream machine
Method
1. Pour the cold water into a saucepan and add the sugar and dextrose. Place over a medium heat and bring it to the boil whilst whisking. Boil for a minute then take the sugar syrup off the heat and leave to cool for approximately 15 minutes (until cool to the touch).
2. Add the mixture to a bowl and pour in the lemon juice (it’s a good idea to sieve this to avoid adding any pips/pulp). Blend with a hand blender to combine. Cover the surface with cling film then put the mixture in the fridge for 4 hours. You can leave this in the fridge for longer, but 4 hours is the ideal maturation time.
3. After 4 hours, pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn for 20-30 minutes until it’s a thick, sorbet-like consistency (yours may take longer depending on your machine).
4. Transfer the sorbet into a container and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving.
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate Mousse Cake
TIER 1
Chocolate Mousse Cake
There are only two elements to this cake – the sponge and the mousse. I show you how to master each one, then it’s just a case of building your cake! I recommend using a ring mould for the most professional finish, and running a warm palette knife over the top of your mousse to create a smooth top. This is such a simple recipe but it looks amazing, the texture is divine, and it’s so full of flavour.
1
6-INCH CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 6-inch Cake
Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
20g Caster Sugar (A)
60g Caster Sugar (B)
150g Egg Whites
40g Plain Flour
28g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
30g Whole Milk
Chocolate Mousse
170g Whole Milk
120g Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
120g Chocolate (30% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
300g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes
Special equipment
39cm x 27cm baking tray
Electric hand whisk (or stand mixer)
Hand blender
16cm ring mould (4.5cm high)
Method
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/356F Non-Fan Assisted (160C Fan Assisted) and then lightly grease a medium-sized baking tray (this recipe uses a 39cm x 27cm tray). Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in firmly with your hands.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar (A). Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk (or a stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar (B), about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meringue and gently fold it through using a spatula until well combined.
5. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.
6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
7. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure the batter is relatively even.
8. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Chocolate Mousse
1. Add the milk to a small saucepan and place it onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl.
3. Once the milk is simmering, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes with a plate on top.
4. Then, remove the plate and use a hand blender to blend the milk and chocolate until smooth and set it to one side.
5. Into a medium bowl, add the cream and use an electric hand whisk to whisk it to a soft-medium peak.
6. Then, whisk the cream through the chocolate mixture in three parts until smooth. It’s important to whisk it through, as if you try to fold it, the cream will not incorporate properly and remain lumpy.
7. Lastly, fold in the salt.
Assembly
1. Take your cooled sponge and tip it out onto a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper.
2. Use your cake ring to cut 2 circles out of the chocolate sponge.
You will have enough remaining sponge to make the Tier 2 recipe, so make sure to save this if you’re moving straight onto Tier 2!
3. Take one of the sponges and place it on a tray lined with a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper. Place your cake ring over the top and gently push the sponge to the sides of the cake ring to make sure it’s even and there are no gaps.
4. Pour your chocolate mousse over the sponge until it reaches halfway up the cake ring. Then add your second layer of chocolate sponge and pour the remaining chocolate mousse over the top until it reaches the top of the cake ring.
You may have a little mousse left over but you can pour this into ramekins to have little pots of delicious chocolate mousse!
5. If you have a slightly uneven top to your mousse cake, heat the edge of a palette knife or scraper and run it evenly over the top of the cake to smooth out the top.
6. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours until set and ready to serve.
7. To remove the ring, simply gently heat the sides with a blowtorch and it should lift off smoothly. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt just before serving.
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes
TIER 2
Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes
In Tier 2 we add two extra elements to really level up the cake – a hazelnut praline filling and a cocoa gavotte decoration. I’ve turned these into individual plated desserts by using smaller ring moulds, but you can make one large mousse cake if you’d prefer. I’ve adjusted the mousse recipe slightly here and only used 70% cocoa solids, but if you prefer a sweeter flavour then follow the same 50/50 split as Tier 1.
5
7CM MOUSSE CAKES
Ingredients
Makes 5 7cm Mousse Cakes
Hazelnut Praline
165g Caster Sugar
50g Water
250g Whole Roasted Hazelnuts, Without Skins
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
Chocolate Sponge
40g Egg Yolks
10g Caster Sugar (A)
30g Caster Sugar (B)
75g Egg Whites
20g Plain Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
25g Vegetable Oil
15g Whole Milk
Chocolate Mousse
130g Whole Milk
10g Honey
175g Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
220g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes
Cocoa Gavotte
150g Water
15g Unsalted Butter
1g Salt
11g Plain Flour
30g Icing/Powdered Sugar
3g Cornstarch/Cornflour
35g Egg Whites
4g Cocoa Powder
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Silicon mat
Food processor
Electric whisk
Small baking tray (16cm x 26cm)
5 7cm mousse rings (3.5cm high)
Heat gun/Blow torch
Method
Hazelnut Praline
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar & water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 110C/230F on a digital thermometer.
2. Once at 110C/230F, pour in the hazelnuts. Stir constantly with a spatula. The mixture will initially look quite clumpy, then the sugar will crystallise, but eventually, as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts. It will take 3-5 minutes.
3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and tip the caramelised nuts onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and let it set completely at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. The praline should then be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high-powered food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Sponge
1. Preheat the oven to 180C Non-Fan Assisted (160C Fan Assisted) and then lightly grease a small baking tray (this recipe uses a cm x cm baking tray). Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in firmly with your hands.
2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and sugar (A). Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side.
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk, whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar (B), about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meringue and gently fold it through using a spatula until well combined.
5. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.
6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
7. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure the batter is relatively even.
8. Bake the sponge for 10-12 minutes, until dry to the touch, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Chocolate Mousse
1. Into a small saucepan, add the milk and honey and place it onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl.
3. Once the milk is simmering and the honey has dissolved, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
4. Then, use a hand blender to blend until smooth and set it to one side.
5. Into a medium bowl, add the cream and use an electric hand whisk to whisk it to a medium-soft peak.
6. Then, whisk the cream through the chocolate mixture in three parts until smooth. It’s important to whisk it through, as if you try to fold it, the cream will not incorporate properly and remain lumpy.
7. Lastly, fold in the salt.
Assembly
1. Take your cooled sponge and tip it out onto a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper.
2. Use one of your mousse rings to cut 5 circles out of the chocolate sponge and place them inside of your mousse rings. Gently push the sponge to the sides of the mousse rings to make sure there are no gaps.
3. Next, add a dollop of hazelnut praline to the centre of each sponge (I like to use a piping bag). You want it to cover about ⅔ of the sponge, not go all the way to the sides.
4. Then, add the chocolate mousse until it reaches the top of the mousse ring (again, I like to use a piping bag).
5. If your mousse is slightly thicker then use a palette knife to press the mousse to the edges and ensure there are no gaps. Then, heat your palette knife in some hot water, dry it with a tea towel and smooth the top of your mousse rings to ensure a nice even finish.
6. Place the cakes in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours until set and ready to serve.
Cocoa Gavotte
1. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, salt & butter. Place it over a medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, into a medium bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients and whisk them together till smooth.
3. Once the water is boiling, slowly pour it over the bowl of ingredients, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture is tempered.
4. Once you’ve added all the water, pour the mixture back into the pan, and whisk constantly over a medium heat until it thickens to a custard-like consistency.
5. Place a sheet of cling film over a small baking tray and pour your gavotte mixture on top. Place another sheet of cling film over the top and refrigerate it for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.
7. Onto a tray lined with a silicon mat, take a dollop of the gavotte mixture and create a line of it at the top of your tray. Do the same about half way down your tray. Then, using a palette knife, spread it nice and thin. It needs to be thin (almost opaque) otherwise the texture won’t be correct.
8. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy (the top might be slightly cracked).
9. Repeat this with a second tray of mixture.
10. Once baked, allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then snap them into shards ready to decorate. It is best to make these fresh as they will soften the longer they are left. If you make them ahead of time, you can place them back into the oven for 2-3 minutes, to crisp up again.
11. When ready to serve, remove your mousse cakes from the fridge and use a heat gun/blow torch to gently warm the sides of your mousses and lift off the cake rings.
12. Place your chocolate gavotte shards on top/around the sides of your mousses in whatever design you would like!
Shop the Equipment
Rhubarb Pavlova
TIER 1
Rhubarb Pavlova
We start by mastering the meringue. This is a French-Swiss meringue, which involves whisking egg whites and sugar over a bain-marie (the Swiss element), then folding through icing sugar once cooled (the French element). This makes a gorgeous soft meringue that doesn’t start to weep. We fill it with tart poached rhubarb and a sweet vanilla chantilly cream – I love this flavour combination!
4
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS
Ingredients
Makes 4 Individual Pavlovas
French-Swiss Meringue
200g Egg Whites
200g Caster Sugar
150g Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar
Poached Rhubarb
2 Rhubarb Stalks, Washed + Woody Stalks Removed
Peel & Juice of ½ Orange
½ Vanilla Bean, Cut in half and scraped
135g Water
15g Grenadine
135g Sugar
Vanilla Chantilly Cream
300g Double/Heavy Cream
5g Icing/Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
To Decorate
Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar
Raspberry Powder (optional)
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Flexible dough scraper/large metal serving spoon
Silicon mat
Method
French-Swiss Meringue
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non-Fan Assisted
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 55C/130F on a digital thermometer.
3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 6-7 minutes on a medium speed, until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue is thick.
4. Remove it from the stand mixer and place a sieve over the top. Sieve in the icing/powdered sugar, and use a whisk to gently fold this in. We use a whisk because we want the icing sugar to incorporate easily, but we also want to knock some of the stiffness out of the meringue, just slightly, so that we get a softer texture for the design of the pavlova.
5. Using a flexible dough scraper or a large metal serving spoon, scoop up the meringue, then wipe it on the edge of the bowl. Scoop that bit of meringue up again, and wipe it on the edge of the bowl one more time, before scooping it up for a final time. This scooping/scraping action will help to smooth the meringue.
6. Wipe off any excess meringue on the dough scraper/spoon with your finger and then swiftly but gently, dollop the meringue onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat/parchment paper. As you are pulling up, and dolloping the final bit of meringue, do it slowly to create a slight ‘flick’ to the pavlova. This is all best seen in the video!
7. Repeat this to create 4 pavlovas in total.
8. Place these in the centre of the oven and bake them for 3 hours without opening the door. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. These can then be used straight away, or stored in an airtight container to use the next day.
Poached Rhubarb
1. Remove the woody ends from the rhubarb, then chop it into small pieces, really whatever size you prefer. Place these into a shallow dish.
2. Into a saucepan, add all the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove it from the heat to let it sit for a minute before pouring it over the rhubarb.
3. Place a lid on top of the dish or a large tray and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender but still has a slight bite. Drain the rhubarb from the liquid and set it to one side.
4. You can keep the sugar syrup to drizzle over the top of your finished pavlovas. If you want a slightly thicker syrup, place it back on the heat and boil until it has reduced and thickened. Then leave to one side.
Vanilla Chantilly Cream
1. Place the ingredients into a medium bowl and using a hand whisk/electric whisk/stand mixer, whisk it to a medium peak.
Assembly
1. Take a meringue and tip it upside down in your hands so the bottom is facing upwards. Holding it very gently to prevent it cracking, use a knife to carefully score a hole in the bottom of the meringue. You want quite a large hole, the same shape as the meringue, but don’t go too close to the edges. Keep going over the score lines until the meringue breaks free, then carve out the centre of the meringue with a spoon. If you want, you can keep the bottom of the meringue to add back once you have filled the meringue.
2. Scoop a little bit of chantilly cream into the shell, then add a few pieces of the poached rhubarb then top it up with more cream so that it is filled just to the top of the hole you created.
3. Lift it up, place a plate on the meringue, and quickly and carefully flip it over so the meringue is now on the plate. Repeat with all four meringues.
4. Dust the meringues with icing sugar & raspberry powder (and add some of the rhubarb liquid drizzled over the top if desired).
5. This needs to be served immediately once filled.
Shop the Equipment
Bagels
TIER 1
Bagels
This dough starts with a poolish, which is a type of pre-ferment – a little like a sourdough starter – that adds a real depth to the flavour of the bread. The dough is then shaped and poached to get that iconic bagel texture. You can go to town on the toppings here, my favourite is Everything Bagel seasoning, which you can either buy online or make yourself!
8
BAGELS
Ingredients
Makes 8 Bagels
Poolish
290g Water
3.5g Instant Dry Yeast/7g Fresh Yeast
185g Strong White Bread Flour
Dough
315g Strong White Bread Flour
10g Fine Sea Salt
20g Diastatic Malt Powder (Optional)
Poaching Liquid
3 Litres Water
1 ½ Tbsp Barley Malt Extract
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
Bagel Seasoning To Finish
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Method
Poolish
1. Into a small bowl, add the yeast and water. Stir it together to dissolve, then add in the flour. Whisk this through with a hand whisk to create a wet batter with no lumps of flour.
2. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film and leave it at room temperature for 3 hours. After 3 hours you should see lots of bubbles on the surface and the mixture will have puffed up.
Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the poolish that has bubbled up, and the remaining ingredients. It is ideal to use diastatic malt powder here to help with the flavour and the colouring of the bagels. You can leave it out, or add a little bit of barley malt syrup instead (2 tsp) as a replacement.
2. Attach the dough hook and mix on a medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and when you take a small piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers, it passes the window pane test.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, and then place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once chilled, cut the dough into 100g pieces, and roll them into tight balls.
5. Place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and lightly spray the top with cooking oil. If you don’t have cooking spray you can very lightly brush them with any type of neutral oil.
6. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
7. Take the chilled dough, and use your finger to press a hold in the centre. Then place both index fingers in the hole and spin them around, to create a large hole in the centre of the bagel. The hole needs to be bigger than you think as it will shrink as it proofs and bakes.
8. Place the donuts back onto a tray, lightly oil and cover them with cling film again. Proof for 30 minutes at room temperature, before placing them in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours.
9. The next day, prepare a large baking tray with your chosen bagel toppings. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F Non-Fan assisted.
10. Take a large pot and add the water, malt extract, baking soda and salt. Bring this to a gentle simmer.
11. Working in batches, poach the bagels in the liquid, for 60 seconds on each side (I do two batches of 3 bagels, then a final batch of 2 bagels).
12. Immediately remove them from the liquid using a slotted spoon, and lift them directly onto a wire rack to drain briefly.
13. Next, working quickly, lift them into your bagel seasoning. Flip the bagels to ensure they are evenly coated in the seasoning. Lift the coated bagels onto a baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
14. Bake the bagels for 20-22 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown colour. Note – you’ll probably only be able to fit 6 bagels on your baking tray at a time, so I bake 6 bagels first, leaving the remaining 2 bagels in the fridge, before poaching and baking them. Alternatively, you can bake all 8 at once on two separate trays, ensuring you swap the trays over halfway through the bake.
15. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool or serve slightly warm. These are best stored in an airtight container and eaten within 48 hours but may need to be heated up slightly if left for over a day.
Shop the Equipment
Tiramisu Cake
TIER 1
Tiramisu Cake
This is a subtle coffee flavoured cake, filled and decorated with vanilla and chocolate mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream, and topped with a chocolate ganache. I’ve used a scalloped edged scraper to create a funky texture as the design to this cake – relatively simple but so effective! Just make sure not to keep going over the cake. Have confidence in yourself! And remember, no one can see the back 😉
LARGE 7-INCH
CAKE
Ingredients
Makes 1 Large 7-inch Cake
Coffee Cake
455g Caster Sugar
495g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
405g Whole Eggs
21g Baking Powder
485g Cake Flour (or Plain/All-Purpose Flour)
2g Salt
5g Instant Coffee
45g Boiling Water
Coffee Sugar Syrup
100g Sugar
100g Water
2g Instant Coffee
Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Egg Whites
700g Caster Sugar
7g Fine Sea Salt
1kg Unsalted Butter, cubed
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
200g Mascarpone
Chocolate Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
300g Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
100g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
Chocolate Ganache
50g Dark Chocolate, Finely Chopped
140g Double/Heavy Cream
Cocoa Powder To Decorate
Special equipment
4 7-inch cake tins
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Rotating cake stand
Flat edged scraper
Scalloped edged scraper
Heat gun (or a hair dryer)
St Honore piping nozzle
Hand blender
Method
Coffee Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted. Lightly grease 4×7” tins with soft butter, and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Tip in a tablespoon of flour and shake this around to coat the tin and then tip out any excess.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt & baking powder, then whisk to combine. Set this to one side.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar. Beat it with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
4. Scrape the bowl, then back on a medium low speed, slowly add the eggs in about 6 additions, leaving about 10-15 seconds between each addition. Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled at this stage.
5. Tip in the flour mixture and mix on a low speed until there are no more dry ingredients visible. Scrape down the bowl, really ensuring to scrape the bottom so that there are streaks of butter.
6. Finally, stir together the boiling water and the instant coffee powder. Pour this coffee mixture into the cake batter and mix on a low speed until combined. If you feel your batter is still a little too thick, just add a little more boiling water to loosen it.
7. Weigh 440g of batter into each tin. The batter will be quite thick so use the back of a hot spoon to spread it out roughly to the edges of the tin.
8. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the cakes have an even golden colour.
9. While still warm, gently loosen the edges of the cake from the cake tin with a palette knife, and then flip them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool for a few minutes before wrapping them tightly in clingfilm and refrigerating. Ideally you would chill them overnight but 4 hours is enough time too.
Mascarpone Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. In a stand mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar and sea salt until the mixture reaches 65C on a digital thermometer.
2. Once the mixture comes to temperature, immediately add the bowl to your stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for 10-15 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl is tepid to touch.
3. Next, with your stand mixer on a medium speed, add the butter a little at a time, leaving 5-10 seconds between each addition. Once it’s all been added, continue mixing for another 5 minutes.
4. Finally, add the mascarpone and vanilla and, using the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed for 5 more minutes.
5. To make the chocolate mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream, melt the chocolate over a bain marie, let it cool for 3 minutes then whisk through 300g of the plain mascarpone swiss meringue buttercream. If the buttercream seems too soft when you’ve whisked throught the chocolate, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes so it can thicken slightly.
6. When you’re ready to start decorating your cakes, add the buttercreams to piping bags.
Coffee Sugar Syrup
1. In a saucepan over a medium heat, mix the sugar, water and coffee together until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to one side to cool.
Crumb Coat
1. Using a serrated knife, evenly cut the top off your cake layers to make them level.
2. Put a cake board on top of a rotating cake stand. Secure the cake board down with some wet kitchen paper.
3. Add a small dollop of buttercream to your cake board and place your first layer on top, cut side up. Using a spoon, add some sugar syrup to the top of the cake layer.
4. Next, pipe a dollop of chocolate buttercream in the centre of the cake layer. Then, add a circle of the vanilla buttercream around the chocolate buttercream. Follow this with a circle of chocolate, and finish it with a circle of vanilla. Make sure you end with the vanilla buttercream round the outside.
5. Repeat this with the second and third cake layers, so you have three layers of buttercream in total. Place your final layer on top, making sure the cut side is facing down.
6. Next it’s time to crumb coat the cake. Add more vanilla buttercream to the outside of the cake – you can be messy here! Then, using a palette knife, spread the buttercream out over the entire outside of the cake, making sure all the gaps between the layers are filled.
7. Next, hold a flat edge scraper against the outside of the cake at about a 30 degree angle. In one swift motion, spin the cake whilst keeping a straight hold of the scraper. Repeat this a few times, filling in any gaps with extra buttercream. You should be left with an even crumb coat around the cake. Then, take your palette knife and smooth the top of the cake.
8. Chill the cake until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
Decoration
1. Once your buttercream has chilled, take a palette knife and spread a thick layer of your vanilla buttercream over the outside of the cake (don’t worry about the top). You want to make sure this buttercream is quite soft with few air bubbles, so I like to add it back into the stand mixer and use a heat gun or hair dryer to just loosen it a little before using. Melting it slightly will give you a soft, bubble free buttercream,
2. Then, using a scalloped edged cake scraper, use the same technique as the crumb coat. Heat the edge of the scraper with a heat gun or hair dryer, then hold it at a 30 degree angle against the side of the cake, and in one swift motion spin your cake, holding the scraper steady.
3. You’ll likely be left with a few gaps/air pockets. Fill these in with some buttercream and repeat the process, making sure you heat your scraper slightly before attempting the scrape. I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than 3 times or you will scrape off too much buttercream.
4. Once you’re happy with the design of the cake, use a palette knife to scrape off any excess buttercream from the top of the cake.
5. Next, add your remaining vanilla buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag firmly, at the edge of the top of the cake pipe in a zigzag motion whilst spinning your cake stand. Try and do this in one spin until you have covered the entire edge of the cake.
6. Finally, make your chocolate ganache. In a saucepan, heat the double cream over a medium heat until it’s simmering. Add the chopped chocolate to a narrow tall jug, then pour over the heated cream. Use a hand blender to blend the mixture until smooth. Try to avoid vigorously moving the blender to ensure you don’t add too many air bubbles to the ganache. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
7. Add a dusting of cocoa powder over the piped edges of your cake. Then slowly pour the ganache over the top of the cake until you’ve covered about ⅔ of the cake top. Gently tilt the cake to fill the entire top.
Shop the Equipment
Chocolate Babka
TIER 1
Chocolate Babka
I love the design of this Babka! It’s such a showstopper and so unbelievably tasty. This recipe teaches you the foundations of enriched dough, which we fill with a super easy chocolate filling. It’s just the braiding that requires a bit more brain power, but watch the video and I’ll walk you through it step by step – I promise it’s easier than it looks!
2
BABKAS
Ingredients
Makes 2 Babkas
For the dough
750g White Bread Flour
150g Caster Sugar
15g Instant Dry Yeast
225g Whole Milk
165g Whole Eggs
9g Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
150g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the chocolate filling
240g Unsalted Butter
160g Caster Sugar
80g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of sea salt flakes
For the egg wash
2 Egg Yolks (35g)
Splash of Water
For the sugar syrup
100g Caster Sugar
100g Water
Special equipment
Stand mixer
2 x 2lb loaf tins
Method
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk and eggs followed by the strong white bread flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Lastly, add the vanilla bean paste. Knead together on a medium-low speed (speed 3 on a KitchenAid) for 8 minutes.
2. Next, slowly add the butter a few pieces at a time (waiting 20-30 seconds between each addition), and keep kneading until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated. This will take about 10-12 minutes.
3. Once your dough is ready, lift it out of the bowl and shape it into a tight ball. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough (I use an oil spray but alternatively, you can put some oil on your hands and gently rub the dough). Cover the surface of the dough directly with cling film, and the top of the bowl. Chill in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours).
4. Just before you’re ready to roll your dough, make the chocolate filling.
5. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat
6. In a separate bowl, add the sugar, cocoa powder and salt
7. Once your butter has melted, pour it over the dry ingredients and whisk until combined
8. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula occasionally until it becomes the consistency of soft butter. It may take longer if your room temperature is a little warmer. To speed it up, just pop it in the fridge and stir every few minutes.
9. Once your Babka dough has chilled, lightly flour your surface and place the dough on top. Flour the dough and roll it out to roughly 18”x24” (roughly the width of your two loaf tins placed side by side). The dough should be nice and thin.
10. Next, spread your chocolate filling all over the top of the dough, right to the edges.
11. Using your hands, starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log, then place it in the freezer for 10 minutes (you can bend it slightly to make sure it fits!).
12. Once your dough has chilled, cut off any rough ends and then cut the dough lengthways directly down the centre. Next, place one half of the log over the top of the other half in a cross shape. Starting with one side of the cross, braid the dough into a tight plait, then repeat with the other side.
13. Line the bottom of your loaf tins with a piece of parchment paper. Place one of your tins next to the dough, cut the dough to the same length as the tin, then place it in your tin. Repeat with the other tin. You’ll likely have a little dough remaining.
14. Cover the tins with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2 hours. If you’re in a particularly cold kitchen, you can put your tins in the oven and add a small cup of boiling water to the bottom of the oven. Replace this every 30 minutes or so to speed up the proofing process slightly.
15. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted just before the time is up.
16. Once your Babkas have proofed, mix together the egg wash ingredients and paint it over the Babkas.
17. Just before adding your Babkas to the oven, add some boiling water to a tray and place this on the bottom shelf of your oven. Add the Babkas to the middle shelf and bake for 60-70 minutes. To check they are cooked in the middle, probe the centre of the Babkas with a digital thermometer – they should be over 90C/195F.
18. Whilst the Babkas are baking, make your sugar syrup. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until it’s gently simmering and all the sugar has dissolved.
19. Once baked, remove the Babkas from the oven and lightly run a knife around the outside of the tins to loosen them. Tip them onto a wire rack and use a pastry brush to soak them in the sugar syrup. Wrap the Babkas in cling film and leave to cool for 1 hour. It’s important to leave them for an hour to allow the middle of the Babkas to completely set.
20. Once cooled, your Babka’s are ready to serve! They’re best eaten straight away (or within a few hours) as they have the tendency to dry out a little, but if you want to serve them later I’d pop them in the oven for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Shop the Equipment
Lemon ‘Babka’ Bundt Cakes
TIER 1
Lemon ‘Babka’ Bundt Cakes
This recipe is my take on a non-yeasted Polish Babka Bundt. It’s a simple lemon cake recipe that’s super soft, covered in a lemon syrup and finished with a lemon sugar. I’ve gone for these beautiful miniature bundts, but if you don’t have a similar tin you can use a muffin tin!
6
INDIVIDUAL BUNDT CAKES
Ingredients
Makes 6 Individual Bundt Cakes
For the lemon sugar
Peel of 4 Large Lemons (60g)
200g Caster/Granulated Sugar
*This will make more than you need but it can be stored in an airtight container – this will ensure the lemon peel doesn’t go bad.
For the lemon cake
Zest 1 Lemon (2g)
125g Caster/Granulated Sugar
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
5g Baking Powder
2g Salt
100g Ground Almonds
200g Whole Eggs
50g Vegetable Oil
30g Lemon Juice
Soft Unsalted Butter + Flour To Coat
For the lemon syrup
100g Sugar
50g Lemon Juice
50g Water
Special equipment
Stand Mixer
Blender
4 Cup – 6 Cavity Mini Bundt Tin
Method
Lemon Sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non- Fan Assisted.
2. Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler – you should get roughly 60g of lemon peel.
3. Place the lemon peels onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat.
4. Place the lemon peel in the oven to dry them out, it will take 1-1.5 hours. They should look shrivelled once done.
5. Once completely dry to the touch, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Into a blender, add the sugar and dried lemon peels. Blend on high speed for 15-20 seconds, or until you have a fine, fragrant powder with no large lumps of lemon skin.
7. Add the mixture into an airtight container and set it to one side.
Lemon Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted. Take soft butter (not melted), and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt tin cavities to ensure an even coating. Over the top of the tins, sieve over a few tablespoons of plain/all-purpose flour in each cavity, and shake it around the tin to coat. Tap out the excess and set the tin to one side.
2. In a medium bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest. Massage the zest with your fingertips into the sugar to release the citrus oils.
3. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk it together to combine, then whisk in the ground almonds. Set this mixture aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the eggs and lemon sugar. Using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), whisk on a medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale and fluffy.
5. Pour in the oil, along with the lemon juice and whisk by hand to incorporate it, ensuring to catch any ingredients that may be at the bottom of the bowl.
6. Tip in the sifted dry ingredients and use a hand whisk again to combine until there are no more dry bits.
7. Scoop the batter into the cavities of the bundt tin, filling them up about ⅘ (75g per cavity if you’re using the same sized Bundt tin as me).
8. Bake the cakes for 18-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Whilst baking, make the Lemon Syrup.
9. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, mix together the sugar, water and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, take off the heat and leave to cool whilst the cakes continue to bake.
10. Once the cakes have baked and a skewer comes out clean, let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place a wire rack on top before carefully flipping them over to release the cakes. Pour over the lemon syrup.
11. The cakes can be eaten warm or allowed to cool. Before serving, take the lemon sugar you made earlier and place it into a fine mesh sieve, and gently dust it over the top of the cake. The extra sweetness elevates the flavour of the cake!
Shop the Equipment
Maritozzi
TIER 1
Maritozzi
Here we learn the fundamentals of Maritozzi dough, and how to shape it into the traditional Maritozzi style. I show you how to make the dough by hand, but you can stick it in a stand mixer if you have one. After a lot of messages on Instagram I found out a traditional Maritozzi has a little bit of crème pâtissière hidden inside – this adds an extra bit of sweetness which is divine! Filled with whipped cream, they’re a mouthful to eat but absolutely delicious.
7
MARITOZZI
Ingredients
Makes 7 Maritozzi
For the dough
315g White Bread Flour
25g Caster/Granulated Sugar
6g Instant Dry Yeast
5.5g Sea Salt
55g Whole Eggs
160g Whole Milk
Zest ½ Lemon
2g Vanilla Bean Paste (1 Tsp)
55g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the egg wash
50g Whole Egg
5g Whole Milk
For the crème pâtissière
250ml Whole Milk
38g Caster/Granulated Sugar
20g Cornflour/Cornstarch
Pinch of Salt
60g Egg Yolk
2g Vanilla Bean Paste (1 Tsp)
20g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the whipped cream
450g Double/Heavy Cream
10g Icing/Powdered Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Dough scraper
Piping bag
Palette knife
Method
For the Dough
1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, eggs and yeast.
2. On top of that, pour the flour, sugar & finally the salt. Add in the lemon zest & vanilla.
3. Using a dough scraper, combine all the ingredients until there is no liquid left over. You’ll be left with a rough dough.
4. On a clean surface, knead the dough together. To do this, hold the edge of the dough with your non-dominant hand, then with the heel of your dominant hand push the dough away from you, and then pull it over back towards you. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat for 10 minutes. (Alternatively knead in a stand mixer for 10 minutes on a medium low speed, scraping down the sides halfway through to make sure everything is incorporated). You should be left with a smoother dough, but not very elastic.
5. Add the cubed cold butter into the centre of your dough and continue to knead. If kneading by hand, you’ll want to move a little faster and can push with the heel of your hand a few times before rotating. If using a stand mixer, increase the speed to medium. Once all the butter has been incorporated, knead for a further 3 minutes by which point the dough should be nice and smooth.
6. Lift the dough out of the bowl and onto your work surface. Gently shape it into a smooth round ball and lift it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and proof the dough for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. *You can make the Crème Pâtissière during this time.
7. Once proofed, remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into 85g pieces. You should get 7 pieces of dough in total.
8. Take a piece of dough rough side up and pinch around the edges, bringing the dough into the centre (this creates tension to help create a more smooth ball). Then turn the dough smooth side up and, with your hand in a C shape, circle your hand repeatedly around the dough to make a nice even ball.
9. Carefully lift the dough ball onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and repeat with the remaining dough.
10. Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and allow it to proof again for another 1-1.5 hours until the dough has increased in size about 1.5x.
11. Just before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 180C/355F (non-fan assisted).
12. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk.
13. Use a pastry brush to paint an even coating over the dough and then place the dough into the oven and bake for around 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
14. Remove from the oven and lift them onto a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.
For the Crème Pâtissière
1. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sugar, salt and cornflour for 30 seconds until thick.
2. To a saucepan over a medium heat, add the whole milk and vanilla bean paste. Gently whisk until the milk is steaming (but not boiling).
3. Once steaming, slowly pour the hot milk over the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the combined mixture back into the pan and cook on a medium heat. Keep whisking and then once it starts to bubble, cook for a further minute.
4. Next, pass the mixture through a sieve over a bowl with the cold butter in. Whisk to combine.
5. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film, then chill until you’re ready to assemble your buns.
For the cream
1. In a stand mixer (or by hand if you wish!), whisk together the double cream and icing sugar until you have a medium peak.
Assembly
1. Whisk the crème pâtissière for about 30 seconds by hand, to loosen it, then add it to a piping bag.
2. Once your buns are cooled, starting slightly off-centre, cut through the bun with a knife at 45 degree angle. Don’t cut all the way through the bun (watch the video!).
3. Pipe some crème pâtissière into the corner of the bun, filling it about ⅕ full.
4. Fill the rest of the bun with the whipped cream. Then, using a warm palette knife, scrape across the edge of the bun to smooth the cream and create a nice clean finish. You’ll be left with a little cream across the edges, so I tend to use my (clean!) finger to remove this.
5. Repeat with all the buns, then dust with icing sugar to finish.
Shop the Equipment
Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart
TIER 1
Decadent Baked Chocolate Tart
This recipe teaches you how to master the perfect chocolate pastry, and create the smoothest chocolate filling. Decadent really is the only way to describe it! It’s light but rich, and is best served with a nice dollop of Vanilla Chantilly.
1
9" TART
Ingredients
Makes 1 9-inch Tart
For the chocolate pastry
70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt
For the cocoa egg wash
40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream
For the filling
155g whole eggs
85g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
180g heavy/double cream
325g whole milk
130g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, melted
Special equipment
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
9-inch (22.8cm) fluted tart tin
Method
Chocolate pastry and egg wash
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
- Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and gently work it into a disc shape. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and gently squeeze it, using your hands to test the firmness. You want the dough to be slightly pliable but still cold. If the dough is too soft it will get sticky as you roll, but if it is too cold it will crack. It might need a minute or two at room temperature to get it to the right consistency.
- Lightly flour the dough and your rolling pin, and working quickly, roll the dough into a rough circle until the pastry is relatively thin, about 0.15 to 0.20-inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. Lift the dough up occasionally and lightly flour underneath to prevent it from sticking. If the dough is tearing or feels too warm, place it on a baking tray and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then try again.
- Place your rolling pin at the top of the circle and fold the top edge of the dough over the rolling pin. Pull the rolling pin back towards you, which will wrap the dough around the rolling pin.
- Starting at the bottom edge of your fluted tart tin, carefully unroll the dough from the rolling pin, to cover the entire tin.
- Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the edges of the fluted indents. If the dough is tearing, simply take any excess pastry and patch the holes.
- Take the rolling pin, and pressing firmly against the top of the tin, roll it over the entire tin to trim away the excess dough. Place the tin on a tray and pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Cut a large circle of parchment/baking paper, and scrunch this up a few times so that it is flexible. Remove the tray from the freezer and use a fork to poke holes evenly across the base of the pastry.
- Place the parchment/baking paper on the inside of the pastry and press it into the edges. Pour your baking beans or rice into the base and spread them out. Place the tray with the tin on in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper with the baking beans on. Return the tray to the oven and continue to bake until the pastry is an even golden color—about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pastry to cool for 10 minutes.
- Very carefully remove the pastry from the tin, keeping the removable base on the bottom. Really thoroughly mix together the ingredients for the egg wash to make sure the cocoa powder is incorporated.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly egg wash the inside and outside of the tart shell. Place it onto the tray and back into the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the egg wash has completely set
- Remove the tart from the oven, allowing it to cool slightly. It is now ready to add your filling.
Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.
- In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then slowly pour it over the egg mixture and whisk constantly until combined.
- Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl and slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, using a spatula to stir in small circles in the center of the bowl (ensure the melted chocolate is warm for this step). Use a spoon to scoop off any foam from the top.
Assembly
- Place the baked tart case, still in the pan, on a baking tray in the center of the oven. Carefully pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell, filling it just below the lip of the tart shell. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until there’s a wobble about 3” (7.5cm) big in the center of the tart.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the tart to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Remove the tart from the fridge and pop it out of the pan and onto your serving plate. oven. Decorate the tart with a dusting of cocoa powder around the edges.
Shop the Equipment
Baileys Yule Log
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Roasted Hazelnut Tablet
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Berries & Cream Cake
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Yuzu Petit Choux
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Thick Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Pain De Campagne
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tiramisu
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Pain Au Chocolat
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Passion Fruit Slice
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Strawberry Meringue Tart
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Oreo & Vanilla Cheesecake
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Sacher Torte
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Lemon Cake
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Classic Donut
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Strawberry Roll Cake
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Sourdough Starter
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Vanilla Panna Cotta
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Chocolate Parfait
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Puff Pastry
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Scones
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
