Sticky Toffee Pudding

TIER 1

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a true British classic, with a bit of a Matt Adlard twist. A soft date sponge, swimming in a butterscotch sauce but elevated with an oat crumble for texture and a tangy crème fraiche chantilly to cut through the sweetness. The secret is a little bit of soy sauce in the butterscotch sauce, which sounds crazy, but it brings an amazing salty, umami which tones down the sweetness and really helps to balance the whole dish. And if you’re really speedy you’ll be done in under an hour!

4
INDIVIDUAL PUDDINGS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual puddings

Date Sponge
130g Dates, Chopped
105g Water
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Dark Muscovado Sugar
70g Whole Egg
15g Black Treacle
105g Self-Raising Flour
4g Bicarbonate of Soda
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Butterscotch Sauce
150g Light Brown Sugar
40g Unsalted Butter
200g Double Cream, Divided
30g Black Treacle
2-4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
Pinch Flaked Sea Salt

Soft Oat Crumble
70g Rolled Oats
50g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
45g Dark Brown Sugar
15g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
Pinch of Cinnamon
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
60g Unsalted Butter, Melted

Crème Fraîche Chantilly
250g Double/Heavy Cream
50g Creme Fraiche
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

Special equipment

4 pudding molds
Stand mixer

Method

Date Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F non-fan assisted (185C/365F fan-assisted). Lightly grease the pudding molds with soft butter and then tip in a tablespoon of flour. Shake it around the edges to coat and then tip out the excess. 

2. Into a small saucepan, add the chopped dates and water. Cook them down over a medium low heat until they have softened. Remove it from the heat to cool for 10 minutes. There should still be a tiny bit of liquid in the pan. As it cools, this will continue to thicken, forming a nice date paste. 

    • 130g Dates, Chopped
    • 105g Water

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and sugar. Beat this for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed, until smooth and slightly paler. You can also do this with a rubber spatula if you don’t have a mixer.

    • 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 80g Dark Muscovado Sugar

4. Add in the egg, and black treacle and beat again. It won’t mix very well but that’s fine.

    • 70g Whole Egg
    • 15g Black Treacle

5. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and then add this into the bowl. Mix again until the flour has just been incorporated.

    • 105g Self-Raising Flour
    • 4g Bicarbonate of Soda
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finally stir in the cooled date paste.

7. Scoop 100g of mixture into each greased mold.

8. Place the cakes in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. While this is baking, prepare the soft oat crumble.

9. Once baked, remove them from the oven and flip them onto a wire cooling rack. The pudding can be served warm straight away, or cooled, wrapped in clingfilm and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it doesn’t flip right out, run a knife gently around the edge of the mold to release it. 

10. To reheat, place the pudding on a baking tray and warm in a 140C oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Soft Oat Crumble

1. Into a medium bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

    • 70g Rolled Oats
    • 50g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • 45g Dark Brown Sugar
    • 15g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
    • Pinch of Cinnamon
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

2. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. Tip the mixture onto a lined baking tray.

    • 60g Unsalted Butter, Melted

3. Bake in the oven on the bottom shelf for the final 8 minutes of the date sponges baking time. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool. 

Butterscotch Sauce

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar, butter and half of the cream. Cook it over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely melted.

    • 150g Light Brown Sugar
    • 40g Unsalted Butter
    • 100g Double Cream

2. Add in the treacle and continue to cook until it has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1-2 minutes. 

    • 30g Black Treacle

3. Remove it from the heat and add a big pinch of flaked salt, and the remaining cold cream. Stir to combine.

    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
    • 100g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Finally add in the soy sauce. Start with about 1 tbsp and taste. If you find the sauce is too sweet, add more soy sauce, ½ tbsp at a time until you get your preferred balance of sweetness. 

    • 2-4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

5. Add the warm sauce into a serving jug.

Assembly

1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the chantilly into a bowl. Whisk it to a medium stiff peak. A slightly thicker texture is ideal as this will make it easier to rocher with  a warm spoon. Note – this cream has no sugar added as the rest of the dessert is sweet, but you can add a small amount if you prefer. 

    • 250g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 50g Creme Fraiche
    • ½ Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

2. Lift the warmed sponges onto a tray and dip a pastry brush into the butterscotch sauce. Paint the sauce over the sponge and then use a palette knife to lift it onto your serving plate.

3. Add a tablespoon of the crumble on to the top of the sponge.

4. Then use a rocher spoon to add a big spoonful of chantilly on top of the crumble. 

5. Finally, serve by pouring warm butterscotch sauce all over the dessert. 

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by Matt Adlard

Date & Malted Vanilla Tart

TIER 2

Date & Malted Vanilla Tart

Inspired by the amazing Tarts Anon bakery in Australia, this has a sweet pastry case, date sponge, butterscotch sauce and is topped with a malted vanilla cream. Really all the elements of a sticky toffee pudding, but in a tart! The piping is really elegant, giving the tart a professional finish, and the texture of the crispy pastry with the soft, butterscotch soaked sponge is a great combination.

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch tart

Malted Vanilla Cream
7g Powdered Gelatin, 250 Bloom
42g Cold Water
35g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
15g Caster/White Sugar
600g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream

Date Sponge
130g Dates, Chopped
105g Water
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Dark Muscovado Sugar
70g Whole Egg
15g Black Treacle
105g Self-Raising Flour
4g Bicarbonate of Soda
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Butterscotch Sauce
75g Light Brown Sugar
20g Unsalted Butter
100g Double Cream, Divided
15g Black Treacle
1-2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
Pinch Flaked Sea Salt

Special equipment

Hand blender
Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag
Large round tip nozzle

Method

Malted Vanilla Cream

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish along with the cold water. Stir to combine and then set to one side to bloom for 10 minutes. If using leaf gelatin, simply soak the sheets in a bowl of ice water. 

    • 7g Powdered Gelatin 250 Bloom (or 2.5 sheets of any grade of gelatin leaf) 
    • 42g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add 300g of the cream, the malt powder, beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod and the sugar. Place this onto a medium low heat, whisking to combine until the mixture is steaming. If the malt powder goes a bit lumpy that’s fine as we will blend it. 

    • 420g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 35g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
    • 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
    • 15g Caster/White Sugar

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and scoop in the bloomed gelatin powder. Stir this until it has completely dissolved.

4. Pour the mixture into a tall jug and add the remaining cold cream and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in a pinch of flaked sea salt.

    • 180g Double/Heavy Cream
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

5. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or ideally overnight. If you want to chill it faster, pour the mixture onto a large baking tray and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 

Pâte Sucrée

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter & icing sugar. With a paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. 

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again until smooth. Scrape down the sides a few times to ensure the egg yolks are completely incorporated. 

    • 50g Egg Yolks

3. Sift in the flour and fine sea salt. Scrape the bottom of a bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure nothing is stuck, then mix on a low speed until it pulls together into a rough dough. 

    • 200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

4. Lift the dough onto your work surface and shape it into a rough disc. Wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate it for an hour (or overnight is good too).

5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly so it is malleable.

6. Flour it generously and then use a rolling pin to roll it into an even disc, roughly 3-5mm thick. Lift the dough carefully into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring. 

If you find this is quite challenging or the pastry is cracking, roll it back up into a ball and place the dough between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper, then roll it into a disc. This is a safer technique to roll the dough without it splitting. You just need to chill the sheet of dough in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, and then leave it at room temperature for 1-2 minutes until it is pliable, and then lift it into your tart shell. 

6. Lightly flour your fingertips and press the dough firmly into the base and sides of the tin. Leave a small amount of pastry extending above the top edge of the tin. Fold this excess pastry back over itself and gently press it together to create a slightly thicker rim around the top. This extra thickness helps support the pastry and prevents the sides shrinking down during baking. Place the tart shell back into the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. 

7. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C/320F fan-assisted). 

8. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.

9. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour.

10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, and then brush on the egg wash. Place it back into the oven, lowering the temperature to 145C/295F non-fan assisted. Bake until the tart shell is a deep golden brown colour, about another 10-12 minutes. 

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. 

Date Sponge

1. Increase the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C/320F fan-assisted).

2. Into a small saucepan, add the chopped dates and water. Cook them down over a medium low heat until they have softened. Remove it from the heat to cool for 10 minutes. There should still be a tiny bit of liquid in the pan. As it cools, this will continue to thicken, forming a nice date paste. 

    • 130g Dates, Chopped
    • 105g Water

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and sugar. Beat this for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed, until smooth and slightly paler. You can also do this with a rubber spatula if you don’t have a mixer.

    • 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 80g Dark Muscovado Sugar

4. Add in the egg, and black treacle and beat again. It won’t mix very well but that’s fine.

    • 70g Whole Egg
    • 15g Black Treacle

5. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and then add this into the bowl. Mix again until the flour has just been incorporated.

    • 105g Self-Raising Flour
    • 4g Bicarbonate of Soda
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finally stir in the cooled date paste.

7. Pour the entire mixture into the cooled tart shell, and use a palette knife to smooth it out very evenly. The batter doesn’t ‘settle’ in the oven so it needs to be flat at this point.

8. Place the tart into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The sponge should feel springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Butterscotch Sauce

1. As it is baking, prepare the sauce. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar, butter and half of the cream. Cook it over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely melted.

    • 75g Light Brown Sugar
    • 20g Unsalted Butter
    • 50g Double/Heavy Cream

2. Add in the treacle and continue to cook until it has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1-2 minutes. 

    • 15g Black Treacle

3. Remove it from the heat and add a big pinch of flaked salt, and the remaining cold cream. Stir to combine.

    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
    • 50g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Finally add in the soy sauce. Start with about 1 tbsp and taste. If you find the sauce is too sweet, add more soy sauce, ½ tbsp at a time until you get your preferred balance of sweetness. 

    • 1-2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

5. Once the tart has baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Then use a skewer to poke holes all over the top.

6. Pour about ½ of the butterscotch sauce all over the tart and spread it out with the back of a spoon so it soaks into the entire sponge. Add a little more sauce if needed.

7. Allow the tart to cool completely. To speed this up, you can place it into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assembly

1. Remove the malted vanilla cream from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl if you’re using an electric hand whisk). Add a large round tip nozzle to a piping bag.

2. Whisk the cream until it reaches a medium stiff peak.

3. Add the cream into the piping bag and snip off the end.

4. Take the cooled tart and place it on a rotating cake stand if you have one.

5. Pipe a small bulb of cream onto the outer edge of the tart. Move the nozzle slightly forwards, then release the pressure on the back (not piping any more cream) and gently drag it down and away to create a tapered/tail finish. Repeat this all the way around the edge of the tart.

6. For the next row, pipe each bulb into the gap between the piped shapes in the row below, repeating the same drag-and-flick motion. Continue working in rows towards the centre of the tart until the surface is covered.

7. The tart can be served immediately but you will get cleaner slices if you pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the cream slightly. Once you have sliced it, let it come to room temperature slightly before eating. 

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by Matt Adlard

Pullman Loaf

TIER 1

Pullman Loaf

A pullman style loaf is pretty typical with Japanese Milk bread, but works really well for this hybrid sourdough sandwich loaf. This is my go to weekly bread, as it’s easy to prepare and baking with a lid on top means you don’t need to worry quite as much about achieving a perfectly shaped dough. The dough is soft and the rye flour in the sourdough starter adds a subtle flavour, with little flecks of bran throughout the crumb.

1
LOAF

Ingredients

Makes 1 Loaf

Levain
12g Sourdough Starter*
100g Strong White Bread Flour
19g Dark Rye Flour
119g Water (24℃)

*See the guide at the bottom of the recipe for preparing a sourdough starter

Dough
280g Cold Water
0.5g Instant Dry Yeast
155g Mature Sourdough Starter
50g Olive Oil
20g White Sugar
10g Fine Sea Salt
500g Strong White Bread Flour

Special equipment

Stand mixer
9×4 inch Pullman loaf tin
Digital thermometer
Sourdough starter jar

Method

Levain

A levain is essentially an offshoot of your sourdough starter, made specifically for a particular recipe. You take a small amount of your mature starter and feed it separately, usually in a different ratio, then use the levain once it has fermented and is ready.

However, you don’t always need to make a separate levain. For these recipes, I’ve called it a ‘Levain’ but you can simply feed your existing sourdough starter using the quantities given above. Once it has fermented, use the required amount in the dough and keep whatever is left over as your starter to feed again for your next bake. This keeps things simpler while still giving you the same result.

The ratio for the levain is 1:10:10 which for my starter, peaks in around 8 hours. This means I can feed it in the evening, then it is ready to use the next morning. Depending on your conditions and starter, this might be too slow. If you find that ratio is too slow, a ratio of 1:2:2 will peak much faster (50g Sourdough Starter, 90g Strong White Bread Flour, 10g Dark Rye Flour, 100g Water (24C)

1. In the evening, prepare your levain by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Scoop them into a clean jar and place the lid on top.

    • 12g Sourdough Starter
    • 100g Strong White Bread Flour
    • 19g Dark Rye Flour
    • 119g Water (24℃)

2. Leave it at room temperature until the starter has tripled in volume – about 8-10 hours. Depending on your starter, it may only double in volume, that is absolutely fine! 

Dough

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold water, sourdough starter, olive oil and instant dry yeast. 

    • 280g Cold Water
    • 0.5g Instant Dry Yeast
    • 155g Mature Sourdough Starter
    • 50g Olive Oil

2. Add the flour on top followed by the salt. 

    • 500g Strong White Bread Flour
    • 10g Fine Sea Salt

3. Attach the dough hook and knead the dough on a medium speed for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Lift it out of the bowl, onto a very lightly floured work surface and using a bench scraper, shape it into a smooth boule shape.

5. Lift it into a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl tightly with cling film. Allow the dough to proof at room temperature until double in volume – about 2.5-3 hours.

6. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your work surface. Carefully scoop the dough out of the bowl, smooth side down, onto the work surface.

7. Use your hands to flatten the dough into a rough ‘A’ shape, so the base is slightly smaller than the width of your bread tin.

8. Fold the top edge down and press firmly to seal. Continue rolling the dough tightly towards you, creating a compact log and sealing the dough with each roll.

9. Once fully rolled, gently roll the log back and forth to even out the shape, keeping it roughly the same length as the tin.

10. Place the dough seam-side down into a non-stick 9 × 4 × 4-inch Pullman tin (if it’s not non-stick, make sure it is lightly greased with oil). Slide the lid of the pullman tin on and allow it to proof at room temperature. It should take a further 2-3 hours. It may take longer in a cooler room temperature.

11. The dough is ready when it has risen to about 2 cm below the rim of the tin. Don’t proof so far that the dough reaches the rim, as you need to be able to slide the lid into place without it touching the dough. If the dough has risen too much, it will be overproofed and may push out of the tin during baking.

12. About 30 minutes before it is ready, preheat the oven to 205C/400F (non-fan assisted. 190C/375F fan assisted)

13. With the lid on the tin, place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. As you are baking ‘blind’ you really want to avoid taking it out too early and disrupting the bake so I always try not to check before 45 minutes.

14. The dough is ready when you slide back the lid, it is a deep golden colour, and the centre of the dough registers 90C/195F on an instant read thermometer. 

15. Immediately remove it from the tin and lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. I like to wrap the loaf in a clean tea towel as it cools, which softens the crumb slightly. 

Sourdough Starter

There are many ways to create a sourdough starter by using different flours, hydration levels, and feeding ratios. The method below follows a 1:2:2 ratio (starter:water:flour), which is a reliable and simple approach, but it can easily be adjusted to suit your schedule, environment, or preferences.

Notes: 

Daily feeding is essential in the beginning.

During the first 5-6 days, consistency matters. Try not to skip a day, as this early period is crucial for developing an active and reliable culture.

Don’t worry about perfect timing.

While it helps to feed your starter at around the same time each day in the beginning, sourdough is more resilient than people think. If you’re a few hours late – or even miss a day – it won’t kill the starter. With a couple of consistent feeds, it will usually bounce back.

Temperature plays a major role.

Keeping your starter at a stable temperature will help it ferment on a regular, predictable cycle. Use the same water temperature for each feed when possible, and if you’re serious about consistency, a home dough proofer can be a great investment. It allows you to maintain a steady environment, which leads to more predictable fermentation.

Choose the right container.

A straight-sided glass jar (like a canning jar) with a loose-fitting lid is ideal. It should be large enough to allow the starter to double or even triple in size during peak activity. It’s helpful to place a thin rubber band around the jar to mark the level of your sourdough starter so you can easily tell when it has doubled in size. 

Day 1

45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. Into a small bowl, add the ingredients and stir them together with a rubber spatula to form a paste. 

2. Scrape the mixture into a clean glass jar, scraping down the sides of the jar if needed so that the starter is level in the jar. 

3. Place the lid loosely on top of the and leave it for 24 hours at an ambient room temperature. 

Day 2

25g Sourdough Starter
45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. After 24 hours, you may see a tiny bit of activity, small bubbles, but don’t worry if nothing has happened. 

2. Scoop out 25g of Day 1’s mixture (the sourdough starter) into a small bowl, discarding the remaining.

3. Add the fresh flour and water on top, and stir them together to combine. 

4. Pour the mixture into a clean glass jar and scrape down the sides to ensure it is level. Place the lid loosely on top and leave it for 24 hours at an ambient room temperature. 

Days 3-6

25g Sourdough Starter
45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. We now follow the exact same process as day 2, for the rest of the week. As the days progress you will see the starter becoming more active and bubbly. 

Day 6

By the 6th day, you should see significantly more activity in your starter, with bubbles visible on the surface and throughout the starter, as well as a more consistent rise and fall pattern. While the exact timing of the peak will depend on your conditions and the flour you’re using, it’s important to establish this consistency before using the starter to bake with. 

While by day 7 the starter can typically be used to bake with, feeding it for an extended period of time, such as 14 days or longer, before using it, can help to lead to a stronger starter. In the early stages of development, the pH is higher, but over time, as acids accumulate, the starter promotes the growth of more acid-tolerant bacteria. This shift helps to create a more stable fermentation ecosystem, with a more reliable balance between lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts.  

Depending on your starter, it may either double or triple in volume every time you feed it. This will be your ‘peak’ so take note of every time you feed it, where it rises before falling. If your starter just doubles in volume that is fine too!

Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter

Option 1 – Daily Feeding

If you plan on baking with the starter regularly, then it is best to keep it at room temperature and feed it on a consistent 24-hour cycle. This will ensure it is active and ready to use when you need to bake. However, feeding it daily can be time-consuming and use a significant amount of flour over time. 

Option 2 – Refrigeration

If you bake less frequently, you can store your starter in the fridge to slow down fermentation. To do this, feed your starter and then place it in the fridge. It can typically be left for up to a week without additional feedings. After a week, remove it from the fridge and feed the starter following the same ratios as above. Depending on your starter, it may need one or more feedings at room temperature to fully reactivate

Option 3 – Dehydration

For long-term storage, you can dehydrate your starter. Take your starter at its peak and spread it thinly onto a sheet of parchment paper placed on a baking tray. Let it air dry in the oven with the heat off—this can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, depending on your environment. Once the starter is completely dry and brittle, break it into flakes and store it in an airtight bag or container and freeze. To reactivate the dry starter, add about 15g of the dried starter flakes into a jar along with your normal feed quantities and feed it as you normally would for 2-3 days, or until it shows signs of activity and strength. 

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by Matt Adlard

Demi-Baguette

TIER 2

Demi-Baguette

I’m a little nervous to call this a ‘baguette’, as I’m sure the purists might have something to say! But this is possibly the easiest baguette-style bread I’ve ever made. The dough is incredibly simple to prepare, with no stand mixer required. The main thing to focus on is the shaping, which takes a little practice, but using a perforated baguette mould acts as a bit of a cheat, helping you achieve a nice, neat shape. You’ll be amazed by the results for such little effort.

2
DEMI-BAGUETTES

Ingredients

Makes 2 Demi-baguettes

Levain
12g Sourdough Starter*
100g Strong White Bread Flour
19g Dark Rye Flour
119g Water (24℃)

*See the guide at the bottom of the recipe for preparing a sourdough starter

Dough
350g Water, Cold
15g Mature Sourdough Starter
0.5g Instant Dry Yeast
500g Strong White Bread Flour
12g Fine Sea Salt

Special equipment

Perforated baguette tray
Sourdough starter jar

Method

Timings

This dough is designed to be proofed overnight, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To ensure your dough is ready to bake the following morning, prepare your sourdough starter so that it reaches its peak in the early evening, ready to use when making the dough.

Levain

A levain is essentially an offshoot of your sourdough starter, made specifically for a particular recipe. You take a small amount of your mature starter and feed it separately, usually in a different ratio, then use the levain once it has fermented and is ready.

However, you don’t always need to make a separate levain. For these recipes, I’ve called it a ‘Levain’ but you can simply feed your existing sourdough starter using the quantities given above. Once it has fermented, use the required amount in the dough and keep whatever is left over as your starter to feed again for your next bake. This keeps things simpler while still giving you the same result.

The ratio for the levain is 1:10:10 which for my starter, peaks in around 8 hours. This means I can feed it in the morning, then it is ready to use in the early evening. Depending on your conditions and starter, this might be too slow. If you find that ratio is too slow, a ratio of 1:2:2 will peak much faster (50g Sourdough Starter, 90g Strong White Bread Flour, 10g Dark Rye Flour, 100g Water (24C)

1. In the morning, prepare your levain by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Scoop them into a clean jar and place the lid on top.

    • 12g Sourdough Starter
    • 100g Strong White Bread Flour
    • 19g Dark Rye Flour
    • 119g Water (24C)

2. Leave it at room temperature until the starter has tripled in volume – about 8 hours. Depending on your starter, it may only double in volume, that is absolutely fine! 

Dough

1. Into a large bowl, add the cold water, sourdough starter and instant dry yeast. Swirl it together with your hand to dissolve the starter. 

    • 350g Water, Cold
    • 15g Mature Sourdough Starter
    • 0.5g Instant Dry Yeast

2. Add the flour on top followed by the salt. 

    • 500g Strong White Bread Flour
    • 12g Fine Sea Salt

3. Mix it together with a spatula just until the flour has absorbed all the liquid and there are no more dry ingredients left in the bowl. Lightly wet your hand and briefly fold the dough in on itself, starting from the edges and folding into the centre. Flip it over so the smooth side is facing up and cover the bowl with a tea towel.

4. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. 

5. After 30 minutes. begin the first stretch and fold by lightly wetting one hand. Slide it under the dough in the bowl, then lift and gently stretch the dough upward. Fold it back down toward the center. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the motion. Do this four times in total. At first, the dough may feel a bit tough and shaggy, but it will become noticeably more elastic as you go. Once you’ve completed all the folds, lift the dough gently from the bowl, allowing the dough to hang. Tuck the hanging tail underneath the dough, then repeat 2–3 times until the surface is smooth and taut. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

6. Repeat this three more times, performing a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds, for a total of 2 hours. 

7. After the final stretch and fold, flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up and then gently spritz the top of the dough with water (or gently rub a light layer on top with your hand). Cover the bowl with cling film and leave at room temperature for 8-10 hours. Alternatively you can refrigerate the dough overnight, but it will just need longer to proof the following day. Personally, I prefer to chill the dough overnight, as it makes the shaping slightly easier but by proofing at room temperature, the dough will be quicker to make the next day.

8. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and lightly flour the top. Use a plastic bench scraper to lift it onto a very lightly floured work surface, keeping the smooth side facing up. Divide the dough in half; each piece should be roughly 425g if you want to weigh them.

9. Brush away any excess flour and turn one piece of dough over so the smooth side is facing down. Fold the edges of the dough into the centre, working your way around, to create a rough dumpling-like shape.

10. Turn the dough over so the smooth side is facing up. Using your hands or a bench scraper, gently pull the dough towards you to create tension and form a tight, smooth ball. Repeat with the second piece.

11. Place both dough balls on a lightly floured surface, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

12. To shape the baguettes, turn one dough ball onto a very lightly floured surface, smooth side down. Gently flatten it with your hands, pressing out some of the gas, until you have a rough oval.

13. Take the top third of the dough and fold it down towards the centre. As you fold, gently tuck the two corners in towards the centre, creating a slightly tapered edge. Seal the fold firmly with your fingertips or the heel of your hand. This helps create the tapered end of the baguette.

14. Rotate the dough 180°, checking that it isn’t sticking to the work surface. Fold the top third down towards the centre again, once more gently tucking the corners in as you fold. Seal firmly.

15. Fold the dough one final time, bringing the top edge all the way down to the bottom edge. Seal the seam firmly with the heel of your hand to create a neat, compact log.

16. Turn the dough over so the seam is underneath. Starting in the centre, gently roll the dough back and forth, gradually moving your hands towards the ends. As you reach the ends, apply slightly more pressure to taper them into a pointed tail. Repeat a few times until the baguette is evenly shaped.

17. Carefully lift the baguette, keeping the seam underneath, and place it into a perforated baguette tray. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

18. If the dough has been chilled, it will need 2.5-3 hours to proof at room temperature. The dough is proofed when it looks fuller in volume, and when you poke it, it should slowly spring back. If it springs back too quickly, it hasn’t proofed enough yet. If you proofed the dough at room temperature overnight, then the dough should only need around an hour.

19. About 30 minutes before it is done proofing, preheat the oven to 240C/465F non-fan assisted (225C/435F fan-assisted) with a small tray at the bottom of the oven.

20. Place the proofed baguettes into the centre of the oven and splash about ½ cup warm water on the tray that is on the bottom of the oven.

21. Bake the baguettes for around 20-22 minutes until they are an even golden brown colour, then drop the oven temperature to 160C/330F non-fan assisted (150C/300F fan-assisted) and bake for a further 3-5 minutes, until you are happy with the colour.

22. Remove them from the oven and lift them straight onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

 

Sourdough Starter

There are many ways to create a sourdough starter by using different flours, hydration levels, and feeding ratios. The method below follows a 1:2:2 ratio (starter:water:flour), which is a reliable and simple approach, but it can easily be adjusted to suit your schedule, environment, or preferences.

Notes: 

Daily feeding is essential in the beginning.

During the first 5-6 days, consistency matters. Try not to skip a day, as this early period is crucial for developing an active and reliable culture.

Don’t worry about perfect timing.

While it helps to feed your starter at around the same time each day in the beginning, sourdough is more resilient than people think. If you’re a few hours late – or even miss a day – it won’t kill the starter. With a couple of consistent feeds, it will usually bounce back.

Temperature plays a major role.

Keeping your starter at a stable temperature will help it ferment on a regular, predictable cycle. Use the same water temperature for each feed when possible, and if you’re serious about consistency, a home dough proofer can be a great investment. It allows you to maintain a steady environment, which leads to more predictable fermentation.

Choose the right container.

A straight-sided glass jar (like a canning jar) with a loose-fitting lid is ideal. It should be large enough to allow the starter to double or even triple in size during peak activity. It’s helpful to place a thin rubber band around the jar to mark the level of your sourdough starter so you can easily tell when it has doubled in size. 

Day 1

45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. Into a small bowl, add the ingredients and stir them together with a rubber spatula to form a paste. 

2. Scrape the mixture into a clean glass jar, scraping down the sides of the jar if needed so that the starter is level in the jar. 

3. Place the lid loosely on top of the and leave it for 24 hours at an ambient room temperature. 

Day 2

25g Sourdough Starter
45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. After 24 hours, you may see a tiny bit of activity, small bubbles, but don’t worry if nothing has happened. 

2. Scoop out 25g of Day 1’s mixture (the sourdough starter) into a small bowl, discarding the remaining.

3. Add the fresh flour and water on top, and stir them together to combine. 

4. Pour the mixture into a clean glass jar and scrape down the sides to ensure it is level. Place the lid loosely on top and leave it for 24 hours at an ambient room temperature. 

Days 3-6

25g Sourdough Starter
45g Strong White Bread Flour
5g Dark Rye Flour
50g Water (24C) 

1. We now follow the exact same process as day 2, for the rest of the week. As the days progress you will see the starter becoming more active and bubbly. 

Day 6

By the 6th day, you should see significantly more activity in your starter, with bubbles visible on the surface and throughout the starter, as well as a more consistent rise and fall pattern. While the exact timing of the peak will depend on your conditions and the flour you’re using, it’s important to establish this consistency before using the starter to bake with. 

While by day 7 the starter can typically be used to bake with, feeding it for an extended period of time, such as 14 days or longer, before using it, can help to lead to a stronger starter. In the early stages of development, the pH is higher, but over time, as acids accumulate, the starter promotes the growth of more acid-tolerant bacteria. This shift helps to create a more stable fermentation ecosystem, with a more reliable balance between lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts.  

Depending on your starter, it may either double or triple in volume every time you feed it. This will be your ‘peak’ so take note of every time you feed it, where it rises before falling. If your starter just doubles in volume that is fine too!

Maintaining Your Sourdough Starter

Option 1 – Daily Feeding

If you plan on baking with the starter regularly, then it is best to keep it at room temperature and feed it on a consistent 24-hour cycle. This will ensure it is active and ready to use when you need to bake. However, feeding it daily can be time-consuming and use a significant amount of flour over time. 

Option 2 – Refrigeration

If you bake less frequently, you can store your starter in the fridge to slow down fermentation. To do this, feed your starter and then place it in the fridge. It can typically be left for up to a week without additional feedings. After a week, remove it from the fridge and feed the starter following the same ratios as above. Depending on your starter, it may need one or more feedings at room temperature to fully reactivate

Option 3 – Dehydration

For long-term storage, you can dehydrate your starter. Take your starter at its peak and spread it thinly onto a sheet of parchment paper placed on a baking tray. Let it air dry in the oven with the heat off – this can take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, depending on your environment. Once the starter is completely dry and brittle, break it into flakes and store it in an airtight bag or container and freeze. To reactivate the dry starter, add about 15g of the dried starter flakes into a jar along with your normal feed quantities and feed it as you normally would for 2-3 days, or until it shows signs of activity and strength.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Jaffa Cakes

TIER 1

Jaffa Cakes

This recipe was heavily inspired by a cake I had at Ottolenghi’s bakery in London, where they sell a gluten-free orange and almond cake. I’ve never been able to find the recipe, so this is my attempt at trying to recreate it. A slightly more advanced take on a Jaffa Cake, it has a soft brown butter financier, filled with an bright orange compote and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. It may look simple, but the combination of textures and the depth from the brown butter take it to another level.

6
INDIVIDUAL CAKES

Ingredients

Makes 6 individual cakes

Orange Compote
80g Orange Peel
330g Orange Segments
100g Caster/White Sugar
5g Pectin NH
5g Lemon Juice

Brown Butter & Orange Financier
260g Unsalted Butter
230g Egg Whites
4g Orange Zest
215g Powdered/Icing Sugar
110g Self Raising Flour (or 110g Plain/All-Purpose Flour + 1 Tsp Baking Powder)
115g Ground Almonds
1g Fine Sea Salt

Chocolate Glaze
125g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
12g Honey
8g Water
37g Unsalted Butter

Toasted Flaked Almonds To Garnish

Special equipment

Food processor
Jumbo muffin tin
Piping bags

Method

Orange Compote

1. Cut the oranges into quarters and remove the segments from the peel.

2. Cut the segments into chunks and add the required amount into a saucepan.

    • 330g Orange Segments

3. Cut the peels into small chunks and add this into the pan.

    • 80g Orange Peel

4. Place it onto a medium heat.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set it aside.

    • 100g Caster/White Sugar
    • 5g Pectin NH

6. Cook the orange mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until the segments have started to break down. 

7. Whisk in the sugar mixture and cook it for a further 1-2 minutes, ensuring it reaches a boil.

8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

    • 5g Lemon Juice

9. Pour the entire mixture into a large food processor and blend briefly – about 10 seconds. 

10. Pass the mixture through a sieve, onto a baking tray, scraping the bottom of the sieve to catch all of the compote.

11. Press a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

Brown Butter Orange Financier

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C/295F fan assisted). Lightly grease a jumbo muffin tin with butter and coat the inside with flour, tipping out any excess.

2. Into a small saucepan, add the unsalted butter. Place the pan over a medium heat.

    • 260g Unsalted Butter

3. Continue to cook the mixture, whisking occasionally until it is a deep golden brown colour, and smells very nutty. Be careful not to burn it. 

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a clean bowl on a tared scale, and weigh 220g of brown butter. Set this aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. 

5. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and whisk for 30 seconds until frothy. 

    • 230g Egg Whites

6. Tip in the sugar and orange zest and whisk again to combine. If the icing sugar is quite lumpy, sift it in.  

    • 4g Orange Zest
    • 215g Powdered/Icing Sugar

7. Whisk in the self raising flour, ground almonds and salt until there are no streaks of flour.

    • 110g Self Raising Flour (or 110g Plain/All-Purpose Flour + 1 Tsp Baking Powder)
    • 115g Ground Almonds
    • 1g Fine Sea Salt

8. Finally, pour in the cooled brown butter and whisk to combine.

9. Pour the batter equally into the prepared tin, just below ⅘ of each cavity. 

10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until an even golden brown colour.

11. Once baked, remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then pop them out onto a wire cooling rack. The cakes are too soft to place straight onto a wire rack from the oven, so need to stay in the tin to hold their shape. Cool for a further 15-30 minutes.

12. Once cooled, use a small serrated knife to cut a hole out of the top of the financier. Keep the lid of the cake and set this aside. 

13. Remove the orange compote from the fridge and briefly stir it to loosen it, then add it into a piping bag.

14. Pipe the compote into the hole in each cake, just to the top, then add the lid of cake back on top.

15. Place the cakes back in the fridge.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Into a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the glaze.

    • 125g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
    • 12g Honey
    • 8g Water
    • 37g Unsalted Butter

2. Place the bowl onto a pan of gently simmering water, and stir it with a spatula until it is smooth.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and transfer it to a bowl that is just slightly bigger than your cake. If the bowl is too big, it will be difficult to get enough depth to the glaze to effectively dip it. 

4. Remove the cakes from the fridge and immediately dip them into the glaze. Flip them upside down and then set them on a wire rack. 

5. The glaze can appear slightly bumpy so if you want a really smooth finish you will need to do a second dip of the glaze. 

6. Place the cakes in the fridge or freezer just briefly to set the glaze on top so it is no longer wet to the touch. 

7. Warm the glaze back up over a bain marie, transfer if back into the small bowl, and dip the cakes a second time. 

8. Let the glaze set for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on top to finish. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Orange Blossom Cake

TIER 2

Orange Blossom Cake

For this recipe we use a different style of brown butter sponge, layered with a 55% chocolate crémeux and the same orange compote from Tier 1. The real standout for me is the orange blossom meringue that coats the outside. Using a 789 nozzle creates the most dramatic design. It’s a real showstopper, and so satisfying to pipe!

1
CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Orange Compote
80g Orange Peel
330g Orange Segments
100g Caster/White Sugar
5g Pectin NH
5g Lemon Juice

55% Chocolate Cremeux
200g Dark Chocolate, 55% Cocoa Solids
120g Whole Eggs
150g Whole Milk
150g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Brown Butter Sponge
120g Unsalted Butter + Warm Water*
205g Caster/White Sugar
4g Orange Zest
2g Fine Sea Salt
205g Cake or Plain/All-Purpose Flour
13g Baking Powder
205g Whole Eggs
95g Vegetable Oil
70g Whole Milk

Orange Blossom Meringue
125g Egg Whites
80g Water
345g Caster/White Sugar
½ Tsp Orange Blossom
Beans From ½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Special equipment

Food processor
Digital thermometer
39x27cm baking tray
Piping bags
Stand mixer
789 basket weave nozzle
Blow torch

Method

Orange Compote

1. Cut the oranges into quarters and remove the segments from the peel.

2. Cut the segments into chunks and add the required amount into a saucepan.

    • 330g Orange Segments

3. Cut the peels into small chunks and add this into the pan.

    • 80g Orange Peel

4. Place it onto a medium heat.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set it aside.

    • 100g Caster/White Sugar
    • 5g Pectin NH

6. Cook the orange mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until the segments have started to break down. 

7. Whisk in the sugar mixture and cook it for a further 1-2 minutes, ensuring it reaches a boil.

8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

    • 5g Lemon Juice

9. Pour the entire mixture into a large food processor and blend briefly.

10. Pass the mixture through a sieve, onto a baking tray, scraping the bottom of the sieve to catch all of the compote.

11. Press a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

55% Chocolate Cremeux

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and add this into a tall measuring jug.

    • 200g 55% Dark Chocolate

2. Into a medium bowl, add the cream, milk and eggs. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 120g Whole Eggs
    • 150g Whole Milk
    • 150g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches around 82C/179F on a digital thermometer. 

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve, over the chocolate. 

5. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then blend with a hand blender until smooth. Add in a big pinch of the flaked sea salt and stir it through.

    • Flaked Sea Salt

6. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with cling film. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until it is a more pipeable consistency. If chilled for longer, it might need to sit at room temperature to warm up slightly before being used.

Brown Butter Sponge

1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375F non-fan assisted. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray and line it with parchment paper. Set this to one side.

2. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a medium heat. Cook it for 3-5 minutes, whisking occasionally until it reaches a deep nutty colour and smells very fragrant.

    • 120g Unsalted Butter

3. Immediately remove it from the heat, and pour it into a clean bowl, set on a tared scale. Take the weight of butter and add whisk in enough warm water to bring the weight back up to 120g. It will be roughly 20-30g of warm water. Don’t use cold water or it will cause chunks of the butter to solidify. Allow this to cool for 10 minutes. 

4. In a large bowl, add the sugar and massage through the orange zest for a minute with your fingertips.  

    • 205g Caster/Superfine Sugar
    • 4g Orange Zest

5. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

    • 2g Fine Sea Salt
    • 205g Cake or Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • 13g Baking Powder

6. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil & milk. Then, while whisking the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture. Mix everything until the wet & dry ingredients are evenly combined, scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is mixed in. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture. 

    • 205g Whole Eggs
    • 95g Vegetable Oil
    • 70g Whole Milk

7. Finally, pour in the cooled brown butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined. 

8. Pour the cake batter into the lined tray, and bake in the centre of the oven. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the sponge is an even golden brown colour.

9. Remove the sponge from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.

Assembly Part 1

1. Flip it out of the tray and onto a large piece of parchment or a silicon mat.

2. Cut the sponge into 3 even rectangles using a sharp serrated knife. You can probably get 4 rectangles, but I prefer to do 3 smaller rectangles and keep the rest to snack on, otherwise the cake is too tall. 

3. Lift the sponges onto a baking tray lined with parchment.

4. Remove the chocolate cremeux from the fridge and add it into a piping bag. It should be a nice pipeable texture.

5. On two of the sponges, pipe a border of the cremeux, then pipe two parallel lines down the centre, leaving two gaps for the compote.

6. Remove the compote from the fridge and add this into a piping bag.

7. Fill the gaps with the compote. The cremeux will act as a border to keep the compote in place. Place the sponges into the freezer for 30 minutes so the cremeux firms up slightly so that it has more strength once you stack it.

8. Once chilled, stack the filled sponges, then top with the final unfilled sponge, golden side up. Fill in any gaps where the sponges have been stacked with the remaining cremeux, using a palette knife to smooth it. Place the entire cake back in the freezer while you make the meringue. 

Orange Blossom Meringue

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium low speed.

    • 125g Egg Whites

2. Meanwhile, add the water and sugar to a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat.

    • 80g Water
    • 345g Caster/White Sugar

3. Continue to cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly pour it over the whisking egg whites (increase to medium speed), which at this point, should be foamy.

4. Once you have added all of the sugar syrup, whisk on medium high speed for 5-7 minutes, or until the meringue is stiff and the bowl is cool to the touch.

5. Finally, add in the orange blossom and fresh vanilla beans, and whisk to incorporate. Taste it to see if you want more orange blossom.

    • ½ Tsp Orange Blossom
    • Beans From ½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

6. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 789 basket weave nozzle.

7. Remove the cake from the freezer and lift it onto a tray with two ring molds underneath (or anything to prop it up).

8. Pipe the meringue in a wavy pattern all over the cake so that it is completely covered.

9. Finally, blow torch the meringue to finish. Carefully lift it off of the ring molds with a large palette knife and onto your serving plate. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Sugar Brioche

TIER 1

Sugar Brioche

In Tier 1 we tackle the fundamentals of the dough. It’s not overly enriched so it’s nice and easy to handle, and the addition of a yudane gives it extra bounce and structure, resulting in a beautifully soft, springy finish. The buttery crumb and bursts of sweetness from the pearl sugar on top make it an amazing breakfast pastry. I like mine served warm with a little butter and jam.

10-12
INDIVIDUAL BRIOCHE

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 individual brioche

Yudane
50g Boiling Water
50g Strong White Bread Flour

Brioche Dough
150g Whole Eggs
100g Whole Milk
420g Strong White Bread Flour
12g Fine Sea Salt
40g White Sugar
6g Instant Dry Yeast or 12g Fresh Yeast
140g Unsalted Butter, Cubed (Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before)

Egg Wash
30g Egg Yolk
30g Double/Heavy Cream

Pearl Sugar To Decorate

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Muffin tin (I use the Wilton 2105-9921 6-Cup Giant Muffin Pan)

Method

1. Into a small bowl, add 50g of strong white bread flour. Boil the water and pour this over the top, stirring it together to form a paste. Cover this and set it aside to cool for 1 hour (or 20 minutes in the fridge)

  • 50g Strong White Bread Flour
  • 50g Boiling Water

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled Yudane (above) with the wet ingredients on top.

  • 150g Whole Eggs
  • 100g Whole Milk

3. Add the remaining dry ingredients on top and with the dough hook attached, knead for 8-10 minutes on a medium speed. The dough should be more cohesive in consistency, but the gluten will not have fully developed, so it will not be completely smooth.

  • 420g Strong White Bread Flour
  • 12g Fine Sea Salt
  • 40g White Sugar
  • 6g Instant Dry Yeast or 12g Fresh Yeast

4. Add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting around 20 seconds in between each addition.

  • 140g Unsalted Butter, Cubed

5. Once all the butter has been incorporated, knead for a further 1-2 minutes. By which point the dough should feel very smooth and elastic.

6. Remove the dough from the mixer and lift it onto your work surface. Shape it into a smooth ball, and lift it into a medium bowl which has been lightly oiled.

7. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface of the dough, and another around the bowl. Refrigerate the dough overnight. 12-16 hours.

8, The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 95g pieces if using a jumbo muffin tin, or 65g pieces, if using a regular muffin tin. Note – you may need to lightly grease the tin with butter if you think it might stick. A non-stick cooking spray works really well for this. Alternatively, if you are using a regular muffin tin, you can use paper muffin liners.

9. Place the smooth side of dough down on the work surface and flatten it slightly. Fold the edges towards the centre, to create a dumpling-like shape.

10. Flip the dough over and with your hand cupped around in it in  a ‘C’ shape, rotate the dough underneath your palm, to create tension, and a smooth ball.

11. Lift each dough ball into your tin.

12. Place the tray of dough balls into the oven, switched off, and place a small pot of boiling water in the corner, changing it every 30-45 minutes.

13. The dough will take 2-3 hours to proof. It is ready when it has doubled in size. For the jumbo tin, it will rise to about ⅔ of the tin, whereas in a regular muffin tray, it will balloon slightly above the rim of the tin.

14. Just before the dough has finished proofing, remove it from the oven and pre-heat it to 185C/365F non-fan assisted (170C/340F fan-assisted).

15. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, then brush a light layer of egg wash over the top of each bun. Finally, add a generous sprinkling of pearl sugar on top.

16. Bake them in the oven for 25 minutes (jumbo muffin tin) or 18-20m if using a smaller muffin tin. They should be an even golden brown colour on top.

17. Remove the trays from the oven and allow the dough to cool for a minute before carefully lifting them out of the tray and onto a wire cooling rack. If they are not coming out, carefully run a knife around the outside of the dough, then tap the tray firmly on its side, and they should drop out.

18. They can be eaten warm or cooled to room temperature before serving.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Brioche au Craquelin

TIER 2

Brioche Au Craquelin

In Tier 2 we follow the same technique for the dough as Tier 1. Then, similar to a concha, we top this brioche with a crisp craquelin layer (one we’ve made plenty of times during choux pastry month!). Just like with choux, it adds a sweet, crunchy texture while also helping control the bake, giving you a neat, professional finish. I show you how to fill the brioche with a simple raspberry compote, but feel free to get creative with your fillings!

14-16
INDIVIDUAL BRIOCHE

Ingredients

Makes 14-16 Individual Brioche

Yudane
50g Boiling Water
50g Strong White Bread Flour

Brioche Dough
150g Whole Eggs
100g Whole Milk
420g Strong White Bread Flour
12g Fine Sea Salt
40g White Sugar
6g Instant Dry Yeast or 12g Fresh Yeast
140g Unsalted Butter, Cubed (Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before)

Craquelin
75g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
75g Caster/White Sugar
75g Ground Almonds
85g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
1g Fine Sea Salt

Raspberry Compote
400g Raspberry Puree
40g Caster/White Sugar*
8g Pectin NH
10g Fresh Lemon Juice

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicon mats
7cm cookie cutter
Digital thermometer (optional)
Piping bag
Long cream filling piping tip

Method

Dough

1. Into a small bowl, add 50g of strong white bread flour. Boil the water and pour this over the top, stirring it together to form a paste. Cover this and set aside to cool for 1 hour (or 20 minutes in the fridge)

  • 50g Strong White Bread Flour
  • 50g Boiling Water

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled Yudane (above) with the wet ingredients on top.

  • 150g Whole Eggs
  • 100g Whole Milk

3. Add the remaining dry ingredients on top and with the dough hook attached, knead for 8-10 minutes on a medium speed. The dough should be more cohesive in consistency, but the gluten will not have fully developed, so it will not be completely smooth.

  • 420g Strong White Bread Flour
  • 12g Fine Sea Salt
  • 40g White Sugar
  • 6g Instant Dry Yeast or 12g Fresh Yeast

4. Add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting around 20 seconds in between each addition.

  • 140g Unsalted Butter, Cubed

5. Once all the butter has been incorporated, knead for a further 1-2 minutes. By which point the dough should feel very smooth and elastic.

6. Remove the dough from the mixer and lift it onto your work surface. Shape it into a smooth ball, and lift it into a medium bowl which has been lightly oiled.

7. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface of the dough, and another around the bowl. Refrigerate the dough overnight. 12-16 hours.

Craquelin

1. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat using the paddle attachment until it forms a smooth paste.

  • 75g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 75g Caster/White Sugar
  • 75g Ground Almonds
  • 85g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
  • 1g Fine Sea Salt

2. Scoop the mixture out and place it in between two large silicon mats (or pieces of parchment paper). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to around 2-4mm thick. Place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the dough from the freezer and working quickly, peel off the silicon mats/parchment paper and cut discs, using a 7cm/2.75” cookie cutter. Cut as many discs as possible and lift these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat. Place them back in the freezer until you need them. 

4. You will need to re-roll the scraps of dough and then repeat steps 2-3 to cut enough discs. You will need around 16 in total. 

Dough Continued 

1. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 50g pieces.

2. Place the smooth side of dough down on the work surface and flatten it slightly. Fold the edges towards the centre, to create a dumpling-like shape. 

3. Flip the dough over and with your hand cupped around in it in  a ‘C’ shape, rotate the dough underneath your palm, to create tension, and a smooth ball.

4. Lift each dough ball onto a lined baking tray – you will need 2-3 trays. Depending on the size of the tray, you should be able to fit 6 per tray (or 8 if you have large baking trays) Ensure they have enough space to proof. 

5. Place the trays into the oven, switched off, and place a small pot of boiling water in the corner, changing it every 30-45 minutes.

6. The dough will take 2-3 hours to proof. It is ready when it has doubled in size. 

Raspberry Compote

1. Into a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set aside.

  • 40g Caster/White Sugar*
  • 8g Pectin NH

2. Add the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan, and heat it to around 45C (or just until it is slightly warm), then tip in the sugar/pectin mixture.

  • 400g Raspberry Puree

3. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, then remove it from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.

  • 10g Fresh Lemon Juice

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm, and refrigerate until needed. It will need a few hours to cool, so do this while the dough is proofing. Note – the amount of sugar will depend on the sweetness of your raspberries, so if you find the mixture is not sweet enough as it is cooking (have a little taste!), then you can add more. 

Baking & Assembly 

1. Just before the dough has finished proofing, remove the trays from the oven and preheat it to 185C/365F non-fan assisted (170C/340F fan-assisted). You may not be able to bake all the trays at once which is fine, just cover one of the trays with a tea towel while the first two trays bake. 

2. Remove the discs of craquelin from the freezer and place them into the centre of each bun. 

3. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes. The craquelin should be an even golden brown colour on top.

4. Remove the trays from the oven and lift them straight onto a wire cooling rack, to cool for at least 30 minutes.

5. Once cooled, quickly whisk the raspberry compote together to smooth it, and place it into a piping bag with a long “cupcake filler” nozzle. 

6. Pierce a hole in the base of the bun, and pipe some compote in. Flip the buns back over and serve.

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Fondant Cake

TIER 1

Chocolate Fondant Cake

I love this dessert for how simple yet decadent it is, but my favourite part is how well it works as a make ahead option. During testing, I baked it, left it in the fridge overnight, then reheated it the next day and it still had an incredible gooey centre. Serve it simply with softly whipped vanilla cream.

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
190g Caster/White Sugar
60g Light Brown Sugar
335g Whole Eggs
20g Egg Yolks
3g Flakey Sea Salt
90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
15g Cocoa Powder

Special equipment

20cm/8” cake ring mold
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 145C/295F non-fan assisted (130C/365 Fan). Take a 20cm/8” cake ring mold and lightly grease it with butter then dust the inside with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.

2. Place this onto a piece of parchment paper, slightly scrunched around the edge of it so it hugs the cake ring slightly. Lift this onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat.

3. Add the chopped chocolate to a medium bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this occasionally until it is completely melted, then set this to one side to cool slightly.

  • 300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
  • 100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer), add the room temperature butter and sugars. Beat this on a medium speed with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes, or until thicker and paler in consistency. Scrape down the sides.

  • 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 190g Caster/White Sugar
  • 60g Light Brown Sugar

5. Slowly drizzle in the eggs (previously whisked together in a bowl) and scrape down the bowl a few times as you add the eggs to ensure the butter is fully incorporated. Don’t worry if once you add the eggs the mixture looks slightly split.

  • 335g Whole Eggs
  • 20g Egg Yolks

6. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix just until it forms a smooth, chocolate batter.

7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and sprinkle over the salt. Stir this together with a spatula until there are no more dry ingredients.

  • 3g Flakey Sea Salt
  • 90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 15g Cocoa Powder

8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake ring and spread it flat with a spatula.

9. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

10. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes (this will give a very gooey consistency) or even longer. You can even refrigerate it, then place it back into a hot oven (200C/390F  for 5 minutes) and then serve it. This will make the centre soft again (although not quite as soft as when you serve it the same day). This is best served with some freshly whipped cream.

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet

TIER 2

Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet

This is a more refined take on the Tier 1 recipe. The fondants are baked in individual ring moulds and plated with chocolate soil and raspberry sorbet. The soil adds crunch and a subtle saltiness, while the sorbet brings brightness and balance to the plate. All the elements can be prepared in advance, then the fondants are baked just before serving.

4
FONDANTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Fondants

Strawberry Sorbet
90g Water
160g Caster/White Sugar
35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin
450g Strawberry Puree
Citric Acid To Taste (1-2g)
Fine Sea Salt To Taste

Chocolate Crumble
50g Caster/White Sugar
50g Ground Almonds
30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
3g Flakey Salt
35g Unsalted Butter, Melted 

Chocolate Fondant
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
220g Whole Eggs
75g Egg Yolks
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
45g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Ice cream machine
4 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
Piping bags (optional)

Method

Strawberry Sorbet

1. Place a medium bowl inside a large bowl that is filled with ice water. Set this to one side. 

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar, glucose and locust bean gum. 

  • 90g Water
  • 160g Caster/White Sugar
  • 35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
  • 2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin

3. Whisk the mixture over a medium heat until it reaches 85C/185F on a digital thermometer.

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the medium bowl you set aside, over the ice. Stir this occasionally until it reaches around 10C/50F on a digital thermometer. 

5. Transfer the cooled mixture to a tall measuring jug, then pour the strawberry puree on top. Blend till smooth with a hand blender.

  • 450g Strawberry Puree

6. Add in the citric acid (or lemon juice) and blend. Taste the mixture and add more if needed to suit your taste. 

  • 1-2g Citric Acid

7. The mixture can be churned immediately in your ice cream machine, or left in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

8. When you are ready to churn it, add a pinch of salt and stir this through. Then pour it into your machine, churning according to the machine instructions. It usually takes around 15-30 minutes until it is a thick, scoopable texture.

9. Once it is done, it will still be slightly soft, so transfer it to a tupperware and place it back in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then it will be the perfect scooping texture. 

Chocolate Soil

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C/295F fan-assisted) 

2. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir together with a spatula.

  • 50g Caster/White Sugar
  • 50g Ground Almonds
  • 30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 20g Cocoa Powder
  • 3g Flakey Salt

3. Pour in the melted butter and stir together to form a crumbly chocolate mix.

  • 35g Unsalted Butter, Melted

4. Tip the crumble onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely. If you would like the soil to be a finer consistency you can blend it briefly in a food processor but it’s optional! Store the mixture and set to one side. 

Chocolate Fondant

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375C non-fan assisted (175C/345F fan-assisted).

2. Lightly grease four 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds with soft butter and then coat with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Place these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper. 

3. Place the chocolate into a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until it has melted. Remove it from the heat to cool for 5 minutes.

  • 200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped

4. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until it is very thick and pale.

  • 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 200g Icing/Powdered Sugar

5. Lower the speed, and drizzle in the eggs slowly, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. 

  • 220g Whole Eggs
  • 75g Egg Yolks

6. Pour in the cooled chocolate and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.

7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, along with a good pinch of the salt. Stir this through with a spatula until you have a smooth, thick batter.

  • 55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 45g Cocoa Powder
  • Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

8. Add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe it into the greased ring molds, filling them about ¾ of the way up.

9. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 14 minutes. They should feel slightly firm/bouncy when you touch the edge and then the centre should look slightly molten.

Assembly

1. While they are baking, prepare the plates. Take the chocolate soil and pour 1-2 tbsp on the side.

2. Remove the sorbet from the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes before using a warm spoon to scoop some on top of the soil. Do this, just before the fondant comes out of the oven. 

3. Once the fondants are baked, place a palette knife underneath each one and carefully lift it onto the serving plate. 

4. Carefully remove the ring mold and peel away the baking paper. Serve immediately. 

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by Matt Adlard

Pistachio Galette Des Rois

TIER 2

Pistachio Galette Des Rois

For Tier 2 I was determined to use our inverse puff pastry to make a Galette Des Rois. After all my fails, I realised I wasn’t resting the dough enough and that I needed to adjust my filling slightly to add more nuts. The resulting galette has the most amazing puff, that stays even, holds its shape and has a soft, pistachio filling. Although we’re at the end of galette season, I think it’s something you should make all year round it’s that good! Take your time with this recipe, especially paying attention to the scoring pattern. There’s lots of helpful tips in the PDF recipe so much sure to download that.

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Servings

Inverse Puff Pastry (x2) 

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

Pistachio Cream
85g Unsalted Butter, Soft
85g Icing Sugar
130g Ground Pistachios
70g Ground Almonds
15g Cornstarch/Cornflour
70g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature

Egg Wash
35g Egg Yolk
30g Double/Heavy Cream

Hot Syrup
50g Caster Sugar
35g Water

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Silicon mat
18cm ring mold (optional)
Piping bag
23cm disc (for measuring)

Method

Inverse Puff Pastry

Note that you will need two batches of pastry (one for the top of the galette, and one for the bottom). As we are laminating by hand, I prefer to do this in two separate batches to ensure not too much gluten is developed. So you will need to create this recipe twice. 

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 cling film and refrigerate, ideally overnight. Again, a longer chill helps to relax the gluten. 

Pistachio 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.

  • 85g Unsalted Butter, Soft
  • 85g Icing Sugar

2. Scrape down the sides and add in the ground pistachios, ground almonds and cornstarch, then mix again just until combined. 

  • 130g Ground Pistachios
  • 70g Ground Almonds
  • 15g Cornstarch/Cornflour

3. Finally pour in the eggs and beat until it is evenly combined. 

  • 70g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature

4. You will need 320g of mixture so pour the batter into a bowl and weigh the required amount.

5. To make the mixture neat, place an 18cm ring mold onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Scoop the mixture in, and level it so it is smooth with a palette knife. Place this into the freezer for 1-2 hours. You can also place a fève into the mixture (or a whole pistachio) which is very traditional. 

6. If you do not have a ring mold, the mixture can just be piped fresh onto the puff pastry. In this case, add it into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle and refrigerate until your pastry has been rolled out. (Once you have rolled out one portion of the pastry, pipe and even disc, 18 cm wide)

Assembly

1. Remove one batch of inverse puff pastry from the fridge and lightly flouring it, roll it into a rough square shape, around 3-4mm thick. Carefully lift this onto a lined baking tray and place it into the fridge.

2. Roll out the second piece of pastry to the same thickness. 

3. Remove the first batch of pastry from the fridge and with it still on the tray, lift the frozen pistachio cream and place the disc into the centre of the pastry.

4. Lightly brush around the disc of pistachio cream with water – do not go to heavy on the water, just enough to moisten is to the pastry sticks together,

5. Lift the second piece of pastry on top, and using your hands, lightly cup around the outside of the cream layer, tucking it so it hugs the filling. This pushes out any trapped air. Ensure the two layers of pastry are firmly sealed together,

6. Finally, take a disc (like the bottom of a tart ring) that is 23cm in diameter, and place this on top. Use a sharp knife/box cutter, cut around this, to create a neat 23cm galette. Use a skewer to prick a few small holes all over it. 

7. At this point we want to rest it again, to relax the gluten in the dough and prevent it from shrinking. Ideally this should be refrigerated overnight (covered with cling film) or 1-2 hours.

8. Once it has chilled, prepare the egg wash, whisking together the ingredients.

9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan assisted (165C/330 Fan).

10. Remove the galette from the fridge and flip it over, onto a baking tray with a silicon baking mat (or ideally a perforated tray with a perforated mat if you have one) so the smooth side is on top. Brush the egg wash evenly over the surface of the dough. Note – for a deeper, darker finish to your galette, you can apply one layer of egg wash, then refrigerate it for 45m, then add another layer, before proceeding with the scoring. 

  • 35g Egg Yolk
  • 30g Double/Heavy Cream

11. Use a sharp knife to gently score the dough, ensuring you don’t cut through the dough, in a decorative pattern. I use the design below. Once you have completed the scoring, use a skewer, to create 5-8 holes, piercing through the top layer of puff pastry (indicated by the green dots). This will allow the steam to escape.

12. Place the galette into the centre of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, then lower the temperature to 170C/340F non-fan assisted (155/310F fan assisted) and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, or until the galette is a deep golden brown colour.

13. Just before it has finished baking, prepare the hot syrup, by adding the ingredients to a small saucepan, and bringing them to the boil until the sugar has dissolved. Set this to one side. 

  • 50g Caster Sugar
  • 35g Water

14. Once the galette is a deep golden brown colour, remove it from the oven and lift it onto a wire cooling rack. Brush a thin layer of sugar syrup over the top and then allow it to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

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. 

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue

TIER 2

Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue

Sticking with the theme of Swiss meringue, we use the same technique as the Île Flottante to make a Swiss-French cocoa meringue and then use a very delicate piping technique to create the perfect cylinder shape. It’s filled with a chocolate brown, black sesame meringue and softly whipped cream. The meringue can be tricky to pipe (I failed more than a few times!), but there is enough mixture in the recipe to have a few practice attempts too.

6
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 6 individual desserts

Chocolate Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
75g Icing/Powdered Sugar
10g Cocoa Powder
Black Sesame Seeds

Chocolate Brownie
170g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
85g Unsalted Butter
160g Whole Egg
85g Caster/White Sugar
40g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Black Sesame Praline
220g Black Sesame Seeds
90g Caster/White Sugar
15g Water
10-20g Neutral Oil (Groundnut)
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Mascarpone Cream
100g Mascarpone
15g Icing/Powdered Sugar
250g Double/Heavy Cream
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Cocoa Powder To Decorate

Special equipment

Silikomart sf098 silicon mold (or similar)
Digital thermometer
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Small leaf tip nozzle
Rotating cake stand/children’s pottery wheel (!)
13×9” baking tray
Silicon mat
High powered food processor
Cookie cutter

Method

Chocolate Meringue 

1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F non-fan assisted. 

2. For this design, I used the Silikomart sf098 silicon mold. I use scissors to carefully cut out each cylinder individually, then use a pastry brush and lightly grease them with a neutral oil. Alternatively, you can use a ring mold, that is lightly greased, and then cover it neatly with a sheet of parchment/baking paper. 

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.

4. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 50C (122F) on a digital thermometer.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 3-5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick, glossy and holds a stiff peak. 

6. Into a medium bowl, sift together the icing/powdered sugar and cocoa powder so that they are evenly combined.

7. Tip this mixture on top of the meringue and incorporate it with a whisk, then gently finish it, by folding it with a spatula until there are no more streaks. 

8. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small leaf tip nozzle.

9. Place the lightly greased cylinder onto a rotating cake stand (you will need help to spin this!) or an electric spinning wheel (I use a child’s clay pottery wheel). Starting at the bottom and applying even pressure, pipe tight lines, slowly moving the nozzle up until the meringue covers the entire cylinder. 

10. Place a palette knife carefully underneath the mold and then lift it onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this with the remaining molds – you should have enough meringue to make 6.

11. Pinch a few black sesame seeds in between your finger tips, and flick them onto the meringue so they stick to the outside. We just want a light coating. 

12. Place them into the oven and bake for 3 hours. Once the time is up, turn the oven off and open the door and leave them in there to cool for 1-2 hours before attempting to remove them. They need to cool completely and then they will lift off easily. These can also be made a few days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Brownie

1. Lightly grease a 13×9” baking tray and line the base and sides with parchment paper. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Melt this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, and then remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool for 5 minutes.

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg, sugar and salt and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.

4. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. 

5. Add in the flour and whisk just until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.

6. Pour the batter into the lined tin, spreading it to the edges with a palette knife. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the mixture has just set. 

7. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours. 

Black Sesame Praline

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F. 

2. Pour the black sesame seeds onto a baking tray, and roast these for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. 

3. Remove the tray from the oven and allow them to cool. 

4. Into a medium saucepan, add the water followed by the sugar.

5. Place this on a medium heat and cook it until it reaches a deep golden brown colour. If you need to stir it, do this once it has turned a light golden colour. 

6. Once a deep golden brown colour, tip in the toasted sesame seeds and stir to combine. 

7. Work quickly and immediately tip the mixture onto a silicon baking mat.

8. Add a pinch of flaky salt on top and allow it to set for 30-60 minutes at room temperature or until it has set firm.

9. Break the mixture into a high powdered food processor and blend for 30-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides while still blending, slowly trickle in the neutral oil, just enough until it is a slightly looser texture. You don’t want to add too much oil as this can overpower the taste so use as little as possible. If you have a really high powered food processor you may not need any oil at all, but it will need to be blended for quite some time to get it to a looser consistency. 

10. Transfer the smooth mixture to a bowl and set aside. 

Assembly & Mascarpone Cream

1. Carefully lift the cooled meringue off of the molds and set them to one side.

2. Remove the brownie from the fridge, and using a cookie cutter, cut discs, about the same size as the hole in your meringue cylinder. I like to stack two discs of meringue together. 

3. Carefully press the brownie disc into the bottom of the meringue, then lift it onto your serving plate. 

4. Add the black sesame praline to a piping bag, and pipe a small spiral of it on top of the brownie. 

5. Finally, add the mascarpone, icing/powdered sugar, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod, to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it forms medium-soft peaks. Be very careful not to overwhisk this, it needs to be quite a soft texture. 

6. Add that mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.

7. Pipe the cream into the meringue shell, filling it all the way to the top.

8. Finish with a light dusting of cocoa powder, and then serve immediately. 

by Matt Adlard

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

by Matt Adlard

Danish Cinnamon Roll

TIER 2

Danish Cinnamon Roll

In Tier 2 we take the same dough from Tier 1 and fill it with a cinnamon crème pâtissière instead of a traditional cinnamon butter. Then we bake the rolls with a tray on top for the perfect ‘puck’ shape. The cinnamon glaze to finish gives it an extra cinnamon kick and a crackly texture. Make sure to watch the hand lamination technique from the Tier 1 video, as I don’t cover it again in this video.

8-10
ROLLS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Rolls

Danish Pastry Détrempe (Dough)
565g Strong White Bread Flour
30g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
14g Instant Dry Yeast
230g Whole Milk
55g Whole Eggs
38g Caster Sugar
12g Sea Salt

Buerrage (Butter Block)
250g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour

Cinnamon Pastry Cream
45g Dark Brown Sugar
10g Ground Cinnamon
70g Egg Yolks
25g Cornflour/Cornstarch
Pinch of Sea Salt
300g Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
25g Unsalted Butter

Cinnamon Icing
400g Icing Sugar
Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
½ Tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Special equipment

10 9cmx4cm ring molds
Stand mixer
Thermometer
Rolling pin
Piping bag
Metre 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.

Cinnamon Pastry Cream

1. Into a medium bowl add the sugar, salt, cornflour/cornstarch and egg yolks. Whisk together for about 30 seconds, then set this to one side.

2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, add the milk and beans scraped from a vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat and whisk occasionally until it is steaming.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks and whisk to combine.

4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook it over a medium heat, whisking constantly. Once it thickens and begins to bubble, keep cooking it for a further minute.

5. Remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a clean bowl. Add in the butter and whisk to combine. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Danish Dough (Continued)

1. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk it for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth. Add it into a piping bag and set it to one side.

2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place 8-10 lightly greased ring molds (9x4cm)

3. Lightly flour the chilled dough, and use a sharp knife to score the folded edges of the dough to release the tension.

4. Roll the dough out, so that it is roughly 27-30cm tall, and 8-10mm thick. Don’t worry about the length.

5. Once you are at the correct thickness, trim the edges of the dough so you are left with a rectangle that is 25cm tall. 

6. Then cut the rectangle into 3cm wide strips.

7. Cut quite a large hole in the end of the piping bag, and pipe a thick line of the pastry cream down the entire length of each strip of dough.

8. Roll the dough on itself but not too tightly, then carefully place them into the ring molds.

9. Place the tray 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. Once it is ready, it should have risen to the edges of the ring molds, with the layers looking like they are separating slightly.

10. Remove them from the oven and pre-heat it to 185C/365F fan assisted.

11. Place a silicon mat or piece of parchment paper on top and then 2-3 heavy trays on top. This will prevent the dough from rising out of the ring molds.

12. Once the oven is hot, load the trays into the oven, and immediately drop the oven temperature to 170C/340F. Bake the danishes for 35-40 minutes. Try to avoid removing the trays on top too soon, so try and look in the oven and see what colour the dough looks like. It should be a deep golden brown colour once they are baked.

13. Remove them from the oven, and remove the ring molds. Flip them over and place them onto a wire rack to cool slightly. 

Cinnamon Icing

1. Into a large bowl, add the icing/powdered sugar, salt, beans from a fresh vanilla pod and cinnamon. Slowly start adding milk and 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). 

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Ingredients

140g unsalted butter
185g egg whites
90g ground almonds
185g powdered/icing sugar
90g self-rising/self-raising flour
2g lemon zest
1⁄2 fresh vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
125g blueberries
lightly toasted flaked almonds, for topping

Special equipment

Oval silicone/metal mold pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.

2. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the
saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to cool for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds or until frothy.

4. Add the ground almonds, powdered/icing sugar and lemon zest. Cut the vanilla bean
lengthways and using the knife to scrape out half of the beans, add these into the
bowl. Whisk until combined.

5. Place a sieve over the medium bowl and sift in the flour. Whisk until the flour has just
been absorbed, about 30 seconds.

6. Add the melted butter and whisk until there are no more streaks of butter.

7. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

8. Pour the batter into the cups of an oval silicone/metal mold pan (or the cups of a
cupcake pan/tin) and fill the cups about three-fourths full. Sprinkle a few flaked
almonds over the top of each cup.

9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 or 30 minutes or until the financiers have a
nice golden colour.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the financiers to cool for 5 minutes before
removing them from the pan. Serve while still warm or allow them to cool completely
and then serve later.

by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon & White Chocolate Tarts

TIER 2

Lemon & White Chocolate Tart

For Tier 2, we use the same lemon filling as Tier 1, but instead of baking it we cook it like a curd. It sits on top of an almond mirliton, with a secret layer of zingy lemon confit, topped with a stunning white chocolate namelaka which is piped using a basket weave nozzle. Because we cook the lemon filling like a curd, it has a slightly softer texture, more like a cremeux which contrasts all the textures in the tart really well.

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

White Chocolate Namelaka
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water OR 1 Sheet of Leaf Gelatin
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose or Honey
185g White Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Lemon Confit
8g Lemon Zest
130g Lemon Juice
65g Caster/White Sugar

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
80g Whole Eggs
60g Egg Yolks
115g Caster/ White Sugar
100g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Lemon Zest
75g Lemon Juice
20g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (Optional)

Roasted Almond Mirliton
105g Unsalted Butter
85g Roasted Almond Powder
85g Icing/Powdered Sugar
110g Egg Whites
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Zest ½ Lemon

Special equipment

Hand blender
Stand mixer
2 silicon mats (optional)
4 4-inch perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter (optional)
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
Basket weave nozzle
Rotating cake stand (optional)

Method

White Chocolate Namelaka

1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes at room temperature. If using leaf gelatin, soak this in a bowl of cold water.

2. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and then set this to one side.

3. Meanwhile, add the milk and glucose/honey to a small saucepan. Stir it occasionally over a medium heat, until it is steaming and the glucose has dissolved.

4. Scoop in the bloom gelatin (or squeeze the excess water from the leaf gelatin and drop this in). Stir it together until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the hot milk mixture over the melted white chocolate in three parts, stirring in tight circles in the centre with a rubber spatula, to emulsify the mixture. Initially it will look slightly split but it will pull together.

6. Finally, pour in the cold cream and blend it with a hand blender, until smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 6 hours. 

Lemon Confit

1. Add the lemon zest into a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then immediately pass it through a sieve. Repeat this two more times, to remove the bitterness from the zest.

2. Add the blanched zest, lemon juice and sugar into a saucepan, and note the total weight of the ingredients in the pan, on a digital scale. 

3. Place the pan on a medium low heat, and simmer until the total weight of the pan has reduced by around 100g. 

4. Pour the mixture into a small dish, covered with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. 

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. 

5. Place the dough onto a large silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible (around 3-5mm). If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m.

7. Once chilled, remove it from the freezer and working quickly, peel the silicon mat off of the dough. Take 2 of the 4” perforated ring molds (very lightly greased with soft butter) and press these into the dough. 

8. Lift them up and place them onto a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat.

9. Using a multi-wheel pastry cutter (or a ruler and a sharp knife) cut 2 long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells. Take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, using your fingers to carefully press the walls against the base of the pastry. If at any point you feel the pastry is getting too warm, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes then carry on. Place the tarts into the freezer for 30 minutes. 

10. Take the spare dough and form it back into a dough ball. Repeat steps 5-8 to make two more tart shells.

11. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted (160C fan-assisted).

12. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry from the tart rings so it is flush, then place the tarts into the centre of the oven for around 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown colour. 

13. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tart rings. 

14. Mix the egg wash ingredients together and use a pastry brush to paint this over the entire surface of the tart shells. Place them back into the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the tarts are a deep golden brown colour. Set aside to cool. 

Lemon Filling

1. Into a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the lemon filling, excluding the butter. 

2. Whisk it constantly over a medium heat, until it reaches a temperature of 82-84C (179-183F) on a digital thermometer. 

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug.

4. Add in the cold butter and blend until smooth with a hand blender. 

5. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours (or longer) until it is a thicker, more pipeable consistency. 

Almond Mirliton

1. Into a small saucepan, add the butter and over a medium heat, until it has melted. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, before pouring in the melted butter and whisking to combine.

3. Cover the surface of the mixture with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, set the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C fan-assisted).

4. Once it has cooled, pipe the mixture into the tart shells, filling them up just above ¾ full. If you want you can also sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on.

5. Place the tarts into the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is a golden colour on top. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Assembly

1. Remove the lemon confit from the fridge which should now be a thicker, marmalade like consistency. 

2. Pipe a few dollops onto the top of the cooled tart, and spread this to the edges with the back of a spoon. It is quite sharp so you don’t need to overload the tart. 

3. Remove the white chocolate namelaka from the fridge and add into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until the mixture holds a medium stiff peak.

4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave nozzle.

5. Place the tart into the centre of a rotating cake stand and holding the piping bag at about a 60 degree angle, apply even pressure, then push the nozzle slightly forward to create an initial ruffle of buttercream, before pulling it back to fold the buttercream over itself. Continue this motion in one direction without stopping so the folds connect smoothly, creating an even, continuous ruffle/weave. Because of the type of nozzle it is a little difficult to join the lines up seamlessly, so you just have to neatly pull the piping bag away to create a tail. 

6. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and add this into a piping bag, pipe it into the centre of the tart, filling it just below the rim of the cream.

7. They are now ready to serve.

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon & Olive Oil Travel Cake

TIER 2

Lemon & Olive Oil Travel Cake

Now I usually just stick to olive oil in my focaccia, but it really works in this cake, adding a subtle fragrance that works so well with the citrus. The cake is so soft and, in my opinion, tastes even better after a few days! The cake batter is simple to pull together, but we’re elevating it with a professional white chocolate decoration that you’d find in most Parisian bakeries. If you’re new to tempering chocolate, check out my video from the archives.

1
2lb CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 2lb Cake

Lemon & Olive Oil Sponge
300g Caster Sugar
Zest 3 Lemons (4g)
200g Whole Eggs
140g Double/Heavy Cream
240g Self Raising Flour, Sifted (or 240g Plain/All Purpose Flour with 2 Tsp Baking Powder)
2g Fine Sea Salt
80g Olive Oil (or a neutral oil)
Soft Butter, To Pipe

Lemon Soaking Syrup
60g Lemon Juice
60g Water
120g Caster/White Sugar

White Chocolate Decoration
150g Tempered White Chocolate
Green Food Colour Powder

Lemon Whipped Ganache
350g Double/Heavy Cream
70g White Chocolate, Chopped
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water (or 1 Sheet of Leaf Gelatin, any strength)
Zest ½ Lemon

Special equipment

2lb loaf tin
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Large round tip nozzle
Hand blender
Acetate

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. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub these together for a minute to release the citrus oils.

3. Add the eggs on top and whisk for 2 minutes on a medium speed. Then pour in the cream and mix just to combine. 

4. Scrape any lemon zest off the whisk, back into the bowl, then add in the sifted flour & salt on top and whisk on a low speed just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

5. Finally, pour in the olive oil and whisk again just until combined and there are no streaks of oil. 

6. Pour the batter into the tin, then add some soft butter to a piping bag and pipe a very thin line, lengthways down the centre of the cake.

7. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 75-80 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

8. While the cake is baking, prepare the sugar syrup by placing all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Set to one side. 

9. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately tip it out of the tin onto a wire rack with a tray underneath.

10. Pour the syrup all over the cake, then immediately wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

11. For the lemon cream, add the powdered gelatin into a small bowl and pour the cold water over the top. If using a gelatin sheet, soak this in a bowl of cold water. Let this sit for 10 minutes.

12. Add the white chocolate into a tall measuring jug and set to one side. 

13. Add 250g of the cream to a small saucepan, along with the lemon zest. Place this over a medium heat until it is steaming.

14. Remove it from the heat and pour this over the white chocolate, and scoop the bloomed gelatin on top (or squeeze the water out of the leaf gelatin and add this in). Let this sit for 2 minutes.

15. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Then pour in the remaining 100g of cold cream and blend again. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm and then place it in the refrigerator, ideally overnight.

16. The next day, remove the cake from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for an hour.

17. Prepare the tempered white chocolate and add this into a small piping bag. You only need a small amount of white chocolate for the decorations, but if you are tempering the chocolate by hand, it is easier to temper a larger quantity (like 300-400g). With the leftover tempered white chocolate, just pipe it into small discs and then once they are set, add them back into your bag of white chocolate to use again another time! 

18. Onto a long strip of acetate, dust a series of very small patches of green food colour powder. Pipe a small dollop of tempered white chocolate on top of each patch of colour powder, about 1” wide. 

19. Place a second strip of acetate on top, and then use the back of a cup or something flat and round, and press it gently until the chocolate forms a disc shape. 

20. Lift the acetate onto a baking tray and place it into the fridge for 10 minutes. You may need to put another baking tray gently on top just to stop the chocolate from curling up as it sets (but this doesn’t really matter!)

21. Add the lemon whipped ganache into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer). Whisk on a medium speed until it reaches a medium stiff peak. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.

22. Pipe a few dollops of the cream over the top of the cake, then remove your chocolate discs from the fridge, peeling off the acetate to reveal the discs. 

23. Gently press them onto the cream. The cake is now ready to serve. You can serve slices with more of the remaining cream.

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

by Matt Adlard

Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux

TIER 2

Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux

The showstopper! This style of dessert was made famous by pastry chef Cedric Grolet but no one ever seems to show you how to actually make them! The recipe has quite a few elements to prepare with a coffee cremeux, chocolate financier, recomposed streusel and a chocolate glaze. I’m a coffee snob, so I would always recommend using the freshest coffee you can get for the best flavour. If you don’t have the fancy coffee bean silicon mold, then feel free to freeze it in any small silicon mold you’ve got.

8-10
COFFEE BEANS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Coffee Beans

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 Financier
130g Double Cream
100g Egg Whites
50g Icing Sugar
40g Ground Almonds
40g Plain Flour
4g Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
50g Unsalted Butter
140g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)

Coffee Hazelnut Praline
220g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skinned
80g Pecans
12g Whole Coffee Beans
200g Sugar
50g Water
1 Vanilla Pod
Flakey Salt

Streusel
110g Light Brown Sugar
110g Ground Hazelnuts or Almonds
95g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Bicarbonate of Soda
1g Fine Sea Salt
110g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed

Recomposed Streusel
215g Streusel
50g Dark Chocolate (70%)
25g Unsalted Butter
70g Coffee Hazelnut Praline

Chocolate Glaze
350g 55% Chocolate
300g Cocoa Butter
30g Neutral Oil  

Cocoa Powder to Finish

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
35x25cm baking tray
Food processor
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Coffee bean silicon mold

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 35x25cm baking tray with soft butter and line it with parchment paper – alternatively use a silicon sponge roll mat. 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. 

8. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground almonds on top and whisk to combine.

9. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.

10. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.

11. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes.

12. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 1 hour. You can also freeze this.

13. For the coffee hazelnut praline, into a medium saucepan, add the sugar and water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 116C/240F on a digital thermometer. 

14. Once at temperature, pour in the hazelnuts, pecans, coffee beans and the beans from a fresh vanilla pod. 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 around 3-5 minutes. 

15. 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. 

16. 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. 

17. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients for the streusel. 

18. Mix on a low speed until the butter has broken down and the mixture is sandy in texture. 

19. Transfer this to a baking tray, lined with a silicon mat and spread it out. Place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

20. Place the chilled mixture into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After around 15 minutes it should be slightly golden around the edges. Remove it from the oven and stir it all together with a spatula then place it back in the oven to bake until it is an even golden colour. 

21. Once baked, allow it to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

22. For the recomposed streusel, add the chocolate, butter and praline into a bowl and place this over a pan of simmering water. Stir it together until the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Remove it from the heat. 

23. Tip in the cooled streusel and stir to combine. Ensure if there are any large pieces of streusel, that you crush them slightly so they are smaller, before adding them in. 

24. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and place a second sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to roll it relatively thin, then place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. 

25. To assemble the dessert, remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak in a stand mixer – avoid whipping it too stiff. Add the mixture into a piping bag. 

26. If your coffee bean silicon mold has a cutter, use this to cut the out inserts from the recomposed streusel and financier. Sandwich them together with a little bit of cremeux. If you don’t have a cutter, then you can use a sharp knife to cut the required shapes that will fit your coffee bean mold. You can also freeze this dessert in any silicon mold you have!

27. Take the coffee bean silicon mold (or any silicon mold) and pipe the cremeux into the mold, filling it up about ¾ of the way. Use a spatula to press the cremeux to the edges, then place the financier/streusel insert into the cremeux. Top up the mold if needed with cremeux and then smooth the top with a palette knife. Repeat this for all of the molds you have. Place the molds onto a tray and freeze them for at least 12 hours.  

28. Once frozen, remove them from the molds then place the desserts back in the freezer on a tray lined with a silicon mat for a further hour.

29. For the glaze, add the chocolate, cocoa butter and oil into a medium bowl. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and stir it until it is completely melted. 

30. The glaze needs to be at 45C/113F when you dip the desserts. Pour the mixture into a small, deep container that is just slightly larger than your dessert.

31. Remove one dessert at a time, and place a knife into the base. Dip the dessert into the so that it is covered right to the edge, then lift it up and hold it at a 45 degree angle until the dripping slows. Then lift it upright until it has set.

32. Dip a pastry brush back into the glaze and quickly brush this all around the bean to ‘rough’ it up slightly.

33. Finally, dust a thin layer of cocoa powder on top of the coffee bean then very quickly and carefully blow torch it to darken the cocoa powder slightly. Lift it onto a small serving dish.

34. Repeat this for all the remaining desserts, and then leave them in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight before serving.

by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Black Forest Swiss Roll

TIER 2

Black Forest Swiss Roll

Black Forest gâteau is one of my all-time favourites, and the mix of cream, fruit, and chocolate is exactly what a good Swiss roll should be about too! This version layers the chocolate sponge from Tier 1 with cherry jam, mascarpone cream, and finishes with a stunning chocolate glaze. Watch the video to help you master the perfect roll, and you’ll catch the little accident I had along the way 😅.

1
SWISS ROLL CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 Swiss Roll Cake

Mascarpone Vanilla Cream
4g Powdered Gelatin, 250 bloom
24g Cold water
400g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
130g Mascarpone
20g Icing/Powdered Sugar

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

Chocolate Glaze
160g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids, Chopped
370g Double/Heavy Cream
10g Unsalted Butter
10g Glucose or Honey

Cherry Jam To Fill

Special equipment

Hand blender
39x27cm baking tray.
Electric hand whisk
Stand mixer
Piping bag
St Honore nozzle

Method

Mascarpone Vanilla Cream

1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and set to one side for 5 minutes to bloom.

2. Into a tall jug, add the mascarpone and set this to one side.

3. Pour 330g of cream into a small saucepan, along with the sugar and the beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod. 

4. Place this over a medium heat, stirring until the mixture is steaming.

5. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the mascarpone. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin, and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

6. Finally, pour in the remaining 70g of cold cream and blend again. Pour the mixture onto a deep baking tray and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. 

7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. 

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. 

Assembly 

1. Once the sponge has cooled, flip it out of the tray and gently peel off the parchment paper. Then carefully flip the sponge over onto a large, clean sheet of parchment paper, so that the smooth top side (the side that wasn’t touching the tray during baking) is facing down.

2. Position the sponge with the long edge facing you. Choose one of the short ends—either the left or right edge—and slice off a thin piece at a 45-degree angle using a serrated knife. This angled cut makes it easier to start the roll neatly and helps it tuck in smoothly. Then, at the opposite end, score three lines, about 1cm/0.4”  apart, being very careful not to cut through the sponge.

3. Take a few tablespoons of cherry jam and spread this evenly across the sponge using a palette knife.

4. Then, remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge, and scoop half of it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the remaining half back in the fridge to use later. 

5. Whisk the cream on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak. 

6. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream in a very even layer across the sponge, right to the edges. 

7. Starting from the short edge that you didn’t cut, begin to roll the sponge tightly using the parchment paper underneath to guide and lift the sponge as you go. Use firm but gentle pressure to keep the roll even and tight. Once fully rolled, wrap the parchment paper around the log. Then, place a flat tool like a bench scraper against the roll, and with your other hand, gently pull the loose end of the parchment paper. This will tighten the log and help create a more defined cylinder shape. Place the Swiss roll onto a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour, then into the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Chocolate Glaze 

1. Just before you remove the Swiss roll from the freezer, prepare the glaze, as we will use this immediately.

2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate and set this to one side. 

3. Add the cream and glucose (or honey) to a small saucepan. Note – if you are using a cream with a lower fat percentage (35% for example), you will need less cream, around 260g. 

4. Place this over a medium-low heat and stir until the mixture is steaming.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate, and add the butter on top.

6. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Avoid adding any air bubbles as you blend it.

7. Remove the Swiss roll from the freezer and place a wire rack over a tray to catch any excess glaze. To elevate the Swiss roll and allow the glaze to drip cleanly down the sides, set a few small ring molds under the roll so it sits slightly above the wire rack. This will keep the bottom from sticking and ensure an even coating all around.

8. Take the glaze and slowly pour it evenly all over the Swiss roll. 

9. Let the excess drip off and the glaze set for a few minutes before taking a small knife and wiping away any drips that have set on the underside of the cake. 

10. Use a large offset spatula to carefully lift the Swiss roll onto your serving plate, then with a sharp knife that has been heated, cut both ends of the Swiss roll to reveal the swirl. Clean up the plate to ensure a nice presentation. Leave this at room temperature for 30 minutes.

11. Take the remaining mascarpone cream and whisk it to a medium stiff peak. Add this into a piping bag fitted with a St Honore nozzle.

12. Pipe a zigzag of cream down the centre and serve.

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by Matt Adlard

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! 

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by Matt Adlard

Apple Pie

TIER 2

Apple Pie

A pastry chef once recommended adding cream cheese to a pie dough for extra tenderness and I have to say, I really love this dough! It is slightly technical as we are ‘laminating’ the pie dough to get it extra flakey, but it’s nothing like laminating a croissant so don’t panic! We use the same apple filling as Tier 1 and use it for a classic double crust apple pie. Serve with custard (and ice cream!).

1
9 inch pie

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Pie

Pie Dough
500g Plain/all-Purpose Flour
6g Fine Sea Salt
25g Caster/White Sugar
325g Unsalted Butter, Cold
80g Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Cold
100–150g Ice-cold water

Apple Filling
75g Unsalted Butter
1200g Pink Lady Apples (About 12 Apples)
110g Dark Muscovado Sugar
20g Caster/White Sugar
27g Cornstarch/Corn flour
¾ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
150–225g water (adjust based on desired consistency)
Lemon Juice
Flakey Sea Salt

To Finish
1 Egg, Whisked
Demerara Sugar

Special equipment

9-inch pie dish
Rolling pin

Method

Pie Dough

1. Add the flour, sugar & salt into a large bowl.

2. Add in the butter (cut into small cubes), and toss it in the flour to coat the pieces.

3. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour, squeezing each piece between your fingers to flatten them. 

4. Add in the cream cheese, and stir it through with your hands again to dissolve it into the flour mixture. 

5. Now, mix in the ice-cold water, starting with about half, and swirl your hands to mix the water into the dry ingredients. Keep adding water just until there are no more dry ingredients in the bowl. The amount of water you need will depend on the type of flour you use.

6. Lift the dough onto your work surface and pull it together with your hands into a rough square shape.

7. Flour your work surface and the top of the dough, and using a rolling pin, roll it into a long rectangle. The dough might want to stick, so use a bench scraper to get underneath the dough to loosen it. 

8. Fold one-third of the dough up, then fold the other third of the dough over the top of this. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

9. Repeat this laminating process two more times, rolling the dough into a rectangle and folding it on itself. Once you have performed the final fold, cut the dough in half, then wrap and chill the dough for at least 1.5 hours, or leave it overnight. 

Apple Filling

1. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into cubes – 2x2cm 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 large 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 pie 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. 

Assembly

1. Remove one half of the pie dough from the fridge, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rough circle, around 3-5mm thick.

2. Lift it into a 9” pie dish – you should have a 1” overhang of dough over the edge of the tin.

3. Scoop the cooled apple filling into the dough, pressing it down with a spatula to remove any air pockets.

4. Place the pie in the fridge.

5. Remove the second piece of dough from the fridge, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rough circle.

6. Remove the pie from the fridge and apply a light egg wash around the edge. 

7. Lift the second piece of dough on top, and using your fingers, firmly crimp the edges to seal the two pieces of dough together.

8. Using scissors, cut the excess dough away, leaving about a ¼” of dough around the edge.

9. Fold this excess dough underneath itself to create a thick rim.

10. Use your thumb and index finger on one hand to gently pinch the edge of the dough. With the index finger of your other hand, press into the pinched section to push the dough outward, creating a fluted edge. Continue this motion, crimping the entire crust of the pie. 

11. Place the pie into the fridge for 30 minutes. 

12. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 225C/435F non-fan assisted, and place a baking tray on the lower third rack of the oven. 

13. Once the pie is chilled, remove it from the fridge and brush an egg wash over the dough. 

14. Sprinkle a light dusting of demerara sugar on top, and then use a knife to cut 3 air vents in the centre of the pie.

15. Place it onto the pre-heated tray, and bake for 25 minutes.

16. Then, move the pie up to the middle shelf of the oven and lower the temperature to 180C/355F. Bake for a further 60-70 minutes. 

17. The pie will darken quite quickly, so you will most likely need to cover the top of the pie with a sheet of foil for the final 30-45 minutes to prevent it from burning. 

18. Once baked, the pie should be a deep golden colour, and the filling should be bubbling up slightly.

19. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. It will still be warm, with a soft, and runny center. But for cleaner slices, allow it to cool completely or even chill it in the fridge—then reheat individual slices as needed.

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Multigrain Bloomer

TIER 2

Multigrain Bloomer

In Tier 2 we are looking at the importance of soaking seeds in dough. Seeds suck up a lot of moisture so it’s important to pre-soak them before they go into the dough to ensure they don’t draw out moisture from the bread itself, making it dry. The final loaf is proofed in a banneton basket, and then baked in a cast iron dutch oven which gives a really rustic, bakery style finish. This bread is heartier and is great for toast and eggs!

1
LOAF

Ingredients

Makes 1 Loaf

Poolish
150g Strong White Bread Flour
150g Water
1.5g Fresh Yeast / 0.75g Instant Dry Yeast

Soaker
10g Rolled Oats
5g Poppy Seeds
35g Mixed Seeds (Pumpkin, Linseed, Sunflower)
60g Boiling Water

Dough
120g Wholemeal Flour
230g Strong White Bread Flour
1g Fresh Yeast/0.5g Instant Dry Yeast
12g Salt
15g Unsalted Butter. Room Temperature
120g Water

Special equipment

Stand mixer
500g Wood Pulp Banneton Basket
Bread scorer
Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Digital thermometer (optional)

Method

Poolish

1. Into a small bowl, add the water and yeast. Stir this until the yeast has completely dissolved. 

2. Tip in the flour and mix to form a smooth paste. Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for 12 hours, by which point it should be very bubbly on top. 

Soaker

1. Add all the seeds into a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Set it aside at room temperature for 12 hours. 

Dough 

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the poolish, soaked seeds, and remaining dough ingredients. 

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 doesn’t have a lot of yeast, so it will need 2.5-3 hours to rise at room temperature, until doubled in size. 

5. Once proofed, lightly flour your work surface, and scoop the dough, smooth side down, onto the flour. 

6. 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. 

7. 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.

8. Roll the sealed dough lightly in some flour, then lift it into your floured banneton basket. Pinch the seam together when it is in the basket if needed.

9. Lightly flour the top of the dough and cover the basket with a tea towel. Proof for another 2.5-3 hours. It should puff up above the rim of the basket – see the video as a visual cue! 

10. 45 minutes before the dough is ready, pre-heat the oven to 230C/445F non-fan assisted, with a cast iron pan (with the lid on) in the centre.

11. When the dough is proofed, carefully flip it out onto a circle of parchment paper, and then use a razor blade to score the dough lengthways. 

12. Remove the cast iron pan from the oven and being very careful, lift the dough into the pan. Drop a few small ice cubes at the side of the pan, place the lid back on top, and get it straight into the oven.

13. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid of the cast iron pot and lower the oven temperature to 190C/375F and bake for a further 15 minutes. It should be a golden brown colour, and a digital thermometer inserted into the centre will read 90C/195F or just above. 

14. Remove it from the cast iron pan and lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least an hour before slicing it. 

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Berry Charlotte Cake

TIER 2

Berry Charlotte Cake

In Tier 2 we take the precision of the ladyfingers to another level, using them to decorate the outside of this berry charlotte cake. When piping them, we want to get them as neat and as even as possible so making the Tier 1 tiramisu is a great place to build your confidence. The charlotte cake has a light berry mousse, with two layers of the lady fingers covered in raspberry jam, and it’s finished with a smooth mascarpone cream. This is frozen overnight and takes a little while to defrost, so keep those timings in mind!

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)
Caster/White Sugar To Coat

Berry Bavarois Mousse
6g Gelatin Powder (220-250 Bloom) + 36g Cold Water (or 2 Sheets of Gelatin, soaked)
75g Egg Yolks
30g Caster/White Sugar
50g Whole Milk
300g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
250g Fruit Puree (Raspberry or Strawberry)
400g Double/Heavy Cream (B)

Mascarpone Cream
3g Powdered Gelatin + 18g Cold Water (or 1 Gelatin Sheet, Soaked)
250g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
100g Mascarpone
15g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Double/Heavy Cream (B), Cold

To Assemble
Crushed Pistachios
Raspberry/Strawberry Jam
Fresh Strawberries/Raspberries, Sliced

Special equipment

10mm round tip nozzle
Piping bag
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
7” ring mold
1M star tip nozzle

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 paper, each 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 another baking sheet and draw two 7” circles on baking paper. Flip this upside down.

4. Take a small round tip nozzle (10mm) and put 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. 

5. 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.

6. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (room temperature) along with the salt. 

7. 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).

8. 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. 

9. 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. 

10. Add the remaining meringue in 2-3 parts, gently folding it through to ensure you don’t beat out too much air.

11. Once smooth, sift over the remaining flour (B) and fold through until there are no more lumps. 

12. Add the mixture into your piping bag and let it rest for a few minutes; this will just make it slightly easier to pipe. 

13. Using the guides on your baking tray, pipe two large 7” circles and then individual lines for the lady fingers. You will need 25-30 lady fingers, depending on the size of the ring mold you are using for the mousse. The more you can make, the better! But remember, they need to be baked immediately or the meringue will begin to collapse. 

14. Once piped, sprinkle a thin coating of caster/white sugar over the top. 

15. Place them directly into the oven and bake until a deep golden brown colour.

Note – as we are baking multiple trays of ladyfingers and sponge discs for the charlotte cake, the placement in the oven affects browning. The top tray will turn golden first because it’s directly exposed to the heat from the top of the oven, while the lower trays are shielded, preventing them from browning properly. We don’t care about the 7” disc brownings, but we need both sets of lady fingers to be golden, so rotate the trays halfway through baking, bringing the lower trays to the top and vice versa. Just do it very very quickly, so we don’t deflate the lady fingers. 

16. Bake everything for around 30 minutes, being sure not to underbake the lady fingers especially. They need to be firm to the touch. What I like to do is pop the 7” circles back in the oven just to get them slightly more golden. 

17. Remove them from the oven and then allow them to cool at room temperature. Leave the 7” discs out at room temperature but freeze the remaining lady fingers in a sealed tupperware as we won’t need these until the next day. 

18. 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. 

Berry Bavarois Mousse

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small bowl and pour the cold water over the top. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. If using a gelatin sheet, soak this in ice-cold water. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk briefly to combine.

3. Meanwhile, add the cream and milk to a medium saucepan and heat just until it is steaming.

4. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine.

5. Pour it back into the pan and whisk constantly, cooking until it reaches 82C/180F on a digital thermometer, then immediately remove it from the heat. You need to do this quickly or it will begin to scramble. 

6. Pour it straight through a sieve into a tall measuring jug.

7. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin powder (or squeeze the water out of the gelatin sheet), and then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. 

8. Pour in the fruit puree and blend to combine. 

9. Pour this mixture into a tray and cover the surface with cling film. We need this to cool to around 30C/86F on a digital thermometer, so refrigerating it can be the quickest way to chill it. 

10. Once at temperature, add the remaining cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed until you have a medium stiff peak. 

11. Pour the chilled fruit mixture into a bowl, and then whisk in the whipped cream in 3 parts until you have a smooth mousse. 

Assembly Part 1

1. Take the cooled 7” savaordi biscuit discs and, using your 7” ring mold, trim them down to size. 

2. Line the inside of the 7” cake ring mold with acetate and place this onto a tray lined with a baking mat.

3. Take a few tablespoons of jam and spread this evenly across each disc, then place one into the base of the ring mold.

4. Take the berry bavarois mousse and fill the ring mold up halfway.

5. Add the second savoiardi disc.

6. Pour the remaining mousse in, filling it to the top of the rind mold. It should settle evenly, but if it needs it, flatten it with a palette knife.

7. Place this into the freezer, ideally overnight, but a minimum of 6 hours. 

Mascarpone Cream

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small bowl and pour the cold water over the top. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. If using a gelatin sheet, soak this in ice cold water. 

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and heat until it is steaming.

3. Remove it from the heat, and add the bloomed gelatin into a tall measuring jug and pour over the hot cream.

4. Blend to combine, then add the sugar and mascarpone and blend again. 

5. Finally, add the remaining cold cream and blend one more time.

6. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Note – there is no vanilla in this, but you can absolutely add it, if you want that flavour! Add it to the cream when you are heating it.

Assembly Part 2

1. Remove the frozen berry bavarois from the freezer, and lift it onto your serving dish. Peel off the acetate.

2. Leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes – 1 hour to soften, this will make it easier to stick the lady fingers on. Alternatively, you can use a heat gun/blow torch to warm the sides and press the lady fingers on.

3. Once the edges have softened slightly, remove the lady fingers from the freezer, and then trim them down slightly so they are all of identical height. You can also use a microplane to lightly shave the edges to get them nice and straight. 

4. Press them into the side of the cake – just note that the longer you leave them on the cake, the softer they will become. So if you want them to be a bit more crunchy, then it is best to place them on the cake just as you are serving. But note the cake needs quite some time to defrost! 

5. Remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge and add it to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

6. Whisk on a medium speed until it holds a medium peak, being careful not to over whip it.

7. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip nozzle.

8. Pipe a spiral border around the edge of the cake. 

9. Finish the cake by decorating it with some crushed pistachios and freshly sliced fruit. 

10. The cake needs around 3-4 hours in total once removed from the freezer to defrost so just take those timings into consideration before serving. 

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by Matt Adlard

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! 

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Sachertorte

TIER 2

Raspberry Sacher Torte

This is a new and improved version of my original Sachertorte. It has 2 layers of chocolate financier (which is delicious baked on its own too!), with a layer of raspberry compote in the centre. We then sandwich that in a chocolate mousse which uses a pâte à bombe base. The whole thing is frozen and finished with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze. I’d recommend a good quality hand blender for this glaze, to avoid adding too many air bubbles.

7"
CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 7-inch Cake

Chocolate Financier
210g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Icing Sugar
60g Ground Almonds
60g Plain Flour
6g Baking Powder
1g Fine Sea Salt
150g Egg Whites (Room Temperature)
195g Double/Heavy Cream

Raspberry Compote
180g Raspberry Puree
40g Caster/White Sugar
3g Pectin Nh
15g Lemon Juice

Chocolate Mousse
90g Egg Yolks
45g Whole Eggs
70g Caster/White Sugar
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
(a) 150g Cream (35-48% Fat)
(b) 275g Cream (35-48% Fat)

Chocolate Glaze
200g Dark Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
240g Cream (35-40% Fat) – Ideally we want a cream that is lower in fat here as it will make the glaze more fluid. I used 39% fat.
40g Soft, Unsalted Butter
20g Raspberry Liqueur (Optional) 

Special equipment

9×13” baking tray
6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
7″ ring mold

Method

Chocolate Financier

1. Take a 9×13” baking tray, and lightly grease the bottom, lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted. 

2. Into a small bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until it has completely melted and then set it to one side to cool slightly.

3. Into a medium bowl, add the icing sugar, ground almonds, salt, flour, and baking powder. Whisk these together until they are combined.

4. Pour in the egg whites and whisk again until smooth.

5. Pour in the cream and whisk until smooth.

6. Finally, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture while whisking, until you have a thick chocolate batter. 

7. Pour the batter into the lined tray and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.

8. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and then remove and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, before refrigerating for 2-3 hours – chilling it will make it easier to cut without falling apart! 

Raspberry Compote

1. If you don’t have raspberry puree, you can simply blend 180g of fresh raspberries and use that.

2. Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan and place it on a medium low heat.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and pectin. 

4. Once the puree is steaming, whisk in the pectin sugar mixture and keep cooking until it reaches a boil. 

5. Remove it from the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice.

6. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 

Assembly Part 1

1. Once the financier has chilled, use a 6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold to cut two discs. If you don’t have enough space to cut two full discs, you can cut a second disc, and then cut some scraps and press the cake together slightly. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have a ring mold this exact size, you just want something smaller than the ‘main’ 7” ring mold that we are using later. This is the insert layer that gets sandwiched in between the chocolate mousse.

Note – we will need the spare financier scraps later to decorate the cake so set them to one side. When you have a moment, very briefly blend them to a crumb, then get them onto a tray and into the freezer to use later. 

2. Lift one of the discs into the bottom of the 6.3” ring mold, which is on a tray lined with a silicon baking mat. 

3, Remove the raspberry puree from the fridge and stir it to loosen it.

4. Pour this into the ring mold and spread it to the edges so that you have an even layer.

5. Place the second chocolate sponge on top and gently sandwich it together. 

6. Place the ring into the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.

Chocolate Mousse

1. The key to this mousse is ensuring that the temperatures are correct otherwise, it could split or go grainy. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this until melted, then turn off the heat, but keep it on the water so it stays warm & fluid.

3. Then, add the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. 

4. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk by hand until it reaches around 60C/140F on a digital thermometer. 

5. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, place it onto a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed.

6. Meanwhile, add the cream (a) into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat, stirring until it is steaming. 

7. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over your melted chocolate, then use a hand blender to emulsify them together. 

8. At this point we need to check the temperatures of both ingredients. The chocolate/cream needs to be between 40-50C (104-122F) and the egg yolk mixture needs to be between 20-25C (68-77F) when we combine them. This will ensure they combine properly.

9. If you find one is colder than the other, just gently stir it over a pan of very gently simmering water.

10. Once both components are at temperature, gently fold the egg yolk mixture (which will have thickened) into the chocolate in three parts until smooth. Set this bowl to one side.

11. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining cream (b). Whisk this until it forms medium soft peaks, do not overwhip it.

12. Take the soft cream and fold it into the chocolate base in three parts until you have a smooth mousse.

13. Take a 7” ring mold and tightly wrap the bottom with clingfilm (you can line it with acetate if you want – this will just make it slightly easier to demold). Place it onto a tray lined with a baking mat.

14. Scoop a small portion of the chocolate mousse into the ring mold, then remove the raspberry/chocolate insert from the freezer. Pop it out of the ring mold and press it into the chocolate mousse.

15. Top up the rest of the ring mold with the chocolate mousse, using a palette knife to completely smooth the top. You may have a little extra chocolate mousse – get this into some ramekins and chill it to have a nice dessert later!

16. Place the entire dessert into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours, until frozen solid.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Once the glaze is ready we are going to pour it immediately over the cake so be prepared with the frozen cake nearby and a rack ready to pour it on. It can help to demold the mousse from the ring mold, then place it back in the freezer so when you are ready to glaze you don’t need to faff around getting it out of the mold. 

2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate.

3. Add the cream into a small saucepan, and gently stir it until it is steaming. 

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate.

5. Let it sit for a minute, then use a hand blender to blend it until smooth. Really try to avoid adding any air bubbles here.

6. Add in the soft butter and raspberry liqueur (optional) and blend again until smooth.

7. Remove the frozen mousse from the freezer and place it onto a glass, with a tray and wire rack underneath.

8. Pour the glaze evenly over the entire cake.

9. The glaze will set quickly, so once it has stopped dripping, use a knife to just trim away the drips.

10. Remove the blended-up crumbs from the freezer and press these into the bottom of the cake.

11. Then carefully lift it onto your serving plate. You might damage it slightly lifting it up/moving it, so just patch up any bits with more blended crumb!

12. Let it defrost for 2 hours at room temperature, then serve. 

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by Matt Adlard

Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake

TIER 2

Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake

We don’t use coffee often in Bake It Better, but it’s a flavour I absolutely love! A classic burnt Basque cheesecake is usually made without a biscuit base, but here, we’re taking it up a notch with our own homemade chocolate biscuit base. I’ve also included some great techniques to give the cheesecake a more refined finish—less rustic than most recipes! If coffee isn’t your thing, feel free to skip the espresso and coffee beans and swap in fresh vanilla instead!

1
9" CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Cheesecake

Chocolate Cookie Base
70g Unsalted Butter, Cubed & Cold
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
45g Ground Almonds
35g Caster/White Sugar
1g Baking Powder
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes

Coffee Cheesecake
450g Double/Heavy Cream + extra
45g Coffee Beans, Whole
880g Cream Cheese
265g Caster Sugar
38g Plain Flour
290g Whole Eggs, Whisked Together
25g Freshly Brewed Espresso

Special equipment

9” springform/loose bottom cake tin
Stand mixer
Hand blender
Food processor

Method

Chocolate Cookie Base

1. Take a 9” springform/loose bottom cake tin, and lightly grease the base and sides. Place a circle of parchment along the bottom and a strip around the side.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can do this with your hands), add all of the ingredients. 

3. With the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed until it resembles a crumble-like texture and the butter has broken down. If doing this by hand, just rub the mixture between your fingers.

4. Remove the mixture from the bowl and tip it into the base of the cake tin. Use your hands to press it flat into the tin – it will be quite dry/dusty initially, but pressing it down will help form it into a dough. Then use the back of a flat glass to press it firmly down.

5. Place the tin into the freezer, while you pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted. 

6. Put the tin into the oven and bake the base for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

7. Once it has cooled, lay a few large sheets of foil underneath the pan – we will need these later!

Coffee Cheesecake

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and whole coffee beans. Place the lid on the pan and place it on a medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn the heat off and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 210C/410F fan-assisted. 

3. Remove the lid and pour the mixture into a tall jug, then use a hand blender to blend for about 30 seconds.

4. Pour the mixture through a sieve and into a bowl on a scale. You will have lost some weight due to evaporation, so you need to top up the mixture with more fresh double/heavy cream, until it weighs 365g. 

5. Into a food processor or blender, add the cream cheese, flour, and sugar. Blend on a low speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth. We’re trying to avoid adding in too much air so it is important to do this on a low speed. Scrape down the mixture a few times to ensure it incorporates properly.

6. Pour in the eggs and blend until combined on a low speed. Scrape down the food processor when/if needed.

7. Finally, pour in the coffee cream and freshly brewed coffee and blend on low until combined. Scrape down the food processor and blend again. 

8. Give the bowl a very firm tap on the work surface to get rid of any excess bubbles, then pour the mixture, through a sieve, straight over the biscuit base. 

9. Take two tea towels, and soak them in water. Fold them into a neat rectangle shape and then wrap them around the outside of the tin. Then, take the foil that you laid down, and wrap this up and around the tea towels (to stop them from burning!)

10. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes. The cheesecake should be dark on top, with a very significant wobble when you gently shake the tray. About ¾ of the cheesecake should wobble. If you think the cheesecake is done, but maybe you want it a little darker on top, you can put it under a hot grill just for a minute or two to add some colour. For me, I found 36 minutes was perfect.

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, before refrigerating overnight. It’s important to let it chill overnight to really set the cheesecake. 

12. The next day, remove it from the tin, and then use a hot knife to cut slices.

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by Matt Adlard

Salted Caramel Cookies

TIER 2

Salted Caramel Cookies

In Tier 2 we step things up by adding a brown sugar streusel and salted caramel to the basic cookie dough recipe. The roasted hazelnuts in the dough add an amazing flavour, and the texture combination of this with the streusel and salted caramel is next level! The salted caramel centre can be swapped out for other fillings too – ganache, lemon cremeux, hazelnut praline etc!

8
COOKIES

Ingredients

Makes 8 Cookies

Hazelnut Sablé
350g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
190g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
120g Icing/Powdered Sugar
45g Ground Hazelnuts (or Almonds)
1g Fine Sea Salt
65g Whole Eggs

Streusel
60g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed
60g Light Brown Sugar
75g Ground Almonds/Hazelnuts
60g Plain/All Purpose Flour
Pinch of Sea Salt
Zest ¼ Lemon

Salted Caramel
175g Double/Heavy Cream
45g Whole Milk
135g Liquid Glucose Syrup, Divided
80g Caster/White Sugar
2g Flakey Sea Salt
60g Unsalted Butter

Special equipment

78mm Tart Ting
50mm Cookie Cutter
Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Silcon mats (optional)
Piping bags (optional)

Method

Salted Caramel

1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and 45 grams of corn/glucose syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking the mixture to ensure the syrup has fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat but ensure the mixture stays warm.

2. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the superfine/caster sugar and the remaining 45 grams of glucose sugar. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel colour, whisking slowly to help disperse the sugar.

3. Once golden, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently. Whisk the mixture and cook for 1 minute.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve and into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes. Add the sea salt flakes and butter. Blend or whisk until smooth. 

5. Pour the mixture into a container and leave at room temperature.

Streusel

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients. 

2. Mix on a low speed until the butter has broken down and the mixture is sandy in texture. This will take a few

3. Transfer this to a baking tray and place it into the freezer while you make the sablé. 

Hazelnut Sablé

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients except the egg. 

2. Pour in the whole egg and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then stop the mixer and use your hands to squeeze the dough together to form a dough.

3. Place the dough in between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper, and using a rolling pin, roll it to around 7mm/0.25” thick. 

4. Place this in the freezer for 20 minutes.

5. Once chilled, work quickly and use the 78mm tart ring to cut out discs, then cut the middle of the dough out with a 50mm cookie cutter to leave you with donut shape. Place these onto a tray lined with parchment paper, ensuring you keep the tart rings around the outside of the dough. Place these back into the freezer for 15 minutes, meanwhile preheat your oven to 160C/320F Non-fan assisted. 

6. Place the dough into the oven and bake for 12 minutes – it should turn a very light golden colour. 

7. Once baked, let them cool for a few minutes before pressing the sables out of the tart ring and letting them cool completely.

8. Use the same tart ring and place it back onto the baking tray. Add a few tablespoons of the chilled streusel and press it down with the back of a spoon so you have an even layer.

9. Take the chilled hazelnut sablé and press this on top of the streusel, it should fit snugly into the tart ring. You need to make sure the sablé is touching the streusel. (If you find it won’t touch – when it is baking, it will soften, so after a few minutes you can press it down while it is in the oven).

10. Place the cookies into the oven and bake for around 20 minutes, or until they are a golden colour. 

11. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before pressing them out of the tart rings.

12. Ensure the caramel is a soft, almost runny honey-like texture, and pipe this into the centre of the biscuits. The caramel will be soft and runny if served immediately but will thicken the longer they sit at room temperature.

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Pandoro

TIER 2

Pandoro

In Tier 2 we are really stepping things up with a Pandoro – the iconic 8 pointed star Italian bread. This is a challenging dough that requires a high protein flour to handle the high levels of fat and sugar in the dough. Similarly to the Kugelhopf , this dough is flavoured with lemon and orange zest, with a beautiful enriched yellow crumb once baked. There is a lot of fermentation and proofing in this recipe, so really set aside some time to tackle this!

2
750G LOAVES

Ingredients

Makes 2 750g Loaves

1st Dough
615g Manitoba Flour (or Pannetone Flour)
0.8g Fresh Yeast/0.4g Instant Dry Yeast
340g Whole Eggs
125g Unsalted Butter, Cubed & Slightly Soft

Butter Mixture
150g Unsalted Butter, Soft
105g Caster Sugar
10g Honey
Zest ½ Lemon
Zest 1 Orange
Beans from 1 Vanilla Pod

2nd Dough
170g Manitoba Flour (or Pannetone Flour)
125g Caster/White Sugar
45g Whole Milk
8.5g Fine Sea Salt
85g Egg Yolks
19g Fresh Yeast/9.5g Instant Dry Yeast
Butter Mixture (Above)

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Dough scraper
Pandoro tins
Digital thermometer

Method

1st Dough

Note – this dough needs a long proof so it is best to do it at night so that it can proof overnight, then you’ll be ready to make the 2nd dough the next day.

1. Into a stand mixer, add the eggs and yeast, and whisk to combine. 

2. Add in the flour and attach the dough hook. Mix on a medium low speed, until the flour has completely absorbed the wet ingredients. Once it has absorbed them, continue to knead for a minute on a low speed. 

3. While mixing on a medium low speed, add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time. Allow the butter to incorporate before adding the next few pieces.

4. As soon as the butter has all been incorporated, continue to knead for 1 minute. We are not looking to develop the dough too much so remove it from the mixer and gently work it on your work surface, shaping it into a rough ball.

5. Lift the dough into a large container or bowl, ideally with measurements on the side so that you can see how much the dough has risen.

6. Cover the bowl tightly and proof at room temperature for 12 hours or until the dough has tripled in volume. 

Butter Mixture

1. The next day, add all the ingredients for the butter mixture into a stand mixer, and attach the paddle attachment. Beat on a medium speed until it is smooth and homogenous. Set this to one side at room temperature.

2nd Dough

1. Now that the 1st dough has tripled in size, it is ready to use. 

2. Into a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Add the milk into a small jug too. 

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add half of the 1st dough, along with the yeast.

4. Add ¼ of the sugar/flour mixture and mix on a low speed. Drizzle in ¼ of the milk. Knead on a low speed until all the dry ingredients are completely absorbed.

5. Repeat this process, adding the sugar/flour mixture in increments along with the milk. Ensure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated each time.

6. Once you have a homogenous dough, add the remaining half of the first dough and knead on a low speed for a minute.

7. Add in the salt and knead for a minute. 

8. With the mixer still on low, alternate adding the egg yolks and butter mixture (above) in about 4 additions per ingredient. You need to ensure that the egg yolks are completely incorporated before adding the butter, and the butter is incorporated before adding the next part of egg yolks. Be patient here, waiting about 45 seconds in between each addition.

9. Once these have been incorporated and there are no streaks of egg yolks or butter, increase the speed to medium, and knead for around 10 minutes or until the dough is completely smooth and passes the windowpane test (where you stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers and it creates a windowpane without tearing).

10. Lift the dough out of the mixer, shape it into a tight ball, and lift it into a lightly oiled bowl. Allow it to proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.

11. After 30 minutes, using a dough scraper, split the dough into two equal 750g portions (you might have a little extra dough).

12. Use a dough scrape to shape each piece of dough into a tight ball.

13. Ensure your 750g Pandoro tins are lightly buttered and floured, and carefully lift the dough balls into the tins, smooth side down (so the smooth, top side of the dough should be against the bottom of the tin).

14. Loosely cover the top of the tins with clingfilm, and proof them for 4-6 hours at room temperature or until the dough has risen to just below the lip of the tin.

15. Before they are ready, pre-heat the oven to 170C/340F Non-Fan Assisted. 

16. When the dough has proofed, place the tins into the oven, and bake for 50-60 minutes. The dough needs to register a temperature of at least 95C/203F on a digital thermometer. After about 25 minutes of baking, cover the top with a sheet of foil to stop it from darkening too much. 

17. Once at temperature, remove the tins from the oven and allow the Pandoro to cool for 30 minutes in the tin, before flipping them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

18. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Gâteaux Basque

TIER 2

Gâteaux Basque

Using the same idea of working with a high fat, high butter dough, in Tier 2 we work with a pastry that is very similar to a Sablé Breton. The dough is rolled, almost like a deep dish cookie pie, and filled with cherry jam and pastry cream. It’s traditionally finished by decorating it with the stripes of a fork and baked until golden. Most recipes say to cool it completely, but I really prefer it slightly warm as I think it has a much better texture!

1

TART (SERVES 8-10)

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Servings

For the Pastry
125g Egg Yolks
250g Caster/White Sugar
1g Salt
375g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2.5g Baking Powder
20g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Lemon Zest
250g Unsalted Butter, Very Soft & Cubed

Egg Wash
1 Egg Yolk

For the Pastry Cream
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
70g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Black Cherry Jam To Fill (or your favourite jam)

Special equipment

20 x 3.2 cm Tart Ring
Stand Mixer
Silicon Baking Mat
Rolling Pin

Method

Pastry

1. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set this to one side.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Whisk on a medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is thick and light in colour.

3. Add in the sifted dry ingredients, along with the soft butter (in small cubes). Mix with a paddle attachment just until it pulls together into a smooth dough. This won’t take long.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly until smooth, then shape it into 2 equal discs and wrap it in clingfilm. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream

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. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, spread it out and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Spreading it thin will help it to chill faster. 

Assembly

1. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat, and lightly butter the inside of your tart ring. Place this into the centre. 

2. Once the pastry discs have chilled, remove one from the fridge. Briefly massage the dough in your hand to soften it slightly. Place it onto a lightly floured work surface. 

3. Roll the dough out into a rough circle, until it is around 5mm/0.19” thick. Cut a disc around 23cm/9” and quickly but carefully lift the disc into your tart ring.

4. Lightly flour your fingers and gently press the dough into all edges of the tart ring. There should be a slight overhang of dough over the edge of the tart ring. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess so that the dough is now flush with the edge of the ring. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

5. Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and spread 3-4 tbsp of your desired jam over the bottom of the pastry so that you have a thin, even layer.

6. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and add it into a bowl. Whisk it by hand until it is smooth and homogenous

7. Pour the pastry cream directly into the tart shell and use the back of a spoon to spread this out evenly across the tart. Place this back in the fridge briefly.

8. Remove the second disc of pastry from the fridge and again use your hands to lightly massage it so that it softens slightly.

9. Place this onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rough disc, until it is around 5mm/0.19” thick.

10. Remove the tart ring from the fridge and lift the circle of dough directly on top. Then use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the pastry, pressing it against the edges of the tin, to very neatly trim off the excess pastry. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.

11. Just before it is chilled. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F fan assisted, or 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

12. Whisk an egg yolk, then brush this evenly over the top of the pastry using a pastry brush.

13. Using a fork, trace 4 sets of parallel lines with a fork, then turn the mould 1/4 turn and trace 4 more sets of parallel lines perpendicular to the first sets of lines. This will result in a diamond-shaped crosshatch pattern. Prick a few small holes in the pastry too, to help any steam escape as it bakes.

14. Place the tart directly into the oven, and bake for 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 150C/300F Fan assisted (165/330F Non-fan assisted) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until a deep golden colour.

15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. I prefer to eat it slightly warm, so I allow it to cool for around 75-90 minutes but it can also be eaten once it has completely cooled to room temperature too.

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by Matt Adlard

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.

12-14

COOKIES

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

TIER 2

Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

In this recipe we take our homemade raspberry jam from tier 1 and spread it on a Páte Brisée pastry case. Then we fill it with an almond frangipane and delicately decorate it with a pattern of flaked almonds. I usually fill my desserts with almond cream instead of frangipane, but the addition of pastry cream really improves the texture and adds even more flavour to the dessert.

 

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Tart

Pâte Brisée
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
50g Cold Water
3g Sea Salt

Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
½ Fresh Vanilla Bean Pod
35g Caster/White sugar
60g Egg Yolks
20g Cornstarch/Cornflour
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Cold Unsalted Butter

Frangipane
165g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
165g Caster/White Sugar
Zest ½ Lemon
130g Whole Egg, Lightly Whisked Together
165g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Sea Salt
85g Pastry Cream, Cooled

To Fill & Finish
Raspberry Jam (Tier 1)
Flaked Almonds
Fresh Raspberries
Icing/Powdered Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicon mats
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag

Method

Pâte Brisée

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, flour and salt. Mix on a low speed until the butter has completely broken down into fine crumbs and there are no large chunks of butter. 

2. Slowly drizzle in the cold water and mix for a few seconds until it pulls together into a dough. 

3. Gently knead the dough into a disc on your work surface and wrap it in clingfilm, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, place it in between two silicon mats (or two sheets of parchment paper), and roll the dough into a rough disc that is around 3-5mm thick. 

5. Refrigerate the pastry again for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-fan Assisted. This is a good point to prepare your pastry cream. 

6. Peel the silicon mats/parchment paper off the pastry and ensure the dough is cold but flexible. If it is too cold it will break so just leave it for a few minutes to soften slightly if needed.

7. Lift the pastry into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring and use your hands to gently press it into the edges. Work quickly, being careful not to tear the pastry. 

8. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry off and place the tart shell back into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. 

9. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.

10. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour. 

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. 

Pastry Cream

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. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it for an hour. 

Frangipane

1. Into a stand mixer, add the soft butter, salt, lemon zest and sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low speed until slightly thicker and paler in texture.

2. Slowly drizzle in the eggs and beat for a further minute.

3. Finally, add in the ground almonds/almond flour and scoop in the required amount of cooled pastry cream. Beat until smooth. 

4. Add the mixture into a piping bag.

Assembly & Baking

1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Take the raspberry jam and spread a few tablespoons across the bottom of the cooled pastry. Make sure it is nice and even.

3. Next, pipe the frangipane evenly into the tart shell. Use a palette knife if needed to smooth it out.

4. Slice your fresh raspberries in half and press them gently into the frangipane.

5. Next, take your time, and evenly place the flaked almonds around the entire tart in a nice circular pattern. This is optional, you can simply sprinkle them on!

6. Place it into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it is an even golden colour all over.

7. Remove it from the oven, and at this point this filling will still be slightly soft, so let it cool for an hour at room temperature before serving. 

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by Matt Adlard

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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Latticed Pistachio Mille-Feuille

TIER 2

Latticed Pistachio Mille-Feuille

You guys know I love a Mille Feuille, and this filling combination has to be my favourite yet. It’s the same rough puff pastry recipe as Tier 1 (I don’t cover this again in the video for Tier 2), but we walk through how to bake it into the perfect Mille Feuille shape. Then we make a raspberry cremeux and a pistachio cremeux to fill it with, alongside a tangy raspberry coulis. The lattice top is optional, but creates a real show stopping design!

1
LARGE MILLE FEUILLE

Ingredients

Makes 1 Large Mille-Feuille

Rough Puff Pastry
250g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
5g Fine Sea Salt
120g Ice Cold Water
5g White Vinegar
200g Unsalted Butter, Very Cold & Cubed

Basic Cremeux
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Caster Sugar
5g Powdered Gelatin (200-250 Bloom) + 30g Cold Water

Pistachio Cremeux
240g Basic Cremeux
40g Pistachio Paste

Raspberry Cremeux
240g Basic Cremeux
100g Raspberry Puree

Raspberry Coulis

2g Powdered Gelatin (200-250 Bloom)
12g Cold Water
105g Raspberry Puree
105g Frozen Raspberries
5g Pectin NH
20g Caster Sugar

Icing Sugar To Decorate

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Digital calipers (optional)
Lattice pie cutter
Silicon mats
Baking trays
Piping bags

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).

Basic Cremeux/Pistachio Cremeux/Raspberry Cremeux

1. Add the pistachio paste and raspberry puree into two separate bowls and set these to one side.

 *Note –  Pistachio Paste is quite expensive so you can make it yourself. Just toast shelled pistachios in the oven for about 15 minutes at 170C/340F and then process them in а food processor. You will need to do this with about 300g of Pistachios or it won’t be enough for the blades of your food processor to pick up. It will take some time to blend them and you need a high powered food processor! 

2. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish and pour over the cold water. Allow this to bloom for 10 minutes. Once bloomed, scoop this into a large bowl with a sieve placed over the top. 

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk briefly to combine.

4. Add a splash of the cream just to prevent any lumps and whisk to combine.

5. Pour the entire mixture into a medium saucepan along with the cream. Place the pan on a medium heat and whisk constantly, The mixture needs to reach 80-82C. As you continue to cook it, you will see it thicken in the pan, just be really careful not to scramble the eggs.

6. Once at temperature, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through the sieve over the gelatin. Some of the egg might have caught on the bottom of the pan but don’t panic!

7. Use a hand blender to blend the mixture to ensure the gelatin has completely incorporated. 

8. The mixture should weigh around 480-500g so we’re going to split this equally between the two bowls. 

9. Pour around 240g of the mixture over the pistachio paste and blend it with a hand blender to completely emulsify it. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight (minimum of 6 hours)

10. For the raspberry, let the basic cremeux cool to around 40C/104F before pouring it over the puree. Blend with a hand blender to completely emulsify it. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight (minimum of 6 hours)

Raspberry Coulis

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish and pour over the cold water. Allow this to bloom for 10 minutes.

  •  

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set this to one side.

3. Add the frozen raspberries (they can be fresh too) and raspberry puree to a small saucepan. 

4. Cook them down until they reach around 40C/104F on a digital thermometer, then add in the sugar/pectin mixture. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches a boil. 

5. Remove the pan from the heat, scoop in the bloomed gelatin and stir it to dissolve it into the raspberry mixture.

6. Pour this into a bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours. 

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled puff pastry from the fridge and place it onto a floured work surface. 

2. 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 rectangle, flouring as needed to ensure it doesn’t stick.

3. We are going to bake this on a baking tray, so we just need to ensure the rectangle we roll isn’t bigger than the tray. We are more concerned about the thickness. It needs to be around 7.5” tall and 0.2”/5mm thick. 

4. Once you are at that thickness, you can use a pastry wheel or a knife, to trim the rectangle of pastry down so it fits perfectly on your tray.

5. Lift the dough onto a silicon mat and refrigerate it for 20 minutes. 

6. Once chilled, cutting vertically, cut off ⅓ of the rectangle, leaving the remaining ⅔ intact.

 7. Work quickly here so the dough stays cold (if not, chill it again. This part will be a disaster if the dough is too warm!), use a lattice pastry wheel cutter or a lattice cutter and cut the ⅓ of dough to create the lattice design. 

8. Get both the latticed strip of dough, and the other strip of dough into the fridge for another 20 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

9. Once it has chilled. Remove it from the fridge and place a second silicon mat on top, along with another tray and some extra weight! We need to weigh the top tray down as much as possible to stop the pastry from puffing up. I like to use more baking trays!

10. Place the tray of pastry into the oven on the middle shelf and bake it for 60 minutes.

11. After 60 minutes remove all the trays on top, and the pastry should be a light golden colour (if not place the trays back on and bake it for a little longer)

12. Place it back into the oven, uncovered, and bake until it is golden brown.

13. Remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220C/430F.

14. Dust the puff pastry liberally with icing/powdered sugar and then place it back in the oven, closer to the top shelf this time.

15. Keep a very close eye on it and bake it until the sugar has caramelised and the pastry is a deep, shiny golden colour. Be really careful not to burn it. It can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes. 

16. You will find the lattice probably caramelises quicker than the other piece of pastry so you can remove this early.

17. Get both onto a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes.

18. Using a serrated knife trim down the latticed piece of pastry into a neat rectangle. Then cut the other piece of pastry into two, and then trim each of those pieces down so they match the exact size of the lattice pastry.

Final Assembly 

1. Add the chilled raspberry coulis into a tall jug, and with a hand blender, blend it to a smooth mixture. Add this into a piping bag and set it to one side.

2. Whisk both the raspberry and pistachio cremeux using a stand mixer until they are thick and hold a stiff peak. The pistachio cremeux will whisk up thicker than the raspberry cremeux, so don’t worry if the raspberry is slightly softer.

3. Add these into separate piping bags fitted with large round tip piping nozzles. 

4. Pipe three lines of the pistachio cremeux onto the base of the plain, non latticed pieces of puff pastry. There should be one line on each outer edge and one in the centre. It’s important the pistachio is on the outside to provide support, as the raspberry cremeux would be too soft to support the weight of the layers.

5. Pipe the raspberry cremeux into the gaps and then pipe 2 lines of raspberry coulis on top.

6. Dust icing sugar diagonally across the top of the latticed pastry, using a flat object to cover one side of the pastry. 

7. Carefully stack and assemble the mille-feuille, finishing the latticed piece on top. It is now ready to serve. If you need to serve it later, ensure you keep it refrigerated so the cremeux doesn’t soften too much at room temperature. 

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

TIER 2

Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

In Tier 2 we make a Bake It Better first – raspberry pastry! I tested this a few times and am really happy with the result. We fill this with a raspberry soufflé and garnish with fresh raspberries. It’s actually the pastry element of this recipe that makes this the Tier 2 recipe – the beauty of adding soufflé to a tart is there’s no pressure on the rise! So once you’ve mastered the pastry, it’s plain sailing!

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Individual Tartlets

Raspberry Pastry
75g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (small cubes)
50g Icing Sugar
4g Powdered Raspberry Powder
38g Egg Yolks
150g Plain/AP Flour
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base
120g Raspberry Puree
10g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sugar

 – Meringue Base
75g Raspberry Base
80g Egg Whites
50g Caster Sugar

Fresh Raspberries To Fill + Garnish

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicone mats
4x 7.5cm x 2cm perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter OR a ruler
Digital thermometer
Piping bags

Method

Raspberry Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter and then sift over the raspberry powder, icing sugar and red food powder. With the paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed for 2 minutes or until the butter is smooth. As the butter is cold you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure it is completely incorporated. 

2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again for around 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl again to ensure it’s all incorporated.

3. Finally, sift in the flour, scrape the bottom of the bowl just to loosen the butter stuck on the bottom, and then mix again on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough, about 20-30 seconds.

4. Scoop the dough out and place it onto a large silicone mat and place a second silicone mat on top. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is around 3-5mm thick, don’t worry too much about the shape.

5. Place the entire sheet of pastry into the freezer for 30 minutes.

6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.

7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.

8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly. 

9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.

11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells. 

12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray in the freezer for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 175C/350F.

13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush. 

14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, add the egg wash ingredients to a small ramekin and blend it to combine – I prefer to use a hand blender as it fully emulsifies the colouring into the egg mixture. 

15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mould, and you should be able to lift it off easily. 

16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F and place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. 

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base

1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.

2. Add the puree into a medium saucepan and heat it until it reaches around 40C. Once hot, sift in the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for a further minute.

3. Immediately pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

 – Meringue Base

1. Fill a pan with a shallow amount of water and place it over a medium heat. Meanwhile, add the egg whites and sugar into a medium bowl and place this over the water once it is simmering.

2. Whisk constantly until it reaches 60-65C (140-150F) on a digital thermometer.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

4. Whisk on a medium speed  for 6-7 minutes until you have a stiff meringue.

5. While it is whisking, remove the raspberry base from the fridge, whisk it, then weigh 75g and add this into a medium bowl.

6. When the meringue is done, fold it in thirds into the raspberry base until you have a homogenous mixture. 

Assembly

1. Add the raspberry soufflé mixture into a piping bag and snip the end off.

2. Take the cooled tart shells, and place a few torn up raspberries into the base.

3. Pipe the soufflé mixture into the tart shells, filling them right to the top, and then use a palette knife to level them so they are completely flush with the top of the tart.

4. Place the tarts back onto your baking tray, and place the perforated tart rings around the pastry again. This will just help to provide a little structure and prevent the pastry from cracking as the soufflé expands.

5. Place the tarts into the oven and bake them for 7 minutes. They should rise just slightly.

6. Once they are baked, these can be served warm or alternatively served chilled (place the tarts into the fridge for 1 hour)

7. To garnish, add some freshly sliced raspberries.

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by Matt Adlard

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!

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue 'Longboys'

TIER 2

Lemon Meringue ‘Longboys’

In TIer 2 we make the same dough as Tier 1, we just add a touch of lemon zest to give them a bit of extra flavour. Then, inspired by Longboys Doughnuts in the UK, we use an oblong mould to create a different shape, coat them in lemon sugar, then top them with a lemon crème pâtissière, Italian meringue and candied lemon peel. Don’t fancy lemon? Try the chocolate crème pâtissière and crumble from my eclair recipe!

8
'LONGBOYS'

Ingredients

Makes 8-9 ‘Longboys’

Donut Dough
550g Strong White Bread Flour
125g Whole Milk
7g Instant 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
Zest 1 Lemon

Lemon Crème Pâtissière
300g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
85g Caster sugar
100g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Zest of 2 Lemons

Candied Lemon Peel
Zest of 1 Unwaxed Lemon
50g Caster Sugar
50g Water

Lemon Sugar
150g Caster/Granulated Sugar
Zest 1 Lemon

Italian Meringue
110g Egg Whites
70g Water
300g Caster Sugar

3 Litres of Vegetable Oil For Frying

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
Oblong cookie cutter (I used a 14.5cm x 3.5cm cutter)
Deep fat fryer
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
St Honore nozzle

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 few bits stuck to the side. 

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 8 rectangles 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”). Ensure there is a little flour underneath the dough once you’ve finished rolling otherwise when you go to remove the cut donuts they will stick to the table. 

8. Take the oblong 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 to cut the shapes, and lift them onto the sheets of parchment you cut earlier.

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. 

Lemon Crème Pâtissière

1. It is best to make this ahead of rolling out your donuts so that it has enough time to chill. 

2. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.

3. Add the egg yolks and cornflour and whisk the mixture together until it is thick, then set it to one side.

4. In the meantime, scrape the beans from the fresh vanilla pod and add these into a medium saucepan along with the milk & cream.

5. Place the pan over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture is steaming.

6. Once hot, slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks, and whisk until they are combined. It is important to do this slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs.

7. Add the entire mixture back into the pan and place it on a medium heat. 

8. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Once it bubbles, cook for a further minute, then remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into another bowl. At this point it’s likely your mixture will have split a little, so just add a splash of water (2 tsp) and blend with a hand blender and it will pull it back together.

9. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface and refrigerate until ready to use (3-4 hours).

Candied Lemon Peel

1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon into strips.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the peel lengthways to create thin strips. 

3. Into a small saucepan, add the lemon strips, sugar and water. Place it over a medium low heat and gently simmer for around 10 minutes. The strips of lemon should appear slightly translucent and the liquid should thicken. 

4. Use some tongs to remove them from the pan and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to dry completely. About half an hour.

Lemon Sugar

1. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.

2. Set the bowl to one side.

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 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. Nb. Due to the shape of these donuts they’re likely to flip over by themselves in the oil, so I’d recommend holding them in place lightly with some tongs so you can ensure an even bake on each side. I’ve also increased the fry time just slightly from the video as I found slightly longer was better! 

4. Remove your donut and place it on a wire rack, allowing any excess oil to drip off. After a minute, and while the donuts are still warm, toss the donut in the bowl of lemon sugar then place back on your wire rack.

5. Repeat with the remaining donuts. 

Italian Meringue

1. Into a small saucepan, add the water, then pour the sugar on top. Place it over a medium heat

2. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk it on a medium low speed.

3. Once the water and sugar mixture has started to boil, cook it until it reaches a temperature of 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. By this point, the egg whites should be bubbly and frothy.

4. Immediately remove the sugar syrup from the heat, increase the stand mixer speed to medium high, and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup in, aiming to pour it in between the whisk and the bowl. Just make sure not to pour it on the whisk or it will splatter everywhere.

5. Continue to whisk for 6-7 minutes, or until the bowl is cool to the touch and stiff peaks form on the meringue.

6. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle.

Assembly

1. Remove your lemon crème pâtissière from the fridge and whisk it for 15-20 seconds to loosen it a little. Add it to a piping bag.

2. Take a donut and cut it lengthways down the middle. Pipe in some lemon creme patissiere until it reaches the top of the donut, then smooth it with a palette knife. Repeat with the rest of the donuts.

3. Next, take your meringue and in a zig zag motion, pipe it down the middle of your donut. Then, using a blow torch, lightly torch the top of your meringue until it’s slightly brown. Repeat with the rest of the donuts. 

4. Garnish with your candied lemon peel.

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by Matt Adlard

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!) 

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

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!

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by Matt Adlard

Tropical Pavlova

TIER 2

Tropical Pavlova

In Tier 2 we really elevate the design of the pavlova and use a funky mold to create this more professional looking plated dessert. We use the same meringue recipe and chantilly cream as Tier 1, and pair it with a frozen passion fruit cremeux, a mango and passion fruit salsa. If you don’t fancy giving the design a go, it would taste equally as good all mashed together as an Eton Mess!

8
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS

Ingredients

Makes 8 Individual Pavlovas

French-Swiss Meringue

100g Egg Whites
100g Caster Sugar
75g Icing Sugar
Desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)

Passionfruit Cremeux

50g Egg Yolks
35g Whole Eggs
25g Sugar
75g Passion Fruit Purée
60g Unsalted Butter, Soft
1g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 6g Water

Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream

600g Double/Heavy Cream
125g White Chocolate
5.5g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 33g Water
1.5 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste / 1 Vanilla Pod

Tropical Fruit Salad

Whole Mango, chopped into small cubes
Seeds of 4 Passion Fruits
¼ Lime, Zested
3 Tsp Passion Fruit Purée

Assembly

100g White Chocolate, Melted
Lime, Zested

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Hand blender
Digital thermometer
3.8cm x 1.9cm half-sphere mould (15 hole)
Piping bags
Large round tip nozzle OR small cookie cutter

Method

Passion fruit Crémeux

1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes

2. In a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks and passion fruit purée. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 83C.

3. Once the mixture reaches temperature, pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Then, add the bloomed gelatin and butter on top and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

4. Add the passion fruit crémeux to your half sphere mould and use a palette knife to smooth the top of the mould to make sure they’re even. Freeze overnight/6 hours.

Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream

1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes

2. Add the white chocolate to a tall jug and add the bloomed gelatin on top

3. To a saucepan over a medium heat add 185g of the cream and the vanilla bean paste/vanilla beans and heat until it’s steaming. 

4. Once steaming, pour it over your chocolate and gelatin mixture and leave for 2 minutes. You want to make sure the cream covers the top of the chocolate. After two minutes, blend the mixture together with a hand blender. 

5. Once blended, add the remaining cream (415g) and blend again.

6. Pour the cream mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge overnight/12 hours.

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.

3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 55C/130F on a digital thermometer.

4. 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. 

5. 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.

6. Add your meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle. Flatten the mixture gently to remove any air bubbles.

7. Lightly grease the back of a half sphere mould (the same one you used for the passion fruit cremeux). I like to use an oil spray, but you can lightly brush a neutral oil over the mould.

8. Holding the piping bag vertically over one of the moulds, push down until the meringue covers the half sphere, then quickly do a ‘whip’ motion at the top to release the piping bag. Repeat with the other half spheres, spacing them out so the meringues don’t touch (they will expand slightly as they bake).

9. Lastly, sprinkly desiccated coconut over the meringue, making sure to hit the sides of the meringue. Then put the meringue in the oven for 3 hours. 

Tropical Fruit Salad

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir together

Assembly

1. Once the meringues are baked, leave them to cool for an hour then gently release them from the mould. 

2. Once cooled, gently grate the bottom of the meringues to create a flat surface for them to sit.

3. Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, add a spoonful of white chocolate into a meringue cup. Tip the meringue to the sides to coat the inside of the cup, then tip out the excess chocolate. Put them in the fridge for 5 minutes until the chocolate has set.

4. Fill the meringue cups with tropical fruit salad so that it’s flush with the top of the cup. Then remove the frozen passion fruit cremeux half spheres from the freezer and add them on top.

5. Add the chilled whipped vanilla chantilly to a stand mixer and whisk until it forms a medium peak – about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over whisk it. Add it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Then, holding it vertically over the top one of your meringues, push down so the cream covers all of the sphere.

6. Zest a light dusting of lime over the top of the meringues. Serve roughly 30 minutes after removing the passion fruit cremeux from the freezer (to allow it time to defrost, but not to melt).

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Vienna Bread

TIER 2

Vienna Bread

This is more of an enriched dough, which makes the bread really soft. It’s like a hybrid between a Japanese milk bread and a French brioche. The shaping technique is what makes this recipe a little more tricky, so make sure to watch the video so you can follow my step-by-step instructions. Slashing the dough gives these loaves their classic Viennese style, and I’d recommend adding some sesame seeds to the top to finish them off.

8
MINI LOAVES

Ingredients

Makes 8 Mini Loaves

500g Strong White Bread Flour
10g Fine Sea Salt
40g Caster Sugar
20g Fresh Yeast or 10g Instant Dry Yeast
75g Whole Eggs
225g Whole Milk, Cold
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Toppings of choice to finish (optional)

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Razor blades
Perforated baguette mould (optional)

Method

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all of the ingredients, except the butter.

2. Knead the dough on a medium-low speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the edges.

3. After 5 minutes, add the cold cubed butter a few pieces at a time, waiting about 10 seconds in between each addition. 

4. Once you have added all the butter, knead for 5 minutes and then turn your stand mixer off for 5 minutes. This will help with the development of the gluten and make it easier to knead. After 5 minutes, knead for a further 7 minutes, or until the dough appears smooth, and a small piece of dough passes the windowpane test. This is where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. The dough shouldn’t tear, and you should be able to see through the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Scoop the dough onto your work surface and give it a brief knead and smooth it into a round ball.

6. Very lightly oil a large bowl and lift the dough into it. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate the dough overnight/12 hours.

7. Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 80g pieces. This will give you ‘demi baguette’ size loaves. If you want large loaves, almost like a large baguette, you can do 160g pieces.

8. Shape the dough into rough balls, and cover them with a tea towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes on the work surface.

9. Once rested, flip the dough over so the seam is facing up, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rough oval shape. You will need a little bit of flour to stop it sticking as you roll but avoid using too much otherwise it will be difficult to seal them.

10. Take the oval and with the long edge in line with your body, fold one third of the dough towards the centre, and firmly seal it to the dough with the heel of your hand.

11. Rotate the dough 180 degrees, and fold the top ⅓ of the dough into the centre and seal it with the heel of your hand. 

12. Then fold the top edge of the dough all the way over to meet the bottom edge. Seal it again firmly with the heel of your hand.

13. Then just lightly roll the sealed dough back and forth under both hands.

14. The buns can be left plain or covered in seeds. If you want to cover them in a topping, simply brush some water over the bun, then coat it liberally with your topping.

15. The vienna bread has an iconic slashed design, so using a very sharp razor blade, make slashes at a slight angle across the entire loaf. Slash deeper than you may think.

16. These are traditionally baked in perforated baguette moulds – they create a perfect shape for the vienna bread and allow for even air flow. Alternatively you can simply place them on a tray lined with a baking sheet.

17. Lift them onto the tray, evenly spaced and proof at room temperature, covered with a tea towel, for 2 hours. They should have doubled in size.

18. Just before they have proofed, pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F Non-Fan Assisted.

19. Once proofed, splash a small amount of water into the bottom of the oven, and then place them into the centre, baking for around 18-20 minutes or until golden in colour.

20. Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool slightly before serving. These are best stored in an airtight container and eaten within 48 hours.

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

Red Velvet Cake

TIER 2

Red Velvet Cake

This is such a light and fluffy red velvet cake recipe, a new favourite for me. Filled with cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, and decorated with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, tempered white chocolate ‘leaves’ and a velvet spray. We get technical here, but stay with me! Tempering chocolate is such a great skill to have in your baking toolkit, and if you’re already a pro at tempering, I think you’ll love the technique to this design.

1 LARGE
7-INCH CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 Large 7-inch Cake

Red Velvet Cake

160g Unsalted Butter
8g Red Fat Soluble Powder (or a good squeeze of Red Gel Colour)
300g Whole Eggs
170g Egg Yolks
170g Egg Whites
390g Caster Sugar, Divided
8g Baking Powder
8g Baking Soda
40g Cornflour/Cornstarch
40g Cocoa Powder
200g Cake Flour (or Plain/All-Purpose Flour)
2g Salt
140g Plain Greek Yoghurt
8g Vanilla Paste
8g White Vinegar

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

400g Egg Whites
700g Caster Sugar
7g Fine Sea Salt
1kg Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cubed
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste 

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream

400g Swiss Meringue Buttercream
120g Cream Cheese, Full Fat, Room Temperature

White Chocolate Decoration

600g White Chocolate (to make 2x batches of 300g tempered white chocolate)

Velvet spray

150g White Chocolate
150g Cocoa Butter
10g White Cocoa Butter (more if needed to create a white colour)

Special equipment

4 7-inch cake tins
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
2 7.3-inch acrylic cake discs (3mm thick)
Revolving cake stand
Straight edged scraper
Heat gun/hair dryer
Adjustable raplette (optional)
2 A3 sheets of acetate
Rolling pin
Spray gun OR canned velvet spray

Method

Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F 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. In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and leave to one side.

3. In a saucepan over a medium heat, mix together the butter and red colouring until melted. Leave to one side.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar (250g), whole eggs and egg yolks and whisk on a medium speed for 6-7 minutes until the mixture holds a slight ribbon.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until they’re frothy with small bubbles (about 2-3 minutes), then increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar (140g) one tablespoon at a time, leaving 10-15 seconds between each addition. Once you’ve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue (2-3 more minutes).

6. Next, add the meringue to the egg mixture in three parts and whisk each part by hand until you have a smooth batter.

7. In a separate bowl, stir the vinegar, yoghurt and vanilla paste together. Then whisk this mixture into the cake batter.

8. Next, sift your dry ingredients into the cake batter and gently whisk them through by hand until combined.

9. Finally, add your melted butter to the batter and gently whisk it through until combined.

10. Weigh 380g of batter into each tin. 

11. Bake the cakes for 28 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

12. 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.

Vanilla 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 vanilla and, using the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed for 5 more minutes.

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Note – After finishing the filming I decided to adjust the recipe slightly as I wanted to improve the texture of the buttercream for the final coat. So I have adjusted the recipe here, where the cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream is just used as the filling, and then the swiss meringue buttercream is used for the final coat. This will give the cake a better finish.

1. Take the cream cheese, and beat it in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes on a medium speed.

2. Next, weigh 400g of the Swiss Meringue Buttercream and add this in thirds to the cream cheese, while beating with the paddle attachment.

3. This buttercream can be slightly unstable so if you find it has split slightly, switch to the whisk attachment and whisk on a medium high speed for 5-10 minutes, until it begins to smooth. It can take some time so be patient. It should be much smoother but slightly more aerated in texture, with a few more streaks of air bubbles compared to the regular swiss meringue buttercream. That’s ok as we are only going to use it for the filling. 

Crumb Coat

1. Using a serrated knife, evenly cut the top off your cake layers to make them level. 

2. Put a cake disc on top of a rotating cake stand (this is not necessary but makes cake decorating so much easier!). Secure the cake disc down with some wet kitchen paper.

3. Add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream to your cake board and place your first layer on top, cut side up.

4. Next, add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream in the centre of the cake layer. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream out until you have an even layer.

5. Repeat this with the second and third cake layers, so you have three layers of cream cheese buttercream in total. Place your final layer on top, making sure the cut side is facing down, and cover this in buttercream too.

6. Next it’s time to crumb coat the cake. Add your vanilla buttercream to the outside of the cake, and use a palette knife to 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.

9. Whilst the buttercream is chilling, grease one side of a cake disc with butter and add a circle of parchment paper, the same size as the cake disc. Use a palette knife to smooth the parchment paper – almost like you are ‘squeegeeing’ out any excess buttercream. Place this disc in the freezer.

10. Once chilled, add a thick layer of the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream onto the top of the cake. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream to the edge of the cake. Place your second cake disc on top of the buttercream, with the parchment paper facing down. Press down firmly, and use your cake scraper to line up the top cake disc with the bottom cake disc.

11. Add more vanilla swiss meringue buttercream to the outside of the cake using a palette knife, and, following the same technique as the crumb coating, use the cake scraper to evenly spread the buttercream over the whole cake. Repeat the process 4-5 times, filling in any gaps with buttercream after each spin, until you have a nice smooth layer of buttercream. Make sure you clean and heat your scraper in between each spn, and start scraping from the same place each time.

12. Once happy with the cake, chill once more until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.

13. Once chilled, carefully run a knife in between the parchment paper and the cake disc to gently dislodge it. You should be able to lift the disc off, then peel the parchment paper off. 

14. Use a palette knife and a little more buttercream to the top and gently smooth the top of the cake as best as possible. Don’t worry too much, as we are going to spray it so it doesn’t need to be perfect. 

White Chocolate Decoration

For this decoration we need to use tempered White Chocolate. There is a thorough guide and video to this here. I recommended splitting this into two batches, as it is a quick process so 800g is too much chocolate to work with at once.

I use a raplette to level my chocolate and create a more professional finish. You can do this using a palette knife but it will be uneven. These instructions assume you are using a raplette.

1. Once you have tempered your first batch of chocolate, take an A3 sheet of acetate and press it down onto a very lightly oiled work surface (to ensure it sticks). Alongside this, lay down a few sheets of clingfilm, longer than the length of the acetate, also on an oiled surface.

2. Set the raplette to a height of 2-3mm and a width of roughly 25cm/10 inches. Pour the tempered chocolate into the well of the raplette and, working quickly, drag this along your acetate to create an even rectangle of chocolate.

3. Let the chocolate set until it is just touch dry (you don’t want it to solidify too much). This should only take 2-3 minutes.

4. Using a sharp knife and a metal ruler, cut even, diagonal lines across the chocolate, roughly 3cm/1.25” wide. Repeat this in the other direction to create squares.

5. Place another sheet of acetate on top and lift the chocolate onto the clingfilm. Place a large rolling pin at one end and wrap the clingfilm and chocolate around the rolling pin. You need to ensure you’re working quickly here to ensure the chocolate doesn’t snap as you’re rolling it. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

6. Once set, carefully remove the rolling pin and clingfilm to release the squares of chocolate. Put them to one side and repeat the process with the second batch of tempered chocolate.

Assembly

1. There are no real rules here! Just start to add your chocolate squares onto your cake, layer by layer. I like to overlap mine to create a bit more texture. If your cake is too cold, the chocolate won’t stick, so it can be helpful to heat it up a little with a heat gun/hair dryer before you palace on each square. You want your top layer of chocolate to end slightly above the top of the cake. Once you’ve added all the chocolate, place the cake in the fridge or freezer so it is cold before we spray. It only needs around 15m in the freezer or 30m in the fridge. 

2. Next move on to your velvet spray. You can buy a premade spray in a can, or you can make your own velvet spray and use a fence spray gun (!) to spray your cake. To do this, add your ingredients to a bowl and stir over a pan of gently simmering water until melted. Then remove from the heat and cool until it reaches 45C.

3. Add the mixture to the spray gun and spray evenly over your cake. This is really messy so make sure anything behind your cake is well protected!

4. Ensure the cake comes to room temperature before serving.

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by Matt Adlard

Tarte Tropézienne

TIER 2

Tarte Tropézienne

This recipe uses the same style of enriched dough as Tier 1, but we add a few more elements to level it up. We make a crème diplomate for the centre of the cake, and top it with a streusel. Traditional Tarte Tropézienne also has pearl sugar on top which gives it a lovely crunch! If you want to level this up even more, try adding some of the raspberry gel from the Maritozzi Marchigiani!

2
TARTE TROPÉZIENNE

Ingredients

Makes 2 Tarte Tropeziennes

For the dough

150g Whole Milk
90g Double/Heavy Cream
180g Whole Eggs
120g Caster Sugar
12g Salt
120g Plain Flour
495g French Strong Patisserie Flour (you are looking for white patisserie flour with a protein content of around 11-12%. Alternatively you could use white bread flour)
12g Instant Dry Yeast
Zest 1 Medium Orange
120g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed

For the crème pâtissière

500g Whole Milk
1 fresh vanilla bean pod/1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g Caster Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes

For the crème diplomat

Crème pâtissière (Above)
Weight of crème pâtissière in Double/Heavy Cream

For the egg wash

60g Whole Egg
5g Double/Heavy Cream

For the streusel

25g Demerara Sugar (or light brown sugar)
25g Unsalted Butter, Cold
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour
25g Ground Almonds

For the sugar syrup

50g Water
50g Sugar

To bake

Pearl sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
7″ cake tin/7″ ring mould

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the orange zest followed by the milk, eggs and cream. On top of this, add the sugar, salt, flours and yeast. Knead the dough on a medium speed for around 15 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl throughout to ensure all the mixture is combined.

2. Next, slowly add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time, leaving about 20-30 seconds between each addition. Continue kneading for 12-15 minutes, until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of the bowl.

3. Once kneaded, take your dough out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover the top of the dough directly with cling film, and then cover the bowl with cling film. Proof in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours)

4. The next day, once your dough has proofed, take it out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin, and roll it out into an oval shape to approximately half an inch thick.

5. Cut two circles out of your dough, the same circumference as the bottom of your cake tin or ring mould. (If you’re using a ring mould, you can use the ring mould to cut the dough. If you’re using a cake tin, you can use a pizza wheel to cut around the bottom of the tin.)

6. Place the dough into your greased and lined cake tins/ring moulds. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2-2.5 hours. Whilst proofing, make your crème pâtissière.

7. Start the crème pâtissière by heating milk and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whilst this is heating up, in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. 

8. Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, slowly pour it over the top of the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

9. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take about two minutes to come to a boil. Once it reaches this point, heat and whisk for a further minute to cook out all the cornstarch. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.

10. Pass the mixture through a sieve onto a baking tray lined with cling film. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the streusel.

11. In a bowl, add all your ingredients and combine them together with your hands until the butter has broken down and it’s a sand-like consistency. Then squeeze the streusel into a ball, cover it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.

12. Just before the dough has finished proofing, preheat your oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted. 

13. Make the egg wash by whisking together the eggs and cream in a bowl. Lightly brush the top of your cakes with the egg wash, then grate the streusel over the top (you’ll have some leftover). Lastly, add a good amount of pearl sugar. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, until the inside of the cakes are above 90C. Whilst your cakes are baking, make the sugar syrup.

14. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, then leave to one side to cool.

15. Once baked, take your cakes out of their tins and leave to cool on a wire rack (approximately 45 minutes)

16. Once cooled, cut the cakes in half and brush your sugar syrup over the bottom half of the cakes. Next, make your crème diplomate.

17. Take your crème pâtissière out of the fridge and weigh it in a bowl (you should have approximately 525g). Weigh the same weight in double cream and whisk in a bowl until you have a medium stiff peak. It’s important that the cream is not under whipped as if it is too soft, it will result in a soft crème diplomate that won’t be able to support the weight of the brioche and it will ‘smoosh’ out when you place the lid on top. 

18. Going back to your crème pâtissière, whisk it lightly until smooth, then fold in your whipped cream a third at a time, until it’s just combined. This is your crème diplomate. Add the mixture to a piping bag with a 15mm round tip nozzle.

19. Pipe the cream in large droplets all over the base of the cakes, then gently put the tops of the cakes back on top. Dust with icing sugar, then your cakes are ready to serve!

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

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! 

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by Matt Adlard

Salted Caramel Bundt Cake

TIER 2

Salted Caramel Bundt Cake

This recipe we advance the ‘flavoured sugar’ technique from Tier 1 and make a powdered salted caramel to add to the cake batter. This was a bit of a fluke whilst recipe testing but wow, the flavour of this cake is unreal! I’ve topped it with a decorative salted caramel sauce that’s quite chewy in texture. If you want something softer, switch it out for the salted caramel recipe in Tier 2 of the Chocolate Tart classes!

1

12 CUP BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 12 Cup Bundt Cake

For the caramel sugar

320g Caster/Granulated Sugar
4g Fine Sea Salt

For the caramel cake

245g Caramel Sugar (Recipe Above)
95g Caster/Granulated Sugar
95g Light Brown Sugar
465g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
385g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
465g Self Raising Flour
35g Boiling Water
Soft unsalted butter + flour to coat the bundt tin

For the caramel sauce
125g Caster/Granulated Sugar
65g Water
75g Double Cream
30g Unsalted Butter
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes

Special equipment

Blender
Stand Mixer
12 Cup Bundt Tin

Method

Caramel Sugar

1. Into a medium frying pan, add about ⅕ of the sugar, spreading it evenly across the pan.

2. Place the pan onto a medium heat, and gently shake the pan to agitate the caramel, until it has melted.

3. Add another ⅕ of the sugar on top and agitate the pan again to dissolve the sugar, until it has melted. 

4. Continue adding the sugar in increments, ensuring it is fully melted before adding the next addition. At this point, you can begin to use a rubber spatula to stir it through.

5. Once you have added all of the sugar, add in the salt and continue to stir it with a rubber spatula until it reaches a deep amber colour.

6. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it evenly onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat.

7. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, until it has set completely firm.

8. Once set, break the caramel into shards and place it into a high powered blender and blender for 5-10 seconds, into a fine powder*

* Once you have blended the sugar, it is important to use it immediately for the cake, otherwise it will begin to absorb moisture and go very sticky.  

Caramel 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 to ensure an even coating. Sieve over a few tablespoons of plain/all-purpose flour and shake it around the tin to coat. Tap out the excess and set the tin to one side. 

2. Take the caramel sugar and weigh 245g.

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and all the sugars. With the paddle attachment, beat it on a medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is thicker and paler in consistency, scraping down the bowl as needed. 

4. Add the eggs in four parts, beating for a few seconds between each addition (still at a medium speed). Then add the vanilla bean paste. At this point, the batter will look split but don’t panic. 

5. Sift in the self-raising flour, and mix on a low speed just until the flour has been absorbed. 

6. Finally, tip in the boiling water and mix to combine. This will help to loosen the cake batter slightly. 

7. Use a spatula to evenly scoop the cake batter into the lined bundt tin, then using the back of a slightly warm spoon, spread the top of the batter out just to smooth it slightly. 

8. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

9. Allow it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before placing a wire rack on top, and then flip the cake out to release it. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before adding the Caramel Sauce

Caramel Sauce

Note: if you want a softer, runny caramel sauce I would recommend using the Tier 2 salted caramel recipe from the October’s chocolate tart recipe.

1. Into a medium saucepan add the water, then the sugar. Place it on a medium heat.

2. Cook the caramel, until it reaches a deep golden brown colour, being careful not to burn it.

3. Pour in the cream and add the butter. Be careful as this will bubble quite violently. Use a hand whisk to mix it through and continue to cook for about 30 seconds on a medium low heat until you have a smooth glossy caramel. Stir in a good pinch of sea salt flakes and whisk them through.

4. The caramel can be served immediately as a warm sauce, or poured over the top of the cake in a decorative drip. The caramel will set as it cools, and turn into a more stringy, chewy texture, like a candy bar! It holds its shape very well, so is perfect to leave at room temperature on the cake for when you are ready to serve.

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Maritozzi Marchigiani

TIER 2

Raspberry Maritozzi Marchigiani

For this recipe, we use the same dough as Tier 1 but we turn it into a more advanced shape. We make a raspberry reduction and a raspberry gel which really takes it to the next level. I’ve not added crème pâtissière to this one, but you easily can to add that extra bit of decadence. I’ve topped it with raspberry powder and edible flowers to give it that extra wow factor.

6
LONG BUNS

Ingredients

Makes 6 Long Buns

For the raspberry gel + raspberry reduction
400g Frozen Raspberries
40g Caster/Granulated Sugar
Agar Agar Powder

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 vanilla cream
300g Double/Heavy Cream
5g Icing/Powdered Sugar

To Decorate
Raspberry Powder
Edible Flowers (Micro Amaranth, Wood Sorrel)

Special equipment

Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
Hand blender
Piping bag
Palette knife

Method

For the Raspberry Gel and Reduction

1. Into a medium heat-proof bowl, add the frozen raspberries and pour the sugar over the top. Toss them gently to combine. Tightly wrap the surface of the bowl with cling film so that it is completely sealed.

2. Place a medium saucepan on the hob, filling it ⅓ with water. Bring this to a gentle simmer.

3. Immediately lower the heat to its lowest setting and place the bowl of raspberries on top. Let this sit on the pan for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours, place a sieve lined with kitchen paper over a large bowl and pour the cooked raspberries into the sieve. 

5. Place the bowl into the fridge for 2 hours (or ideally overnight), allowing the raspberry syrup to drip into the bowl underneath.

6. Scoop the raspberry reduction out of the sieve and scoop this into a bowl. Cover it and refrigerate until ready to use. 

7. Take the raspberry liquid from the bowl, and pour it into a jug sitting on a digital scale. For every 100g of raspberry syrup, we are going to add 1g of agar agar powder. (So for example, if the liquid weighs 120g, add 1.2g of agar agar powder)

8. Add the raspberry syrup and the agar agar powder into a saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking to combine. Once at a boil, cook for 1 minute.

9. Remove it from the heat and pour it onto a shallow baking tray and set it in the fridge to cool until firm to the touch (this should take about 30 minutes). 

10. Once firm, break the gel into pieces and blend until smooth. Set this gel aside, covered in the fridge, until ready to use.

 

For the Dough

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add milk, eggs and yeast. On top of that, pour the flour, sugar & finally the salt. Add in the lemon zest & vanilla.

2. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a medium low speed, scraping down the sides half way through to make sure everything is incorporated.

3. After 10 minutes, add in the cubed cold butter a little at a time, and increase the speed to medium. Once all the butter has incorporated, knead for a further 3 minutes by which point the dough should be nice and smooth.

4. 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.

5. Once proofed, remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into 100g pieces. You should get 6 pieces of dough in total.

6. Take each piece of dough and roughly shape it into a tight ball. Then, using your hand, flatten the dough into a rough oval shape, flip it over, so the smooth side is now facing down, and the short edge of the dough is facing towards you.

7. If the dough has started to contract, just press it out again with your fingers.

8. Use your fingers to gently blend the bottom edge of the dough into the work surface. Then, starting at the top, tightly roll the dough on itself, into a log shape. You might need a tiny bit of flour on your hands as you do this, but avoid using too much or it will prevent the dough from sticking together. 

9. Once you’ve got the log shape, gently roll it back and forth on the surface, and then use your fingers to apply some pressure at the ends of the dough, pressing down and rocking the dough back and forth, to form small ‘tails’ on the end of the dough (almost like a baguette)

10. Carefully lift the dough, seams side down, onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and repeat with the remaining dough. 

11. 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.

12. Just before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 180C/355F (non-fan assisted).

13. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk.

14. Use a pastry brush to paint an even coating over the dough and then place the dough into the oven and bake for around 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

15. Remove from the oven and lift them onto a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.

 

For the cream

1. In a stand mixer, whisk together the double cream and icing sugar until you have a medium peak.

 

Assembly

1. Cut your bun down the centre (like a hot dog!) and add a small amount of the raspberry pulp across the bottom of the bun. I wouldn’t recommend overloading your bun with this! If you want to take this to the next level, you can also add some crème pâtissière from Tier 1 too! 

2. 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 around the edges, so I tend to use my (clean!) finger to remove this.

3. Next, add your raspberry gel to a piping bag and cut a small hole at the end. Pipe the gel onto your bun as you wish. I went full-on hot dog and piped mine like ketchup in a zigzag pattern over the cream.

4. Finally, dust your optional raspberry powder over the top of the bun, and add the optional edible flowers. Repeat for all buns. 

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by Matt Adlard

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.

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by Matt Adlard

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
  1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
  2. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Starting at the bottom edge of your fluted tart tin, carefully unroll the dough from the rolling pin, to cover the entire tin.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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. 
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the pastry to cool for 10 minutes.
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. Remove the tart from the oven, allowing it to cool slightly. It is now ready to add your filling.
Filling
  1. Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  1. 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. 
  2. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the tart to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge for 2 hours. 
  3. 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. 

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets

TIER 2

Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets

For this recipe, we use the same pastry and filling from Tier 1, but we advance it by using individual perforated tart rings, and by creating a Chocolate Namelaka and a Salted Caramel. I’ve used a #127 piping nozzle to create a funky design around the edge, but you can do whatever you fancy!

6
TARTLETS

Ingredients

Makes 6 Tartlets

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 Namelaka

3g powdered gelatin
18g cold water
160g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
120g whole milk
12g glucose
240g heavy/double cream, cold

For the salted caramel

88g heavy/double cream
23g whole milk
68g glucose syrup, divided
40g superfine/caster sugar
1g flaky sea salt
30g unsalted butter

For the filling

100g eggs
50g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
110g heavy/double cream
200g whole milk
80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

Special equipment

Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
6x 3 x 0.78 inch (7.6×1.98cm) perforated tart rings
2x piping bags, plus a #127 tip piping nozzle
Hand blender

Method

Chocolate pastry and egg wash
  1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
  2. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
  4. 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.
  5. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the ball of dough onto a silicone mat. Place a second silicone mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it around 0.15 to 0.2 inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. If you don’t have silicone mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper, but it will be more difficult as it has less grip. Place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.
  7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.
  8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly. 
  9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.
  10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.
  11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells. 
  12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
  13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush.
  14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, thoroughly whisk together the ingredients for the egg wash. 
  15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mold, and you should be able to lift it off easily.
  16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5-8 minutes. The pastry is blind baked now ready to add your filling. 
Namelaka
  1. In a small bowl, combine the powdered gelatin and cold water. Mix well and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
  2. To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
  3. To a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and glucose. Stir the mixture until steaming. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it completely dissolves. 
  4. Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring in small circles in the center of the chocolate as you pour. Initially, the mixture will look quite split and oily, but as you add the remaining milk, everything will pull together.
  5. Add the cold cream and use a hand blender or a hand whisk to mix until combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or ideally overnight.
Salted Caramel
  1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and 23 grams of corn/glucose syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking the mixture to ensure the syrup has fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat but ensure the mixture stays warm.
  2. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the superfine/caster sugar and the remaining 45 grams of glucose sugar. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel color, whisking slowly to help disperse the sugar.
  3. Once golden, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently. Whisk the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve and into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes. Add the sea salt flakes and butter. Blend or whisk until smooth. 
  5. Pour the mixture into a container and chill for at least 3 hours
Filling
  1. Lower the oven temperature to 285°F/140°C.
  2. To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for 1 minute. 
  4. In a small saucepan over a medium heat, combine the milk and cream. Heat until the mixture is steaming. 
  5. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking to combine as you pour.
  6. Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, using a spatula to stir the mixture in small circles in the center as you pour. Once everything has been combined, use a spoon to scoop off any foamy bubbles on the top.
Assembly
  1. Place the tray with the tarts on, in the middle of the oven and carefully pour in the chocolate filling—just to the top of the tart shell. Bake for about 25 or 30 minutes or until they have a very small wobble in the center. 
  2. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 3 hours. 
  3. Remove the namelaka from the fridge and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until you get a medium–stiff peak. 
  4. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag just slightly below vertical, pipe the namelaka around the outside edge of the tart in a zigzag motion, leaving a small gap in the center. If you have a cake turntable, this can make it a little easier to spin the tart as you pipe.
  5. Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and snip a small hole off the end. Pipe this into the center of the tart.
  6. Allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. 

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by Matt Adlard

Brown Butter and Hazelnut Financier

TIER 2

Brown Butter and Hazelnut Financier

Now you’ve learnt the basics of a financier from Tier 1, this recipe advances your skills by making a brown butter, swapping out ground almonds for blended hazelnuts, and practising your piping with a grass tip nozzle. It’s a beautifully light and airy cake, and the extra effort comes across in the incredible flavours. It’s a little untraditional doing a financier in a loaf cake, but it works for me!

MAKES 1 LOAF CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 1lb Loaf Cake

For the chocolate chantilly

90g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
200g heavy/double cream
10g honey

For the financier

75g whole hazelnuts, skin on, plus more to decorate
145g unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
155g egg whites
3g orange zest
1⁄2 fresh vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
155g powdered/icing sugar
75g self-rising/raising flour, plus more

Special equipment

Hand blender
Blender
1 lb (450g) loaf pan
Baking tray/sheet
2 piping bags, plus 1 large grass tip nozzle

Method

1. To make the dark chocolate chantilly, add the chocolate to a tall measuring jug.

2. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the cream and
honey. Stir occasionally until hot but not boiling, then immediately remove the
saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate.

3. Allow the cream to sit for 2 minutes before using a hand blender to blend until
smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C. Grease a 1lb (450g) loaf pan with butter. Sprinkle
flour in the pan and shake the pan to coat with flour. Tap the pan to remove any
excess flour.

5. To make the financier, spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in the
oven and roast the hazelnuts for 8 to 12 minutes or until the skins start to burst.

6. Remove the tray from the oven and let them cool slightly, before peeling off the skins
(save these for decoration). Don’t worry if there are still a few skins remaining as this
will give the cake batter a nice color. Place the skinned hazelnuts back into the oven
for 5 minutes, or until they are a golden colour.

7. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the hazelnuts to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Add them to a blender and blend them into a fine powder. Set aside.

8. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the
butter has melted, it will begin to roar quite violently, then big bubbles will form in the
pan. After this, the bubbles will become much smaller and the pan will go very quiet.
At this point, you’re looking for a caramelized, nutty aroma coming from the pan. This
should take around 3 to 4 minutes.

9. Remove the saucepan from the heat and measure out 115 grams. Allow the butter to
cool for 5 minutes.

10. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites for 30 seconds or until they become
frothy.

11. Add the ground hazelnuts, orange zest, and vanilla. Sift the powdered/icing sugar
into the bowl. Whisk briefly until everything has been combined.

12. Sift the self-rising flour into the bowl. Briefly mix again to ensure the dry ingredients
have been incorporated.

13. Whisk in the cooled brown butter. It might not incorporate right away, so keep
whisking until it does. Pour the cake batter into the greased pan.

14. Add some softened butter to a piping bag. Cut a very small hole at the end of the bag
and pipe a thin line of butter down the center of the batter.

15. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 60 minutes. It should have a nice golden color
on top and a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.

16. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for 1 to 2 hours.

17. Remove the dark chocolate chantilly from the fridge and very briefly stir by hand just
until it is smooth. Be careful not to over-work it. Add the chantilly to a piping bag
fitted with a large grass tip nozzle.

18. Pipe long lines of the chantilly across the top of the cake, overlapping them slightly.

19. Finish by decorating the cake with some slightly roasted hazelnut halves, and
hazelnut skins.

Shop the Equipment

by Niketa Tripp

Blueberry & Almond Financiers

TIER 1

Blueberry & Almond Financiers

This recipe teaches you the foundations of Financiers and is absolutely foolproof. You can whip them up in 45 minutes and serve them straight out of the oven. I’ve used an oval mould, but you can make them in a cupcake tin, or even a classic financier tin. You can also try swapping in different berries depending on what you have – I think raspberries would work well!

8-9
FINANCIERS

Ingredients

Makes 8-9 Financiers

140g unsalted butter
185g egg whites
90g ground almonds
185g powdered/icing sugar
90g self-rising/self-raising flour
2g lemon zest
1⁄2 fresh vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
125g blueberries
lightly toasted flaked almonds, for topping

Special equipment

Oval silicone/metal mold pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.

2. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the
saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to cool for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds or until frothy.

4. Add the ground almonds, powdered/icing sugar and lemon zest. Cut the vanilla bean
lengthways and using the knife to scrape out half of the beans, add these into the
bowl. Whisk until combined.

5. Place a sieve over the medium bowl and sift in the flour. Whisk until the flour has just
been absorbed, about 30 seconds.

6. Add the melted butter and whisk until there are no more streaks of butter.

7. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

8. Pour the batter into the cups of an oval silicone/metal mold pan (or the cups of a
cupcake pan/tin) and fill the cups about three-fourths full. Sprinkle a few flaked
almonds over the top of each cup.

9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 or 30 minutes or until the financiers have a
nice golden colour.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the financiers to cool for 5 minutes before
removing them from the pan. Serve while still warm or allow them to cool completely
and then serve later.

Shop the Equipment

by Niketa Tripp

Hazelnut Truffle

TIER 3

Hazelnut Truffle

6
TRUFFLES

Ingredients

Makes 6 Truffles

Vanilla Cremeux
8g Powdered Gelatin + 48g Water
500g Double Cream
145g Egg Yolks
50g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod

Praline Cremeux
250g Vanilla Cremeux
100g Hazelnut Praline
85g Mascarpone

Feuilletine
50g Unsalted Butter – Room Temperature
50g Icing Sugar
50g Egg Whites
50g Plain Flour

Feuilletine Praliné Crunch
70g Hazelnut Praline
20g Milk Chocolate
35g Paillete Feuilletine

Chocolate Shell
300g Dark Chocolate
300g Cocoa Butter
55g Chopped Hazelnuts

OR

500g Dark Chocolate
140g Neutral Oil
55g Chopped Hazelnuts

(Follow the same process for the above recipe but dip the frozen sphere at 35C/95F)

Roasted Hazelnuts Chocolate Shavings To Decorate

*Hazelnut Praline Recipe is available here

Special equipment

20mm, 40mm, 50mm Sphere Molds
Stand Mixer
Digital Thermometer
Piping Bags
Hand Blender

Method

Vanilla Cremeux

1. Add the gelatin and cold water to a dish and allow it to bloom for 5m.

    • 8g Gelatin
    • 48g Cold Water

2. Into a bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk to combine. Then add a small splash of cream and whisk that in (this will help to prevent lumps when we add it into the cream)

    • 145g Egg Yolks
    • 50g Sugar

3. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream & vanilla. Then whisk in the egg yolk mixture.

    • 500g Double Cream
    • 1 Vanilla Pod, Seeds Scraped Out

4. Place the pan onto a medium heat and whisk constantly. Cook the mixture until it reaches around 70-75C (158F-167F). The mixture should have thickened slightly, but be careful not to cook it for too long, otherwise it will scramble.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve.

6. Add in the bloomed gelatin and blend or whisk to combine it. (I like to sieve it again after this but that is optional)

7. Pour 250g of the mixture into a separate bowl as we will use this for the praline cremeux. Add the remainder to a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Praline Cremeux

1. Into a bowl, add the hazelnut praline & mascarpone (the mascarpone is optional but I like the creaminess it adds!)

    • 100g Hazelnut Praline
    • 85g Mascarpone

2. Pour over the hot vanilla cremeux that you just made. Then blend or whisk the mixture together until it is smooth.

    • 250g Vanilla Cremeux

3. Cover the surface with cling film and chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Feuilletine

1. Into a stand mixer, add the soft butter and sugar. Beat on a medium speed until it forms a smooth paste.

    • 50g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 50g Icing Sugar

2. Once smooth, pour in the egg whites and beat again. It may look slightly split and the egg whites may not incorporate fully but that’s ok!

    • 50g Egg Whites

3. Finally, tip in the flour and beat until it forms a smooth paste.

    • 50g Plain Flour

4. Take a scoop of the mixture and spread it as thin as possible on a silicon mat. It is really important to get it nice and thin as it will puff up as it bakes. It should look almost translucent once spread out.

5. Place it into a preheated oven at 175C/350F and bake until a nice deep golden colour. It should take around 5-8 minutes.

6. Remove the tray from the oven, and once it has cooled, break the mixture into tiny pieces.

Feuilletine Praliné Crunch

1. Into a bowl, add the crushed feuilletine, melted chocolate & hazelnut praline.

    • 70g Hazelnut Praline
    • 20g Milk Chocolate, Melted
    • 35g Feuilletine

2. Stir together until combined.

Assembly Part 1

1. Take the 30mm sphere mold, and scoop a teaspoon of the feuilletine crunch into one half.

2. Place a whole roasted hazelnut into the centre.

3. Scoop and another teaspoon of the mixture into the other half of the sphere.

4. Carefully sandwich the two sides of the mold together, as you do this some mixture may squeeze out but try and seal the mold as best as possible. Place this in the freezer for one hour.

5. Next, take the 40mm sphere mold and scoop the chilled vanilla cremeux into a piping bag. Pipe the mixture into the bottom half of the mold, filling it up about ¾ of the way.

6. Remove the frozen praline sphere from the freezer and press this into the cremeux.

7. Place the lid of the sphere mold on top, and pipe the remaining vanilla cremeux into the mold so that it is completely full. Again, some cremeux might burst out, but just try your best to secure the mold so that it is joined in the centre and forms a neat sphere shape. Freeze this for 4 hours.

8. Once frozen, take the 50mm sphere mold and add the praline cremeux into a piping bag – again no need to whisk this up you can add it straight from the fridge into a piping bag.

9. Pipe the praline cremeux, into the bottom half of the mold filling it up ¾ of the way. Remove the vanilla cremeux ball from the mold and press it into the praline cremeux.

10. Place the lid onto the sphere mold and pipe the remaining praline cremeux into the hole in the top, filling the mold up (again, don’t if some spills out, just try and secure the mold as best as possible) Freeze this for 4-6 hours. This process needs to be repeated a few times to create lots of spheres if you only have 1 mold.

Final Assembly

1. Into a large bowl, add the chocolate and cocoa butter (or the chocolate and oil).

    • 300g Dark Chocolate
    • 300g Cocoa Butter

2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until completely melted.

3. Remove it from the heat and stir in the chopped hazelnuts. Allow the mixture to cool to 25-27C (77-80C). Pour it into a tall jug.

4. Remove the frozen praline sphere from the freeze and press a skewer into the bottom.

5. Dunk the sphere into the chocolate that is now at temperature. Let the excess drip off then carefully place it onto a silicon mat or a serving dish.

6. To decorate, I added a few chocolate shavings on top but you can decorate as you wish!

7. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

 

 

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue Pavlova

TIER 2

Lemon Meringue Pavlova

4
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual pavlovas

French Meringue
240g Sugar
120g Egg Whites

Lemon Cream
3 Large Eggs
Zest of 1 Lemon
70g Lemon Juice
110g Sugar
215g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

Vanilla Chantilly
200g Double/Heavy Cream
½ Tsp Vanilla Paste
1 Tsp Sugar
50g Mascarpone (Optional)

Italian Meringue
55g Egg Whites
30g Water
150g Sugar

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Silicon Baking Mats
Piping Bags
Large Round Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer
Digital Thermometer
Blow Torch

Method

Lemon Cream
1. Into a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • 3 Large Eggs
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • 70g Lemon Juice
    • 110g Sugar

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. Be careful not to overcook the mixture and scramble the eggs.

3. Once the mixture has thickened, immediately pour it through a sieve onto another bowl or a tall jug.

4. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture, adding a few chunks of butter each time. Keep blending until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

    • 215g Soft, Unsalted Butter

5. Cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate overnight.

French Meringue

1. Start by pouring your sugar onto a tray, and placing it into a preheated oven, at 175C/345F for 5 minutes.

    • 240g Sugar

2. While the sugar is heating up, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed. You are looking for the egg whites to have small bubbles and be frothy once you start adding the hot sugar.

    • 120g Egg Whites

3. Remove the sugar from the oven (and lower the temperature to 90C/195F) and by this point your egg whites should be ready – increase the speed to medium/high, and add in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting about 10s between each addition of sugar.

4. Once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking for a further 5m, until you have a nice stiff peak to your meringue.

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat, start by piping a small spiral, about 2.5” wide. Then starting from the outside of the spiral, pipe a dollop of meringue, then release the pressure, and swipe the dollop towards the centre.

7. Repeat that around the entire spiral.

8. You should be able to get 4 meringue nests in total.

9. Place the meringues into the oven, and bake for 1h40m. Then turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Allow them to cool in there for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Chantilly

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until you have a medium peak.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Paste
    • 1 Tsp Sugar
    • 50g Mascarpone (Optional)

Assembly Part 1

1. Take the cooled meringue nests, and scoop a spoonful of the chantilly into the centre.

2. Use a spatula just to spread it out into a thin layer.

3. In the meantime, add the lemon cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. There’s no need to whisk it beforehand as you want it to be quite firm when you pipe it.

4. In the same motion that you piped the meringue, pipe dollops of the lemon cream onto the meringue nest and swipe these into the centre. Set these to one side while you make the meringue.

Italian Meringue

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and begin whisking on a low speed – note this is quite a small amount of egg whites so you might need to start whisking them by hand to thicken them slightly before adding them into your mixer otherwise the whisk attachment may not catch the egg whites.

    • 55g Egg Whites

2. While that is whisking, add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Place it on a medium heat. Cook the sugar until it reaches a temperature of 118C/244F.

    • 150g Sugar
    • 30g Water

3. By this point your egg whites should be quite frothy and thick – immediately remove the pan from the heat, and slowly pour the hot syrup over the egg whites, whisking on a high speed. Be careful not to pour the hot syrup over the whisk itself or it will splash everywhere.

4. Continue to whisk for 7 minutes or until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue reaches a stiff peak.

5. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a smaller round tip nozzle.

6. Pipe little kisses over the top of the lemon cream, then using a blow torch, gently heat them until they turn a light golden colour.

7. Garnish with some greenery and fresh lemon zest.

by Matt Adlard

Baileys Yule Log

TIER 1

Baileys Yule Log

1
YULE LOG

Ingredients

Makes 1 yule log

Chocolate Sponge

80g Egg Yolks
20g Sugar (A)
55g Sugar (B)
150g Egg Whites
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk
45g Plain Flour
25g Cocoa Powder

Baileys Chantilly
300g Double/Heavy Cream
30g Baileys
1-2 Tsp Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Paste

Tempered Chocolate To Decorate

Special equipment

12×10.5” Sponge Roll Mat
Stand Mixer/Electric Whisk
Acetate

Method

Chocolate Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar (A). Whisk the mixture by hand or in a stand mixer until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour.

    • 80g Egg Yolks
    • 20g Sugar (A)

3. Into a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.

    • 55g Sugar (B)
    • 150g Egg Whites

4. 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.

5. Next, sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.

    • 45g Plain Flour
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in. Really ensure you scrape the bottom of the bowl as the oil can get caught at the bottom and not fully incorporate.

    • 50g Vegetable Oil
    • 35g Whole Milk

7. Lightly grease a 12×10.5” sponge roll silicon mat. Alternatively, you can grease a half sheet pan lightly with butter and place a sheet of baking paper on top.

8. Pour the batter into the mat, and then using a raplette or an offset spatula and spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure that when using a spatula or raplette that you spread the batter so that it is very level.

9. Bake the sponge for 12-14 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes.

Baileys Chantilly

1. Into a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk until it reaches a medium peak. Be careful not to underwhip it too much, as if it is too soft, it will leak out as you roll it.

    • 300g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 30g Baileys
    • 1-2 Tsp Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Paste

Assembly

1. To assemble the yule log, cut out a large piece of parchment paper. Take the cooled sponge and flip it (carefully) out of the silicon mat so that the smooth surface that was exposed to the oven, is now facing onto parchment.

2. Make sure that the short edge of the sponge (10.5”) is at the top and bottom, while the longer side (12.5”) is on the sides. Then take a sharp knife, and cut a 45 degree angle at the very bottom of the sponge (the dotted line).

3. Spoon the baileys cream onto, and use an offset spatula to spread it out so you have a relatively even layer. You might not quite need all of the cream depending on how thick you want it to be.

4. Then with parchment paper assisting you, roll the sponge on itself, as tight as possible so that you get a good spiral.

5. Then once it is rolled up, wrap the parchment around the cake, and then use a ruler or something long and flat, and press this against the underside of the sponge whilst also pulling the bottom sheet of the parchment. This will create tension and tighten the roll. Place it in the fridge for 30m.

6. To decorate the cake, I just made a few chocolate leaves. I made a small batch of tempered chocolate, and dipped a small pastry brush into it. Then I swiped the brush on long a sheet of acetate, in individual strokes, to create little leaves. Lift the acetate sheet up and set it in a slightly curved position.

7. Once the cake has chilled, un-roll it carefully from the parchment and place it onto your serving plate.

8. Use a hot knife to cut the rough ends off either side.

9. Then place a strip of card or paper into the centre and dust icing sugar over the top.

10. Remove the card and carefully place the tempered chocolate leaves into the centre.

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Sheet Cake

TIER 3

Lemon Sheet Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Lemon Sheet Cake
410g Caster Sugar
410g Cake Flour
26g Baking Powder
410g Whole Eggs
170g Vegetable Oil
140g Whole Milk, Room Temperature
240g Unsalted Butter
Zest 1 Lemon
1 Tsp Lemon Extract

Lemon Sugar Syrup
30g Water
30g Lemon Juice
60g Sugar

Lemon Curd
Zest of ½ Lemon
50g Lemon Juice
45g Caster Sugar
50g Whole Eggs
75g Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
300g Egg Whites
560g Caster Sugar
9g Salt
Beans from 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
750g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
Yellow Gel Food Colour

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
9×13” Cake Tin
Piping Bags
#4B Piping Nozzle
Ruffle Tip Piping Nozzle x 2
#18 Star Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer

Method

Lemon Sheet Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 185C/365F non-fan assisted.

2. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat (avoid boiling it). Once it has just melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.

    • 240g Unsalted Butter

3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, flour & baking powder. Mix until they are evenly combined.

    • 410g Caster/Superfine Sugar
    • 410g Cake Flour
    • 26g Baking Powder

4. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, lemon zest & lemon extract. Then, while mixing the dry ingredients on a slow speed, pour in the wet mixture. Mix everything until the wet & dry ingredients are evenly combined, scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is mixed in. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture.

    • 410g Whole Eggs, Whisked
    • 170g Vegetable Oil
    • 140g Whole Milk, Room Temperature
    • Zest 1 Lemon
    • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract

5. Finally, pour in the melted butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined.

6. Lightly grease a 9×13” rectangular cake tin. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom to stop the cake from sticking.

7. Pour the batter into the cake tin and place the tin into the oven. Bake for around 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Every oven is different so keep an eye on the cake. You will see it turns a very nice golden brown colour on top and that is when it is close to being done. While the cake is baking you can make the sugar syrup.

Lemon Sugar Syrup

1. Place the sugar, water and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and bring it to the boil until all of the sugar has dissolved. Make sure you don’t boil it for too long otherwise it will thicken too much as it cools. Set to one side to use when the cake is ready.

    • 30g Water
    • 30g Lemon Juice
    • 60g Sugar

2. Once the cake has baked, remove it from the oven and place a wire rack on top of the tray. Very carefully flip the tray over so that the cake releases onto the wire rack.

3. Peel off the sheet of parchment paper and then immediately soak the cake with the lemon sugar syrup.

4. Wrap the cake in cling film and then place the entire cake in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours. This will help to make sure the cake is nice and moist.

Lemon Curd

1. Into a stainless steel bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • Zest of ½ Lemon
    • 50g Lemon Juice
    • 45g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Whole Eggs

2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water.

3. Whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened, almost like a custard consistency.

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve onto a tall jug.

5. Allow the mixture to cool to around 40C/105F (it will only take a few minutes), and then add in the soft butter.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter, Soft

6. Use a hand blender to blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

7. Place a sheet of cling film on top and refrigerate the curd until you are ready to use it.

8. If you chill it overnight you may need to warm it up just slightly before you use it so that it is softer to spread.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Into a large metal bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt.

    • 300g Egg Whites
    • 560g Caster Sugar
    • 9g Salt
    • Beans from 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and it reached a temperature of around 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer. Attach the whisk and whisk for 5-7 minutes, or until the bowl feels completely cool to the touch.

4. With the mixer still on a medium speed, slowly add in the soft butter, one piece at a time. As long as the butter is soft, you should be able to add it in relatively quickly. Wait about 10 seconds in between each addition.

    • 750g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature

5. Initially it will look quite soupy, then it may begin to look curdled, but don’t panic – this is normal.

6. Once you have added all the butter, keep whisking for a further 3-4 minutes until the buttercream is completely smooth.

Assembly

1. Remove the cake from the fridge and use a serrated knife to trim all the edges of the cake (not the top though!), getting rid of the golden brown edges to reveal a nice soft cake on the inside.

2. Then, cut the cake in half horizontally so you have two nice even slabs of cake.

3. Place one half of the cake onto a cake board so the sliced sponge is facing out.

4. Take a few scoops of the vanilla buttercream and scoop this into the centre. Use an offset spatula to spread this out as evenly as possible to the edges.

5. Then, on top of that pipe or spread on a nice layer of that lemon curd. It should be a nice soft consistency that you can spread easily.

6. Place the second slab of cake on top.

7. To create the crumb coat, add a big dollop of buttercream on the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it over. Try and neaten it up as best as possible, using the spatula to scrape off any excess buttercream.

8. Once you are happy with the crumb coat, place the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

9. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second layer of buttercream, again using your spatula to spread it out as evenly as possible and a cake scraper to make it smooth. As you are scraping the sides you may see you get a build up of frosting on the top – what you can do is freeze the cake for 15 minutes, then use a sharp knife to trim off that excess buttercream around the outside.

10. When you have a rectangular cake that is relatively smooth and even coverage of buttercream, chill the cake for 20 minutes in the fridge and then we can start to decorate.

11. Split the remaining buttercream into 2 batches, leaving one batch white, and colour the remaining batch with a vibrant yellow gel food colour. We are then going to add the white + yellow buttercream into 4 different piping bags:

    • 1 x Ruffle tip – White Buttercream
    • 1 x Ruffle Tip – Yellow Buttercream
    • 1 x 4B Tip – White Buttercream
    • 1 x 18 Star Tip – Yellow Buttercream

12. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and start with the White Buttercream – 4B Piping Bag. Start at the bottom of the cake and pipe and shell border by applying even pressure to create a dollop of buttercream, stop piping and then drag the piping bag down to create a flick at the bottom of the shell. Repeat this technique, joining the dollops as you go along the outside edge of the cake.

13. Next, take the Yellow Buttercream – 18 Star Tip, and just above the shell border you just piped, apply even pressure, and pipe in an anti-clockwise circular motion to create a constant loop of tight spirals.

14. Move to the top of the cake and take the White Buttercream – Ruffle Tip Piping Bag. Apply even pressure and holding the piping nozzle so that the opening of the nozzle is perpendicular to the cake i.e it is facing outwards and to the left, (not facing up or down) pipe and even draping of the ruffled buttercream right along the edge of the cake. Try to ensure there are no air bubbles in your piping bag so that you can apply consistent pressure on the bag without stopping as you pipe.

15. Once you have piped the white ruffle around the entire top side of the cake, pick up the Yellow Buttercream – Ruffle Tip Piping Bag and pipe a second line of yellow ruffles, just above the white ones.

16. Finally, take the White Buttercream- 4B Piping Nozzle, and cover up the edge of the yellow ruffle buttercream with a shell design, just as we did in step 12.

17. Fill the centre of the cake with sprinkles or candles (whatever you fancy) and then let the cake come to room temperature for at least an hour before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Sheet Cake

TIER 2

Chocolate Sheet Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake
340g Unsalted Butter
340g Brewed Coffee
85g Cocoa Powder
170g Dark Chocolate
430g Light Brown Sugar
6 Large Eggs + 3 Large Egg Yolks (Cold)
255g Plain Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp Salt Chocolate Chips

Brown Sugar Ganache
200g Dark Chocolate
25g Unsalted Butter
35g Light Brown Sugar
200g Double Cream
75g Sour Cream

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
200g Egg Whites
375g Sugar
500g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature
6g Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
200g Melted Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Drip
100g Dark Chocolate
60g Unsalted Butter

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
9×13” Cake Tin
Piping Bag
1M Star Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer

Method

Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F. Into a large bowl, add the butter, and pour over the hot coffee.

    • 340g Unsalted Butter
    • 340g Brewed Coffee

2. Whisk the mixture together until the butter has completely melted. If the coffee is a little cool, then just pop the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until melted.

3. Once melted, add in the chocolate and cocoa powder and whisk the mixture together. Again, you want to whisk this until the chocolate has completely melted. If it needs a little heating, just pop it over a pan of simmering water.

    • 85g Cocoa Powder
    • 170g Dark Chocolate

4. Add in the sugar and whisk until there are no more lumps of sugar.

    • 430g Light Brown Sugar

5. Add in the cold eggs and whisk to combine.

    • 6 Large Eggs + 3 Large Egg Yolks (Cold)

6. Finally, sift in the flour, salt & baking soda. Gently whisk the mixture together until there are no more dry parts of flour.

    • 255g Plain Flour
    • 1 Tbsp Baking Soda
    • ½ Tsp Salt

7. Take a 9×13” rectangle cake pan. Lightly spray it with a cake release spray. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the tin. If you are not using cake release spray, coat the base with soft butter, place the sheet of parchment down. Then grease the edges with butter and dust them with cocoa powder.

8. Pour the cake batter into the tin.

9. Take a handful of chocolate chips and dust them lightly in flour. Shake off any excess flour then sprinkle them on top of the cake.

    • Chocolate Chips

10. Place the cake into the oven and bake for around 40-45m, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre. It may take longer – every oven is different so keep an eye on it.

11. Once baked, let it cool in the tion for 5 minutes, then carefully place a wire rack on top of the tin.

12. Take a tea towel, and hold the wire rack against the top of the tray. Very carefully flip the tray over, then slowly lift the cake pan so that the cake releases onto the wire rack.

13. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then wrap the cake tightly in cling film and refrigerate the cake for 4-6 hours. This is optional but helps to keep the cake moist.

Brown Sugar Ganache

1. Add the chocolate into a medium bowl, then place it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until it is completely melted.

    • 200g Dark Chocolate

2. Set that to one side to stay warm, while you add the cream, sugar and butter to a saucepan. Place it on a medium low heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved into the cream. Make sure the cream is not boiling – just hot.

    • 25g Unsalted Butter
    • 35g Light Brown Sugar
    • 200g Double Cream

3. Slowly pour the cream into the chocolate in three additions.

4. With your spatula, stir the cream into the chocolate, stirring from the centre of the bowl in very tight circular motions. This is an important technique in order to properly emulsify the ganache (Although if you do have one, you can use a hand blender to blend the cream and chocolate together until smooth).

5. Once you have added all the cream, fold the sour cream into the ganache.

    • 75g Sour Cream

6. Set the mixture to one side (cover the surface directly with cling film), until it has set into a spreadable frosting consistency. Roughly 2-3 hours at room temperature, but it may take more/less depending on your environment.

7. Once the ganache has set up and the cake has cooled. Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully slice the cake in half horizontally. This can be a little tough to do evenly as it is a large cake, but if you have a cake leveller, that makes things a lot easier! At this point it is worth placing the cake on a cake board so it is easy to maneuver.

8. Use a palette knife to evenly spread the frosting onto one layer of the cake.

9. Carefully sandwich the second layer of cake on top. 10. Place the cake in the fridge while you make the buttercream.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Into a large metal bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt.

    • 200g Egg Whites
    • 375g Sugar
    • 6g Salt
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and it reached a temperature of around 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer. Attach the whisk and whisk for 5-7 minutes, or until the bowl feels completely cool to the touch. As this is mixing, melt your chocolate. You want to ensure it is warm when you add it in, but not too hot, so by starting it now, it should be at a good temperature when you are ready to use it.

    • 200g Dark Chocolate, Melted

4. With the mixer still on a medium speed, slowly add in the soft butter, one piece at a time. As long as the butter is soft, you should be able to add it in relatively quickly. Wait about 10s in between each addition.

    • 500g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature

5. Initially it will look quite soupy, then it may begin to look curdled, but don’t panic – this is normal.

6. Once you have added all the butter, keep whisking for a further 3-4 minutes until the buttercream is completely smooth.

7. Next, pour in the melted chocolate. Keep whisking (you may need to scrape down the sides to fully incorporate all the chocolate) until you have a smooth chocolate buttercream.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and place a heaped scoop of chocolate buttercream on top.

2. With an offset spatula, spread the buttercream as evenly as possible around the entire cake. Don’t worry too much about perfectly sharp edges or making sure it is completely smooth, we are just adding a rough crumb coat.

3. Add enough buttercream and keep smoothing it out until you have a relatively even crumb coat. Lift the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

4. After 30 minutes, remove the cake from the fridge and add a second layer of buttercream, this time slightly thicker. Again, use an offset spatula to spread the buttercream out as evenly as possible but don’t panic too much about perfectly smooth edges. Just use your palette knife & cake scraper to get it as sharp as you want.

5. Lift the cake and place it in the fridge while you make the chocolate drip.

Chocolate Drip

1. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate & unsalted butter.

    • 100g Dark Chocolate
    • 60g Unsalted Butter

2. Place the bowl over a pan of very gently simmering water and stir it until it has completely melted.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool, gently stirring occasionally until it has cooled to around 30-32C (86F-89F) on a digital thermometer.

Final Assembly

1. Once the drip is at temperature, remove the cake from the fridge.

2. Add the drip into a piping bag or using a spoon, carefully drip the chocolate over the edge of the cake.

3. Next, take the remaining buttercream and add it into a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip nozzle.

4. Applying even pressure, start at the top of the cake, and pipe and even shell border, covering the parts of the cake where the top of the drip can be seen. The key to getting an even border, is just to apply even pressure, squeeze a dollop of the buttercream, stop piping, then drag the piping bag towards you.

5. Once you have covered the top, repeat the piping along the bottom of the cake.

6. Then at this point, you can decorate the centre of the cake any way you want! I chose to fill the centre with chocolate curls, but you could add candles or sprinkles…whatever you fancy!

7. Allow the cake to come to room temperature for at least an hour before serving so the ganache can warm up.

by Matt Adlard

Berries & Cream Cake

TIER 1

Berries & Cream Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Genoise Sponge
300g Whole Egg
240g Caster Sugar
240g Plain Flour
50g Melted Butter
Zest ½ Lemon
1 Tsp Lemon Extract
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/1 Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

Sugar Syrup
30g Lemon Juice
30g Water
60g Sugar
Or
60g Water
60g Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Chantilly Cream
400g Double/Heavy Cream
1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

Fresh Berries To Decorate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
9×13” Cake Pan

Method

Genoise Sponge

This sponge can be flavoured with either lemon/vanilla – or both. I like a lemon cake so I just used lemon extract & zest, but feel free to adjust the flavour to your preference.

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.

2. Into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, sugar & lemon zest.

    • 300g Whole Egg
    • 240g Caster Sugar
    • Zest ½ Lemon
    • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract

2. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it has thickened slightly and looks paler in colour. If you have a digital thermometer, it should go above around 45C/112F.

3. Once thicker, remove it from the pan, and with an electric hand whisk, or you can place it on a stand mixer – whisk it for 3-5 minutes until it is much thicker, and the mixture holds a ribbon.

4. Next, sift the flour over the top, and fold it in with a spatula. This can be a little tough as you really need to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get all the flour as sometimes it can get stuck at the bottom, but also try to avoid going crazy and knocking out too much air from the mixture.

    • 240g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

5. Once the flour is incorporated, pour in the melted butter (and vanilla if you are using it) and fold the mixture again to make sure there are no more streaks of butter.

    • 50g Melted, Unsalted Butter

6. Take a 9×13” rectangle cake pan, and lightly grease the inside with butter or cake release spray. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom.

7. Pour the cake batter into the tin, then slide it into the pre-heated oven. Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until the cake is nice and golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Sugar Syrup

You have two options for the sugar syrup – vanilla or lemon. Choose whichever version you would prefer to use. If you are making vanilla – skip the lemon juice and do 60g water instead + 1 Tsp vanilla bean paste.

1. Into a small saucepan, add the lemon juice, water and sugar.

    • 30g Lemon Juice
    • 30g Water
    • 60g Sugar

2. Place it on a medium heat and bring it to a boil, ensuring the sugar has completely dissolved. Make sure the syrup doesn’t boil for too long otherwise it will become slightly too thick and make it more difficult to spread onto the cake.

3. Set the pan to one side while the cake bakes.

Assembly Part 1

1. When the cake has baked, remove it from the oven, and carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake pan to make sure it has completely released. Then place a wire rack on top of the tin and carefully flip it over so the cake is now on the wire rack.

2. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then peel off the sheet of parchment paper on the bottom.

3. Take the sugar syrup and use a spoon or a pastry brush to soak the cake all over. This will add some moisture back into the cake.

4. At this point, you can wrap the cake tightly in cling film and refrigerate it (overnight ideally) or let it cool to room temperature to decorate. I find that wrapping it in cling film and then refrigerating it, while it’s still warm, helps to lock in a little more moisture.

Vanilla Chantilly

1. Once the cake has cooled, take a sharp serrated knife and trim the edges off. This will give you a nice clean edge and also get rid of the slightly drier edges.

2. Add the cream, vanilla and sugar to a bowl and use a hand whisk (or electric whisk) and whisk until the cream is thicker but not holding stiff peaks.

    • 400g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

3. The thickness is crucial here, as if you whisk the mixture to stiff peaks then try and spread it, it will split.

4. The more you move the cream, the more it will thicken, so you need to under whip the cream, to a very soft peak, then pour it on the cake.

5. Use a spatula so spread it around in nice whirls to the edges.

6. Take fresh berries of your choice and place them all over the cream.

by Matt Adlard

Choux au Chocolat

TIER 3

Choux Au Chocolat

6-10
CHOUX BUNS

Ingredients

Makes 6-10 choux buns

Chocolate Choux Pastry
100g Water
100g Whole Milk
4g Salt
8g Sugar
100g Unsalted Butter
110g Strong White Bread Flour
10g Cocoa Powder
175g – 200g Whole Eggs

Chocolate Craquelin
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Light Brown Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
45g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
15g Cocoa Powder

Dark Chocolate Creme Patissiere
500ml Whole Milk
1 Vanilla Pod or 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
65g Caster Sugar
6 Large Egg Yolks (120g)
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour Pinch Salt
45g Cold, Unsalted Butter
100g Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Glaze
125g Water
300g Sugar
220g Double/Heavy Cream
110g Glucose
85g Cocoa Powder
11g Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 66g Cold Water

Strawberry Compote
200g Fresh Strawberries
5g Lemon Juice
10g Sugar
3.5g Pectin NH + 12g Sugar

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
Hand Blender
Round Cookie Cutters
0.5” Round Tip Piping Nozzle
40mm Half Sphere Silicon Mold
1” Sphere Silicon Mold

Method

Chocolate Glaze

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin powder and cold water. Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 11g Gelatin (200 Bloom)
    • 66g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add the double/heavy cream and glucose. Place it on a low heat and stir it together until the glucose has melted into the cream. Set it to one side and keep it warm.

    • 220g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 110g Glucose

3. Add the water and sugar into a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Heat it until it reaches 120C/240F on a digital thermometer.

    • 125g Water
    • 300g Sugar

4. As soon as it reaches temperature, pour in the warm cream mixture, followed by the cocoa powder.

    • 85g Cocoa Powder

5. Whisk the mixture and cook until it reaches a rolling boil.

6. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a tall jug. Use a hand blender to blend the mixture until it is smooth – avoid adding any air bubbles into the glaze.

7. When the mixture has cooled to 80C (which shouldn’t take long), scoop the bloomed gelatin out of the bowl and add this into the jug. Blend again until the mixture is smooth.

8. Pour the mixture into a container, and cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate it overnight.

Strawberry Compote

1. Into a small bowl, add the pectin and sugar and stir these together. It is important to stir them together to prevent lumps from forming later.

    • 3.5g Pectin NH + 12g Sugar

2. Meanwhile, slice the strawberries into quarters, and place them into a saucepan along with sugar, a splash of water (about 2 tbsp) and lemon juice. The amount of sugar & lemon juice you need really depends on how sweet your strawberries are so you might need to adjust these levels. If they are very sweet then you may not need to add any sugar at all.

    • 200g Fresh Strawberries
    • 5g Lemon Juice
    • 10g Sugar 3.

Place the pan onto a medium heat and stir the strawberries until they have broken down, are slightly softer and the juices are bubbling up. At this point, add in the pectin mixture and stir it through.

4. Continue to cook the strawberries until they have thickened slightly and completely broken down. If the sauce is too thick and the strawberries haven’t quite broken down, just add a splash of water.

5. Take the mixture and spoon this into a small round sphere silicon mold.

6. Smooth the top so none of the compote is sticking out the top and place them in the freezer overnight.

Chocolate Creme Patissiere

1. To make the creme patissiere, place the milk into a medium saucepan, and place it over a medium heat. The vanilla is optional but does add a nice flavour.

    • 500ml Whole Milk
    • 1 Vanilla Pod or 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch/cornflour into a bowl. Whisk the mixture for about 30s until thickened.

    • 65g Caster Sugar
    • 6 Large Egg Yolks (120g)
    • 40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
    • Pinch Salt

3. Once the milk reaches a gentle simmer, remove it from the heat, and slowly pour it over the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

4. Once you have added all the mixture, pour it back into the pan, and keep whisking until the mixture starts to boil. Once it reaches a boil, continue to cook for about 1 minute.

5. Remove it from the heat and pass the thickened mixture through a sieve, over a bowl of chopped chocolate.

    • 100g Dark Chocolate, Chopped

6. Let the mixture sit for 2m, then whisk it together, along with the butter.

    • 45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

7. Once it is smooth and the chocolate has completely melted, cover the surface directly with cling film and refrigerate for four 3-4 hours.

Chocolate Craquelin

1. To make the chocolate craquelin, add the soft unsalted butter, sugar and ground almonds to the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter
    • 75g Light Brown Sugar
    • 30g Ground Almonds

2. Beat the mixture until it is smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. It should take 1-2 minutes.

3. Tip in the flour and mix on low speed until it pulls together and forms a crumble.

    • 45g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
    • 15g Cocoa Powder

4. Scoop the mixture out onto a large silicon mat, and place a second silicon mat on top (if you are using a smaller silicon mat you may need to split it into two batches).

5. Use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as possible. Don’t worry about the shape, just get it nice and thin. Lift it into the freezer so it is flat and freeze for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Choux Pastry

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, butter, salt & sugar.

    • 100g Water
    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 4g Salt
    • 8g Sugar
    • 100g Unsalted Butter

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat, and sieve in the flour & cocoa powder. Always sieve the flour in to prevent any chunks of flour clumping in the pan.

    • 110g Strong White Bread Flour
    • 10g Cocoa Powder

3. Stir it together off the heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Place it back onto a medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As you are cooking it, you will notice a “film” of dough forming on the bottom of the pan. Avoid scraping this into the batter i.e don’t press hard on the bottom of the pan and try to scrape this film into the main dough.

5. Once you have cooked the dough, immediately remove it from the heat and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Or you can place it into a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

6. Beat the mixture on medium low speed for about 3 minutes to cool it down.

7. While it is mixing, whisk together your eggs so they are evenly combined.

    • 175g-200g Whole Eggs

8. With the mixer running on a medium low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. You want to add them in small additions, beating the mixture for about 45 seconds before adding the next quantity of eggs. The reason we wait in between each addition is to allow the dough to fully hydrate before adding any more liquid.

9. Add the eggs in, in about 5 additions, waiting as I said, about 45 seconds before you pour the next amount in.

10. The recipe has a slight guide on the amount of eggs you need to add. This will depend on how much moisture was cooked out of your choux dough in the pan. You are essentially looking to add enough eggs until the choux dough looks “creamy”. It is slightly hard to describe but watch the video and you will see the texture I am referring to.

11. Once it is creamy, keep mixing the dough for 3-4 minutes to allow it to cool down even further. This will make it much easier to work with. Once cooled, pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ½” round tip nozzle.

12. If you have it available, take a 40mm half sphere silicon mold and pipe the mixture into each cavity. Then use an offset spatula to smooth it out slightly so they are relatively flat.

13. Place the silicon mold in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the half spheres are solid. *

Note – if you do not have a silicon mold, you can pipe the choux pastry free hand onto a baking mat as you normally would. Once you have piped the choux dough, you can then place the craquelin discs on top.

14. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/360F non-fan assisted.

15. Once the spheres have frozen, remove them from the silicon mold and place them onto a baking mat, about 6 per tray. Let them defrost for about 15 minutes at room temperature – this will prevent the craquelin discs from slipping off the frozen spheres as they defrost.

16. Remove the craquelin from the freezer and peel off the top silicon mat. Use a 60mm cookie cutter to cut out discs and place them on the top of choux pastry.

17. Just before you place the tray in the oven, splash a small amount of water on the bottom of the oven (or preheat the oven with a tray on the bottom and splash it on that), then immediately place the tray in the oven. Bake the choux buns for around 30-35 minutes. As it is chocolate choux pastry, it is actually slightly harder to tell as you can’t see it turn a nice golden colour. After about 30 minutes, very quickly open the oven and gently press one of the chouxs, if it still feels soft, then keep baking them. The choux should feel firm to the touch when it is baked fully.

18. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Final Assembly

1. Once the choux have cooled, you can remove your chocolate glaze from the fridge. After a night in the fridge, it will be very thick. Place the glaze in the microwave and heat it for 30 second bursts, stirring in between each time, until it is completely melted. As you are stirring it, try and avoid adding too many air bubbles (you can also blend it again once it is melted so that it is smooth)

2. Alternatively, scoop the mixture into a large bowl and place it over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until it is melted.

3. Once it is melted, we want to leave it at room temperature, stirring it to prevent a skin from forming every few minutes, until it cools to around 32C. This is the perfect temperature of the glaze to dip our frozen strawberry compote spheres.

4. Remove the chocolate creme patissiere from the fridge and use a hand whisk to whisk it up. This will loosen the mixture slightly and make it easier to pipe.

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Flip the baked choux over and pierce a small hole in the bottom. Pipe the creme patissiere into the bottom until it feels full & heavy. Once you have filled them all, set the chouxs to one side.

7. Once the glaze is at temperature, remove your strawberry compote spheres from the freezer. Stick a toothpick into the top and dip the sphere into the chocolate glaze. Let the excess drip off the sphere and then gently drag it along a silicon baking mat or piece of parchment until it stops dripping.

8. Then very carefully, using tweezers or a small knife, carefully press the glaze sphere off of the toothpick, onto the top of your choux bun. Remove the toothpick (which will leave a small hole)

9. Cover up the hole with a small piece of edible gold leaf.

10. It is important to serve these relatively quickly, as the strawberry sphere will begin to defrost and lose its shape, so they are best eaten about 20 minutes after you have glazed the sphere. Alternatively, you can use a different cream or cremeux that we have made across Bake It Better, which will hold its shape for longer.

by Matt Adlard

Orange Blossom Paris Brest

TIER 2

Orange Blossom Paris Brest

6
PARIS BRESTS

Ingredients

Makes 6 paris brests

Choux Pastry
100g Water
100g Whole Milk
4g Salt
4g Sugar
100g Unsalted Butter
110g Strong White Bread Flour
175g – 200g Whole Eggs

Chocolate Craquelin
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Light Brown Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
45g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
15g Cocoa Powder

Hazelnut Praline
350g Whole Roasted Hazelnuts
230g Caster Sugar
70g Water
Pinch Flaked Sea Salt

Orange Blossom Praline Cream
520g Double/Heavy Cream
125g Mascarpone
260g Hazelnut Praline
3g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum or Knox Strength) + 18g Water
¼-½ Tsp Orange Blossom Water*

*Use the zest of ½ orange if you cannot get this

Roasted Hazelnuts to Decorate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
Hand Blender
Food Processor
1” Cookie Cutter
3.1” Cookie Cutter
0.5” Round Tip Piping Nozzle
4B Piping Nozzle

Method

Hazelnut Praline

This recipe uses roasted hazelnuts. If you buy hazelnuts with skins on that are not roasted, simply place them on a tray in the oven, pre-heated to 175C/250F, for 8-10 minutes. Immediately remove them from the oven and wrap them in a tea towel, letting them sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, rub the tea towel together to remove as many of the skins as possible. Remove the hazelnuts from the tea towel, leaving behind the hazelnut skins. Place the skinned, roasted hazelnuts into a bowl.

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.

    • 230g Caster Sugar
    • 70g Water

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 crystallize, but eventually as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts.

    • 350g Whole Roasted Hazelnuts

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.

    • Pinch Sea Salt Flakes

4. After 30 minutes, the praline should be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high powered food processor. Blend for 4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container.

Orange Blossom Praline Cream

1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes, at which point the mixture should look dry and have absorbed all the water.

    • 3g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum or Knox Strength) + 18g Water

2. Into a bowl, add the hazelnut praline you made earlier, along with the mascarpone. You could also use cream cheese here instead. You will have some praline leftover which we will use later to decorate.

    • 125g Mascarpone
    • 260g Hazelnut Praline

3. Add the double/heavy cream into a saucepan, along with a very small amount of orange blossom water. If you add too much orange blossom water it can make the cream taste soapy so start with a small amount. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

    • 520g Double/Heavy Cream
    • ¼-½ Tsp Orange Blossom Water

4. Once hot, remove it from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the hot cream over the praline, and then blend till completely combined.

6. At this point, taste the mixture to see if you want any more orange blossom. Add it in, in small increments. You can also use orange zest if you cannot get orange blossom water.

7. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Craquelin

1. To make the chocolate craquelin, add the soft unsalted butter, sugar and ground almonds to the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter
    • 75g Light Brown Sugar
    • 30g Ground Almonds

2. Beat the mixture until it is smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. It should take 1-2 minutes.

3. Tip in the flour and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until it pulls together and forms a crumble.

    • 45g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
    • 15g Cocoa Powder

4. Scoop the mixture out onto a large silicon mat, and place a second silicon mat on top (if you are using a smaller silicon mat you may need to split it into two batches).

5. Use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as possible. Don’t worry about the shape, just get it nice and thin. Lift it into the freezer so it is flat and freeze for 30 minutes.

6. Once frozen, you are going to use cookie cutters to cut out “donut” shapes for your Paris Brest.

7. Work quickly and remove the top silicon mat. Use a 3.1” round cookie cutter to cut a large outer circle, then immediately use a 1” cookie cutter to cut a smaller hole in the centre.

8. If at any point the craquelin is becoming too soft, simply place it back in the freezer, then carry on about 10 minutes later.

9. Once you have cut out all the donuts, place the silicon mat back in the freezer, laying flat.

Choux Pastry

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, butter, salt & sugar.

    • 100g Water
    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 4g Salt
    • 4g Sugar
    • 100g Unsalted Butter

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat, and sieve in the flour. Always sieve the flour in to prevent any chunks of flour clumping in the pan.

    • 110g Strong White Bread Flour

3. Stir it together off the heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Place it back onto a medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As you are cooking it, you will notice a “film” of dough forming on the bottom of the pan. Avoid scraping this into the batter i.e don’t press hard on the bottom of the pan and try to scrape this film into the main dough.

5. Once you have cooked the dough, immediately remove it from the heat and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Or you can place it into a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

6. Beat the mixture on medium low speed for about 3 minutes to cool it down.

7. While it is mixing, whisk together your eggs so they are evenly combined.

    • 175g-200g Whole Eggs

8. With the mixer running on a medium low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. You want to add them in small additions, beating the mixture for about 45 seconds before adding the next quantity of eggs. The reason we wait in between each addition is to allow the dough to fully hydrate before adding any more liquid.

9. Add the eggs in, in about 5 additions, waiting as I said, about 45 seconds before you pour the next amount in.

10. The recipe has a slight guide on the amount of eggs you need to add. This will depend on how much moisture was cooked out of your choux dough in the pan. You are essentially looking to add enough eggs until the choux dough looks “creamy”. It is slightly hard to describe but watch the video and you will see the texture I am referring to.

11. Once it is creamy, keep mixing the dough for 3-4 minutes to allow it to cool down even further. This will make it much easier to work with. Once cooled, pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ½” round tip nozzle.

12. Remove the frozen donuts of chocolate craquelin from the freezer and place these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat.

13. Pipe even swirls of choux pastry on the inside of the craquelin ring. You want to make sure the line of choux pastry is not too thin, it needs to be piped quite close to the inner circle, as per the diagram below.

14. Place the tray of paris brest into the freezer – this is key as we need to flip them over before we start baking. Freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F non-fan assisted.

15. After 30 minutes, flip the paris brest over, so the choux is now on the bottom and the craquelin is facing up. Leave them at room temperature for about 15 minutes just to defrost slightly.

16. Just before you place the trays in the oven, splash a small amount of water onto the bottom of the oven (about ¼ cup) and then immediately place the Paris Brest in the oven.

17. Bake for around 35-40 minutes but avoid opening the oven any earlier than 30 minutes or the Paris Brest could collapse.

18. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Assembly

1. Remove the praline cream from the fridge and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

2. Whisk on a low speed until you have a medium stiff peak. This won’t take long as the cream is already quite thick so keep a close eye on it, it may only take 10-20 seconds of whisking. Once whisked, add it into a piping bag fitted with a 4B (or any star tip nozzle)

3. Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully cut the choux in half, horizontally.

4. Add the remaining hazelnut praline you have leftover, into a piping bag.

5. Pipe a small drizzle of the praline into the bottom of the choux and then add a few crushed hazelnuts on top.

6. Take the praline cream and pipe tight spirals all around the base of the choux. You can make these as tall as you want!

7. Add another drizzle of hazelnut praline on top of the cream.

8. Finally, dust the top half of the choux with a light coating of icing sugar. Drizzle a circle of praline around the top and then garnish with a roasted hazelnut. Lift the choux lid on top of the praline cream and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Yuzu Petit Choux

TIER 1

Yuzu Petit Choux

8
PETIT CHOUX

Ingredients

Makes 8 petit choux

Choux Pastry
100g Water
100g Whole Milk
4g Salt
4g Sugar
100g Unsalted Butter
110g Strong White Bread Flour
175-200g Whole Eggs

Almond Craquelin
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Light Brown Sugar
30g Ground Almonds
Zest ½ Lemon
60g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

Pailleté Feuilletine
50g Unsalted Butter – Room Temperature
50g Icing Sugar
50g Egg Whites
50g Plain Flour

Yuzu Ganache
70g Yuzu Juice
750g Double/Heavy Cream
210g White Chocolate
10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum Strength) + 60g Cold Water

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
½” Round Piping Nozzle
Round Cookie Cutters
Hand Blender

Method

Yuzu Ganache

1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped white chocolate, and the yuzu juice.

    • 70g Yuzu Juice
    • 210g White Chocolate

2. Meanwhile, add the powdered gelatin into a small dish and pour the cold water over the top. Leave it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum Strength) + 60g Cold Water

3. Pour the double/heavy cream into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 750g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Once hot, pour the cream over the jug of chocolate and yuzu juice. Then, scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend until smooth.

5. Pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate it overnight.

Almond Craquelin

1. To make the almond craquelin, add the soft unsalted butter, lemon zest, sugar and ground almonds to the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter
    • 75g Light Brown Sugar
    • 30g Ground Almonds
    • Zest ½ Lemon

2. Beat the mixture until it is smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. It should take 1-2 minutes.

3. Tip in the flour and mix on low speed until it pulls together and forms a crumble.

    • 60g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

4. Scoop the mixture out onto a large silicon mat, and place a second silicon mat on top (if you are using a smaller silicon mat you may need to split it into two batches).

5. Use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as possible. Don’t worry about the shape, just get it nice and thin. Lift it into the freezer so it is flat and freeze for 30 minutes.

Choux Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, butter, salt & sugar.

    • 100g Water
    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 4g Salt
    • 4g Sugar
    • 100g Unsalted Butter

3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat, and sieve in the flour. Always sieve the flour in to prevent any chunks of flour clumping in the pan.

    • 110g Strong White Bread Flour

4. Stir it together off the heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

5. Place it back onto a medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As you are cooking it, you will notice a “film” of dough forming on the bottom of the pan. Avoid scraping this into the batter i.e don’t press hard on the bottom of the pan and try to scrape this film into the main dough.

6. Once you have cooked the dough, immediately remove it from the heat and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Or you can place it into a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer.

7. Beat the mixture on medium low speed for about 3 minutes to cool it down.

8. While it is mixing, whisk together your eggs so they are evenly combined.

    • 175g-200g Whole Eggs

9. With the mixer running on a medium low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. You want to add them in small additions, beating the mixture for about 45 seconds before adding the next quantity of eggs. The reason we wait in between each addition is to allow the dough to fully hydrate before adding any more liquid.

10. Add the eggs in, in about 5 additions, waiting as I said, about 45 seconds before you pour the next amount in.

11. The recipe has a slight guide on the amount of eggs you need to add. This will depend on how much moisture was cooked out of your choux dough in the pan. You are essentially looking to add enough eggs until the choux dough looks “creamy”. It is slightly hard to describe but watch the video and you will see the texture I am referring to.

12. Once it is creamy, keep mixing the dough for 3-4 minutes to allow it to cool down even further. This will make it much easier to work with. Once cooled, pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ½” round tip nozzle.

13. A great tip before you start piping is to prep your baking mat with a few lines so you have a guide to pipe your choux. Just dip a flat dough scraper or anything long and thin, in a little flour, and tap it down on the baking mat. This will leave a very light line that you can follow as a piping guide.

14. Then, pipe very small circles of choux dough along the line. You want to make sure that they just touch each other. If there are any gaps, then it can mean once they bake, they will separate quite easily. You can see the picture above which shows how close they should be together. If you want a guide, you want the circles to be roughly 0.9” wide.

15. Once they are piped, remove your craquelin from the freezer and peel off the top silicon mat. Work very very quickly here as the craquelin dough is so thin that it can melt very easily.

16. Use a cookie cutter that is just slightly bigger than the size of the choux you have just piped. Quickly place the discs of craquelin onto the top of each piped choux ball. Don’t worry if the craquelin overlap ever so slightly.

17. If at any point you find your craquelin is melting in your hand, or melting as you cut it, just pop it back into the freezer for 5-10m then carry on cutting.

18. Once you have placed the craquelin on all of the choux, splash a small amount of water into the bottom of the oven (about ¼ cup), and immediately slide the tray of choux in.

19. Bake for around 30-40 minutes or until nice and golden. Avoid opening the oven at all until around 30m, otherwise the choux will collapse.

20. The choux are done when they are a nice golden brown but also if you touch them in the oven they should feel firm on the outside and not soft as you press them.

21. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

Pailleté Feuilletine

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer, add the soft butter and sift in the icing sugar.

    • 50g Soft, Unsalted Butter
    • 50g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. Beat the mixture, scraping down the bowl as necessary until it forms a smooth paste. It should take about 1-2 minutes.

3. Pour in the egg whites and beat again. They will look quite curdled and not mix in particularly well but that is normal.

    • 50g Egg Whites

4. Finally, tip in the flour and beat until it is smooth.

5. Take the mixture and spread a spoonful out, as thin as possible onto a silicon baking mat. It will puff up ever so slightly in the oven so you really want to make it nice and thin. Don’t worry about the shape of the mixture, just the thickness.

6. Place it into a preheated oven at 175C/350F and bake until it is just completely golden brown.

7. Take it out and let it cool for 5 minutes, then use your hands to snap it into very very tiny little pieces. Set them to one side.

Final Assembly

1. Take the cooled choux and carefully cut them in half. Dust the top side of the choux with a little icing/powdered sugar for decoration.

2. Remove the yuzu ganache from the fridge and stir it with a spatula just to loosen it slightly as it will be relatively thick.

3. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

4. Into each section of the choux, pipe dollops of the ganache.

5. Add the zest of some lime on top for colour.

6. Finally, place small chunks of feuilletine around the outside of the ganache and then place the lid of the choux on top.

by Matt Adlard

Pistachio & Raspberry Cookies

TIER 3

Raspberry & Pistachio Cookies

6
COOKIES

Ingredients

Makes 6 cookies

Pistachio Cookie
250g Unsalted Butter, Soft
90g Light Brown Sugar
3g Vanilla Bean Paste
3g Salt
48g Whole Egg + 16g Egg Yolk
80g Pistachio Paste
300g Plain Flour
4.5g Baking Powder

Pistachio Paste
300g Unsalted, Raw Pistachios
4-6 Tbsp Groundnut Oil (or any flavourless oil)

Raspberry Cremeux
300g Raspberry Puree
7g Sugar
6g Pectin NH
40g Egg Yolks
70g Soft, Unsalted Butter

Slivered Pistachios, Raspberry Jam & Pistachio Paste To Decorate

Special equipment

Food Processor
Hand Blender
4” Ring Molds
Piping Bags
Round Tip Piping Nozzle

Method

Pistachio Paste

This will make slightly more than you need, but it can be hard to blend a smaller quantity as the blades of the food processor will not quite pick it up.

1. Take a medium saucepan and fill it with water. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn off the heat so it is no longer bubbling.

2. Add the raw pistachios into the water and place a lid on. Let them steep in there for 1-2 minutes.

    • 300g Raw, Unsalted Pistachios

3. Immediately drain the pistachios and place them onto a tea towel.

4. Rub the pistachios vigorously in the tea towel to try and remove all of the brown skins on the outside. If they do not come off by rubbing with the tea towel, then you can peel them off individually by hand – it takes a bit of time but is worth it for the colour at the end!

5. Once you have skinned all of the pistachios, place them onto a tray and roast them very briefly at 165C for around 8-10 minutes. That will help to dry them out every so slightly.

6. Once baked, take them out and let them cool completely. Then place the pistachios into a high powered food processor. Start blending on a low speed and slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp of neutral, groundnut oil. This will help to loosen the mixture slightly.

    • 4-6 Tbsp Groundnut Oil

7. As you are blending, it may initially look quite dry and crumbly, but as you keep blending, the natural oils from the pistachios should also release and leave you with a nice smooth paste.

8. Scrape down the bowl as needed and keep blending, drizzling in more oil as needed. You are looking for a paste that is smooth and almost has the consistency of natural peanut butter. Once it is finished, set it to one side in a jar.

Raspberry Cremeux

*Ignore the part in the video where I mention gelatin – I meant to say pectin!

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and pectin NH – pectin NH is essentially a thickener that we use. It is important to whisk it with the sugar.

    • 7g Sugar – 6g Pectin NH

2. Then into a medium saucepan, add the egg yolk and the sugar, pectin mix.

    • 40g Egg Yolks

3. Whisk it together until it is lighter in consistency – don’t worry if it looks slightly lumpy – as it gets heated the lumps will disappear.

4. Pour in the raspberry puree then place the pan onto a medium heat.

    • 300g Raspberry Puree

5. Keep whisking the mixture until it begins to bubble and boil. As it heats, the lumps should disappear.

6. Once it does reach a boil, pass the mixture through a sieve, on top of a large jug.

7. Then take the soft butter, and blend this in just a piece at a time.

    • 70g Soft, Unsalted Butter 8. Cover the surface of the mixture and refrigerate overnight.

Pistachio Shortbread

1. Preheat your oven to 175C / 350F non-fan assisted.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft unsalted butter, sugar, salt & vanilla.

    • 250g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 90g Light Brown Sugar
    • 3g Vanilla Bean Paste
    • 3g Salt

3. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until it is fluffier in consistency.

4. Next, pour in the egg and beat until combined.

    • 48g Whole Egg + 16g Egg Yolk

5. Add in your pistachio paste and beat the mixture again, Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure the pistachio paste is fully incorporated.

    • 80g Pistachio Paste

6. Finally, whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, and then tip this mixture in. Mix on a low speed just until it is combined.

    • 300g Plain Flour
    • 4.5g Baking Powder

7. Once the dough has pulled together, line your baking tray with a baking mat and your ring molds. Ensure to line the inside of the ring mold with parchment paper to ensure the cookie doesn’t stick.

8. Measure the cookie dough so that you have around 100-110g of dough per ring mold (note – if you are using smaller ring molds then you can scale down the weight of the dough ball per cookie)

9. Use your hands to press the cookie dough evenly into the ring mold, trying to make it as flat as possible. Wetting your hands slightly can make this a little easier.

10. Place the tray of cookies into the oven and bake for around 18 minutes or until lightly golden around the edge.

11. Remove them from the oven and carefully peel off the ring molds. Lift the cookies up and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Assembly

1. Remove the raspberry cremeux from the fridge and place it into a stand mixer. Whisk it on a medium speed until it is slightly lighter. It won’t necessarily thicken like a whipped cream so don’t worry as we are not looking for that. Simply whisk it for 2-3 minutes on a medium high speed until it appears slightly lighter in consistency.

2. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip nozzle. Meanwhile, add some raspberry jam into a piping bag.

3. Take the cooled cookie, and pipe small dots of raspberry jam into the cookie. You don’t need too much as it is quite sweet.

4. Take any leftover pistachio paste, and pipe small dollops of this onto the cookie too.

5. Pipe the raspberry cremeux in small dots over the cookie.

6. Finally, add a few fresh raspberries and crushed pistachios.

7. The raspberry cremeux can soften at room temperature if it is particularly warm, so it is best to keep the cookie cool/chilled and then leave them at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

TIER 2

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies

5-6
COOKIES

Ingredients

Makes 5-6 cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie
75g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
60g Caster Sugar
65g Light Brown Sugar
60g Natural Peanut Butter
35g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Vanilla Bean Paste
80g Plain Flour
30g Cocoa Powder
2g Baking Soda

Caramelised Peanuts
140g Unsalted, Raw Peanuts
100g Caster Sugar
40g Water
Sprinkle of Sea Salt Flakes

Chocolate Disc
250g Dark Chocolate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Cookie Cutters
4 x A4 Acetate Sheets
Hair Dryer/Heat Gun

Method

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment (or a large bowl if you are mixing it by hand), add in the unsalted butter, sugar & peanut butter.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • 60g Caster Sugar
    • 65g Light Brown Sugar
    • 60g Natural Peanut Butter

2. Beat the mixture on a medium speed (or with a spatula) for 2-3 minutes, until it appears lighter and fluffier.

3. Pour in the cream and vanilla, and beat until combined.

    • 35g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 3g Vanilla Bean Paste

4. Finally, place a sieve on top of the bowl, and add in the dry ingredients. Mix on a low speed until they are fully incorporated.

    • 80g Plain Flour
    • 30g Cocoa Powder
    • 2g Baking Soda

5. Cover the surface of the dough with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F non-fan assisted.

Caramelised Peanuts

*This will make more than you need

1. Into a medium saucepan or a shallow frying pan, add the water, then sugar and finally the peanuts.

    • 140g Unsalted, Raw Peanuts
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • 40g Water

2. Place the pan on a medium heat and keep stirring until the peanuts become sandy and the sugar has crystalised around them. At this point – you haven’t gone wrong!

3. Keep stirring the mixture, taking the pan off the what every now and again to regulate the heat and ensure the nuts don’t burn.

4. Once the sugar has cooked, turned to a sandy caramel and the nuts are evenly coated, quickly tip them onto a silicon mat and break up any clumps of nuts. Let them cool completely.

Baking

1. After 30 minutes, scoop the dough into 65g pieces. Roll the pieces of dough in between your hands until they form smooth round balls.

2. Place the balls onto a baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment. Ensure there is enough space between them so they do not spread into each other as they bake. I like to bake 5 per tray.

3. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. They should spread out and crack slightly at the edges, but still have a very slight puff in the centre.

4. Once they have baked and while they are still warm, take a cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie and rotate it in small circles around the outside. This will create a neat, round cookie.

5. While it is still warm, take some individual pieces of caramelised peanuts, and press them into the top of the cookie.

As an additional flavour you could also make the soft salted caramel recipe from Modern Pastry – Tier 2. You could pipe small dollops of this in between the caramelised peanuts.

6. Let the cookies cool completely. Be careful if you are moving them while they are warm as they are quite soft and they could fall out of shape.

Chocolate Disc & Assembly

1. To decorate the cookies we are going to melt a small disc of chocolate on top. You could temper the chocolate here but there is no real need as we are going to melt it immediately anyways.

2. Start by placing your chocolate into a bowl, and place this over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 250g Dark Chocolate

3. Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted.

4. Remove the chocolate from the heat and pour it onto a sheet of acetate. If you are using A4 sheets of acetate, you will need to split the chocolate between two sheets, as 250g will be too much for one.

5. Place a second sheet of acetate on top and use a rolling pin to press the chocolate to the edges so you have a nice thin, even layer of chocolate. Don’t press the chocolate all the way to the edge as when we weigh it down it will spread slightly more. Repeat the process with the remaining chocolate, on a second sheet of acetate.

6. Lift the sheet of acetate onto a tray and then place a heavy object on top to keep the chocolate flat. Place the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes.

7. Once chilled, remove the tray from the freezer and carefully peel off the top sheet of acetate. Remember, the chocolate is not in temper so it will melt very quickly especially if it is hot, so work quickly, or place the chocolate back in the freezer as you go.

8. Take a cookie cutter, slightly smaller than the size of your baked cookie. Gently heat it with hot water or a blow torch.

9. Cut a disc of chocolate. Wipe the cookie cutter and repeat this, cutting as many discs as you need for your cookies.

10. Place the sheet of chocolate back in the freezer for 5 minutes.

11. After 5 minutes, work quickly and peel off the acetate from underneath the chocolate, to release the chocolate discs.

12. Take the disc of chocolate and carefully lift it on top of your cookie so that it is sitting on the caramelised peanuts.

13. Then, using a heat gun/hair dryer (or simply place the cookie in a warm oven), melt the chocolate disc so that it falls over the caramelised nuts.

14. Place the finished cookies on a tray then as an option, garnish with one final caramelised peanut and a touch of gold leaf.

15. You can place the tray in the fridge for 5 minutes just to set the chocolate disc or serve it warm/leave it at room temperature so the chocolate stays gooey.

by Matt Adlard

Thick Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

TIER 1

Thick Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

6
COOKIES

Ingredients

Makes 6 cookies

56g Caster Sugar
90g Light Brown Sugar
127g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
10g Honey
3g Vanilla Bean Paste
28g Whole Egg
212g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
4g Salt
3g Baking Powder
180g Milk Chocolate Chips
Extra Chocolate Chips To Garnish

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
6 x 4” Ring Mold

Method

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment (or a large bowl if you are mixing it by hand), add in the unsalted butter, sugar, honey & vanilla.

    • 56g Caster Sugar
    • 90g Light Brown Sugar
    • 127g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • 10g Honey
    • 3g Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Beat the mixture on a medium speed (or with a spatula) for 2-3 minutes, until it appears much lighter and fluffier.

3. Pour in the egg and beat the mixture until the egg has fully combined into the mixture.

    • 28g Whole Egg *Crack a whole egg, whisk it so that it is fully combined, then weigh 28g of it.

4. Into a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. It’s important to mix them together so that baking powder is properly dispersed.

    • 212g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
    • 4g Salt
    • 3g Baking Powder

5. With the mixer running on low, tip in the dry ingredients, then immediately tip in the chocolate.

    • 160g Milk Chocolate Chips

6. Mix very briefly until the flour has just absorbed into all of the butter. We don’t want to overbeat the mixture. It should only take 10-15 seconds to pull together.

7. Take a baking tray and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. Next, very lightly grease the inside of your ring mold, then place a piece of parchment paper along the inside of the ring mold. This will prevent the cookie from sticking to the mold.

8. Depending on the size of your ring mold, you may want adjust the weight of the cookie dough ball in the following steps.

9. Scoop out a piece of cookie dough and weigh about 110g of dough.

10. Take the dough and press it into your ring mold. Use your fingers tips to gently press the cookie dough right to the edges, ensuring it is as smooth as possible. If you are using a smaller ring mold, as a rough guide, you want the cookie dough to fill the ring mold about halfway up so you can remove as much dough as needed so that it fills up the ring mold to that point.

– Unlike a lot of other cookie recipes where you create a ball of dough that then melts into a disc, this cookie dough doesn’t spread much so don’t ball the cookie dough up and try to bake them like regular cookies.

– If you don’t have ring mold, you can simply shape them into thick, flat discs and bake them. Then once they come out of the oven, use something round like a cookie cutter, and rotate it around the outside of the cookie to create a neat round shape.

11. Repeat this with the remaining cookie dough, you should be able to get 6 cookies if you are using 110g per cookie.

12. Place the tray in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 175C/350F. We are not freezing the dough, just keeping it chilled while the oven heats up.

13. Once the oven has heated up, remove the dough from the freezer and slide the tray into the oven.

14. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until they have puffed up and gone lightly golden around the edge. The cooking time will be slightly quicker if you are using a smaller ring mold so keep an eye on them. Every oven is different.

15. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, add some more chocolate on top of them while they are warm, along with a sprinkle of flakey salt.

16. Remove the ring mold and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

FAQ

How can I store the cookies?

Cookies are always best served and eaten the same day or within a day. Once they are baked you can store them in an airtight container. If you are not baking them that day, you can shape the cookie dough into discs the size of your ring mild, then place them in the freezer. You can freeze the dough for up to a month, however the logne the dough chills the more it will ‘dry’ out, resulting in a cookie that will lose moisture.

Can I refrigerate the dough before I bake it?

The dough can be refrigerated, but the longer you refrigerate the dough, the more the dough will dry out. As the dough dries out, the sugars become more concentrated which can result in a crispier cookie.

Chilling cookie dough is usually done to prevent the cookie dough from spreading too much, but the cookie recipe doesn’t spread much anyways.

Can I re-heat the baked cookies?

Yes! Pop them in the microwave very briefly for short, 5-7 second bursts of time until they are soft or put them in a hot oven for a few minutes to soften them.

If I don’t have enough ring molds, what should I do with the remaining cookie dough while the cookies bake?

Just leave it out, covered, at room temperature until you are ready to portion it up.

by Matt Adlard

French Baguette

TIER 3

French Baguette

6
BAGUETTES

Ingredients

Makes 6 baguettes

700g Bread Flour
490g Water
22g Salt
9g Fresh Yeast or 4.5g Instant Yeast

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Dough Scraper
Large Square Container (Roughly 11×11” and 3-4” Deep)
Bakers Lame or Razor Blade
Couche Baking Cloth
Baguette Transfer Board
Pizza Peel (Optional)

Method

1. Into a large bowl, add the flour and salt.

    • 700g Bread flour
    • 22g Salt

2. Into a small jug, add the water and yeast and stir the mixture together to soften the yeast. If you are using “Active Dry Yeast” you will need to let the yeast sit in the water for 5 minutes to activate. If you are using “Instant Dry Yeast” you do not need to wait.

    • 490g Water
    • 4.5g Instant Yeast or 9g Fresh Yeast

3. Pour the yeast liquid over the dry ingredients and then using a spatula or your hand, work the liquid into the dry ingredients, until you can’t see any more flour.

4. We aren’t looking to knead the dough here, we simply want to mix the dry and wet ingredients until they are just combined.

5. Once you can see no more dry bits in your bowl, Cover the dough and rest it for 30 minutes.

6. After 30 minutes, lightly wet your hands and stretch and fold the dough. This is simply the process of grabbing the underside of the dough, stretching it up, and lifting it into the centre. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and then grab the underside of the dough again, lift it up and stretch it into the centre. We are going to do a total of 4 stretch and folds.

7. Once you have completed your folds, cover the dough and rest it for another 30 minutes.

8. Repeat the stretching and folding process and cover the dough for 30 minutes. At this point, you can also knead the dough just ever so slightly after your stretch and folds. Once you have finished the S&F, flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up in the bowel, then just gently cup the dough a few times with your hands, then let it rest again.

9. Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times – this will mean you have done a total of 12 stretch and folds over a 2 hour period.

10. After you have just completed your final stretch and fold, lift the dough out of the bowl and transfer it into a square container. This will make the next part of the process much easier. Cover the container and refrigerate it overnight to ferment.

11. You can either mix the dough later at night and leave it overnight in the fridge or mix it very early in the morning and give it a minimum of 8 hours in the fridge.

12. After the dough has rested in the fridge, use a floured dough scraper to cut the dough away from the edge of the square container.

13. Flour the top of the dough quite liberally and also flour your work surface.

14. Flip the dough out of the square container onto your work surface. If it is sticking slightly, just use a dough scraper to get under the container and pry it out.

15. Flour the dough again, and then using a metal dough scraper, press the edges of the dough in, so that you pack it into a nice neat square shape. A metal dough scraper will make a huge difference here vs using a knife so I would recommend getting one.

16. Then, use the scraper to cut the dough into 6 equal rectangles. Each piece should weigh roughly 180-200g but as long as you cut them relatively evenly you shouldn’t need to weigh them.

17. Now we need to pre-shape each rectangle into a rough log.

18. Ensure the short side of the dough is facing you and fold the bottom part up about ⅔ of the way. Then take the edges and tuck the corners of the dough towards the centre.

19. Then, take the top part of the dough and fold this down, just overlapping the seam you just created ever so slightly. Tuck the corner of the dough towards the centre. You should be left with a very rough oval shape.

20. Finally, take the top part of the dough again, and fold this down all the way to the bottom, pinching the dough together to form a sealed seam along the bottom.

21. Use a floured dough scraper to loosen the dough from the bench then gently roll the log in between your hands.

22. Lift the log onto a tray that is lightly floured and repeat with the remaining dough.

23. Cover the logs lightly with a tea towel and let them proof for 30 minutes.

24. After 30 minutes, lightly flour the top of the logs (as they may have gone slightly sticky) and use a floured dough scraper to lift them up onto a floured work surface.

25. Use the heel of your hands to de-gas the dough, flattening it into a rough oval shape.

26. Then, take the top part of the dough and fold this down about half way, pinching the dough together to seal it in the centre.

27. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat this, taking the top part of the dough and folding it over, so it overlaps the seam you just created ever so slightly.

28. Then, take the top part of the dough and fold this down again, sealing it to the bottom of the dough and using your fingers to pinch the seam together.

29. Roll the dough gently under your hands and apply a slight bit of pressure to the edge of the dough to create a small tail to the baguette.

30. Lift the baguette onto a floured baking couche or baking paper. Repeat the process with all the dough, making sure that you leave a fold of couche or baking paper in between each baguette so they do not proof into each other.

31. Loosely cover them with a tea towel and proof them for 1 hour.

32. At this point, preheat your oven to 250C/480F Non-Fan Assisted, with a pizza stone or a flat tray in the centre of the oven. You want to ensure the oven is nice and hot so you get a good oven spring to the baguette.

33. Once the baguettes have proofed, take a large tray or a pizza peel and place a large square of baking paper onto it. This will make it much easier to launch the baguettes.

34. Quickly and confidently, flip the baguettes off of the couch or baking paper onto your baguette launch peel so the seam is now facing up.

35. Then flip the baguette onto your baking paper lined pizza peel/tray.

36. If your oven is big enough you can bake 6 at once or just do 3 at a time and let the remaining baguettes proof for a little longer.

37. Once you have the baguettes lined up, use a razor blade to score the top of the dough in a similar pattern to the design below.

38. When you are slashing the bread, make sure the top of each slash overlaps just slightly with the bottom of the previous score. Also, only score in the centre third of the dough (indicated by the dotted line). Don’t worry if the dough tugs ever so slightly as you slash.

39. Immediately slide the baguettes into the oven onto the pizza stone or tray that has been pre-heating.

40. As soon as you have slid them in, splash about ½ cup of water onto the bottom of the oven to create steam. This is crucial to giving you a nice crust.

41. Close the oven door quickly and bake the baguettes for 18-22 minutes, or until they are a nice deep golden brown.

42. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes.

by Matt Adlard

Pain De Mie

TIER 2

Pain de Mie

1
LOAF

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

Small/Large Loaf
500g/700g White Bread Flour
6g Instant Yeast
10g Fresh Yeast / 8.5g Instant Yeast or 14.5g Fresh Yeast
20g/28g Sugar
20g/28g Salt
50g/70g Cold, Unsalted Butter
150g/210g Whole Milk
200g/285g Cool Water

Tiger Topping (Optional)
150g Rice Flour
4.5g Instant Yeast
15g Sugar
15g Sesame Oil
110g Water

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Dough Scraper
2lb Loaf Tin (For the Large Quantity of Dough)
1.5lb Loaf Tin (For the Small Quantity Of Dough)
Bakers Lame or Razor Blade

Method

For the quantities below, it will make a slightly smaller loaf of bread. You can also use the increased quantities in the ingredient list above if you want to make a larger loaf.

1. Into a tall jug, add the cool water, then pour in milk, and yeast. Stir the mixture together to combine. If you are using “Active Dry Yeast” you will need to let the yeast sit in the water for 5 minutes to activate. If you are using “Instant Dry Yeast” you do not need to wait.

    • 200g Cool Water
    • 150g Whole Milk
    • 6g Instant Yeast or 10g Fresh Yeast

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar and cold cubed butter.

    • 500g White Bread Flour
    • 20g Sugar
    • 20g Salt
    • 50g Cold, Unsalted Butter

3. Place the mixer on a low speed and slowly pour in the yeast mixture

4. Mix the dough for 4 minutes on a low speed then increase the speed to medium and mix for a further 6-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should come cleanly away from the side of the bowl when it is ready.

5. Lift the dough out of the mixer and shape into a rough ball on the work surface. Lift the ball of dough into a lightly oiled boil and proof for about 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.

Tiger Coating

1. While the dough is proofing, place the ingredients for the tiger coating in a bowl and stir them together with a spoon.

    • 150g Rice Flour
    • 4.5g Instant Yeast
    • 15g Sugar
    • 15g Sesame Oil
    • 110g Water

2. This will make slightly more topping than you need. You want to add enough water until the mixture is almost like a wet porridge consistency. If it is too thick then it won’t crack as well on the loaf. If it is too thin then as you spread it on the bread it will begin to drip off.

3. Cover the bowl and let it rest.

Final Shaping

1. Take a dough scraper and scrape the proofed dough out of the bowl.

2. Lift the dough onto a lightly floured surfaces so the smooth side is facing down.

3. Gently flatten the dough with your hands into a rough circle.

4. Take the left hand side of the dough, lift it up and fold it into the centre.

5. Take the right hand side of the dough, lift it up and fold this over the centre. This should give you a rough rectangle shape, with the short side of the dough facing your body.

6. Then, with two hands, gently lift the top side of the dough, stretch it up slightly, then fold it down, pressing it into the centre of the dough so it seals slightly.

7. Continue lifting the top of the dough up, folding it down, and sealing it with your hands. You should be able to do about 3 folds in total.

8. When pressing the dough and sealing it as you fold, try not to press too much air out of the dough and over compress it.

9. Once you have performed the final fold, gently roll the dough over so the smooth side is now facing up. If the bottom of the dough isn’t sealed well, just flip it over and use your hands to stitch the bottom seam together.

10. Carefully lift the dough into a very lightly oiled bread tin so that the smooth side of the dough is facing up.

11. At this point, if you want to add the tiger topping, take the bowl and stir the mixture together. Again – check it is not too thick and add a small splash of water if you need to loosen it slightly.

12. Take the tiger topping, and spoon it onto the top of the bread. Use the back of a spoon (or your fingers is easier!) and spread the topping out so that it evenly covers the entire loaf. Again, you may not need all the tiger topping.

13. If you are not adding the tiger topping then you can skip this step.

14. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise for 1 hour.

15. About 30 minutes before dough is done proofing, pre-heat the oven to 210C/410F Fan Assisted.

16. If you are making the regular Pain De Mie, once it is proofed, take a small razor blade and genty slash the top of the bread. This is optional but it helps to allow steam to release which prevents your bread from potentially bursting. It also gives you a nice decoration too.

17. Open the oven and slide the loaf tin in. If you are making the Pain De Mie without the tiger topping, take a small amount of water and splash this in the bottom of the oven, as you slide the bread in. The steam will give it a nice crust.

18. If you are making the tiger bread there is no need to do this.

19. Bake the bread for 10 minutes at 210C/410F and then immediately lower the temperature to 175C/350F and continue to bake for a further 45 minutes if you are making the large loaf. If you are making the smaller loaf, it should only need an additional 35 minutes.

20. The loaf should be a really nice golden colour when baked. If you find the loaf is browning too quickly, simply cover the top of the loaf with a little bit of foil.

21. Once baked, remove the loaf from the tin and place it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

22. You must let the loaf cool for at least an hour before cutting. The crumb needs time to cool completely in order to set, otherwise when you cut the loaf, it will be dense on the inside. Cooling it will ensure the texture is springy and fluffy.

by Matt Adlard

Pain De Campagne

TIER 1

Pain de Campagne

1
LOAF

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

400g Bread Flour
130g Rye Flour
300g Water
25g Black Treacle
50g Olive Oil
14g Instant Dry Yeast
15g Salt

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Dough Scraper
Proofing Basket / Banneton Basket
Razor Blade

Method

1. Into a tall jug, add the water, then pour in the black treacle and olive oil.

    • 300g Water
    • 25g Black Treacle
    • 50g Olive Oil

2. Pour the yeast in and stir it through to combine. If you are using “Active Dry Yeast” you will need to let the yeast sit in the water for 5 minutes to activate. If you are using “Instant Dry Yeast” you do not need to wait.

    • 14g Instant Yeast

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and salt.

    • 400g Bread Flour
    • 130g Rye Flour
    • 15g Salt

4. Place the stand mixer on a medium speed, and knead for 5-6 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Scrape down the side of the bowl as it is mixing if any ingredients get stuck.

5. Lift the dough out of the bowl and gently tighten the dough into a rough boule shape under your hands.

6. Lift the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with cling film, and allow it to rise for 1.5 hours.

7. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl, and place the dough onto a lightly floured surface, so the smooth side is facing down.

8. Flatten the dough into a rough circle and then using your finger tips, grab an edge of the dough and fold it into the centre. Repeat this process, peeling up the edge of the dough and sealing it into the centre, until you have gone all the way around and have a nice tight boule.

9. Flip the dough over and using your hands, rotate the dough in a circular motion under your palms, to tighten the dough slightly. You should now have a very smooth top to the dough.

10. Lift the dough up and flip it over into a round floured banneton basket so that the seam of the dough is facing up. You can pinch the seam together with your hands when it is in the basket just to make sure the dough is fully sealed.

11. Cover the dough with a tea towel and proof it for 1 hour.

12. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F Fan Assisted.

13. Once the dough has proofed, take a baking tray and carefully flip the dough out onto the tray.

14. Use a small sieve to dust a light layer of flour on top of the dough.

15. As an optional decoration you can score the dough with a razor blade. Start by taking some unflavoured floss and gently mark the dough into 8 triangles (see PDF for image).

16. Then, use a razor blade to score the top of the dough. Follow the lines you just marked on the dough and score small slashes along the lines. This will give the dough areas for the steam to escape and prevent it from cracking or bursting.

17. Place the tray into the oven and immediately splash some water on the bottom of the oven to create steam.

18. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 175C/350F and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until it is a nice deep golden brown.

19. The bread is done when you flip it over and tap the bottom and you get a hollow sound.

20. Cool the bread on a wire rack for atleast and hour then cut.

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue Pie

TIER 3

Lemon Meringue Pie

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual desserts

Lemon Cream
150g Caster Sugar
Zest of 1 Large Lemon
110g Lemon Juice
4 Large Eggs
290g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolk
Zest ½ Lemon
200g Plain Flour

French Meringue Kisses
100g Egg Whites
200g Caster Sugar

Orange Gel
300g Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2.5g Agar Agar
5g Sugar
10g Lemon Juice

Fresh raspberries to decorate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
4 x 4.5” Perforated Tart Rings
Piping Bag
Hand Blender or Food Processor

Method

Lemon Cream

You may have some lemon cream leftover depending on how big and how thick you pipe you spirals for the final plating.

1. Into a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • 150g Caster Sugar
    • Zest of 1 Large Lemon
    • 110g Lemon Juice
    • 4 Large Eggs

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. Be careful not to overcook the mixture and scramble the eggs.

3. Immediately pour the mixture through a sieve onto another bowl.

4. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture, adding a few chunks of butter each time. Keep blending until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

    • 290g Soft, Unsalted Butter

5. Cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.

French Meringue Kisses

This will make more meringue than you need, but it can be hard to whisk a very small amount of egg whites!

1. Preheat your oven to 90C/195F non-fan assisted.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites.

    • 100g Egg Whites

3. Whisk the mixture on a medium low speed until it starts to become frothy.

4. Once it is frothy, increase the speed to medium high and start adding the sugar.

    • 200g Caster Sugar

5. Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, trying to avoid throwing it on the whisk as otherwise it will throw the sugar all over the edge of the bowl and it won’t incorporate fully. Make sure to let the mixer whisk for 10-15 seconds before you add the next addition of sugar.

6. Once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking on a medium high speed until you have a stiff peak to your meringue. You should be able to rub the mixture between your fingers and not feel any sugar granules.

7. Add the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 4B or any star tip nozzle.

8. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper and pipe small kisses of meringue.

9. Place the tray in the oven and bake the kisses for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off, then open the oven door slightly and leave them in the oven to cool for a further 30 minutes.

Lemon Sweet Pastry

Note – I used quite a large silicon mat in the video – so the instructions below will guide you on splitting the dough into two balls if you are using regular sized silicon mats- one ball to create the bases for your tart shell, and one ball to create the walls.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter, lemon zest and sift over the icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • Zest ½ Lemon
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the egg yolks and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 200g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form two rough balls. Place one ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it as thin as possible.

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, repeat the process, rolling it in between two silicon mats, into a rough rectangle shape.

8. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place them back in the freezer.

12. Remove the second strip of dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off. Use a knife to cut long strips of dough.

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

*Note – you may not have enough dough here for 4 tart walls depending on how you rolled it. In which case, start by cutting two walls and then re-roll the scraps to make another 2 walls.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them inside the tart ring.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise, if it is too warm, as you press the dough it will tear. If it does feel too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes then try again.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

20. After 15 minutes in the freezer, remove the tray of tart shells. Use a knife to trim off the excess pastry around the top of the tart shell.

21. Then, use a variety of cookie cutters and piping nozzles to cut different sized holes out of the base of the dough.

22. Make sure to keep the disc cut outs and place these on the baking tray too (these may cook quicker than your tart shells so keep an eye on them as they bake as you may need to take them out early).

23. Place the tarts into the oven and bake for around 14-16 minutes until they are nice and golden. Be careful as the underside of the tart that is facing directly onto the tray, will end up being the top of the cage. This will cook quicker as it is in direct contact with the tray, so have a little look underneath the tart shell after about 14 minutes in the oven to see how the colour is. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Orange Gel

1. Into a saucepan add the orange juice and the agar agar.

    • 150g Orange Juice
    • 2.5g Agar Agar

2. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute to fully activate the agar agar.

3. Remove it from the heat and pour in the remaining orange juice, sugar and lemon juice.

    • 150g Orange Juice
    • 5g Sugar
    • 10g Lemon Juice

4. Pour the mixture onto a tray and let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until it forms a jelly-like consistency.

5. Break the mixture up and place it into a blender (or blend in a tall jug with a hand blender)

6. Once smooth, store it in a container in the fridge until you are ready to plate with it.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the lemon cream from the fridge, and scoop it directly from the bowl, into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Make sure to squeeze any air bubbles out of the piping bag.

2. Take your plate, and applying even pressure, pipe a spiral of the lemon cream onto it.

3. Next, place the meringue kisses around the outside, and pipe a few more dollops of the lemon cream.

4. Garnish with some freshly sliced raspberries, and the discs of lemon sweet pastry you made from the cut outs. (I also added some fresh vanilla powder, which is simply dried up vanilla pods that I blended into a powder).

5. Carefully place the lemon pastry cage over the top, trying to slot the meringue kisses into the holes.

6. Remove the orange gel from the fridge and place it into a piping bag.

7. Pipe small dots of the gel over the plate and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Apple Crumble

TIER 2

Apple Crumble

4-5
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4-5 individual desserts

Caramelised Apples
2 Apples (Braeburn or other sweet apple)
20g Light Brown Sugar
5g Caster Sugar
5g Cornflour/Cornstarch
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Fresh Nutmeg, Grated
½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Up to 125ml Water

Vanilla Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste / 1 Whole Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped
15g Cornstarch/Cornflour
85g Caster Sugar
55g Egg Yolks
25g Cold, Unsalted Butter

Crumble
50g Unsalted Butter, Cold
50g Caster Sugar
50g Ground Hazelnuts or Almonds
50g Plain Flour

Apple Gel
300g Cloudy Apple Juice
2.5g Agar Agar

Tuile
100g Egg Whites
100g Very Soft, Unsalted Butter
100g Caster Sugar
100g Plain Flour

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
Sphere Silicon Mold
Dough Scraper
Piping Bag
Hand Blender or Food Processor

Method

Caramelised Apples

1. Take a large bowl and pour the lemon juice in the bottom.

    • ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until evenly combined.

    • 20g Light Brown Sugar
    • 5g Caster Sugar
    • 5g Cornflour/Cornstarch
    • Pinch of Cinnamon
    • Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg, Grated

3. On a chopping board, core each apple and then peel the skin off the outside. Cut the apples into small even cubes and add them into the bowl with the lemon juice.

    • 2 Apples

4. Take the dry ingredients and tip them over the bowl of chopped apples. Toss them to coat evenly.

5. Add the apples into a small/medium saucepan along with a small splash of water.

6. Cook the apples over a medium heat, adding a splash of water as needed once the sauce starts to thicken. Keep cooking the apples and adding small amounts of water until the apples are soft and caramelised. It should take about 5 minutes.

7. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool slightly. Then pour the apples into a silicon sphere mold. You can also use any small silicon mold that you have!

8. Place the apples into the freezer for 2-3 hours.

9. To decorate the plate – I also added a few larger chunks of apple – you can repeat this process with another 2 apples, but instead, chop the apples into larger cubes, about ½” wide. They will take slightly longer to cook so keep that in mind. Once they are cooked, just store them in a container. If the sauce has thickened too much when you come to use them, just pop them back into a pan with a small splash of water and heat them back up. That will loosen the thick sauce around them.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1. Into a saucepan, add the milk along with the fresh vanilla or vanilla bean paste.

    • 250g Whole Milk
    • 1 Vanilla Pod or 2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Place it over a medium heat, until it reaches a gentle simmer.

3. As it is heating up, place the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour into a bowl. Whisk the mixture for 30 seconds until it becomes thick in consistency.

    • 15g Cornstarch/Cornflour
    • 85g Caster Sugar
    • 55g Egg Yolks

4. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

5. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and whisk it constantly until it starts to thicken. Once it comes to a boil, cook for a further 1 minute.

6. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pass it through a sieve, placed over another bowl.

7. Use a spatula to press the mixture through the sieve.

8. Add the unsalted butter on top and stir or whisk the mixture until the butter has been fully incorporated.

    • 25g Unsalted Butter

9. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface and chill for 3-4 hours.

Streusel

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl along with the cold, cubed butter. Mix the ingredients between your fingers, rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients, until it forms a breadcrumb-like consistency. You can also place this in a stand mixer and mix on a low speed with a beater attachment.

    • 50g Unsalted Butter, Cold
    • 50g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Ground Almonds or Ground Hazelnuts
    • 50g Plain Flour
    • Zest ½ Lemon

2. Place the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.

3. Take the mixture and break it up with your hands, onto a baking mat. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just lightly golden around the edge. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Apple Gel

1. Into a saucepan add the apple juice and the agar agar.

    • 150g Cloudy Apple Juice
    • 2.5g Agar Agar

2. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute to fully activate the agar agar.

3. Remove it from the heat and pour in the remaining cloudy apple juice.

    • 150g Cloudy Apple Juice

4. Pour the mixture onto a tray and let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until it forms a jelly-like consistency.

5. Break the mixture up and place it into a blender (or blend in a tall jug with a hand blender)

6. Once smooth, store it in a container in the fridge until you are ready to plate with it.

Tuile

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Into a bowl, add the egg whites. While whisking, slowly add the sugar until it has thickened to a medium peak.

    • 100g Egg Whites
    • 100g Caster Sugar

3. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and add in the very soft butter. Whisk the mixture over the hot water, until the butter has fully incorporated into the meringue.

    • 100g Soft, Unsalted Butter

4. Finally, tip in the flour and whisk again until you have a smooth paste.

    • 100g Plain Flour

5. Take a scoop of the tuile mixture and spread it thinly onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat. The idea is to spread it as evenly as possible, without any air bubbles or marks in it.

6. Then, with a bench scraper or a palette knife, carefully wipe away any excess tuile mixture, shaping the batter into a long triangle shape like below.

7. Make sure the edges are nice and smooth and place the tray into the oven.

8. Bake the tuile for 5 minutes – as it is much thinner at one end than the other, you need to make sure you don’t overcook that part and make it golden, or it will snap very easily. The tuile shouldn’t take on any colour really, only a very slightly golden tinge around the edge.

9. Once baked, work very quickly. Remove the tuile from the oven and very carefully, lay the silicon mat over the top of two bottles, setting the mat in a wavy shape. Use some small containers or any object to hold the mat in shape, so that as the tuile cools, it doesn’t move. – It helps to use a silicon mat that isn’t too rigid – sometimes they can be too strong and almost “snap back” as soon as you release them which will snap your tuile. It is best to use a silicon mat that is relatively thin.

10. Once the tuile has set after about 3-4 minutes, very carefully peel the silicon mat away from underneath the tuile. You have to be quite careful to slide the bottles out from underneath, then use your fingers to peel the silicon mat away. Don’t worry if it does snap, it’s not the end of the world!

Final Assembly

1. Take your plate and place the curved tuile down the centre.

2. Remove your spheres of caramelised apple from the freezer and pop them out of the silicon mold. Lift a few spheres onto your plate, placing them around the tuile. They will defrost quite quickly (around 20-25 minutes), or you can very very gently blow torch them to help speed that up!

3. Next, remove the creme patissiere from the fridge and whisk it up to loosen it and ensure it is nice and smooth.

4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

5. Pipe dollops of this around the plate.

6. Add the larger chunks of caramelized apples to the plate too (if you made those)

7. Next, crumble the streusel on the plate.

8. Finally, remove the apple gel from the fridge and add it into a piping bag. Pipe small dots of it on the plate and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Bi-Color Pain Au Chocolat

TIER 3

Bi-Color Pain Au Chocolat

16-20
PAINS AU CHOCOLAT

Ingredients

Makes 16-20 pains au chocolat

Croissant Dough (Detrempe)
700g Croissant Flour (Also known as T55 Flour – you want a flour with 11-12% protein content)
300g Plain, All-Purpose Flour (Around 9-10% protein content) *If you only have access to Bread Flour – Use 500g Plain Flour + 500g Strong White Bread Flour
25g Salt
120g Sugar
40g Fresh Yeast
265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)
30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Butter (Beurrage)
500g Professional Unsalted Butter (Isigny Ste-Mère – Beurre D’Isigny A.O.P)

Or

500g Unsalted Butter + 50g Flour (Croissant or Plain)

Chocolate Croissant Dough
230g Croissant Dough
30g Cocoa Powder
50g Water

Filling
3 Chocolate Batons Per Croissant

Syrup
100g Caster Sugar
100g Water

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Ruler or Tape Measure
Digital thermometer
Dough Scraper
Razor Blade

Method

Croissant Dough

A quick note about dough temperature – the desired dough temperature (also known as the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) is ideally around 24-26C. This is the perfect temperature for fermentation. Now – the DDT will depend on the temperature of your ingredients which means you may need to adjust the temperature of your milk and water according to your environment. If you check the back of the PDF recipe you will see how to calculate the DDT. You can follow the temperatures below as a guide but if you want to be very accurate, use the DDT formula.

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the mik, water & yeast. Use a whisk to whisk it until the yeast has dissolved.

    • 40g Fresh Yeast
    • 265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
    • 265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl, and attach your dough hook to the stand mixer.

    • 700g Croissant Flour
    • 300g Plain Flour
    • 25g Salt
    • 120g Sugar
    • 30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

3. Place the mixer on low speed (speed 1 on your mixer) and mix for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, increase the speed to 2, and mix for another 5-7 minutes.

4. After this time, take a small piece of dough and check to see if the gluten has fully developed. To do this, stretch the piece of dough out, and if it tears easily, then the gluten has not developed enough and you need to keep kneading the dough.

5. Keep kneading the dough until when you carefully stretch a small piece of dough, it stretches without tearing and you can see through the thinly stretched dough.

6. Depending on the strength of your mixer, the time it takes to develop the gluten may vary. It could take up to 15-18 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the stand mixer and briefly knead it by hand into a smooth ball.

8. Using a dough scraper, cut off about 230g of the dough, which you will need to create the chocolate dough.

9. With the remaining dough, use your hands to pat the dough down and form it into a rough rectangular shape.

10. Wrap the dough in cling film, ensuring the cling film is not wrapped too tightly, there needs to be a little bit of room for it to expand.

11. Place the dough on a tray and into the fridge. The dough needs to be in the fridge for 8-15 hours (I prefer to do it for 12 hours). This the perfect window of time for the fermentation to take place and for the flavour in the dough to develop. I prefer to mix the dough at night so that I can laminate first thing in the morning.

Chocolate Croissant Dough

1. Into a stand mixer, take the croissant dough that you cut from the main dough, and place it into a stand mixer.

2. Into a separate bowl, add the water and cocoa powder. Mix it with a spatula until it forms a rough crumbly paste. Scrape this on top of the croissant dough.

3. With the dough hook attachment, mix the dough until it forms a cohesive chocolate dough. It can sometimes be a little difficult to incorporate so you can also scoop it out onto your work surface and knead it together with your hands.

4. Place the dough onto your work surface and with a rolling pin, roll it into a rough rectangle, about 30x20cm. You may need to flour it lightly to stop it from sticking.

5. Wrap the dough in cling film and place it in the fridge to chill overnight.

Butter

Depending on the type of butter you use, you may not need to follow the following steps and add flour into your butter. If you are able to purchase professional butter sheets used specifically for croissants then the butter will be pliable enough and you will not need to do this.

Option 1 – “Professional” Butter

1. Remove the butter from the package – they usually come in 1KG sheets, and cut it in haf to get 500g.

2. Place the butter on one long sheet of parchment paper then fold it in half. Leave the butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes then it will make it much easier to roll.

3. Use a rolling pin to roll the sheet of butter into a rectangle, around 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”).

4. You fold the parchment paper into a 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) rectangle and then use the rolling pin to roll the butter into the edges until you have a nice even layer of butter.

5. Place the butter block in the fridge to chill overnight.

Option 2 – “Regular” Butter

1. Place the soft butter into a stand mixer along with the flour.

2. Beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes on a low speed until the flour has completely incorporated into the butter.

3. Scrape the butter out of the stand mixer and place it into the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper.

4. Fold the parchment paper over the butter and then fold the edges in, to create a rough rectangle that is 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”). Use a rolling pin to roll the butter into the corners until you have an even layer of butter that is in a neat rectangular shape

5. Alternatively (and slightly easier) is to find a sandwich bag that is roughly 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) and place the soft butter inside that. Seal the sandwich bag leaving a slight hole at the top for air to escape.

6. Roll the butter into a neat rectangular shape, trying to get the butter a relatively even thickness. Seal the top of the bag and place the butter in the fridge overnight.

Laminating

1. After the croissant dough has fermented in the fridge, you are ready to laminate.

2. Remove your butter block from the fridge to allow it to come to temperature. The temperature of the butter is crucial – if the butter is too cold, it will crack when you begin to roll it. If the butter is too warm, it will bleed into the dough and you won’t get any layers to your pain au chocolat. Be sure to cut around the outside of the sandwich bag (if you are using one) and lift the butter out of the bag. Place it on a sheet of parchment to come to temperature.

3. The temperature you need your butter to reach before you begin laminating will depend on the butter you are using and the fat percentage. But a general rule of thumb is to leave the butter at room temperature until it reaches between 11-15C (51F-59F)

4. In my experience, if you are using “professional” croissant butter, you can laminate at around 11C, but with “regular” butter, you need to be closer to 13-14C.

5. Every butter brand will be different and behave differently depending on your room conditions so it may take some experimenting. If your butter melts or cracks the first time you begin laminating, don’t panic! You can still make the bi-color pain au chocolat, your layers may not be quite as perfect however. It can take a few failed attempts of bi-color pain au chocolat in order to understand your butter.

6. Place a digital thermometer into the butter. Depending on your room temperature or the weather outside, it can take the butter anywhere from 10-30 minutes to reach the correct temperature.

7. Once your butter is close to temperature, work quickly to remove your croissant dough from the fridge and start rolling. We want to ensure the dough status cold and is rolled out as soon as the butter is at the right temperature.

8. Very lightly flour the dough and roll it out into a rectangle, that is the same height as your butter (30cm/11.8”) but twice as wide.

9. If your butter block is 20x30cm, you want to roll your dough to 40cm wide x 30cm tall.

10. Place the butter block into the centre of the dough (as shown above) then fold each side of the dough into the centre so they meet in the middle.

11. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to form a seam down the centre.

12. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is not facing you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width – extending the width of the dough by about 10cm/4”.

13. 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.

14. Don’t worry too much about the length of the dough, we are looking to roll it until it reaches around 1cm thick (0.39”)

A quick note on thickness – in an ideal world you would roll to about 5mm thick – but when you are doing it by hand, this can be a little more difficult. So as an easier guide I say around 1cm. 1.5cm is a little on the thick side, but, if you are really struggling to get it any thinner then you can leave it at this thickness and still progress. But if you can get closer to 5mm then even better!

15. 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.

16. 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 (see diagram in the PDF)

17. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it onto a tray. Place the dough into the freezer for 10 minutes, then into the fridge for 5 minutes.

18. Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it.

19. Following the same process as before, turn the dough 90 degrees so that the “open seam” is horizontally against your body (so it is not facing you).

20. Roll the dough to give it a little bit of width, then turn the dough 90 degrees so that the open seam is now facing you.

21. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, until it is around 1cm thick (0.39”).

22. Now, perform your second, single fold. Following the diagram again, take one third of the dough, fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top.

23. Wrap the dough up in cling film and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then in the fridge for 10 minutes.

24. Remove the dough from the fridge, and we are going to perform our final single fold, Repeat the process in steps 18-21.

25. When folding this dough, remember that after this stage you need to add the chocolate dough on top. The chocolate dough is 30x25cm, so try to roll the dough so that it is 30cm tall and 75cm long.

26. Perform your final single fold and you should be left with a block of dough that is close to 30x25cm.

27. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

28. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge along with the chocolate dough that you rolled the night before.

29. Take the chocolate dough and unwrap it from the baking paper. Unwrap the croissant dough block. Lift the chocolate dough on to the top of the croissant dough. Avoid flouring the dough at this point as you need the chocolate dough to stick to the croissant dough. ○ If the chocolate dough is a little too small, very gently stretch it with your hands to the edge. If it is too big, simply trim off any excess.

30. Ensuring the chocolate side of the dough is facing up, take the open seam of the dough and turn it 90 degrees so the seam is not facing you. Here we need to roll the dough to the final width that we need for the pain au chocolat.

31. Each pain au chocolate is 8x17cm, which means that we need the dough to be at least 36-38cm tall.

We will make two rows of bi-color pain au chocolat so we need to make sure the dough is at least 2x17cm = 34cm tall. You want to go a little bigger than this so you can trim off any rough edges.

32. Once you have rolled the dough to around 36cm wide, turn it 90 degrees so the open seam is now facing you. Roll the dough into a long rectangle until it is as close to 1cm thick (0.39”) as possible.

33. Next, take a tape measure or a large ruler and trim off any rough edges so you are left with a rectangle that is exactly 34cm tall.

34. Take a pastry wheel and cut the dough in half, so that you are left with two very long strips of dough, each 17cm tall.

35. Then take a multi pastry wheel cutter or a knife, and cut the dough every 8cm. This will form a rectangle for your pain au chocolat that is 8x17cm.

36. With the chocolate side of the dough still facing you, take a razor blade and score thin lines in the top half of the dough (like below). Don’t use a knife to score the dough as it could tug the dough and damage it. A razor blade is much better.

37. Once you have sliced the chocolate side of the dough, flip it over, so the chocolate dough is now on the table surface, and make sure the “scores” are at the bottom.

38. Place two chocolate batons at the top. Carefully fold the top edge of the dough over the batons, then seal this dough that has overlapped the batons, by adding a third chocolate baton.

39. Continue to roll the dough down, into a log like shape.

40. Once you have a log, ensure the seam of the dough is on the underside, and gently press the bi-color pain au chocolat down, sealing the seam to the dough.

41. Take a large baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment paper and place the pain au chocolat on to it.

42. Repeat this process with all of the remaining dough.

43. Ensure the bi-color pain au chocolat have enough room to proof (I put about 6 per tray)

44. Once you have all the trays filled, boil the kettle and place the trays into your oven (not switched on!)

45. Place the trays into the oven, then place a small dish at the bottom.

46. Pour in a small amount of boiling water into the dish, around 150ml / ½ Cup – not too much. The steam from the water is going to help create a nice environment for the bi-color pain au chocolat to proof, but also prevent a skin from forming. Ensure you do not add too much hot water otherwise the temperature inside the oven will become too hot and the butter will leak from the bi-color pain au chocolat.

47. Change the water EVERY 30 minutes, and proof the pain au chocolat for around 2.5 – 3 hours.

The proofing time can vary greatly depending on your yeast, and how hot your oven becomes and several other factors. Without a professional proofer it can be hard to predict the exact time. Sometimes it can take 2.5 hours, sometimes it can take 5!

48. While the dough is proofing, make the sugar syrup glaze. We cannot egg wash the croissants as the egg will stain the chocolate dough yellow.

49. Add the sugar and water to a pan and bring it to a gentle simmer, until the sugar has dissolved. Don’t cook it for too long or the syrup will thicken and be difficult to paint on the pain au chocolat later. Set it to one side to cool to room temperature.

    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • 100g Water

50. Proof the pain au chocolat until they have at least doubled in volume and look puffy and jiggly.

51. If you are using the same oven you need to proof the bi-color pain au chocolat, as you need to bake it (!) once they are proofed, quickly remove them from the oven and pre-heat the oven.

52. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non Fan Assisted.

53. Once the oven is hot, place the bi-color pain au chocolat in. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the croissant dough is a nice golden colour.

54. Remove the bi-color pain au chocolat from the oven, allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before applying the sugar syrup glaze. This will give the pain au chocolat a beautiful shine.

Timings

Making pain au chocolat & croissants is an intensive process and something you really need to dedicate 16-24 hours to! Make sure you don’t have any plans on the day you need to laminate! Here is a rough guide on timings to follow:

Day 1:

9:00pm – Weigh the ingredients + mix the croissant dough. Cut the chocolate dough and wrap both doughs in cling film. Refrigerate overnight (ideally 12 hours)

9:30pm – Beat the butter until it is soft and shape into a rectangle. Chill overnight.

Day 2:

9:00am – Remove the butter from the fridge. Allow it to come to temperature.

9:20am – Remove the dough from the fridge, roll it out, then add the butter and perform your first lamination. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer + 5 minutes in the fridge.

9:45am – Remove the dough from the fridge and laminate again. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes + fridge for 10 minutes.

10:15am – Remove the dough from the fridge and perform the final lamination. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

10:50am – Roll the dough to its final shape and cut into bi-color pain au chocolat rectangles. Roll the bi-color pain au chocolat up and then place them in the oven to proof.

11:10am – 2:10pm – Proof – changing the hot water every 30 minutes (Roughly 3 hours proofing time – could be slightly less, could be more!)

2:10pm – Remove the proofed bi-color PAC, and preheat the oven.

2:20pm – Bake for 25-30m or until golden. Glaze with the sugar syrup.

Desired Dough Temperature Formula (DDT)

As people are working in different environments – the temperature required for ideal fermentation will be affected by the temperature of your flour, water, milk. For fermentation, you want to finish kneading the dough and to have a final temperature of around 24-26C. The temperature of your flour will most likely be determined by the temperature of your room, which means as a result, you need to follow the formula below to calculate the temperature of the liquids in the recipe. This is very helpful especially if you are working in a particularly hot or particularly cold environment as it means you can simply adjust the temperature of your ingredients and still achieve perfect fermentation.

*note you can test the flour temperature by sticking a digital thermometer in the bag of flour!

(Desired Dough Temperature x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

Example to achieve a 25C dough temperature where your room/flour temperature is 20C.

(25 x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = 30℃

Therefore if your flour temperature is 20℃ – then you need to make sure the milk + water are at 30℃ when you add them to your recipe. In which case, you can pour your milk and water into a pan, and VERY gently heat them until they reach around 29/30℃ then immediately pour them into your mix.

by Matt Adlard

Croissants

TIER 2

Croissants

16-20
CROISSANTS

Ingredients

Makes 16-20 croissants

Croissant Dough (Detrempe)
700g Croissant Flour (Also known as T55 Flour – you want a flour with 11-12% protein content)
300g Plain, All-Purpose Flour (Around 9-10% protein content) *If you only have access to Bread Flour – Use 500g Plain Flour + 500g Strong White Bread Flour
25g Salt
120g Sugar
40g Fresh Yeast
265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)
30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Butter (Beurrage)
500g Professional Unsalted Butter (Isigny Ste-Mère – Beurre D’Isigny A.O.P)

Or

500g Unsalted Butter + 50g Flour (Croissant or Plain)

Egg Wash
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Ruler or Tape Measure
Digital thermometer
Dough Scraper

Method

Croissant Dough

A quick note about dough temperature – the desired dough temperature (also known as the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) is ideally around 24-26C. This is the perfect temperature for fermentation. Now – the DDT will depend on the temperature of your ingredients which means you may need to adjust the temperature of your milk and water according to your environment. If you check the back of the PDF recipe you will see how to calculate the DDT. You can follow the temperatures below as a guide but if you want to be very accurate, use the DDT formula.

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the mik, water & yeast. Use a whisk to whisk it until the yeast has dissolved.

    • 40g Fresh Yeast
    • 265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
    • 265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl, and attach your dough hook to the stand mixer.

    • 700g Croissant Flour
    • 300g Plain Flour
    • 25g Salt
    • 120g Sugar
    • 30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

3. Place the mixer on low speed (Speed 1 on your mixer) and mix for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, increase the speed to 2, and mix for another 7-8 minutes.

4. After this time, take a small piece of dough and check to see if the gluten has fully developed. To do this, stretch the piece of dough out, and if it tears easily, then the gluten has not developed enough and you need to keep kneading the dough.

5. Keep kneading the dough until when you carefully stretch a small piece of dough, it stretches without tearing and you can see through the thinly stretched dough.

6. Depending on the strength of your mixer, the time it takes to develop the gluten may vary. It could take up to 15-18 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the stand mixer and briefly knead it by hand into a smooth ball.

8. Use your hands to pat the dough down and form it into a rough rectangular shape.

9. Wrap the dough in cling film, ensuring the cling film is not wrapped too tightly, there needs to be a little bit of room for it to expand.

10. Place the dough on a tray and into the fridge. The dough needs to be in the fridge for 8-15 hours (I prefer 12 hours). This the perfect window of time for the fermentation to take place and for the flavour in the dough to develop. I prefer to mix the dough at night so that I can laminate first thing in the morning.

Butter

Depending on the type of butter you use, you may not need to follow the following steps and add flour into your butter. If you are able to purchase professional butter sheets used specifically for croissants then the butter will be pliable enough and you will not need to do this.

Option 1 – “Professional” Butter

1. Remove the butter from the package – they usually come in 1KG sheets, and cut it in haf to get 500g.

2. Place the butter on one long sheet of parchment paper then fold it in half. Leave the butter at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes then it will make it much easier to roll.

3. Use a rolling pin to roll the sheet of butter into a rectangle, around 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”).

4. You fold the parchment paper into a 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) rectangle and then use the rolling pin to roll the butter into the edges until you have a nice even layer of butter.

5. Place the butter block in the fridge to chill overnight.

Option 2 – “Regular” Butter

1. Place the soft butter into a stand mixer along with the flour.

2. Beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes on a low speed until the flour has completely incorporated into the butter.

3. Scrape the butter out of the stand mixer and place it into the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper.

4. Fold the parchment paper over the butter and then fold the edges in, to create a rough rectangle that is 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”). Use a rolling pin to roll the butter into the corners until you have an even layer of butter that is in a neat rectangular shape

5. Alternatively (and slightly easier) is to find a sandwich bag that is roughly 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) and place the soft butter inside that. Seal the sandwich bag leaving a slight hole at the top for air to escape.

6. Roll the butter into a neat rectangular shape, trying to get the butter a relatively even thickness. Seal the top of the bag and place the butter in the fridge overnight.

Laminating

1. After the croissant dough has fermented in the fridge, you are ready to laminate.

2. Remove your butter block from the fridge to allow it to come to temperature. The temperature of the butter is crucial – if the butter is too cold, it will crack when you begin to roll it. If the butter is too warm, it will bleed into the dough and you won’t get any layers to your croissant. Be sure to cut around the outside of the sandwich bag (if you are using one) and lift the butter out of the bag. Place it on a sheet of parchment to come to temperature.

3. The temperature you need your butter to reach before you begin laminating will depend on the butter you are using and the fat percentage. But a general rule of thumb is to leave the butter at room temperature until it reaches between 11-15C (51F-59F)

4. In my experience, if you are using “professional” croissant butter, you can laminate at around 11C, but with “regular” butter, you need to be closer to 13-14C.

5. This may take some experimenting, so if your butter melts or cracks the first time you begin laminating, don’t panic! You can still make the croissants, your layers may not be quite as perfect however. It can take a few failed attempts of croissants in order to understand your butter.

6. Place a digital thermometer into the butter. Depending on your room temperature or the weather outside, it can take the butter anywhere from 10-30 minutes to reach the correct temperature.

7. Once your butter is close to temperature, work quickly to remove your croissant dough from the fridge and start rolling. We want to ensure the dough status cold and is rolled out as soon as the butter is at the right temperature.

8. Very lightly flour the dough and roll it out into a rectangle, that is the same height as your butter (30cm/11.8”) but twice as wide.

9. If your butter block is 20x30cm, you want to roll your dough to 40cm wide x 30cm tall.

10. Place the butter block into the centre of the dough (as shown above) then fold each side of the dough into the centre so they meet in the middle.

11. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to form a seam down the centre.

12. With the seam facing towards you, turn the dough 90 degrees so the seam is now horizontal to you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width.

13. 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.

14. Don’t worry too much about the length of the dough, we are looking to roll it until it reaches around 1cm thick (0.39”)

A quick note on thickness – in an ideal world you would roll to about 5mm thick – but when you are doing it by hand, this can be a little more difficult. So as an easier guide I say around 1cm. 1.5cm is a little on the thick side, but, if you are really struggling to get it any thinner then you can leave it at this thickness and still progress. But if you can get closer to 5mm then even better!

15. 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.

16. 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 (see diagram in the PDF)

17. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it onto a tray. Place the dough into the freezer for 10 minutes, then into the fridge for 5 minutes.

18. Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it.

19. Following the same process as before, turn the dough 90 degrees so that the “open seam” is horizontally against your body (so it is not facing you).

20. Roll the dough to give it a little bit of width, then turn the dough 90 degrees so that the open seam is now facing you.

21. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, until it is around 1cm thick (0.39”).

22. Now, perform your second, single fold. Following the diagram again, take one third of the dough, fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top.

23. Wrap the dough up in cling film and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then in the fridge for 10 minutes.

24. Remove the dough from the fridge, and we are going to perform our final single fold, Repeat the process in steps 18-22.

25. You will have now performed 3 single folds.

26. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

27. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge. Take the open seam and turn it 90 degrees so the seam is not facing you. Here we need to roll the dough to the final width that we need for the croissant.

28. Each croissant is 9x27cm, which means that we need the dough to be at least 30-32cm tall.

29. Once you have rolled the dough to around 32cm wide, turn it 90 degrees so the open seam is now facing you. Roll the dough into a long rectangle until it is as close to 1cm thick (0.39”) as possible.

30. Next, take a tape measure or a large ruler and trim off any rough edges so you are left with a rectangle that is exactly 27cm tall.

31. Take a pastry wheel and measure 9cm on a ruler.

32. Use the multi wheel pastry cutter (or a knife and a ruler) and mark 9cm intervals along the bottom of the dough.

33. Then, mark 4.5cm in from the first interval, take a ruler and go to the top of the dough. Mark this point. This will be the tip of the croissant.

34. Once you have marked all the points on the rectangle, use a knife or pastry wheel and a ruler to cut triangles, following the each marked point.

35. Once you have cut the triangles, pick one up and use your hands to gently stretch the dough, you want to stretch the triangle so it is about 10cm longer.

36. Place the stretched triangle on the table and starting with the wide end, roll the dough in on itself, trying to keep the dough as central as possible as you roll.

37. Roll the dough into a nice spiral and then lift it up and press the tiny tail into the bottom of the dough so that it sticks.

38. Take a large baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment paper and place the croissants on to it.

39. Repeat this process with all of the remaining dough.

40. Ensure the croissants have enough room to proof (I put about 6 per tray)

41. Once you have all the trays filled, boil the kettle and place the trays into your oven (not switched on!)

42. Place the trays into the oven, then place a small dish at the bottom.

43. Pour in a small amount of boiling water into the dish, around 150ml / ½ Cup – not too much. The steam from the water is going to help create a nice environment for the croissants to proof, but also prevent a skin from forming. Ensure you do not add too much hot water otherwise the temperature inside the oven will become too hot and the butter will leak from the croissants.

44. Change the water EVERY 30 minutes, and proof the croissants for around 2.5 – 3 hours.

The proofing time can vary greatly depending on your yeast, how hot your oven becomes and several other factors. Without a professional proofer it can be hard to predict the exact time. Sometimes it can take 2.5 hours, sometimes it can take 5!

45. Proof the croissants until they have at least doubled in volume and look puffy, jiggly & “full”

46. If you are using the same oven you need to proof the croissants, as you need to bake it (!) once they are proofed, quickly remove them from the oven and preheat the oven.

47. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non Fan Assisted.

48. Leave the croissants out at room temperature for 10 minutes – this will help to form a skin on the dough and make them easier to egg wash.

49. For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and egg yolks.

50. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash onto the croissants, but avoid egg washing the outside exposed edges otherwise this could prevent them from rising correctly. Use a small pastry brush to paint the dough.

51. Once the oven is hot, place the croissants in. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until then are a nice deep golden brown colour.

52. Remove the croissants from the oven, allow to cool, then serve.

Timings

Making pain au chocolat & croissants is an intensive process and something you really need to dedicate 16-24 hours to! Make sure you don’t have any plans on the day you need to laminate! Here is a rough guide on timings to follow:

Day 1:

9:00pm – Weigh the ingredients + mix the croissant dough. Refrigerate overnight (ideally 12 hours)

9:30pm – Beat the butter until it is soft and shape into a rectangle. Chill overnight.

Day 2:

9:00am – Remove the butter from the fridge. Allow it to come to temperature.

9:20am – Remove the dough from the fridge, roll it out, then add the butter and perform your first lamination. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer + 5 minutes in the fridge.

9:45am – Remove the dough from the fridge and laminate again. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes + fridge for 10 minutes.

10:15am – Remove the dough from the fridge and perform the final lamination. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

10:50am – Roll the dough to its final shape and cut into triangles. Roll the croissants up and then place them in the oven to proof.

11:10am – 2:10pm – Proof – changing the hot water every 30 minutes (Roughly 3 hours proofing time – could be slightly less, could be more!)

2:10pm – Remove the proofed croissant, and preheat the oven. Leave the croissant at room temperature to form a skin.

2:20pm – Egg wash the croissant

2:30pm – Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Desired Dough Temperature Formula (DDT)

As people are working in different environments – the temperature required for ideal fermentation will be affected by the temperature of your flour, water, milk. For fermentation, you want to finish kneading the dough and to have a final temperature of around 24-26C. The temperature of your flour will most likely be determined by the temperature of your room, which means as a result, you need to follow the formula below to calculate the temperature of the liquids in the recipe. This is very helpful especially if you are working in a particularly hot or particularly cold environment as it means you can simply adjust the temperature of your ingredients and still achieve perfect fermentation.

*note you can test the flour temperature by sticking a digital thermometer in the bag of flour!

(Desired Dough Temperature x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

Example to achieve a 25C dough temperature where your room/flour temperature is 20C.

(25 x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = 30℃

Therefore if your flour temperature is 20℃ – then you need to make sure the milk + water are at 30℃ when you add them to your recipe. In which case, you can pour your milk and water into a pan, and VERY gently heat them until they reach around 29/30℃ then immediately pour them into your mix.

by Matt Adlard

Pain Au Chocolat

TIER 1

Pain au Chocolat

16-20
PAINS AU CHOCOLAT

Ingredients

Makes 16-20 pains au chocolat

Croissant Dough (Detrempe)
700g Croissant Flour (Also known as T55 Flour – you want a flour with 11-12% protein content)
300g Plain, All-Purpose Flour (Around 9-10% protein content) *If you only have access to Bread Flour – Use 500g Plain Flour + 500g Strong White Bread Flour
25g Salt
120g Sugar
40g Fresh Yeast
265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)
30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Butter (Beurrage)
500g Professional Unsalted Butter (Isigny Ste-Mère – Beurre D’Isigny A.O.P)

OR

500g Unsalted Butter + 50g Flour (Croissant or Plain)

Filling
3 Chocolate Batons Per Croissant

Egg Wash
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Ruler or tape measure
Digital thermometer
Dough scraper

Method

Croissant Dough

A quick note about dough temperature – the desired dough temperature (also known as the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT) is ideally around 24-26C. This is the perfect temperature for fermentation. Now – the DDT will depend on the temperature of your ingredients which means you may need to adjust the temperature of your milk and water according to your environment. If you check the back of the PDF recipe you will see how to calculate the DDT. You can follow the temperatures below as a guide but if you want to be very accurate, use the DDT formula.

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the mik, water & yeast. Use a whisk to whisk it until the yeast has dissolved.

    • 40g Fresh Yeast
    • 265g Whole Milk (5 Degrees Celsius)
    • 265g Water (25 Degrees Celsius)

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl, and attach your dough hook to the stand mixer.

    • 700g Croissant Flour
    • 300g Plain Flour
    • 25g Salt
    • 120g Sugar
    • 30g Unsalted Butter, Soft

3. Place the mixer on low speed (Speed 1 on your mixer) and mix for 8m. After 8 minutes, increase the speed to 2, and mix for another 7-8 minutes.

4. After this time, take a small piece of dough and check to see if the gluten has fully developed. To do this, stretch the piece of dough out, and if it tears easily, then the gluten has not developed enough and you need to keep kneading the dough.

5. Keep kneading the dough until when you carefully stretch a small piece of dough, it stretches without tearing and you can see through the thinly stretched dough.

6. Depending on the strength of your mixer, the time it takes to develop the gluten may vary. It could take up to 15-18 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the stand mixer and briefly knead it by hand into a smooth ball.

8. Use your hands to pat the dough down and form it into a rough rectangular shape.

9. Wrap the dough in cling film, ensuring the cling film is not wrapped too tightly, there needs to be a little bit of room for it to expand.

10. Place the dough on a tray and into the fridge. The dough needs to be in the fridge for 8-15 hours (I do 12 hours). This the perfect window of time for the fermentation to take place and for the flavour in the dough to develop. I prefer to mix the dough at night so that I can laminate first thing in the morning.

Butter

Depending on the type of butter you use, you may not need to follow the following steps and add flour into your butter. If you are able to purchase professional butter sheets used specifically for croissants then the butter will be pliable enough and you will not need to do this.

Option 1 – “Professional” Butter

1. Remove the butter from the package – they usually come in 1KG sheets, and cut it in haf to get 500g.

2. Place the butter on one long sheet of parchment paper then fold it in half. Leave the butter at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes then it will make it much easier to roll.

3. Use a rolling pin to roll the sheet of butter into a rectangle, around 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”).

4. You fold the parchment paper into a 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) rectangle and then use the rolling pin to roll the butter into the edges until you have a nice even layer of butter.

5. Place the butter block in the fridge to chill overnight.

Option 2 – “Regular” Butter

1. Place the soft butter into a stand mixer along with the flour.

2. Beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes on a low speed until the flour has completely incorporated into the butter.

3. Scrape the butter out of the stand mixer and place it into the centre of a large sheet of parchment paper.

4. Fold the parchment paper over the butter and then fold the edges in, to create a rough rectangle that is 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”). Use a rolling pin to roll the butter into the corners until you have an even layer of butter that is in a neat rectangular shape

5. Alternatively (and slightly easier) is to find a sandwich bag that is roughly 20x30cm (7.8”x11.8”) and place the soft butter inside that. Seal the sandwich bag leaving a slight hole at the top for air to escape.

6. Roll the butter into a neat rectangular shape, trying to get the butter a relatively even thickness. Seal the top of the bag and place the butter in the fridge overnight.

Laminating

1. After the croissant dough has fermented in the fridge, you are ready to laminate.

2. Remove your butter block from the fridge to allow it to come to temperature. The temperature of the butter is crucial – if the butter is too cold, it will crack when you begin to roll it. If the butter is too warm, it will bleed into the dough and you won’t get any layers to your pain au chocolat. Be sure to cut around the outside of the sandwich bag (if you are using one) and lift the butter out of the bag. Place it on a sheet of parchment to come to temperature.

3. The temperature you need your butter to reach before you begin laminating will depend on the butter you are using and the fat percentage. But a general rule of thumb is to leave the butter at room temperature until it reaches between 11-15C (51F-59F)

4. In my experience, if you are using “professional” croissant butter, you can laminate at around 11C, but with “regular” butter, you need to be closer to 13-14C.

5. This may take some experimenting, so if your butter melts or cracks the first time you begin laminating, don’t panic! You can still make the croissants, your layers may not be quite as perfect however. It can take a few failed attempts of croissants in order to understand your butter.

6. Place a digital thermometer into the butter. Depending on your room temperature or the weather outside, it can take the butter anywhere from 10-30 minutes to reach the correct temperature.

7. Once your butter is close to temperature, work quickly to remove your croissant dough from the fridge and start rolling. We want to ensure the dough stays cold and is rolled out as soon as the butter is at the right temperature.

8. Very lightly flour the dough and roll it out into a rectangle, that is the same height as your butter (30cm/11.8”) but twice as wide.

9. If your butter block is 20x30cm, you want to roll your dough to 40cm wide x 30cm tall.

10. Place the butter block into the centre of the dough (as shown above) then fold each side of the dough into the centre so they meet in the middle.

11. Use your fingers to pinch the dough together to form a seam down the centre.

12. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the open seam is not facing you and give the dough a quick roll, to give it a little bit of width – extending the width of the dough by about 10cm/4”.

13. 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. Lightly flour the dough as you need. You may also need to lift the dough up occasionally to loosen it from the surface and then continue rolling.

14. Don’t worry too much about the length of the dough, we are looking to roll it until it reaches around 1cm thick (0.39”)

A quick note on thickness – in an ideal world you would roll to about 5mm thick – but when you are doing it by hand, this can be a little more difficult. So as an easier guide I say around 1cm. 1.5cm is a little on the thick side, but, if you are really struggling to get it any thinner then you can leave it at this thickness and still progress. But if you can get closer to 5mm then even better!

15. 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.

16. 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 (see diagram in the PDF).

17. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it onto a tray. Place the dough into the freezer for 10 minutes, then into the fridge for 5 minutes.

18. Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it.

19. Following the same process as before, turn the dough 90 degrees so that the “open seam” is horizontally against your body (so it is not facing you).

20. Roll the dough to give it a little bit of width, then turn the dough 90 degrees so that the open seam is now facing you.

21. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, until it is around 1cm thick (0.39”).

22. Now, perform your second, single fold. Following the diagram again, take one third of the dough, fold it up, then take the other third of dough and fold this over the top.

23. Wrap the dough up in cling film and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then in the fridge for 10 minutes.

24. Remove the dough from the fridge, and we are going to perform our final single fold, Repeat the process in steps 18-23.

25. You will have now performed 3 single folds.

26. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

27. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge. Take the open seam and turn it 90 degrees so the seam is not facing you. Here we need to roll the dough to the final width that we need for the pain au chocolat.

28. Each pain au chocolate is 8x17cm, which means that we need the dough to be at least 38-40cm tall. Keep in mind the dough may retract and shrink slightly so it is better to go to 40cm given it may retract 1-2cm.

We will make two rows of pain au chocolat so we need to make sure the dough is at least 2x17cm = 34cm tall. You want to go a little bigger than this so you can trim off any rough edges.

29. Once you have rolled the dough to around 38-40cm wide, turn it 90 degrees so the open seam is now facing you. Roll the dough into a long rectangle until it is as close to 1cm thick (0.39”) as possible.

30. Next, take a tape measure or a large ruler and trim off any rough edges so you are left with a rectangle that is exactly 34cm tall.

31. Take a pastry wheel and cut the dough in half, so that you are left with two very long strips of dough, each 17cm tall.

32. Then take a multi pastry wheel cutter or a knife, and cut the dough every 8cm. This will form a rectangle for your pain au chocolat that is 8x17cm.

33. Take a rectangle of the dough and place two chocolate batons at the top. Carefully fold the top edge of the dough over the batons, then seal this dough that has overlapped the batons, by adding a third chocolate baton.

34. Continue to roll the dough down, into a log like shape.

35. Once you have a log, ensure the seam of the dough is on the underside, and gently press the pain au chocolat down, sealing the seam to the bottom of the dough.

36. Take a large baking tray lined with a sheet of parchment paper and place the pain au chocolat on to it.

37. Repeat this process with all of the remaining dough.

38. Ensure the pain au chocolat have enough room to proof (I put about 6 per tray)

39. Once you have all the trays filled, boil the kettle and place the trays into your oven (not switched on!)

40. Place the trays into the oven, then place a small dish at the very bottom.

41. Pour in a small amount of boiling water into the dish, around 150ml / ½ Cup – not too much. The steam from the water is going to help create a nice environment for the pain au chocolat to proof, but also prevent a skin from forming. Ensure you do not add too much hot water otherwise the temperature inside the oven will become too hot and the butter will leak from the pain au chocolat.

42. Change the water EVERY 30 minutes, and proof the pain au chocolat for around 2.5 – 3 hours.

The proofing time can vary greatly depending on your yeast, and how hot your oven becomes and several other factors. Without a professional proofer it can be hard to predict the exact time. Sometimes it can take 2.5 hours, sometimes it can take 5!

43. Proof the pain au chocolat until they have at least doubled in volume and look puffy and jiggly.

44. If you are using the same oven you need to proof the croissants, as you need to bake it (!) once they are proofed, quickly remove them from the oven and preheat the oven.

45. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non Fan Assisted.

46. Leave the pain au chocolat out at room temperature for 10 minutes – this will help to form a skin on the dough and make them easier to egg wash.

47. For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and egg yolks until evenly combined.

    • 2 Whole Eggs
    • 2 Egg Yolks

48. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash onto the pain au chocolat, but avoid egg washing the outside exposed edges otherwise this could prevent them from rising correctly. Be gentle when egg washing so as not to tear the dough.

49. Once the oven is hot, place the croissants in, bake for around 25-30 minutes or until then are a nice deep golden brown colour. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on them.

50. Remove the pain au chocolat from the oven, allow to cool, then serve.

Timings

Making pain au chocolat & croissants is an intensive process and something you really need to dedicate 16-24 hours to! Make sure you don’t have any plans on the day you need to laminate! Here is a rough guide on timings to follow:

Day 1:

9:00pm – Weigh the ingredients + mix the croissant dough. Refrigerate overnight (ideally 12 hours)

9:30pm – Beat the butter until it is soft and shape into a rectangle. Chill overnight.

Day 2:

9:00am – Remove the butter from the fridge. Allow it to come to temperature.

9:20am – Remove the dough from the fridge, roll it out, then add the butter and perform your first lamination. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer + 5 minutes in the fridge.

9:45am – Remove the dough from the fridge and laminate again. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes + fridge for 10 minutes.

10:15am – Remove the dough from the fridge and perform the final lamination. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

10:50am – Roll the dough to its final shape and cut into pain au chocolat rectangles. Roll the pain au chocolat up and then place them in the oven to proof.

11:10am – 2:10pm – Proof – changing the hot water every 30 minutes (Roughly 3 hours proofing time – could be slightly less, could be more!)

2:10pm – Remove the proofed PAC, and preheat the oven. Leave the PAC at room temperature to form a skin.

2:20pm – Egg Wash the PAC.

2:30pm – Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Desired Dough Temperature Formula (DDT)

As people are working in different environments – the temperature required for ideal fermentation will be affected by the temperature of your flour, water, milk. For fermentation, you want to finish kneading the dough and to have a final temperature of around 24-26C. The temperature of your flour will most likely be determined by the temperature of your room, which means as a result, you need to follow the formula below to calculate the temperature of the liquids in the recipe. This is very helpful especially if you are working in a particularly hot or particularly cold environment as it means you can simply adjust the temperature of your ingredients and still achieve perfect fermentation.

*note you can test the flour temperature by sticking a digital thermometer in the bag of flour!

(Desired Dough Temperature x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

Example to achieve a 25C dough temperature where your room/flour temperature is 20C.

(25 x 2) – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – Flour Temperature = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = Liquid Temperature

50℃ – 20℃ = 30℃

Therefore if your flour temperature is 20℃ – then you need to make sure the milk + water are at 30℃ when you add them to your recipe. In which case, you can pour your milk and water into a pan, and VERY gently heat them until they reach around 29/30℃ then immediately pour them into your mix.

by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Shortcake

TIER 3

Strawberry Shortcake

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual desserts

Pistachio Praline
120g Unsalted Pistachios
60g Caster Sugar
2 Tbsp Water
Pinch Salt

Pistachio Sponge
120g Whole Eggs
85g Caster Sugar
95g Plain Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
20g Ground Almonds
60g Double/Heavy Cream
65g Unsalted Butter (To Make 40g Brown Butter)
100g Pistachio Praline
Pinch Salt

Sable Breton
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
110g Caster Sugar
2g Salt
55g Egg Yolks
160g Plain Flour
5g Baking Powder
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Chantilly
300g Double/Heavy Cream
1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Chocolate Decoration
Red Cocoa Butter
Gold Lustre Dust
200-300g Tempered White Chocolate

Sliced Fresh Strawberries & Crushed Pistachios to Decorate

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
High Powered Food Processor
Round Cookie Cutters
Stand Mixer
Acetate
Digital Thermometer

Method

Pistachio Praline

*Note – this is quite a small batch of praline, enough for the cake recipe, but if your food processor isn’t overly powerful, it may be worth doubling this recipe so that there is enough mixture in the food processor for it to “catch” the praline and blend it. Otherwise the blade will be spinning around blending air and all the praline will be stuck to the sides.

1. Place the unsalted, shelled pistachios onto a baking tray. Place them in the oven to roast gently at 175C/350F for 8-10 minutes. They should be fragrant and lightly toasted when done, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

    • 120g Unsalted Pistachios

2. Meanwhile, place the water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place it over a medium heat and try not to stir it. Heat the mixture until it reaches a nice deep golden colour. Once it is done, immediately pour it onto a silicon mat to set.

    • 60g Caster Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp Water

3. Once the caramel has set and is nice and firm to the touch (about 30 minutes – 1 hour), add it into a high powered food processor along with the roasted pistachios and a small pinch of salt.

    • Pinch of Salt

4. Start by bending on a low speed and slowly increase it.

5. Initially the mixture will look quite powdery and dry – you will need to scrape down the sides of the food processor at least 6-8 times, stopping the machine every 20 seconds or so to make sure it is fully incorporated. The key is to start on a medium low speed, so the blade isn’t running too fast that it spits all the mixture to the edges.

6. After about 5 minutes of blending and scraping down, you should end up with a nice green paste, that is a similar texture to a natural peanut butter. If your mixture is very dry, you can add a very small amount of groundnut oil to help loosen it and it will blend much easier.

7. Scrape the praline out of the food processor and weigh 100g of it, ready for the cake batter.

Pistachio Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F Non-Fan Assisted . Lightly grease a 9×9” square tin, and then line the base & sides with parchment paper.

2. Start by browning your butter – place the unsalted butter into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat.

    • 65g Unsalted Butter

3. Melt the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to smell nutty and the bubbling noises have stopped. Keep a close eye on the butter as it can burn. Once brown, pour the butter into another bowl, weighing the 40g needed for the recipe. Keep it somewhere warm.

4. Into a medium bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk the mixture for 1-2 minutes by and until it is slightly lighter in colour.

    • 120g Whole Eggs
    • 85g Caster Sugar

5. On top of the eggs, add the flour, baking powder, salt & ground almonds. Whisk the mixture until it is combined, do not overbeat it. Simply mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

    • 95g Plain Flour
    • 2 Tsp Baking Powder
    • 20g Ground Almonds

6. Next, pour in the cream and whisk to combine.

    • 60g Double/Heavy Cream

7. Finally, add in the warm brown butter and the pistachio praline you made earlier. Whisk to combine until you have an even batter.

    • 40g Brown Butter
    • 100g Pistachio Praline

8. Pour the batter into the greased tin, and place it into the oven. Bake for 11-15 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it, it should be a nice golden colour on top so be careful not to overcook it. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.

Sable Breton

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer), add the soft unsalted butter, vanilla & sugar and beat on a medium speed until it is white & pale in colour.

    • 125g Soft Unsalted Butter
    • 110g Caster Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Next, add in the egg yolk and salt. Beat to combine. You will need to scrape down the bowl so it is fully incorporated.

    • 55g Egg Yolk
    • 2g Salt

3. Finally, sieve in the baking powder and flour. Mix on a low speed until just combined. You might need to scrape down the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the soft butter is fully incorporated.

    • 160g Plain Flour
    • 5g Baking Powder

4. Scoop the mixture out and place it into between two silpats or pieces of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll it as thin as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, until it is firm to the touch. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.

5. Remove the sable breton from the fridge and cut it into discs, 3.5” wide.

6. Place them onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edge.

7. As they bake, they may spread slightly and lose their shape, so as soon as they come out of the oven, take the cookie cutter, and cut them down to size again so they are neat.

Chocolate Decoration

Tempering chocolate is a whole series we have covered in Bake It Better so I would advise watching those videos for the full explanation and techniques on how to temper. You can also skip this decoration and ignore these steps!

1. Take your bottle of red cocoa butter and place it in the microwave, heating it in small bursts, shaking it every time you remove it from the microwave. Don’t melt the entire bottle, you simply want to melt enough to the point where, when you shake the bottle you can feel a small amount of liquid in there, but the main body of the cocoa butter is still unmelted. As you shake the bottle, this will ensure the cocoa butter remains in temper.

2. Cut eight strips of acetate – around 12.5” long and 2” high. If you are making the desserts slightly larger, simply measure the circumference of your dessert to ensure the acetate collar will fit around the outside.

3. Take four of the strips of acetate and wrap them around large circular objects that are similar in circumference to your dessert – it could be a plastic bottle or container. Remember that once the collar has set, it will essentially hold this exact size, so if you place it around an object that is too large, it will be too large for your final dessert. Place the containers onto a tray.

4. My dessert was 3.5” wide, so I used a plastic container that was between 3.5” – 4” wide. You wrap the bottom in acetate so that the tempered chocolate doesn’t stick to the container.

5. Place the remaining 4 strips of acetate onto a large silicon mat. If the acetate curls up, simply stick the edges down with a small piece of sellotape.

6. Take the melted, tempered cocoa butter and squeeze drops of it onto your strips of acetate.

7. Use a sponge or a pastry brush to spread the cocoa butter evenly across the acetate. The cocoa butter will set quite quickly as you spread it. It should set within a minute or so.

8. Ensuring the cocoa butter has set (you will see it no longer looks wet), take a small pastry brush and dust the acetate strip with gold lustre dust.

9. Next, place your white chocolate into a medium bowl over a pan of very gently simmering water.

    • 200g High Quality White Chocolate

10. Stir the chocolate constantly until it reaches a temperature of 45C/113F on a digital thermometer.

11. Immediately remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the remaining, unmelted chocolate.

    • 40g High Quality White Chocolate

12. Keep stirring the mixture constantly until it cools to 27C/80F. Place the chocolate back on the pan of gently simmering water and heat it slowly until it reaches 32C/89F. Be very careful not to overheat it.

13. Dry the bottom of the bowl with a tea towel, then ladle the chocolate evenly between the 4 strips of acetate coloured with cocoa butter. Spread the chocolate out evenly with a palette knife.

14. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature until it is no longer wet, and is dry when you touch it, but is still flexible. If you let it cool too much, it will snap when you lift it up.

15. Very carefully lift the strip of acetate up, and wrap it around the acetate covered container you set up earlier and leave it to set. You can let it set at room temperature for an hour (if your room temperature is not too hot) or place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

16. Once the chocolate has set, very carefully remove the container from the centre, and peel away the acetate, being careful not to snap the chocolate.

Final Assembly

1. Take the pistachio sponge, and cut 3.5” circles to match the size of your sable breton.

2. Place the sponge on top of the sable breton biscuit base.

3. To make the chantilly, add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk by hand until you have a medium peak.

    • 300g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • 1.5 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

4. Spoon the chantilly onto the centre of the sponge.

5. Take the chocolate collar and carefully wrap it around the dessert.

6. Slice the fresh strawberries and decorate the top of the dessert along with some crushed pistachio.

7. Finish with edible gold leaf and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Gourmet Brownie

TIER 2

Gourmet Brownie

8
BROWNIES

Ingredients

Makes 8 brownies

Chocolate Chip Brownie
250g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)
120g Unsalted Butter
215g Whole Eggs (4 Large)
300g Caster Sugar
50g Light Brown Sugar
60g Plain, All Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Handful Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Ganache
Depending on how thick you want the layer of ganache to be you can adjust the amount of ganache accordingly below. I used a thick layer but it is very decadent!

Thick
600g Double Cream
300g Dark Chocolate

Medium
400g Double Cream
200g Dark Chocolate

Thin
200g Double Cream
100g Dark Chocolate

Muscovado Chantilly
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
400g Double/Heavy Cream
40g Dark Muscovado Sugar

Soft Caramel
This will make more than you need but you can cut them into little rectangles, wrap them in baking paper so you have little caramel chews!

100g Water
200g Caster Sugar
120g Glucose
20g Honey
160g Double/Heavy Cream
100g Butter, Room Temperature
Heavy Pinch of Salt

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
Stand Mixer
Digital Thermometer
Hand Blender
8” Round Metal Ring Mold (or any silicon/metal mold)
Piping Bags
4B Nozzle
Round Tip Nozzle

Method

Chocolate Chip Brownie

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F Non-Fan Assisted . Lightly grease a 9×9” square tin, and then line all the sides & base with parchment paper.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 250g Dark Chocolate
    • 120g Unsalted Butter

3. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

    • 60g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
    • 25g Cocoa Powder
    • 1 Tsp Salt

4. Into a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, eggs & sugar. Whisk until combined, no need to beat too much air into the mixture. It should take around 30 seconds.

    • 300g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Light Brown Sugar
    • 215g Whole Eggs
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

5. Take the cooled melted chocolate and very slowly pour this over the eggs, whisking constantly. If the mixture is too hot, it can scramble the eggs and cause the mixture to split so make sure it has cooled enough.

6. Next, sift over the dry ingredients and fold the batter together with a spatula. Mix it until the dry ingredients have incorporated.

7. Pour the batter into your lined tin, and then spread it to the edges. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top, along with some flakey salt.

8. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on them after about 25 minutes.

9. They should have a very small wobble in the centre when they are done.

10. Let them cool completely at room temperature – at least 2-3 hours.

Chocolate Ganache

Depending on the thickness you want, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.

1. Add your double/heavy cream into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 600g Double/Heavy Cream (For a thick layer of ganache)

2. Meanwhile, add your chocolate (finely chopped if you are not using chocolate chunks) into a tall container.

    • 300g Dark Chocolate (For a thick layer of ganache)

3. Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate and let it steep for 2 minutes. Then use a hand blender to blend until smooth and all the chocolate is completely melted into the cream.

4. At this point the ganache is too liquid, so you need to put it in the fridge for 1-1.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so (this will prevent it from setting too firm on top). We want it to be a slightly thicker pourable consistency as at the moment it is too runny so every time you stir it, check the consistency.

5. Once the ganache is at the right consistency take your cooled brownies, still in the tin, and pour the ganache over the top. The brownies shouldn’t have shrunk so the ganache shouldn’t really leak down the edges.

6. The ganache will still be relatively liquid, so carefully transport it into the fridge to chill overnight.

Muscovado Chantilly

1. Into a small saucepan, add the powdered gelatin and the cold water. Stir the mixture together and let it bloom for 5 minutes. After this time it should look drier in consistency and all the water will have been absorbed.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 15g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and muscovado sugar. Whisk the mixture over medium heat, until it is steaming and the sugar has dissolved completely.

    • 400g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 40g Dark Muscovado Sugar

3. Once hot, remove it from the heat, and scoop in the bloomed gelatin you made earlier.

4. Whisk it until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the chantilly into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate it overnight.

Soft Caramel

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, glucose, honey and sugar. Place it over a medium heat.

    • 100g Water
    • 200g Caster Sugar
    • 120g Glucose
    • 20g Honey

2. Meanwhile add the cream to a small saucepan and pace it over a low heat so that it is warm.

    • 160g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Cook the sugar water mixture until it reaches a nice deep golden colour, you can stir it gently occasionally to ensure it is all fully incorporated. Don’t be scared to take it to a nice deep colour, as when you add the cream it will automatically become much lighter in colour. So if you don’t cook the caramel enough, you will end up with quite pale caramels.

4. Once you have a deep caramel, immediately remove it from the heat and pour in the warm cream. Be careful as it will bubble up quite violently.

5. Place the mixture back on the heat, and cook it until it reaches 120C/248F on a digital thermometer. This won’t take long.

6. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a tall container. Add in the soft, unsalted butter, a big pinch of salt, and blend the mixture until it is nice and smooth.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • Big Pinch of Salt

7. Allow it to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then take any mold – it could be a metal ring mold lined with a sheet of cling film, or a silicon mold – but make sure you grease it lightly with some neutral oil. I used a 8” ring mold and lined the bottom with a sheet of cling film. The bigger your mold the thinner your caramels will be.

8. Place your mold onto a tray and pour the caramel in.

9. Let it set at room temperature for 3 hours, or overnight.

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled brownie from the fridge.

2. Add the chantilly to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using a hand whisk) and whisk on a medium speed until you have a medium peak to the mixture. Be careful not to over whisk it, as if you whisk for too long it could start to split so keep a close eye on it.

3. Split the chantilly between two piping bags, one fitted with a round tip nozzle and the other with a star tip nozzle. I used a 4B nozzle and a 12mm Round Tip Nozzle.

4. Pipe alternating dollops of cream all over the brownie in any pattern.

5. Then, using a hot knife, cut the brownies into 8 squares, or any shape you like! If the brownie is still quite cold from the fridge it can be slightly tough to cut, so you can always leave it out for a little while then cut it. Alternatively, cut it first THEN decorate with the cream! That saves you from messing up the cream when you cut it.

6. Once you have cut through the brownies, you can quickly use a warm palette knife, to clean up the edge of the cream and make sure that no chocolate has “bled” onto it.

7. Remove the soft caramel from your mold, and cut this into small cubes on a chopping board. Decorate the top of the brownie with the caramel and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Passion Fruit Slice

TIER 1

Passion Fruit Slice

8
SLICES

Ingredients

Makes 8 slices

Oat Crumble
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold
100g Caster Sugar
50g Ground Almonds
50g Ground Hazelnuts
40g Oats
60g Plain Flour
Pinch Salt
Zest ½ Lemon

Passion Fruit Cremeux
200g Egg Yolks
130g Whole Eggs
150g Sugar
300g Passion Fruit Puree
250g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Raspberry Gel
2-3 Tbsp Water
200g Fresh Raspberries
10g Lemon juice
4g Gelatin + 24g Cold Water

Italian Meringue
80g Egg Whites
210g Sugar
50g Water

Fresh Raspberries + Mint To Decorate

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
Hand Blender
Digital Thermometer
Stand Mixer
Piping Bag
126 Piping Nozzle
Blow Torch

Method

Oat Crumble

The addition of the oats give this quite a creamy flavour, making it slightly less sweet – if you want more of a streusel like flavour that is sweeter, simply use 100g flour and do not add the oats.

1. Into a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the crumble.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Ground Almonds
    • 50g Ground Hazelnuts
    • 40g Oats
    • 60g Plain Flour
    • Pinch Salt
    • Zest ½ Lemon

2. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the crumble, working the dry ingredients in, until it begins to clump together and form a crumble. Alternatively, place it into a stand mixer and mix on a low speed.

3. Place the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.

4. Take a 9” square brownie tin and grease the inside, and line the base + sides with parchment paper.

5. Pour the crumble into the tin and use a spoon or a spatula to press it flat.

6. Place the crumble into the oven to bake. It should take around 20-25 minutes, until it is lightly golden around the edge. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Passion Fruit Cremeux

1. Into a medium bowl, add the passion fruit puree, sugar, eggs and egg yolks.

    • 200g Egg Yolks
    • 130g Whole Eggs
    • 150g Sugar
    • 300g Passion Fruit Puree

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmer water. With a hand whisk, whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened and begins to hold a slight ribbon as you whisk. Be careful not to overcook it or the eggs will begin to scramble.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve into a tall container.

4. Slowly add the butter, a piece at a time, using a hand blender to blend until the butter is fully incorporated and you have a nice smooth cremeux.

    • 250g Unsalted Butter, Soft (Room Temperature)

5. Take the smooth cremeux and pour it over the cooled oat base. Rotate the pan slightly so it fills the gaps and place it in the fridge for 4-5 hours until it is firm.

Raspberry Gel

1. Into a small saucepan, add the powdered gelatin and the cold water. Stir the mixture together and let it bloom for 5 minutes. After this time it should look drier in consistency and all the water will have been absorbed.

    • 4g Powdered Gelatin
    • 34g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the raspberries, water and lemon juice.

    • 2-3 Tbsp Water
    • 200g Fresh Raspberries
    • 10g Lemon juice

3. Stir the mixture over a medium heat until the raspberries have broken down and released their juices.

4. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and stir it through.

5. Pour the mixture into a tall container and blend very briefly. Then pour it through a sieve to catch the raspberry seeds.

6. Remove the chilled passion fruit base from the fridge and pour the raspberry gel on top. Tilt the tray to spread it out evenly.

7. Place this in the fridge for 3 hours until the raspberry gel has set up.

Final Assembly & Decoration

1. About an hour before you are ready to decorate, place the entire tray in the freezer, this will help to firm up the gel and make it much easier to slice.

2. Remove the tray from the freezer and use a hot knife to slice it into 8 rectangles. Carefully lift them onto a tray and place them back in the fridge.

3. To make the meringue, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on a medium speed.

    • 80g Egg Whites

4. While the egg whites are whisking, place the water and sugar into a small saucepan. Place it over a medium heat, and heat it up until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has reached a temperature of 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. By this point the egg whites should be thick and frothy.

    • 210g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Water

5. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, increase the speed of the mixer to high and slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup.

6. Once you have added all the syrup, whisk for 5-7 minutes, until the bowl is cool to the touch and you have stiff, glossy peaks to your meringue.

7. Add the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 126 nozzle. Remove the slices from the fridge and pipe a wavy line across the top.

8. Gently torch the meringue with a blow torch.

9. Decorate the rest of the dessert with some fresh raspberries (you can pipe some coulis into these for an added touch!), and garnish with mint.

10. Try to keep these chilled so that the cremeux stays relatively stable as if it becomes too hot it could start to weaken and become a bit unstable.

by Matt Adlard

Golden Gianduja Tart

TIER 3

Golden Gianduja Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
175g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt

Orange Frangipane
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
200g Caster Sugar
200g Whole Eggs
200g Ground Almonds
30g Plain Flour
Zest ½ Orange

Gianduja
160g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skins Removed
68g Icing/Powdered Sugar
230g Dark Chocolate, Melted

Gianduja Ganache
150g Gianduja
240g Double/Heavy Cream

To Decorate
200g Tempered or Melted Dark Chocolate
Edible Gold Dust
300g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skins Removed

Special equipment

4 x 11×3.5cm Perforated Tart Rings
Perforated Baking Mat
Perforated Baking Tray
Stand Mixer
Fluted Pastry Wheel Metal
Piping Bags
Hand Blender
4 x A4 Acetate Sheets
Cookie Cutters

Method

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée

*Note – the recipe makes enough for 4 tarts, however, you might not quite get that out of 2 dough balls. In this case, simply take the leftover scraps of dough and re-roll it for any remaining tart shells.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter and sift over the cocoa powder and icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 175g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Split the mixture into two equal parts. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the first ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible. If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, shape it into a rough log shape. Place the log of dough onto a silicon mat. Working with the silicon mat lengthways, fold it in half so you have a long vertical mat.

8. Roll the log of dough into a long vertical strip of dough. The reason we do this, is that we are going to use this portion of the dough to create the walls for our tart shells. By rolling it into a long vertical shape, we maximise the dough and reduce any wastage. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place them back in the freezer.

12. Remove the dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off. Use a knife to cut one long line of dough, then use a fluted pastry wheel to cut a line above that – ensuring the width is the same as the height you need for your tart shell. This will then give you a fluted top to your pastry. The most efficient way to cut the strips is like the design in the PDF (excuse the rough drawing!).

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

*Note – you may not have enough dough here for 4 tart walls depending on how you rolled it. In which case, start by cutting two walls and then re-roll the scraps to make another 2 walls.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, ensuring the fluted part of the dough is at the top. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them inside the tart ring.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise, if it is too warm, as you press the dough it will tear. If it does feel too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes then try again.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer.

Orange Frangipane

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature unsalted butter along with the sugar & orange zest. Beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is smooth.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • Zest ½ Orange

3. Next, pour in the eggs in three parts (ensure they are room temperature) and beat again. Initially the mixture will look quite split, but scrape down the sides halfway through and keep beating for 1 minute. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter left.

    • 100g Whole Egg

4. Finally, add the ground almonds and plain flour. Beat until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 30 seconds.

    • 100g Ground Almonds
    • 15g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Remove the tart shells from the freezer and pipe the frangipane in. Fill the tart slightly below halfway as we need to ensure there is enough room for the ganache once it has baked.

7. Place the tarts in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Watch the tarts very closely for the first 5 minutes as sometimes, the pastry can slip down from the edge of the tart ring. If you see the pastry slipping ever so slightly, simply open the oven and use your finger to gently press the dough back against the tart ring then it will stay in place.

8. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Gianduja

1. Add your roasted hazelnuts into a powerful food processor, along with the icing/powdered sugar.

If you don’t have roasted hazelnuts, take hazelnuts with the skin on, and place them in the oven at 175C/350F for 8-10m or until the skins start to burst. Remove them from the oven and let them cool, then peel off the skins. Pop them back in the oven very briefly until lightly golden.

    • 160g Roasted Hazelnuts
    • 68g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. Blend the mixture on a medium high speed until it forms a smooth paste. Initially it will go a little chunky and you will need to scrape down the sides of the mixer 3-4 times to ensure it is fully incorporated. Depending on the power of your food processor, it should take 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth paste.

3. Once smooth, remove it from the food processor and scrape the mixture into a bowl.

4. Add the dark chocolate into a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmer water.

    • 230g Dark Chocolate

5. Pour the melted chocolate into the blended hazelnut paste and stir the mixture to combine. You can use the mixture immediately or store it in a plastic container to use later for the ganache. It will set it like a soft chocolate.

Gianduja Ganache

1. Into a tall jug, add the gianduja.

    • 150g Gianduja

2. Meanwhile, add your heavy/double cream to a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 260g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Once hot, pour this over the gianduja. Let it sit for 2 minutes then blend till smooth.

4. Take the cooled tart and pour the ganache onto the top of the frangipane. Fill the tart, until the ganache is slightly below the rim.

5. Place the tarts in the fridge until you are ready to decorate. The ganache will be quite liquid so we need it to set up so it is still soft, but not too firm. 1.5 hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer should be perfect.

Gold Chocolate Discs

1. Temper 200g of dark chocolate – for a full video on how to temper check the Bake It Better classes.

2. Pour the half of the tempered chocolate onto an A4 sheet of acetate.

3. Place a second sheet of acetate on top and then using a rolling pin, or a wooden rod and carefully run it along the top of the acetate, smoothing out the chocolate until it is an even thickness.

4. Place something heavy on top like a book, and let it set at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chocolate on a second pair of acetate sheets.

5. Once the chocolate has set, take a cookie cutter, slightly smaller than the size of your tart. Heat it up with a blow torch or run it under some hot water so that it is hot.

6. Peel off the top sheet of acetate and cut out 2 circles from the first sheet of chocolate, and two from the second sheet.

7. Peel the chocolate discs carefully off the acetate and place them in the fridge for 5 minutes.

8. After 5 minutes, add a small amount of edible gold dust to a bowl and use a brush to dust it onto the disc so that it is evenly covered. Leave at room temperature until you are ready to assemble. If it is particularly warm in your house, leave them in the fridge.

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled tarts from the fridge. The ganache should be set on top but still be ever so slightly soft. This means it will be easier to press the hazelnuts in. If it is too firm, quickly and gently heat the top with a blow torch.

2. Take your roasted hazelnuts and chop them in half. Try and cut them so they relatively equal in size. This may be slightly more hazelnuts than you actually need but sometimes they don’t cut perfectly in half so you have a few that aren’t “aesthetic” enough!

    • 300g Roasted Hazelnuts

3. Place the halves of roasted hazelnuts all around the tart, starting from the outside and working your way into the centre. It is a bit of a laborious process but worth it for final presentation.

4. For a clean design, ensure the hazelnuts are all facing the same direction.

5. Remove the gold chocolate discs from the fridge and carefully lift it on top of the hazelnuts.

6. Take a heat gun, or a hair dryer and very gently melt the gold disc onto the tart. Try to avoid using a blow torch as this is more likely to burn the chocolate. You can also place the tart into a warm oven for a minute or so! Keep an eye on it!

7. Let the tart come to room temperature before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

TIER 2

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
175g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt

Chocolate Frangipane
70g Unsalted Butter
60g Icing/Powdered Sugar
15g Cocoa Powder
75g Ground Almonds
70g Whole Egg
30g Chopped Hazelnuts

Soft Caramel
175g Double Cream
45g Whole Milk
45g Glucose (1)
80g Caster Sugar
90g Glucose (2)
1.5g Sea Salt Flakes
60g Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Namelaka
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose
185g White Chocolate, Melted
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Dark Chocolate Namelaka
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose
135g Dark Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Special equipment

Hand Blender
Stand Mixer
4 x 5” Perforated Tart Rings
Metal Ruler
Perforated Baking Mat
Perforated Baking Tray
Piping Bags
Star Tip Piping Nozzle (4B)
Round Tip Piping Nozzle

Method

Vanilla Namelaka

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin powder and cold water. Stir together. Allow the mixture to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and glucose. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once it is hot, scoop out the bloomed gelatin and add it into the hot milk. Stir it through until it is dissolved.

    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 10g Glucose

3. Take the melted white chocolate, and pour the hot milk mixture over, in three parts. Whisk the mixture thoroughly each time as you add the milk. Initially it may thicken or look oily, don’t panic – add the remaining milk and it will become smooth.

    • 185g White Chocolate, Melted

4. Once it is all incorporated, pour in the cold double/heavy cream and blend or whisk the mixture to combine it.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

5. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Namelaka

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin powder and cold water. Stir together. Allow the mixture to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and glucose. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once it is hot, scoop out the bloomed gelatin and add it into the hot milk. Stir it through until it is dissolved.

    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 10g Glucose

3. Take the melted dark chocolate, and pour the hot milk mixture over, in three parts. Whisk the mixture thoroughly each time as you add the milk. Initially it may thicken or look oily, don’t panic – add the remaining milk and it will become smooth.

    • 135g Dark Chocolate

4. Once it is all incorporated, pour in the cold double/heavy cream and blend or whisk the mixture to combine it.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

5. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate overnight.

Soft Caramel

1. Into a saucepan, add the whole milk, double/heavy cream and glucose.

    • 175g Double Cream
    • 45g Whole Milk
    • 45g Glucose (1)

2. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking to ensure the glucose has dissolved fully. Once it is hot, set it to one side, but ensure it stays warm while you create the caramel.

3. Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose and the caster sugar.

    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • 90g Glucose (2)

4. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a deep caramel. Try to avoid stirring the mixture, and shake the pan to help disperse the sugar. If the sugar isn’t breaking down, very quickly stir it in with a spatula.

5. Keep a careful eye on it, it will go from a deep golden colour to burnt quickly!

6. Once you have a nice deep golden colour, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently.

7. Whisk the mixture and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute.

8. Remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve into a separate bowl.

9. Let it cool for 2 minutes, then add in the salt & butter and blend (or whisk) until smooth.

    • 60g Unsalted Butter
    • 1.2g Sea Salt Flakes

10. Pour the mixture into a container and store at room temperature.

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée

*Note – the recipe makes enough for 4 tarts, however, you might not quite get that out of 2 dough balls. In this case, simply take the leftover scraps of dough and re-roll it for any remaining tart shells.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter and sift over the cocoa powder and icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 175g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Split the mixture into two equal parts. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the first ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible. If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, shape it into a rough log shape. Place the log of dough onto a silicon mat. Working with the silicon mat lengthways, fold it in half so you have a long vertical mat.

8. Roll the log of dough into a long vertical strip of dough. The reason we do this, is that we are going to use this portion of the dough to create the walls for our tart shells. By rolling it into a long vertical shape, we maximise the dough and reduce any wastage. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place it back in the freezer.

12. Remove the dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off, and using a ruler and a sharp knife, cut long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells.

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them in.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise as you press the dough it will tear. If it feels too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer while you make the frangipane.

Chocolate Frangipane

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature unsalted butter along with the sugar & cocoa powder. Beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is smooth.

    • 70g Unsalted Butter
    • 60g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 15g Cocoa Powder

3. Next, pour in the eggs in three parts (ensure they are room temperature) and beat again. Initially the mixture will look quite split, but scrape down the sides halfway through and keep beating for 1 minute. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter left.

    • 70g Whole Egg

4. Finally, add the ground almonds. Beat until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 30 seconds.

    • 75g Ground Almonds

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Remove the tart shells from the freezer and using a sharp knife, cut off any excess dough that is hanging over the edge. As the dough is cold, you should be able to lift these up in your hand and cut them easily.

7. Place them back onto your baking tray and pipe the frangipane in. Only fill the tart shells up about halfway or the frangipane will spill over as it bakes.

8. Press a few chopped roasted hazelnuts into the frangipane and place the tarts into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Assembly

1. Remove the vanilla namelaka from the fridge, and add it into a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric whisk)

2. Whisk the mixture on a medium speed until it holds a medium stiff peak.

3. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

4. Take the cooled tarts and pipe, odd dollops of the vanilla cream over the tart, leaving space to pipe the chocolate namelaka cream.

5. Remove the chocolate namelaka cream from the fridge and whisk that to a medium stiff peak too.

6. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle.

7. Fill in the gaps of the tart, piping dollops of the chocolate cream.

8. Once the tart has been filed up, very carefully heat the back of a small melon baller or a metal measuring spoon in hot water or with a blow torch.

9. Very carefully press it into the top of one of the vanilla cream dollops. Press down to melt the top of the dollop, then slowly rotate it 180 degrees and lift it out.

10. Repeat this for 2-3 of the vanilla dollops.

11. Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and pipe a very small amount into the vanilla dollops that you created a small crater in.

12. Repeat this with all of the tarts and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Meringue Tart

TIER 1

Strawberry Meringue Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Orange Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Zest of ½ Orange
Pinch of Salt

Lemon Cake
65g Ground Almonds
150g Icing Sugar
35g Plain Flour
125g Egg Whites
Zest ¾ Medium Lemon
125g Melted Butter

Vanilla Meringue
80g Egg Whites
80g Caster Sugar
80g Icing Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Strawberry & Raspberry Compote
100g Fresh Strawberries
100g Fresh Raspberries
½ Tsp Sugar
1 Tsp Cornflour
2-4 Tbsp Water (you may need more)

Fresh Strawberries To Decorate

Special equipment

4 x 4” (Width) x 1.75” (Deep) Fluted Tart Tin (Brioche molds are great for this)
Stand Mixer
5” Cookie Cutter
Large Round Tip Piping Nozzle
Piping Bags

Method

Orange Pâte Sucrée

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter, orange zest and sift over the icing/powdered sugar. It is important to sift the icing sugar to prevent any lumps getting in the pastry.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • Zest of ½ Orange

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter, zest and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 200g Plain Flour/All-Purpose
    • Pinch of Salt

5. Split the dough into two dough balls. Take one dough ball and place it into the centre of a baking mat. Place a second baking mat on top and with a rolling pin, roll the dough to about ⅛” thick into any rough circular shape. Place the sheet of dough into the freezer for 30 minutes and repeat with the second ball of dough.

6. While the dough is chilling, lightly grease the outside of your fluted tart rings with soft butter.

7. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the freezer and peel off the silicon mats. Use a cookie cutter that is about 1.25x bigger than your tart ring. I used a 4” tart ring, so I use a 5” cookie cutter. If your tart rings are not particularly deep then you may not need to cut a circle of dough quite as big. You want the circle of dough to be big enough so that it drapes over your tart shell but doesn’t quite reach the edge.

8. Cut out 2 circles of dough from one sheet, and 2 circles from the other sheet.

9. Place the circles of dough in the freezer and work with one at a time so that they don’t become too warm.

10. Gently massage the dough in your hands to warm it slightly, so that it is more pliable.

11. Place it over the back of your greased tart ring and carefully press it into the grooves. Don’t worry if it tears every so slightly as it bends, you can use your fingers to push it back together.

12. Once it fits nicely into the grooves, place the tart ring onto a baking tray and repeat with the 3 remaining shells.

13. Once you have 4 tarts on your tray, gently prick the base with a fork and place them into the freezer while you preheat your oven.

14. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

15. Once hot, place the tart shells in the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Keep an eye on them as every oven is different. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

16. As an optional step, you can use a microplane to gently file down the edges of the pastry so that they are even and smooth. If you are planning to do this, pop the cooled pastries into the freezer for 10 minutes. If they are still slightly warm, they will be too fragile and will smash when you file them down.

17. Set the pastry cases to one side.

Lemon Financier

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Lightly grease the inside of your fluted tart rings and coat them with a dusting of flour.

2. Into a large bowl, sift in the dry ingredients and whisk them together by hand until combined.

    • 65g Ground Almonds
    • 150g Icing Sugar
    • 35g Plain Flour
    • Zest of ¾ Medium Lemon

3. Next, pour in the egg whites and whisk again to combine them.

    • 125g Egg Whites

4. Finally, pour in the melted butter and whisk to mix this in. It might initially look slightly split, but keep whisking and will become smooth.

    • 125g Melted, Unsalted Butter

5. Pour the batter equally between your 4 molds, filling them up slightly above halfway. Place them in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on top.

6. Once baked, allow them to cool and then pop them out of the molds. If they get a little stuck, slide a knife carefully down the side to loosen them.

Vanilla Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 95C/200F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric whisk, add the egg whites. Whisk on a medium low speed until they become thick and frothy.

    • 80g Egg Whites

3. Once frothy, increase the speed to high and slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once you have added all of the sugar, keep whisking, until the mixture holds a stiff peak. Once it holds a stiff peak, add in the vanilla and briefly whisk it in.

    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and place a sieve over the top. Sift over the icing/powdered sugar.

    • 80g Icing Sugar

5. Use a spatula to very carefully fold the icing sugar into the meringue, until there is no more dry parts in the mixture

6. Take a sheet of parchment paper, and using your tart ring as a guide, draw around it to create an outline of the outside of your mold. Flip the baking paper over (so the pen doesn’t touch your meringue) and glue the sheet of parchment to your baking tray with a little bit of meringue.

7. Place the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

8. Pipe dollops of the meringue, following the guide of the outline you drew. Start by piping at about a 45 degree angle then stop applying pressure, and drag the nozzle down towards the paper to create a nice swoop into the centre. As you are piping around the outline, ensure that the meringue “drops” are touching, so that once baked, the entire meringue olds its shape. Pipe 4 circles of meringue in total.

9. Place the meringues into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let them cool in there for 1 hour.

Strawberry & Raspberry Compote

1. Into a saucepan, add the fresh chopped fruits, cornflour, sugar, and about 3 Tbsp of water.

    • 100g Fresh Strawberries
    • 100g Fresh Raspberries
    • ½ Tsp Sugar
    • 1 Tsp Cornflour
    • 2-4 Tbsp Water (you may need more)

2. Place it over a medium heat and stir the mixture for 3-4 minutes until the berries have completely broken down and the mixture has thickened. If the mixture is too thick as you are cooking it, simply add in a few more splashes of water.

3. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Assembly

1. Take the cooled tart and place a lemon financier into the shell.

2. Add the cooled compote on top of the financier and spread it out to the edges so that it is completely flush with the edge of the pastry.

3. Carefully lift the meringue on so that it sits around the edge of the pastry.

4. Fill the centre with fresh strawberries. I prefer to use a mix of small cubes of strawberry but you can also add whole strawberries too.

5. Serve the cake.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

TIER 2

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Biscuit Base
220g Digestives/Graham Crackers
110g Unsalted Butter
Pinch Salt

Chocolate Orange Filling
Zest ½ Medium Orange
110g Caster Sugar
350g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
50g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
700g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
180g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
250g Melted Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Ganache Coating
150g Dark Chocolate, Chopped
185g Double Heavy Cream

Chocolate Shavings To Finish

Special equipment

Food Processor
9” Removable Base Cake Tin
Stand Mixer (Optional)
Hand Blender

Method

Biscuit Base

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a food processor, add the biscuits and blend them to a fine crumb. You can also smash them up in a large sandwich bag with a rolling pin.

    • 220g Digestives/Graham Crackers

3. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Pour the melted butter onto the biscuits and blend again to combine.

    • 110g Unsalted Butter

4. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9” cake tin with a removable base. Place a circle of parchment onto the greased base.

5. Pour the biscuit mixture into the tin and spread it out. Use the back of a glass or something flat to smooth it and ensure it is nice and even.

6. Place the base into the freezer while you make the filling.

Chocolate Orange Filling

1. Add the chocolate into a medium bowl, and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, remove it from the heat, but ensure it is still warm when you go to use it.

    • 250g Dark Chocolate

2. Into a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Massage the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant.

    • Zest ½ Medium Orange
    • 110g Caster Sugar

3. Into a stand mixer (or you can do it by hand in a large bowl), add the eggs, and the orange sugar. Whisk for a minute on a medium speed.

    • 180g Whole Eggs (About 3 Large)

4. Next, switch to a paddle attachment (or rubber spatula if doing it by hand), and add in the cream cheese, sour cream and mascarpone. Beat on a low speed until smooth and combined. Initially the eggs won’t incorporate too well, but keep mixing and they will pull together. Try to avoid adding too much air into the batter as you beat, as these air pockets could cause your cheesecake to crack as it bakes.

    • 350g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
    • 50g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
    • 700g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

5. Once smooth, take the melted chocolate and pour this in, mixing it again to combine. Finally, add in the cocoa powder (Apologies – I missed this on the video!) and beat that in too. You should end up with a nice smooth chocolate cheesecake batter. If there are a few tiny lumps, don’t panic, that will be some of the cream cheese that hasn’t quite fully broken down.

    • 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

6. Remove the biscuit base from the freezer, and wrap the bottom of the tin tightly with foil. This will help to secure it and prevent water leaking in.

7. Place the cake tin into a deeper, larger roasting tray. Next, pour the chocolate cheesecake filling onto the base and use a spatula to spread it out. Gently tap the tin, to help settle the batter and also remove any extra air bubbles.

8. Carefully place the roasting tray with the cheesecake in, into the oven. Then pour in some boiling hot water, so that about 1” of the bottom of the cake tin is covered in hot water.

9. Bake the cheesecake, on the middle shelf, for around 90 minutes, at 160C/320F. It should have a small wobble in the centre when you shake it, about 2” in diameter (every oven is different so keep an eye on it). Then, immediately turn the oven off, and open the door so that it is slightly ajar. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 2 hours.

10. Finally, remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the foil. Place the cheesecake, uncovered, in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 6 hours, but ideally overnight. (If you cover the cheesecake, condensation will build up and the top will go soggy).

Final Assembly

1. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Heat up a small knife, and carefully run it around the outside of the cake tin to loosen the cheesecake. Press the cheesecake out of the tin, and then carefully slide it off the cake base with a spatula, onto your serving plate.

2. Add the double cream to a saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is simmering, pour it over a tall jug of chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend it until it’s smooth. You can also whisk it together if you don’t have a hand blender, just let it sit a minute or so longer so that it is completely melted before whisking.

    • 185g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 150g Dark Chocolate, Chopped

3. Immediately pour the warm ganache into the centre of the cheesecake and spread it out with a spatula.

4. Finish the cheesecake with chocolate shavings and serve. It can be served cold or brought to room temperature.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Mousse Gateaux

TIER 3

Chocolate Mousse Gateaux

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Chocolate Cake
100g Water
30g Cocoa Powder
110g Plain Flour
175g Caster Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda
100g Buttermilk
65g Vegetable Oil
60g Whole Eggs (1 Large Egg)

Hazelnut Streusel
40g Cold Unsalted Butter
40g Ground Almonds
40g Flour
40g Sugar
Zest ½ Lemon
20g Hazelnuts

Chocolate Mousse
240g Dark Chocolate (or 50/50 mix of Dark + Milk Chocolate)
210g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Cold Water
100g Egg Yolks
80g Whole Eggs
40g Water
100g Sugar
210g Double/Heavy Cream (B), Whisked to Soft Peaks

To decorate
300g Tempered Dark Chocolate

Special equipment

7” Cake Tin
Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
Hand Blender
Digital Thermometer
Piping Bags
20cm x 6cm Ring Mold
18cm x 6cm Ring Mold
Acetate
Wire Brush

Method

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water and cocoa powder. Place it over a medium low heat and whisk. Cook the mixture until it is steaming and then set it to one side to cool.

    • 100g Water
    • 30g Cocoa Powder

3. Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.

    • 110g Plain Flour
    • 175g Caster Sugar
    • 1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda

4. Next, in a tall jug whisk together the wet ingredients, and then pour these over the dry. Use a hand whisk to mix them together, ensuring they are fully incorporated (sometimes the dry bits can get stuck to the bottom of the bowl)

    • 100g Buttermilk
    • 65g Vegetable Oil
    • 60g Whole Eggs (1 Large Egg)

5. Finally, pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.

6. Take a 7” cake tin, lightly grease it, place a circle or parchment paper on the bottom (very important), and then coat the sides with cocoa powder.

7. Pour the cake batter into the tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes. It might take slightly longer depending on your oven, so ensure a skewer comes out clean, then they are ready.

8. Once baked, let them cool for 10 minutes, then very carefully run a palette knife around the edge of the cake tin, and gently shake the tin to help loosen the cake from the edges. Flip it onto a wire cooling rack. The cake will be very fragile so allow once you’ve flipped them don’t try and move it until it has cooled completely. Once it has cooled, wrap it up and place it in the fridge to chill.

Chocolate Mousse

1. Add the gelatin powder and water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 30g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the double cream (A) and bring it to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate into a tall jug. If you want a slightly sweeter mousse, you can do a 50/50 mix of milk + dark chocolate.

    • 240g Dark Chocolate (or 50/50 mix of Dark + Milk Chocolate)
    • 210g Double/Heavy Cream (A)

3. Melt the bloomed gelatin, and once the cream is hot, pour the gelatin in and quickly stir to combine.

4. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, let it sit for 2 minutes, and then blend until smooth. Move onto the next stage quickly as we don’t want the ganache to set or cool too much.

5. Into a small saucepan, add the water, then sugar. Place it over a medium heat.

    • 40g Water
    • 100g Caster Sugar

6. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and the egg yolks in a stand mixer on a medium high speed.

    • 100g Egg Yolks
    • 80g Whole Eggs

7. Once the sugar mixture has reached a temperature of 118C/245F, very carefully pour it over the egg yolks, whisking on high speed. Try and avoid splattering the sugar all over the whisk, and pour in between the whisk and the bowl.

8. Keep whisking the mixture until it becomes much thicker, and paler in colour. It needs to cool to about 30C, and at this point, the chocolate ganache should also be at 30C.

9. Pour the ganache into the egg yolk mixture, and whisk to combine.

10. Finally, take the remaining double/heavy cream (B) and whisk it to a soft peak. Pour this into the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Cover the mixture and set it in the fridge.

    • 210g Double/Heavy Cream (B)

Hazelnut Streusel

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dry ingredients.

    • 40g Ground Almonds
    • 40g Flour
    • 40g Sugar
    • Zest ½ Lemon

3. On top of that add the cold, cubed butter. Mix with your hands, or with a beater attachment on a low speed, until the butter pieces have broken down to about the size of peas.

    • 40g Cold + Cubed, Unsalted Butter

4. Tip in your chopped hazelnuts and toss the mixture with your hands to combine it.

    • 20g Roughly Chopped Hazelnuts

5. Into an 18cm (7”) ring mold, placed on a baking tray lined with a baking mat, add the stresuel. Press it into the mold gently, so it still has some texture and chunks but is all stuck together.

6. Bake for around 12-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Once it has baked, remove the tray from the oven and let it cool completely. Then, carefully place the tray in the freezer so that the streusel can set and is easy to lift up. It may take about an hour. If the streusel is too warm, when you try and pick it up it will break apart so be careful.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled chocolate cake from the freezer, and use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cake in half.

2. Take a 20cm (7.85”) ring mold, and line the bottom with a sheet of cling film, trying to get it as tight as possible. To get the cling film sheet very tight with no wrinkles, hold the ring mold in a hot oven for a few seconds and this will tighten the clingfilm. Place the ring mold, onto a baking tray.

3. Remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge and whisk it up just to loosen it slightly.

4. Pour it into a piping bag, and pipe half of the mousse into the base of the ring mold.

5. Add the first layer of chocolate cake into the centre.

6. Now at this point, my mousse was still a little too runny, so to prevent the layers from merging into one, I quickly placed the tray into the freezer for 20 minutes to help set the top of the mousse, therefore creating a more stable layer to put the next layer of mousse on top of.

7. Remove the mousse from the freezer and pour the remaining mousse in, leaving a little in the piping bag to fill up the gaps in a second.

8. Remove the streusel disc from the freezer, and place this on top of your second layer of cake so they are sandwiched together. Lift the cake streusel layer on top of the mousse, ensuring that the streusel is the top layer – this will mean that when we demold the mousse later, the streusel will act as our ‘cake board’.

9. If there are any gaps around the outside of the ring mold, fill them up with remaining mousse.

10. Place the mousse into the freezer overnight.

11. Once the mousse has frozen overnight, remove the mousse cake from the freezer. Peel off the sheet of clingfilm and place the rougher side (not the side that was covered with cling film as this should be smooth!) onto a tall but wide object, like a glass (if it’s too thin, then the cake could be unstable – something wider means there’s less risk it will topple!). With a blowtorch/hair dryer or a warm tea towel, heat the edge of the ring mold and then carefully lift off the ring.

12. Carefully place the mousse back in the freezer for an hour.

Chocolate Decorations

1. For the chocolate collar to go around the outside, take a long strip of acetate, about 65cm (25.5”) long and 6.cm (2.5”) tall and place it on your work surface.

2. Temper your dark chocolate and use a ladle, to take about ⅔ of the chocolate and ladle it onto the sheet of acetate in a relatively even line. You will need about 200-250g tempered chocolate.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread out the tempered chocolate evenly across the acetate.

4. Let the chocolate set slightly so it is no longer wet, but still pliable. It won’t take long so keep an eye on it.

5. Then very carefully, lift the strip of acetate up, and carefully place it around the outside of the 20cm ring mold that we had the mousse in previously. It is important to a) use this mold as this will ensure our collar is big enough to fit around the cake and b) make sure the chocolate is not wet when you place it on, otherwise it will stick to the ring mold.

6. Use a small piece of tape to secure the collar together and then let the chocolate set at room temperature for 1 hour.

7. For the chocolate leaves, take a few strips of long acetate and place them on your work surface.

8. Dip a small paint brush into the tempered chocolate and paint small leaves onto the strip of acetate. You will need about 30-40.

9. Once you have painted the leaves, try to set the strips of acetate in a curved position. You can do this by sliding the acetate into a cylinder cardboard roll (like from a paper towel) or place the acetate against a wall, and press a book against the edge of the acetate which will force it into a curved position. Let the leaves set for an hour.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the mousse cake from the freezer and with a spatula, lift it onto your serving plate.

2. Remove the acetate strip from the outside of the chocolate collar, and then using a wire brush, gently score the chocoolate to create a “bark” effect – this is optional but creates a fun design to the cake.

3. Very carefully lift the collar around the mousse cake.

4. Finally, carefully move the chocolate leaves from their curved position. As you flatten the acetate, the leaves should pop off so be careful. Some may break.

5. Place the leaves into the centre of the cake, in any pattern you would like, and then add a light dusting of cocoa powder.

6. Ensure the cake comes to room temperature before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Black Forest Gateaux

TIER 2

Black Forest Gateaux

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Chocolate Cake
120g Caster Sugar
180g Egg Whites
120g Egg Yolks
25g Cocoa Powder
120g Unsalted Butter
150g Dark Chocolate

Soaking Syrup
50g Water
50g Caster Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Kirsch (Optional)

Vanilla Cream
1000g Double/Heavy Cream
6.5g Gelatin Powder + 39g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
200g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Orange Vanilla Cream
500g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Gelatin Powder + 18g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
100g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Zest ½ Orange

To Fill
Cherry Jam or Cherry Compote
Handful of Fresh Cherries or Marinated Cherries

To Decorate
Chocolate Shavings

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
20cm x 6cm Ring Mold
18cm x 6cm Ring Mold
Electric Clay Pottery Wheel or Spinning Turntable
15mm Round Tip Nozzle
Piping Bags

Method

Vanilla Cream

1. Add the gelatin and cold water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 6.5g Powdered Gelatin + 39g Cold Water

2. Add the white chocolate to a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Set it to one side.

    • 200g White Chocolate

3. Next, add the cream and vanilla to a medium saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer.

    • 1000g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

4. Once hot, turn off the heat, melt the bloomed gelatin and whisk this in to dissolve it.

5. Slowly pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate in three parts, stirring in small circles in the centre of the bowl to create an emulsion.

6. Once you have added all the cream, ensure it is fully combined with the melted chocolate, cover the surface with cling film, and then refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight.

Orange Vanilla Cream

1. For the orange vanilla cream that we will use to decorate the top of the cake – follow the exact same process as above, but add the orange zest into the cream when heating it. Cover and refrigerate overnight

    • 500g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 3g Gelatin Powder + 18g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
    • 100g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • Zest ½ Orange

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 120g Unsalted Butter
    • 150g Dark Chocolate

3. Meanwhile, into a bowl, add the egg yolks and cocoa powder and whisk these together until smooth. Take the melted chocolate mixture, and pour this in. Whisk again to combine.

    • 120g Egg Yolks
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until they are thick and frothy. Increase the speed slightly, and add the sugar in, one tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until you have a stiff glossy peak to the meringue.

    • 120g Caster Sugar
    • 180g Egg Whites

5. Add the meringue in three parts, into the chocolate mixture. Fold it in gently, stirring it just until it is fully incorporated and there are no more streaks of egg white.

6. Take a 7” ring mold and lightly grease it with butter. Dust the ring with cocoa powder and place it on a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.

7. Pour the cake batter into the ring mold and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Keep an eye on it as every oven is different.

8. Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool – as it cools it will collapse but that is normal.

9. Once it has cooled – I like to freeze the cake for 2 hours. Once it has chilled, slice the cake in half so that you have two layers. By freezing the cake, it makes it easier to cut!

Soaking Syrup

1. Into a small saucepan, add the sugar, water and kirsch. The kirsch is optional but is “traditional” for a Black Forest Gateaux.

    • 50g Water
    • 50g Caster Sugar
    • 1-2 Tbsp Kirsch (Optional)

2. Bring the ingredients to the boil, ensuring the sugar has fully dissolved. You can make this while the cakes are baking or chilling, so that it has time to cool.

3. When you have sliced the cakes in half, apply an even layer of soaking syrup over each side. You may not need it all, so don’t over soak the sponges.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the vanilla cream from the fridge and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if you are using an electric mixer). Whisk it until it has thickened to a medium peak. Be careful not to over whip it.

2. Take the 20cm x 6cm ring and cover one side of the mold with a single sheet of cling film. Try and get it as tight as possible with as few wrinkles. To get the cling film sheet very tight with no wrinkles, hold the ring mold in a hot oven for a few seconds and this will tighten the clingfilm. Place the ring mold, onto a baking tray.

3. Pour ⅓ of the vanilla cream into the base of the ring mold and use an offset spatula spread it up the sides. It’s important to spread it to cover all sides and ensure there aren’t any large air pockets.

4. Once you have covered the sides and the base, place a layer of sponge on top. Then spread a thin layer of cherry jam or cherry compote on top of the sponge.

    • Cherry Jam or Cherry Compote

5. Add the next ⅓ of vanilla cream on top of the sponge and then press some fresh or marinated cherries into the cream.

6. Add the final layer of cake and finally top up the mold with the remaining cream. Use a spatula to spread the cream, so that it is completely flush with the ring mold. Then place it in the freezer overnight.

Orange Vanilla Cream

1. To prepare the decoration for the top of the cake, remove the cream from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak. You will not need it all to create the decoration but I have added some extra in the recipe in case you need to practice!

2. Take a sheet of parchment paper, and use the 20cm ring mold to draw a circle on it as a guide. Place this sheet of parchment paper underneath a silicon mat, on a flat baking tray.

3. Add the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle (I used a 15mm nozzle).

4. Place the flat baking tray onto a cake turntable or an electric pottery wheel. If you are using a cake turntable, try and get someone to spin it slowly for you while you pipe!

5. Apply even pressure, and starting from the centre, pipe a tight spiral of cream, stopping just before you reach the edge of the template you drew. Place the circle of cream into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or it is until firm enough to lift it up.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the mousse cake from the freezer. Peel off the sheet of clingfilm and place the rougher side (not the side that was covered with cling film as this should be smooth!) onto a tall but wide object, like a glass (if it’s too thin, then the cake could be unstable – something wider means there’s less risk it will topple!). With a blowtorch/hair dryer or a warm tea towel, heat the edge of the ring mold and then carefully lift off the ring.

2. Use a large offset spatula to carefully lift the mousse cake onto a tray lined with a silicon mat and place it back into the freezer for 1 hour.

3. After 1 hour remove the cake from the freezer, at this point it is worth carefully lifting it onto a cake board (if you plan to take it anywhere!), something that will allow you to maneuver it with a bit more ease.

4. Place the mousse cake onto a tall glass or object again, and then place a tray underneath. Take your chocolate shavings and press them into the side of the mousse cake. If it is still quite cold, the curls might not stick and fall off straight away. If that is the case, you can very very carefully heat the edges with a blow torch, or just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

5. Press the curls all over the side of the cake until it is completely covered.

6. Remove the orange vanilla disc from the freezer and lift this onto the centre. Depending on how large you piped it, you may have a slight gap between the edge of the disc and the edge of the cake. Fill any gaps with more chocolate curls. Lift the cake carefully onto a large serving plate.

7. Garnish the cake with a whole cherry, then allow the cake to come to room temperature before eating so that the mousse is soft.

by Matt Adlard

Sacher Torte

TIER 1

Sacher Torte

8
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Chantilly
3.5g Powdered Gelatin
21g Water
500g Double/Heavy Cream
65g Dark or Milk Chocolate

Chocolate Torte
180g Chocolate
175g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
200g Ground Almonds
60g Cocoa Powder
120g Whole Eggs + 120g Egg Yolks
160g Egg Whites
1 Tbsp Caster Sugar
Pinch Salt

Soaking Syrup
50g Water
50g Caster Sugar

Chocolate Ganache
400g Dark Chocolate
480g Double/Heavy Cream
80g Soft, Unsalted Butter

Filling
125g-175g Apricot Jam

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
2 x 7” Cake Tin
Hand Blender
Piping Bags
Star Tip Piping Nozzle

Method

Chocolate Chantilly

1. Into a small saucepan, add the water and gelatin powder. Let it bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 3.5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 21g Water

2. Meanwhile, add the chocolate to a medium bowl, and place it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it, until it is completely melted.

    • 65g Dark Chocolate

3. Add the cream into a saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is steaming but not boiling, gently melt the gelatin over a low heat. Pour the gelatin mixture into the cream and whisk it through.

    • 500g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Then slowly pour the cream mixture over the melted chocolate. Use a spatula to stir the chocolate in small circles constantly, slowly incorporating the cream.

5. Once the cream is fully combined, cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and chill overnight.

Chocolate Torte

1. Preheat your oven to 150C/300F. Lightly grease 2 x 7” cake tin, place a circle of parchment on the bottom of the tin, and then line the sides with a dusting of cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat and set it to one side.

    • 180g Dark Chocolate
    • 175g Unsalted Butter

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, egg yolks & salt until smooth. Then tip in the cocoa powder and ground almonds and whisk to combine.

    • 200g Caster Sugar
    • 120g Whole Eggs + 120g Egg Yolks
    • Pinch Salt
    • 200g Ground Almonds
    • 60g Cocoa Powder

4. Once mixed, pour in the slightly cooled, melted chocolate mixture and whisk together until everything is evenly combined. Set this to one side.

5. Into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk the egg whites on a medium low speed, until they start to become thick and hold a soft peak. Then add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have a medium stiff peak.

    • 160g Egg Whites
    • 1 Tbsp Caster Sugar

6. Take the egg white mixture, and fold it into the chocolate batter in three parts, being relatively gentle as you fold.

7. Once the egg whites are completely mixed in and you can’t see any more streaks of white, split the batter equally between the two lined cake tins – you should get roughly 500-515g per tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it.

8. While they are baking, make a quick soaking syrup. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to the boil and then once the sugar has fully dissolved, turn off the heat and let it cool.

    • 50g Water
    • 50g Caster Sugar

9. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the outside of the cake tin and very carefully flip the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack.

10. Once they have completely cooled, paint a light coating of the sugar syrup all over the cakes (you may not need it all), then wrap the cakes in cling film and refrigerate them for a few hours (or overnight). This step is optional, but I’ve always enjoyed the texture of the cake after chilling it.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled cakes from the fridge.

2. Take the apricot jam (you can use as much or as little as you want – or swap it for another jam if you don’t want apricot) and using an offset spatula, spread and even layer over one of the cakes.

    • 125-175g Apricot Jam

3. Carefully sandwich the second layer of cake on top and place it back into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Into a tall jug, add the chocolate (chop it up small if you are using large chunks).

    • 400g Dark Chocolate

2. Meanwhile, pour the cream into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 480g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Once hot, pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Then blend with a stick blend until smooth. Avoid adding any air bubbles here, so try to move the nozzle of the blender as little as possible. If we add air bubbles to the ganache, that will result in air bubbles on the final glaze of our cake.

4. Once blended, add in the soft, unsalted butter and blend again to emulsify. The ganache is now ready to use immediately.

    • 80g Unsalted Butter, Soft

5. Remove the cake from the fridge and place it onto a large cookie cutter or a bowl – something that can prop it up so that there is a gap in between the cake and the tray below. Ensure there is a tray underneath to catch any excess.

6. Working relatively quickly, pour half of the glaze over the cake. Then use an offset spatula to spread off any excess across the top. Do this with one swift motion, avoid going back and forth over the cake with the spatula.

7. Gently tap the tray that the cake is sitting on, on the work surface, and let the glaze drip down. Then once it has set slightly, use a knife to cut off any excess drips hanging off the bottom of the cake.

8. Place the cake into the fridge for 15 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, we need to keep the ganache at a warm pouring temperature. If we leave it out at room temperature, it will get too cool to pour. So I advise, to take about 2 inches of boiling water in a pan or bowl, and leave the jug sitting in the warm water. Swirl it every so often so it doesn’t set on top (or stir it gently with a spoon but avoid adding air). The glaze should be at a temperature of around 40-45C (105-112F) when you are ready to pour again.

10. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and repeat the same glazing process, quickly pouring the remaining glaze over the top of the cake and spreading off any excess. Again, tap the tray underneath on the work surface, helping any excess glaze to settle and drip off. Once the cake has set slightly, trim off any excess drips that may be hanging off.

11. At this point the glaze is still quite wet – you can let the cake sit at room temperature for an hour or so to set, or pop it in the fridge to set in about 15 minutes. Once it has set, very carefully lift the cake, trying not to damage the glaze, onto your serving plate.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the chocolate chantilly from the fridge. Place it into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer).

2. Whisk the chantilly to a medium peak, being very careful not to over whip it. Remember that as you work with the chantilly and add it into the piping bag etc, it will continue to thicken so always under whip it ever so slightly.

3. Add half of the chantilly into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle (we add half, because like I said, above, as we continue to handle it, it can over whip so we just use half to decorate the outside, then the remaining cream to decorate the top)

4. To decorate, pipe even swirls of the cream around the edge and then on top. You can get creative with any piping pattern you want. Alternatively, you can skip the chantilly and instead, use any leftover ganache to pipe “Sacher” in the centre of the cake – this is very traditional!

5. Best served and eaten at room temperature.

by Matt Adlard

Pistachio Cake

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Almond & Orange Cake

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Lemon Cake

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Coffee Brioche

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Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Rolls)

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Classic Donut

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Opera Cake

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Chocolate Praline Finger Cake

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Strawberry Roll Cake

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Sourdough Country Loaf

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Sourdough Focaccia

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Passion fruit Soufflé

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Chocolate Moelleux

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by Matt Adlard

Vanilla Panna Cotta

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Brioche Feuilletée

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Vanilla & Blueberry Danish

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Puff Pastry

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Roasted Strawberry & Creme Brûlée Tart

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Japanese Milk Bread

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by Matt Adlard

Scones

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Eclairs

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St Honore Tart

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Choux Au Craquelin

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Chocolate Spider Web Mirror Glaze

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Chocolate Hazelnut Finger

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Lemon Citrus Crunch

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by Matt Adlard

Brown Butter Madeleines

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by Matt Adlard

Macarons

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Pot De Creme

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by Matt Adlard

Herringbone Lattice Apple Pie

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Chocolate & Hazelnut Praline Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Lemon Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Frangipane Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Velvet Sprayed Cake

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Naked White Chocolate Drip Cake

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Victoria Sponge

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by Cameron_MemberPress