Pecan, Chocolate and Orange Bread

Bread week is my nemesis.

I am no good at making bread.. actual yeasted bread that needs to prove and rise and do scientific things with reactions and what not. Bread week was the worst week for me in the tent, not helped by having had that major panic attack and all that, but the bread I have posted here, is a version of what I made in the tent. I haven't attempted or even looked at this recipe in over two years and still got the heebee-jeebies when I started it.

Stupid Bread Week.. grumble.. grumble..

Seeing as Bread Week's signature was chocolate themed, I changed the filling of my original bake (a cinnamon breakfast bread) to keep it more inline with Mary and Paul's requirements. This pecan, chocolate, and orange loaf turned out really lovely. I would have liked a little more of a rise on the proof but then it is super soft and super tasty so I won't complain too much!

By the time I was finished.. I was glad I had made it again. And I feel it's better than my attempt in the tent.. even though our Irish Paul gave the original the thumbs up. I am also glad bread week is over. No more nightmares! Haha!

Bring on the pastry.. I am super excited for next week already!

Bread Dough

400g strong bread flour

7g easy-blend yeast

30g caster sugar

1 tsp salt

25g melted butter

100ml milk

175-200ml of warm water

Zest of one large orange

Make the dough by putting the flour into a mixing bowl. Add in the yeast, sugar and salt and dry whisk the whole thing.

Pour in the melted butter and zest then add the milk and enough of the water to mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. 

Return to dough to your bowl, cover with some cling-film and leave it in a warm place to rise. This should take about one hour. If you are having trouble here… turn your oven on to really low (I go for about 30C) and pop the bowl in at the very bottom for the same amount of time.

Chocolate Paste and Pecan Filling

50g pecans blitzed to tiny pieces

60g dark chocolate

60g butter

25g icing sugar

15g coco powder

Make the Chocolate Paste by adding the chocolate and butter into a microwaveable bowl. Melt until combined and then stir in the sugar and coco powder until fully incorporated. Set to one side until you need it.

Prepare and two pound loaf pan with some parchment and leave to one side. 

When the dough has risen, punch the dough back a little and roll it out onto a floured surface. Cut off strips to make it rectangular.

Coat all pieces of the dough with the chocolate paste and sprinkle with the pecan bits. Roll each stripped piece into a rosette roll and leave to one side. Roll the large rectangular piece, starting on the short side, towards you.

Turn the dough vertical. Take a sharp knife, and starting about 2cm from the top, cut the dough in half. Spread the two dough sections apart and insert a rolled dough rose. Twist the dough sections in alternate directions, intersecting with the dough rose until you reach the end.  Tuck the join in under itself at the bottom.

As carefully as possible, pop the dough into a prepared 2 pound loaf pan and cover loosely with a tea towel.

Leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C/170Cfan/375F or Gas Mark 5. 

Orange Syrup Glaze

60g Caster Sugar

80ml orange juice (the juice of one large orange)

Make the orange syrup glaze by adding the juice and caster sugar to a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer on the hob. Leave to one side to cool.

Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The bread should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. Brush with the orange syrup while it is still hot and leave the whole thing in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing and eating. 

Look good right? It is very fluffy and soft and the chocolate, orange zest combo marry perfectly. The pecans add a lovely nutty crunch to each bite. Perfect to balance out the soft, doughy texture of the bread itself.

Be sure to fire yourself over to our lovely host Jenny from MummyMishaps, to see what the other GBBObloggers made. There was loads to choose from this week. You will be spoiled for choice!

For those of you asking after my shortlisted nomination, I didn't make the final cut! But that's ok, it was a huge honour to be shortlisted in the first place!! If you would like to see who did make it to the final list, you can hop over here and a take a little looksie. Best of luck to all the finalists... Well deserved!

Lemon and Lavender Shortbread

I figured I would run with the signature bake with this weeks Bake Off bake-along. I didn't fancy anything made out of gingerbread this side of Halloween and Viennese Whirls in the technical just don't float my boat.

I opted for a tried and true shortbread but jazzed these little ladies up with a punch of Lavender.. iced the top, for the iced component, with a soft set lemon icing and painted.... with the the least amount of artistic talent pretty 'lavender sprigs' on top. Just in case you were wondering what they were.

I actually felt really anxious about posting these as I'm not enamored with the painting. Husband, being the ever supportive so and so that he is.. convinced me otherwise. So... My hand painted lavender sprigs need some work, I know... but if you squint a little they kinda look like they might be related to a lavender sprig! Hah! Let's move on...

I haven't picked my favourite bakers in the tent yet either.. you? I am being very lazy about it this year. I was really wrong last year, but this year I am not so sure who I like the best. The minute I like them though, they'll be gone. It's like the Game of Thrones of the baking world. Like them... GONE!

Lemon and Lavender Shortbread

225g soft salted butter

225g plain flour

125g cornflour

85g caster sugar

2 tablespoons of lavender

Pinch of salt

500g icing sugar

4-6 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F or Gas Mark 2

Dry whisk the flour, cornflour, salt, sugar and lavender until fully mixed.

Work in the butter a little at a time until it forms soft bread crumbs and pressing gently with your hands, you could form a dough ball.

On floured work surface, roll out the dough and cut out 12-16 biscuits, depending on your biscuit thickness. 

Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm and just starting to colour.

Allow to cool on tray completely then transfer to a wire rack.

Make the lemon glaze by mixing the 500g of icing sugar in with the lemon juice. Dip the biscuits into the glaze, allow to set before serving or before painting random things with food colouring on the top!

The glaze is super runny so I advise letting them drip dry on a wire rack, over a baking pan. Save your counters for some other mess.

What do you think? If you make anything, try the shortbread. It's really delicious. And a great little basic crumbly cookie recipe also. Omit the the lavender, add a teaspoon of vanilla and you are all set for a yummy treat!

If you want to see what the other bakers baked, be sure to hop on over to Jenny at MummyMishaps and wander through the linky!

I also have to acknowledge how very special today is... my Dolly, my baby girl turns 15. My teeny, tiny baby girl who this day all those years ago, changed my world in every conceivable way. 

We get the "but you look like sisters" a lot. Much to my Dolly's absolute dismay. I'm her Momma. The old lady who makes sure she's brushed her teeth, nags her about homework and laundry and chores. I'm also the one who introduced her to Harry Potter, bought her her first set of crayons, showed her how to thread a bobbin and braid her hair. She's my artist. My day dreamer. My fairy.

She's showed me how to hand-stand against the wall. Look for animal tracks in the forest, name plants and do science experiments with most of my baking arsenal! She showed me how to do renaming in maths and paint my nails in colours other than red. 

She's taught me that time spent watching Gilmore Girls on the couch, under a blanket eating popcorn and chocolate until our stomachs ache, is one of the best ways to spend an evening. Or how reading stories in the lamp light, over and over, until we can both recite the pages of the book before we even turn it over, is what being a Momma is all about.

She's my daughter. One of my best friend's and obviously the best big sister a little brother could ask for.

Dolly's taught me so much about myself. Our world. Our little family that I really don't see how I would have got as far as I have without her.

She is mine. My proudest achievement to date. Happy Birthday Doll! 

Every year for as long as I have been baking,, the same birthday cake gets made. Chocolate fudge, chocolate frosting with all the trimmings. This year was no exception... Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate frosting dressed in homemade cookies and baked donuts. I have three photos... THREE, just below!

Teenagers eat cake really fast. I should have taken it out for a photo shoot when I had made it, but no I was just super excited for the party... I'll know for next year!

Irish Cream Chocolate Tart

You know how I am one for making a list of things?

Things I have to do. Things I need to buy. Things I need to make. Sometimes when I do things and I haven't made a list, I will retrospectively make that list and cross off what I have completed. 

I put this tart on a list. The long finger list as I like to call it, many days ago. It went on purposefully, knowing I would be making it for Chocolate Week on the Bake Off. What I didn't do... was factor in the multi-elemental nature of this tart. How this tart, was a list in itself. Much to my absolute amusement I got to make another list and ticked off each of the components of the tart as they were completed. Speaking of lists.. shameful plug.. I made it on to this one!!

What I am trying to get at, in probably the most long winded version, is that this tart is a little time consuming. It has a structure and a few bits and pieces to it. There's a make, bake, set up time. Followed by a make, glaze, eat it time. Paying no heed to the macarons on top, this tart is taking you the bones of 3 hours. Buuuuuuttt... If you put all those elements down on a list, you could really spend an afternoon crossing them off and having, at the end of it, a very yummy Irish Cream, Chocolate Mousse Tart.

What's not to love there?

Chocolate Pastry Case

240g plain flour
50g dark coco powder
1tsp caster sugar
150g diced cold butter (+ a little extra for greasing)
1 large egg

Put the flour, coco powder, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until looks like breadcrumbs.
Crack in the egg and bring together until a soft ball forms.
Wrap in clingfilm, pat down and leave in fridge for 30 mins.
Grease up a 9/10 inch round pie dish.
Preheat your oven to 180C, 350F or gas mark 4.
After the 30 minutes, roll out the pastry to fit your pastry tin. Trim off any access.

Blind bake your pastry case bottom using pastry beads for about 15 minutes. Remove the beads and bake again for a further 5. Allow the pastry to cool, in the tin, completely before filling. 

Chocolate Mousse Filling

45ml milk
80ml Irish Cream Liqueur
200g dark chocolate (I used 60%)
375ml double, heavy cream

Put the first 3 ingredients in a bowl and pop it in the microwave. You want to heat the milk and Irish Cream enough so that they melt the chocolate, but not too hot that they boil in the bowl. I use a medium setting for a minute, then check and stir. Then pop it back in for another minute and stir again until it's completely melted and mixed together.

Set it to one side to cool.

Soft whip the double cream to just the soft peak stage. If you whip it any more your mousse will become grainy and not soft and billowy like you want! When the chocolate is cooled pop it in on top of your cream and fold through until it is streak free, i.e. it's all chocolate now. No more cream can be seen.

Fill your cooled pastry case with the chocolate mousse and set in the fridge for at least two hours, if not more to set up.

Lick the bowl clean. You will not regret this part. Seriously.

Chocolate Ganache

250g semisweet dark chocolate 
250ml Double Cream

Put the chocolate into a heat resistant bowl.
Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the cream begins to simmer, quickly remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl to ensure all the chocolate is coated in the hot cream.
Cover the bowl to trap the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and slowly whisk the mixture until you have a smooth glossy ganache.
Leave to cool for about 30 minutes before using as a glaze on the cake.

Once covered, decorate how you like.. I had white chocolate macarons made and filled them with left over ganache. You can pop the tart back into the fridge if you want and allow it to set up even more, or you can serve immediately. Choice is yours.

Be careful not to over bake your pastry like I did.. Rookie mistake. I'd have left the tent for that!

And now there's only one week left with the Bake Off. Can you believe it!

Jenny and all the other bloggers have been really pushing out the boat with their creations the past few weeks. Baking Queen Lucy, is hosting for us this week and I can't wait to see what everyone got up to. Put popping by the link-up on your list for today... it'll be choc full of deliciousness. (See what I did there...!!)

A Choux Bun.. With a Twist.

This came to me. In class, last week while I was daydreaming about patisserie (as I do) and I thought why can't I do that? I can, nay I should do that. I should challenge myself to build a choux tower but on a miniture scale. On a cupcake.. on a bun. A choux bun.. ohmigoshyouguys.. 

And I did.

Only it took two attempts at the choux and another two attempts at the baking because the sizes were all over the place (I have figured out for you below so don't worry!). But the lads here didn't mind, sure they all love choux buns and the fact they were like little poppet sized ones made them even better. Made it a pain in the bum for me, to swat them out of the kitchen as they stole my mini morsels but nevertheless the challenge that was accepted, was fulfilled. 

And I have to say I am pretty smug about it too. Isn't that awful.. to be smug? I could dress it up and pretend to be proud of my creation but no.. nope, I am smug. Smugly smug with a huge grin like.. did you see what I made. Look what I made.. are you looking?

Good. 

Choux Pastry

100g butter
100ml water
70ml full fat milk
140g strong white flour
3 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F, Gas Mark 6.
Grease a baking sheet with butter.
In a pot, put the butter, water and milk and melt the butter over a low-medium heat. Once melted, bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and immediately tip in the four and stir vigorously until a smooth ball has formed and it comes away from the sides of the pot.
Put the pot back on the heat for a minute or so to further cook the dough, stirring all the time.
Remove from the heat once again and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Beat the eggs together and when the dough is cooled, start adding the eggs bit by bit.
Using your wooden spoon mix vigorously until you have a glossy, sticky mess. You may not use all the eggs here.. just add in what you need to make it thick, smooth and glossy.

Spoon little dollops out onto a greased tray and pop into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your dollops. (the cupcake sized ones, only took 10.
Reduce the temperature, without opening the oven door to 170C and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, pierce a little whole in the side to release more steam and pop back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before filling.

Vanilla Cupcakes (makes 12)

110g of room temperature butter
225g caster sugar
150g self raising flour
125g plain/cream flour
 A half a teaspoon of baking powder
2 large free range  room temperature eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (I use vanilla bean paste)
125ml of whole, full fat milk.

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C or Gas mark 4. Line a 12 tray cupcake pan with cases.

Cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale.
Add in an egg, one at a time until the yolks have been incorporated.
Dry whisk or sieve all your flours and the baking powder together.
Add the vanilla to your milk. 
Add half your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg combination and then half the wet. Mix until combined and repeat. Be careful not to over mix the batter here as you want them to stay light and fluffy. Just make sure all the ingredients have been mixed together.
Fill your cases to two thirds full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You know they are done when the tops are golden, have a slight spring in them when you gently push down or a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clear!

Allow to cool on a wire rack until cold and ready to be used. 

Vanilla Custard

1 vanilla pod
125g sugar
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
45g cornflour

Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and put the pod, plus the seeds in a pot.
Add 50g of sugar and milk and gently heat over a low-medium heat. but do not allow it to boil.
In a separate bowl whisk together the rest of the sugar, the eggs and the corn flour.
When the milk is hot, but not boiling, remove it from the heat and pour 3/4 of it into the egg mix. Whisk it all together and transfer it back into the pot and back onto the heat.
Allow the custard to cook, to become thick and bubbling for about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and push through a sieve to remove any lumps, into a clean bowl.

Allow to cool before using it as a filling.

Caramel Sauce

Cook 125g butter and 180g of dark brown sugar in a medium non stick pan over a medium heat for two to three minutes, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk in 200ml of double cream and bring the entire thing to a light boil, stirring constantly.

Turn off the heat and allow to stand until it's cooled slightly, stirring often.

Putting it all together...

Fill the profiteroles with your usual filling method, with the vanilla custard and leave to one side. Using a vanilla cupcake, dip the cupcake into the slightly warm caramel sauce and stick on a few of the profiteroles to form the base of your mini-croquembouche. Dip the underside of the next layer of profiteroles and stick to the layer previous, continuing along until you have built a tower.

Drizzle over and extra caramel sauce you see fit and pop into the fridge to harden for about 15 minutes.

And if you got through all that like I got through all that then you my friend are one lucky baker! And you can be smug like me. These little morsels of mmmmm... are sheer luxury. Not for the faint hearted or diabetics among us, but darn-it they are good.

And it was all thanks to Patisserie Week on the Great British Bake Off... A choux bun.. with a twist. Be sure to see what the other Bake Off bloggers got up to this week.. I know Jenny tried Mary's Mokatines and added her own twist. Why not swing by Naomi's blog and check out the linky?

French delights to be had, to be sure.