Hej!

Hej, this is how to make a nice Danish Pastry mhm!

250g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
250g plain flour
7g sachet fast-action yeast
50g golden caster sugar
150ml whole or semi-skimmed milk
1 large egg, beaten plus extra beaten egg to glaze
250g pack lightly salted butter, not fridge cold but not soft, cut into 8 even slices

For the pecan pinwheels (makes 18)

85g pecans, plus a few extra, chopped
50g light muscovado sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tbsp maple syrup
25g softened butter

For the apricot custard turnovers (makes 18)

150g tub custard
2 x 320g cans apricots
few tsps apricot jam

For the raisin swirls (makes 18)

50g raisins
25g caster sugar
1 tsp mixed spice

50g soft butter
50g icing sugar

Pulse together the dry ingredients plus 2 tsp salt in a processor, then pulse in the milk and egg until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 1 min, using a little flour, until just smooth. Put into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr until doubled in size (overnight in the fridge if you like).
Flour your surface, then pat the dough out to a rectangle, 1cm thick. Lay the butter slices out over the middle of the dough, in a rectangle. Fold the pastry over the top, bottom and then sides until the butter is completely hidden. Press the edges down.
Roll the dough out to a 50 x 30cm rectangle, first tapping out the dough with the rolling pin in gentle ridges, so that you can tell the butter is being squashed out evenly inside the pastry, before rolling properly. Turn dough 90 degrees, then fold the right third over and the left third over that. Do this three times, chilling for 15 mins after each roll.
Cut the dough in half, into 2 squares. Roll one piece of dough to 35 x 35cm. Cut into 9 squares, then follow the instructions below for each filling and shape. If you want to make more than one shape, it's easy to divide the filling quantity. Don't worry if your squares rise as you work, just roll them out a bit again.

To make 18 pecan pinwheels, whizz 85gpecans until fine, then stir in 50g light muscovado, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 25g softened butter. Cut each square of pastry almost to the middle from each corner, spoon on 1 tsp filling, then fold each point over and press into the middle. Scatter more chopped pecans and a little sugar over before baking. Drizzle with a little maple syrup to serve.

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2. For 18 apricot custard turnovers, you will need 150g tub custard, 2 x 320g cans apricots and a few tsps apricot jam. Put 2 tsp custard in the middle, sit two apricot halves on top, dot with jam, then pull 2 corners over and pinch to seal.

To make 18 raisin swirls, mix 50g raisins, 25g caster sugar, 1 tsp mixed spice and 50g soft butter. Instead of cutting the dough into 9, leave it whole and spread the filling over. Roll up, slice into 9 rounds, then squash each one. Blend 50g icing sugar and a few drops of water to drizzle over once baked. Once shaped and filled, let the pastries rise for 30 mins until puffed and doubled in size. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush with beaten egg, make sure you pinch any edges together again, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and risen.

With thanks to bbcgoodfood.com

Farvel,

Mrs Potts x

Delicious soup!

Perfect tomato soup for a cold winters day!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped 

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes, with juice

1 1/2 chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed 

Salt and pepper

Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until slightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour to blend, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes with juice and broth to saucepan, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir or whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Working in batches, carefully transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl until all soup is pureed. Return soup to saucepan, stir in cream and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until heated through. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in warmed cups.

See ya,

Mrs Potts

Chairete!

Chairete, this Greek style dish is absolutely delish!


5 small potatoes (about 400g), scrubbed and cut into wedges1 onion, halved and sliced2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped½ tsp dried oregano or ½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano2 tbsp olive oil½ lemon, cut into wedges2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges2 fresh skinless Pollock fillets (about 200g)small handful parsley roughly chopped

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the potatoes, onion, garlic, oregano and olive oil into a roasting tin, season, then mix together with your hands to coat everything in the oil. Roast for 15 mins, turn everything over and bake for 15 mins more.Add the lemon and tomatoes, and roast for 10 mins, then top with the fish fillets and cook for 10 mins more. Serve with parsley scattered over.

With thanks to bbcgoodfood.com!

Antio,
Mrs Potts x 

Nin Hao!

Nin Hao, this Chinese dish wont make you left seeing red.

Salt3/4 cup whole-wheat penne
1/4 cup frozen edamame
1/4 small broccoli florets
1/4 cup snow peas 
1/4 cup diced cucumber 
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 
1/4 cup chopped radish
1/4 cup shredded carrots 
2 scallions, sliced 
1/4 cup Peanut sauce

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, 10 minutes, adding edamame for last 3 minutes and broccoli and snow peas for last minute. Drain; run under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl, shaking off excess water. Add remaining vegetables. Toss with sauce.

Thanks to Myrecipes.com! 

Zaijian,

Mrs Potts.

Wah gwan!

Wah gwan, this tasty Jamaican dish will give your stomach the party of a lifetime!

• 1 (1.8kg) whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons dark brown soft sugar
• 250ml water
• 125ml coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon crushed chillies
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 15g butter

Place chicken on a plate. Sprinkle on the spring onion, coriander, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and cook until the sugar has melted into a nice golden brown syrup. Add the chicken pieces and brown quickly while turning continuously. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Pour in 250ml water, coconut milk and crushed chillies. Replace the lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and butter. Continue cooking until chicken is fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve chicken with the sauce in the pan as a gravy.

A massive thanks to allrecepies.co.uk!

Inna de morrows,

Mrs Potts.

Hola!

Hola, this beautifully prepared Mexican Tijuana Torta recipe can definitely spice up your world with new flavours! 

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, or pinto beans, rinsed 

• 3 tablespoons prepared salsa

• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 ripe avocado, pitted

• 2 tablespoons minced onion

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain

• 1 1/3 cups shredded green cabbage

Mash beans, salsa, jalapeño and cumin in a small bowl. Mash avocado, onion and lime juice in another small bowl. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece in half horizontally. Pull out most of the soft bread from the center so you’re left with mostly crust. Divide the bean paste, avocado mixture and cabbage evenly among the sandwiches. Cut each in half and serve.

A loving thanks to Eatingwell.com


Adios,
Mrs Potts.

Bonjour!

Bonjour, this is a deliciously simple recipe for a rich French onion soup that will get you saying yum everytime.


6 tablespoons unsalted butter4 pounds onions (about 6 medium), thinly sliced kosher salt and black pepper 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups low-sodium beef broth8 1/2-inch-thick slices country bread, halved crosswise if necessary to fit serving bowls 2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.

1. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Place the bread on a broilerproof baking sheet and broil until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

1. Divide the soup among bowls, top with the toasts, and sprinkle with the thyme.

A big thank you to Realsimple.com! 

Au revoir,

Mrs Potts.
Remember if you have any questions all you need to do is comment and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.