Mighty Fruit twist

baking

Warning this sweet loaf is pretty big and designed more for sharing with family and friends, but will stay fresh for a few days so you get the chance to eat it all.

You'll need...for the dough
3/4 cup water, room temperature
2 tablespoons dried skimmed milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon yeast

 For the filling....
400g mix dried fruit, sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots or anything you fancy
75g butter
50g caster sugar
1 beaten egg
50g ground almonds

 To make...
Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients together or instead put it all in a bread maker and set to dough.

 If doing it by hand mix well and knead together for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 45mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

 Mix the butter and sugar to prepare he filling, until nice and creamy.
Gradually mix in the egg and then beat in the ground almonds until smooth.

 Knead the dough for 3mins
Roll out into a floured surface into a rectangle, about 20 x 10 inches
Spread over the butter mixture and sprinkle the dried fruit over the top
Roll it up into a long sausage shape.
Cut down the middle and turn the two open edges to face upright.
Then twist the two strips together, this is quite hard as it can get a bit sticky.
Form into a circle and transfer to a lined baking tray.
Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to rise for 45 mins in a warm place

Bake at 200oC for 35mins or until golden


Stilton & Rosemary Shortbread

baking
These biscuits are dangerously delicious hot or cold, and they are really quick and easy to make too. You really can't go wrong.


You'll need...
240g Stilton
120g Butter
120g Plain flour
60g Corn flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

To make...
Get the cheese and butter out of the fridge and leave for 15mins to soften at room temperature. Crumble the Stilton up and mix with the butter until creamy.
Mix in the flour and corn flour and add the salt, pepper and rosemary.
Roll out the dough on baking paper to about the size of a glass worktop saver.
Cut the biscuits into shapes as you like, I've gone for the standard circle cutters but star shapes work really well.
Chill in the fridge for at least 30mins
Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for around 10-15 mins or until golden brown.

Caramel & Apple Pie

baking


For the pastry
200g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk, beaten
4 tbsp milk

For the caramel sauce
100g sugar
60ml water
90g butter
30ml double cream

For the apple filling
1 teaspoon lemon zest
30ml lemon juice
3 large cooking apples
30g plain flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
50g sugar
1 egg

To make the pastry sieve the flour into a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, sieve in the caster sugar.
Add the lemon zest, egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of milk and mix to make a dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of mins.
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30mins.

To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar and water over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Turn the heat down and cook over a medium heat for 15mins until syrupy and it becomes a caramel colour.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cream.
Whisk until mixed.

Next make the apple filling, combine the lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Peel and slice the apples and add to the lemon juice along with the spices and sugar and toss until the apples slices are covered.

Grease a 20cm pie dish and roll out two thirds of the pastry on baking paper until around 5mm thick
flip the rolled pastry upside down over the pie dish and gentle press into the corners.
Add the apples to the pastry case and pour over the caramel sauce. Brush the edge with a little bit of water to help the lid stick.
Roll out the rest of the pastry and use to cover your pie.
Trim the edges with a knife and you can then make leaves to decorate your pie with the left over pastry. Make some holes in the middle to let the steam out.
Brush the top with the rest of the milk
Bake for 40 mins at 190oC

Petits Fours: Génoise sponge with chocolate ganache

baking


You'll need...

For the génoise sponge
3 eggs
75g caster sugar
75g self-raising flour
Vanilla essence
Apricot Jam

For the chocolate ganache
100g Chocolate
100ml double cream

Whisk together the eggs and the sugar using a electric whisk for 5 mins. 
The mixture should be thick and frothy, and the whisk should leave a trial when 
you take it out of the mixture.
Add a few drops of vanilla essence and fold in the flour gently.
Pour into a large tray (lined with baking parchment) so the mixture is shallow.
Bake for 20mins at 200oC

Meanwhile break the chocolate into squares, put into a bowl with the cream.
Melt the chocolate on a bain marie until completely mixed and allow to cool.

Once baked leave the sponge to cool on a wire rack.
Cut the sponge into little 1inch squares and spread with a little apricot jam
Swirl over the chocolate ganache and sandwich two squares together.
Decorate as you wish, cherries work really well or I used these pretty wafer flowers

Autumn Doodles

Debenhams

Thanks for all the doodle requests yesterday over on the Debenhams facebook and twitter pages. 
It was quite challenging drawing your favourite things about Autumn, but great fun!
We'll be sending out each doodle to the lucky Debenhams followers next week.


Live draw along!

Debenhams
Tomorrow I will be drawing live on request all day and bringing your suggestions to life!
Follow the Debenhams twitter and Facebook pages tomorrow morning for a chance for me to sketch your tweets and posts. All you need to do is simply complete the sentence: 
My favourite thing about autumn is…


Chilli & Chorizo Bread

baking
This recipe for Chilli & Chorizo bread is very simple but really delicious.
Add another teaspoon of chill if you like it spicy!
You'll need...

100g Chorizo, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of dried, crushed chillies
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
500gm Strong flour
350ml water, room temperature
1 teaspoon yeast

To make...
Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients together, you can use a food processor with a dough hook to speed things up.

Knead together for 2 minutes.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 45mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

Knead the bread again for 2mins to knock the air out of it.
Then leave it to prove in a warm place, on a lined bread tin for another 45mins and cover will a piece of oiled cling film.

Preheat the oven to 200oC
Bake for 30mins or until golden.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 mins.
Best served warm with real butter!


All items featured above are available at www.debenhams.com

Debenhams Autumn/Winter catalogue out now

Ashley Thomas at home

The inspirational new Debenhams Home catalogue is available now and it’s jam-packed full of amazing ideas and products to give your home a real lift.
It’s full of this season’s trends brought to you from the unrivalled collection of Designers at Debenhams, which includes Jasper Conran, Ben de Lisi, Betty Jackson, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald, John Rocha and me of course!
And not forgetting our brand new additions to / Edition, Abigail Ahern and Vicki Elizabeth.
Abigail Ahern, celebrated interior designer, stylist and author, launches her Autumn Winter collection with an array of unique accessories. From striking photo frames and mirrors to unmissable animal lamps, adding a splash of personality to your home has never been easier.
Vicki Elizabeth is a renowned designer of quirky animal prints in vivid colours. She incorporates her signature looks in her debut collection by showcasing printed cushions and bedding that are inscribed with imagery of birds, butterflies, cats and graceful swans.
To receive your free copy, enter code VN93 when you purchase any home or furniture products online at www.debenhams.com