Baked Blueberry Cheesecake

ashley thomas
This week on The Great British Bake Off is Dessert week. We've made a Baked Blueberry Cheesecake here at AT HQ. This dessert is quick to make but takes a while in the oven. It can be made in advance as it tastes better chilled we think. The topping can get a little messy at the end so it's best to use a glass worktop saver for easier cleaning up.

 

You'll Need...
125g digestive biscuits
125g gingernuts
90g butter
550g cream cheese
125g caster sugar
2 tsp lemons juice
seeds from 1 vanilla pod
200g crème fraiche
100g Natural yogurt
3 eggs

For the topping...
2 punnets of blueberries
2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp water
50g caster sugar

To Make...
Crush the biscuits.
Melt the butter and stir into the biscuits crumbs.
Press the mixture into a 20cm loose bottomed cake in.
Beat the cheese, sugar, lemon and seeds together.
Mix in crème fraiche, yogurt and eggs until smooth.
Pour filling over the base, smooth the top.
Bake at 160oC for 50mins or until it is set
Leave to cool completely.
Meanwhile mix the topping ingredients together in a saucepan and Heat gently until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens.
Leave to cool, then spoon over the cheesecake. (Can get very messy!)
Put in the fridge to set overnight.


Male Greeting Cards

ashley thomas

I'm really excited to announce the arrival of my new Male Greeting cards.
Full of masculine illustrations, quirky phrases and dusty colours. This new collection is perfect for your favourite man in your life, for a range of different occassions.
Available to buy online now exclusively at www.ashleythomas.co.uk

New Cards: Age Milestones

age milestones

Hot of the press is my new Age Milestone greeting cards. With hand painted florals and geometric patterns. This range is perfect to celebrate the start of a new phase in someone's life. 
The range consists of cards for turning 18, 21, 30, 40, 50 & 60 
Available to buy online now exclusively at www.ashleythomas.co.uk

Miniature Bagels

Bagels
Week three of The Great British Bake Off is Bread Week.
There is nothing better than the taste of homemade bread. I've never made bagels before so I thought I'd try them myself and do a miniature version. This would be great for little get togethers if you're doing a homemade spread. Honestly they were really easy to make, just a lot of waiting around for the dough to rise. So I recommend to do them over an evening when you're free to tend to them.
They turned out really well and look very sweet once filled with lots of yummy toppings.
I've put together a Roast Beef, Stilton & Grape.
A cream cheese, Smoked salmon, Fresh Dill.
And a Ham, Brie & Apple.


You'll need...

For the dough...
1 Cup water, tepid
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups strong white flour
1 ½ tsp yeast

You'll also need...
25g caster sugar
yolk of one egg
1 tsbp water

For the fillings...
Roast Beef slices, Stilton & Grape
Cream cheese, Smoked salmon, Fresh Dill
Ham, Brie & Apple slice

To Make...
Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients for the dough.
Knead together for 5-10 minutes
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 30-40mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

Divide into 16 pieces. Shape into sausage shapes.
Join each piece together at the ends and pinch together them gently.
Place the circles on a oiled baking tray and cover.
Leave to prove for 20 mins

Preheat the oven to 200oC
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and the sugar and stir.
Place 2/3 bagels into the water for 45 seconds, turning half way.
Lift each bagel out of the water and drain.
Return to the baking tray and repeat with all the bagels.
Beat the egg and water together and brush onto each bagel before baking fir 20mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cut the bagels in half and top with your chosen fillings.


Orange & Walnut Florentines

Bake along
Week two of The Great British Bake Off is Biscuit Week.
I love biscuits! I thought I'd attempt a Florentine as they are more of a special occassion biscuit and worth the extra effort of making yourself.
They were really easy to bake, the chocolate coating at the end can get a little messy though!

You'll need...
45g butter
125ml single cream
125g caster sugar
100g walnut pieces
Zest of 1 Orange
50g plain flour

To make...
Preheat the oven to 160oC
Put the butter, sugar & cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Remove immediately and stir in the nuts, zest & flour
Leave to cool

Scoop a headed teaspoon of the mixture onto lining baking trays, leave about 3cm between each one.
Bake for 20mins, until golden at the edges.
Using a bain-marie melt the chocolate and spread on to the back of each biscuit.

Banana & Walnut Cake

Bake along
Bake off is back on our tellies this week! I'll be baking along every week in my kitchen with a humble recipe which everyone can easily try at home. This week is "Cake" week so we've made a lovely Banana & Walnut Cake Loaf at Ashley Thomas HQ. This cake is perfect to watch the first episode with, teamed with a cup of tea of course. It's not too sweet, lovely and sticky in the middle, oh and it's super easy to make!


You'll need...

For the cake...
50g Unsalted butter
250g self-raising flour
225g caster sugar
50g desiccated coconut
65g walnuts, finely chopped
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
435g can crushed pineapple, drained
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
150ml vegetable oil

For the icing... 
50g softened butter
200g mascarpone cheese
400g icing sugar
1tsp lemon zest
dried banana chips


To make...
Preheat the oven to 180oC
Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper
Mix together the flour, caster sugar, coconut, walnuts and bicarbonate of soda in a large mixing bowl.
Then mix the pineapple, egg and banana and oil
Add to the flour and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour.
Leave to cool for 5 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In the meantime make your icing. beat together the cheese and butter.
Add the icing sugar a bit at a time until the consistency is smooth and not too runny.
Then add the lemon zest.
Top the cake with the icing and decorate with banana chips.



Christmas Gingerbread Workshop

Christmas

I've had a busy week in London at the Debenhams Christmas Press show. I know it's July!! But all the glossy magazines always work well ahead of time. So Christmas in July is actually common practice. I was asked to attend the Press show and do a gingerbread workshop with the visitors to celebrate my Christmas collection launching soon in a Debehhams store near you! (Around September/October).
Here's lots of snaps of the gingerbread workshop in progress. It was so much fun, but after countless recipe trials and making over 300 bespoke gingerbread biscuits. I'm completely ginger-breaded out!
Stay tuned for the recipe to make them at home yourself.