Homemade Bakewell Tarts

baking
These Bakewell tarts are fairly easy to make but are made up of lots of fiddly parts. They taste amazing so are worth the effort but take a little time. They are made up of four layers, shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, frangipane, icing and of course a cherry on top.


You’ll need…

For the pastry…
250g plain four
60g icing sugar
120g butter
2 egg yolks

Raspberry jam

For the frangipane…
150g butter
150g light muscovado sugar
150g ground almonds
1tbsp plain flour
1tsp almond extract
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs

For the icing
200g icing sugar
1 tsp almond extract
glace cherries

 
To make…
Place the flour, sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and 2 tbsp of cold water and mix until it forms a dough.
Wrap in cling film and chill for 30mins.

Meanwhile make your frangipane, mix the sugar and butter together until creamy and then add the other ingredients and mix well.
Make your icing too, by adding the icing to a bowl and add a few tbsp. of water until the constancy is smooth, runs off a spoon but in a slow, steady flow. Add the almond extract


Preheat the oven to 180oC, grease some mini tart tins (I used 10cm/4inch ones)
Cut the dough into 8 -10 pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface.  To around the thickness of a pound coin. Transfer the rolled dough to the tart tins, squash the dough into all the edges and trim the excess with a knife.
Bake for 7mins.

Remove the tarts from the oven and spread a spoonful of jam onto the bottom of the pastry case. Add your frangipane to a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the tart case on top of the jam. Bake the tart again for 20-25mins.


Allow to cool completely. Add your icing to a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe the icing onto the top of the baked frangipane in a spiral shape.
Top with a cherry and Voilà!

Baked with my Country Ducks collection exclusively at Debenhams.
Trivet £8
Oven gloves £15
Tea towels £14
Measuring cups £14
Glass worktop saver £12
 

Debenhams Gift Collection

Ashley Thomas at home
My gift collection for Debenhams has started to appear online now. You can shop this exclusive, limited edition range on their website... Debenhams.com or please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 quote the item number I've mentioned below to order directly. The collection is available for a few months only as it is a special commission I've done for them.

Scotty Dog Keyring, £8
Item Number: 1720107468

Mug With Cosy, £8
Item Number: 1720107459


Wooden Sign, £8
Item Number: 1720107456

Exclusive Preview: New Gift Food Collection

Ashley Thomas at home
I'm really excited to announce the arrival of my new gift food collection for Debenhams. I've been busy working away on this new commission for them and I'm so pleased with the results. We've called it the Time for Tea collection, there are a gorgeous range of products based around the tradition of British afternoon tea. From a thatched cottage biscuit barrel to a caravan teapot, Chocolate spoons, tea selections and stacking mugs. I've featured some of my favourites below but this is only half the range. There are 11 products in the collection launch so stay tuned for more info.
Debenhams are launching the range on 19th September. All the products are limited edition and will be on sale for just a few months (due to the nature of the products, biscuits etc.) They will be available on their website shortly Debenhams.com or please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 quote the item number I've mentioned below to order directly. 


This Little Box Cafe, splits into a trio of boxes containing, English breakfast tea, earl grey tea, chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate, vanilla flavour hot chocolate, orange flavour hot chocolate coffee. Phew! It's jam packed! It would make such a gorgeous gift for someone special. Limited edition available from 19th September until stocks last.

Box of Beverages, £12.50
Item No. 3111007594

 
Next is this gorgeous floral patterned mug which comes with hot chocolate, mini marshmallows and the cutest mini whisk! So adorable. Exclusively at Debenhams, for a few months only.

Cosy Hot Chocolate Mug, £8.50
Item No. 3111007587

 
My favourite product is this little sweet shop, with afternoon tea flavoured sweets, cherry bakewell and lemon meringue. Super sweet and a bargain at £5. I think this will be very popular! As with all the gift food collection it is limited edition available from 19th September until stocks last.

House of Afternoon Tea Sweets, £5
Item No. 3111007595

 
Next is this village green tea shop, complete with bunting! With a selection of loose teas: English breakfast, Earl grey, peppermint loose tea and tea infuser. Exclusively at Debenhams, for a few months only.

Tea House, £15
Item No. 3111007582

 
One of the cutest products from my collection is this beautiful thatched cottage biscuit barrel. Which comes with delicious fruit and lemon biscuits. As mentioned before all these products are a special commission for Debenhams and are limited edition available for the festive shopping season from 19th September until stocks last.When they are gone they are gone! Please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 quote the item number to order yours. Or you can shop the range in selected stores across the country or shop online, just copy the item number and type it into the search bar on the website. debenhams.com

House Biscuit Barrel, £16
Item No. 3111007583

Proper Yorkshire Puds

baking
It was batter week on the British bake off for the first time! Batter is wonderfully easy to bake & make as well as gloriously cheap and cheerful! This classic recipe for proper Yorkshire Puds never ever fails! Crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside and a crazy, wibbly-wobbly shape, that is never the same everytime.

Top tips: Make your batter for at least 30mins before you bake them to let the batter rest. You can make the batter the night before too.

Turn the oven up as high as it goes (at least 240oC)

Don't open the oven door, or they will sink and not rise!


You'll need..
285ml milk
115g plain flour
3 large eggs
Salt
cooking oil

To Make...
Add the milk, flour, and egg to a large bowl, whisk together until smooth (preferably with an electric whisk, but you can do it with a hand whisk, it's great for bingo wings!)
Turn the oven on and turn it up to it's highest temperature, make a cuppa and let the oven preheat for 10mins. Take a 12 hole muffin tray, add a tablespoon of oil to each muffin hole. Add the baking tray to the oven for about 5mins to heat the oil. Transfer the batter into a pouring jug. Speed is of the essence with the next part, take the muffin tray out of the oven pour the batter into the hot oil in each muffin hole filling ¾ of the way. Put the tray straight back into the oven and shut the door quickly. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR 15% MINS! After 15mins you can check your Yorkshire’s they may need 5-10 more mins to brown.
Ta da! Works every time, once you've made your own Yorkshire Puds you'll never accept Aunt Bessie's ever again!



Debenhams Gift Collection

Ashley Thomas at home

I have some exciting news about a new collection launch coming soon to Debenhams. I've designed a gift range for the department store. The collection is full of gorgeous products perfect for the gifting season, which is coming up rapidly! There are diverse collection of products such as keyrings, stationary sets, planter kits, bath fizzers and even a sewing box. Here's a sneaky peek at some of the products close up. The range launches on 3rd October and is exclusive to Debenhams stores and they will be available on their website too. www.debenhams.com 

Swallow Keying, £8
Item no. 1720107467

Home Sweet Home Glass Sign, £8
Item no. 1720107471


Knitted Handwarmers, £10
Item no. 1720107464


Hot Water Bottle & Eyemask Set, £15
Item no. 1720107462


Manicure Set, £8
Item no. 1720107469

Chocolate & Hazelnut Twists

baking

You'll need...
For the dough...
½ cup milk, tepid
½ cup water, tepid
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
3 ½ cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

For the filling...
Chocolate spread
100g Chopped Hazelnuts


To make...
Get all your butter, eggs and milk out of the fridge before you make the dough to make sure they are room temperature. Mix all the ingredients together using a electric mixer (dough hook/low speed) or add them to a bread maker and set to dough and skip to the next step. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes and rest for 30mins somewhere warm.

Spilt the dough into eight equal sections using a pizza cutter. Take one section roll into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until a long oblong shape. Spread the chocolate on the top of the dough, leaving a 1cm uncovered around the edges. Sprinkle a handful of hazelnuts on top of the chocolate.


Starting from one of the long sides, roll up the dough and pinch the edges together to seal it shut.
Take your pizza cutter and cut down the middle of the roll, leaving 2cm at the top edge. Plait the two pieces together and bend into a circle push the two edges together. Repeat for the other pieces of dough until you have 8 twists.

Add to a greased baking tray and leave to prove for 20mins.
Preheat the oven to 200oC and bake the twists for 20mins or until they are golden. Transfer to a wire rack, to allow to cool but they are best eaten warm.






Love Heart Biscuits

baking

You'll need...

For the Biscuits...

200g Light Brown Soft Sugar
200g Unsalted Butter
1tsp Vanilla extract
1 Egg, beaten
400g Plain white flour
Circular cookie cutter
Baking paper

For the Icing...

Food colouring, 3 colours
Writing icing
300g Royal icing sugar
Piping bags x3 and 3 small nozzles

To make...
Weight out the sugar and chop the butter into cubes, mix together until creamy with a spoon.
Add the Vanilla Extract and beaten egg, Mix well, then add the flour, stir until it forms a smooth dough.
Wrap the dough in cling-film and chill for 30 mins.
Roll out the Dough to around 5mm thick, Chill again for 15 mins
Preheat the oven to 180oC
Take a baking tray and cut out some baking paper to cover the bottom of the tray
Cut out the dough using a circular cookie cutter into approx. 36 biscuits
Place the biscuits onto the paper, with a 2cm gap around them and bake for 10mins until just turning golden at the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
NB. You may need to bake them in a couple of batches depending on how big your baking tray is.


Make your icing, weight out 100g of icing sugar, add to a small bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Add your food colouring. (Repeat this for all 3 colours)
Take a piping bag and cut to fit the nozzle. (about ¾ of the way down)
Insert your nozzle inside and push into the hole to fit snuggly.
Holding onto the end of the nozzle, turn the bag inside out and spoon in your icing.
Shake the icing to the bottom of the bag and twist the end.
Squeeze the bag to decorate your biscuits, draw a circle outline to start with and fill with zigzags back and forward until flooded. Shake each biscuit to flatten out the icing and leave to set. Repeat with the other colours.

Chill in the fridge for an hour. Then take the writing icing, draw a heart outline on top of the iced biscuit and add a sweet saying such I've used some of these... True Love, Be mine, How sweet, Yum