Category Archives: Baking

Cinnamon Palmiers

I haven’t baked in a reprehensibly long time. I’ve been trying to make the most of running and yoga and the cleaner leaner diet I’ve been following has been paying off. I love these though so they are a nice way to break the routine. They are easy too!

Makes 15 – 20

500g puff pastry (ready made is fine)
3 teaspoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
2. Roll the pastry out until it’s a rectangle about 0.5cm thick. Exact dimensions don’t matter as long as the opposite sides are of equal length.
3. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over one side of the pastry and spread evenly.
4. Mark the mid point of short edge of the pastry. Fold each side of the pastry inwards in 2cm sections and then roll any leftover in evenly until the sides meet in the middle.
5. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 mins.
6. Cut the pastry in to 1cm wide sections and place on a greased baking tray remembering to give them all a few centimeters of space. Round the shapes if they have got a bit flat when chilling.
7. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown.

Semlor

It’s definitely that time of year again. The bit where I get all excited that it’s light in the morning when I wake up, I want to wear light coloured clothes and start believing that spring is here.

Also, as Easter is approaching, it’s semlor time. In Scandinavia, semlor are eaten on Fat Tuesday (also known as Shrove Tuesday) instead of pancakes. They are delicious bread buns with a gorgeous cardamon cream filling. This one comes from the Scandinavian Kitchen on Great Titchfield Street.

I stuffed my face with one whilst drinking tea yesterday evening. Ps. Thanks Marina. You’re a good friend.

Macarons at Paul

I still feel a bit disheartened at my lack of success on the macaron making front but punctuate it by going to eat professionally made ones and quietly pondering my ineptitude whilst I do.

These ones from Paul where the best yet. My friend Sarah fell in love with the chocolate but I much prefer the subtlety and lightness of the vanilla.

Next up will need to be Laudrée. Hopefully this could be the one on the Champs Elysées in Paris but for now I guess I’ll settle for the Burlington Arcade just near Picadilly.