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.

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.

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.

This beauty has stem ginger, sticky black treacle and orange zest in it. I’ve topped it with cream cheese icing. It was inspired by this version over at BBC Good Food.

I love January for being quiet. I get my time to clean and cook back. Too much of that and I get bored but I love the shift in balance and my liver loves the lack of alcohol. Expect many more baking posts this month!

I made these today with my newly found skills. They are raspberry. The basic recipe is taken from this amazing book.

Three main tricks:

1. The egg whites need to be at room temperature before you start.
2. Be very careful when you fold in the almonds and icing sugar. Cut the mixture in half with a spatula and then sweep underneath the mixture then turn the bowl.
3. Draw circles on the baking paper to act as a guide to make your piping neater.

These went a little bit wrong but not as much as the ones before. Next time, the oven needs to be cooler. I reckon 140C will be about right. Still – they are a second attempt I can be proud of.

I feel a category dedicated to macrons will be in order soon.