Pastries

Pastel de Nata

These classic Portuguese custard tarts are delicious - and not as complicated or tedious as you might think!

Traditional homemade baklava recipe as handed down through the generations....in other words this is how my grandmother used to make it. I used Shipton Mill organic white flour and the result was mouth wateringly good. Crispy flakes on the outside, sweetly moist on the inside dripping with syrup! It takes some time and effort may be but it is worth it.

Simple Plum tart

Based on fresh plums and crusty sugared dough ("pâte sucrée")

Gluten-Free Profiteroles

Lovely tasty profiteroles, a very scrummy treat from our friends at Seasoned cookery School!

Gluten-Free Apple Tart

This apple tart takes a tad longer to prepare due to cooking and pureeing the fruit prior to baking, but it produces a lovely smooth tart with a good flavour, and looks really good if you leave red skins on the sliced apples for decoration - only if you're using organic fruit though. The gluten-free pastry can be made in advance and kept cool in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Pretzel

Crisp on the outside, soft inside. Great for eating with beer, with friends, or cut open and used as the base for cheese on toast.

Linzer Torte (Oma's Rezept)

This is my mother's recipe for Linzer Torte. Not specifically a Christmas cake, but no Christmas was complete without this cake. (And it's the most delicious dough to be eaten raw ...)

Cécile's gougères

Simple "pâte à chou" for savoury or sweet puffs -- never fails!

Croissant

using the French type 55 flour these are so easy

Coffee Eclairs - Maisy Neale

Great Coffee Eclairs - or any choux pastry - with light rye flour

Pie dough

A buttery crisp pastry that is excellent for tarts and pies with a wet filling.

Helpful Hints for Pastry

Ever wondered how to prevent shrinkage when using pastry lined tart cases? Here's some helpful tips.

Jason Derbyshire's Christmas Lardy Cake

A festive recipe crammed with Christmas fruits and spices by Jason Derbyshire.

Swiss Chard, Squash and Blue Cheese Tart

A delicious summer main course that needs no adornment other than a crisp green salad. Serves four to six.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Chocolately, spicy, fruity, Christmassy tart

This is a movable feast. The basic idea is a rich yet light chocolate tart, in a crisp pastry shell with a fruity bit in the middle. For the Christmas theme I suggest using a cranberry mincemeat.