Cinnamon Pull-apart Bread.

This is a recipe which I have been looking for an excuse to make ever since I first saw it on Joy the Baker. They say that you are either good at pastry or bread and I am definitely bad at the later. But practice does make perfect so I valiantly persist in my quest to best the bread.

This recipe was absolutely delicious; perfect for tea, with coffee or even at the end of a picnic as it would travel very well. I must confess that I freaked out somewhat at the quantity of sugar but bear with it, it works. You need the sugar to caramelise, separating the slices or it would meld into a normal loaf during baking.

My loaf was not as perfect as many other examples you will find on the internet, but tasted just as good. I will be making this again I am sure and will endeavor to make it prettier next time and take better photos. I am looking forward to moving out of a basement flat so that I don't have to take the majority of my photos under somewhat yellow artificial light.

Makes: one 9x5x3-inch or 2lb loaf
For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter melted
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 tps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Mix together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the eggs and set aside. Add the melted butter to the milk.

Add the water and vanilla extract to the milk-butter mixture.  Now pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. Then knead until when you press your thumb into the dough it springs make and then into form a ball.

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover and leave in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. Knock back the dough and knead for a minute or so.

On a floured surface roll out the dough until it is about a foot by a foot and a half. brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle over sugar and spices. Slice the dough so that you have 6x6 rectangles of dough. place these upright into a greased loaf tin.

Cover and leave the dough to prove again in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. Then Bake at 175C for about 30 minutes until the tops are medium to dark golden brown to ensure its cooked through. Mine was still slightly doughy in the middle so I would maybe suggest leaving it in the oven for closer to 40 minutes.

I have linked this up to Tinned Tomatoes Bookmarked Recipes.

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins.

For the last six weeks I have been conspicuous by my absence on all forms of social media. The only recipe I have blogged about in the last month was not even cooked by me! This morning I handed in my dissertation, all 14,588 words and 128 pages. Consequently baking shall now resume in ernest.

Anyone who has ever written a dissertation or the like, will agree that you have so much time and emotion turmoil invested in it, that when hand in day arrives you feel somewhat as if you are giving over a small child. I may have portrayed a calm facade to my flat mates, as I lay awake ever fearful of my recurring nightmare,  printers wantonly devouring my dissertation (the musician will attest to the fact that my printer and I are not the best of friends) but there are two people out there who know the truth. They found the process of my dissertation equally if not more trying than I did. They patiently attempted to explain the difference between a colon and semi colon, that the bibliography goes surname, initial. etc and that no my computer doesn't always know best when it comes to spelling. So in honour of my wonderful editors I thought that I would begin by baking something to post-able as a small thank you. Hence lemon and blueberry muffins.

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup 
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


This makes 12 muffins I would suggest using large muffin liners not cup cake cases as these do over flow slightly. Pre heat the oven to 190C. Mix all the dry ingredients and the fruit in one bowl. At this point you to have lined or greased your tins and be prepared to move quickly. Whisk together all the wet ingredients in another. Once you add the lemon juice to the milk it curdles don't worry its meant to. Add the wet ingredient into the dry, the mixture will start to rise slightly as the lemon reacts with the baking powder so you need to fold the mixture not stir and get it into the oven as quickly as possible. Bake for 20mins until golden brown on top.

American Pancakes filled with raspberries and blueberries.

One thing which we do very well in our flat is birthdays. We are all very good at spoiling each other on our birthdays. I was allowed to cook everyone breakfast on my birthday on the condition that I vacated the kitchen for the rest of the day as the one with a thing for men in uniform and oh I have such an expressive eyebrow wanted to cook supper. 

One with an oh so expressive eyebrow is a very good cook unfortunately he tends to way into the wine whilst cooking subsequently forgetting to put his beautifully prepared food into the oven. Thankfully the house guest who never leaves was predictably here for super, now sans tonsils and she stepped in to save the day. Consequently dinner was delicious but also served at half past ten! However, I shall have to forgive him as he bought me a huge bunch of flowers. Which are possibly my most favourite thing.

When we were children we were bribed with these pancakes as a reward for good behaviour in church of a sunday morning. They are really simple to make but unlike normal pancake batter this does not keep you are better to cook the whole batch and them reheat them. 

3 large eggs
120g Self Raising Flour
140ml  milk

pinch of salt

Soft fruit of your choice or chocolate chips work well too.

Separate the eggs and whip the whites to a stiff peak. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the yolks and mix to a smooth thick batter. Fold the whites into the batter. Place a spoonful of batter into a hot pan wait a few seconds then add the fruit. Once bubble start to appear in the uncooked side of the mixture the pancakes are ready to be flipped.

I have linked this up with Family Friendly Fridays and Fuss Free Flavours Breakfast club