Blueberry Pie (V)

Pastry week on the Great British Bake Off. So lets make a pie. This is one I have wanted to try and bake for a while. Hope you enjoy it


Makes 1 Pie

500g Shortcrust Pastry (Or Make your Own)
450g Blueberries (Frozen or Fresh)
Lemon Juice
Stick of Cinnamon
25g Cornflour
125g Caster Sugar
1 Egg
1- 3 tsp Granulated Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan Assisted. Split the dough. Use 2/3 of the dough and roll to cover a flan tin (25cm). Save the other third.

2. In a small/medium, pour enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Then tip in the blueberries, cinnamon stick and caster sugar and stir. Heat over a low heat for ten minutes. There should be fluid. Add the cornflour and give another mix. Keep on heat for 5 minutes. The blueberry mixture should harden. Make sure you occasionally stir so the mixture doesn't burn. Take off heat and allow to cool.

3. While cooling make the strips for the top of the pastry. Roll out the dough so it could just cover the length of the tin. Then cut 6 strips of 3cm width.

4. Pour blueberry mixture into the covered tin. Then layer over the pastry strips. Egg wash and sprinkle granulated sugar over the pastry.

5. Put in the oven for 18-20 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown. Leave to cool for a minute before taking out of the tin. Serve with thick cream.

Salted Caramel (V)

It was caramel week on the bake off so I tried my hand at salted caramel. Plus this was used in another recipe.

200g Granulated Sugar
100g Salted Butter
150ml Double Cream
1 tsp Salt

1. Get a pan and put over a high heat on the hob add the granulated sugar and stir (never leave it and don't stop stirring, otherwise it will burn). Use a heat resistant spatula.

2. The sugar should begin to go golden brown and then eventually turn into a liquid. This will take some time and effort.  Once it does add the butter and keep stirring. It will spit so be careful. Reduce to a medium high heat. And stir until combined.

3. Then gradually introduce the cream. When all the cream has been added allow to boil for a minute. Then add the salt and give a final stir. Leave to cool before putting in a container.

Serving Suggestions

: Ice Cream, Apple Pie, Cookies. Literally anything you want.

Lemon Drizzle Cake (V)

A lovely light cake which is always good with a nice cup of tea.

Makes 1 Cake

150g Self Raising Flour
125g Caster Sugar
1 Lemon, juice and zest
2 tbsp Lemon Curd
Dash of Milk
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Medium eggs
75 Unsalted Butter

Drizzle
2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 Lemon, zest and juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c Fan assisted

2. Butter a loaf tin and line with baking paper.

3. Beat the butter and caster sugar together using either a wooden spoon or electric whisk. This should take about 10 minutes.

4. Once the mixture is light and fluffy add the eggs, lemon juice & zest, flour, lemon curd, milk and baking powder. Mix well.

5. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes  To test the cake is cooked through poke a skewer through. If it comes out clean then it is cooked through.

6. While the cake is in the oven prepare the drizzle. Mix the juice, zest and sugar together. Once the cake is out of the oven evenly pour the drizzle over and leave to cool for about an hour. Serve with a nice cup of tea .

Hyper Smash