Pizza Muffins or...Puffins (plus an update)

© Pizza Muffins (Puffins) 

It's been a while, I know. So I feel I owe any regular readers (if there are any left) an explanation.  If the truth be told, I've fallen out of love with blogging for a few reasons:

• Competitiveness - I used to read a lot of other blogs and felt my posts and images needed to look as good. That takes time. A lot of time. 
• Inspiration -  lack of!
• Kids growing up - one is at uni and the other is at college and will go to uni next year. That means that we have fewer family meals together.
• Work - working full time leaves less time for blogging. When I started blogging, I was working part-time.
• Health - I've not been too well lately. No sympathy needed, but again, this has reduced the time and energy I've had available.

Anyway, let's get on with the recipe....no fancy photos. Sorry (not sorry!)

This is a bit of a rehash of an old recipe of mine, but I really enjoyed coming up with a new idea, and the family enjoyed eating the results. Basically, they're mini pizzas cooked in a muffin pan. 

• 1 quantity bread dough
• tomato puree or tapenade
• chunks of firm cheese (feta, Cheddar, Manchego etc.)
• topping: olives, pepper chopped into chunks, thin slices of mushroom, vegetarian pepperoni etc.
• dried oregano/mixed herbs or fresh, chopped basil

Make up the bread dough and leave to prove.

Pre-heat oven to 200 C fan/220 C/Gas 7/425 F

Cut the dough into 24 small pieces and roll into rough ball shapes using your hands.

Pop each dough ball into a section of a well oiled muffin tin.

Leave to prove in a warm place for a further 10-15 minutes.

Oil the end of a small rolling pin or similar blunt implement! You could also use a knuckle.

Poke a dent/well into each dough ball but be careful not to go through the bottom of the dough.

Fill with around  ½ tsp of tomato puree or tapenade and your other toppings. 

Sprinkle with dried or fresh herbs.

© Garlic Bread Muffins

Bake in a hot oven for 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Suitable for freezing.

Variation: Garlic dough ball puffins - fill the well of each dough ball with ½ tsp garlic butter and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella. Bake as above.

Vegan option: Fill as above and use vegan cheese or omit the cheese. Drizzle pizzas with a little olive oil.

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Pizza with Aubergine and Two Cheeses

This is a really simple dish which I have tried to recreate, after eating it at a local pizzeria. My version cost a fraction of the restaurant version and almost tasted as good...I just need a pizza oven for Christmas!

Make 2 large pizzas

• 1 quantity basic pizza dough
• 2 medium aubergines/eggplants, thinly sliced
• tomato sauce (or tomato puree)
• fresh basil and dried oregano
• 2 balls of mozzarella, drained and chopped
• 100g/4oz parmesan style cheese, thinly sliced or shaved
• olive oil

Make the dough and tomato sauce.

Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan.
Fry the aubergines in batches on a medium-high heat, adding more oil as needed. The aubergine slices need to be soft and golden brown.

Preheat the oven to its hottest setting.

Roll or stretch the dough to make 2 large pizza bases. Place on greased baking sheets.

Top each base with several tbsp. of tomato sauce, then scatter with the chopped mozzarella and herbs.
Arrange the slices of aubergine and parmesan-style cheese over the top.

Bake in a hot oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the base is golden brown.

Vegan version: Omit the mozzarella, sprinkle the tomato sauce on each pizza with 2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast flakes. Top with the aubergine and drizzle with a little more olive oil before baking.


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Tear 'n' Share Garlic Bread

This garlic flat bread is really cheap and easy to make. It's great to share at buffets, parties and barbecues and can be easily adapted include your favourite toppings. I've included a vegan version, for anyone who prefers a dairy-free option.

For the dough

• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups strong white bread flour
• 1 sachet fast action dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

For the topping

•  4 tbsp butter or dairy-free spread, softened
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped herbs (I used rosemary, oregano and parsley) 
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp grated Parmesan-style hard cheese (omit for vegan version)
• A little coarse sea salt (optional)

If you have a bread maker add all of the dough ingredients to the pan and set on the dough setting.

If you don't have a bread maker, mix all the ingredients (except the oil and water) in a large bowl. Add the water gradually until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.

After the dough has risen, divide into 2.
Stretch or roll the dough into two large, flat ovals and place on greased baking trays.

Brush a little more oil over the dough and sprinkle with a good pinch of coarse sea salt.
Using a pizza wheel, cut parallel lines across the dough, leaving a 1-2 cm border to hold the dough together (see picture). 
Leave to rise for a further 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic butter by mixing the butter, garlic and herbs together - reserve this for later.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220C/200C fan/Gas 7/425F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Removed from the oven and spread half of the softened garlic butter across each flat bread. Sprinkle with the cheese, if using.
Return to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tray and serving.

If freezing or re-heating later in the day, remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack.

Best served warm.

Suitable for freezing. 

Top tip: If you prefer to use fresh yeast, swap the dried yeast for around 15g/½ oz fresh yeast . Increase the flour to 3½ cups.

I'm entering this recipe to this month's Credit Crunch Munch , hosted by Tasty Appetite and founded by Fab Food 4 All and Fuss Free Flavours.


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Packed Lunch Pizzas

So, it's back to school tomorrow, and as Miss K isn't too fond of sandwiches any more, I've made a batch of mini pizzas for her packed lunches.

I've recently been converted to baking with fresh yeast as it makes a softer bread, which stays fresh for longer; I buy my fresh yeast, from Ocado and then freeze it (you might be able to buy it from your local bakery or supermarket), but you can easily substitute it for dried.

Makes 8 small pizzas (each pizza serves two young children or one teen/adult)

• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups strong white bread flour
• 1 cup strong wholemeal bread flour
• 12.5g fresh yeast or ½ sachet dried yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar

Toppings

• tomato puree
• dried herbs/oregano
• grated mozzarella
• olives
• finely chopped/sliced vegetables

Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes (or allow dough cycle to run).

Preheat oven to 220C/200C/Gas 7/425F

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Flatten into 7" circles, spaced well apart on greased baking sheets. Spread with tomato puree and sprinkle with dried herbs. Add cheese and toppings and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Place onto a wire rack to cool.

When cool, pack into a freezer bag and freeze until needed.

Simply remove one or more pizzas as required, defrost for 15 minutes at room temperature, slice and pack in your lunchbox.

Vegan option: Swap the mozzarella for your preferred dairy-free, melting cheese.

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Halloumi & Mint Bread Whirls

The recipe for these tasty halloumi bread rolls was inspired by one I tried in a Greek restaurant in Sydney, Australia. I don't know the actual recipe used, so I adapted my standard bread recipe and tried out a few variations.

When making a large loaf with raw halloumi, I ended up with a 'soggy bottom'! I found that I needed to cook the cheese first, to remove the excess moisture, and then had to cool it before adding to the dough.
So, I tried adapting my pizza whirl recipe instead, and it worked a treat using raw halloumi, as the moisture could evaporate.

For the bread base

• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups strong white bread flour 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

For the filling

• 200g halloumi, finely diced
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint, or around 2-3 tsp dried mint
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Put all of the dry bread ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients.

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.

Dust a large board or clean table with a little flour.
Roll the dough into a rectangle, approx 25cm x 40cm. 

Sprinkle the halloumi and mint over, leaving a border at the front and sides.

Roll the dough lengthwise, as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll).

Making sure the dough roll is seam-side down on the board, cut slices approximately 1.5cm thick.
Place on a greased baking sheet, with a little room to expand.
Drizzle with the olive oil.

Cover loosely with cling-film or a clean tea towel and allow to rise for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 .

Bake for around 10-15 minutes, or until well-risen and golden.

Place onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm, with dips, as part of a meze, or instead of a sandwich in a packed lunch.

I'm linking this post to November's Cooking With Herbs challenge

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Tear 'n' Share Spiral Pizza

I was inspired to make this alternative pizza, after seeing the idea on Pinterest. My version is somewhere between a tear 'n' share' flat-bread and a pizza; it works well as a picnic food, as you can just pull a chunk off, rather than slicing it up. I topped mine with Manchego cheese, tomatoes, olives and parsley, for a Spanish theme, but you could use mozzarella and basil for an Italian flavour or feta and oregano for a Greek version.

Makes one large pizza

• 1 portion of basic white bread dough
• 100g/4oz cheese, chopped into chunks or grated
• 4 tbsp tomato purée or passata
• 50g/2oz olives, sliced
• 50g/2oz sun-dried or fresh, de-seeded tomatoes, chopped
• Fresh or dried herbs

Make up the dough, by hand or on the dough setting in the bread-maker.
Prove until doubled in size, then cut into 4 pieces.
Roll out each piece into a long 'sausage' about 30cm/1ft long.
Form a large spiral on a large, greased baking sheet, pressing the ends of each 'sausage' together. 
Make sure that there is a gap of around 2cm between each loop of the spiral.
Spread the tomato purée roughly over the dough.
Sprinkle the other toppings over randomly.
Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220C/200C Fan/ Gas 7/425F for 10-15 minutes. or until the cheese and bread are starting to brown.

Suitable for freezing.

Vegan variation: Simply substitute the dairy cheese for your favourite vegan cheese.
Buffet variation: Make mini pizza whirls.

I'm linking this recipe to Bready, Steady Go, hosted by Jen’s Food and Utterly Scrummy Food For Families. 


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Gaia's Feasts - A Review, a Recipe and a Special Offer

As I'm sure you know, I love cookbooks, so I jumped at the chance to review a copy of Gaia's Feasts, by Julia Ponsonby. This book is quite different to most cookbooks, as each recipe is formatted to make either a family meal or a feast for up to 50!

"Filled with delicious recipes and mouth-watering pictures, this book is a must-have for anyone who loves exciting, tasty and original vegetarian food. Alongside the quantities needed for cooking for a group of 4-6 family members or friends, Gaia’s Feasts offers the unique option of scaling up the recipes in order to cook for groups as big as 50, making it ideal for large family gatherings or community events."

The recipes featured in Gaia's Feasts also follow several key themes, including:

• Food and the environment
• Slow Food and Local Food movement
• A celebration of food

There is a good balance of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes (plus handy tips and variations), mainly based around cheap and easy-to-find, wholesome ingredients. I have tried out a couple of recipes from the book and both turned out looking pretty much like the illustrations in the book, which is a good sign that quantities and cooking times are reliable. 

SPECIAL OFFER: You can get your hands on your own copy of Gaia's Feasts for just £13.99 (30% off the RRP) and free delivery in the UK using this exclusive voucher code: WDEAWAF14 at Green Books. Offer valid 2nd December to 17th December 2014.

My family all enjoyed the following Walnut and Fig Loaf (although I swapped the figs for cranberries as suggested as an option in the recipe). This slightly sweet and nutty loaf would be great with cold Christmas left overs such as nut loaf, salad and cheeses...

Walnut & fig (or cranberry or apricot) bread

Ruth Rae’s light brown, fruit-and-nut dappled bread is delicious with cheese and can also be served at teatime with jam and honey. It also provides the opportunity to experiment with a little decorative knife work – which is something Ruth is well practised at! Simply cut through the floured surface of the rising bread using a sharp knife (which could be serrated or just very sharp – some people use a scalpel). You’ll also need swift, confident strokes – and a clear, simple concept.

For 1 loaf                                                                                       For 6 round loaves
300g (10oz / 2 cups) strong white flour                                        1.8kg (4lb)
150g (6oz / 1¼ cups) wholewheat flour                                        900g (2lb)
55g (2oz / ½ cup) golden walnuts                                                 350g (12oz / 3 cups)
85g (3oz / ½ cup) dried figs (or dried cranberries or apricots) 500g (1lb / 3 cups)
1 tsp dried yeast or 10g (1/3-½oz / 2 tsp) fresh yeast                2 tbsp dried or 75g (2½oz) fresh
300ml (10fl oz / 1 cup + 2 tsp) warm water                                 1.5l (2¾ pints / 3½ US pints)
1-2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil                                                       100ml (3-4fl oz / ½ cup)
1 tsp molasses                                                                               2 tbsp
1 tsp salt                                                                                          2 tbsp

1. Preparing the fruit and nuts: Just cover the dried fruit with hot water and soak for 30 minutes (figs or apricots) or 10 minutes (cranberries). Meanwhile, chop the walnuts roughly with a knife – each walnut half will go into about 4-6 pieces. After soaking, drain the softened fruit, reserving the water to go into the dough. Chop the figs or apricots) into small chunky pieces (about 1cm / ½" wide). Remove the woody stalk part of the figs if it’s tough.
2. Measure 250ml (9fl oz / 1 cup) of warm water into a jug and stir in the molasses and the dried or crumbled fresh yeast. If using dried yeast, leave to froth up; with the fresh yeast, simply stir until dissolved. Easy-bake or fast-acting yeast can go in with the flour or with the water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, and chopped fruit and nuts.
4. Stir in the yeasty water, the rest of the warm water and the oil. Mix until you have a soft dough and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Knead gently on a floured surface or in the bowl for a few minutes until fairly smooth, then return to the bowl to rise. Using a (dedicated) plant mister, spray the top with water to prevent it drying out, or cover the bowl loosely with a lid or tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
5. When the dough has doubled in size, tip it on to a lightly floured surface and ‘knock back’. Knead lightly and then divide into 6 if you are making the large quantity, then knead each ball again. Shape into rounds or ovals. Keep the joints at the bottom and make sure the top skin has not been over-stretched: if there is any sign of surface splitting, loosen it with a little gentle rocking, or let it rest and then knead again in a few minutes, being careful not to shape it too tightly.
6. Place the round cushions of dough on a baking tray, either floured or lined with baking parchment. If you’re making more than one loaf, they should be placed about the width of your hand apart, to allow for spreading as they rise. Spray (or paint) with water and dredge with flour for a dusty finish. Use a sharp knife to cut a few criss-crossed lines at 2-3cm (1") intervals and about 2-3mm (1/8") deep – these will open up as the bread rises, creating an attractive textural contrast. Ruth also likes to cut a simple leaf-vein or ‘winter tree’ design into her loaves – a real classic for artisan bakers. Leave the bread to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 4), 10 minutes before the bread is ready to go in.
8. When ready to go in the oven, the bread will have doubled in size. If you press it with a finger, the dough will be slow to spring back. Any sign of dimpling on the surface means it has over-risen, so rush it into the oven. It is better to put it in the oven when still – just – on the rise, so that its last burst of rising is stimulated by the heat of the oven. Bake mid-oven for about 45 minutes. Test by turning over and knocking: the loaf should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe used with kind permission from Gaia's Feasts, by Julia Ponsonby, published by Green Books. 

Integrity Statement

I received a complimentary copy of Gaia's Feasts to review. All views expressed are my own and those of my family.

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Vegan Pizza Whirls

During Veganuary, I've been experimenting with various vegan alternatives in my cooking. This pizza whirl/pinwheel recipe is one I've adapted from a favourite family recipe, which is great for kids' lunchboxes and parties. I usually use Mozzarella in them, so decided to test out and review a dairy-free Mozzarella-style cheese. There isn't a lot of choice in my local area, when it comes to buying vegan cheeses, so I bought Cheezly - Mozzarella style from my local Holland & Barrett store.  

I was surprised that on opening the packet, it actually smelled quite cheesy (kind of like cheese-flavoured crisps)! It had a slightly grey appearance and was quite soft, but it grated well. I wasn't too keen on the taste/texture of it raw, but once cooked, it gave the pizza whirls a mild, cheesy flavour and was a good alternative to dairy cheese. 

Makes around 16

For the pizza base

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups strong white bread flour 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

For the filling

• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or use 1 tbsp fresh basil)
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 100g/4oz vegan mozzarella-style cheese, grated
• 2-3 tbsp of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes/olive oil
• black pepper to taste

Put all the dry bread ingredients in a bowl (or bread maker) add the wet ingredients.

Mix well until you have a smooth dough (on dough setting in bread maker).

Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Cover the bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion, pepper and garlic gently for a few minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and black pepper. Allow to cool.

Roll the dough into a large rectangle.
Spread with the tomato puree and top with the vegetable mixture. 
Sprinkle the grated 'cheese' over.

Roll the dough lengthwise, as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll).
Making sure the dough roll is seam-side down on the board, cut into 1"/2.5cm slices using a sharp knife.
Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet, spaced about 1"/2.5cm apart.

Cover loosely with cling-film and allow to rise for a further 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 .

Bake for around 10-15 minutes, or until well-risen and golden.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Use any of your favourite pizza toppings (try sweetcorn, olives, roasted vegatables, vegan pepperoni etc.) but do include the oil, as the vegan cheese dries out as it cooks, unlike dairy-cheese.

Integrity Statement
I bought the Cheezly myself and was not asked to review it. I did not receive payment, and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.

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Iced Cinnamon Rolls

©

We loved eating cinnamon rolls/buns when we were on holiday in America and I've tried to recreate the recipe with varying degrees of success ever since. I'm sure this recipe contains significantly less butter and sugar than the ones we ate in the US, but are my best version yet and taste delicious warm. 

These would be ideal served for Christmas breakfast.

Makes 12

For the dough

• 3 cups strong plain bread flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• milk
• 1 oz/25g butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 sachet fast action dried yeast
• ½ tsp salt

For the filling

• 2 rounded tsp ground cinnamon (add more or less to taste)
• 2 oz/50g softened butter
• 2 oz/50g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour/corn starch

For the icing

• 4oz/100g icing sugar
• boiling water

Crack the egg into a measuring jug/cup. Top up to the 1 cup mark with milk.
Add all of the dough ingredients to the bread maker pan.
Set on the dough setting and leave to run. 
If you don't have a bread maker, mix the ingredients together in a large bowl and knead for 5 minutes until you have a soft, but not sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
When it has finished proving, tip the dough onto a large board covered with cling-film (don't add any extra flour, the clingfilm will stop it sticking to the board.)

Roll out into a large rectangle.

Mix the filling ingredients together and spread over the dough.

Roll the dough lengthwise, as tightly as you can (like a Swiss roll).
Making sure the dough roll is seam-side down on the board, cut into 1"/2.5cm slices using a sharp knife.
Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet, spaced about 1"/2.5cm apart.

Cover loosely with cling-film and allow to rise for a further 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 .

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, before moving to a wire rack.

Mix the icing sugar with enough boiling water to make a runny glacé icing.

Spoon, brush or drizzle over the cinnamon rolls while still hot.

Vegan alternative: For the bread dough, use 1 cup of sweetened almond milk and omit the egg.  Use dairy-free spread instead of butter. Replace the egg with 1oz/25g of ground almonds plus an extra 1 tbsp of dairy-free spread.
For the filling use dairy-free spread instead of butter. 

Suitable for freezing. Defrost and reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave on a medium setting.

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Goat's Cheese and Caramelised Onion Pizza

©

This is my version of my favourite Padana pizza from Pizza Express. I've made a few tweaks, such as substituting spinach for rocket and leaving off the red onions and mozzarella, but I think it compares pretty well to the original and is substantially cheaper!

• ½ quantity basic bread dough 
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
• 100g/4oz soft goat's cheese, roughly chopped
• A few fresh basil leaves torn roughly
• A handful of rocket/arugula leaves 

Make the dough and divide in half once it has proved for an hour or so (use the other half to make another pizza of your choice!)

Meanwhile make the caramelised onions: 
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. 
Sweat the onion with the lid on for 5 minutes, on a low heat, until soft.

Remove the pan lid, raise the heat and cook the onion for a further 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns a dark golden brown. 
Turn the heat off and stir in the sugar; then add the vinegar. 
Allow to reduce in the pan until most of the moisture has evaporated.

Flatten out the dough on a greased baking sheet to form a large circle (about 10"-12" in diameter.)
Spread with the sun-dried tomato paste.
Shred a few basil leaves over and top with little piles of the caramelised onions. 
Sprinkle with the goat's cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220C/200C Fan/Gas 8/450F for approximately 8-12 minutes.
After 5 minutes, check on the pizza and spread out the goat's cheese slightly. Return to the oven and bake until the pizza base and cheese start to brown.

Remove from the oven and top with a handful of rocket/arugula leaves.

Serve with corn on the cob or salad.

Vegan alternative: I found this recipe for tofu/cashew 'goat's cheese' over at Vegan Feast Kitchen, which looks like a good substitute for the dairy cheese. Alternatively try Bute Island Blue Sheese.

I've added this post to Emily's  #recipeoftheweek linky over at A Mummy Too.

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Apricot Couronne - Great British Bake Off Blog Hop

You may have noticed that I like baking bread. My trusty Morphy Richards bread maker has been going strong for many years now and although I rarely use it to actually bake bread, it's really useful for making and proving dough for pizza bases, flat-breads, sweet breads (not sweetbreads!) and even the odd loaf or two!

I really enjoyed watching last week's Great British Bake Off, as I find it amazing that someone who can produce the perfect macaron can't necessarily bake a loaf of bread!
I loved the look of the apricot couronne, and after last year's attempt at an 8 stand plaited loaf, I though the couronne was worth a try!

I more or less followed the original Paul Hollywood recipe, but decided to tweak the filling by halving the quantities of butter, sugar and flour and swapping the orange zest for lemon (I didn't have an orange!). For the topping, I omitted the apricot jam and flaked almonds (more ingredients I didn't have) and mixed the icing sugar with lemon juice instead. 

My top tip, is to cover your work surface/board with clingfilm, before dusting with flour, as it seems to help stop the dough from sticking, when rolling it out.

My electric fan oven seems to cook more quickly than it should , so I cooked the couronne for 10 minutes at 190C and then reduced the heat to 180C and cooked for a further 10 minutes.

The couronne really wasn't too tricky to make and tasted fabulous. I think Paul and Mary would have been quite impressed!

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Chocolate Bread (Vegan)

This indulgent chocolate loaf is great for a weekend breakfast treat. I've previously made this recipe with eggs and milk, so I thought I'd have a go at a vegan version. Just a word of warning...due to the high sugar content, if you toast this bread, make sure you do so on a low setting, unless you want a burnt offering!

• 2¾ cup white bread flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup dairy-free milk
• 1 tbsp dairy-free spread or vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 sachet of fast action dried yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 100g/4oz dairy-free chocolate, chopped into chunks

If using a bread maker, put in all ingredients (except the chocolate) and set on the dough setting. 

If making by hand, place the dry ingredients (except the chocolate) in a large bowl. 
Mix in the spread/oil.

Slowly knead in the milk until you have a soft, but not sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave to prove for 1 hour in a warm place.

Once proved, flatten the dough and knead in the chocolate chunks. 
Place in a well greased loaf tin. Prove for a further 30 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5/375F for 25-30 minutes. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Alternative: Add ½ cup of dried raisins, chopped dried dates or cherries, along with the chocolate.

Suitable for freezing.

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Hot Cross Buns (Vegan)

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Inspired by Paul Hollywood's Bread programme, I thought it was about time I blogged another bread recipe.

I've seen a plethora of hot cross bun recipes lately, but very few vegan ones. Traditionally, these seasonal, Easter bread-buns are made with eggs, milk and butter, so I've substituted these ingredients for vegan alternatives. I think you'll agree that they look pretty much like the traditional variety (minus the crosses, of course!).

• 3 cups strong bread flour
• 1 cup sweetened almond milk, or similar
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dairy-free spread
• 1 sachet fast action yeast
• 1 cup dried mixed fruit
• 1-2 tsp ground mixed spice 
• 1 tsp Orgran No Egg, optional
• ½ tsp salt

Add all of the ingredients, except the fruit, to the bread maker and set on the dough setting. 

After a few minutes, add the dried fruit and allow the bread maker to run the full dough cycle. (Alternatively, kneed ingredients together in a bowl, until you have a soft, but not, sticky dough.)

Turn the dough out onto a board, but don't add any extra flour.
Kneed the dough for a few minutes and then divide into 8 pieces and roll into balls.

Flatten slightly and place, well apart, on a greased baking sheet.

Allow to prove in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/425F/Gas 7. 

Mix an extra 2 tbsp of strong bread flour with 2 tbsp of cold water to form a paste. Pipe the paste onto the buns (in your preferred design), with a small, plain nozzle. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190C/180C Fan/375F/ Gas 5. Bake for a further 10 minutes, until brown. The cooked buns should sound hollow if you tap on the base.

Mix 2 tbsp of white sugar with 2 tbsp water. Heat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds on high, to form a syrup. Brush the syrup over the warm buns. 
Remove from the baking tray and cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or toasted for an Easter breakfast. Cut in half and spread with dairy-free spread and/or jam before serving. 

Suitable for freezing.

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Green Vegetable Burritos

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I'm not sure if these are strictly burritos or not, but whatever they're called, they make a nice quick and healthy snack or lunch. You can of course, vary the vegetables depending on what you have available.

Makes 4

• 2 medium courgettes/zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1 large green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 75g/3oz spinach, washed
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp pickled jalapeños chopped
• 1 cup of grated hard cheese/vegan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro (optional)
• 4 corn tortilla wraps

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. 
Fry the courgette and pepper until softened and just starting to brown.

Add the garlic, herbs, jalapeños and chilli powder and stir well.

Throw in the spinach and coriander and allow to wilt for a minute or two.

Heat the tortillas until warm (in a pan, microwave or oven). 

Fill with the vegetable mixture and a sprinkle of cheese, fold and eat!

If you have more time, you could make your own flatbread wraps.

Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes is hosting a sandwich themed No Croutons Required this month, which is handy, as I wrote this post just before I found out the theme!

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