Apricot & Almond Pastries

Over the long Easter weekend, I made time to try out a few new recipes: after all it was way too cold to go out. For the second year running I made my own Hot Cross Buns - both a traditional fruit and chocolate chip version. They knock the socks off the shop bought ones I can tell you. They are, and will always be, part of my Easter baking ritual now. 

I also made these Apricot & Almond Pastries. They were super quick and easy to make. Dredged with a little icing sugar and boxed up in a cushion of coloured tissue paper, they made a nice little gift for the friends we visited on Easter Sunday. The recipe comes from my favourite magazine 'The Simple Things'. I love each and every page of it: it is as if a magazine has be written for me! I like to call it my Monocole Magazine.

Apricot & Almond Pastries

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

125g apricot jam

Extra apricot jam for brushing

55g ground almonds

2 tbsp sugar

10g softened butter

Preheat the oven to 200C (180 fan), 400F, gas 6. 

Using a 9am cutter, cut out circles from the pastry. I managed to get 12. Place the pastry discs onto a couple of baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper. Prick all over with a fork.

To make the frangipane mix, combine the ground almonds, sugar and butter in a bowl. Press a teaspoon or two into the centre of each pastry disc and then top with a couple of teaspoons of apricot jam.

Gently warm through a couple of dessert spoons of the apricot jam in a small pan and brush the warmed jam over each of the pastries.

Bake in the oven for 12 - 15 mins, or until golden.

Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes and then carefully move to a wire rack. Dredge with a little icing sugar should you so desire. 

Perfect to have with your morning coffee.

Easter

Well, Easter is done. All that remains is a fridge full of chocolate eggs. We're not quite back to our normal routine; we're still in school holiday mode for the next week and a half.

Easter was lovely though; relaxing together time that is all to rare. We had a day with David's family at his sister's house on Sunday. It was the perfect place to be: good company, good food and good conversation in a relaxed home dotted with family photo's past and present. It's how such holidays should be spent.

By the way, the cake in the picture above was made by my sister-in-law. She could give Nigella Lawson a run for her money. It was chocolate heaven.

A Good Friday

Ahh, four whole days off. Although there is a nip in the air, it is sunny and full of promise. We're spending part of our Easter holiday with family & friends and part of it at home. A perfect mix. Today was a home day and a productive one at that. You know those rare days when you actually get stuff done and feel pretty good about it? Well it's been one of those. 

First off, yesterday, I made Hot Cross Buns for the very first time (with the kids as my ever willing kitchen helpers). I've always been slightly nervous of cooking anything involving yeast. I am rather weak at kneading. However since getting my Kitchen Aid, I've become rather more adventurous, and with my dough hook I and am up for the challenge. 

I started making them at 2pm. There were two rounds of kneading and waiting for the dough to rise, piping the crosses and once baked, coating the buns with a glaze. It was 8pm, by the time they were ready, albeit due to trying to cook dinner in the middle of it all and helping put the kids to bed. 

With half of my household having a fierce hatred of dried fruit, I replaced the fruit in half the recipe with plain chocolate chips. It was trial and error; but it was a success. Both the traditional and the  chocolate versions tasted divine; a world away from the shop bought ones. I will, without doubt, be making them again next year. I love a 'culinary tradition'.

But, the real achievement of the day has to be the window boxes. We use to have window boxes, but when we had the exterior of our house painted four years ago, we had to take them down. Today they finally went back. It was just one of those jobs that never got done. They're only small window boxes, four in total, but they do make the house look pretty in the summer. I planted them up with some red Geraniums, yellow Viola and blue, white and purple Trailing Lobelia. I also popped in some seeds: yellow and orange Trailing Nasturtium and some pale blue and 'Persian Jewels' Nigella. They look rather tame at the moment, showing just a small splash of colour, but over the next few months, I'm hoping for a riot of colour in my boxes. It is one of lives little pleasures to be greeted by beautiful flowers when you draw back the curtains each morning.