Italian Roll

Well that's why the vote was to call it anyway - the alternative title was 'Long Pies'. In any case it wasn't an unqualified success but I'll note it down here just to remember. Despite two 'do again' votes I think the dish can't make up its mind whether to be a lasagne or a pie, and if faced with the choice of this, lasagne or pie no-one would pick this one, so I think we have a loser.

So it's a sheet of puff pastry per 'long pie', layered with thickened mince sauce, then thickened spinach puree, then a layer of grated cheddar cheese, then rolled swiss-roll style, then baked. You don't get much of a roll in there. The pastry pouffed OK (which I was worried about with all the moisture) but it just lacked lustre a bit, even though the meat was tender and tasty and that bit of cheese and the crispiness of the puff pastry was all a pleasant combo.

Didn't take a photo. Sorry.

Cream Biscuits

Another of Chef John's recipes. Although I've increased the cream a bit because I kept adding while stirring. Perhaps this flour is more absorbent.

• 2 cups flour including raising agent (2tsp baking powder, sprinkle salt) 
• 2tbs sugar 
• 2 cups heavy cream 

• plus a good dob of melted butter 

Heat oven to Freaking Hot (260c, mine only goes to 225c). Line baking sheet with foil.

Mix main ingredients into a dough, and then for some reason Chef John does an imitation of making puff pastry thing without the layering butter, just once (fold into three and roll out again) and perhaps it makes them flakier. Anyway I did and they pouffed. Cut out, then brush top with melted butter. Bake until golden (10-12 mins). Brush with butter AGAIN. Serve.

Spiced Buns

Bread machine recipe

1 cup milk, whisked with 1 egg, 50g melted butter
450g plain flour
lots of bunnish spices
2tbps dried yeast
50g sugar
125g mixed fruit

Into machine for dough, shape into buns, let rise. Then pipe on decoration with the following mix:
25g margarine, 50g plain flour, enough water to make it into a pipeable dough.

Bake on highish, (15 mins ish), then glaze with a syrup of milk and sugar.

Baked Breakfast Apples

Cut apples in half sitting-up wise, scoop out the core, microwave a few minutes to give them a head start. Make whatever mix of honey, granola, oats and yoghurt you feel inclined to - you might even have let is soak overnight. Heap it up on top of the apples. Bake for about 20 minutes - keep an eye on them. Enjoy. About 1.5 apples per person seems about right.

Piroshki

Fill these with whatever. Flavoured fried mince of whatever description, veggie/fetta mix, even fruit or jam fillings are perfectly acceptable. Wrap up in the risen and knocked-back dough in little mini-fist portions, and fry at a good 170c, turning over half way. Straight from Chef John, thank you Chef, we DID 'Enjoooy'.


Dough:

1 scant cup warm milk (just under a cup of milk heated to about 100 F.)
2.5 tsp dry yeast
2 tspwhite sugar
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
about 3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

Passion Cake (Banana, Carrot and Nut Cake)

Dry ingredients: 
280g plain flour
1tsp Bicarb of soda
2tsp baking poweder
1st salt
Chopped nuts to taste
170g brown sugar
Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger to taste

Wet ingredients:
2 grated carrots
2 mashed bananas
Dollop of golden syrup
3 medium eggs
170ml veg oil

Oven to 180, combine mixed wet and dry. Cook for about 40 mins.

Pretzels

• 5 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 cups warm water 
• 6 tsp dry yeast 
• 1.5 tsp salt 
• good glug veg oil

Plus hot water and 0.5 cups (!) of baking soda, and some coarse salt

Make the dough in the usual way. Shape into pretzels. Then put the baking soda into the hot water and dunk the shaped pretzels into it and lay them on the trays, sprinkle them with salt and bake at 230 for about 8 minutes or golden brown.

If your dough rises this much you've left it a bit too long.