Time 1½ hrs
Makes 8-10 slices
Calories 513 Fat 18.3g of which 7.4g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
For the pastry
Ready-rolled frozen puff pastry 2 x 375g packets, thawed
For the pastry cream
Egg yolks 3
Caster sugar 200g (7oz)
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Milk 500ml (18fl oz)
Vanilla extract ½ tsp
For the glacé icing
Vanilla extract ¼ tsp
Icing sugar 225g (8oz), sifted
For the chocolate drizzle
Dark chocolate
Equipment
25g (1oz) Baking sheets and/or trays
Baking paper
Cling film
Icing pen or piping bag
Secrets of pastry cream
Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a thick custard sauce used in open fruit tarts and in many small pastry delicacies.
The recipe here uses cornflour to thicken the sauce; many recipes use custard powder instead. Both work well, but custard powder will give a yellow finish, whereas cornflour gives a cream-coloured result. Cook the sauce until it is really thick.
Making the pastry layers
1 Preheat oven to 220°C(200°fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Lay unrolled puff pastry sheets on prepared baking sheets, and prick them all over with a fork. Lay another baking sheet on top of each sheet of pastry. You may need to do this in batches.
2 Bake for 18–23 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Carefully remove pastry onto a rack to cool. Cut each sheet in half and trim edges. You will have one spare piece.
Making the pastry cream
3 Beat egg yolks and sugar until white, add flour and cornflour and mix well. Add ¼ of milk to loosen mixture. Put remaining milk and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil. Pour onto eggs, stir well, return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely without stirring.
Making the glacé icing
4 Add vanilla extract to icing sugar and whisk in boiled water, spoon by spoon, until you get a good spreading consistency.
Creating the Napoleons
5 Lay one sheet of cooked pastry onto a board and spread it with a thick layer of pastry cream. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and spread on another layer of pastry cream.
6 Put on final layer of pastry and spread with an even layer of glacé icing.
7 Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and put it into an icing pen or piping bag with a fine nozzle. Draw horizontal chocolate lines at regular intervals over surface of the icing.
8 Take a metal skewer and lightly drag it diagonally across lines to make an attractive pattern. Leave to set before slicing carefully with a sharp knife into individual servings.
These exquisite pastries are taken from the 2016 Dairy Diary available now.
And now…..
I always wish I was allowed to enter out competitions (sadly I cannot) but on this occasion I REALLY wish I could win.
I am going to leave pictures of this
prize around the house and hope
that ‘Father Christmas’ gets the hint.
Good luck everyone – these baking products are just gorgeous.
Win This Very Special Christmas Baking Set
Our most-wanted Christmas baking products, including a stunning hand-engraved wooden rolling pin, which cleverly embosses a Christmas tree design onto pastry, biscuits or icing; a beautiful Denby Heritage Pavilion mixing bowl; and a handmade wooden spoon.
The festive season is almost upon us and soon we will be feverishly shopping, wrapping and delivering gifts.
Whilst we’re visiting friends (and furtively swapping children’s gifts from the car boot) I like to take a little something scrumptious, beautifully wrapped, of course.
This year I have been inspired by the Dairy Diary to make these fabulous Napoleons.
Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to make Napoleons
Napoleons
Time 1½ hrs
Makes 8-10 slices
Calories 513 Fat 18.3g of which 7.4g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
For the pastry
Ready-rolled frozen puff pastry 2 x 375g packets, thawed
For the pastry cream
Egg yolks 3
Caster sugar 200g (7oz)
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Milk 500ml (18fl oz)
Vanilla extract ½ tsp
For the glacé icing
Vanilla extract ¼ tsp
Icing sugar 225g (8oz), sifted
For the chocolate drizzle
Dark chocolate
Equipment
25g (1oz) Baking sheets and/or trays
Baking paper
Cling film
Icing pen or piping bag
Secrets of pastry cream
Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a thick custard sauce used in open fruit tarts and in many small pastry delicacies.
The recipe here uses cornflour to thicken the sauce; many recipes use custard powder instead. Both work well, but custard powder will give a yellow finish, whereas cornflour gives a cream-coloured result. Cook the sauce until it is really thick.
Making the pastry layers
1 Preheat oven to 220°C(200°fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Lay unrolled puff pastry sheets on prepared baking sheets, and prick them all over with a fork. Lay another baking sheet on top of each sheet of pastry. You may need to do this in batches.
2 Bake for 18–23 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Carefully remove pastry onto a rack to cool. Cut each sheet in half and trim edges. You will have one spare piece.
Making the pastry cream
3 Beat egg yolks and sugar until white, add flour and cornflour and mix well. Add ¼ of milk to loosen mixture. Put remaining milk and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil. Pour onto eggs, stir well, return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely without stirring.
Making the glacé icing
4 Add vanilla extract to icing sugar and whisk in boiled water, spoon by spoon, until you get a good spreading consistency.
Creating the Napoleons
5 Lay one sheet of cooked pastry onto a board and spread it with a thick layer of pastry cream. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and spread on another layer of pastry cream.
6 Put on final layer of pastry and spread with an even layer of glacé icing.
7 Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and put it into an icing pen or piping bag with a fine nozzle. Draw horizontal chocolate lines at regular intervals over surface of the icing.
8 Take a metal skewer and lightly drag it diagonally across lines to make an attractive pattern. Leave to set before slicing carefully with a sharp knife into individual servings.
These exquisite pastries are taken from the 2016 Dairy Diary available now.
And these will go into a cake box adorned with a decorative pompom (these are also fabulous for decorating your home for the Christmas season).
They may be friends, or family or neighbours, but people over a certain age can be very tricky to buy for (my own parents present a challenge each and every Christmas!)
Invest a little time in creating
something special and the
thought will be truly appreciated..
Why not bake two recipes from the Dairy Diary and present them (in beautiful wrapping of course) with the 2015 Dairy Diary? The edible gifts will be an instant delicious treat and then the Dairy Diary will provide a daily source of information and inspiration throughout the following year.
With a crisp pastry base, juicy mincemeat and almondy Bakewell topping, this festive treat is perfect to accompany a mid-morning cuppa. Or present these delicious treats as an edible gift to someone else! These Mincemeat Bakewell Squares are a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.
Truly decadent and luxurious, chocolate lovers will delights in these little treats. (Remind the gift recipients to store these in the fridge when they receive them.)
Time 1 hr
Makes 16
Calories 373
Fat 24g of which 13.6g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Line 16 muffin tin holes with paper muffin cases.
2 Sift cocoa into a pan, add Guinness and bring up to boil, stirring. Cool for 10 minutes.
3 Using an electric mixer, cream 225g (8oz) butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, beating well after each addition. Fold in flour, baking powder, buttermilk and cocoa. Mix until blended. Divide mixture between cases, then bake for 25-30 minutes until firm. Leave to cool in tins for a few minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
4 Heat cream until almost boiling, then pour onto chocolate and remaining butter. Mix well. Spread onto each muffin and decorate if wished.
With a crisp pastry base, juicy mincemeat and almondy Bakewell topping, this festive treat is perfect to accompany a mid-morning cuppa. Or present these delicious treats as an edible gift to someone else! These Mincemeat Bakewell Squares are a Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.
I came across this charming idea for a homemade gift on Pinterest. I have to say, I am totally hooked… the possibilities for personalised gifts are endless. In essence, you fill a jar with small items that you know a friend will love or find useful. Make it pretty and voila – a gorgeous and thoughtful gift, which can be very inexpensive to put together.
Most of my friends are stressed-out working mums who get very little time to themselves.
This ‘spa in a jar’ is perfect for giving one of them a little ‘me’ time.
Here’s how I made it:
From Boots I bought a selection of miniature goodies from their travel section.
I pilfered a (clean) good-sized jar from the recycling bin and filled it with the spa goodies.
Then I wrapped a ribbon around the centre and a smaller ribbon around the lid, securing with double-sided tape.
The Spa in a Jar label is cut from a piece of patterened card and attached with double-sided tape.
Easy peasey!
Your ‘in a jar’ gift could be anything you like – seeds, handcream, twine and gloves for a garden lover or possibly cookie in a jar with all the ingredients to make some fabulous biscuits?
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If you fancy a bit of pampering we have a fabulous give-away for you.
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Win a Sanctuary Spa Pampering Kit
Simply enter your name and email address and you could win this Sanctuary Spa kit, packed full of luxurious products.
Lock yourself in the bathroom and indulge in some serious pampering time!
Dairy Diary Chat 