Just like bread #26 Croissants they take time, patience and butter but you get the added bonus of melted chocolate goodness hidden inside the layers of flaky goodness.  I would always use the very best chocolate that you enjoy eating.  I went for a dark Swiss chocolate with sea salt but feel free to add whatever chocolate you like eating. 

INGREDIENTS

• 625 g strong bread flour
• 12 g salt
• 75 g sugar
• 20 g dried yeast
• water, for mixing
• 500 g butter, chilled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 10 x pieces of good quality chocolate (I used Swiss dark chocolate with sea salt)

METHOD

1. Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in a little water until the mixture forms into a pliable dough
2. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead well until it feels smooth.
3. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Return the chilled dough to your floured work surface and roll it into a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30cm.
5. Roll out the chilled butter into a rectangle about 1cm thick, around 20cm by 30cm.
6. Place the butter rectangle in the centre of the dough rectangle, so it covers around two thirds of the dough.
7. Fold the remaining dough third over the butter layer, so that the dough is now in 3 layers.
8. Return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
9. Scatter some more flour over your table and roll out the dough to a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30 cm.
10. Repeat the folding process, then return the dough to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
11. Repeat this process of folding and chilling two more times, then wrap the dough in cling film and set it aside to rest for an hour or overnight. 
12. Using a rolling pin, roll out the rested dough to 8mm thickness.
13. Cut the rolled out dough into squares, each square 12cm by 12cm.
14. To make each pain au chocolat, place a piece of chocolate on the base of a dough square and fold the pastry over the chocolate, forming a sausage shape.
15. Flatten each sausage shape by hand and brush with the egg wash.
16. Place the pain au chocolat on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Set aside to rest for 1 hour.
17. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
18. Bake the pain au chocolat for 15 minutes until risen and golden.

 

Croissants are delicious and a real labor of love.  They take time and butter, lots of time and lots of butter in fact.  They are best made over two days.  Day one is all about rolling, folding and chilling day two is rolling, cutting, cooking and eating (the best bit!). 

INGREDIENTS

• 625 g strong bread flour
• 12 g salt
• 75 g sugar
• 20 g dried yeast
• water, for mixing
• 500 g butter, chilled
• 1 egg, beaten

METHOD

1. Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly mix in a little water until the mixture forms into a pliable dough.
2. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead well until it feels smooth.
3. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Return the chilled dough to your floured work surface and roll it into a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30cm.
5. Roll out the chilled butter into a rectangle about 1cm thick, around 20cm by 30cm.
6. Place the butter rectangle in the centre of the dough rectangle, so it covers around two thirds of the dough.
7. Fold the remaining dough third over the butter layer, so that the dough is now in 3 layers.
8. Return the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
9. Scatter some more flour over your table and roll out the dough to a rectangular shape, around 60cm by 30 cm.
10. Repeat the folding process, then return the dough to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
11. Repeat this process of folding and chilling two more times, then wrap the dough in cling film and set it aside to rest for an hour or overnight. 
12. Using a rolling pin, roll out the rested dough to 3mm thickness.
13. Cut the rolled out dough into squares, each square 20cm by 20cm.
14. Cut each square diagonally, making 2 triangles from each dough square.
15. Place the dough triangles on a lightly floured surface with the narrow point facing away from you.
16. Roll each dough triangle up over itself and curl the dough roll around into a traditional crescent shape.
17. Place the shaped croissants on baking trays lined with silicone baking parchment and leave to rise for 1 hour, 30 minutes.
18. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
19. Lightly egg-wash the croissants and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

To avoid the kids driving you crazy during the summer break why not get them working in the kitchen- happy kids, happy Mummy! 

This simple little recipe is perfect for little hands as it does not matter how much you work the dough it still cooks great, so let them squash, roll, cut and re-roll as much as they like. 

I have an extensive collection of metal cookie cutters.  I let the kids pick their chosen weapons and hence we get a very eclectic set of shapes each time;

 

INGREDIENTS

• 40g Rolled oats
• 95g All purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 0.5 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 0.5 tsp. salt
• 55g butter, cubed
• 2 tsp. honey
• 60ml buttermilk
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tsp. sesame seeds (or you could use pumpkin, poppy or sunflower)

If like me you never have buttermilk in the fridge simply make some;
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Use as recipe states.

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400 F / 200 C
2. Place the oats in a food processor and grind until fine.  Tip into a bowl and add flour, bicarb, and salt.  Add the butter and rub it in.  Stir in the honey and buttermilk and mix to a stiff dough.
3. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out to about 6mm thick.  Dip your cutters in a little flour and then cut the dough and place the crackers on a baking tray with a little space around each one. 
4. Brush each cracker with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle over the seeds. 
5. Bake for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack and enjoy. 

I am not about to give you a recipe, more of a suggestion of how to cook something I am sure you have cooked many times already.  In the past I always boiled eggs for 10 minutes.  I didn't know there was another, better way to cook them until I read of this method.  It gives you a perfectly boiled egg with none of the dry chalkiness and grey edged nastiness of an over boiled egg.  


I love this method and with salad season upon us I thought it only right to share it on my blog as there is something quite special about quartered boiled eggs on a salad- yum!

METHOD

Put the eggs into a saucepan of water, over medium heat. Bring to boil, and cook for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the pan for 10 minutes.

Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and let cool. Peel the eggs once they feel cool to the touch.

If you like your boiled eggs silky and still wobbly in the middle please feel free to boil for only 1 minute at the start with 10 minutes in the hot water off the heat.  Please note that if cooking for young, elderly or pregnant ladies it is recommended that you cook eggs thoroughly so do not use this 1 minute method.