Cornish Splits - Devonshire Splits

A Cornish Split - or Devonshire Split - was the original star of the famous "cream teas": of Cornwall and Devon. Though you'll more often find a cream tea with scones, the split is a classic as well.

No one appreciates a good scone more than I, but this week I was in the mood for a lovely yeast bun for my cream tea, so here they are! Not a crusty bun, it is neither egg-washed nor well-browned. In fact, a tea towel is spread over them as they cool so as to keep them soft.

Of course, I had to make a batch of Strawberry Jam and a batch of Clotted Cream 

to fill the splits. But I could spare two berries to "model" for me for this little

watercolor sketch. 

Unlike scones, which are served alongside the accompanying clotted cream and jam (or lemon curd), Splits are served, well, split, and filled with the cream and jam and given a dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar).

These were so delicious with a pot of Rishi Tea organic loose leaf Earl Grey. Have you ever had Cornish or Devonshire Splits?

Cornish Splits - Devonshire Splits

(Makes 18 buns)

The Buns

3 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (18.75 ounces/532 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package/0.25 ounce/7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons (0.25 ounce/7 grams) salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) milk
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) water
1 large egg (medium in UK), lightly beaten

The Filling

Strawberry Jam 
Clotted Cream

1 In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In small saucepan, heat together butter, milk and water until butter is melted and mixture is very warm, but not more than 130F/54C on an instant-read thermometer. Line two baking sheets with parchment. I use one half sheet pan and one quarter sheet pan for this recipe. Lightly oil a 2-quart bowl for proofing the dough. I use a 2-quart glass measure, which makes it very easy to tell when the dough has doubled. 

2 With dough whisk or large wooden spoon, stir warm liquid and beaten egg into flour mixture until blended. The dough will be very sticky.

3 Measure out 1/2 dip-and-sweep cup (2.5 ounces/71 grams) of unbleached all-purpose flour to work from while kneading the dough. This will keep you from the common problem of adding too much flour and ruining your dough. Lightly flour the countertop and scrape the dough onto it. Lightly flour the top of the dough and knead for 10 minutes, adding just a bit of flour as needed. You will likely need anywhere from 1/4 cup to slightly less than 1/2 cup.

4 Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), cover with lid or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about an hour or so.

5 Deflate the risen dough by pressing your fist into the middle of it. Turn the dough out onto the counter, no need for flour. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces. I'm pretty particular about my buns and rolls being identical, so I weigh the dough (in this case, my dough was 2 pounds 7 ounces/1106 grams) on my OXO Good Grips digital food scale, divide the grams by 18 (in this case, coming out to be about 61 grams per bun), then I weigh each little hunk of dough as I go. Roll the piece of dough between your palms until smooth, then do this to shape it into a nice round bun. Cup your hand over it like a "cage" and move your hand rapidly in an outward motion.

6 Place the buns on the parchment-lined baking sheets and cover with lids or plastic wrap. I don't like using plastic wrap, so I have rimmed baking sheets that come with lids! Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes or so. During the last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

7 I bake one sheet at a time. Bake for about 15 minutes (you know your oven), until buns are just golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to wire cooling rack and cover with a tea towel. Cool completely.

8 When ready to serve, slice the buns diagonally from about a third of the way down in the front to about two-thirds of the way down in the back, but do not slice all the way through. Put in a spoonful of strawberry jam (about 2 level teaspoons works for me) and spread it over both the top and bottom. Then put in a spoonful of clotted cream (about the same amount). Arrange the filled splits on a serving platter or tray, and dust with a little icing sugar.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

French Almond-Rum Cake - Gateau Nantais

Gateau Nantais (pronounced GAT-toe nahn-tay, sort of) is a traditional cake of Nantes, a city on the delta of the Loire in western France. The city is famous for its fleur de sel and its salted butter, so its inhabitants might be outraged that I have made the famous cake with unsalted butter, but organic unsalted butter is the only kind of butter I ever use.

If you make this recipe with salted butter, reduce the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon. Most versions of the recipe call for a good deal more rum than I've used, though I think I've used a drop more of it than did Phil, from whose blog, As Strong As Soup, I first heard of the cake some years ago. So I'll leave the amount of rum up to you.

With mostly almond flour and just a tiny amount of wheat flour, the cake is so close to gluten-free I thought I'd just use a gluten-free flour blend and make it a cake I can serve to my GF friends. But you can just use regular all-purpose flour as well. It's lovely and delicious with toasted sliced almonds on top, but I went traditional with this one.

Of course, you can eat it right away, but this cake is even better the next day. So do make it the day before you plan to serve it. And, if you like, please Pin it and share it. This was a lovely cake to celebrate my 10th blogiversary!

  

French Almond-Rum Cake - Gateau Nantais

(Makes one 7-inch round cake)

The Cake

1/3 dip-and-sweep cup (1.67 ounces/47 grams) gluten-free 1 to 1 Baking Flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon non-GMO baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (medium in UK)
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces/149 grams) sugar (I use 1/2 cup)
1 1/4 cups (4.5 ounces/128 grams) almond flour*
1 to 2 tablespoons (0.5 to 1 fluid ounce/15 to 30 ml) dark rum

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

* I use Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour From Blanched Whole Almonds

The Syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons (0.64 ounce/18 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces/ml) water

1 tablespoon dark rum

The Glaze

3/4 packed cup (3 ounces/85 grams) powdered sugar
1/16 teaspoon (a pinch) salt
2 teaspoons dark rum

2 teaspoons water, a bit more if needed

The Optional Garnish

1/4 cup (1.125 ounces/32 grams) sliced almonds, toasted

1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Generously butter a 7-inch/18 cm round cake tin or removable-bottom pan. Put a round of baking parchment paper in the bottom and butter it as well. 

2 In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a 2-cup glass measure or small bowl, lightly beat the eggs.

3 In a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer and large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then add the almond flour, beating on medium speed just until incorporated, about 1 minute.

4 Add the eggs, about a third at a time, beating for about 20 seconds after each addition. On medium-high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, gradually mix in the flour just until incorporated. With silicone spatula, stir in the rum and almond extract and scrape the bowl. 

5 Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden brown. 

6 During the last 20 minutes of baking, make the syrup. In 1-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then boil for 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in the rum. Then simmer for 2 minutes.

7 When the cake is done, cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then turn it out onto a wire rack, bottom side up. Immediately peel away the baking parchment paper and brush the top and sides of the cake with the rum syrup. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Transfer to serving platter.

8 Make the glaze in a 1.5-quart mixing bowl. Vigorously whisk the powdered sugar and salt and smoosh out the big lumps, then whisk in the dark rum. Gradually whisk in enough water to make a rather thick (not too runny), smooth glaze. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake, then spread it out toward the edges, letting a bit drip down the sides. An offset spatula (OXO Good Grips calls theirs a bent icing knife) is handy for the task. 

9 Optional: Sprinkle top with toasted sliced almonds. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour. Cover with a cake dome and store at room temperature. Will keep for a few days, I suppose; but I don't know because I put half the cake in the freezer.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

An Announcement

This post has absolutely nothing to do with pears, but I had to put up a picture of something. And pears made more sense than some of the stuff I paint, like autumn leaves, pine trees, trees in general, cats, birds and elephants! 

Each year as February 15 approaches, I consider the future of my blog. And never more so than this year when February 15 will mark the Tenth Blogiversary of Delightful Repast.

When I started blogging, I never dreamed I would be posting every week for 10 years. I know lots of bloggers post multiple times a week, but once a week was a real stretch for me.

I love developing recipes and writing them out in great detail so that my readers at every skill level can have success with them. I enjoy sharing my love of tea (the beverage and the ritual) and wine. And I slip in the occasional travel post.

One of my favorite types of posts is when I do a giveaway of a product or book or piece of kitchen equipment I use and love. 

The best part of blogging for me is something that many bloggers miss out on--engagement with my readers. I read and respond to every comment and, if the commenter has a blog, I visit the blog and leave a comment there. 

I really don't want to give all that up. So I've decided to post less frequently rather than stop posting altogether. I hope that will suit my readers as well as give me a bit more time for all the other aspects of my life.

Don't ask me how long it takes to produce one of my posts and do all the other things associated with blogging. I've never actually done the math on that because I didn't want to know!

Rather than posting every Thursday as I have all these years without a break, I am going to post every other Thursday. So don't look for a new post next week, but come by anyway and read an old post--there are more than 500 of them!

I'll be back on February 13 (10th blogiversary week), and I hope you'll join me! If you haven't subscribed, please do so and you'll automatically get an email notice when a new post is published. 

And just to get some food into this food blog post for you, here is what I'm making for dinner today: Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast with Gravy.

Jean 

Swedish Cinnamon Buns - Kanelbullar

Swedish Cinnamon Buns came to my attention through Ron at Lost in a Pot, where you'll find lots of Swedish recipes. Then I read dozens of recipes for the buns. Then, of course, I went all Frank Sinatra and "did it my way!" 

My recipe uses my by-hand make-ahead method, whereas Ron mixes his kanelbullar dough in an Ankarsrum Assistent Original (that's not a typo, it's Swedish), a completely different type of mixer I first heard of a few years ago when writing a magazine article. 

I baked a half batch (12) one day, and a half batch the next, using a different shaping method, which I think makes a prettier bun for me. But I'll tell you how to do it both ways in the recipe directions. (Sorry I didn't take photos of the prettier buns.) 

My research indicates that even some "real" Swedish people making "real" Kanelbullar make a big roll and cut it into slices just like American cinnamon rolls. So I think what makes them Swedish is the use of cardamom in the dough. I don't know. And Ron says Kanelbullar never have icing, which makes me very happy!

As you might expect, I skip the traditional sprinkling of pearl sugar as I don't like to eat it and I think the buns are prettier without it. But those who do use the pearl sugar differ in when they put it on the buns; some after the egg wash before baking; others after a brushing of sugar syrup after baking. You decide.

The "authentic" Swedish Kanelbullar experience probably includes a cup of coffee or a glass of milk, but my inauthentic experience includes tea. What will you have with your Kanelbullar?

Swedish Cinnamon Buns - Kanelbullar

(Makes 24)

The Cardamom Dough

3 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (16.25 ounces/461 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk, microwaved 1 to 2 minutes in 2-cup glass measure until hot but not boiling
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces/grams) unsalted butter, cut into about 6 slices and added to heated milk

1 large egg, room temperature

The Cinnamon Filling

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

The Egg Wash

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water

1 Start the dough the day before. In large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt. In 2-cup glass measure, microwave milk until hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes in my microwave; stir in pieces of butter to melt. Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved flour to form a soft dough.

2 Leave the dough in the bowl. Using the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, flour one hand and sprinkle some of the flour over the dough. Lightly squish the dough around in the bowl with one hand (not really kneading!), adding a little of the reserved flour at a time. If baking all 24 buns, proceed with Step 3a. If baking 12 one day and 12 the next, see Step 3b. 

3a Gently shape the dough into a smooth ball (it will be sticky). Place in lightly oiled bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure); lightly oil surface. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. 

3b Divide the dough into two equal (about 16 ounces/454 grams) pieces and shape each into a smooth ball (they will be sticky). Place each in a lightly oiled 4-cup lidded Pyrex bowl; lightly oil surface. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or lid. Refrigerate overnight.

4 Next day, make the filling (full or half batch) by creaming together filling ingredients; let cold dough (full or half batch) stand at room temperature for an hour or so to warm up a bit before shaping. Punch down the dough by pressing down in center and folding in edges; cover and let relax in bowl for 20 minutes. Line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

5a Full batch: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and roll out to 18x12-inch (46x30 cm) rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over one long half of the dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Fold the plain half over the half with the filling to make an 18x6-inch (46x15 cm) rectangle.

5b Half batch: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and roll out to 9x12-inch (23x30 cm) rectangle. Spread a half batch of the cinnamon filling evenly over one short half of the dough, leaving ½-inch border. Fold the plain half over the half with the filling to make a 9x6-inch (23x15 cm) rectangle.

6 Using a straight edge and sharp knife or plastic pizza wheel, cut the filled dough into 24 (or 12, if half batch) 6x3/4-inch (15x2 cm) strips. Twist and tie the buns (or make a simple spiral), and place them on the lined baking sheet(s), spaced so as to not touch once they rise. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour or so.

How to Twist and Tie the Buns: Holding onto one end of a strip, twist it several times, coil the twisted strip around your index finger twice, and tuck the end down through the opening in the center. OR just make a simple spiral of the twisted strip and tuck the end under the bun. That's what I did for my second batch, and I think it makes a prettier bun!

7 Preheat oven to 450F/230C/Gas8. In small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the risen rolls with the egg wash just before baking. As soon as you put the pan in the oven, reduce heat to 400F/205C/Gas6. Bake for about 15 minutes, until deep golden brown.

PS I absolutely love my Nordic Ware Commercial Half Sheet Pan and Nordic Ware Half Sheet Cover. That perfectly fitting cover comes in handy for so many things, including covering rising buns without using plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Perfect Pizza Dough - No Machine, No Kneading, No Fuss

This is THE pizza dough, the pizza dough I've been making for many years. Needs no special equipment or skill. You don't need a heavy-duty stand mixer or a food processor or to know how to knead yeast dough. 

I have a heavy-duty stand mixer and a food processor, and I have been kneading yeast dough since I was a young girl; so why do I make my pizza dough this way? Because it's better this way. Better texture, better flavor.

This isn't exactly the technique of any of the famous bakers, but it's how I do it and it always gets raves. So I hope you'll give it a try. There's no fussiness about temperatures, or hydration percentages or folding techniques that leave you wondering why you didn't just make a kneaded dough in the first place.

Just stir it up in a big bowl, divide the dough into three portions, put each into a covered bowl, put the bowls in the refrigerator and let time do its magic on the dough. If you want to make a larger or thicker crust, divide the dough in half instead of thirds.

If you want to make one now and two at a later date, after the dough has been in the fridge for three days, wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap or put it in a freezer bag* and pop them in the freezer.

*If you have these freezer-safe 4-cup Pyrex round dishes with lids, you can skip the plastic.

The day before you want to use a piece of dough, move it from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw and do its slow-rise thing. Then proceed the same as for the dough that was simply refrigerated.

I haven't frozen any dough in ages because we love pizza and will happily eat one three times in one week. And if you're cooking for more than one or two people, you'll want to make two or three pizzas on the same evening. 

See my original Make Real Pizza at Home - Part Three post for my precision timeline for making and getting two pizzas (you can easily extend it to three) made and served in a timely fashion.

And you'll find sauce, topping and baking details at The Best Homemade Pizza post. Are you a pizza fan? 

Don't forget to Pin it and share it!

No Knead Pizza Dough

(Makes three 12-ounce crusts for three 12-inch pizzas)

4 dip-and-sweep cups (20 ounces/567 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt
1 teaspoon (0.125 ounces/3.5 grams) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 3/4 cups (14 fluid ounces/414 ml) water, room temperature

1 In large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. With dough whisk or wooden spoon, stir in the oil and water until thoroughly combined. Stir for a minute. Stir in remaining flour a half cup at a time. The finished dough will be elastic and sticky.

2 Oil three 1-quart lidded bowls and their lids; set aside. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Cut the dough into 3 equal (12-ounce) pieces; I weigh them, of course, on digital kitchen scale. Sprinkle flour over the dough. With floured hands, gently round each piece into a ball.

3 Dip each dough ball into one of the oiled bowls, rolling the dough in the oil, flatten it a bit, and then put the lid on. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for three days. You can use it anytime from two to seven days after making it, but I like to give it three days to develop and build flavor. Be warned: At some point, the lids will likely pop loose because of the fermentation process, so be sure to weight down the lids so that a skin won't form on the top of the dough.

Note: You can also freeze the portions of dough, well wrapped in plastic or in the glass storage containers for up to a month. Move the frozen dough from freezer to refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to use it.

Tip: I use the Lodge Pro-Logic Cast Iron Pizza Pan just like a pizza stone, preheated in the oven. You'll find my directions in the two posts linked to above the recipe.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean