I sat down to write this morning and stared at a blank screen for an hour… actually, that’s a lie, I did what I often do… write and delete various musings because I couldn’t work out how to write what I wanted to say. I’m also SO tired… gawd I’m a broken record!
So, I’ve taken myself off to the gym in a strop. I’m typing this into my notes on my phone whilst sitting on a leg machine – you know the hamstring curl one? My hamstrings are weak apparently - my physio refers to it as ‘lazy knees’ (rude) – so I sit on this thing 3 times a week performing 3 sets of 12 reps on each side in the hope that my puny hamstrings will beef-ify. I also need to hurry up because I have a WAY overdue hair wash scheduled - frankly this hair should not have been let out in public… so a wash HAS to happen before I nip to see my friend this afternoon - oh and someone is eyeballing me to get OFF my phone and OFF the machine as he presumably wants to use it. ‘I’m writing to my newsletter friends okayyyyy?’
Anyway, you may be able to gather that I’ve had a bit of a chaotic week – purely self-inflicted and entirely bake-related. Basically, I was an idiot, and scatter- gunned my ‘bakes to try’ list, I suffered a series of annoying failures and was consequently left feeling very frustrated and somewhat demoralised. I also worked my way through an embarrassing amount of butter – painfully expensive and in some cases wasteful - and once again allowed my whirring brain to disturb my sleep – hence my sleepiness.
Naturally, I assumed that my baking mishaps meant that I’d become the world’s worst baker overnight, because you know, logical! So, I took a day off and scheduled a ‘rehab bake day’ (this is now a thing) to restore my confidence. I decided on bread and chose my bagel recipe - it’s one that I find super mindful and it’s something I’m familiar with therefore less likely to eff up - in theory!! The upshot? You will all be very relieved to hear that they hit the spot in every way - mindful, simple, delicious… if these had been a flop too, you’d have probably needed a life jacket to save yourself from the tsunami of tears!!!
I guess it’s a reminder that things go wrong (in life), they just DO… and it’s frustrating and horrible and you might want to cry or scream (I usually do), but we learn more lessons from these times than when things are plain sailing and easy (you may not realise it at the time but I promise there’s always something to learn). So, when things go awry, we should really be grateful, thank the universe for chucking us some lessons, then pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and have another go. Get some fresh air, go for a walk, have a bath, and get a good night’s sleep, then start again with something you love, something that you’re familiar with, that’s simple to approach; ease yourself back into the game and whatever you do, don’t give up!
You will also be relieved to hear that I smashed out an EPIC frangipane-ish tart last Sunday - before the bake-chaos ensued - and you have that recipe to tuck into below… it’s a goodie.
On a lighter note, let’s chat about some other fun stuff from the week:
FUN STUFF
CHOC COVERED SULTANAS - I know I probably need to get over my ‘coat everything in chocolate and freeze it’ era… but wait. I had Lindor choc egg leftover from Easter, and I fancied something chocolate-y… so I melted it down and used it to coat PLUMP sultanas, I then froze them - of course I did - and they’re the best little chocolate-fruity jewels to snaffle when you need a chocolate hit - ok so it’s hardly ground-breaking, but I promise you, it’s a winner!
CHEESE PLEASE - Mum and I have discovered a new cheese called Celtic Promise - it’s s a raw-milk washed-rind cheese produced on an organic family farm in the Teifi Valley, West Wales. Celtic Promise has a delicate buttery texture and a distinctively pungent aroma. It apparently starts life as a Caerphilly and is then washed twice a week for seven weeks in order to develop the cheese’s moist pink rind. If you come across it, you must try it!! I’ve been cutting slivers off a wedge all week - I need to make crackers to go with it… is there any better supper than cheese and crackers.
BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE SARNIE - did anyone watch Gogglebox the Friday before last - they watched This Morning which did a piece on Britain’s favourite sandwich. According to a recent poll by Hovis, BLT came out on top with chicken salad second and tuna/fish finger sandwiches taking third spot… I.DO.NOT.APPROVE. In truth, I’m not great at choosing my ‘favourites of things’ (I’ve alluded to this before; there are just so many parameters to consider - bread type and quality, plus choice of spread/sauce really change the game). However, I do know that I’m not on board with the rest of the nation. I also feel there should be a hot and cold category… Egg/cheese/smoked salmon/tuna/ham (WHERE IS HAM BY THE WAY?) = cold sarnies. Bacon/sausage/fish fingers/chips/fried egg/cheese toastie? = hot - a very different situation - and what about posh sandwiches - with cured meats/speciality cheeses - this topic needs way more thought.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I feel like I need to do a sandwich series - it’s serious business isn’t it? I’m also intrigued to hear your sandwich preference… let me know in the comments!
GRIND HOUSE COFFEE - it’s been on offer in Waitrose, and I’ve never tried it before - so thought I’d give it a go - I like it!
GREEN SPACES - I feel like it’s becoming a theme that I share my outdoor moments from the week - there’s been a raft of dodgy weather again, but there’s still been some glimmers of beauty out there…
TIMER - Right, will someone SOMEWHERE please force me to buy a timer? I constantly forget to jot down the time that something goes in the oven and it’s SO frustrating. I feel that by saying this out loud, I’m now answerable to all of you… so if I don’t get one by next week, there will be trouble. I want this one - it looks cute.
OK, I think we’re caught up… I hope you’re all doing ok? I also want you to know just how much I value having you all here, I’m not sure I say it enough, but I love this little community and don’t take one bit of your support for granted!!
Big love and hugs as always,
Steph x x x
Frangipane (ish) tart
About this frangi tart…
So, the thing is… frangipane seems to come in a few different guises… yes most recipes agree that there are equal quantities of butter sugar and almonds in the mix. There are also eggs but that’s where things start to differ in terms of percentage and then sometimes flour joins the party.
In almost every sense they taste great, but I’m a bit not 100% sold on the sort of errr close-textured, denseness, (catchy way of describing it eh? do you know what I mean though?)… and so, I set out to find a less dense version, one that’s a teeny bit fluffier and lighter.
*I also should add that I drew inspiration from a BBC good food recipe for a Bakewell slice here as it looked just like what I was after.
**I’m also popping my standard frangipane recipe suggestion at the bottom if that sort of vibe is more your thing, and you hate me for trying to reinvent frangipane.
I make the whole thing in Mum’s 37-year-old food processor/mixer - what a stalwart this guy has been over the years, I don’t give him enough credit. The beauty of doing it all in the food processor is that it makes it SUPER simple to make.
The pastry is my FAVOURITE sweet almond pastry adapted from a recipe in my pastry encyclopaedia… it’s so reliable, no shrinky worries and super tasty - a little more biscuity than the very short tender type but honestly VERY.GOOD. If you need a go-to reliable sweet shortcrust- this is for you.
You can make your own jam but … spoiler, I didn’t! Bonne Maman is there to save the day when we need it!! And go for whatever jam you fancy… raspberry is always an excellent choice, the tartness works brilliantly, but blackcurrant, cherry, blackberry would all be great alternatives.
Whilst we’re on the topic of flavour, you could also switch up the nuts in your frangipane - hazelnuts/pistachio (great choices), and you can add a bit of herb, spice, or zest for a little freshness.
To make my frangipane lighter I actually sub out some of the almonds for a pinch of flour and I chuck in a bit of baking powder for that lofty lightness. It does tend to rise quite dramatically and then settle once you pull it out of the oven- it works though honest. I also employed a method suggested by pastry chef Sarah Johnson whereby I blend the almonds and sugar, then add the soft butter and cream it together before whacking in the eggs in 3 stages just mixing until combined and then I pulse the flour in. Fin. So simple!!
It’s obv topped with flaked almonds and then you MUST LIBERALLY DUST THE top with icing sugar - it’s essential! I think we need to get cracking, let’s go!
Recipe
Ingredients
Almond pastry - Makes enough for 2 x 8 - inch tart case
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