Braiding is easy and always looks impressive! This recipe is quick, buy all-butter puff pastry; the results will be far superior.
Ingredients
- 500ml white wine
- 100ml water
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- Large sprig of rosemary
- 6 pears, peeled and sliced in 6 wedges
- 375g ready-roll puff pastry (you will only need one sheet)
- 4 tablespoons ground almonds
- 7 small sprigs rosemary
- Egg wash
Method
Catherine says: "I wanted to share some more easy baking treats. Once you’re in the zone, baking is pure joy and great fun. I have some old faithful recipes that I change and can still enjoy, by reducing the sugar content or adding more fruit."
Presentation is important too, so keep these cakes neat around the edges when you bake them and use a piping bag to decorate. So, why don’t you take out the cake stand hidden in the back of the press and showcase your pastry skills? Use some old boards with flowers to serve your creations and you’ll get plenty of wows! Happy baking!
- To poach the pears, pour the wine, water and caster sugar into a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the vanilla pod and rosemary and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes until a syrup forms.
- Add the pear wedges and poach slowly for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool completely.
- Pre-heat the oven to 210°C (fan 190°C, gas 7). To assemble, roll out the pastry slightly thinner on a piece of baking parchment that will fit on your baking tray.
- Transfer it to the tray and place the poached pear wedges in a strip in the centre of the pastry.
- Sprinkle over the ground almonds and the rosemary sprigs.
- Using a sharp knife or clean scissors, make a 3cm cut at an angle on either sides of the filling at the top and end of the pastry.
- Fold these pastry flaps over both ends. Then cut slits 2½cm (1in) apart at a slight angle on each side of the pastry all the way down.
- To braid, brush the pastry that has been flapped over with the egg wash, then take each strip and cross over, working all the way down.
- Brush the pastry with egg wash. 5 Place in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and puffed. Serve warm with natural yoghurt.
