Last bakes of 2014

Spent a lot of time during the Christmas break baking.
Learned to make these pastry from scratch:
1 Puff pastry
2 French sweet pastry (cooked shortcrust pastry)
3 Spiced brioche buns 

I used the puff pastry to make some delicious beef sausage rolls with my homemade cranberry jam and sharon fruit. The lightly curry-spiced minced meat, sharp cranberry jam and sweet fresh fruit make these sausage rolls Middle Eastern in flavour. 


For the unusual cooked French sweet pastry, I made some mango jam tarts, French apple tarts (using two type of apples; homemade sweet dessert apple puree and sharp Granny Smith apple slices topping) and browned butter caramelised banana and dark chocolate tarts. The pastry was cook first (something like choux pastry) and then while it is still hot, mould within the pastry ring. It has a rustic look. Probably more suited for home-style bakes. It is fiddly to mould and time consuming. 


The spiced brioche rolled buns were an experiment. Inspired by the look of the Chelsea buns. Instead of cinnamon, I substituted it with some Chinese ingredients; red fermented bean curd and Chinese five spice powder with dark sugar. Inside the buns, you will find a rather attractive dark and light alternate pattern.This is quite an interesting bread. Brioche dough (French) with Chinese spices. The bread is a combination of sweet and savoury with the shinny sweet apricot glaze..East Mixed West; Sweet and savoury!