Traditional Cornish Pasty

That may or may not be a little touch up patch on the front right..pretend you don't see it! :)

If you have never been to Cornwall then you might well never have had a real Cornish pasty. This is the sad truth! Everywhere I go there are very yummy looking Cornish pasties in very yummy smelling bakeries, and yes they may sometimes be 'ok' but I am yet to find one that is traditional. More often than not they are made using a mushy minced mixture...that's just a blasphemy in Cornwall! There are a few things that make a Cornish Pasty the real deal -

1. The 'D' shape

2. Crimped on one side

3. Filling is created from roughly cut, uncooked chunks of beef, onion, swede and potato

4. Seasoning is a happy amount of pepper and salt

5. Robust pastry that can hold it's shape in the oven/cooling (used to be a ready 'packed lunch' for workers)

6. Sadly the one point I cannot achieve at the moment, has to be made in Cornwall!

Paul Hollywood's Bloomer

Once upon a time I didn't eat bread for a year to see if I could lose a bit of the wobble around the waistline. I cannot conceive myself ever repeating this act of craziness again, I do not know how I managed it in the first place. Bread is a staple for me, something I am not advocating as a particularly healthy thing but...pish posh to that. Fresh bread from the oven with a little dot of butter melting in, unbeatable! I hadn't made bread for a verrrryyy long time, but now I am settled down again in a place with an oven (woop!) I decided to give it a go. As soon as this loaf emerged in all its yumminess I vowed not to buy bread for the next 6 or so months I will be living here (rather than in a van, a bit of a hindrance on the ol' baking that is). Yes it is not a quick fix and does require a few hours, but realistically it is SO easy! If you haven't made bread before, well you really should change that right now, if only for the amazing smell that will make your neighbours jealous :)