Lemon Brioches

I chose this recipe for this weekend's bakes from my women's Institute Bread Book by Liz Herbert, made earlier during the week.  I made 1.5 times the recipe, and it works very well, giving 10 large brioches.  The method is fairly quick and it took me no more than three hours from start to finish.

I seem to have mastered the technique of filling, as I did not have a single one leak.  After I put the spoonful of lemon curd on the round, it was further stretched then carefully brought together, then put into the tins seam downwards.

The brioches have a lot less butter than my previous ones, which is one of the reasons I chose to try this recipe.  The brioches are very good, but not quite as good as the ones with many more times the butter.  Here they are just filled with curd, and in the buttered tins ready for the last prove.

However with the lovely homemade lemon curd filling, they were delicious for breakfast warmed up with a nice cafetiere of coffee.  These have about 6 grams of butter per individual brioche as apposed to 18g per brioches for Paul Hollywood's recipe.  A real indulgence would be the 18g butter per brioche with the lemon curd filling! We had two during the week, and on Saturday the two taken from the freezer were thawed overnight in the bread bin and refreshed quickly in the oven whilst making the coffee.  It was hard to tell that they had not just been baked.

Heartsease stand at Sewing for Pleasure March 2013

I had been approached by the UK Hand Knitters Association to help on their stand at Birmingham NEC, and Friday was the day I had chosen at the time when I could not have thought that we would be having snow.....

The main reason of my visit was to help teach knitting on the UKHKA stand. I had put my coat, handbag, and belongings in store with my camera so had not taken any pictures.

I was asked by Denise the organiser to help on an adjacent stand which they were sponsoring. This has been set up by Ruth & Belinda, who were campaigning to have small heart shaped bags and simple heart shaped bags knitted up to help Children in England who are cared for by Kids Company

There are 1.5 million children suffering from neglect and abuse in the UK (statistic from Action for Children) - sadly these are hidden across the country. Kids Company (the London based charity) works with 36,000 of these young people - 6,000 of them are small children.

 

The Campaign is asking people to knit, sew or crochet one small heart bag for one of these little people. We had so many visitors to the stand, including two gentlemen knitters, one of whom stayed and knitted a great little blue bag for a little boy. There were many examples pinned up on the wall for people to look at for inspiration, and we were brainstorming ideas for little boys too. I knit the simple two oblong 'purse' using white and green double knitting which I thought would look like grass, with the intention of sewing on some little football buttons.

The Kids Company team will use the heart bags in therapy session with the young people they are working with. The bags will contain messages of hope and the ‘pockets’ can hold small keep-sakes and treasures.

We had spinners and quilters, who went away with details, who were looking forward to creating bags using their particular skills and talents. Some ladies went away with plans to bring this idea to their knitting groups. If you read this and are interested do go to this site which gives the pattern and address to send your knits to.

 

In addition to encouraging people to knit some bags, I also helped people with their knitting.  In addition, I taught three people who had never knitted...they went away having done their own small piece, with cast on stitches, garter and stocking stitch and cast off.  I feel that all three are going to become competent knitters if they keep on, their standard for a first time was very good, and the look of wonderful achievement on their faces said everything.  We found a nice pair of bamboo needles and yarn for one of the ladies, and I think she has already joined Ravelry.

 

Inside the huge halls, it was easy to forget what was going on outside.  For a couple of hours after my arrival, I walked around the halls admiring the many exhibitions from contemporary embroidery from the West Country Embroiderers

to a collection a superb Victorian traditional men's smocks

It was great to meet up with an old friend Michala Gyetvai.  She has some of her very big works on view which are just fabulous.  Having been on one of her workshops, and chatted with her in Kenilworth, I understand the skills and the hours which their works take.

and see the projects from recent workshops at the Warwick WI

After a long day, I made my way home by train, calling Mr S as I clambered on the train.  On the other side, I stood in what seemed like blizzard conditions, at a station with nowhere to shelter, and was colder and colder as the snow stuck to to me, and was just about to be swept away by the Ice Queen when my knight in shining car arrived!

Snow in March

A picture can tell a thousand words....

I took this picture Saturday morning on the 23rd March...

This is so unseasonable.

Coventry Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

I spent an inspiring day with some talented people today....as they spun, and wove, and demonstrated their great talents.  There were beginners there, people with professional interest,and amateurs with years of knowledge and skill.   At the start there was a presentation for their annual competition, then the opportunity to admire their entries, and general chatting, with a great lunch made up of dishes brought by members.  I was made very welcome so thanks for a great day.

Theo had entered a beautiful scarf.  The colours look bleached out so sorry for this, but you could view more of his creations on line.  He has a great selection just right for the sartorially elegant man, and other for ladies.

Angela Pearson had entered some wonderful braids, and she demonstrated Tablet Weaving to me.  It takes about five minutes to complete and inch...ouch!  She makes these for traditional costumes worm by historical enactment societies.

Pam was using gorgeous hand spun Lincoln Long Wool worsted spun, on her little triangular loom.  Her entry for the competition was a large rug made up of small squares woven on a square loom, then sew up.  The brown and butterscotch colours were sublime.

Fennel & Sultana Bread by Peter Sidwell

Fennel is delicious both in sweet and savoury bread, so when I spied this recipe in Peter Sidwell's book: Simply Good Bread, I thought I would try this.  Last Thursday, late at night, I quickly made up the starter dough as given...before I read the recipe in full.  The starter is made up of 1 tsp fast action yeast, 500g strong flour and 475ml water.....but the next morning when I came to read up the recipe again, it said use 500g of starter dough, but I had made nearly 1000g...yet earlier in the book they give an overnight sponge as 250g bread flour, 225ml water and 1 tsp yeast...that gives the 500g starter dough. 

The Fennel & Sultana Bread in the picture in the book was not made with dark rye flour, no way, maybe white rye or maybe with no rye....mine was a little overproven,  I had risked going out do do some shopping!!!!  Never the less, it tastes wonderful, and I shall certainly try this flavour combination again soon.

There is no point in crying over surplus starter, so I turned to a couple of books, and decided to add some of my rye sourdough, and used semolina flour, and made some ciabatta.  I remember the last time I tried making this type of bread, years ago, before I had read Andrew Whitley,  this time I was exceedingly pleased with the results....if it had not been for the surplus overnight starter, I would not have tackled this bread...