Friday 20 May 2016

Raspberry Squares

This my fifth month baking with The Cake Slice Bakers and I very nearly didn't get to bake at all... the past few  weeks seem to have whizzed by and this week we've been a bit pre-occupied with the puppy. But the girls came to my house for knitting this morning (as I'm still not driving) so it seemed a good excuse to bake something special. The choices this month from Maida Heatter's Cakes were a bundt cake with a chocolate sauce (Big Daddy's Cake) that sounded delicious but more like a dessert than a cake, a chocolate swiss roll with a whipped cream filling, a marmalade gingerbread loaf and raspberry squares. I had intended to make the gingerbread loaf  (and probably still will) but with two of our knitters not liking or not able to eat marmalade, I opted for the raspberry squares instead.


These are made with a yeasted pastry that has to be prepared the night before and refridgerated over night but with no kneading or rising. I only had a quick action yeast rather than standard dried yeast so mixed it in with the dry ingredients before adding the wet. I had still expected the dough to rise overnight but it remained in a solid lump in the morning. I thought that meant it wouldn't work but decided to go ahead anyway. I didn't really understand the instructions for dealing with the edges either... if the filling was spread to the edge as instructed, then how could I fold over the dough at the edges without making a mess! This is where a photo might have been useful!


I did wonder if it might have benefited from a glaze on the pastry lattice, but but the time it was cut into squares (or rectangles in this case) and dusted with icing sugar it all looked just fine.


Definitely a morning cake... or pastry really, to go with a cup of coffee... And quite delicious too!


Leah's Raspberry Squares (adapted from Maida Heatter's Cakes)
You will need a swiss roll tin, approx 25 cm x 37 cm. The method I have given is for the method I used rather than the one in the book.

Ingredients:
  • 7g quick action yeast
  • 420g sifted plain flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 36g caster sugar
  • 220g  unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 125 ml evaporated milk mixed with 60 ml water
  • 450g raspberry conserve (I used Bonne Maman)
  • grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 75g chopped blanched almonds
  • icing sugar to dust
Method:
  • The night before you want the squares mix the flour and salt together. Rub in the butter.
  • Stir in the sugar and the yeast.
  • whisk together the egg and the milk and stir this into the dry ingedients.
  • Mix well to combine and cover and refridgerate overnight
  • The following morning, preheat the oven to 350 deg F, 180 deg C, 160 deg fan and lightly butter your swis roll tin
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop and roll into a ball. Divide into two.
  • Shape one piece into a rectangle and roll the dough out to slightly larger than your swiss roll tin. Transfer to the tin and trim the edges level with the top.
  • Mix the raspberry consrve with the lemon rind and chopped almonds and spread over the dough in the pan, taking it right up the the edge.
  • Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle and then cut into 1.5 cm strips using a pizza cutter. Place half the strips diagonally across the pan 1.5 cm apart and then place the remaining strips crisscrossing in the opposite direction. Trim all the ends of the strips.
  • At this point, Maida says to fold the edges of the dough in towards the centre to form a border but I found it was becoming a jammy mess so I left them and trimmed it when cooked.
  • Bake for 25 - 30 minutes in the preheated oven (I found 25 minutes plenty)
  • Cool in the pan, then cut into squares (or rectangles) and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Do check out what the other bakers have made this month!

   

17 comments:

  1. Those look delicious! I love the idea of using them as a breakfast pastry and I'll bet the other knitters were so happy they came to your house! I wish I had one waiting for me to have with my coffee in the morning! I'll have to give these a go!

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  2. This raspberry squares really look with sugar powder on top! And with store bought fruit conserve, easy peachy to put it altogether!

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  3. Anything with raspberries in any form can only be good. Those squares look so delicious.

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  4. They look good in slices with the pastry staying very neat. Delicious no doubt. :-)

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  5. This looks so professional! You have a great touch. I always shy away from pastry, I think it's complicated. I make shortcrust, that's about it. Love the idea of a breakfast slice. X

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  6. They look delicious Gina. I love raspberries.

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  7. Yummy. May I have one now with my coffee?!

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  8. I love lattice crust designs. They always look so pretty!

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  9. Oh yes! Right up my street. Thanks for the recipe.

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  10. Oh Gina, do those squares look yummy! Doing the lattice strips on the diagonal make for pretty squares and the sugar dusting makes them even more tempting.

    How fortunate those knitters were to have the opportunity to sample these treats.

    The other possible recipes seem interesting, too, but I think you chose the best. It's grand to see how you tweak the MH recipe to improve it. Bravo! xo

    P.S. I love that embroidered tablecloth, too.

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  11. A beautiful rendition of the raspberry squares and so professional looking. Lucky knitters!Wonderful photos, too.

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  12. Those look delicious Gina, your knitters are very lucky to have sampled them.

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  13. Nicely done! Loved everything about this recipe! The glaze would also be a great option instead of powdered sugar! I'll have to keep this in mind!

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  14. Your raspberry squares are really pretty. Nice that you could share them with your knitting group. I too would like a photo sometimes, but I guess if I can't see a photo, then my cake always looks right. Kathleen @ Fearlessly Creative Mammas

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  15. Ooh, I love a fruity bake, especially one with raspberries. Bet those pastries didn't hang around long!

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  16. I've just had a lovely catch-up and boy, oh boy, you've been busy! I'm sorry about the Abbey closing, but I'm thinking you'll make your devoted baking followers very happy!

    These raspberry squares look divine. Our differences are interesting though -- you distinguish between cake and dessert -- Dessert is a class here, including cakes, pies, etc. I'm guessing you wouldn't call a cake a dessert? And I have no idea what a swiss roll tin is! By the looks of the bars, I'm guessing a sheet cake pan? Blogs are so educational LOL!!!

    Oh! And, can we see the puppy? Are you having fun with him???

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  17. yeaaahh I am gonna have to make these Gina.. They look too good! Hazel x

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