345g strong white bread flour

35g caster sugar

2 tsp fast-action dried yeast

1 tsp salt

240g butter, chilled

125ml whole milk

50ml warm water

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

125g dried dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

50g dried apricots, coarsely chopped

25g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

30ml (2 tbsp) spiced dark rum

25g soft dark brown sugar

For the creme patissiere:

50g caster sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

2 egg yolks

20g cornflour

250ml whole milk

3 tbsp granulated sugar

6 tbsp water



Method:





1. Make the dough. Sift together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer (with the dough hook attachment), and stir briefly. Add 1 tbsp (15g) of the butter and rub in until there are no lumps left.









3. Halve the remaining butter and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment (or clingfilm) to a rectangle around 15 x 23cm. Place in the freezer, and then repeat with the other half of the butter.



4. Flour your work surface, then tip the dough out onto it. Dust with flour and then roll out the dough to a rectangle roughly 30cm x 60cm. Turn so the long side is closest to your body.



5. Unwrap one of the halves of butter and place in the centre of the rolled out dough. Dust off any excess flour from the dough, then fold the right side over the butter. Dust off excess flour, and then fold over the left side. Seal so that no butter is visible.



6. Turn the dough 90 degrees, and then roll out to a rectangle 30cm x 60cm. Place the remaining half of the butter in the centre of the rolled out dough, and cover the butter with the dough as in step 5.



7. Turn the dough 90 degrees and again roll out the dough to a rectangle around 30 x 60cm. Fold one-third of the dough into the centre, and then fold the other third on top (like if you make an A4 leaflet). Cover with cling film and freeze for 20 minutes.



8. Whilst the dough is chilling, make your fillings. To make the rum Nicky filling, pour the dates, crystallized ginger, dried apricots into a bowl along with the rum and brown sugar. Stir to ensure all of the sugar has dissolved and then set aside.



9. To make the creme patissiere, place the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, and sugar into a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan until it is lightly simmering.



10. Whilst whisking, pour the milk over the egg mix. Once all of the milk has been added, return to the pan and cook for a few minutes (on a low heat) until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a clean bowl, cover with cling film (to prevent a skin forming), and set aside.



11. Take the dough out of the freezer and unwrap onto a well-floured work surface. With the short side nearest to you, roll the dough out to a 25 x 60cm rectangle. Fold one third on the centre, then the other third on top (as previously). Cover and return to the freezer for 15 minutes.



12. Unwrap the dough and roll out to a 30 x 30cm square. Spread over the creme patissiere evenly, and then sprinkle over the rum-soaked fruits. Roll up into as tight a spiral as you can.



13. Gently divide the roll into twelve even spirals, and transfer to two baking trays lined with baking parchment, leaving plenty of space between each spiral.



14. Cover lightly with clingfilm/a tea towel, and prove for around 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.



15. Preheat your oven to 220c (200c fan)/428f/gas mark 7.



16. Bake the spirals for 18-20 minutes. After around 10 minutes, check on the pastries - if they are getting very brown, cover with kitchen foil and return to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.



17. In the last 5 minutes of baking, make the glaze by pouring the sugar and water into a saucepan and bringing to a boil. Boil for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly and is syrupy.



18. As soon as the pastries are out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush over the glaze. Leave to cool (although they would taste great warm!).



19. Enjoy!



2. In a jug, whisk together the egg, milk, water and vanilla, then pour over the flour mixture. Turn the stand mixer on to a low speed and knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and sticky.3. Halve the remaining butter and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment (or clingfilm) to a rectangle around 15 x 23cm. Place in the freezer, and then repeat with the other half of the butter.4. Flour your work surface, then tip the dough out onto it. Dust with flour and then roll out the dough to a rectangle roughly 30cm x 60cm. Turn so the long side is closest to your body.5. Unwrap one of the halves of butter and place in the centre of the rolled out dough. Dust off any excess flour from the dough, then fold the right side over the butter. Dust off excess flour, and then fold over the left side. Seal so that no butter is visible.6. Turn the dough 90 degrees, and then roll out to a rectangle 30cm x 60cm. Place the remaining half of the butter in the centre of the rolled out dough, and cover the butter with the dough as in step 5.7. Turn the dough 90 degrees and again roll out the dough to a rectangle around 30 x 60cm. Fold one-third of the dough into the centre, and then fold the other third on top (like if you make an A4 leaflet). Cover with cling film and freeze for 20 minutes.8. Whilst the dough is chilling, make your fillings. To make the rum Nicky filling, pour the dates, crystallized ginger, dried apricots into a bowl along with the rum and brown sugar. Stir to ensure all of the sugar has dissolved and then set aside.9. To make the creme patissiere, place the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, and sugar into a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan until it is lightly simmering.10. Whilst whisking, pour the milk over the egg mix. Once all of the milk has been added, return to the pan and cook for a few minutes (on a low heat) until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a clean bowl, cover with cling film (to prevent a skin forming), and set aside.11. Take the dough out of the freezer and unwrap onto a well-floured work surface. With the short side nearest to you, roll the dough out to a 25 x 60cm rectangle. Fold one third on the centre, then the other third on top (as previously). Cover and return to the freezer for 15 minutes.12. Unwrap the dough and roll out to a 30 x 30cm square. Spread over the creme patissiere evenly, and then sprinkle over the rum-soaked fruits. Roll up into as tight a spiral as you can.13. Gently divide the roll into twelve even spirals, and transfer to two baking trays lined with baking parchment, leaving plenty of space between each spiral.14. Cover lightly with clingfilm/a tea towel, and prove for around 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.15. Preheat your oven to 220c (200c fan)/428f/gas mark 7.16. Bake the spirals for 18-20 minutes. After around 10 minutes, check on the pastries - if they are getting very brown, cover with kitchen foil and return to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.17. In the last 5 minutes of baking, make the glaze by pouring the sugar and water into a saucepan and bringing to a boil. Boil for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly and is syrupy.18. As soon as the pastries are out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush over the glaze. Leave to cool (although they would taste great warm!).19. Enjoy!

For the quarter-final of GBBO 2018, the bakers were tasked with three Danish bakes. The signatures were Danish open sandwiches, made from rye bread. Although I want to make rye bread someday, it wasn't really enticing me last weekend. The technical challenge looked simple enough but required a fancy pan - Aebleskiver - like doughnuts with an apple and cinnamon filling.I decided to instead make a basic version of the showstopper - kagekone - a Danish birthday "cake", where Danish pastries are shaped to be a boy or a girl. Some of the baker's creations were really impressive, I particularly loved the appearance of Kim-Joys. Due to time constraints and being unsure whether the recipe would work, I decided to make the Danish pastries only. I have made Danish pastry once previously - two years ago in fact ( see here for the White Chocolate and Blueberry Danishes I baked then) - but I thought I'd try out one of the baker's recipes, and see if I had better results.I filled the swirls with a filling I made a few years ago for a technical bake made in the tent - Cumberland rum Nicky ( see link here for that recipe ). This tart has a filling of dates, ginger and apricots with lots of spiced rum, and I remembered it really packed a punch of flavour. To add a more traditional note, before spreading over the spiced rummy fruits, I made a creme patissiere and spread that on first.I used Briony's recipe for the dough itself, with one alteration (because I can't read recipes sometimes...). The dough was lovely to work with, and I think they worked really well! I checked on them in the oven after 12 minutes, and they'd already gone a bit browner than ideal, and so I covered them with foil and baked them for 8 more minutes. Next time, I'll check them sooner, but I don't think they're so dark to be unappealing :)The pastries taste amazing - I was pretty impressed with the lamination! They've so far kept for 4 days without going soggy/stale, and this is definitely a recipe I'll return to (and maybe make the whole Kagekone one day!).Makes 12For the dough:For the rum Nicky filling:For the glaze: