Saffron Millefeuille with Pistachio and Lime Icing...

Sounds impressive, no?

But it ended up looking like this...

Rather messy!

It did taste good though, I just need to work on presentation. This is the first recipe attempt in my 'using ingredients I likes while teaching myself cooking good' project, and the ingredient in question was the saffron. I love it's sweet, warm, exotic-ness and especially how well it works in in creamy dessert dishes.

The decision to make millefeuille (which I still struggle to even say) was partly because I have never made it before and it would involve my first attempt at rough puff pastry. Also, though, those creamy stacks of sin are always what I am drawn to in a bakery or patisserie - custard rules.

Anyway, the rough puff recipe and the creme patissiere recipes both came from Michel Roux's Pastry book (which is a brilliant book by the way, if you are into making pastry you should check it out). The rough puff is pretty easy to make and it was fun to try, but I don't know if I would always make this instead of buying a good one in the shop - try it though, even if it is just to see first hand HOW MUCH BUTTER is actually in puff pastry :-)

At the same point Michel tells you to infuse the milk with the vanilla pod, I also added the saffron - 

Mistake number 1 - too much saffron! I got a bit over excited an probably added about a teaspoons worth and in the end I think it wasn't as delicate as I was imagining. Maybe go for a small pinch next time.

I then had to kind of guess about cooking the pastry - I got a couple of internet tips, rolled it out and cooked flat on a baking tray weighed down with another baking tray for 10 mins, then removed the tray and cooked for another 15 but - 

Mistake number 2 - I hadn't rolled the pastry out thin enough and I found myself cooking it longer than I thought I would need to, and it still wasn't cooked enough. Next time, I think I will roll to half a centimetre and 25 mins total cooking time then should be plenty, but keeping an eye on it to make sure!

This is what inevitably led to my messy end result, the pastry was too heavy and it was difficult to stack, the creme kept squidging out the sides! They improved after being in the fridge for a bit, firmed up like, but again in my head they looked quite different. The icing was tasty, if not a very attractive colour, made very simply with icing sugar, lime juice and pistachios whizzed up. I was pretty chuffed with how these flavours complemented the saffron-y custard, that at least was a winner!

I have pastry and icing left so I will try these again and try to improve them now I have learnt my lessons. Test, test! And once I have it down, I will document the recipe for ya'll.

As for saffron, I'm not done with you yet! I'd like to try it in some savoury recipes, cakes, and more Eastern inspired desserts as well.

Madrid and the purchase of an ingredient...

This weekend, I went to Madrid with my friend Hannah for a short girly getaway. It's a really fantastic city, so brilliant that we were able to get over the scam that cost Hannah 100 Euro, and the girl I found with her hand in my bag, and the strange man who tried to grope us in the main square - we are pretty sure he was drunk.

Seriously, don't let that put you off, these were our personal unlucky moments and make for good anecdotal tidbits, it really is a great place for a short city break. For a start it's historic centre in particular is beautiful, with bendy streets and tall town houses, it has wonderful galleries and museums (we went to see Guernica, 'twas super) and above all, INCREDIBLE food. Yes caps, you see them! So good.

We were staying at an apartment round the corner from the Mercado de San Miguel, which is an absolute must if you like cheese, meat, wine, fish, sangria, cake, ice cream, fresh fruit, beer, especially if you like croquettes, coffee, bread...need I go on? You just go in, it is a re-furbed old building done out all nice like, and there are counters and tables in the middle and round the sides. You buy a drink, then wander contentedly ordering bits of tapas until you fall over from fullness, too much sangria, or sheer pleasure.

As well as this, there is Calle Cava Baja which is a street full of lively tapas bars (as long as you go after 10pm!) filled with locals and tourists alike, and generally you go into any of them across the city and order a drink you will be handed a little plate of deliciousness along with it. In the Chueca neighbourhood (which also has a great market, San Anton) there is a bar called El Tigre - it was packed and you don't just get a little taster with your drinks, you get an enormous plate! It's not the best tapas, but there is loads of it and they do huge cups of sangria :-)

Here are some links, if you are thinking of going

http://www.mercadosananton.com/
http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/
http://www.airbnb.co.uk/users/show/1424863
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187514-d313698-Reviews-Cava_Baja-Madrid.html
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d1829992-Reviews-El_Tigre-Madrid.html

 Giant Sangria!

 Hangover saving chorizo sandwich

 Inside and outside the Mercado   
                                                                                           de San Miguel

And so, you will see on my saffron on my ingredient list which I picked up from a lovely little deli just off the square - it's a bit cheaper if you buy it in Spain - and this will be what I use in my first recipe this weekend!