Savoury Baking: Some Advice and Recipes
If you love to bake, you probably create desserts to die for. We’re imagining it now; sticky chocolate cakes, spiced fruity buns, pretty little pastries….delicious! But how often do you bake savoury treats?
For those of us who love sweet treats, savoury delicacies can get ignored, but there are some delicious recipes out there to try. Why not give some of them a go for your next picnic or buffet?
Cheese Pastry
Once upon a time, apple pies traditionally had cheese pastry crusts. Using a sharp cheddar in a dessert pie sounds like madness, but the tang of the cheese and the sharp, sweet apple filling really does work.
If you’re not convinced, we’ll let Delia do the talking.
Courgette and Carrot Cakes
Ah, the humble but absolutely delicious carrot cake – now with a bright green best friend. Courgette cakes might seem like a modern clean eating invention, but they were actually baked during the Second World War when ingredients like eggs were scarce, and veg you could grow in your garden was your main food source!
This take on Nigella’s courgette cake is a must-bake.
Savoury Danishes
Custard, jam, curd and…caramelised red onion? Not all together in the same pastry case of course, but separately they make up a sweet and savoury selection sure to be welcome at any buffet!
Our ideas for fillings include:
- tomato and thyme
- caramelised red onion chutney and goats cheese
- savoury egg custard and serrano ham
- mushroom and tarragon.
Simply make (or buy) puff pastry, and fold them into the styles you like with your chosen fillings inside – although if you’re doing things properly, Paul Hollywood’s danish pastry dough recipe is well worth trying.
Savoury Pancakes
If you’re in the mood for something warm and homemade, but you don’t fancy an evening in front of the cooker, savoury pancakes are the perfect savoury baking option.
Olive has some mouth-watering recipes on their site to give you ideas for pancakes that go beyond lemon and sugar or bacon and maple syrup.
Sweetcorn feta and spring onion? Korean courgette? Spinach, chickpea and feta? Yes, yes, yes to all of the above.
It’s like we always say, pancakes are for life, not just Shrove Tuesday.
Savoury Porridge
Okay, so it’s not technically baking, but this we had to try. Some mornings you just want something deliciously savoury, and this hits the spot perfectly. If you’re not sure of the texture, think of it like an oat-based risotto. Sound more appetising?
Using different milks can also add to the flavour combos – coconut milk, lime and chilli? Er, yes please!
This creamy spinach version is particularly good – and it’s vegan!
Macarons with a Difference
You will almost certainly wow your dinner party guests with a batch of macarons baked with savoury tastes in mind.
If you’re a confident baker you’ll know that macarons aren’t actually that difficult to whip up (literally), so just imagine the possibilities if you stop adding sugar and start adding delicious ingredients instead?
Vogue magazine has some great inspiration here for the daring patisserie chef, including a rather divine looking avocado and goats cheese cream filled version and a nod to the ’70s we quite like for how kitsch it is – perfectly pink salmon mousse macarons. What a fun appetiser!
Which of these will you dare to try? Let us know over on our Facebook page.
Until next time…