Thyme & Banana Loaf with Caramel Drizzle
A moist banana loaf lifted with fresh thyme and finished with a glossy caramel drizzle for a quietly elegant twist on a classic bake.
Cinnamon Apple Puff Pastry Log
This Cinnamon Apple Puff Pastry Log combines sweet apples, warm spice, and buttery pastry into a simple bake that looks impressive but is straightforward to make.
Roasting the apples first keeps the filling rich and jammy, while a final cinnamon sugar topping gives each slice a crisp, caramelised finish.
Method
20m35m55m
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Line a baking tray with parchment.
- Toss the chopped apples with butter, light brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a roasting tin. Roast for 20 minutes until soft, then mash lightly and cool for 10 minutes.
- If using, soak the raisins in Calvados for a few minutes; otherwise use drained raisins from hot-water soak.
- Unroll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Spread the cooled apple mixture down the centre, leaving a 2cm border. Scatter over the raisins.
- Fold and roll the pastry into a log, seam-side down. Tuck in the ends, brush all over with beaten egg, then dust with caster sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. If browning too fast, loosely tent with foil for the final 5 minutes.
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thick rounds and serving warm.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Caster Sugar for cinnamon sugar topping
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon plus extra for topping
- 45g Light brown sugar for the apple filling
- 25g Unsalted butter for roasting apples
- 3 medium Bramley Apples peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 sheet (about 320g) Puff Pastry ready-rolled, all-butter if possible
- 1 Egg beaten, for egg wash
- 75g Raisins soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained
- 1 tbsp calvados optional, to soak raisins
Notes
For best texture, cool the apple filling before rolling so the pastry stays crisp.
A spoonful of brandy or Calvados in the raisins is optional but adds depth.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, custard, or crème fraîche.
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