Very Gouda Bacon & Maple Stuffed Croissants

When The Boy touched down from a week away in Marbella this morning, the last thing I wanted to do was spend the day in the kitchen.

I wanted breakfast to be special, quick and more importantly, bacon flavoured. 

After a rummage around the fridge I had just the ticket. I pinky promise you'll only make these once before they become your luxury breakfast go-to.

Each batch makes six good croissants. My recipe stuffs them with bacon, cheese and maple syrup, but you can substitute this for whatever you like. Cheese and ham? Marmite? A dollop of jam and fresh raspberries? Whatever you darn well crois-want.

You're going to need:

1 tube of ready Jus-Rol ready made croissant dough 

1 pack of streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford

A few glugs of maple syrup 

3 slices of good melting cheese (gouda is my weapon of cheese-oice)

Start off by crisping off your bacon under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes. 

Whilst that's on, grab your can of dough and pop that baby open.

Note to self: this is probably one of the most satisfying experiences a girl can enjoy without taking her clothes off. You are very, very welcome.

Carefully roll out your dough into one long strip and snip along the dotted lines.

You should be left with six deliciously perfect triangles.

 When your bacon's done, remove it from the oven and keep somewhere warm.



Now for the fun part.

One by one, roll up your dough parcels to form crescent shapes. Don't panic - it's much more simple than it looks. Let me walk you through it.

Step 1 -  Grab your dough triangle and pop a bacon rasher on top.

Step 2 - Lay over half a slice of cheese and trim to fit.

Step 3 (and by far my favourite) - Drizzle over a glug of maple syrup.

Step 4 - Roll up your croissant from the base of the triangle to the tip, squashing your fillings down as you go. It doesn't have to look like a masterpiece so don't worry. Everything will puff up in the oven, just make sure it's wrapped up as snug as a bug.

You should be left with a crescent shaped hunk of dough a little bit like this:

Repeat with the rest of your croissants and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown and flaky.

What you choose to do with them at this point is totally up to you. 

Personally, I like to sit down in front of the television and play how-many-croissants-can-Charlotte-fit-in-her-mouth, but that's just little lady-like old me.

Tea & Trinkets In The Attic

Brunch is my most favourite meal of the day. If I could spend every afternoon holed up nibbling on bacon and toast, watching the world go by, I'd die one chirpy woman.

I'd also end up incredibly bored and chubby, but every dream has its pitfalls.

Every so often I like to grab a friend & force them into a brunch date with me. This week my victim was J. Our destination? The Attic Cafe in Berkhamsted.

The Attic is hidden away in the highest peak of the highest tower of Home & Colonial, an antique shop oozing with trinkets & vintage champagne buckets.

You have no idea how hard it was to resist those vintage champagne buckets.



Aren't they delicious? I just want to fill them with ice and take a swim in them.

We spent the morning searching for treasure in our wellies and mittens, catching wafts of cake and coffee coming from above. The Attic is stowed away up four flights of stairs, with each floor housing a selection of goodies waiting to be browsed.

If you're ever forced to travel for bacon and cake, this is certainly the way to do it.

Climb the stairs with me to see my favourite part...

The crockery. Oh the crockery. It melts my heart with every delicate teaspoon.

The trinket shelves are also positively waiting to be rummaged through.

I took this opportunity to perform a very audible rendition of The Little Mermaid.

"I've got gadgets and gimos a plenty, I've got whosits and whatsits galore, you want thinggymabobs? I got twenty. But who caaaares? No big deaeeal. I want SMORES!"

I would suggest you do the same. It's very soothing for the soul.

Anyway. Onwards and upwards.

As we began 'weighing up' whether it was time for brunch yet...

We quickly got our 'skates' on and jumped up the last flight of stairs two at a time!

Browsed out and hungry we nestled into a corner to examine my favourite object in the building, the menu. We decided on a pot of tea for two & full English's.

 

Antiques, tea and a double serving of fried mushrooms? I think I can cope with that.

Have you been anywhere nice lately? I so love hearing your suggestions!