The Comfort of an Ordinary Day in England 🍂 October Reset & British Cooking | Silent Vlog

Hello, dear friends. How has your week been? 🤎

This week, I’ve been changing our bedding for the cooler nights and giving the garden a little attention. Our new wool duvet brought back memories of my grandfather, and my husband finished a little shelf for our platter.

We also took Alma for a quiet walk in the English countryside. Back home, I baked apricot and pecan flapjacks and made a chicken cobbler for dinner, before we settled down with a book and warm cups of tea.

I hope you’re finding little moments to enjoy as October unfolds. Thank you for being here and spending part of your day with us. Have a lovely week. 🍂


🥣 APRICOT & PECAN FLAPJACKS
18cm square baking tin

• 150g unsalted butter
• 150g muscovado sugar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 200g rolled oats
• 50g pecans, finely chopped
• 50g dried apricots, finely chopped

Gently melt the butter, sugar and syrup. Stir in the remaining ingredients and press into a lined tin. Bake at 160°C for 25–30 minutes, until golden. Mark into bars or squares while warm and leave in the tin until completely cold.

I used light and dark muscovado. You can replace the pecans with walnuts.

🍲 CHICKEN & LEEK COBBLER

Filling:
• A little olive oil
• 1 large onion and 1 large leek, washed and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
• Fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 300ml chicken stock
• 250–300g frozen peas
• 100ml double cream
• Sea salt and black pepper

Topping:
• 275g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mustard powder, optional
• 115g cold butter, cubed
• 25g grated Cheddar, plus extra for the top
• 150ml ice-cold water
• Beaten egg for brushing

1. Gently fry the onion and leek in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Add the thyme.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add the stock, then the peas and cream. Simmer until slightly thickened, season and transfer to an ovenproof dish.
3. Mix the self-raising flour and mustard powder. Rub in the butter until crumbly, then stir in the cheese. Add the cold water and mix gently until just combined.
4. On a floured surface, pat the dough to about 1cm thick. Cut into rounds with a 5cm cutter and arrange around the edge of the filling.
5. Brush with egg, sprinkle with extra cheese and bake at 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 for 25–30 minutes, until golden and both the topping and chicken are cooked through.

No mustard powder? Add 1 tsp prepared mustard to the filling instead.

Would you leave the platter on its own or add a few plates alongside it? Let me know below.

Thank you for spending part of your day with us and have a lovely week. 🤎

#slowLiving #EnglishCountryside #BritishCooking