For the lovely Terry

I was going to do some fashion posts this week but instead as various people have asked me for recipes I'm going to focus on that instead. So today this bagel recipe is for my lovely friend Terry who is always encouraging and incredibly talented!

I love bagels so much, the recipe I'm given is only for twelve so often I will make double the batch and freeze them. I usually divide the dough into three and make one lot cinnamon, one plain and one blueberry but you can make whatever you want really, you're only limited by your own imagination.

I love mine with low fat cream cheese and tomato or jam if I want something sweet. I haven't eaten meat for nearly fifteen years so I don't remember what it tastes like but I have heard that smoked salmon with capers and cream cheese on bagels is amazingly good (and a great way to impress at a brunch)

I love to cook and as both my father and ex husband are chefs so great food is something that's always been around me.

Bagels

1/4 cup warm water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp yeast granules

4-5 cups plain flour

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 tbsp molasses

1 egg, beaten

bowl of cold water

toppings such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, rock or kosher salt

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of warm water, sugar and yeast.

In a large mixing bowl place the flour, salt, remainder of the sugar and warm water. When the yeast mixture is frothy. Add that to the flour and mix until combined, knead for 5-8 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place until doubled.

When dough has risen, punch down and knead briefly and divide into twelve pieces. Heat a large pan of water to boiling point and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Shape each piece of dough into a ball, poke a finger through the middle and gently stretch each bagel by placing fingers in the hole and gently working the bagel around in an anti-clockwise direction.

When all the bagels are formed add the molasses to the boiling water and then cook the bagels quickly for thirty seconds (don't worry if they turn lumpy they are supposed to!) remove from hot water and plunge into hot water.

When finished pre cooking them place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.