Great British Baking Adventures

   I don't know if any of you watch the "The Great British Baking Show", but Sylvia and I love it.  We watched all the seasons a few years ago.  This spring, we decided to re-watch them, and pick one item from each show and try making it.   Here are some examples of the first few episodes and our own humble attempts at trying new bakes.

Season 1, Episode 1: Cakes

     I didn't realize Sylvia had never seen any kind of upside down cake, so together we made a "Pineapple Upside Down Cake", with maraschino cherries added for extra flare.  Verdict?  Delicious and beautiful!

 Season 1, Episode 2 : Bread

       We made bagels and had fun trying to get the perfect sized ring before we boiled them.  Verdict?  Delicious!   But best if eaten on the first day.

Season 1 Episode 3: Tarts

      The show contestants made a Treacle Tart as part of their technical challenge.  I had heard of Treacle Tart from reading the Harry Potter books but, I had no idea what it was until we watched this episode.  Breadcrumbs in a pie?  This definitely sounded weird.  Luckily we had ordered some British Golden Syrup off amazon last month, so we were ready to go experiment.
     Verdict:   Best. Desert. Ever!   Especially when served with hot chocolate.  I can see why this is Harry Potter's favorite dessert.
      This recipe has enough lemon to cut the sweetness, plus a solid consistency, so you felt like you were really eating something.  It is rich, so small pieces are recommended.  The really tricky part was putting a lattice crust on over the hot pie filling.  It wasn't the usual pie dough I make with shortening, but used butter.. so it kept trying to melt whenever it got close to the pie top.  You had to speed-lattice it for that reason, which was really tough.

(Also, we ate it all with some friends before I got a picture!  I'll be making another one next week for Sylvia's Harry Potter themed birthday. I'll post a picture of ours then.  But for now, this is what it is supposed to look like.  Ours was almost this beautiful.)


                       



Season 1 Episode 4: Desserts

      From this episode, we made the creme caramel that the bakers did for a technical challenge.  It was tricky knowing when to take the caramel off the stove top, but I think we got it off just in time.  Verdict:  I loved the smooth silken texture of this desert.  It also looked pretty on the plate... but there wasn't much of it.  You bake it in tiny cute ramekins.  The flavors were also very delicate, a little too subtle for my taste.  I could see this being served at a fancy dinner... but not our usual family table.

Season 1 Episode 5:  Pies

      In this episode, the bakers start of making signature dinner pies.  I learned what a "Beef Wellington" was, and then saw how the bakers tweaked the interior contents to make pretty layers.  So, I took my first stab at puff pastry, and with the ingredients we had on hand, concocted what I'm calling "Rosemary Ribs and Squash Wellington." 
      Verdict:   Puff pastry is not as challenging as I thought it would be. I've watched Mattias make it and thought it would be impossible and sticky, but with enough chilling in the fridge, it was really easy to work with.  - And delicious!  I wondered at the start why they didn't just use the regular shortening pie crust to wrap the filling in.  Now I know.  Puff pastry is amazingly delicious with a savory filling. The light flakes in your mouth are the adult version of cotton candy.
      The filling also worked well!.  The base layer was cooked country style ribs, mixed with sauted chopped bacon, rosemary and onions. I then layered on some spinach, topped by diced butternut squash, sauted in rosemary.  It was a pretty color, good textures, and tasted great. It left you wanted to eat more, and more, and more...

   It has been a fun month!   We look forward to trying some new recipes next month as we keep watching the show!