Bake Off Final: My Thoughts and Opinion

Wednesday was a very bittersweet night for me.  As you may have guessed, I am obsessed with Bake Off, it's my absolutely favourite show and I love every iota of it.  I love the witty banter of Mel and Sue, I love Paul's mysterious steel glare and, of course, I love the Queen of Baking, Mary Berry.  In a TV world of drama and sob stories, I love that Bake Off is simple, classic and quintessentially British.  

I am gutted that Bake Off is leaving the BBC.  It is already ruined because 3/4 of the Fab Four will be missing, it will be made even worse by endless ads and product placement and recaps and cliffhangers.  I feel every member of the Fab Four made the right move for themselves - Mel and Sue and Mary did the right thing by staying with BBC; I also think Paul did the right thing staying with Bake Off.  

I am also devastated on a personal level.  The whole purpose of this baking blog was to prepare me to enter the Great British Bake Off.  I had downloaded the entry form two years previously, but did not have any pastry, bread or patisserie experience.  Therefore, the aim of this blog was to expand and refine my baking skills, in preparation for applying for next year's Bake Off.  Unfortunately, my Bake Off dream will never be acheived.  I will not enter any Bake Off that does not include Mary Berry.  Bake Off without Mary Berry is like a cake without eggs - flat and joyless.  

I'm still proud of myself - I've acheived a lot and really pushed myself and expanded into whole areas of baking I'd never experienced before.  I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that Mary, Mel, Sue and the BBC devise a new baking competition - I'll be the first in line if that eventually happens!

Enough moaning - back to the final!

I was in very mixed feelings about the result.  I'm a big Andrew fan - I love his precision, creativity and talent.  However, on the day, I do think Candice deserved to win.  I've never warmed to Candice, disliking her tendency to alway go over the top, always have to give everything a 'twist; and always presenting things in a ridiculous way (the piano and the bird cage spring to mind).  Personal opinion aside, she is an excellent baker and definitely does not deserve the internet backlash she recieved.  Whether you like or dislike someone, cyber bullying is cyber bullying and attacking someone personally is disgusting and childish.  I am impressed with anyone who can bake in a little black dress and wedge heels and not get a speck of flour on them!  Having said that, I adore Andrew and was very disappointed on his behalf.  

All in all, a very emotionally mixed night for me.  I am very sad that something so wonderful has come to an end whilst still in its prime.  I think all that is left for us to do is what I always do - keep baking!

Week Nine: Fondant Fancies

Never again!  Just buy them!

Full recipe here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/fondant_fancies_88368

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 225g/8oz self-raising flour
• 225g/8oz baking spread or softened butter
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 1 lemon, grated rind only
• 4 free-range eggs

For the buttercream

• 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
• 200g/7oz icing sugar

For the marzipan topping

• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 200g/7oz marzipan

For the icing and decoration

• 1 kg/2lb 4oz white fondant icing
• 150ml/5fl oz water
• food colouring (any colour)
• flavouring (any flavouring)
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate

Method

Step One: Make the Sponge
For some stupid reason, I decided that I was going to make 3 different cakes, 3 different toppings and 3 different icings...  I am an idiot.

I made caramel, chocolate and confetti sponges.  Mary's a big advocate of the all in one method for sponge, but I always cream my butter and sugar first. Always sift the flour too.  After you've creamed the butter and sugar 'til it's pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, along with a tablespoon of sifted flour, to stop the mixture from curdling.  Don't do what I did, which was to divide the mixture into thirds and add caramel flavouring to 1/3, a tablespoon of cocoa powder to another 1/3 and hundreds and thousands to the last 1/3.  

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan).  Grease and line your tin.  I used my magic tin which means I didn't need to do any cutting - the one thing I did right in this whole disaster!  If you're using a magic tin like mine, grease well up the sides and pipe your mix in, otherwise you just end up with a mess.  Smooth the mix so it is level, then bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Step Two: Top the Cakes

Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. If you want to speed the cooling process, pop the cake in the fridge for half an hour.  While the cake is chilling, make the buttercream.  DON'T do what I did, which was to make chocolate ganache and caramel to top your fancies with.  It sounds amazing but IT DOES NOT WORK.  Repeat after me - just buy them from a shop!

If you are fool enough to make these yourself, beat the butter until it is really soft, then add the icing sugar and whatever flavourings you want.  Cut the cakes into equal squares and trim the tops off so you have a nice flat top.  I didn't and my fancies were grotesque!  I stupidly made 3 different butter creams - vanilla, caramel and chocolate.  Please don't waste your life doing this!  

Once you've cut and trimmed your fancies to the right size, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the tops and the sides - known as the "crumb coat" as it stops crumbs from the cake spoiling your fondant finish.  I didn't bother with the marzipan on top - life's too short.  Then pipe a blob of buttercream (don't use ganache or caramel, they won't hold their shape) on top of the cakes.  Put the iced and topped cakes into the fridge to set.

Step Three: Cover the cakes in fondant
Just give up now.  Chuck it all in the bin, go to to the corner shop and buy a box of French Fancies for a quid.  If you really enjoy torturing yourself, cut the fondant icing into small cubes and place in your free-standing mixer.  Add a splash of water and start to mix.  Gradually add more water until the icing breaks down and becomes liquid.  Add the amount of liquid that Mary says - no more or it will run off and create a new Jackson Pollock masterpiece in your kitchen, like mine did!

Jane's method on GBBO was the most efficient - stand your fancy on a masher, then use a spoon to drizzle fondant all over it.  Do not make my mistake and try to make different flavour or colour fondant, it's a waste of time and makes your fondant too runny.  Leave the fancies to set on a cooling rack, then drizzle with melted chocolate.

This is how mine turned out!  Beautiful, eh?

My score: 0/5 Never EVER make these!  Just buy them and pretend you did!

Julia's Top Tips

• Don't make them.
• Don't waste your life.
• Buy them from a shop.

Keeeeeep Baking!

Week Five: Blueberry Bakewell Tart!

We visited Bakewell a few years ago on holiday.  While we were there, I tried the original recipe Bakewell pudding.  It was a very acquired taste!  Very stodgy and actually quite sickening.  I much prefer a light and crispy Bakewell tart - and this one was delicious!  I know there's been a lot of debate whether to ice or not to ice - I enjoyed it iced but I also enjoy it with just a scattering of flaked almonds.  :)

Full recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/marys_bakewell_tart_12584

Ingredients

For the jam

• 200g/7oz raspberries
• 250g/9oz jam sugar

For the sweet shortcrust pastry

• 225g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 150g/5½oz butter, chilled 
• 25g/1oz icing sugar
• 1 large free-range egg, beaten 

For the filling

• 150g/5½oz butter, softened 
• 150g/5½oz caster sugar
• 150g/5½oz ground almonds
• 1 large free-range egg, beaten
• 1 tsp almond extract

For the icing

• 300g/10½oz icing sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• pink food colouring gel

Method

Step One: Make the Jam

I did not make the jam.  Sorry Mary!

Step Two: Make the Pastry

I whizzed the butter and flour in the food processor until it resembled breadcrumbs, then added the icing sugar, egg and 2 tablespoons of water and whizzed til smooth.  I usually put my pastry in the fridge BEFORE rolling, but Mary's recipe suggested to fridge AFTER rolling.  Definitely fridge BEFORE rolling!  It's quite a sticky dough and I had to add quite a bit of flour to stop it sticking which then made it dry.  If you fridge before rolling it firms up and is much easier to roll out.  

Step Three: Bake the Case

Once the dough is firm, roll it out to the thickness of a pound coin.  Use the base of your flan dish to check it is large enough.  I buttered and floured my flan dish, which worked very well and the pastry didn't stick at all.  I always fold in the edges of the pastry loosely, transfer to the dish and unfold again.  Carefully press the pastry into all the edges.  Do not trim the pastry until after baking.  I trimmed mine before and the pastry shrank while it baked.  Also, poke the base with a fork.  I didn't and a puff of air got caught under the base and made it misshapened.  Preheat the oven to 180C fan and line the case with baking paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake blind for 15 mins before removing the beans and paper and baking for a further 5 mins.  

Step Four: Fill the Case

Spread the case with jam (I used blueberry).  Mary recommends 4 tablespoons, but I might use more next time - I like a thick layer of jam!  Next make the frangipane.  Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the ground almonds, egg and almond extract.  (I actually didn't have any almond essence so I didn't use it - it still tasted fine)  Spoon the mixture into the pastry case.  Leave a large margin around the outside.  I spread mine right to the edge but it spread whilst cooking and spilled over the edge.  Reduce the oven to 160C fan and bake for 25-35 minutes.  Mine needed a bit longer - more like 40-45 mins.  It is ESSENTIAL that you leave the tart to cool in the tin completely before removing - mine was still warm and cracked when I tried to move it onto a plate.  

Step Five: Decorate

Mix the icing with the almond extract and 3 tablespoons of water.  (Again, I didn't have any almond extract.  It still tasted fine)  Make your icing as thick as possible whilst still being spreadable.  Mine was too thin and pooled in the centre.  Spoon 3 tablespoons of icing into a seperate bowl and mix with a colour of your choice.  The reason to use gel is because liquid food colouring dilutes the mixture too much.  Pipe very thick lines onto your icing - mine were too thin and wouldn't feather properly.  Drag a cocktail stick perpendicularly to your coloured lines, wiping the stick in between to maintain a clean line.  Leave to set (it will take a while, mine had to go in the fridge) then serve in slices.  I had mine on its own but it would also be nice with single cream.  

My score: 5/5 Reasonably easy and very impressive looking!  A quick and easy showstopping dessert - perfect for Sunday lunch! Don't bother making your own jam and if you're in a real rush buy pastry too!

Julia's Top Tip

• Refrigerate your pastry before and after rolling to keep it super firm.
• Prick the pastry with a fork to stop it puffing up.
• Trim the pastry AFTER it is baked.
• Leave a wide margin between the frangipane and the edge so it doesn't spill over.
• Leave the tart to cool completely in the tin before transferring to a plate.
• Make sure your icing is super thick so it doesn't pool in the middle.  
• Experiment with different jam flavours - coordinate your icing colours with the jam!

Keeeeeeeep baking!

Breadxit

I am absolutely devastated.  As you may have guessed, Bake Off is my favourite programme on TV (is it that obvious??)  I feel very strongly that it is a quintessentially BBC programme and I think it will be ruined by Channel 4, not out of incompetence or malice, but because of a lack of understanding about what makes Bake Off, Bake Off.  I think it will lose it's old fashioned, British charm and become another fast-paced reality show.  

I don't think adverts, product-placement and constant recaps and previews will work, I think they'll be a lot more "sob stories" and fake emotional moments and fake drama.  I love the fact that Mel and Sue intentionally swear when the bakers are too upset so that the footage cannot be used.  I don't think new presenters will protect the contestants as well.  

Above all, I think the hardest thing for Channel 4 will be to preserve the warmth and joy of Bake Off without the Fab Four.  Mel and Sue have already (understandably) bowed out.  No-one can replace their perfect puns and genuine care for the contestants.  They're so sweet and lovely, always helping the bakers emotionally and with their bakes.  I really don't think Mary will move and Bake Off without Mary Berry is like life without sunshine.  I never warmed to Bake Off Creme de la Creme because the presenters and judges were different and it was more like Masterchef then my lovely Bake Off.  

Here are a few websites (mostly news and opinions) that I found very informative:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37353262
http://www.recipesfromanormalmum.com/2016/09/14/coriander-falafel/ (Looks like a falafel recipe, is also Holly's opinion of Breadxit, written very beautifully)
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/13/sue-perkins-and-mel-giedroyc-to-leave-great-british-bake-off  

I really am hoping desperately that Channel 4 somehow manage to keep the Bake Off Magic going - but I'm horribly worried that my beloved show now has a soggy bottom... :(

Mary Berry's Very Cherry Trifle!

 

Hi!  My name's Julia, and I'm addicted to the Great British Bake Off!

I looooooooooove Paul and Mary.  I want to live with them, I want to carry around mini versions in my pocket....  you get the idea!

So when I read about Mary's cherry trifle in Delicious magaxine, I knew it had to be my showstopper challenge dessert!

It is sooooooooooooooo easy you must make it!

Click on the official picture for her recipe, but keep reading and I'll break it down for ya...

Ingredients
2 cherry madeira cakes
a jar of cherry jam
2 packs of glace cherries (or stoned cherries)
Some cherry liquer or cherry juice
fresh custard
double cream
fresh cherries to decoorate

Method
Slice the madeira cake and stick toegther with cherry jam.
Pour some cherry liquer or juice into a bowl and dip the cake sandwiches in.
Line your bowl with cake sandwiches.  When you've used them all, pour some liquer or juice over them.
Cook the glace cherries and the rest of the jam in a saucepan.
Pour the cherry mixture over the cake sandwiches.
Top with custard and whipped cream.  (I added some extra juice to my cream for taste - and it made it ever so slightly pink!)
Decorate with fresh cherries.

Sooooooo easy, but so effective!  Someone stopped my MIL when she was tidying it away and told her how delicious it was -  was proud! :)

My version of Very Cherry Trifle: