Join me as I bake through the Great British Bake Off.
Cream horns are so reminiscent of ice cream cones that I wanted these to reflect my childhood memories of licking ice cream, trying to catch every last drip before it slid down the side of the cone. My first flavor is a classic, Neapolitan. My second flavor is a personal favorite, peaches & cream, which we would make in an old-fashioned ice cream churn on special occasions in the summertime.
My elk and ale pie is inspired by the classic British steak and ale pie. In Victorian times, raised game pies made for elaborate feasts for aristocracy, but the invention of the sprung metal pie mold made them available to the middle class.
Taking advantage of seasonal fruits, I made a strawberry-rhubarb frangipane tart, trimming the rhubarb to make a pattern of squares with a strawberry border. To me, this tastes like a summer afternoon in a garden, surrounded by almond blossoms and fruited vines.
This delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting contains no refined sugars, eggs or butter. Adapted from a Depression-era recipe, the cake is sweetened with honey and the frosting is made with maple syrup. It's the perfect combo for anyone who loves peanut butter cups (or anything combining chocolate and peanut butter, for that matter)!
In my quest to make a perfect crème brûlée, I tried different ratios of cream to milk and egg yolks to liquid until I came up with the ideal combination. I wanted to find out why my first batch failed, and, if possible, come up with a foolproof method, so I could share it with you.
This Rye & Stout Soda Bread is an homage to Irish foods and flavors. A thick slice of one of these rustic loaves goes just as easily slathered with butter and preserves with a mug of tea as it does with a bowl of Irish stew.
Biscotti, meaning "twice-baked," are crunchy biscuits ideal for dunking in coffee, tea, or if you want to be even more authentic, Vin Santo. Mine are studded with candied ginger and flavored with orange zest and cardamom, with chopped almonds for added crunch.
Madeira cake is lighter than a pound cake but denser than a Victoria sponge. Traditionally flavored with lemon zest, I've chosen to use blood oranges and jasmine green tea for a bright, slightly floral and not too sweet accompaniment to afternoon tea.
Made with enriched yeast dough, viennoiserie are often eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. I used puff pastry to create my Passion Fruit Curd and Cream Cheese Danish, and Spiced Plum and Frangipane Kites.
These two versions of baklava give a nod to the multicultural background of this ancient dessert. The pistachio-orange is a traditional combination, while the macadamia, coconut & lime baklava incorporates Hawaiian flavors. Just as every country that claims baklava as its own has added its own distinctions, I've incorporated both new and traditional flavors in mine.
Here's the Dish 