Pastéis de nata, or Portuguese egg tarts, are a national treasure and a symbol of Portugal's culinary heritage. These tasty little morsels are distinguished by their flaky puff pastry crust and soft, smooth custard filling. Paul Hollywood's recipe offers a shortcut by using rough puff pastry.
Category: technical challenge
Molten Puddings
Paul Hollywood's molten puddings (a.k.a. molten lava cakes) harbor a secret surprise — a melty peanut butter center! These fun-size cakes are sure to impress, yet they're surprisingly easy — you can even make them a day or two in advance and heat them up right before serving.
Cottage Loaf
Closely associated with English country life, the cottage loaf was among the most popular types of bread before World War II. Its distinguishing feature is its shape — a small round loaf on top of a larger loaf. With only 5 ingredients, it's not a difficult bread to bake.
Fortune Cookies
What can be found in Chinese restaurants all over the world but didn't originate in China? Fortune cookies! Impress your friends and tantalize your tastebuds by making your own. With hand-written fortunes customized for any occasion, they make great gifts or party favors. Or make them to celebrate Chinese New Year — just be sure to give a nod to their Japanese roots!
Chocolate Mini Rolls
These mini Swiss rolls are reminiscent of Hostess Ho Hos, Little Debbie Swiss Rolls or, in the UK, Cadbury's Mini Rolls — but with the added kick of peppermint! A thin, chocolatey, light sponge is spread with mint buttercream and rolled up like a tiny Swiss roll, then enrobed in melted chocolate.
Victoria Sandwich
Named after Queen Victoria herself, the Victoria sandwich was said to be Her Majesty's favorite. This light sponge sandwiched with jam and buttercream is often used as a standard of baking for the British home cook, so it's fitting that this was the final technical challenge in the 2016 season of The Great British Baking Show.
Marjolaine
Mary Berry's marjolaine is a 7-layered delight featuring four layers of almond-hazelnut dacquoise sandwiched with praline buttercream and chocolate ganache. Overall, a delightfully nutty, crunchy, creamy concoction that presents itself with elegance and panache!
Fougasse
The French cousin of focaccia, fougasse is mostly associated with Provence in the southeast of France. This fougasse is scented with olive oil and studded with fresh herbs. It pairs well with pasta, a green salad, or a charcuterie board and a nice glass of wine.
Bakewell Tart
The classic Bakewell tart, with its layers of short crust pastry, jam, frangipane and icing, hails from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England. While its origins may be the source of some contention, most such arguments fade over a cup of tea and a warm slice.
Dampfnudeln
Dampfnudel, literally translated "steam noodle," is more like a dumpling than a noodle. They can be sweet or savory, but these are made with an enriched dough scented with lemon zest and served with two sauces, créme anglaise and a sweetened plum sauce.
