Week 4 - Babka

 This week Babka! I've been really excited for this one. Chocolate and Bread. what could go wrong..

The Prep-

Pretty easiy ingredients for this one, apart from blanched haslenuts, I went to 3 different stores and still couldnt find them.. where are the mystical things kept? So sadly not no crunch.

The Bake -

Straight forward, bread is my favourite thing to make so felt good about this one. Looks a lot harder than it actually is. 

 

The Result:  

You know what - I smashed it... No, No it was a litttle dry but aside from that, got devowed from my family for dessert, and if you can't trust your family to eat your stuff who can you?

 

Taste: 8

Appearance: 7

Texture:  7

Average: 7

 

Week 3 - 'Rainbow' Bagels

Busy week this week, but don't worry still committed to the challenge! Another year older, and hopefully another year wiser for baking techniques? I have even been given a branded rolling pin, so potenitally this hobbie is getting out of hand, but a big shout out to my (very few) but very loyal 'fans'.

 This week rainbow bagels - always wanted to make bagels so was up for this one.  

Unfortunately, I have definitely let down the rainbow side, with Sainos lack of food colouring plus I really didn't need hands which made me look part of a crime scene over the weekend!

The Prep-

Luckily no rouge ingredients at last! Apart from a proving bag (which is literally a plastic bag)  - don't waste your money! Some great marketing there - I used a clean bin bag - glamerous I know. And unfortunately, as mentioned before couldn't source the food colouring, so these are very boring. 

The Bake -

Really easy! Thank god, I am guessing the harder part of the food colouring - but really inspired me to make bagels way more often!

 

The Result:    

I went a bit large with these, made 4 large ones instead of 6. And they don't look particuarly neat, but they were really nice! A bit bland (could have done more salt) - but good.

Taste: 5

Appearance: 6

Texture:  7

Average: 6

Week 2 - Coconut Macaroons

Woo week 2 has come and gone! Coconut macaroons - no not the fun French ones, the dodgy coconut ones. This one will be short and sweet to be honest, just like that bake was, to be honest. Also on a side note, glad Paul has met expectations and is already flying out these handshakes as predicted. At this rate, even I could have got one*.. and that really is saying a lot.. 

(*obviously an exaggeration, I would be lucky to get voluntary test tasters but dream big and all) 

The Prep-

A lot of random equipment requests, I now need to factor in at least spending 15 pounds a week on rouge baking equipment that I can almost guarantee I won't be using again. Interestingly the only thing which I probably should have invested in which might have been of mild use was a whisk. But no thank god I have those 50 sheets of edible rice paper & a years supply of apple and mango puree - the pure essentials!

The Bake -

I really enjoyed making curd, very retro, and actually very simple, as long as it's on low heat (no scrambled egg is ideal). And again the assembling of the macaroons was the only challenge, the ridiculously small piping nozzle meant this was a no go, (I always have felt life is too short for piping, just not sure I have the patience for this kind of faff) - but this might be the reason by bakes are much more 'rustic'.. Luckily for this bake piping wasn't quite a necessity.  

The Result:    

I think a success! The only thing I would say is a little on the dry side, but we live and we learn. (or I might just blame the recipe). The chocolate ones were by far my fav. I might even make these again! 

Taste: 6 

Appearance: 7

Texture:  5

Average: 6 

Week 1 - Pineapple Upsidedown Puds

Safe to say 2020 hasn't been the year we expected it to be, but thank god even through a pandemic (hate when people say global pandemic as that is literally the definition of a pandemic) anyways I deviate.. Bake off it back! And nothing will stop us enjoying the ludicrous amount of handshakes Paul will dish out, the unpredictable tweets Prue might give away and the tears and drama over soggy bottoms! Seriously this is something we all need right now. 

Week one technical.. what a throw back! Pineapple upside cake, with cherries and whipped cream. Not gonna lie, I literally know very few people who actually still like this dessert. Many of my friends refused to eat fruit in cake, and the actual oldies who I hoped might have got nostalgic of such a desert, turns out have bad memories of puddings from apparently questionable school dinners. So I wasn't exactly serving to an enthusiastic audience... but then again this has never stopped me before. 

The Prep-

Had no pudding moulds so ordered mini pudding moulds from Jeff (Amazon), not exactly local but he's very efficient when you need something the next day.. - turns out they were the wrong size.. so the pinapple had to be more of a chunk then a nice ring. The rest of the ingredients were pretty simple,

The Bake -

So literally did step one three times, Turns out syrup/caramel not so easy. Tip one.. don't stir.. who knew, Otherwise you get the awful sugar crystals below. So friends, just let it bubble away and bobs your uncle. The rest was pretty simple - I slightly failed at the custard which  feel should have been simple, but I got distracted, boiled the milk and the corn starch didn't dissolve so it was basically sweet milk. Which I have to admit I do like to put milk on my puds but doesn't quite have the same perzaz as actual custard. And my kind taste testers was robbed from probably the part why were most looking forward to.

Also didn't bother with whipped cream - I'm lactose intolerant and quite frankly lazy. Who can be bothered to actually whip cream.. 

The Result:    

To be fair, it was quite challenging for week one! I forgot to prep the pudding moulds so didn't come out the cleanest affair. And the custard was just a bit tragic - but the actual pudding was really nice so at least I had that on my side.

Taste: 7 

Appearance: 4 

Texture: 5 

Average: 5 (5 for me, could have definitely left first round 

Week 5 - Beignets soufflés

I literally have no idea what these things are. Anyways, warning - this was choux pastry - anyone who knows me or this blog well knows previous history with choux has not been the best. (The 'tricolour eclair' reality looked like soggy batter with mysterious white overly runny translucid liquid on it - strangely not quite what I was going for).

On a side note, I have had a bit of a nightmare with broken washing machine for a week, a migraine and my sisters birthday, a hangover (yes migraine and hangovers are initially hard to tell apart!) - and a vendetta against choux, so the odds were stacked against me.

The Prep
So I was not quite prepared. I decided to make these at 10pm on a Sunday - just when I started, realised I only had 1 instead of 4 eggs (So did the rational thing - no I didn't stop - ridiculous - no, I make a quarter of the batter and persevered into the night.

The Bake
I mean, I was not committed to the cause. I don't have a deep-fat fryer, so with a quarter of the mixture I tried to make the balls. Now this is hard - you need to hold them together - not only is this quite hot, oil is spitting at you, a lot of smoke was produced and I have stressed housemates flapping over the fire -alarm over me. Not quite the idilic baking environment I look for, if anything I blame the housemates.


The Result 
Honestly they are grim, I didn't proceed further. Mainly because I haven't had much time, and the other reason I don't care too. They are basically like onion bhajis, without the onion in, and not crispy. So everything bad about onion bhaji. Basically oil soaked/ bunt/ swirls of batter. Maybe one day I will try then again - or maybe I should make onion bhaji's instead.  All in all, not sure what Prue was going for.


Taste
1/10 (even I couldn't bring myself to eat them, and I am usually very lenient in my sympathy eating for my own failed bakes)

Appearance
2/10 (Maybe one looked ok)

Texture
1/10 (all oil)

Average = 1.3

No filter can save this sad lot.

Week 4- Maids of Honours

Maid of Honour for a Maid of Honour! Question is which am I going to be more successful at.. only time shall tell!

The Prep
The ingredient list wasn't bad - nothing too rouge or niche! At last. Although, didn't have baking beans or cutters - so had to improvise with rice and a gin glass. Lavish I know!


The Bake
Now I would say they look relatively simple, however there were a lot of different components and if this was timed I would probably have nothing to present - so all is well I didn't have to have a breakdown on national TV -but instead pansy around my Kitchen for 5 hours wondering where the tine had gone.

I actually really enjoyed the process - a lot of firsts. Never made curd - so simple! Milk and vinegar, but it really does look gross.. it curdles - and it all makes sense now. Made lemon curd, different thing also very simple! And rough puff, haven't done in a long time.


The Result 
I was really happy with them actually, they tasted better than they looked. And considering everyone's on the actual bake off was probably just as poor I felt chuffed (although I did have endless time and the recipe - but hey ho). And I did get some rave reviews, which for the first time I agreed! I brought them into the office and became very popular, it was nice to give something I was actually quite proud of. I know what I am bringing to my next review meeting.


Taste
9/10

Appearance
Looked a bit crap, not even at all 5/10

Texture
7/10 - nice flaky pastry. I was chuffed

Average = 7

Bread Week - Veggie Burgers?

An Unusual bake this week! Veggie burgers are the first thing I would think for bread week, but back to basics which I enjoy. Particularly due to my lack of experience with bread! A hard thing to master.

The Prep
To be fair the ingredient list was very minimal which was a dream! Bread is basic in the respect.

The Bake
I do have a love/hate relationship with bread, it takes time and can't be rushed. This goes against all of my natural instincts, I am horrifically impatient and like to keep busy so the long waiting times are a bit of an inconvenience to say the least. However, I do respect that good things take time, and enjoy the aspect of getting back to tradition - no electronics, no bread makers, no distractions - you need to slow down and wait.

The Result 
I was pretty happy with the outcome. They were probably a little on the crumbly side and slightly flatter than I imagined- but not bad for a first attempt. The burgers themselves were also really nice - although not sure I am ready to give up my meat filled friends totally just yet!

They roughly took 5 hours, so

Taste
8/10 - I have actually never thought much into a burger bun, but I haven't actually tasted one quite like these. I have been snacking on plain buns all week. Trust me, they are good!

Appearance
A bit flat but I could live with it 7/10

Texture
5/10 - marginally too dry but hey ho

Average = 6.6