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