1 More Saffa | New Year Bake Off

With the festive season coming to an end; clearly evidenced by the pork stuffing bloated stomaches and Christmas lights being pulled down from the trees, I decided to turn the conditioned indulgence cravings into active baking experiments.

With the festive season coming to an end; clearly evidenced by the pork stuffing bloated stomaches and  Christmas lights being pulled down from the trees, I decided to turn the conditioned indulgence cravings into active baking experiments.

When attempting to begin your baking skills, there are a few essential ingredients:

  • A tangible cookbook (there is no greater frustration than having to perpetually type in your screen lock password when using the web version);
  • Measuring spoons and jug;
  • Eggs, milk, flower, sugar and pastry (involved in all baking recipes);
  • Space in your terraced house kitchen (this might not be possible all the times. Therefore make it happen. i.e. use the one kitchen table as your surface and leave a sign on the door restricting entry into the kitchen until the oven is full and surfaces are clear);
  • Betty Crocker mixtures from Sainbury’s; and
  • Whatever your taste buds are craving to experiment as an additional extra in the recipe (i.e. honeycomb, limes, vanilla).

1) Blueberry Honeycomb Muffins

  • Deciding to go for the Betty Crocker Blueberry muffin mixture; the three simple steps on the back of the pack were easy to follow;
  • Add a little egg, milk, sugar and vegetable oil and mix together your creation;
  • When being creative, try the addition of honeycomb into the mixture (they melt in the oven and add that toffee taste to the muffins); and
  • Twenty minutes later you have fresh muffins (with the essential crispy crust on the outside).
Blueberry Honeycomb Muffins
Blueberry Honeycomb Muffins

2) Raspberry / Chocolate Macaroons

  • Now that I had decided I was the next best thing to the bakers at La Duree (Paris);
  • I stubbornly acknowledged the fact that macaroons are difficult to master in terms of the wretched particular combination of air, lightness and chewiness; and went for the assistance of Betty Crocker;
  • Add a little sugar, water and egg whites (NOTE: create those soft egg white peaks you have seen so often on television, but when combining to the mixture, DO NOT over mix. The folding religion of egg whites into mixture really is true – ‘the cut and fold mantra’ avoids the release of all air and prevents the chewy flat result);
  • Pipe out your macaroons, stick to the strict heating instructions on the recipe and begin your icing mixture. TIP: Mix it up and use vanilla icing for the chocolate macaroons;
  • Design, feel fancy and voila! Macaroons done.
Betty Crocker's Raspberry Macaroons
Betty Crocker’s Raspberry Macaroons

3) Chicken, Leek, Tarragon and Bacon Pie

  • Now that the sweet craving was fixed, it was time for my first real pastry attempt;
  • Bringing out the new recipe book: Lorraine Pascale’s ‘A lighter way to bake’, it was pie making time;
  • There was momentary panic when two frying pans were going and concerns loomed around my addition of a puff pastry bottom (otherwise you are cheating the boys of a real pie if it only has a filo pastry ceiling);
  • However, the marrying of chicken, bacon and garlic infused leeks was simple;
  • The sauce was ignited by the sweet licorice taste of the tarragon and white wine;
  • TIP: If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, simply try my make shift alternative. Add a teaspoon of Bovril to hot water and it all tastes the same;
  • Pour the sauce and chicken, bacon mixture into the pre-browned puff pastry; layer with scrunched up filo pastry balls and wait while the oven browns and heats your creation;
  • Remove safely and calmly from the oven; and
  • Be amazed at how pastry and chicken and tarragon sauce can look like Michelin Star perfection.
Chicken, Leek, Tarragon and Bacon Pie
Chicken, Leek, Tarragon and Bacon Pie

The true success of a bake off is measured by the amount that is left over. I am proud to say, I found myself running at a leftover rate of zero. Thank you Betty Crocker, Lorraine Pascale and my ever faithful taste buds.