When it was announced back in November that there would be a new season of the Great (but not as great as the British version) American Baking show, I became a little disappointed that I hadn't made it further in the process than a phone interview. After venting my frustrations at dinner, a radically awesome plan was devised: for the duration of December, we would have a weekly get-together at which I would provide an overabundance of baked goods (as per usual) and we would show the latest episodes of the Great (but not as great as the British version) American Baking show for interested parties to view. Comparisons may be made and comments, perhaps in the spirit of MST3000, would be welcome. This also seemed like a great way to end this year-long baking project.
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| Chess pie, I can't quit you |
So Week 49 brought the first week of this inspired endeavor. I had some trouble coming up with the bakes - how many holiday themed bakes should I have? We were also over-scheduled which meant that carving out time for all of the bakes would be a little tricky. Well, despite a 3.5 hour trip to Ikea, some snowy weather, and an upcoming potluck, I was able to get a good assortment together for the first week.
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| Victorian Christmas cake |
Started things off with a chocolate chess pie. Chess pie, you guys! What a revelation. It's simple, it's magical, and it's delicious. The chocolate iteration was terrific - a nice crunchy top with a fudgy/brownie-esque filling. Not too sweet. So easy to eat.
Next up, I wanted to honor Mary Berry, who was no longer a part of the re-booted Great (but not as great as the British version) American Baking show. Nor a part of the new British version, as it turns out. She had a recipe for a Victorian fruit cake and I decided this was the way to go. Chock full of fruits and nuts and topped with a festive cherry and nut topping, it was a great choice.
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| Lamingtons |
Given the time limitations, I decided to forgo the stollen this week, and opted to make some Lamingtons instead. This was one of the technical challenges and looked tasty enough to be worth a try (though no one had ever heard of them on the show...). I had a bit of trouble with the bake sinking in the middle; I also questioned the authenticity of a white chocolate coated Lamington. But the end results were pretty tasty. As per request, I made a few with sprinkles to appease certain appetites.
And lastly, given the existence of leftover egg whites in the fridge and some leftover lychee buttercream, I couldn't resist another batch of macarons. This time raspberry-lychee. Dusted with some pearl powder and edible sparkles. I may have over whipped this batch and so the "feet" were a bit high on the shells. But the end product were pretty decent overall.
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| Raspberry and lychee macarons |
I addition to these treats, I also put together the components for a cheesecake-stuffed carrot cake which I had promised for a potluck. Final assembly and frosting to be completed the subsequent week. That's a lot of bakes for a short amount of time.
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