Andrea’s discovered Juustoleipa, the Finnish squeaky cheese, in her local grocery store! After Stefin introduced this delight to listeners in Episode 68, Andrea sampled a version made by the Carr Valley Cheese Company in Wisconsin. Warm it up, drizzle it with honey and walnuts or dunk strips in your coffee for a delicious treat.
Want to watch a baker’s dream come true? One of Stefin’s long-time friends Solveig is opening the Voltage Coffee House in Grand Coulee, WA. She’ll be making all of her own baked goods, (including a brioche cinnamon roll that sounds delicious), and Andrea is especially excited for the cookies and brownies she’ll be whipping up every day. We’ll catch up with Solveig after she’s had a chance to catch her breath, and find out what it’s like to move from her home kitchen into a commercial capacity.
Up next, Chocolate Biscuit Cake from Chef Darren McGrady. It’s Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, so special that she travels with it wherever she goes. Andrea’s husband has labeled this cake a “Homemade Kit Kat bar,” and listener Vickie noticed this cake is no-bake, and only has 5 ingredients. Andrea’s only modification was to add cream to her chocolate icing to make a chocolate ganache, which was easier to slice and didn’t result in cracking chocolate. Andrea used McVitie’s Rich Tea Biscuits, and a chocolate with 62% cacao content. Stefin used a 70% cacao chocolate and next time is thinking she will mix dark and milk chocolate together to achieve a smoother and less bitter chocolate flavor. Both hosts will try some different pans next time around, perhaps a sheet tray or loaf pan lined with parchment. Two thumbs up for this delicious dessert!
Next week’s bake along is the cake heard round the world! We’re celebrating the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle and fortunately listener Lydia pointed us to a Lemon Elderflower Cake with Lemon Buttercream from Hannah at SprinkleBakes.com. Hopefully you’ve stocked up on your elderflower cordial or elderflower liqueur, and you’re ready to bake along with us. Andrea has enlisted the help of a friend to help with this beautiful cake, while Stefin is ready to take on the challenge herself. Whether you bake the same recipe we’re using, or another, tag your posts with #royalweddingbake on social media so we can feature your special version of this delicious dessert.
Stefin had so much fun researching royal food trivia, from Princess Diana’s trips with her boys to the McDonald’s on Kensington High Street, to Queen Elizabeth’s dislike of garlic. Prince Charles was at the forefront of the organic food movement with his company Duchy Originals, (which you can find at our beloved Waitrose). Traveling back in time, Andrea enjoyed learning that Henry VIII had one whole room devoted to baking pies. Finally, the hosts minds boggle at the sheer number of dishes served during Queen Victoria’s reign, and wish the guests had brought some Ziploc or Tupperware to a royal dinner in case they weren’t served before the Queen finished, and their food was whisked away.
Listeners, do you have any historical food trivia about the Royals to share?
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