Since it’s back-to-school time, Andrea asks Stefin for some guidance with school lunch packing. Stefin’s top two tips: Use leftovers in a thermos, and pack it up the night before. (Also, and perhaps most crucially: Farm this chore out to your kid.)
Andrea is proud of an original creation she recently whipped up: Marionberry Coconut Crumble Bars, which were easy to make and even easier to eat. Stefin tells Andrea this kind of bar cookie is known as a “tray bake” in the UK — a term that encompasses pretty much anything from cake to sausage that is baked or cooked on a larger cookie-style sheet.
Conveniently, the first recipe of the month also fits into this category. Both hosts think Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars from A Dash of Sanity will be a hit. They remind Stefin of her favorite UK cookie (“biscuit”) — a Hobnob, and Andrea says that since her husband loves peanut butter and her daughter loves chocolate, it will be a match made in heaven for her household, too.
Next up, Stefin leads a segment of the Globetrotting Gourmet, and gives a quick run-down of some differences she’s already noticed in the British baking aisle. Butter is deep yellow and delicious, with many, many options to choose from. Eggs aren’t refrigerated and have deep yellow yolks. (Andrea knew all about this from former and current neighbors who’ve raised chickens.) All-purpose flour is called “regular,” and many British recipes use self-raising (not “rising”) flour instead. Finally, as a dark-brown sugar aficionado, Stefin has been pleased to discover a British version that is gloriously dark and molasses (or “treacle”)-rich.
Finally, Stefin answers most of Andrea’s questions about afternoon tea — where it’s served, what kind of treats to expect and when to indulge. But two pressing questions remain: Can Andrea order coffee at teatime, and what exactly is clotted cream? (Stefin has no clue whether drinking coffee with your scone is gauche, but she does know what clotted cream is — and she’ll fill in listeners during an upcoming episode.)
Listeners: Our anniversary is fast approaching. Let us know which Preheated recipe you’ve most enjoyed during our first year of broadcasting. Chocolate Chess Pie? Pumpkin Bundt Cake? Raspberry Flummery? Drop us a line at hosts@preheatedpodcast.com, or post on our Facebook group.
Hi girls,
I am from Germany and listen to your podcast regularly. I was just listening to this episode and you were talking about eggs in the UK vs the US. The reason most European countries don’t refrigerate their eggs is that they have not been washed and treated so their outer protective layer is still intact, whereas in the US eggs are washed before they come to the stores. You can read about this here:
https://www.rd.com/food/fun/why-europeans-dont-refrigerate-eggs/
Also, regarding the color of the yolk: While it is true that the color is influenced by what the chickens eat, it is NOT necessarily a sign of good wholesome food if the yolk is darker/more orange. Factories know that consumers prefer darker yolks because they think they are healthier, so they add betacaroten to the chickens feed which makes the yolks more orange…so actually here in Germany, the yolks of the organically raised and fed chickens are a lot lighter and more yellowish, just because NO additives are used in their feed đŸ˜‰
Andrea
Hi Andrea, We are thrilled to count you among our international listeners! Thank you for this good advice. I’m especially happy to know about the yolk color and how that could potentially be manipulated. Another reason to buy organic! Thank you!