The Preheated Facebook Group is exploding with activity! Recent “Pie Day” (March 14, a.k.a., 3.14) posts included Listeners Lauren and the beloved Fresh Pear Pie from Episode 112; Taryn with an original raspberry lemon chiffon; Sarah made some PB&J hand pies, and some sweet potato curry crust minis; Meredith made a blackberry basil; Karen made blueberry lemon; and Heather made pear, blueberry rhubarb, pumpkin and triple-berry crumble … plus pizza pie! Finally, Thea made a banana cake since she didn’t want cake to feel left out!
Not on Facebook? Our Instagram account is blowing up, too! Check out recent posts from @theDessertavore, who made the Milk Chocolate Pots from Episode 116; @lawyerjen made the Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies from Episode 115; and @StephHirsch whipped up the Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie from Episode 113. We love when people explore our back catalog too! Consider @ostarabakes, who put a new spin on Stefin’s Season Two Blue Ribbon winner, Prince Harry’s Caramel Banana Cake from Episode 77. Find us at @preheatedpod, and be sure to tag #preheated so we see all your creations!
Harry Potter-inspired Sausage Rolls Cast a Spell on Your Hosts
Stefin and Andrea have a sausage roll review straight out of Hogwarts (and the Little Library Café). They stop singing We Built This City (original or sausage roll version!) long enough to give their review:
Stefin loved that she was able to use the homemade puff pastry from her and Andrea’s recent class at London’s Bread Ahead, and likens these beauties to a classic Beef Wellington rather than a Pigs in a Blanket. Overall, though, she thought the filling was a bit bland, so she might add some additional spices or chose a different blend of meat if she made it again. She also cautions bakers that this recipe makes a huge amount of finished product, so they (like she) may want to halve or even quarter the recipe. They were sizzling, golden brown straight out of the oven and turned out to be a very substantial, rich meal.
Characteristically, Andrea used this recipe as a template and deviated from the original ingredients, which may account for how much she and her husband loved these rolls. First, she made her own well-seasoned meat blend that included pork, fennel, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. She relied on a store-bought puff pastry topped with a Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning on top. (Her husband loved them so much he texted her not once but twice during his lunch hour!) Aside from a hearty lunch, Andrea reports these work well as a delicious breakfast.
Ever wondered about the “proper” way to eat a sausage roll? Here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of The Guardian.
This Week’s Bake Along: Seed Cake from David Copperfield and Jane Eyre (and Nigel Slater)
Speaking of classic English treats, this week’s bake along is historic seed cake, a version of which appears in both David Copperfield and Jane Eyre (and modernized by Nigel Slater). Andrea plans to make her own self-rising flour, using King Arthur Flour’s guidelines. Stefin is happy this recipe helps the hosts tackle a “19 for ’19” Baking Resolution to use items already in the pantry, since the ingredients are simple and stable.
Bakers, do heed Nigel’s caution to use only the called-for amount of caraway seed, as too many can taste medicinal. Bake along with us and post your pictures to our Facebook Group, Preheated!
Secret Ingredients: What’s Hiding in Your Desserts?
From avocado to zucchini, there’s an alphabet of “secret” ingredients in some of our favorite bakes. Have you ever baked (or eaten) a cake made with mayonnaise, sauerkraut, or tomato soup? Mayonnaise cake was popularized during WWII when butter (or oil) and eggs were scarce. Stefin loves using one of her favorite foods, sauerkraut, in her chocolate sauerkraut cake recipe from the original domestic goddess, Heloise. And Andrea loved the book The One in a Million Boy, from which the tomato soup cake comes.
Listeners: What’s your favorite “secret ingredient” bake?
Previously on Preheated …
Two Years Ago: Episode 22 : Are You Awake Bakes
One Year Ago: Episode 71 : Citrus Twist
———-
If you’re intrigued by our podcast, make it easy on yourself and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. That way you can listen to more than one episode, and have them download automatically on your phone or tablet. You can also bake along with us in our Facebook group, Preheated.