Andrea has her eye on a new cookbook releasing this week, Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya Krishna. The recipe that caught her eye was the no-bake Cardamom Bread Pudding published in the April 2019 issue of Bon Appétit. The hosts are celebrating World Book Day on April 23rd, recognizing the ‘magical power of books’ and championing books, publishers, libraries, teachers, illustrators…everything to do with books. This year’s World Book Capital is Sharjah in the UAE.

Recipe Review: Hot Cross Buns by Culinary Hill

“Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella and went through the wood to the bakers. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns”

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter

Andrea was tempted by the promise that this Hot Cross Buns recipe was “so easy anyone could do it,” and found it to be true! Stefin enjoyed this fool-proof recipe, really liked the one pan execution, and had fun re-creating this childhood favorite. Stefin used rapid rise yeast, while Andrea used the active dry yeast (without blooming, and it worked just fine). Stefin stuck with raisins, while Andrea used currants, and both hosts agree the fruit and the icing are essential for moistness and sweetness. Andrea made a last minute change with Chai Spice from King Arthur Flour instead of cinnamon and found it to be a delicious substitution. Many thanks to Meggan for the tip on putting non-stick spray on the plastic wrap, solving years’ worth of frustrations! These sweet buns are a perfect treat for Easter morning (keep your eye on them so you don’t over-brown as Andrea did.)

Bake Along: Orange Marmalade Cake from Jan Karon’s The Mitford Series

Any fans of Jan Karon’s The Mitford Series are well aware of the powers of this famous cake. From being introduced as the triple-layer threat that almost sent Father Tim into a diabetic coma, to being stolen from a church refrigerator, to having a starring role at weddings and cooking contests, the OMC is woven throughout the series. This show-stopping, very involved cake has Andrea a bit anxious about planning and scheduling, while Stefin is excited to try this new-to-her dessert (even as she finds a way to make homemade cake flour, which is not available in the UK). Listener Karen has also long been intrigued with this cake, and hopefully other Listeners will bake along with the hosts this week.

Book Club: Greg Atkinson’s At the Kitchen Table

Loyal Listener Kristie gave Stefin a copy of this book, and then Stefin shared it with Andrea so they could fully celebrate the Literary Bakes theme! This is a book about the heart of the home, why eating is important, why making food from your kitchen is important, and the wonderful memories that food creates throughout your life. Both the hosts were thrilled with the recipes at the end of the each chapter, and enjoyed seeing how Chef Atkinson takes a recipe and tweaks it to make it his own. Andrea read a passage from the School Lunch chapter, while Stefin highlighted the 1-2-3-4 Fudge Marble Pound Cake from the On Cypress Street chapter and read the intro from the Peanut Butter Fudge recipe. Listeners, if you read the book, what recipes caught your eye?

Previously on Preheated …

Two Years Ago: Episode 24: Who Wants to Win a Baking Contest?
One Year Ago: Episode 73: Dessert in an Instant (Pot!)

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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.

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