Raisin lovers everywhere, unite! Stefin starts the show with an impassioned defense of the much-maligned Raisinet, which Andrea is most decidedly not interested in, even though they’ve started making a version with dark chocolate, which she does love! And it turns out there is a candy horoscope for dark chocolate lovers: they are mature realists, red wine sippers, and prefer intimate gatherings over large parties. Stefin’s Raisinet horoscope predicted that she is buttoned up and professional during the week, but ready to let loose on a Friday night! Hmmmm.
Our hosts had a few challenges with the Orange Polenta Cake from Jamie Oliver. The recipe contained some mysteries: vanilla essence (is that the same as vanilla extract?), a thick batter that couldn’t be poured, and lots of leftover syrup. Both hosts noticed the cake was extremely fragile, and had to be very careful when handling this cake. While both hosts loved the cardamom in the syrup, Stefin didn’t love the orange blossom water flavor. Andrea didn’t follow the recipe exactly (shocker!) and substituted Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur Flour for the orange blossom water, which turned out to be a fabulous substitution. Thanks to King Arthur Flour Baker’s Hotline for help with the measurements! Andrea had to do a bit of math to adjust her pan sizes, many thanks to Alice Medrich for this great article on How to Make Your Baking Recipe Fit Your Pan Size. Stefin served her cake with crème fraiche, while Andrea served hers with some heavy whipped cream.Andrea liked serving this cake warm, and recommends having this pretty cake in your arsenal for those times when you want a gluten-free cake.
Next week’s bake along is a Sussex Pond Pudding from Felicity Cloak at The Guardian. It’s a steamed pudding with an entire lemon in the middle, perfect for citrus month! Andrea enjoyed this Paul Hollywood video with the historical background of the Sussex Pond Pudding. And she is thinking of using her latest gadget obsession to try and make it!
Speaking of gadgets, our hosts step into the Gadget Garage to discuss Andrea’s experiences making desserts in the Instant Pot. So far she’s tried crème brûlée, lemon cheesecake, and chocolate molten cakes with varied success. Taste and ease of cooking are the big plus points, but she’s still fiddling with the recipes to try and get the best taste.
Readers, do you have any dessert recipes for the Instant Pot to share?
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