We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you another Great British Baking Show classic: Mary Berry’s signature lemon drizzle cake! I wanted to try something that was quintessentially British (and thus quintessentially Mary Berry), and I can’t think of anything that fits that bill better than this particular dessert.
This week, I wanted to bake something for what has become one of my favorite holidays: Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos. While Day of the Dead is not a part of my cultural heritage, I love the concept of the holiday. Rather than mourning the loss of loved ones and wallowing in sadness, the focus of Day of the Dead is to celebrate those who are no longer with us and invite their souls to visit. It’s actually a two-day holiday that happens on November 1 and 2. The first day celebrates children and infants, and the second day celebrates adults. Families create altars, or ofrendas, which hold pictures of the deceased loved ones, as well as favorite items and foods, candles to light their way, and glasses of water to quench their thirst. Other traditional elements include marigolds, tissue paper decorations (papel picado), and the ubiquitous sugar skull. I incorporate the elements that are most meaningful to my family in my personal celebration, but this year I wanted to try something a bit more traditional and make pan de muerto.
Hello, readers! It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Sorry to drop off the face of the Earth with no warning, but I’ve really needed some time to recharge lately (this is an ongoing thing, so posts may be sporadic for the near future). However, I didn’t want to leave you hanging for Mother’s Day, so I humbly present this lemon juniper bundt cake for your consideration.
When’s the last time I wrote about pie? July 8, apparently. In other words, far, far too long ago. I had a craving for fruit pie last Saturday, so I knew what I would be baking before I made my final grocery list for the week (a rare circumstance for me). Blueberries are still in season, and I had made an impulse purchase of a bag of limes the week before (my impulses are a little weird), so for once, the decision process was fairly straightforward.
Two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see that PBS is now airing season 6 of The Great British Baking Show on Friday nights. To celebrate, I decided to try (at least) one recipe from each episode. This week’s experiment is Madeira cake (the first episode’s Signature Challenge).
The Preakness (the second leg of the Triple Crown) is this Saturday! I’ll admit that this is the race I most often forget about because after the Kentucky Derby happens, I’m already making my plans for the Belmont Stakes. This year, I wanted to make sure to show the Preakness some love by recreating its official drink, the Black-Eyed Susan, as a dessert. I’ve already done Mint Julep Bundt Cake this year, so let’s see if I can make it through the Triple Crown of Baking in 2016!
I Wanna Bake! 