Sunday 24 November 2013

The Great British Baking Class

For quite a few months now I have been attending a regular baking masterclass. Mary Berry and Paul Dodgy-goatee-wood are nowhere to be found but who needs them when you have your very own baking guru who is certified and everything.

My first lesson was in piping so that I could make my cupcakes look pretty. Since then we've done all sorts of things including fresh pasta and French Madeleines. I was really looking forward to today as it was fudge making! YUM! I rolled up with my apron covered in flour (I contemplated the other one but it had a large chocolate smear on it that resembled baby poo which is not really that classy to take to someone else's house) and my box of ingredients and away we went. We started off making chocolate nut clusters - digestive biscuits, brazil nuts, stem ginger, mixed up with white chocolate and coated in dark chocolate - oh hello calories, oh hello tasty. I think I'm becoming addicted to ginger, seriously, I have it in everything now from food to drink. Next up was the fudge master class. 

Heaping on more calories we melted tonnes of sugar with barrels of double cream, threw in some alcohol just cos we can, and waited for it to magically heat up before adding pounds of white chocolate. It was topped off with even more booze and some cranberries. Delicious! I've not decided which version I will be making for gifts yet but I'm excited to get started. 

Our final task was honeycomb. Totally awesome. I was very much looking forward to the part where it would "fizz up like a volcano" - it really did! And once it had cooled? Sticky, crispy, yummy delightfulness. 

I've got lots more ideas for my gifts and I can't wait to get them all started now. I've just ordered a baking thermometer with some free gift vouchers I was given - love free stuff! So exciting. 

The day was made even more lovely by catching up with another friend from the old work, drinking tea, and eating chocolate and banana muffins. I should probably concentrate on eating fruit for the rest of this week but the box of chocolate nut clusters keeps on calling my name...

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