On your marks, get set… BAKE!

A gentle drizzle outside, the kitchen warm with the promise of sweet treats. The scent of freshly baked sponge mingles with the aroma of tea, and on the counter, bowls and spatulas await their next challenge. Welcome to the baking tent- or rather, my kitchen! 

From triumphant showstoppers to the occasional soggy bottom, in Rebel kitchens it’s been a month of folding, whisking and taste testing galore. Join me as I reveal my baking adventures, celebrate the hits (hiding the mishaps!) that May’s challenge badge brought with the Big Rebel Bake Off. 

I chose to undertake clauses from the beginner and intermediate sections of the syllabus- my baking skills are definitely at the hobbyist level and I didn’t have a lot of free time for the actual baking. So here’s what I did:

1. Research the history of a traditional bake

2. Design and make a cake topper:

I prepared a birthday afternoon tea for my mum this month and my good friend Ria helped me to make this topper. I wanted bright and fun, and I think this fits the bill:

And on the cake

3. Make a tray bake which requires no baking:

My go to no-bake tray bake is Mars Bar Rice Krispie cake. My aunt’s recipe from the 1980s and it has always been perfect! I made them for the afternoon tea and only had 3 left to photograph 🤣

4. Bake something with 5 ingredients (or fewer):

Nigella Lawson’s Granny Boyd’s Biscuits never fail. I baked these with butter for the afternoon tea, but I also made a vegan version for the cookie exchange. (5. Make a name for dietary requirements you don’t normally need to consider)

6. Bake bread from scratch

I made Paul Hollywood’s easy white loaf for this clause, I have only ever made soda bread before so this was my first “real” bread baking. 

Alice Pawkins helped with the bread, hers was more of a cheerleader role

A mid-bake selfie with Pawkins

The final result! Actual, real life bread!
 

7. Host a cookie exchange with you local rebellion:

On 18th May the Leicestershire Rebellion hosted a vegan cookie exchange at our regular badgemin session. Mine were by far the most pedestrian biscuits (I’m a fan of relatively simple bakes), all the biscuits/cookies were delicious!

Top row, left to right: 

Chocolate chip cookie, GF shortbread duck, double chocolate chip cookie, orange and cranberry cookie, Granny Boyd biscuit

Bottom row, left to right: 

Shortbread duck, lemon and lavender shortbread, shortbread star, blueberry cookie, dark chocolate, macadamia nut and sea salt cookie. 

We shared the recipes we all used on our Rebellion Facebook group. 

8. Watch an episode of GBBO and decide what you would make:

I recently watched an episode of The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off, the challenges were as follows:

Signature Challenge- 8 iced buns. 

As a Leicesterhire resident, I was devastated when Brucianni’s stopped trading-their Lemon Split was perfect. A lemon iced bun with a fresh cream filling. I have tried to recreate them a few times since Brucianni’s closed down. 

Technical challenge: A chocolate and raspberry roulade

What to aim for

Showstopper challenge: Doppelgänger biscuit portrait 

As a younger woman I was told I looked a bit like Alison Moyet, so I asked AI to create a giant biscuit iced with her portrait, this is what it gave me: 🤣

I don’t think I’d ever get Star Baker, but I have enjoyed the baking (and eating) this month. 

No cakes for me for a while now, give the blood sugar a chance to normalise 😂

Take care all, 

E x