Not what I hoped for
May. 5th, 2023 06:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartThe British baking experiments were, as the Germans would say, der reinste Reinfall. I've made Paul Hollywood's egg custard tartlets (with the fake custard), and it proved to be fairly bland. Not even the shortcut pastry had any taste whatsoever. The custard might have profited from more sugar, but I didn't want to make it too sweet... well, too sweet might have been an improvement. :(
As for the coronation quiche... I think if I had cut cardboard into the right form and served that for lunch, it would have been more tasty - and considerably cheaper, not to mention all the hard work. The shortcut pastry literally fell to pieces during the blind baking, and my efforts to patch up the tears only led to the custard leaking out and soiling everything within ten light years. The spinach couldn't be felt in it, even though I added some garlic on my own (the recipe didn't ask for it), and frankly, all that Cheddar was practically undetectable. I should have used the shortcut pastry recipe I always use when making quiche, but I wanted to be authentic. A fat lot of good did it for me. :(
Of curse, they asked half butter and half lard for the pastry, and there hasn't been any lard in our house since Grandma's death (back in 1996), so I used margarine, which might have been part of the problem. My usual recipe goes with margarine and works like a charm, but this was a royal recipe; margarine was probably beneath its dignity or whatnot.
At least Grandma's sponge cake did its duty as always: it is light, fluffy and delicious as always. I cut it twice horizontally and added strawberry jam and quark creme (instead of whipped cream that would collapse until tomorrow), so it actually looks like a Victoria sandwich, even if it isn't one.
All this disappointing baking ate most of my day, so there was only a bit of time left for crossword puzzles and taking Mum out for a walk. I'm a bit pissed off about the whole issue, but we'll eat the food tomorrow anyway, so it wasn't entirely wasted. Still, I'd have loved to serve a really delicious hightea coffee. Ah, well, I can still make yummy canapés yet.
As for the coronation quiche... I think if I had cut cardboard into the right form and served that for lunch, it would have been more tasty - and considerably cheaper, not to mention all the hard work. The shortcut pastry literally fell to pieces during the blind baking, and my efforts to patch up the tears only led to the custard leaking out and soiling everything within ten light years. The spinach couldn't be felt in it, even though I added some garlic on my own (the recipe didn't ask for it), and frankly, all that Cheddar was practically undetectable. I should have used the shortcut pastry recipe I always use when making quiche, but I wanted to be authentic. A fat lot of good did it for me. :(
Of curse, they asked half butter and half lard for the pastry, and there hasn't been any lard in our house since Grandma's death (back in 1996), so I used margarine, which might have been part of the problem. My usual recipe goes with margarine and works like a charm, but this was a royal recipe; margarine was probably beneath its dignity or whatnot.
At least Grandma's sponge cake did its duty as always: it is light, fluffy and delicious as always. I cut it twice horizontally and added strawberry jam and quark creme (instead of whipped cream that would collapse until tomorrow), so it actually looks like a Victoria sandwich, even if it isn't one.
All this disappointing baking ate most of my day, so there was only a bit of time left for crossword puzzles and taking Mum out for a walk. I'm a bit pissed off about the whole issue, but we'll eat the food tomorrow anyway, so it wasn't entirely wasted. Still, I'd have loved to serve a really delicious high
