The Eclair Stair

It seems remiss of me not to have mentioned series five of the Great British Bake Off yet, since we have just had the quarter final! No spoilers for those still to catch up, but I couldn’t let another day go past without referring to Richard’s Eclair Stair, which he constructed for his choux pastry yummies.
Richard is a builder, a family man, and a most excellent baker! and it would appear, a hen keeper!
“I was bored” said Richard, when quizzed about his home made mini wooden staircase, ” we can use it as a chicken ladder when all this is over”.
Chicken ladder? Really?
When I imagine a chicken ladder these images come to mind –

I’d love to see the a Gillybirds faces if I presented them with this beautiful, practical, delicious stairway to choux pastry heaven!

And the flavours?
Lavender and Blueberry, Rose and Raspberry. Yum! What more could a hen ask for.

Photos from BBC website, Daily Mail and Hello Magazine website

So what was inside the Secret Squirrel Cake?

http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/frances-secret-squirrel/
Just for you, Campari Girl 🙂

A worthy winner

Just to bring you completely up to date, the great British Bake Off was worthily own by Frances Quinn. Often accused of “style over substance” during the ten weeks of high pressure baking, Frances excelled in the final which included the technical challenge of a layered pastry picnic basket pie, making pretzels from scratch (really who does that?) and a three tier wedding cake. Frances for me has always stood out for her original presentation of cakes and breads, particularly her “secret squirrel” cake, which when you cut into it had the shape (in sponge) of a squirrel. I can’t work out how she did it. Anyone who makes biscuits that look like buttons is worth watching.
Well done Frances! But what am I going to do on Tuesday nights now?
PS I wish I could get a photo of me looking as good as that with my baking implements! 🙂