Friday 8 August 2014

The GBBO Returns & Jo Wheatley's Custard Creams *RECIPE*

This week saw the return of my favourite TV show The Great British Bake Off, and to mark to occasion one of my besties Liz decided to hold a little Bake Off gathering at her house - the plan: watch the first episode of GBBO with good friends and good cake - was I in? HELL YES. 

I decided to bake something to take along, and I've been wanting to give homemade Custard Creams a go for ages so now seemed like the perfect reason. I found a wonderful recipe from previous GBBO winner Jo Wheatley (Jo's Blue Aga)  featured in Woman and Home Magazine, and decided that recipe would be the best bet and most reliable. 

I found the recipe very easy to follow. Luckily, I had all of the ingredients already in my store cupboard, always a bonus!

The key to this recipe is to not over bake the biscuits - 10 mins was the perfect amount of time for me to get lightly golden biscuits. It also really helps to have a great piping nozzle (metal) with good quality disposable piping bag - I find this combo works best.

My Wilson 1M large star piping nozzle and disposable piping bag - I find this the perfect piping combo! 

custard butter cream - what could be better? :-)

I love the simplicity of this recipe - by just adding custard powder to a biscuit mix, and standard buttercream you utterly transform a plain sandwich biscuit into the nostalgic glory of a custard cream (but better, trust me!) 

waiting to be squished together and devoured

And so, here are my finished biscuits….not a soggy bottom or burnt corner in sight… hopefully Mary & Paul would be proud. 




They were utterly delicious! 

I popped them in a box and took them over to Liz's where we spent a lovely evening devouring her incredible chocolate cloud cake with fresh cream, raspberries and white chocolate buttons, and my biscuits! The perfect accompaniment to GBBO. 

Liz's chocolate cloud cake (Nigella recipe)

I'm not even going to lie: I had TWO slices :-)

And a custard cream (or 2?) :-)

Lovely friends, perfect company - wine, tea, cake, biscuits, Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and Mel & Sue - what more could anyone want from an evening??

Me and Liz - hostess with the mostess!

Thanks Liz for a cracking night - we're thinking of making it a regular thing as it was so fun to watch the show with friends, and get their opinions, judgements and feedback there and then as the show airs. 

So, who are my favourites after the first episode??

Kate
Richard
Martha
Nancy 
Norman 

…are my top bakers! 

I loved each of them in their own way, and saw potential in each of them to do great things in this competition. 

The other's I had my various issues with, but I'm sure everyone will have their good and bad moments as with every series. I though Mary and Paul made the right decision about the first person to leave, and I'm excited to follow the rest of the journey - I wonder if one my favourites will reign victorious? 

Did you watch the first episode of Bake Off this week?

What did you think?

Mrs B

xxx

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