Learning how to bake: Raspberry Bakewell Slice

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14/04/2020

Have you ever just had the urge to be good at something that you are simply horrible at? Well, for me that is baking. I cannot bake, like, at all. I am nervous every time I come to try it, it is an art, and I am not an artist. I am too heavy handed and blasé about it all. So, this is it, I am determined to get this. By the end of the year I will be able to have at least one dish that I can bake well consistently.

So I am starting a review process. Every time I bake, I will photograph it, taste it, review it and correct my mistakes. Here are my notes.

The Attempt: Raspberry Bakewell Slice

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Recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/raspberry-bakewell-slice

Did I follow the recipe: yes to the letter…it has pastry in it

Texture: good, although the pastry was undercooked

Moisture: good

Decoration: I think it looks pretty

Taste: It tasted like a Bakewell slice, it was almond-y and was a hit with Jon

Notes: I still hate working with pastry, I think I roll it thin enough and it never is. The most obvious problem with this bake was the pastry, it is undercooked at the bottom. I will blind bake it next time and roll it a bit thinner. I know that if I do this again I will make it so much better. The cake mixture is excellent, the recipe does a great job in balancing the flavours and I love the added bonus of the pastry, I just need a little bit more attention to detail and this would make a great bake. I also believe that this is probably the most complicated thing I have tried to bake, and I am giving myself credit for it being edible, although, I really enjoyed both the process and the outcome. Maybe I can stretch myself a little further outside of my comfort zone?

Until next time.