The first National Baking Week 2011 from British talented baker and businesswoman Ruth Clemens runs until October 23, 2011.
Bake and Share at National Baking Week 2011 in Britain
After appearing on the British television show, The Great British Bake Off, Ruth has set up The Pink Whisk and attracted over 5,000 followers, writing "The launch of The Pink Whisk has sparked a great new career for me, working on really great project like National Baking [Week 17 October to 23 October 2011] which is all about inspiring everyone to get baking. The theme this year is Bake and Share - that's what baking is all about, whether it's sharing with family, friends or even the office, a good bit of baking puts a smile on everyone's face."
Ruth Clemens shows us her baking skills in nine video recipes featured for Britain's National Baking Week 2011 and all fitting the Bake and Share theme with abundance: Ulitmate Chocolate Cake baked in 25 to 30 minutes, Rhubarb and Raspberry Meringue Stack requiring a whole hour's baking time for perfection, Chocolate and Banana Bread and Butter Pudding needing 40 minutes in the oven, whizzy Mocha Cupcakes in 18 to 20 minutes, and a tray of Macaroons in 13 to 15 minutes, Caramelized Onion and Brie Puff Pastry Wraps with an oven cooking time of 14 to 16 minutes, dinky Mini Lemon Madeira Loaves ready with 25 to 30 minutes baking time, and the lush spreading all over the biscuit, the caramel however you want Chocolate Millionaire's Shortbread ready with 20 minutes of baking.
Ruth Clemens' Chicken Pie Video Recipe
My personal favorite video recipe was Ruth Clemens' Chicken Pie with a filling that is simply 25g Président slightly salted butter, 500g diced chicken breast, salt and pepper, 350ml chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of Allinson Nature Friendly plain white flour. With a recommended oven cooking time of between 35 to 40 minutes, the chicken will be cooking in a gravy that will develop its tones from the quality of the chicken stock used.
As Lisa Chernasky, author of The Artful Pie, writes, "At once impressive and unremarkable, pie can be complicated and challenging or simple and homey. Whether ordinary or elegant, though, a pie is not something to eat by yourself. It should be made to share, preferably while fresh and warm."
Bake and Scare
Hosting National Baking Week 2011 around the time of school holidays in some parts of Britain, apples days and other approaching Harvest festivals, the Bake and Share theme also links to Halloween theme of Bake and Scare. While the cited National Baking Week recipes lack videos, there is a heavy sprinkling of spiced winter squashes, pumpkins and apples featured. Soups with goat's cheese croutons are a sound combination, and pumpkin ravioli in a butter and sage sauce is included as a savoury hot bake.
In her recipes Ruth Clemens also brings savoury taste to making breads and baking muffins with her own recipes for spiced pumpkin tea bread and spiced apple muffins. The spiced apple muffins are described by Ruth as "easy midweek baking, making good use of our delicious eating apples" before encouraging bakers to add black pepper "to tingle the palate".
From Great British Bake Off contestant to championing Britain's 2011 National Baking Week 17 October 2011 to 23 October 2011, baker Ruth Clemens and The Pink Whisk intends to get the whole of Britain baking.
Susan Morris - Susan Morris, Scottish food and drink business manager, organic gardener, author and editor
