My family is quite a bit late to the Great British Baking Show phenomenon, but we’ve really enjoyed watching the first season (and part of the second) so far. So when one of my favorite local bookstores, Book Larder, announced in an email that they were going to host The Great Book Larder Bakeoff, why, I had to get tickets for us.
Book Larder, by the way, is a bookstore comprised entirely of cookbooks. Let that sink in for a moment. It’s wonderful (and dangerous).
Since it’s a small store, there wouldn’t be hours of tense competition. Instead, people could sign up as a judge/taster or a baker. We chose to be judges, and were rewarded with a packed house and 13 different savory baked goods to sample. Our instructions were to try everything and mark our three favorites.
Nothing was bad. The ones I gravitated toward offered complex flavors, such as the Curry Pate with Homemade Peach Chutney on Puff Pastry and the Pear, Pecorino and Bacon Scones. My other favorite, however, was a simple Herb and Parmesan Corn Bread that was exquisitely flavored and perfectly baked.
After about an hour, the ballots were counted and the winners were announced. From the Book Larder Facebook page:
1st place went to @ashesjeanette with her chile rellenos biscuits with honey butter. 2nd place went to @rosereflet with her coriander buns. And 3rd place was a tie between the curry pâté with homemade peach chutney on puff pastry by @moberlyjulie and the savory curry chicken and mango hand pies by @seaflourchild.
The good folks at Book Larder say they’re planning on doing this every quarter. I can’t wait until the next one.
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Jeff Carlson | Never Enough Coffee Creations 