3 Of Mary Berry’s Best Ever Bakes To Make At Home
My first television appearance was on Collector’s World in 1971, where I prepared a Victorian dinner and a Georgian feast. However, my career as an on-screen teacher truly began in 1975 with Thames Television’s Afternoon Plus, alongside Judith Chalmers. From there, I went on to cook on TV for many years and had series on both Thames Television and BBC daytime. I was 75 when I received a phone call from the BBC asking me if I wanted to be a judge on The Great British Bake Off, a new format for BBC2. I was thrilled by the opportunity – I love judging cookery because you are right there with the cooks and are able to help. You can say, ‘If you’d done this…’, or ‘Next time, make sure you don’t…’, so they can learn from their successes as well as when things go wrong, and they’ll have better luck next time. I always wanted to inspire as a judge and not be cruel. It was a fantastic seven years working with a fun team.
I feel very lucky to have taught a trick or two in the kitchen via my books and TV series to so many people from all walks of life. Mary 90 will be my eleventh consecutive series for BBC2. I hope everyone finds the advice I give useful, as though I’m holding their hand and standing beside them while they cook. My love for writing recipes comes from that desire to teach. I make sure to include everything when I write a recipe, even tips on what might go wrong.
I have always been inquisitive about new foods. I try to keep up to date and love to share what I learn. In the 1960s, I was excited to write about new ingredients and techniques, like avocados, stir fries, guacamole, paella and sharing platters, long before they became household staples. I keep my eye out for new flavours and ingredients, too. Sometimes I’ll use them in a recipe to update a classic.
More than anything, looking back over my years as a cook, I feel privileged to have shared recipes and taught kitchen skills to so many different people. Being able to help home cooks through my recipes and cookbooks has been an honour.
Here are 3 recipes to try at home…
CARROT CAKE WITH FROSTING
A carrot cake is so popular, especially in coffee shops and bakeries. My version includes my favourite spices. Carrot cake originated in the US where they make cakes with oil rather than our butter-based sponges. Use a flavourless oil, such as sunflower or vegetable.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the bases of two 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed sandwich tins.
Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat with a fork to break up. Add the caster and muscovado sugar, oil and vanilla and mix well.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until just combined. Be careful not to over beat.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes until well risen and lightly golden. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Measure the butter, vanilla and icing sugar into a large bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until combined. Add the cream cheese and beat until creamy and light.
Peel the paper from the bases of the sponges and invert one onto a plate. Spread with frosting. Place the other cake on top and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides, leaving a pretty swirl on top. Decorate with walnuts or pecans to serve.
FABULOUS CHOCOLATE & CHERRY CAKE
This is an impressive cake (so good, in fact, that it's on the cover of the book!), perfect for a celebration. It may seem a lot of water to add to the cake, but it is needed to make a paste with the cocoa powder.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and base line two 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed sandwich tins.
To make the ganache, measure the cream and chocolate into a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until runny. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in a cold place until thick and stiff.
Meanwhile, measure the cocoa powder into a large bowl with the boiling water. Mix to a paste. Add all the remaining cake ingredients and whisk together until light and fluffy using an electric hand whisk.
Divide the cake mixture between the tins and level the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place one of the cakes upside down on a board. Spread the cherry jam over the surface and top with the whipped cream. Place the second cake on top. Spread the ganache icing over the top of the cake and swirl to make a pretty design.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
This is a classic pudding. There are a few cheat versions of this recipe available, which I have made over the years, but if you have time to make this classic, it’s always worth the effort!
You will need a deep 23cm (9in) fluted loose-bottomed tart tin.
First, make the pastry. Measure the flour, butter and icing sugar into a food processor. Whiz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and whiz again until the pastry comes together, being careful not to overmix. Roll the pastry into a ball.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough out thinly until it is slightly larger than the tin. Carefully line the base and sides of the tin with the pastry. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and chill in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6.
To bake the pastry blind, line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until it is golden and crisp.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas 3.
Meanwhile, to make the lemon filling, measure the lemon zest and juice, caster sugar and cornflour into a saucepan and mix well. Gradually pour in 300ml (1⁄2 pint) of cold water, stirring all the time, then whisk over a medium heat until thickened. Remove from the heat.
Beat the egg yolks with a small whisk, then add them to the lemon mixture in the pan, which will have cooled slightly. Whisk well again. Pour this lemon mixture into the pastry case and set aside.
To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk on maximum speed until it looks like cloud. Gradually add the caster sugar, a dessertspoon at a time, until glossy and shiny. Spoon on top of the lemon filling and swirl the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes until the meringue has a firm shell, is a pale straw colour but is still soft in the middle. Set aside for about 1 hour, to allow the filling to firm up.
Remove the pie from the tin and serve ideally warm or cold, but not hot or the lemon filling will be too runny.
Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes (£28, BBC Books) is available to buy now.
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