Have the secrets of NZ's best home bakers at your fingertips with this book from the popular series.
Until last year, most of us probably did not think of baking as a competitive - or spectator - sport. We simply hovered around people we knew were blessed with the baking gene, hoping for a plate or a tin of their bounty to come our way. But the first series of New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker last year had many of us reaching for our measuring cups and aprons, determined to show our love to friends and family with some homemade goodies.
This year the franchise has extended to a prettily produced book with a collection of recipes from series two of the show, now back on our screens. The aprons may be prettier, the bakers less flustered, but cool and calm judge, global baker Dean Brettschnieder is there to chivvy, advise and nibble, Colin is as encouraging as ever and the lovely Jade Lipton from Brisbane's CakeStar has to be the movie star of the baking business.
The book is full of beautiful photographs and mouthwatering recipes, helpfully arranged in the way we usually think of baking - biscuits and slices, cupcakes and muffins, bread and scones, cakes and so forth. The recipes have, fortunately, been tested and refined so any on-screen bloopers by nervous contestants have been eradicated. Luckily the clever experimentation is still there - Gretchen's inspired combination of two Kiwi classics, Anzac biscuits and ginger crunch, a sinful white chocolate and cherry shortcake, a grown-up bacon and egg pie.
Dean has plenty of helpful professional tips and pointers to make sure the exact science of baking is not lost in the excitement of the art. As he says, anyone can fry fish, but it takes a special person to tame wild yeast, mix two substances for a chemical reaction or use brute strength to beat air molecules into soft and creamy butter.
"For me, baking is very much part of the food world, right up there with wine, cheese and other fine foods," says Dean. "Baking comes from your hands, your mind and your heart."
Catherine's Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts & Raspberry Tarts
Makes 24
Pastry
1 cup icing sugar
125g butter, diced
pinch salt
2c plain flour
2 egg yolks
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs milk
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
1 can condensed milk
2 Tbs golden syrup
25g butter
100g pecan nuts, chopped
100g dark chocolate, melted
Raspberry Tarts
100g good-quality raspberry jam
100g almond slivers or nibs lightly toasted in oven until golden brown
100g white chocolate, melted
1. Preheat oven to 190 °C. To make pastry shells, cream icing sugar, butter and salt until light and fluffy.
2. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 egg yolk, beat well, then add remaining flour and egg yolk. Beat until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add water and milk and mix to combine.
3. Roll into a 5-cm log shape and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 3-mm slices.
4. Press thin pastry slices into mini muffin tins. Prick bases and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden in colour.
5. Leave to cool.
For the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Place all ingredients, except the nuts and chocolate, in a pot over a low heat, stirring constantly. When caramel has thickened and turned golden, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Fill cooled pastry cases with caramel and generously sprinkle over nuts. Place chocolate in piping bag. Decorate the top of tarts as desired.
For the Raspberry Tarts
Fill cooled pastry cases with spoonfuls of raspberry jam and sprinkle over toasted almonds. Place chocolate in piping bag. Decorate the top of tarts as desired.
* Extract from New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker with Dean Brettschneider, $35, published by Penguin.
