JOANNE WHEATLEY made a perfect batch of petit fours to be crowned the winner of The Great British Bake Off in 2011.
Her love of baking hasn’t diminished since then. She has written two cookbooks and runs cookery classes from her Essex home.
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Her recipes here include one for Victoria sponge, which Mary Berry said was the best she had ever tasted.
Custard Tart
A TASTY, quintessential British tart. What could be better for Bake Off?
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YOU NEED:
For the pastry:
180g plain flour
90g cold unsalted butter, cubed
25g icing sugar
Pinch of fine salt
1 large egg, beaten
Cold water
For the filling:
500ml double cream
8 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
1 whole nutmeg
METHOD:
Place the flour, butter, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade. Whizz using the pulse button until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Add the egg, whizz briefly, then add the water one tbsp at a time, until the dough comes together to form a ball.
Turn the mix out on to the work surface and mould into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the chilled pastry between two sheets of baking parchment to the thickness of a 50p coin. Make it big enough to fit a 10in/26cm deep-fluted, loose-bottomed flan tin.
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Remove the top sheet of parchment, flip the pastry and gently place it into the tin. Use the baking parchment to help ease the pastry into the fluted edges and fill with baking beans.
Place in the fridge to chill for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to fan 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Bake in a preheated oven for ten minutes, remove the parchment and beans and return to the oven for five minutes more.
Keep the oven on and turn it down to fan 140C/320F/Gas Mark 3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Carefully trim the edges of the pastry case with a sharp knife so it’s flush with the tin.
For the filling, bring the cream to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then add the boiled cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large jug.
Place the flan tin with the blind-baked pastry case on to a solid baking sheet in the oven and carefully pour in the filling.
Finely grate the nutmeg over the tart – about three-quarters should be enough, depending on the size of your nutmeg and how strong you like it.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the centre looks firm but still has a slight wobble.
Leave to cool completely at room temperature before serving.
JO’S TOP TIP: If you don’t have any baking beans, uncooked rice works just as well. And once the rice has cooled it can be used again – just keep it in a sealed jar in the cupboard.
Chocolate souffle
SOUFFLES are the ultimate challenge for a chef but with my recipe, they are achievable at home.
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YOU NEED:
40g finely chopped skinned, roasted hazelnuts
zest of 1 large orange
35ml double cream
100ml milk
60g white chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, separated
15g cornflour
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
40g caster sugar
4 tsp orange marmalade
icing sugar
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to fan 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Put 1 tbsp of the chopped hazelnuts into each of the four buttered ramekins and turn the ramekins round in your hand until completely coated with the nuts. Set to one side.
Using a potato peeler remove the zest of the orange being careful not to take the white pith with it. Place in a pan with the cream and the milk and heat gently for 6-8 minutes so the zest infuses the liquid.
Be careful that the milk doesn’t boil. Sieve over the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl and stir until the chocolate is melted and combined.
Mix the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar, in a large bowl, to a paste.
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Add a little of the white chocolate cream and whisk until combined, then add the rest whisking as you go until fully combined.
Pour the mix back into the pan and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring the whole time until the mix has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Set to one side to cool slightly, stirring with a whisk from time to time.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites to firm peak. Take a large spoon of the whites, and fold through the cooled custard.
Once combined, carefully add the remaining egg white using a large metal spoon and fold through the mix until just combined.
Add 1 tsp of marmalade into the bottom of each ramekin and fill with the souffle mix to the top. Smooth with a palette knife, and using the edge of your thumb, carefully run a rim around the edge each ramekin, to help ensure an even rise. Repeat with all four ramekins.
Place on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Do not open the oven during this time. Dust with icing sugar to serve and eat immediately.
Victoria Sponge
THIS was the bake that Mary deemed one of the finest she’d tasted. Learn to perfect this bake and you’ll never have to worry when guests turn up. Made with store-cupboard ingredients, she is always my star bake!
YOU NEED:
For the cake:
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
225g Stork margarine
4 large eggs, beaten
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the filling:
4 tbsp raspberry jam
2 tbsp caster sugar
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METHOD:
Preheat the oven to fan 170C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Butter and line the base of two 8in/20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins.
Tip all of the cake ingredients into the bowl of a free-standing mixer and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake tins and spread level using a palette knife. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden, well risen, and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Carefully turn the cakes out of the tins, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool on wire racks.
Place one of the cold cakes on a serving plate, right side up, and spread with jam. Top with the second cake and sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.
Plaited loaf
HISTORICALLY, anyone who does well in Bread Week gets through to the final. This enriched dough looks great and tastes even better – a real winner!
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YOU NEED:
250g strong plain bread flour, plus extra for dusting
7g easy blend/fast-action yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
5g fine salt
100ml milk
50ml water
25g softened unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp seeds (poppy, pumpkin and sesame work well)
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to fan 200C/420F/Gas Mark 7. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl, then make a well in the centre. Combine the water and milk and heat to lukewarm. Pour into the dry ingredients and knead for 2 minutes on a bread hook.
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Add the butter and knead for a further 4-5 minutes by hand. Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and leave for about an hour until it has doubled in size.
Turn the proved dough out on to a floured surface, knock back and knead for 30 seconds. Divide into 3 equal pieces and roll into 12in/30cm sausages.
Pinch the top ends together and plait as though you were braiding hair.
Place on a baking tray, cover and leave to prove for another hour. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle the seeds over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.
JO’S TOP TIP: Use a shower cap to cover dough. It fits most bowls!
Sacher torte
THIS was the technical bake on the 2011 final and the one I most enjoyed on the show. By this time, I felt I’d found my feet.
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YOU NEED:
5 large eggs, separated
50g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
150g caster sugar
150g unsalted softened butter
100g melted dark chocolate
40g cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the topping:
3 tbsp warmed, sieved apricot jam
120g dark chocolate
120ml double cream
50g melted milk chocolate
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METHOD:
Preheat the oven to fan 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Separate the egg whites and yolks into 2 clean, large bowls. Whisk the whites until light and fluffy. Tip the remaining torte ingredients into the egg yolks and beat until combined.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Spoon into a 9in/23cm sandwich tin, greased and lined, and spread level using a palette knife. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool. Brush the torte with the jam. In a pan, heat dark chocolate and cream until melted. Stir the mixture and allow to cool then pour over the torte.
Carefully pipe “Sacher” on top of the torte using the melted milk chocolate. Leave to set before serving.
JO’S TOP TIP: Pop chocolate buttons in a disposable piping bag. Submerge it in a jug of boiling water and it will melt in the bag. Snip the tip when you’re ready to pipe.
