Baking Made Easy episode 1: chef, baker and patissier Lorraine Pascale shares her secrets, passion and knowledge on baking sweet and savoury recipes. Featuring old favourites as well as new twists on modern classics, and tips on helpful shortcuts, techniques and kitchen secrets for baking.
The show kicks off with a feat of baking engineering – parmesan and poppy seed lollipops that are actually one of the simplest and fastest things you can bake. Then it’s time for some insider know how, as Lorraine goes through her baker’s dozen of essential kit. It is back to the kitchen for soda bread after that – no kneading, no rising, no effort – fresh bread doesn’t get easier than this.
Even classic French patisserie gets the easy treatment. Lorraine’s blueberry and lemon millefeuilles are full of incredible shortcuts. She’s sharing her basic recipe for shortcrust pastry, which makes a fantastic case for a stunning fig, cream cheese and mint tart. And to impress with baking, there is the ‘I Can’t Believe You Made That!’ cake. It’s chocolatey, stunning to look at, heavenly to eat and, of course, so easy.
Baking Made Easy episode 1 – So Easy recipes:
Soda bread
This bread is perhaps the easiest bread to make by hand – with little kneading and no waiting around for it to rise. Treacle gives it an earthy taste, darkens the crumb and crisps up the crust.
‘I can’t believe you made that’ cake
This cake is dramatic, delicious and versatile: decorate with fresh flowers for a christening or wedding cake, top with strawberries or raspberries for something girly, or add quartered figs for a Father’s day cake.
Blueberry and lemon millefeuille
Lorraine Pascale’s elegant dinner-party dessert recipe is made with shop-bought puff pastry for simplicity.
Parmesan and poppy seed lollipops
Put away those toasted nuts and crisps says Lorraine Pascale… Canapés have reached a whole new dimension!