The second week of the Great British Bake Off... Biscuit week... Did you watch it? Oh how I love that programme. Also the second week of me joining in with Jenny of Mummy Mishaps and The Great Bloggers Bake Off. The technical challenge on the programme this week was to make twelve identical Viennese Whirls in one and a half hours. I hate to set myself targets that I can't keep up with, but I do like the idea of trying the technical challenge each week. I started them at 6.30 pm last night when I should have been starting dinner so taking photos of the process was not high on my agenda!
I skipped making the raspberry jam as I already had a pot of homemade strawberry jam sitting in the fridge and went straight to making the biscuit mix which I piped into "swirled rounds" not "Rosettes" as instructed... and the difference is? Blowed if I know but I piped swirly things! These then chilled in the fridge to allow them to firm up while the oven heated and I got on with making dinner.
They were then put in the oven, baked and taken out to cool whilst we ate dinner. I sandwiched them together with vanilla buttercream and the strawberry jam after we'd eaten and cleared up. Ready to eat with a cup of tea at 8.15pm! One and three quarter hours start to finish with an aubergine, chilli and tomato sauce on tagliatelle made from scratch, eaten and cleared up at the same time... and nothing ended up on the floor (you needed to have seen the programme to get that reference!)
I think mine should have had a bit more height and definition (probably solved by chilling for a bit longer) but overall I was pleased with the way they turned out and they do at least all look uniform. And the taste... not half bad... incredibly crumbly and melt in the mouth. I had to stop Stewart eating more than one last night as I wanted to photograph them in the light this morning but he's made up for that today!
Looking forward to bread week!
your Viennese whirls look lovely and to be fair i could eat biscuits for my dinner!!! i agree they do look uniformed in shape and size - Mary and Paul would have ben happy with them . thank you for joining in #GBBOBloggers2016
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny... It's fun taking part!
DeleteThey must be delicious and they are so uniform. You did amazing.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a rosette is piped from a static piping nozzle position, whereas a swirled biscuit is created by moving the nozzle in a swirl. But whatever - they look yummy!
ReplyDeleteI'll remember that now... And I think I got it the right way round 😜
DeleteGina, once again you show me what an amazing baker you are (and pasta dinner creator, too.)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Viennese Whirls before, but from your photographs and description, I think they must be fabulous!
The current Great British Bake Off shows seem to have a good mix of kitchen drama and actual baking inspiration. We will get to see these shows next year. Meanwhile, I just read some of the media reviews of each episode and ... wish I was there.
Happy weekend. xo
I made swirls instead of rosettes too! Yours look really lovely - and very impressive to make them AND dinner in such a short time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandy. I'm still not sure I know the difference between a swirl, a whirl or a rosette but I'm not sure it matters. They taste good whatever!
DeleteThey look delicious. It's great to see the Bake Off back again.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch much TV but I love this programme!
DeleteYour Viennese Whirls look perfect to me (now puzzling over the difference between a swirl and a rosette)
ReplyDeleteNow picturing you with a pasta maker thingie rolling our tagliatelle ... please tell me you used bought pasta, no-one can make their own pasta and Viennese Whirls at the same time!
Your Viennese Whirls look impressive and I'm sure they taste good too. I'm pleased Bake Off has come around again - entertaining and interesting to see how everyone gets on with each challenge.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I think it's my all time favourite TV programme!
DeleteHaving watched the programme, yours definitely are the best. I can just imagine how good they taste. Good on you to produce dinner as well! B x
ReplyDeleteThank you... Years of cooking for a large family I guess!
DeleteThey look wonderful and I am sure they taste wonderful too. Unfortunately I follow my grandmother's culinary trait of caring more about the taste than the appearance of food. She was always so busy but still managed to produce tasty meals even if they often didn't pass the presentation test.
ReplyDeleteI think you should enter the real Bake Off next year!! Your biscuits look fab.
ReplyDeleteI entered this year and two previous years but never even got a reply to my application.
DeleteThey look great. I made a batch of vegan whirls this morning, with, ooh, yum, margarine. Not so much Viennese as doughy brick. Guess where they ended up (hint: begins with 'b', ends with 'n')?
ReplyDeleteOh! Their biscuits! I thought you were dancing in the kitchen "Viennese Whirl"! These look delicious, and I'm surprised no one came back to steal more despite your request to save them for the morning light. But being in N.America...are they biscuit/cookie? or biscuit/bun?
ReplyDeleteGold star for beauty and taste!
Wendy
Oh I didn't know about this hashtag!! I'm going to have to get my baking trays and cake tins out!! Well done on the Viennese Whirls. I've bought the book so there is no excuse for mexx
ReplyDeleteThey look delicious and so even and regular! You are a marvel, creating fab Viennese Whirls while cooking dinner. The family must be well trained not to eat them overnight. There would only be crumbs left here.
ReplyDeleteThey look fantastic and so uniform, you did amazingly getting good everything including get dinner done on that time!
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma!
DeleteI'm so impressed getting them made while making dinner too. They look very uniform and absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank Jacqueline. Many years cooking for four boys and their friends has obviously paid off!
DeleteI don't think I'd have been organised (or brave enough) to start making biscuits when I was meant to start making our evening meal...I'm amazed you managed so well to get both bakes done in that time scale. The Vienese Whils look absolutely great, such a lovely uniform shape.
ReplyDeleteAngela x
Not very organised, nor brave Angela, just a bit bonkers!
DeleteWell yours look much better that any that were offered up on Wednesday thats for sure! I have to say I'm not overly impressed with any of the bakers yet and usually someone stands out at this stage already. I've never seen so much end up on the floor or collapse or have to be restarted before!!
ReplyDeleteYour pasta sounds good too!
V x
they look brilliant. I'm glad i'm not the only one who sometimes prioritises baking over making dinner. I never seem to find time to take nice photos of food as the family get stuck into eating them too quickly. look forward to seeing more of your GBBO bakes. #gbbobloggers2016
ReplyDeleteI often forget to take photos until we've eaten whatever it was I should have photographed!
DeleteI love these!! The shape looks great Gina.. I know with rosettes a closed star nozzle is better than open, but that's just my view. Your swirl things look pretty damn good to me!
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ReplyDeleteYou did amazingly at getting them and dinner done at once! I bet they were a perfect dessert. You're right they do look perfectly uniform.
ReplyDeleteThey look brilliant, much better than our first attempt. Hopefully our second batch will look as good as these tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteHope you have success with your second batch Michelle... Although I'm sure they all taste good!
DeleteThey look so good especially for fitting them in around making dinner!
ReplyDeleteThey look fab to me and I would definitely welcome one with my cuppa x
ReplyDeleteRosettes? Swirls? I don't know how they should be piped, but yours look perfect.
ReplyDeleteOooh Yum Gina -- these look wonderful! I do so wish we had the GBBO here at the same time that you have it!
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