Bake Off Hijinx

Let’s Bake

Put the kettle on, pull the sofa closer to the telly and get ready for the kitchen mayhem that is The Great British Bake Off, back in the tent with a deliciously familiar recipe of jammy overflow, crashing extensions and potty piping.This year there’s a new ingredient.

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding return to keep the bakers entertained (and, presumably, prevent too much pastry-related panic), while Paul Hollywood remains on judging duty with that famously eagle-eyed approach to a perfectly baked loaf.[Our own Bake Off team preparing an afternoon tea party. No innuendo, just great cake.]

Joining Paul is none other than Nigella Lawson, bringing her unmistakably gushy warmth, wit and love of good food to the judging bench for the first time.

With twelve new bakers facing the usual gauntlet of Signature, Technical and Showstopper challenges, expect towering cakes, trembling custards, ambitious pastry and enough butter to make the nation’s dairy farmers sit up and take notice.For those of us who believe that baking is equal parts science, creativity and eating the evidence before anyone notices, there’s plenty to enjoy.

So, preheat the oven, dust off the mixing bowl and prepare to experience that most comforting of television traditions – the weekly question of whether it’s actually possible to bake a cake without someone mentioning a soggy bottom.

There’s something really comforting about setting aside an afternoon for baking.

Take a few moments to get everything ready – weigh out the flour and sugar, soften the butter, crack the eggs and have your tins, mixing bowl and wooden spoon close at hand.

A little preparation makes the whole process feel unhurried, leaving you free to enjoy the simple pleasure of turning a handful of everyday ingredients into something delicious.A classic Victoria sponge is the perfect place to start. Light, buttery and wonderfully nostalgic, it’s a cake that rewards a gentle approach and doesn’t need anything elaborate to make it special.

Once the sponges have cooled, there’s the satisfying job of spreading one with fruity strawberry jam, a generous layer of softly whipped cream and sliced fresh strawbs, before sandwiching the cakes together.

Dust the top with icing sugar, put the kettle on, and you have the makings of a very good afternoon.This is Anna (Mrs Stokes) and pals in her kitchen, preparing a feast of fruity joy for a Staff Tea Party. Chaos – but delicious.

We don’t intend to try to teach you how to bake, but do hope to inspire you to try.Classic Scones.

Clotted Cream, or Jam first?

Our late Queen (Elizabeth II) insisted on having it served ‘the Cornish way’ – jam first, with clotted cream on top. The Devon method is cream then jam.

Personally, I’m with the the Cornish – how about you?Chocolate & Raspberry Jam Brownies.

CHEF’S TIP:

‘For a squidgy brownie, bake so that the centre of the brownies still “wobbles” a bit. Don’t worry, it will set as it cools.‘

Thanks Andy. squidgy indeed, but still with a crunch as you bite into it.

See Andy’s ‘best brownie’ recipe – HERE. Blackcurrant & Vanilla Cheesecake.

I know I’m bias but, our Blackcurrant EXTRA Jam has got to be the best in the business, packed to the gunwales with big juicy blackcurrants – pure magic.

CHEAT’S TIP:

Buy a plain vanilla cheesecake, spoon plenty of Stokes Blackcurrant Jam over it, and serve it with a nice cuppa … another tough day in the kitchen!

OR:

Follow Andy’s personal magic in his recipe – HERE.Bread & Butter Pudding.

Comfort food at its very best. Another crispy entrance to a soft centre treat for the tum, zesty with our Seville Orange Marmalade.

Chef, Andy shares his yummy version of this prince of puddings made extra special using brioche bread – HERE.Jams & Marmalade

Strawberry EXTRA Jam

We go to uncompromising lengths to make sure the blackcurrants we use have that signature juicy sweet / tart flavour; the raspberries are rich, sweet and luscious; and the succulent strawberries have keynotes of Wimbledon.

Raspberry EXTRA Jam

Stokes use unrefined cane sugar, which is a typical artisan sugar. Produced in smaller batches, it is less processed and retains all or most of the cane molasses around the sugar crystals.

This natural sweetness and additional depth of flavour simmer gently with the extra fruit to give the deeply flavoursome jams we love to deliver.

In the Old Stables at Rendlesham, knowing eyes watch over slow cooking blackcurrants, as they simmer, waiting for that very fine line between ‘perfect’ and ‘oops’.

Blackcurrant EXTRA Jam

Our kitchen staff have an enviable expertise and are as passionate about their jams, preserves, relishes and sauces as we all are.

But it’s not just the amount of fruit.

Use 50% poor quality blackcurrants and you can only create poor jam.

We don’t (won’t) compromise when it comes to taste.

Seville Orange Marmalade

This is our personal twist on an English classic, a fine cut marmalade that bursts with the flavours of such a wonderful fruit.

In the Great Taste Awards, the Judges’ Comments read:

“Rich, golden looking marmalade with excellent bits of peel and a good citrus aroma. This has all the classic characteristics of a good Seville orange marmalade – bitter, sweet, tart and rich with citrus orange.”

Ladies and Gentlemen – that’s our Jamalades.

They say Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

But, mention breakfast in a room full of food lovers and you start a real foodie debate.

Are you a Full English fan, or is something a little Continental more your style?

However you break your nightly fast, we’ve something new.On one side stand the loyalists of the mighty Full English. A glorious procession of sizzling bacon, perfectly fried eggs, hearty sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and toast, all vying for prime position on the plate.

To them, breakfast isn’t simply the first meal of the day, it’s a veritable mission. It’s comfort, tradition and enough substance to fuel everything from a day’s work to a weekend adventure.

The biggest decision to make – will it be Red Sauce or Brown!!??

Across the table sit the devotees of the Continental Breakfast.Their morning begins not with the crackle of a frying pan but with the delicate flake of a buttery croissant, a freshly baked pastry, artisan bread, Stokes EXTRA Jams or marmalade, fruit and perhaps a frothy cappuccino by the morning paper.

For them, breakfast is less about beating hunger, it’s more about savouring life’s quieter pleasures, a leisurely morning ritual rather than a fast-breaking feast.

So, what does your breakfast choice say about you?Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and let’s explore why these two iconic breakfasts continue to inspire passionate loyalties among food lovers everywhere.

Will it be Stokes English Breakfast Collection…Where comforting classics get a gourmet wink and a deliciously mischievous lift. This trio of sauces includes our Real Tomato Ketchup, Real Brown Sauce and Bloody Mary Tomato Ketchup.

Real Tomato Ketchup

More tomatoes – more taste. We cram 200g of sun-ripened, juicy Mediterranean tomatoes into every 100g of this award-winning Real Tomato Ketchup, so you have more natural flavour and a truly thick sauce.

Real Brown Sauce

Rich in date puree, black treacle and our unique blend of Persian spices. It’s a singularly ‘grownup‘ Brown Sauce and the hero ingredient of a classic full English breakfast.

Bloody Mary Tomato Ketchup

An indulgent tomato ketchup with a splash of vodka and a kick of Bloody Mary spice. Perfect for adding a piquant twist to your bacon sandwich.

Just £18 (+p&p) – HERE.

…or our Continental Breakfast Collection?A joyful celebration of fruity pleasures. Rich and tangy to add a sweet sophistication to any breakfast.

This collection includes:

Blackcurrant Extra Jam

With over 50% fruit, this Blackcurrant Extra Jam is laden with real blackcurrants making it full of fresh natural fruit flavour and with a rich texture to savour.

Strawberry Extra Jam

A rich and fruity soft set Strawberry Extra Jam, crammed with strawberries (50% fruit) giving this jam its full flavour and lush colour. Made to a classic English recipe.

Seville Orange Marmalade

Classic fine cut Seville Orange Marmalade made to a traditional English recipe and rich in zesty Seville Oranges (39%).

Just £18 (+p&p) – HERE.

Now … what about lunch??!!