Pineapple Upside-down Cake & Other Retro Favourites
Did you watch the first episode of The Great British Bake Off on Tuesday night? Who was licking their lips at the thought of the retro favourite: the humble pineapple upside-down cake?
The new batch of contestants were tasked to make an array of mini pineapple upside-down cakes for the technical challenge, complete with a cherry on the top and plenty of cream – delicious!
So, who here remembers making the dessert in home economics at school? The fact is, we all love a bit of nostalgia don’t we – so in light of that first episode of the hit TV show, we’re bringing you some other retro favourites you might want to try this autumn and winter.
Oh, and if you do want to try your hand at making a pineapple upside-down cake, we love this recipe.
Arctic Roll
Ever made a swiss roll? If yes, why not go one better and make an Arctic roll (pictured below)? We reckon it’s the closest thing we’ll get to that American favourite, the Baked Alaska (and who remembers that famous episode of the Bake Off when one contestant took another baker’s baked Alaska out of the freezer?!).
So, if we can give you one piece of advice, don’t have a meltdown like that Bake Off contestant did (we don’t blame him though, to be honest) and instead stay calm and collected while you prepare each element of this delicious pud – here’s the recipe.
Vol-au-vents
Vol-au-vents were a staple treat at any 80s or 90s buffet – and guess what? Yes, you can magically transport yourself (via the power of baking, no less) to your nan’s living room, circa 1988, by creating your very own vol-au-vents.
Okay, so you may not want to go back to the time of curly perms and scrunchies just yet…so here’s a modern version, just for you. These mini mushroom tartlets are ‘the perfect addition to a Mad Hatter’s tea party’, says the Great British Chefs site, adding: ‘but hopefully these mushrooms won’t have you taking on giant, or miniscule, proportions.’
Peach Melba
…and now for dessert! Who remembers peach melba? The History Kitchen has a recipe you’ll love, if you fancy giving this post-teatime treat a try yourself. You will need to convert the US measurements to UK ones, to make life a little easier on yourself, but we reckon you’ll have lots of fun making this pud all the same.
You could also create a nostalgic fruit cocktail (complete with cream from a tin, if you want to go all-out retro), adding apples, glace cherries, satsumas and whatever else you have to hand. The kids will love helping you make it and we bet it’ll take you right back to your youth.
Will you be giving any of these nostalgic recipes a go? For some more inspiration, the BBC site has a list of classic retro recipes here.
Want something else to read? Here are a few more articles you might like, direct from the My Appliances lifestyle blog.
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Is it safe to buy meat during the pandemic?
Until next time…