“Do you apologize ever?” Claire asked with a pointed look that Alan completely missed. He seemed to consider that. “If it’s deserving.” “Crepes alive,” Claire mumbled, sniffing dismissively. “Like making full puff pastry with completely frozen butter.” Jonny smirked at her back. “I’ll take your word for it.” “It just has to thaw, Claire!” Alan protested as though she’d insulted him. “Come on, that’s not a great analogy.” “You need to thaw, is what you’re really saying,” Claire retorted over her shoulder. “And I agree, so no fridge time for you.” FrozenBakingButterAnalogyThaw Book:Mayhem on the Marzipan Express Source: Mayhem on the Marzipan Express
“Claire looked again at the ingredients Mrs. Clyde had brought, finally realizing it was only sugar, a torch, and a variety of topping choices. Not the ingredients to make a dessert, but to finish a dessert. Which meant this treat had been planned out ahead of time, regardless of where the evening would have taken place. No matter what the dessert actually tasted like, this was already the most deliciously sweet thing that had ever happened to her.” BakingKitchen RomanceFor Her Book:The Crime Brûlée Bake Off Source: The Crime Brûlée Bake Off
“I'm trying to be proactive. And since we did so well with baking during a murder investigation last time, why not?" Alan shook his head in an almost pitying manner. "There is something very twisted about what you just said, Claire." "Plaited, if you please, Mr. Gables," she shot back. "I'm a good loaf, perfectly proved.” BreadCozy MysteryBakerPlait Book:Mayhem on the Marzipan Express Source: Mayhem on the Marzipan Express
“What are you planning for your mille-feuille?" "I was looking into popular flavors of the Victorian era," Claire recited, just as she'd practiced in the mirror last night, "and I decided to use lemon and raspberry. So my pastry cream has lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice, and then I will layer fresh raspberries between stripes of cream between the pastry layers." How are you making the pastry?" Alan pressed. Claire swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Full puff. I found that it layers better than rough puff." Alan gave her a nod of consideration. "Takes longer too." "Are you concerned about the combination of two tart flavors?" Dame Sophie asked in a prim, almost trilling voice. "It can be quite a collision if you are not careful." Claire nodded. "I tried a number of combinations, and this cream should have enough sweetness to counter the lemon. And fresh raspberries, I find, gave a better mouthfeel than freeze-dried or using an essence in the cream itself." Lindsay leaned on the counter, her expression playful. "Tell me about the chocolate, Claire. C'mon, tell me you're using good chocolate." "Of course I am," Claire told her with a laugh. "I'm doing a dark chocolate icing and marbling with the vanilla icing, instead of the other way around." "Daring, Claire," Charlie praised, smiling in his usual would-be devilish way. "Turning history on its head, innit?" Claire made a show of exhaling. "I'm going to try, Charlie, and hope not to offend history or the judges in the process.” DeterminedCreamDark ChocolateFlavor CombosBaking Show Book:The Crime Brûlée Bake Off Source: The Crime Brûlée Bake Off
“Those cherry madeleines were astonishing. It was absolutely genius to pair them with cucumber and dill sandwiches, and the delicacies of your macarons... Crepes alive, you should win the episode." Freya giggled and glanced over at her. "Did you just say, 'Crepes alive,' Claire? Baking nerd alert." Claire shrugged, still grinning. "I was raised in a pub, and my parents wanted to keep us from using that kind of language that might be overheard at the White Fox, so we had to make up all kinds of expressions. Mine just happened to be baking related--- son of a biscuit, sugar, crepes alive, cake and a custard." "You might be the biggest dork ever," Freya told her, still laughing. "But your rhubarb crème brûlée tartlets were awesome. Daring to do the mushroom vol-au-vents, but it worked out.” PhrasesBakingPastriesPairing Book:The Crime Brûlée Bake Off Source: The Crime Brûlée Bake Off