Savoury Treats: The Great British Bake Off is Back!

BBC favourite The Great British Bake Off is back on our screens for another year. Filled with delectable nibbles and intricate recipes, it has become an audience favourite. We’re even fans! But who says that baked goods have to be sweet.

The Great British Bake Off(image: © The Guardian)

Here are a few recipes of our favourite savoury treats that go brilliantly with smoked salmon.

Onion Sponge, with Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon

It may not be the obvious option, but you can bake a cake of onion, cheese and fish – and it tastes amazing! It will certainly stand out amongst other baked goods too. To make this unusual cake you will need:

  • 600g cream cheese
  • 2 packs (200g) of John Ross Jr. traditional smoked salmon
  • 150g pepperdew peppers
  • 150g red chili jam
  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 25g toasted almonds
  • 1tbsp onion powder
  • 1tsp salt flakes
  • ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp black onion seeds
  • 4 eggs
  • A handful of green olives
  • And a pinch of salt


Method:

Start off by sieving the flour into the onion powder in a large bowl. Gently mix in the salt, cayenne pepper and onion seeds, and stir until combined well. Place this to one side.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (Gas mark 6) and grease an 8inch cake tin. You may also want to line it with grease proof paper.

Crack and whisk the eggs until smooth, and fold into the sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture triples in volume. This may take a while, so if you have an electric beater we’d recommend you use this. When done, the mixture should be white and fluffy.

Fold in the flour mixture to the sugar and egg, melt the butter and pour this in too. Stir well and decant into the cake tin. Place in the oven and cook for about half an hour or until golden brown.

When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled to room temperature, cover with a smooth layer of cream cheese and top with the smoked salmon, almonds, jam and olives in a pattern of your choice. Slice and serve as you would a regular (sweet) cake.

Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg Brioche

One of the great things about weekends is the ability to have a lie-in and breakfast in bed. And you are sure to love this brioche breakfast so much you’ll want it every morning of the week. Of course, brioche always tastes better warm fresh out of the oven, but we’ll forgive you if you cheat and buy it readymade.

Slice the pastry in half and sandwich with creamy scrambled eggs and the smoky salmon. A bite into this beauty is like heaven on a plate. We’re sure Mary Berry would be impressed.

Smoked Salmon Soufflés

For something a little more complicated to make, but much more impressive (they can be your technical challenge) try making smoked salmon soufflés. These lightly baked cakes make brilliant starters at a dinner party as they are light and flavourful. Plus they can be made in advance!

So will you be putting your baking skills to the test during this year’s Bake Off season? Let us know if you try any of these ideas and what you thought of them.