Weekend
Mary’s family favourites Mary Berry, the BBC’s queen of baking, tells Good Food why she loves this time of year
Mary Berry is sitting in her favourite place – her family kitchen – with her two dogs at her feet, daffodils on the table, and a view of her beloved garden. Her test kitchen and her offce are next door, so work is never far away. Easter, though, is always a time for family. ‘This Easter we’ll visit my daughter Annabel. We’ll have a big family lunch, the grandchildren will do an Easter egg hunt and we’ll go to church. For Mary, April also means starting work on a new series of BBC’s Great British Bake Off. Alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood, and presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, she will meet this year’s contestants in April, and most weekends until June will be spent in the marquee. ‘At my time of life,’ says Mary, ‘it’s wonderful to be judging something I really know about. I am totally honest. If Paul says that he likes something, I’m quite happy to say I don’t agree.’ Before the Bake Off gets underway again, there is a new BBC TV series and book – Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites. As the title suggests, the recipes are the all-time favourites of Mary and her fans. ‘The Lemon drizzle cake is the most popular recipe I’ve ever done. So I’ve included it here (see p108), and because people often want to scale up the recipe, or make it with a different tin, I’ve done several versions, so you have the bible of Lemon drizzle cakes in one book!’
Leek & bacon quiche
March 2015
bbcgoodfood.com
105
