Ben's Great British Bake Off

Ben and I have watched a bunch of seasons of The Great British Bake Off, and we're *slightly* obsessed with it for several different reasons.

First, it is the nicest competition in the world.  Why can't all competitors be so nice and helpful to each other in America?

Second, Americans really have no clue how to bake.  We make cakes and cookies, and that's about it.  British people are like, "Oh yeah, I make jam and custard to put in my homemade trifles all the time.  But my cakes are always a genoise.  I wouldn't make another type of sponge."

Third, they have the best hosts on TV.  

Fourth, the judges names are Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.  Can you think of a better baking name than Mary Berry????

Anyway, now that I have proven my nerdiness, I'll explain what happened last Sunday.  Ben was making dinner.  Butternut squash soup was already on the stove and he wanted to make biscuits.  But why make them the traditional way by cutting in the butter?  Why not *dramatic music* make it the way you would make homemade phyllo dough?

(All of you who have seen Bake Off know that making your own phyllo dough is the most difficult of all baking skills)

So he used a biscuit recipe but made it like phyllo dough.  Here is the camera footage.

(Please read all commentary in a British accent as Ben and I were speaking this way the whole time he was doing this)

First you have to thinly slice your butter.  It is crucial that the butter be as cold as possible.  Don't touch it with your hands.  Be sure to cover both sides with cling film.

(I'm sorry, I just can't help myself)

Then beat it....

And roll the butter out so that it's the same size as your dough.

Then put the two on top of one another...

And fold one third at a time, just so.

Keep repeating the folding and rolling out until you have several layers of butter between the dough.

As Mary Berry would say, "This has very clearly defined layers."

OVEN STARING!

Phyllo dough-ish biscuits.

I had to sample the biscuits the way Mary Berry always does from the side of her mouth.

After eating two biscuits, it was clear that Ben was definitely last week's star baker.