Patisserie and politics have gone head to head, as research reveals that more people searched online for information about baking than they did for Barak Obama and Gordon Brown last year.
As Britain’s economy suffers at the wake of financial downturn, it seems that people have lost faith in the country’s leader, and are recognising the benefits of cooking at home rather than eating costly takeaway and restaurant foods.
But it’s baking cakes, pastries and bread which seems to be most popular, according to The Almond Board of California, and the Women’s Institute has reported that interest in its baking courses has risen by 60%.
Baking enthusiasts from around the world are visiting the World Pastry Cup event in Paris this January, to witness over sixty of the most prestigious chefs cook up their scrumptious desserts.
Pastry cooks, chocolatiers and ice-cream makers will team up to create three top desserts to represent their respective countries, including a chocolate dessert, a fruit and ice-cream dessert and a traditional dessert from their home countries.
France is globally recognised as a focal point for the pastry arts, and every two years, twenty-two countries participate in this competitive event. Chefs have just nine hours to prepare the food from scratch, demonstrating their originality and skills to a live audience.
By Kay Taylor