I am a huge GBBO (Great British Bake Off) fan, and the challenge I like best is actually the Technical. Yes, the Signature and Showstopper are more creative and contestants get to plan for them, but to me, the fun is the "what's-under-the-gingham-and-can-I-do-it?" element of testing my own limits and skills. Each season, I try to identify at least one bake to try out that will push me to learn something new. I had a great time making Paul Hollywood's arlettes from season 6 biscuit week.
They seem similar to a palmier/elephant ear, but they are thinner and crunchier, made with "reverse" puff pastry. That means you make and chill a dough, you make and chill a butter layer, and instead of wrapping the pastry around the butter, you wrap the chilled butter around the pastry, with a series of chilling and folds and turns, to laminate the dough. It's helpful to work with all the ingredients when they are cold so you don't make a mess. Once the dough is laminated, you roll it out, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll it up into a log, chill, slice... and then you roll out each cookie slice until it is nice and thin. That's how it becomes so crispy. Additionally, you only bake a few cookies per sheet, so they have plenty of elbow room. They are so delicious with the look of a cinnamon roll and the taste of a buttery dough with a caramelized sugar crunch.
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