Great British Baking Show Star Prue Leith Shares Her Holiday Baking Secrets

Karen Delahay

In the U.S., most of us came to know Prue Leith as the kind but exacting, colorfully dressed judge of The Great British Baking Show. But her career in food long predates the popular binge watch. She ran a Michelin-starred restaurant in London for three decades; has opened cooking schools in the UK as well as her native South Africa; and has written several cookbooks. We talked to her about her evolving career and approach to holiday baking, including the glory of simplicity.

Mainly, it’s got simpler over the years. When I started out I was dead keen on becoming really professional and I liked making elaborate wedding cakes, multi-layered desserts, consommés, and fruit jellies that took hours to clarify. And I never used shop-bought puff pastry for example. Now, I seldom use anything else, and I’ll make a jelly out of fresh orange juice from the supermarket and soup out of uncleared broth. I’d rather make a quick and easy trifle than spend hours making multi layered entremets. And I have become ever keener to use leftovers. I am the leftover Queen, I promise you.

Courtesy of Prue Leith

The almost instant trifle in my book Prue, My Favourite Recipes, published by Bluebird, is made of amaretti biscuits and lemon curd. Even with bought custard it is utterly delicious. 

My favorite trick is to decorate a cake, pudding, or soup with lots of different elements. It takes no skill, just a bit of imagination. Any smooth soup poured into soup plates will look great with any or all of these on top: Little blobs of ground paprika, za’atar, fresh herb leaves, sunflower seeds, halved olives, edible flowers. And cream-covered puddings or cake can be decorated with chocolate buttons, freeze-dried raspberries, green grape