Quick Questions on ANYTHING part 2. Please read first post for links to other threads

Savvy_Sue

As long as it's not pork or chicken or turkey mince, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

TrixieB

beef, well not much beef what with the soya, porridge and lentils

Thanks all

zippychick

Right. I was going to try madeira cake in the BM., It suggests 1/4 tsp of vanilla essence, but i only have vfganilla flavouring. How much of this would i use and would it do the same job?

Savvy_Sue

I googled it, but with a quick scan the only answer I got is that you will have to use more flavouring than you would essence. However it's one of those things which I wouldn't personally think of as 'critical', and I might stick to the original quantity, give it a good sniff before putting it in the oven and add a bit more if it didn't seem like enough.

But I am not a huge fan of either vanilla or madeira cake.

billieboy_2

zippychick wrote: »

Right. I was going to try madeira cake in the BM., It suggests 1/4 tsp of vanilla essence, but i only have vfganilla flavouring. How much of this would i use and would it do the same job?

Probably too late but I would have thought 1 teaspoon for a madeira cake.

zippychick

thanks so much, not too late at all!

Can someone explain sugar? if i substitute brown instead of white in cakes, will it do the same job and are they equal quantities?

Also , i am new to baking.WOUld i be able to make a cake in a casserole dish or does it have to be tin? I feel so silly asking these things!

Mellika

I know some people use soda crystals or borax in the washing machine. Can they be used with all colours or just whites?

Pink.

Mellika wrote: »

I know some people use soda crystals or borax in the washing machine. Can they be used with all colours or just whites?

I use soda crystals 50/50 with washing powder in both coloured and white washes and the washing comes out cleaner than it did when I just used washing powder.

There's more information on this thread that might help:

Mixing soda crystals with laundry powder???

Pink

Sian_the_Green

zippychick wrote: »

Can someone explain sugar? if i substitute brown instead of white in cakes, will it do the same job and are they equal quantities?

Also , i am new to baking.WOUld i be able to make a cake in a casserole dish or does it have to be tin? I feel so silly asking these things!

Hey, I don't think you should feel silly asking, that's what this thread is for!
I am very much an experimental baker and feel like as long as you vaguely stick to a recipe you will be fine. Different grades of sugar have been processed a different amount, so a white caster sugar is very sweet and will give you a creamy pale coloured sponge, using a dark brown sugar will taste more treacly and will be darker and a little heavier. Brown sugars are good for fruit cakes or something like brownies that is quite gooey but I wouldn't worry if you have to switch between, just be aware that brown sugar is less 'sweet' tasting. I made a great apple and cinammon sponge with dark muscovado sugar as the apples were very sweet but for just a sponge I would go for caster sugar if possible.

Oh, and with the baking tin etc I would buy yourself some tins if possible (Home bargains have really cheap baking things), I don't think heat would spread as well in a casserole dish though if that is all you have it is worth a try!

zippychick

thanks so much Sian, what a helpful reply!

See im new to this baking lark, so tend to stick to recipes , then once i am comfortable i can branch out and experiment. I dont realy understand the types of flour and stuff but im tring to learn. This part of the site is a godsend as theres so many things i can do, which are simple and effective in saving dosh!

I ended up making shortbread with the soft brown sugar, and it was lovely. I had some old tinfoil dishes i had kept from when mother treats me to a marks dinner, so i knew they would come in handy some day!

Worked perfectly, now all i have to do is stop myself eating the damn stuff !:j

I will buy baking stuff, its just at what ever time of niht i posted that i figured most shops would be closed I tend to get a notion in to my head so want to do things straight away. Waiting is not usually an option!

going to pound stretchers today to see what gems i can pick up!