Baking..when you haven't for over 30 years

Yorkie77_2

newlywed wrote: »

Be-ro all the way I think!!! Try the website (you can order the book for £1.50 from there too). http://www.be-ro.com/f_insp.htm

Has all the basic pastry recipes in there and scones, biscuits cakes.

They are graded with coloured squares as to how difficult they are

I would agree with this. My mum has had a be-ro cookbook forever and it's how I started to bake when I was a kid.

The basic sponge mixture (Victoria Sandwich) is perfect to start off with.

Depending on the size of cake you want there is a simple formula to remember: 2,4,4,4. Which means 2 eggs, 4oz SR Flour, 4oz Caster sugar and 4oz Butter or Margerine. You can then increase the amount of mixture with each egg eg 3,6,6,6 or 4,8,8,8. Does that make sense?!

If it doesn't make sense, just weight the amount of eggs you want to use (still in there shells) and use the same weight for the other ingredients.

Once you have got the hang of the basic sponge, you can replace some of the flour with cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake, or add cherries, lemon or add maple syrup to the basic sponge once cooked and add butter cream and walnuts.

I love baking.:j

edit, shortcrust pastry is also easy. Half the amount of fat to flour eg. to make 8oz of pastry, rub in 4 oz of butter to 8oz of plain flour. For sweet pastry add 2oz of caster sugar. Then mix with a little cold water.

This is also the recipe for a basic crumble mix, just don't add the water!. It can be frozen at this stage too.

queen_of_string

I recently started baking again after a long lay off. You'll be surprised how much you can remember. There have been a couple of less than perfect results but most can be rescued with a large dollop of custard or some seasonal berries and some cream or even in a trifle ( which is kind of both of the above combined :-) ). Bread puddings and bread and butter pudding are also good for pulling triumph from the jaws of disaster. Most of all make the things you love to eat and love to give to friends and enjoy your culinary adventures.

I never cease to be amazed how much people love something you made yourself for them.

buxtonrabbitgreen

I agree with shortbread. Also scones are esy to make and very quick when you fancy a cake.

SunnyGirl

I'm another one who would reccommend Be-Ro it's brilliant Also have a look at this School Dinner Recipes website. Lots of old favourites on it with simple, easy instructions too. I've made quite a few things from it now with great success. HTH

geek0

queen_of_string wrote: »

I never cease to be amazed how much people love something you made yourself for them.

Very true i never heard so many compliments as i got a few days ago and it was just a basic victoria sponge with a few chocolate chips thrown in :rotfl:

Little_miss_sunshine_2

You can freeze uncooked cookie dough- I usually make up a double batch, cook one lot and freeze the rest (make them up into cookies and open freeze them on a tray before bagging them up in the freezer.) Then, when I want fresh hot cookies, I just cook them for a bit longer than normal from frozen.

Meringues also freeze really well (I use the recipe in Delia's Complete Cookery course- it's really easy.) They're really nice in summer with some whipped cream and soft fruit. This is also a good way of using up any egg whites you might have left over from another recipe.

I love home baking and the children love to 'help'! I would say to anyone, just try some simple recipes- the chances are anything you produce at home will be 10 times tastier than a shop bought equivalent.

Good luck!