What have you baked today?

Hippeechiq

I wonder if someone can answer this for me please

My fan ovens (both top and bottom) don't seem to have been regulating correctly for the last 2 or 3 months, so I bought an oven thermometer to see what that showed, and it appears that both are regulating at 20°C lower than the dial says.

On Friday, I made a batch of Double Choc Chip Cookies and Twinks Hobnobs and cooked them at 180°C (20° higher than recommended for a fan oven, bearing in mind, that according to my thermometer, it was running 20° lower than it shows)

The result was, that my cookies didn't spread and flatten - IYKWIM - and ended up quite small little "mounds" rather than flat and biscuit like.

I also had to cook them for 20-25mins rather than 10-15 and they've turned out so hard, that you could break your teeth on them!

ALSO I used soft Stork for the first time rather than block, as I didn't have any block in the fridge.

So my question is:

Did the cookies turn out hard because biscuits really should ideally be baked using block marge? OR
Did the cookies turn out hard because they were cooked at the wrong temperature, and if so, was it too high or too low?

jackieglasgow

Wrong temperature hipeechiq, I would say too low if you had to cook them that long. I use tub Stork sometimes and it doesn't make much difference to the bake quality, its really only the flavour that's different. Low temp for a long time will overcook anything. How are you, we've been missing you on the Tough thread?

adelight

Two small loaves of improvised soda bread: one plain, one with big chunks of apple in it.
I'm currently enjoying a chunk of each with some kippers, would have been better if i had brown flour but delicious and probably making it into my weekly cook as they're much quicker and easier than normal or no knead bread.

Trying_really_hard

Having recently got married and with OH moaning at the last time I used the Bread maker or slow cooker, I decided to get all wifey and domestic goddess like after reading this thread. :A

Today I have baked (and am currently baking) apple and cinammon muffins (the house smells lovely and seasonal) and bread rolls. I've also cooked some roast butternut soup and chilli con carne is in the slow cooked.

I'd forgotten how good it feels to cook/bake!

I'd also forgotten how brilliant this forum is.

GetRealBabe

Caterina wrote: »

Thank you for the inspiration, I was just wondering what to cook for dinner and have a half pack of polenta that is crying to be used. Sorted!

But instead of red pepper I think I shall do it with squash, red onions and chilli.

Hi

Sounds lovely. I'm gonna try that.

soba

Today I have 'baked' ice cream, well made really, well made yesterday actually then put in the fridge overnight and done today in the ice cream machine I had gifted to me from freecycle. It's in the freezer now - it's meant to be soft-scoop but I think it's a bit thin so might well be pourable!

Also made banana muffins from The Takeaway Secret with not very nice black bananas.

So guess what's for pudding tonight :rotfl:

jamsandwhich

Mmmmm - all sounds lovely!

We have just had our Apple Crumble with carnation milk for Sunday Lunch dessert, made it this morning - It is easy to forget how quickly things can be whipped up. Have loads of apples in the shed from Sil's Bramley tree so might make a spiced apple cake later. Oh is going to make some millionaire's shortbread - I have a cupboard full of condensed milk from buying that instead of evaporated during a senior moment:rotfl:

Does anyone else struggle with recipes from the Hummingbird bakery book? I find them really stodgy and sometimes very flat - have gone back to my good old Be-ro book.

calleyw

jamsandwhich wrote: »

Mmmmm - all sounds lovely!

We have just had our Apple Crumble with carnation milk for Sunday Lunch dessert, made it this morning -

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm crumble. I had rhubard (tinned) and apple crumble and whipped cream. Well sort of it was reduced to clear 10p from waitrose bunged in the frozen unwhipped. And whipped once thawed. Once on the warm crumble it stopped being gritty and was smooth.

Being the domestic goddess I am :rotfl: the crumble topping was pulled from the freezer. I always make double or triple I need. Makes it a little easier on sunday morning while trying to the get roast sorted.

If you want a slightly different crumble try pear and chocolate:j Just replace some of the flour with cocoa. Again keep a supply in the freezer.


Yours

Calley

gilly1964

Pineapple Upside Down Cake - First time ever - it was lush.
Still warm with ice-cream for dessert

suzybloo

Had four old bananas lying in the fruit bowl so have made 2x2lb banana loaves. HM Sausage rolls for lunch which were far nicer than shop bought ones

edit to add made 6 jars of marmalade this afternoon so decided to make a marmalade steam pudding - scrumdiddlyumptious!!!!