Baking classics

Nicki

Pink

Does your banana bread sink in the middle? When I've tried to make it, it always comes out of the oven looking perfect but sinks in the middle as it cools. Still tastes good to me, but kids tend to turn their noses up if they see it in its sunken form and refuse to try it, so I've stopped making it!

newlywed

Oooh good thread.

Bang goes my diet!!!

Here's our usuals:

Choc chip microwave sponge cake is the most common - or done in the oven if it's on and we want to wait 25 minutes for cake

Black-Saturn's wheatabix fruit loaf
Thriftlady's choc fudge pudding (brilliant if you've run out of eggs!!)
Low fat banana cake - if we're trying to be healthy
Microwave flapjacks

Cherry sponge - which no-one else likes so I get all to myself

I've done Queenie's everyday biscuits but they get eaten as they come out of the oven so I spend all afternoon cooking extra - which still get eaten far too quickly!!

I've bought cookie cutters but not used them yet so if anyone has a quick easy recipe (with no raisins or cherries as the kids don't like them) - then I'd love to give it a try!

Frugal_Fox

The staple in my house is ALWAYS flap jack.

Then additionally I try to make one cake - sponge or traybake each week.
Will make fairy cakes if children have a friend home from school.

DH just reminded me I haven't made Eccles cakes in a while - so thats on the menu for next week!

Recently have made: chelsea buns, apricot danish, cherry oat slice and a dissappointing banana loaf.... (will try Pinks recipe as DH loves bananas and cake)

Haven't quite cracked the malt loaf yet either!

Pink.

Nicki wrote: »

Pink

Does your banana bread sink in the middle? When I've tried to make it, it always comes out of the oven looking perfect but sinks in the middle as it cools. Still tastes good to me, but kids tend to turn their noses up if they see it in its sunken form and refuse to try it, so I've stopped making it!

No, it always rises well. Timing is difficult to get right though....sometimes 40 mins sometimes 50 mins. I check it by pushing it down with my finger and if it springs back then it's ready.

Pink

Softstuff

We always tend to have scones, brownies, muffins of some sort (usually choc chip or carrot) and biccies (anzac, oatmeal raisin or shortbread).

We've also had in the past few weeks tea loaf, raisin scrolls and baked cheesecake. I tried savoury muffins and although I love them OH doesn't, and I don't need more excuses to eat!

newster

Cherry cake and fruit cakes are the most popular. Fairy cakes as well. These I do weekly as they get eaten quickly. I usually cook four big cakes at one time each week. So apart from the fruit and cherry cakes I usually do a co!!!! cake and marble cake. I freeze them till I need them. Flap jackes are a regular cook, as is shortbread. I make cookies now and again and keep thinking I should make them more often, as I do like hm cookies :-) Sometimes our local green grocers sell off bananas really cheap, so I get banana t breads done and freeze them down for future use. Sponge tray bakes are popular in this house. I do a choc. chip one and a plain one which I ice when cool. Also, muffins. Not every week, but quite regular. I have a great book I got from Lakeland several years ago. I've never had a failure yet from one of her recipes. Choc. chip ones are the childrens favourite. I like the gingerbread ones :-) I made some uncooked choc. bars yesterday, using up some broken biscuits which would have been thrown out. The children loved them. I found them a bit rich, but enjoyable. Couldn't eat a lot of them though. The children like victoria sponges as well. I don't do them too often, but shall today because I have to make one for someone. I shall make up two, and freeze one down to finish off with buttercream etc another day. Of course chocolate ones are the favourite. One of my daughters prefers the plain one though with jam and buttercream in. I shall make two chocolate ones though later.

Sugar_Junkie

Thanks for the recipe Nicki my OH loves millionaires shortbread but I've never tried making it myself, I will now!

celyn90

I make these chocolate muffins alot http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,164,149181-254207,00.html and if you double the amount of chocolate they go all soft in the middle!

daysieblue

condensed milk now on my shopping list for the weekend - can't wait to make the millionaire shortbread. Thanks Nicki

db xx

scuzz

Good old sponge cake suits us and a barmbrack (tea loaf)

Flapjacks are popular along with banana bread