A LOT of baking to do...with the fewest ingredients possible

Little_Vics

Here's a challenge!

I've got a LOT of baking to do for next weekend for a party, and am challenging myself to do it with the fewest ingredients possible.

I need to make cupcakes/muffins, at least 1 tart or pie, at least 1 type of biscuit/cookie and something like brownies - enough to feed 30 people at a buffet.

So - what would you do?!

meritaten

You are doing desserts then?
hmmm first off - don't make 30 of everything! a common mistake - nobody is going to have one of EVERYTHING!
I would stick to Apple tart - nearly everyone likes that. make it in a roasting tin and portion out in squares - I would make about twenty squares.

I can give you the recipe to make 16 -18 fairy cakes.
4oz self raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz butter
2 eggs.
usual way - cream butter and sugar together, add eggs and flour and beat till you get a smooth very thick batter (its almost a dough). bake for about 14 mins at gas 4.
decorate with either fondant icing (the grandkids use my fancy cutters to make star shapes and put a sweety on) or pipe buttercream and shave chocolate over it.

I think I would do sticky toffee cake rather than brownies - the ingredient list isn't too bad and if you bake you may well have most of it anyway!
The recipe is from 1001 Cupcakes, cookies and other tempting treats by Susannah Tee

3oz butter (extra for greasing)
6oz chopped pitted dates
6fl oz of boiling water
half teaspoon bicarb
5oz caster sugar
1 large egg (beaten lightly)
half teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz self raising flour

Toffee Topping
3oz soft brown sugar
1and halfoz butter
2 tablespoons single cream (or milk if you prefer)

Heat oven to gas mark 4. Grease and line an 8inch square cake tin. Put the dates in a saucepan with the boiling water and bicarb. heat gently for about 5 minutes (don't boil) until dates are soft.
cream the butter and sugar and add the egg, vanilla and dates. Sift in flour and fold into the mixture. Pour the mix into the cake tin.
bake in the oven for 40 to 45 mins.
when cooked make the toffee topping
put the brown sugar, butter and cream in a pan and heat gently till all the sugar dissolves and simmer gently for a couple of minutes.
!!!!! all over the top of the cake and pour the topping on.
leave to cool and cut into squares.
I have made this loads of times and it never fails - and its versatile too - you can serve it with custard for dessert and its really quite rich so the squares can be really small!

will have a look for my favourite biccy recipe - its hiding from me at mo!

kittycat204

apple crumble and custard
roasted rhubarb with cream
something sponge based
meringue?

kitschkitty

Assuming flour, butter, sugar and eggs (and golden or maple syrup) as your main ingredients.

If you had coconut, chocolate and pears you could make all sorts of tarts, cakes and brownies, using them separately or together.

Alternatively bananas, & walnuts (or pecans) with some choccy (and raisins if you like) are a great combo too.

Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums or rhubarb, with apples and lemons (raisins & oats too).

Ideas: treacle tart, pecan pie, apple/fruit pie/tart, brownies, muffins or fairy cakes, A loaf cake/banana bread etc. meringues (with fruit), lemon biscuits, raisin & oat cookies, plum/fruit tray bake (with or without oaty crumble topping), raisin shortcake biscuits.

angelpye

My sister and I just did this and we made 18 cupcakes (chocolate and plain) with the usual swirl of buttercream (chocolate) and sprinkles, a 6 egg lemon drizzle (huge16 slicer) and a Victoria sponge. Usual cake ingredients plus chocolate, lemons, lemon curd, strawberries, sprinkles and cream. There was 1slice of the lemon left at the end as quite a few had 2!

PasturesNew

I'd stay away from calling anything a "cupcake". People have over-exaggerated expectations of loveliness these days when they hear that word. Just call them "buns".

happy35

I have started making my cakes using this recipe as find making with oil keeps them fresher for longer:

all measurements are cups:

1 yoghurt
1 oil
2 sugar
3 SR flour
then 3 eggs and 1tsp baking powder

I add whatever as I need, ie vanilla essence, replace some flour with cocoa, spices and carrots to make carrot cake or 1/2 a jar of lemon curd

I find these taste just as nice after a few days as the day it was made whereas the traditional sponge recipe goes stale a lot quicker

Brownies I normally use Nigella's recipe and find these last well.

Little_Vics

cupcakes have been requested I'm afraid, so I need to do them.

Am leaning towards vanilla cupcakes (already have everything), mini lemon meringue pies (just need lemons), ginger biscuits with mascarpone topping (so like mini cheesecakes, just need mascarpone) and choc brownies (just need chocolate). I think that's a good variation of flavours. I'm also not bothered about leftovers because I'll take them to work!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

kitschkitty

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd stay away from calling anything a "cupcake". People have over-exaggerated expectations of loveliness these days when they hear that word. Just call them "buns".

lol, a bun is what I put a burger in. Fairy cakes, are lightly iced and/or decorated.

[Deleted User]

I make '555' biscuits
5 ozs caster sugar
5ozs 'stork soft margarine beaten to a creamy 'splodge' in the basin (techy term :))

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or if no extract 2 of vanilla flavouring
once mixed
I add 5 ozs of sifted R flour and mix to a slightly sticky bigger 'splodge'

Grease some flat trays and put on a small ball of 'splodge' about an inch and a half apart from each other on the tray,flatten to a thinish round with either your finger or a spoon and bung in the oven for 10-12 minutes at around 150c Dunno what that is in gas as I have an electric oven This should make about 32-36 small thin gorgerous biscuits that vanish in seconds.When you get the tray from the oven leave the biscuits for a few minutes to crisp up before putting on a wire try to cool.You can decorate these, but I rarely do I also sometimes add either cinnamon( 1 tea spoon, or mixed spice) instead of vanilla to make spicy biscuits I have been making these for the past 47 years and I have to make at least several dozen a week to keep up with my DDs and DGC's demands for Granny's biscuits They cost buttons to make, and will keep (if your lucky) up to a week in a lock and lock box ,mine never have as I can make three dozen in the morning and by the time the family have got to them they have gone .I can make a batch, and from start to finish it never takes me more than half an hour
P.S.only 12 left this morning from yesterday :)

meritaten

JackieO! that is my favourite biscuit recipe! but I make it with butter and sometimes replace half the flour with ground almonds.