Old style Baking ingredients

myonlysunshine

Hi everyone

After enjoying some regular cooking due to a better spell of health (I have a long term condition that makes me pretty useless in the kitchen!) I am sticking to a meal plan each week and am trying to make lunch box snacks myself to try and save some money..

Anyway, I'm getting off track... I was lucky enough to received a ken wood chef from my MIL which I love to use and I have made all sorts of cakes & biscuits over the last few weeks... I just find it expensive ingredient wise...unsalted butter, flours, sugars, does anyone use value ingredients for baking and does anyone have any recommendations for good ingredients? Is bulk buying a good idea?I hate to spend more money on homemade food!

Thanks for listening to my ramble

Hard_Up_Hester

I use basics range for all my baking & it always comes out very well.
Hester

ThemeOne

Yes I've used basics flour, and it's fine. You can dispense with eggs in cakes if you use self-raising flour, white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda (obviously quantities vary depending on the cake size).

I think you can usually substitute Stork margarine for butter (or even a Basics margarine).

Linda32

I very much doubt you will spend more on home made than bought. You will spend 'time' but as long as you are okay with that then you can't loose. Remember if you buy Mr Kipling you get six cakes. You get alot more if you make your own. I find fruit loaf cakes are usually good value for the size you get.

Raksha

They key is being aware. I use hard, butter type marg for pastry and biscuits etc, and soft spread for cakes. I bulk buy plain flour and add Bicarb and Cream of tartar to make self raising. Bulk buy eggs from Costco and use granulated sugar in most things, although I use a brand I know is finer than lots of the others

candlelight_2013

If you like fruit cake I make a very nice fat free one, it is a loaf cake, lovely and moist and you won't need any fat so a saving as well.

Candlelightx

ThemeOne

Raksha wrote: »

use granulated sugar in most things, although I use a brand I know is finer than lots of the others

That's a good point, I've always found granulated fine too, so probably no need to buy more expensive sugars. Also shop around for things like vanilla essence and colourings, as I've found price varies a lot.

browneyedbazzi

For a lot of cakes I use canola (rape seed) oil instead of butter...canola oil itself can be expensive, but sainsbury's own vegetable oil is in fact 100% rape seed oil at a fraction of the price.

In addition to being cheaper, canola oil is much healthier than butter too

You need to alter quantities a little when subbing in the oil for butter but it's pretty easy to do:

http://www.ciaprochef.com/canola/transfatboot.html

meritaten

yes, I found out that using ordinary sugar in place of much more expensive caster sugar in the fairy cake recipe I use - makes no difference at all to the taste or the rise! both sugars produce exactly the same results! (may take another minute or so creaming the butter and sugar). and value (cheaper) butters are just the same as the expensive butters! and it doesn't matter if its salted or unsalted!
Also 'flour is flour'. a 'brand' name is no better for baking than an unbranded one.
same with stuff like dried fruits. go for the value raw ingredients every time. its what you DO with them that matters.

myonlysunshine

candlelight_2013 wrote: »

If you like fruit cake I make a very nice fat free one, it is a loaf cake, lovely and moist and you won't need any fat so a saving as well.

Candlelightx

Ooh would love the recipe please!

meritaten

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

For a lot of cakes I use canola (rape seed) oil instead of butter...canola oil itself can be expensive, but sainsbury's own vegetable oil is in fact 100% rape seed oil at a fraction of the price.

In addition to being cheaper, canola oil is much healthier than butter too

You need to alter quantities a little when subbing in the oil for butter but it's pretty easy to do:

http://www.ciaprochef.com/canola/transfatboot.html

Rape seed oil - now here you have to be careful - a lot of people can be allergic. and tbh for high temp cooking such as stir fries - it stinks, literally.
I tried it - and quite honestly I haven't bought any since. I prefer to use sunflower oil and olive oil and REAL butter. I can taste the difference between a sponge made with butter and one made with oil.
Studies are now starting to show that butter isn't as bad for you as previously thought. (just another example of scientists getting it all wrong).