Old style Baking ingredients

kerri_gt

I use value flour for simple plain / self raising recipes. I do buy the proper 00 strong flour and polenta for pizza base dough, but even then you get about 9 - 12 bases from 1.5kg of bread flour so it's way cheaper than shop bought.

I do stick to caster sugar when it states, personally I prefer the unrefined. However, the prices do vary so check mysupermarket. I can also recommend molasses in Guinness brownies, gorgeous deep flavour.

I do recommend basics chocolate for cooking - even people who don't usually like choclately things have commented on my rocky road and brownies (little to they know

As for butter, I use basic salted butter. I don't quite understand recipes that say use unsalted butter, then tell you to add a pinch of salt. And personally I prefer the salted flavour. Stork reminds me of school cooking though always forget to buy any.

Also, look out for reduced fruit to put in, blackberries and raspberries that are being sold off cheap are excellent in crumbles, muffins and tray bakes. Or pick your own blackberries when in season.

Btw, lidl bicarb is the cheapest I've found, after that it was waitrose surprisingly.

I think baking seems expensive when you're building up your inital ingredients. You seem to forever be buying flour and sugar. Once you have a store of bits you'll be amazed at how little you need to buy for recipes.

myonlysunshine

Brill advice Kerri thanks :T

Tillytrotter1

Thank you Candlelight, I thought so but just wanted to check. Fruits soaking for tomorrow

mum2one

I always use value flour, (plain and self raising)

Dried fruit - always buy value fruit - hardly ever buy seperate mixed peel as used used dried mixed fruit

cherries, try to go to Home Bargains or Lidl as cheaper and double the size
Dried cranberries - get mine from Home bargains (cheaper)

Butter - thats my vice - always use butter

Sugar - Use granulated - never bother with caster - may take a minute longer to mix but comes out same.

Mincemeat - I always buy mine from Lidl - as nice as posh brands

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I know this may sound mad - but if you make your own Christmas Cakes - start buying value fruit July/Aug as come Sept you can not get it for love nor money...

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arbroath_lass

myonlysunshine wrote: »

Some great advice thanks everyone!

I do tend to stick to caster sugar for baking, il change that to normal sugar, :T

You can, if you want make caster (or icing) sugar from normal granulated by sticking it in a blender. I've done this when I've run out.


I also use value ingredients.

[Deleted User]

I am a great believer in block stork marg and have been using it for baking for most of my adult life.I made some pastry yesterday and as usualu used
6ozs s/raising flour
30zs fat (for pastry I use half marg half cookeen/plain fat/lard)
I tablespoon of caster sugar
a pinch of salt
Sift flour,salt,sugar into a bowl
throw in fat and rub in until it is crumbs.If you shake and tap the bowl any larger crumbs come to the top where you can break them down with your fingers.Once it all looks like crumbs slop some water in and mix with a fork until it starts to bind together .Then roll it in your hands until its into a ball and put in the fridge to cool down while you have a cup of tea:):)
Once cool roll out what you need to make your pie and any left over bits roll together and wrap in clingfilm and stick into the freezer.This made a nice apple pie for my DD yesterday with some sliced eating apples from my freezer that were windfalls from last September that I had peeled,sliced and stewd gently in honey and lemon juice, and frozen in boxes.
I have a food mixer as well but unless I am doing a big batch of baking I use my hands and my eye to make my pastry.:):)
I only ever have used ordinary own brand flour and value brand fruits for cakes and even left over pastry when I have enough in the freezer I will drag out and make some jam tarts with for my DGS.My sweet pastry recipe hasn't let me down in over 50 years and I was taught it by my Mum when I was growing up.I see no reason to buy name brand flours as long as there is a long date on it the ordinary flour will be fine.I do sieve it though to make sure its nice and fine.Granulated sugar can be made easily into caster sugar by whizzing it up in the blender.As I don't use granulated I really don't mind buying caster sugar though and usually after Christmas the big one kilo bags get reduced in the shops.Like the OP says july is a good time to start stockpiling your dried fruit.I also buy my mincemeat for pies just after Christmas when its usually reduced as it has a very long date on it and is cheap as chips then.
Good luck with your new food mixer they are very good and I have one that does get used when I am batch baking .

TravellingAbuela

If you have a B & M nearby then have a look in there for baking ingredients. There is quite a good selection of items in mine (including Dr Oetker products) much cheaper than the supermarkets. They also quite often have the odd luxury baking item at a good price if it's approaching its sell-by date. A bit before Christmas vanilla pods were selling at 29p a pack!!

I always make a big batch of pastry in my processor and freeze into pie-size portions ready to just defrost.

A lot of my fruit pie and crumble fillings are foraged in the summer months (Gooseberries, Bilberries, Blackberries, Elderberries mostly) and kept in the freezer for winter use. But, if that's not an option for you, I have just discovered Farmfoods frozen Summer Fruit bags are now on 3 for £2. That's a bargain and the fruit would make a lovely base for a pie, crumble or traybake.

ps candlelight I too will be making your FF fruit loaf, sounds lovely!

craigywv

JackieO wrote: »

I am a great believer in block stork marg and have been using it for baking for most of my adult life.I made some pastry yesterday and as usualu used
6ozs s/raising flour
30zs fat (for pastry I use half marg half cookeen/plain fat/lard)
I tablespoon of caster sugar
a pinch of salt
Sift flour,salt,sugar into a bowl
throw in fat and rub in until it is crumbs.If you shake and tap the bowl any larger crumbs come to the top where you can break them down with your fingers.Once it all looks like crumbs slop some water in and mix with a fork until it starts to bind together .Then roll it in your hands until its into a ball and put in the fridge to cool down while you have a cup of tea:):)
Once cool roll out what you need to make your pie and any left over bits roll together and wrap in clingfilm and stick into the freezer.This made a nice apple pie for my DD yesterday with some sliced eating apples from my freezer that were windfalls from last September that I had peeled,sliced and stewd gently in honey and lemon juice, and frozen in boxes.
I have a food mixer as well but unless I am doing a big batch of baking I use my hands and my eye to make my pastry.:):)
I only ever have used ordinary own brand flour and value brand fruits for cakes and even left over pastry when I have enough in the freezer I will drag out and make some jam tarts with for my DGS.My sweet pastry recipe hasn't let me down in over 50 years and I was taught it by my Mum when I was growing up.I see no reason to buy name brand flours as long as there is a long date on it the ordinary flour will be fine.I do sieve it though to make sure its nice and fine.Granulated sugar can be made easily into caster sugar by whizzing it up in the blender.As I don't use granulated I really don't mind buying caster sugar though and usually after Christmas the big one kilo bags get reduced in the shops.Like the OP says july is a good time to start stockpiling your dried fruit.I also buy my mincemeat for pies just after Christmas when its usually reduced as it has a very long date on it and is cheap as chips then.
Good luck with your new food mixer they are very good and I have one that does get used when I am batch baking .

hI JACKIO if making savoury pastry do I just omit the sugar in your recipe thanks

WantToBeSE

I use:

-basics range of flours
-marg instead of butter
-granulated sugar instead of caster
-value bar of chocolate (approx. 40p) smashed up with rolling pin instead of buying choc chips (abut 80p)
-Value mixed dried fruit for a dead cheap fruit cake.

Makes for cheap ingredients, but I don't think people factor in electricity costs (for oven) when making HM stuff, as it costs a fortune IMO. However, knowing what's in your food can be worth it

Maryanneslapcabbage

candlelight_2013 wrote: »

Fat free fruit loaf.

Pour 300ml of boiling water on to a teabag, leave for 3 or 4 mins.
Remove teabag and add 300g. mixed fruit to tea mixture. This can be anything you have in at the time. Cover and leave overnight if possible, if not at least 4 hours.

Add 160g. sugar
225g. S/F
1 tsp. mixed spice or cinnamon
2 medium size beaten eggs.
Mix thoroughly.

Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for approx. one and a half hours. Test in the usual way.

This is a lovely moist fruit loaf, and you can spread with butter if you wish but I have it without.

Enjoy

Candlelightx

I have made this cake many times and always leave out the sugar altogether.
I find that the natural sugar in the dried fruit is enough to sweeten the cake,especially as the fruit is all plumped up and luscious after sitting all night in the cold tea. Makes the cake even healthier!