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Help with my baking
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jackie_w
Posts: 1,077 Forumite


Im trying to bake my own biscuits and cakes etc, and im afraid Im failing miserably
.
I cannot for the life of me make pastry. I tried this the other night to make a pie, and when I was mixing all the ingredients with a knife, it wasnt coming together like a ball (as it said in the recipe book), so, I had to shape it into a ball with my hands, then put it in the fridge for a while. When I brought it out, it was all cracked IYSWIM, and when I rolled it out, it was all sticky, and kept breaking.
Last night, I made cookies, so, when I was mixing all the ingredients together, the recipe book said to mix it until it resembled a dough, however, when I mixed it together, it was like a cake mix. When I took them out the oven, they were okay, but, were a bit soggy on the bottom.
The other night, I made brownies, and when I took it out the oven, they were really quiite moist in the middle, infact so moist that when I cut them into squares, they started to break and crumble, and I couldnt pick one up without it breaking into little pieces.
With all this, i baked them for longer than the recipe said because, they just didnt look right if I baked them to the actual time of the book.
I really want to be able to bake because, i think it would save me loads of money, cos, I wouldnt have to buy loads of biscuits, also, it would save me on my waist line too, cos, I dont tend to eat what I bake (dont know why, I just dont) well, except HM bread.
What am I doing wrong?
Please help
Jackie

I cannot for the life of me make pastry. I tried this the other night to make a pie, and when I was mixing all the ingredients with a knife, it wasnt coming together like a ball (as it said in the recipe book), so, I had to shape it into a ball with my hands, then put it in the fridge for a while. When I brought it out, it was all cracked IYSWIM, and when I rolled it out, it was all sticky, and kept breaking.
Last night, I made cookies, so, when I was mixing all the ingredients together, the recipe book said to mix it until it resembled a dough, however, when I mixed it together, it was like a cake mix. When I took them out the oven, they were okay, but, were a bit soggy on the bottom.
The other night, I made brownies, and when I took it out the oven, they were really quiite moist in the middle, infact so moist that when I cut them into squares, they started to break and crumble, and I couldnt pick one up without it breaking into little pieces.
With all this, i baked them for longer than the recipe said because, they just didnt look right if I baked them to the actual time of the book.
I really want to be able to bake because, i think it would save me loads of money, cos, I wouldnt have to buy loads of biscuits, also, it would save me on my waist line too, cos, I dont tend to eat what I bake (dont know why, I just dont) well, except HM bread.
What am I doing wrong?

Jackie
0
Comments
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Ouch!
OK... here's a start...
be-ro recipe remedies
And to try recipes that I regard as "bullet proof" take your pick from the recipes here:-
be-ro recipe inspiration
In both cases - use the links on the right hand side to pick what you need.
So... pastry first... once you've worked the fat into the flour and got "crumbs" add around two tablespoons of water. By all means work it with a knife first but then I've always found that the best way is to then work it to a finish by hand. It's a feel thing, but if it feels a bit thick and hard - add an extra tablespoon of water. Work it again. Don't worry if you find that you over did the water and the pastry gets a bit sticky - a single spoonful of extra flour will generally put that right.
It does take "work" to get pastry crumbs to bind - it's not a ten second job.
Unless...
I use my food processor these days. Put the flour and fats in and whizz until you hear that it's stopped bashing lumps of fat about. Add three tablespoons of water and start it off again. If, after 10-20secs it looks sort of crumbly - add one more tbsp of water. Again - if it looks a bit sticky - just a small amount of extra flour will sort it out.
This thread may help you too:-
- Pastry is a disaster
As for cookies and brownies - hmm... I'd suggest adding only half of any liquids at first and mixing well - then just add splashes more of the liquid until you get the "dough". Again - it can be a "feel" thing.
Biscuits with a soggy bottom... most recipe instructions say lightly grease the baking tray. This to stop them sticking. They do mean lightly. Sort of wipe it on then wipe it off. As thin a layer as you can get. The risk of the odd one sticking and breaking up is better than biscuits with soggy bottomsNon perfect biscuits can always be used up in things like cheesecakes, trifles, crumbles and so on. That's if they survive being used for "taste testing"
Hope all this helps.Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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I'm sure you're not doing anything majorly wrong it's just that sometimes baking takes a bit of practice to get things just right! There are so many variables involved regarding temp, ingredients, quantities, etc.
I'm an experienced home baker and I still have occassions when things don't go quite as planned.:eek: Practice really is the best thing but it can be really disheartening when things don't turn out as we envisage - especially when we're looking forward to a delicious home made treat.
You may find it helpful to see a simple visual step by step guide that you can follow. There are loads of really helpful short videos on how to bake and cook on videojug. There's a really nice recipe and guide for biscuits at http://www.videojug.com/tag/cookie-and-biscuit-recipes All the videos on here are really short (no more than 5 minutes) and there's loads of video recipes for baking, cooking, etc.
Good luck! I'm sure that with a little practice you'll soon be whipping up delicious home made goodies.
BTW - I still can't make gingerbread properly :rotfl:
Anni0 -
annifranakapan wrote: »I'm sure you're not doing anything majorly wrong it's just that sometimes baking takes a bit of practice to get things just right! There are so many variables involved regarding temp, ingredients, quantities, etc.
I'm an experienced home baker and I still have occassions when things don't go quite as planned.:eek: Practice really is the best thing but it can be really disheartening when things don't turn out as we envisage - especially when we're looking forward to a delicious home made treat.
You may find it helpful to see a simple visual step by step guide that you can follow. There are loads of really helpful short videos on how to bake and cook on videojug. There's a really nice recipe and guide for biscuits at http://www.videojug.com/tag/cookie-and-biscuit-recipes All the videos on here are really short (no more than 5 minutes) and there's loads of video recipes for baking, cooking, etc.
Good luck! I'm sure that with a little practice you'll soon be whipping up delicious home made goodies.
BTW - I still can't make gingerbread properly :rotfl:
Anni
I've got a lovely dark sticky treacly gingerbread recipe if you want to give it a try Anni?!
OP - like Anni says, there's any number of reasons why baking doesn't turn out as planned. I always blame the flour and/or the oven!! Both can vary a good deal. I'm hopeless at pastry (unless I make it with lard for some reason, then it's OK). I know the theory, cold everything and not too much fat (pastry falls apart) too much handling or water (grey and tough pastry) - but somehow it's always been my bugbear.:wave:0 -
However don't over use water, otherwise the pastry won't be very nice, it might not seem as if it is coming together but once you get in with your hands it will. I follow Delias tips on pastry. Keep trying.
I make nice cheese scones, but can I HECK make fruit ones! :mad: they always seem hard and overcooked they just never seem to turn out right, but I will practice till they do.:D0 -
Anni, gingerbread is never that marvellous as soon as it is baked. It is one of those things that really does benefit from a week in a tin.annifranakapan wrote: »I'm sure you're not doing anything majorly wrong it's just that sometimes baking takes a bit of practice to get things just right! There are so many variables involved regarding temp, ingredients, quantities, etc.
I'm an experienced home baker and I still have occassions when things don't go quite as planned.:eek: Practice really is the best thing but it can be really disheartening when things don't turn out as we envisage - especially when we're looking forward to a delicious home made treat.
You may find it helpful to see a simple visual step by step guide that you can follow. There are loads of really helpful short videos on how to bake and cook on videojug. There's a really nice recipe and guide for biscuits at http://www.videojug.com/tag/cookie-and-biscuit-recipes All the videos on here are really short (no more than 5 minutes) and there's loads of video recipes for baking, cooking, etc.
Good luck! I'm sure that with a little practice you'll soon be whipping up delicious home made goodies.
BTW - I still can't make gingerbread properly :rotfl:
Anni[SIZE=-1]"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad"[/SIZE]
Trying not to waste food!:j
ETA Philosophy is wondering whether a Bloody Mary counts as a Smoothie0 -
Thanks for your replies, I will not give up, and keep trying.
Im going to try some more baking today, so, I will let you know how I get on.
MAYPOLE Can you give me your recipe for Cheese Scones, and i wil ahem attempt to make them, I love anything with cheese in it.
Jackie0 -
And for left over oddments of pastry - see the be-ro recipe for cheese sticks!
They can go in with the whateveritisyouarecooking.
I often add a smidge of paprika for a bit of extra oomph - and smoked paprika, if you can find it, is like magicHi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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Speaking of things to do with left over pastry.........I use frozen puff pastry for pie topping to a wonderful beef and mushroom mixture I have on the hob right this minute.
I cut out four rounds for tops and throw the remainder (of which there is a fair bit) out.:eek:
I hate waste and really should do something with these but what?
Don't really want to do vol au vents and Ive tried refreezing but didnt cook successfully.
Any ideas?Make £10 a Day Feb .....£75.... March... £65......April...£90.....May £20.....June £35.......July £600 -
Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »Speaking of things to do with left over pastry.........I use frozen puff pastry for pie topping to a wonderful beef and mushroom mixture I have on the hob right this minute.
I cut out four rounds for tops and throw the remainder (of which there is a fair bit) out.:eek:
I hate waste and really should do something with these but what?
Don't really want to do vol au vents and Ive tried refreezing but didnt cook successfully.
Any ideas?
sausage rolls, apple turnovers, cheesy pin wheels err im stuck now :rotfl:proper prior planning prevents !!!!!! poor performance!Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat moneyquote from an american indian.0 -
Cheese sticks?
I've never tried it, but it might workHi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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