Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
My husband and I have been members of the National Trust for about 10 years now. We both just love visiting historical homes and gardens so it has always been worth it to us. A yearly membership works out a lot cheaper than having to pay entrance fees each time we visit one of the National Trust places.
We recently visited Erddig, which is near Wrexham in Wales. "Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.
We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this great historical home. We found it quite astonishing that the orignal owner of the Estate was simply a "Mr" and not a person of noble birth. Judging by everything that was on this property, he was one very wealthy individual, and one could tell by all of the photographs and paintings that, although they had lots of money and servants, their servants were very much cared for and well treated.
We spent a wonderful day there exploring all the nooks and crannies and the beautiful gardens. So much so, that we plan on going back again soon. There was so much still left to explore, and one visit just didn't do it enough justice.
One of the things we both look forward to when we are visiting these places is having a light lunch in the cafes that are, in most cases, right on the grounds. Lovely little places where you can get everything from soup to nuts . . . always very tasty stuff!
We shared a delicious cheese and onion sandwich and some hot cocoa the day we were there, but right next to the cash register in the cafe was a little leaflet for sale,, containing some of the recipes from Erddig House, dating back to the 1700's.
It was only a pound, so how could I resist!! Of course I had to pick it up!
That night I made us the carrot soup for our tea from the leaflet, and let me tell you . . . it was the MOST delicious carrot soup I have ever, ever eaten! It should have served at least 4 people but Todd and I polished it off between the two of us. NOT A PROBLEM! It was rich and creamy and had the most wonderful flavour. Carrots, potatoes, celery, turnips, onions and lettuce . . . a delicious combination of simple garden fresh ingredients!
This is now our 'alltime' favourite soup.
*Erddig Carrot Soup*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Taken from a 'Receipt Book 1765', the second oldest Erddig cookery book.
2 ounces butter
2 large onions
2 large potatoes
2 pounds carrots
1/2 pound turnips
1/2 head celery
1/4 lettuce
3 1/2 pints (about 7 cups) vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Peel and chop all of the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the potatoes and stir well. Add the remainder of the vegetables and the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Liquidise. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
I also baked up some very delicious Cheese Scones to have with the soup. They went down a real treat!! You can find the recipe HERE.
(The kitchen in my doll house)
Moving onto the second part of my collection of recipes which you should know by heart. I know that a lot of us already know these things off by heart and indeed have our own ways of doing most things, but the beginning cook might not know these things and I felt this could be an invaluable resource for them.
Whilst may of us older guys and gals probably learned these things from our mum's and grandmum's . . . the art of cooking from scratch seems to be disappearing these days. People do rely a lot on convenience foods. Heck you can even buy frozen mashed potatoes today, which is surely a lot better tasting than dried potato flakes . . . but when mashed potatoes are so easy to make . . . why not make your own.
I know . . . for the working mum, frozen might be more convenient and I can't say that I blame them for using them . . . but if you are so inclined and have the time to want to do things from scratch, these are the recipes you should know by heart. You can find Part one here.
There is nothing nicer on a plate then a perfect pile of soft, creamy
and fluffy mashed potatoes. They go so well with many dishes and are
the perfect holder to cradle lashings of delicious gravy.
They
are not as hard to make as some people would suppose. Simple and
straightforward, as long as you follow a few simple rules.
- use the proper potato. You want a floury type of potato, that is to say one that breaks down well once cooked. You do not want a waxy type of potato, or one that holds it's shape well when cooked. Some great examples of floury potatoes are Maris Piper, Estima, King Edward or Desiree (In North America use a Russet, Idaho or baking potato)
- Do not make the mistake of not cooking the potatoes long enough. Better to err on the side of overcooking than undercooking. You cannot mash a hard lump no matter how hard you try!
- Never add cold butter or milk to cooked potatoes. Always use room temperature or melted butter and gently warmed milk or cream
- Add any liquid to the cooked potatoes slowly. Some days you may need more, some days you may need less. How much can only be determined by adding it slowly.
*Perfect Mashed Potatoes*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Simple and perfect!
2 pounds of large floury potatoes (In the UK a Maris Piper is ideal, in North America
I would use a russet or idaho)
4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup, or one stick)
4 fluid ounces of single cream or full fat milk (1/2 cup) gently warmed
fine seasalt, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg
Peel and quarter the potatoes then place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender. Drain well in a colander and then return them to the hot pot. Cover with the lid and give them a good shake, which will help to break them up. Add the butter and warmed cream or milk, adding the latter a little at a time, whilst mashing the potatoes, only adding as much as is needed to give you the correct consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. The potatoes should be light, fluffy, creamy and ready to eat.
Note - I often use my electric handwhisk to mash the potatoes. This helps to insure a smooth mixture without lumps. I also have a potato ricer, which does a fabulous lump free job.
Cream Sauce, or Bechamel (which is the French name for basically the same thing) is the most basic of sauces and the basis for many other sauces such as cheese sauce, mornay sauce, lemon sauce etc. Once you have mastered a good cream sauce you are free to explore the many other options available. I often make it and add cooked baby peas to it and serve it ladled over cooked fish. It's the basis for macaroni and cheese, and many other delicious dishes, and very easy to make. These are the quantities for one cup of sauce, to make more just multiply the ingedients. I normally would not more than double it.
*White Sauce or Bechamel Sauce*
Makes 225ml or one cup
Makes 225ml or one cup
A good bechamel is the basis for many dishes
such as souffles, or macaroni and cheese. The foolproof way to achieve a
perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when you add it to the
butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but perfection is perfection.
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mornay
Sauce - Add 2 TBS of grated Parmesan Cheese and 2 TBS of grated Swiss
cheese during the last two minutes of cooking. Stur until blended.
Just before removing from the heat, beat 2 TBS of the sauce into 1
lightly beaten egg yolk. Stir the yolk/sauce mixture back into the
sauce and add 2 TBS butter. Continue to cook, stirring, for one
minute longer.
There is nothing nicer than a nice plate of warm biscuits, North American Style (similar to scones) resh from the oven and just waiting for you to spread them with a pat of cold butter and a drizzle of honey.
These are one of the most basic of the quick breads and I have never known anyone to turn a well made biscuit down. The important thing to remember about biscuits is to use a light touch with them. Over working them toughens them.
Pat them out gently and cut them out with a sharp cutter, using a very sharp quick straight up and down motion and your biscuits will always be perfect!
*Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes 16
Printable Recipe
Golden brown and crusty outside, meltingly tender inside.
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 TBS sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup of milk
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 6. Grease two 8 inch cake tins. Set aside.
Whisk
the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl. Drop in
the shortening and cut it into the flour mixture with two knives or a
pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk
all at once and stur just until the dough forms a ball around the fork.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 14 times. Pat
out to 1/2 inch thickness. Stamp out rounds with a 2 inch biscuit
cutter, giving it a sharp tap straight down and up again. Do not
twist. Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15 to 20
minutes.
If you like biscuits with crusty edges all around, place them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet to bake instead.
The
amount of milk you use will determine how thick these pancakes will
be. Start off with the smaller amount which is suggested and add more
only if the batter seems too thick.
I try to have all of my ingredients
at room temperature before starting and as with most quick breads, take
care not to over beat. A few lumps are quite acceptable.
You can
make lighter, fluffier pancakes by separating the egg yolk and white,
adding the yolk with the milk, and then beating the white until stiff
and folding it in last of all. Serve with maple syrup or honey.
120 to 150ml of milk (1/2 to 3/4 cup)Variations:
There is no more welcome or finer dessert cake than the traditional sponge cake, or Victoria Sponge as it is lovingly called over here in the UK. It needs no more adornment than a dusting over the top with some confectioner's/Icing sugar and a filling of butter cream and jam. Using equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, it is the simplest of cakes, and yet also the tastiest.
*Traditional Victoria Sandwich Cake*
Makes one 7 inch cake
Printable Recipe
Popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, this cake remains popular to this day, which is a huge testament to it's taste and ease of baking! Don't be tempted to use all butter. This is one recipe that is better for the use of a mixture of butter and margarine.
3 ounces of butter, softened (6 TBS)
3 ounces soft margarine (6 TBS)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces self raising flour (a scant 1 1/2 cups)
To finish:
3 TBS raspberry jam
buttercream to fill (optional)
icing sugar or caster sugar to dust the top
Butter and base line two 7 inch sandwich tins. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and vanilla together until light in colour and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the centre of each.
Bake on a centre rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam and buttercream (if using). Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with icing or caster sugar and serve.
I will be back tomorrow with a new and fresh recipe. I hope you have enjoyed these tried and true recipes and that you have found them useful. It's a start at any rate!
I thought it would be fun to share with you this morning some of my tastier ideas of things to serve for breakfast on Christmas morning. In all likelihood you already have something planned, but there is a chance that some of you are still trying to make up your minds.
Here are some of my favourite breakfast ideas. My family and friends always loved these options and whether you are only a few or a group of many, all will go down a real treat! With a cup of something hot and a glass of cold juice and some fruit, let the merriment begin!
Kinda like a muffin.
Kinda like a scone.
A delicious quick bread that is shaped like a muffin and as easy to throw together as a muffin is . . . but has the lovely short texture of a scone.
Light, fluffy and buttery, and oh so scrummily crunchy on the outsides.
These are fabulous served straight from the oven with plenty of cold butter and fruit preserves.
Great for breakfast, lunch and even a wonderful teatime treat!
Easy peasy and yummy scrummy!!
*Buttermilk Scone Muffins*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe
Slightly sweet and as easy to make as stirring together some ingredients and dropping them into muffin cups. They take a bit longer to bake, but you are rewarded at the end with delicious muffin shaped scones that are meltingly tender inside and crisply scrummy on the outsides! Delicious served warm with some cold butter and fruit preserves!
360g of plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
2 TBS caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of baking soda
10 TBS chilled butter, cut into bits
250ml of buttermilk (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 12 cup medium muffin tin well. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour mixture until the mixture is mealy. Add the buttermilk and stir it in with a fork, stirring it in until the dough is slightly firm. You may need more buttermilk. You want it stiff, but of dropable consistency.
Drop by dessertspoonfuls into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it equally amongst them.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and crusty. (Check frequently near the end to make sure they aren't over browing!)
Serve warm
A little while back the people at Panasonic sent me one of their combi-ovens to try out for a month to see how I would get on with it. This month I am their guest blogger over in their Ideas Kitchen with my Sunshine Granola Recipe.
I did everything I could with the oven during the month that I had it. I used it to melt butter and chocolate, cook casseroles, make scones . . . baked a cake, pretty much everything I use my regular oven for, with much success. The nicest bit was that during the hottest bit of the summer, I wasn't having to heat my whole kitchen up by having to turn my regular oven on. This combi-oven worked just dandy. (Microwave/grill/convection oven)
I've actually had a combi-oven of my own for quite a while now, since 2009. I had gotten a cake all ready to go into my regular oven and my regular oven gave up the ghost. I needed something quick and so I had gone to the store and picked up a combi-oven to use until they could come and fix the regular one. I had had one way back when yonks and yonks ago in Canada. My first one was a mammoth. That baby was huge! But it worked really well. It did take up a lot of space though. These newer ones are a lot smaller. You couldn't roast a turkey in one of them . . . but they are pretty darned good for everything else.
The recipe which I chose to share in the Panasonic kitchen was a recipe for my favourite all time granola. It's nice and crunchy, and stogged full of fruit and nuts. There are lots of good things in there like maple syrup and orange juice, and flaked coconut.
In short it's a winner. I cut my original recipe in half so that I could make it in the combi oven and it worked a charm. Nice and nutty and golden brown with a beautiful crunch.
Why not hop on over to the Panasonic Kitchen to check out the recipe! It's worth the trip my dears. Absolutely. There's lots of goodies there. I think you'll enjoy!
It is no secret . . . my mother makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world! There is no denying it.
Light, flakey and oh so scrummy . . . with soups, with stews, and on their own . . .
Served up warm with butter and honey . . . or some preserves . . . my . . . my . . . my. You just can't beat them!
There's no surprises here. They're really quite simple, nothing too out of the ordinary, but there are a few tricks to the success of them.
First, light handling. Don't be rough with them. A light touch is the secret behind the flakiness . . . too much handiwork and you get a tough biscuit.
If you want straight sided, tall biscuits . . . pat them out fairly thick, 1/2 inch will do and then cut them with a sharp tap down with the biscuit cutter . . . carefully lift the cutter straight up again. Don't twist, or you'll get lopsided.
Oh they'll still taste delicious, but aesthetically speaking . . . straight sided look oh so much better.
Yep . . . my mom does make the best baking powder biscuits in the world . . . and now you can too!
*Mom's Baking Powder Biscuits*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe
My mom makes the best baking powder biscuits in the world. Now you can too.
17 ounces plain flour (4 cups)
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
8 ounces white shortening (1 cup)
2 large free range eggs
12 fluid ounces milk (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. You will need several large baking sheets. No need to grease them.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Drop in the shortening and cut it in with two round bladed knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together the milk and eggs until well combined. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until you have a soft dough. You may not need all the liquid. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a sharp 2 inch round cutter, giving the cutter a sharp tap straight down and up without twisting. (Twisting will give you lop sided biscuits.) Place onto the baking sheets, leaving some space in between the biscuits for crispy all around biscuits, or close together for soft sided biscuits.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and browned. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave for a few seconds. These also freeze really well.
Growing up I never thought of myself much as a baker. My sister was the baker. I was more of a cook. Through the years however, I came to appreciate that I was a baker and a pretty good one at that. I learned as I went along. Trial and error are really great teachers.
I did do Home Economics in High School and learned a lot about baking from those classes. They started me on my journey. Getting married young and raising a large family also helped me to gain valuable experience.
Going to Culinary College further cemented my skills, and then working in the industry was another great teacher. One of my very first jobs in the field was as a Pastry Chef at a local hotel here in the Valley.
I have learned so much through the years, professionally and from friends and family. What good is knowledge if you can't share it. I thought today I would share with you my ABC's of baking and then some of my favorite recipes at the end.
Baking is a science as well as an art, a basket filled with skills and techniques that build a foundation upon which you can build your baking artistry. It is precise and not something you can fiddle with a great dependance upon the chemical reactions of ingredients used. Baking is not a very forgiving art, not like cooking. Add too much liquid to a stew and you will still have an edible dish, add too much to a cake and you are more likely to produce a cake that cannot be saved.
Baking for the most part requires very simple and basic ingredients - flour mixed with a combination of salt, eggs, sweetener, leavening agent and fat, things such as butter, oil or shortening - how these things are combined and in what proportions is especially important.
To achieve success, home bakers really only need four basic things:
- Reliable recipes, written to accommodate your level of skill.
- Good Equipment
- Quality ingredients
- The ability to pay attention to what you are reading and what you are doing.
It is important to have confidence in your recipe source. Make sure that the instructions are well written and not vague, easy to understand and follow. Failure in the baking arena can almost always be traced back to fault with one of those four components mentioned.
BAKING TOOLS
Using the right equipment and tools for your purposes is an essential part of successful baking. Accurate wet and dry measures, mixing bowls, spoons, spatulas and wire racks are essential as is a good assortment of quality pans and dishes. I also would not be without a good set of digital scales. I find them invaluable and if you have a set of scales there is no recipe from any part of the world that will be deemed a mystery to you.
Baking by weight is the most precise way of measuring your ingredients. The sizes of cups, both wet and dry can vary a great deal, as can your manner of filling them, whereas an ounce is always an ounce and a gram is always a gram. Once you get used to baking by weight, you will not want to bake any other way.
Depending on how much and what you are baking you might also find it very handy to have an electric hand mixer, a food processor, cutting boards (both wood and plastic), several sizes of fine mesh strainers, a good rolling pin (I recommend Beechwood), a pastry board and parchment paper for lining pans.
.jpg "The Oven")
YOUR OVEN
Your oven is probably the single most important piece of baking equipment that you have or need. Oven temperature plays a critical role in baking. Too hot and your baked goodies will be overly dark on the outside and not cooked in the middle. Not hot enough, and you risk overcooking the centers of what you are baking in order to achieve the desired degree of browning.
Ideally when you set your oven temperature, that is how hot your oven will be, once it has finished preheating. In all truth, most ovens 25*F (10*C) hotter or cooler than their setting says. One solution is to have your oven calibrated professionally, which can be costly. A simple, more effective approach is to learn how your oven bakes. You can also purchase a simple oven thermometer which will show you exactly what your oven temperature is and allow you to adjust the setting accordingly.
A. Watch for hotspot in your oven. Most ovens have hot spots which result in unevenly baked goods. This is why you will often see a recipe asking you to rotate the pans halfway through the bake time. If you do this and bake on the center rack, don't stack, you will achieve much more reliable results.
B. Check your baking earlier than the suggested bake time. Use your recipe as a guideline and then begin checking what you are baking at least 10 minutes prior to the end of the recommended time.
C. Don't peek. That's what oven lights are for. If you keep opening your oven door to check the temperature of your oven will fluctuate. Keeping the door closed helps to maintain your oven temperature.
D. Timing and temperature depends on the types of pans you are using. Whether their surface is shiny or dull can affect the bake time. If you are using glass or nonstick pans, especially those which are dark in color, you should lower your oven temperature by 25*F (10*C).
You can also use a convection oven to bake. If you do so you will need to either reduce your baking time by about 25 percent or the oven temperature by 25*F (10*C).
PANS
Good quality, shiny, metal pans and baking sheets are a worthy investment because they bake more evenly and they do not rust. It is money well spent as they will often (with proper care) last a lifetime.
Unless you are an incredibly experienced baker, always use the size of pan recommended for the recipe you are using.
Basic Pans (I recommend having the following)
- one each 8-inch and 9-inch square cake pans
- two 8-inch round layer pans
- two 9-inch round layer pans
- one 10-inch Bundt pan
- one 10-inch tube pan
- one 8 1/2-inch by 4-inch loaf tin
- one 9-inch by 5-inch loaf tin
- one 12 cup muffin tin
- one 13 by 9-inch cake tin
- one 15 by 10-inch jelly roll pan
- three cookie sheets in a variety of sizes (I like them with rims, but that is a personal preference.
- one 9-inch pie tin
- one 9-inch deep dish pie tin
Always use the size of pan as recommended by the recipe.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
These are other things which I recommend a baker has in their kitchen.
Mixing bowls in an assortment of sizes. I recommend glass or metal rather than plastic, and plastic can retain oils and flavors from other foods.
Measuring cups and spoons. I have a set of cups for dry measures and a set of cups for liquid measures. I also have several sets of measuring spoons. This saves me from having to wash them multiple times during a baking session.
Cooling racks. Essential for cooling cakes and cookies. You want your cooling rack to clear the countertop by at least 2 inches so as to prevent your baked goods from "sweating" on the bottom while they are cooling. Soggy bottoms are a no no.
Wire whisks for mixing. I have two medium sized wire whisks. A large balloon whisk is ideal for whisking things like egg whites or cream if you do not have an electric mixer.
A fine grater and zester. Ideal for zesting citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes.
A fruit juicer. There are several different kinds available. I have a small wooden reamer, and a larger metal one that you can place a whole half a lemon or lime into, which serves to juice the fruit and keep the pips behind.
An assortment of cookie and biscuit cutters. You can go crazy here. I have one good set of round metal cutters that includes about every size of round cutter you will ever need. I also find a heart shape and a star shape invaluable.
Rolling pin. I have a good beechwood rolling pin. It is essential to have a rolling pin if you plan on making pie crusts and certain kinds of cookies.
Spatulas. I have two rubber ones for scraping out bowls and folding in ingredients. I also have a large metal one for lifting cakes and cookies from pans, and an assortment of metal offset spatulas. These are great for smoothing out icings on cakes and cookies.
Pastry brushes. Essential for applying washes or glazes, or for greasing pans.
Knives. I recommend having a good, serrated knife and a sharp chef's knife. I also recommend a good pair of kitchen scissors.
INGREDIENTS
Flour, sugar and fat are the most common ingredients needed to make delicious baked goods, but adding eggs, leavening agents, flavorings, chocolate and nuts opens up a cornucopia of tasty delights!
FLOUR - I recommend keeping a good all-purpose plain flour for most of your baking needs. Bleached or unbleached is a personal preference. You can also keep a self raising flour, a strong/bread flour and a fine pastry or pasta flour. I also like to keep a whole wheat flour. Store your flours in clean airtight containers in a cool dry place. White flour will last for approximately a year whilst whole wheat lasts for about 6 months. For longer storage, keep your flour in sealed containers in the freezer or refrigerator.
FATS - There are two kinds of fats. Those that are solid at room temperature and those that are liquid.
Butter is the most popular fat in baking, but technically speaking it is not the best fat to use. Since it is only 80% solid fat and has a low melting point, all butter pie crusts will not be as flaky as those made with shortening or lard. (I use both lard and butter in my pastry). Also, cookies made with butter rather than shortening will not hold their shape as well.
Margarine can be used interchangeably with butter, unless flavor is an issue (such as a buttercream frosting). I do understand why, economically speaking, it is what a lot of people have to use. Do be sure if you are using margarine you use a solid type rather than a spreadable margarine, as spreadable margarines do not perform well in baking.
Lard is 100% fat and has a high melting point. It is to be used when flakiness is desired.
Vegetable Shortening is made from vegetable oils. It is also 100% fat and is excellent in producing flaky pastry and biscuits.
Vegetable oils, liquid at room temperature cannot be used in recipes based on creaming fats and sugars together and do not contribute to leavening. You will more often see them being used in quick breads and muffins.
SWEETENERS - Sweeteners are what gives baked goods much of their appeal.
Sugar - is what is most commonly used and comes in many varieties, which will or should always be specified by the recipe you are using. White sugar is the most common used, followed closely by brown sugar, which is granulated sugar with molasses added. Icing sugar (or confectioner's sugar) has a tendency to clump so it is best to sift it prior to use.
Other Sweeteners - Molasses, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup are all effective sweeteners depending on the recipe used. Molasses has a strong color and flavor, is rich and dark and adds flavor and moisture to recipes. If it is not to your taste, you can substitute an equivalent amount of honey, corn syrup or maple syrup in its place.
EGGS - These are indispensable in baking and play many different roles. They contribute to leavening, texture, color, flavor, volume and richness in baked goods. The also act as an emulsifier, binding ingredients together as well as adding nutritional value. I find it is best to allow eggs to come to room temperature before using them in baking. It is also important to use the size of egg specified by the recipe you are using.
LEAVENING AGENTS - These are what causes baked goods to rise, usually by creating a chemical reaction with the ingredients used in the recipe.
Yeast - this is what gives bread it's volume. It is also used in certain cakes and donuts. It comes in a variety. Quick rise. Bread machine. Regular. It is important to use the type of yeast specified by your recipe.
Baking Soda - (also known as Bicarbonate of soda) this is a chemical which, when combined with acids such as buttermilk, yogurt, fruit juices or even chocolate, creates bubbles of carbon dioxide causing the batters to rise. When using baking soda it is best to bake the items as soon as mixing because it will start to react as soon as it comes into contact with the acid.
Baking Powder - This is baking soda combined with an acid, so it works better in batters with a low acidity.
Check your baking soda and baking powder regularly to make sure they are still active. To test baking powder, stir 1 tsp of it into 1/2 cup hot water. If it does not bubble immediately, throw it out. To test soda, add 1 tsp to 2 TBS of white vinegar. If it does not bubble immediately, throw it out.
DAIRY PRODUCTS - You can use either full fat or semi skimmed milk interchangeably. You can also use lactose free or reduced milks in their place. Buttermilk is also a common ingredient used in baking which results in baked with a tender and moist crumb.
Other dairy ingredients which are often used for baking are cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, dairy sour cream, yogurt and cream cheese. Use what is specified by your recipe.
CHOCOLATE - This is one of the most popular ingredients in baking, second only to vanilla as a flavoring. There is a wide assortment of products available to choose from these days. It is important to choose whichever chocolate product is recommended by the recipe you are using.
Cocoa powder is a dry unsweetened powder made from chocolate liquor with most of the cocoa butter having been removed. When baking use natural or Dutch process cocoa powder, not the sweetened drinking mix. They are not interchangeable.
OTHER ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
Nuts - These add flavor and texture to many baked goods. They are high in fat however and are best stored in the freezer to maintain their freshness. When you are ready to use them thaw and use as per the recipe. Toasting your nuts adds exponentially to their flavor. To toast spread them onto a baking sheet and toast at 350*F/180*C. for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Allow to cool before proceeding.
Coconut - As with nuts this is best stored in the freezer for optimum freshness. Sweetened and unsweetened can be used interchangeably. Again, its flavor is improved with toasting. To toast spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast at 350*F/180*C for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Flavorings - Vanilla is the most commonly used, followed by almond. I recommend the use of pure extracts rather than artificial, as they have a much better flavor.
Spices - Essential to the success of many recipes and you need to have a good selection on hand. The ones most commonly used for baking are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, and cloves. They lose their potency quickly when ground or grated so it is recommended you buy them in small amounts and replace within 6 to 9 months.
Fruits - I like to keep an assortment of dried and candied fruits in my baking cupboard. Raisins, apricots, currants, cranberries and dates are the most common dried fruits used. Buy speciality items such as candied fruits for holiday baking or as needed.
Love - This is the topmost essential baking ingredient. A small pinch of love goes a very long way!
And now for some great basic baking recipes!!
.jpg "basic victoria sponge cake")
A BASIC VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE - My favorite of all the cakes. It was the Victorians that invented this lovely cake by adding butter to an ordinary sponge mixture, which baked better in two flat tins rather than one deep tin. (Oh those Victorians, they were very clever at inventing things I have to say!) I like to layer it with a layer of jam and some vanilla buttercream in the middle. This cake is a necessary component of a great tea table!
CLASSIC ENGLISH SCONES -These are buttery and flaky tender with just the right number of sticky sultanas. Serve with cream and jam for a real treat! These are another tea party essential. Which do you put first? The jam or the cream? It all depends on where you come from!
.JPG "chocolate chip cookies")
CRISP CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES -Crisp and buttery, packed full of chocolate chips and toasted pecans. In short, dangerously delicious! These are THE perfect chocolate chip cookie in my opinion!
MOM'S BEST APPLE PIE - Nobody can make an apple pie like mom can! This pie boasts a flaky tender crust and plenty of sweet apples in the filling. Now are you a person enjoys this with a scoop of ice cream or a wedge of good cheddar, or maybe both?
SUPER DUPER BRAN MUFFINS - This is everyone's favorite bran muffin. Not too sweet. Just right. Moist and filled with raisins. If you are on a quest for the perfect bran muffin, I think you may have just stumbled upon it. Your search ends here! These moist bran muffins are delicious! Honed after years of searching for the perfect and best bran muffin!
.jpg "pull apart bread rolls")
OLD FASHIONED PULL APARTS - If you are looking for a good recipe for a bread roll, look no further. This is the best bread roll recipe. You have never tasted better pull-apart dinner rolls than these ones. This is an old-fashioned yeast rolls recipe that you are sure to fall in love with. If I can make them anyone can!
APPLE DUMPLINGS - You have never tasted heaven until you've eaten one of these. Nothing speaks more about Home Sweet Home I think than a warm apple dumpling. Fresh from the oven and served warm with cream or ice cream, you really can't get a tastier dessert!
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Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
It's still not too late to rustle up a few treats for your family for Easter. Here are some of my favourites which I have shared with you in past years.
Easter Bark
Easter Bunny Cupcakes Sooo cute!
Hot Cross Scones (Soooo good!)
Easter Chocolate Crispy Nests Easy to make and kids love em!
A Simnel Tart Very easy and oh so delish!
Bun and Butter Pudding A great way to use up some of those extra Hot Cross Buns!
Hot Cross Muffins Perfect for breakfast. Tastily fruity too!
Hot Cross Buns with a Spiced Fruited Butter for spreading.
You could be quite spoiled for choice!
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