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Learning to bake - where to start?


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Old 21-02-2012, 13:15
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I have never really tried baking (apart from at school) but I have a toddler and money is tight so I thought now is a good time to start! I would particularly like some healthy (and cheap!) ideas that we can all eat but would also be good for sending to nursery. However I could really do with some advice as to what sort of things are really (and I mean really!) easy and quick to do. Any ideas would be hugely appreciated
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Old 21-02-2012, 13:17
Sallyforth
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There are some good books and websites out there, but try your local council's lifelong learning department if it has one, or your local college, they may offer short courses for beginners which can be relatively inexpensive or even free depending on your circumstances. There are commercial courses but they tend to be a bit more costly.
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Old 21-02-2012, 13:27
burton07
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Get cookery books from your local charity shop. They are cheap, often unused, and you are helping a good cause.
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Old 21-02-2012, 15:30
mrs_buckley
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Buy a bero book, classic and simple recipes. Morrisons supermarkets sell them, not sure about elsewhere.
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Old 21-02-2012, 15:35
jmclaugh
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Baking is very in these days and today, pancake day, is a good day to start, all you need is flour, milk and eggs, a bowl, a whisk and a frying pan. After cooking them you can fill them with whatever you like, savoury or sweet.
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Old 21-02-2012, 15:36
daleman
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Night school !
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Old 21-02-2012, 15:50
elliecat
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Chocolate Crispy cakes are the easiest things to start cooking. Sponge cakes are good and easy - 4oz self-raising flour, 4 oz butter, 4 oz sugar, 2 eggs. cream the butter and sugar together add the eggs add a tablespoon of flour with the last egg add the rest of the flour, a spoonful of water (I add a couple of drops of vanilla essence as well) once cooked spread with a little jam and sprinkle the top with sugar.

Find a nice cookery book nothing fancy like Jamie Oliver or Nigella. Buy something that is specifically for baking. I learnt using a Sainsbury best of baking book they don't do it now but I had to buy my Mum a copy from Amazon marketplace as her one was falling apart and missing pages. I recently bought a book from Sainsburys that has some quite simple and easy recipes in.
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Old 21-02-2012, 16:06
Porcupine
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My Mum bought me receipe books for beginners when i was younger and just bought my first home. They had basic things in from how to how long to boil an egg, how to make coleslaw and how to bake a classic Victoria Sponge. In fact, i have it in my cupboard now and refer to it a lot. It has a section for fruit, veg, eggs, offal, poultry and puddings / cakes.

I would look out for something similar. I don't know how basic you want to go, but this book has been wonderful for me over the last 20 years.
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Old 21-02-2012, 16:21
Dave1979
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The Bero books are great - or Mary Berry's
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Old 21-02-2012, 16:26
guernseysnail
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Do you have a local library..Have a browse in the cookery section and see if you can find a book that you would get on with at your starter level..then you can always buy the book for keeps if you like it
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Old 21-02-2012, 16:35
sixtynine
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Videojugs a good site, step by step instructions and the ability to watch the recipe actually being made.
Just search for whatever you want.

http://www.videojug.com/tag/food-and-drink
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Old 22-02-2012, 07:13
norbitonite
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Victoria sponge is the first thing I ever learnt to cook as a child. So straightforward and once you can do that, it's the basis for so many other cakes and puddings. Can't vouch for its healthiness, though, but as long as you only eat it in moderation you'll be fine!

Elliecat gave the recipe, above - although I add milk rather than water, but that's just personal preference. Divide the mixture between two 7-inch sandwich tins that you have smeared with a thin coating of butter and dusted with flour. Smooth the top of the mixture and put into a pre-heated oven at gas 4. Bake for 20-25 mins, checking after 20. The cakes are baked through when they are risen and golden brown and if you press your finger lightly on the top in the centre it feels 'spongy' and springs back. If you prefer, rather than making a sandwich cake, you can spoon the mixture into bun cases and make individual fairy cakes. These would only need 10-15 minutes in the oven, though.

Once you've mastered this, you can add all manner of fruits and flavourings to the mixture, or use it to make steamed jam sponges (if you like them) or Eve's pudding, which is basically a layer of thickly-sliced, peeled, cored apples in the base of an oven dish, sprinkled with sugar and a little cinnamon, covered with one quantity of sponge mix, ie the 2-egg quantity given above, and baked in the oven for about 40 mins, by which time the apples should be soft and the sponge cooked through. Serve warm with custard or ice cream.
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Old 22-02-2012, 08:07
Smokeychan1
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Google recipes for flap jacks, yoghurt cereal bars and banana bread. These are baked foods that aren't unforgiving if you lack practice and aren't precise with weights and/or oven temperature. They are very simple to prepare - you could make them with your toddler - and they are relatively healthy additions to a child's lunch box.
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Old 22-02-2012, 09:04
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Thanks for all the responses. They've given me a lot to work on. It sounds like I need to do a tour of the local charity shops too!
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Old 22-02-2012, 10:07
burton07
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Also look on the packets of food for recipe books. i have an excellent Oxo cookbook. Not for cake recipes but for dinners and lunches. My Bolognaise sauce recipe is from the tomato puree box. My chocolate chip cookie recipe is from the brown sugar packet.

As someone mentioned, order the Be-R book from

The Be-Ro Kitchen, PO Box 100, Blackburn, Lancs BB0 1GR.

Send cheque for £2.50 to cover P & P made out to Be-Ro Baking Recipe Book along with your name and address.

They are now celebrating their 41st Edition according the information on the side of my bag of flour.
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Old 22-02-2012, 10:32
Welsh-lad
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You basically need eggs, flour, butter and sugar.

Nearly every cake is basically a combination of these ingredients in different ratios, using different techniques, and additions.

All easily and cheaply sourced - try Lidl.
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Old 22-02-2012, 10:42
burton07
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I use a basic maderia cake recipe and vary it by adding any of the following:

Lemon zest or lemon flavouring and top with lemon icing sugar
Orange zest and top as above
Crushed walnuts and top with whole walnuts and icing
Chopped Glacé Cherries and top with whole cherries and icing
Replace 1 oz (sorry, still in old measures) flour with cocoa powder and top with melted chocolate
My OH's favourite:

Add orange zest and flavouring to basic cake mix and top with chocolate. If preferred, slice through and sandwich with marmalade. Hey Presto! Jaffa cake!
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Old 22-02-2012, 11:16
c4rv
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videojug and youtube have tons of tutorials, right from the basics.

As for what to cook, i am assume that you are referring to cakes, biscuits, cookies, etc or do you have something else in mind ?
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Old 22-02-2012, 11:22
mirabella
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Delia is my favourite cookery writer. Then practise is your best bet. Don't give up as it won't all come right to start with.
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