Baking Basics

When I started baking all I had was a small bowl and some wooden spoons. My collection has now grown, a massive clear bowl, three red bowls in different sizes, a whisk, ice cream scoop, various spoons, weights, silicone cupcake holders and a few more. If you fancy it you can have a snazzy whisk and an expensive food mixer but if your starting out your better off sticking to the basics first, a simple whisk will do most jobs well and might even teach you to whisk eggs with your wrist rather than relying on electricity. I find most of my baking things from lovely little shops in random places rather than the plain high street, unique kitchen shops tend to stock an array of colourful items and things you wouldn’t think of buying but are actually quite handy, nevertheless you have to tell the difference between a good baking basic (cutter shapes) to a useless thing that will sit in your drawer (banana slicer) Simple supermarkets can also be a saviour for people on budgets, I picked up my clear bowl which I create pretty much everything in for a pound in my local supermarket. When I had all my basic baking instruments I forgot about the fact I would need something to put my sweet treats in! There are so many shops that do lovely cake tins, John Lewis do nice ones in different sizes. Being short on cash I often double up a lasagne tin for a baking tray for brownies, it saves on buying more baking trays and cupboard room!

Flour is flour; these days you can get all sorts of flour, depending on dietary requirements. I buy the best eggs though, they are going to be incorporated into your whole creation and they should be of the best quality and the right sizing. Don’t forget sizing, check the ingredients, it does matter. Cooking chocolate and eating chocolate are not the same thing, I have learned this the hard way through trying to cook some milk chocolate with some butter and noticing it quickly went lumpy and looked terrible. If you insist on using eating chocolate treat the chocolate as precious and be quick and careful melting it. Cocoa powder is a life saver but use it in combination of melted chocolate and it will taste amazing. Baking powder is not the same as bicarbonate of soda (sounds simple but I thought they were basically the same, use one when the recipe says the other and believe me your bake will suffer).

Most recipes begin with pre heat to such a time, and then the making moments, if your new to it all and anything like me it will take you a while to gather your ingredients, measure out the correct amounts and whisk whatever needs to be mixed. Then pre-heat.

Atmosphere is everything. For me I like to be in the right kind of mood to bake. Inquisitive, experimental and keen springs to mind. I like to make sure the kitchen is clean before I start otherwise it can get hectic with bowls and sugar and eggs in the middle of the bake. Not to say I always clean, I usually leave things lying around. Up until now I refrained from bringing in any music into the kitchen but if you can I find it the best inspiration and motivation if you are unsure of what you are about to do. Open the window let the air come in and put your favourite music on. My kitchen is small and uninviting, by putting some music on, a pinny (recommend it if you don’t want flour all over your favourite jeans for the rest of the day) and colourful baking instruments I am ready.

So with a clear kitchen (clear mind), basic essential utensils, music, correct ingredients and fresh air your ready to go. I best get baking!