Bake a lot
05 September 2010
In the last month or two I have been on baking over drive. Whether making cookies, muffins, ice cream (not baking I realise but you know what I mean here), doughnuts and cakes. It has reached the point that my tasters are asking me how I find the time to keep churning out the goods?
The joy of baking should be the sub title of every cook book because it is a joy. It is a way of forgetting a day at work, creating something from start the finish, having a treat and showing someone you care. Yes really. All by baking something. Granted there is that marmite thing about it – you love it or you hate it and as a lover I don’t understand the hate but that is what non bakers tell me. That or they can’t bake.
My biggest challenge with baking is that I find it near enough impossible to stick wholley and completely to any recipe, this includes the timings provided in said recipe & any other advice & recommendation. Believe me this is not a habit I recommend because when my creations go wrong they go very wrong but then again occassionally I might happen upon something quite special.
Baking is a little like going for a run. Not in the sense that it is good for you or you burn significant calories doing it, more that it is a personnal journey and that you can always beat your latest PB (personnal best). As well as being time on your feet. Quite simply the more you bake the better you get at it. You find your own tricks, cheats, alternative ingredients and substitutes. When you watch a cooking show comments that Nigella or Jamie make about texture and consistency start to make sense, really it does!
The only problem with over baking is when you have no one to bake for. I like the baking a lot but don’t want to eat it all myself…honnestly. So when a friends naming day popped up on the horizon I was more than happy to whip up a vegan carrot cake for the masses.
I also had some oldish banana’s to use up. Voila banana brownies….. They look like normal brownies but taste banana – y. I didn’t use the walnuts in the recipe.
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