Sunday, 29 August 2010
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Apple and Cinnamon Muffin FAIL - heartbroken!
I just feel like giving up!
A friend of mine gave me some gorgeous cooking apples on a tree in the forest and asked if I would like some, and of course I said yes. As soon as she mentioned them I started thinking about what I could bake. And the first thing that popped into my head was Apple and Cinnamon Muffins.
The minute I thought it I thought Oh NO! I have never made a successful Muffin in my life, and it would seem that my 'muffin' luck is not ready to change.
I found recipe on Internet, seemed easy enough. I collected the ingredients, hopeful that this time I would make beautiful big muffins, the kind you would have in a wicker basket, as you skipped through the forest to visit gran ma.
I remembered the Muffin top tip - DO NOT OVERWORK THE MIX.
Wet mix, Dry Mix, incorporate in a few folds, don't over work, spoon into muffin cases cook until golden brown and a clean skewer after stabbing.
OK 20 mins later, skewer in - still wet, 5 mins after that, skewer in - still wet. Repeat 3 times until beginning to burn. Remove from oven.
The muffins looked OK, quite a nice shape and colour until you try to remove from the case and you find gloopy, heartbreaking mess.
I have absolutely no idea where I am going wrong with these guys, but I am seriously starting to think I am kidding myself that I could ever actually be good at this.
A friend of mine gave me some gorgeous cooking apples on a tree in the forest and asked if I would like some, and of course I said yes. As soon as she mentioned them I started thinking about what I could bake. And the first thing that popped into my head was Apple and Cinnamon Muffins.
The minute I thought it I thought Oh NO! I have never made a successful Muffin in my life, and it would seem that my 'muffin' luck is not ready to change.
I found recipe on Internet, seemed easy enough. I collected the ingredients, hopeful that this time I would make beautiful big muffins, the kind you would have in a wicker basket, as you skipped through the forest to visit gran ma.
I remembered the Muffin top tip - DO NOT OVERWORK THE MIX.
Wet mix, Dry Mix, incorporate in a few folds, don't over work, spoon into muffin cases cook until golden brown and a clean skewer after stabbing.
OK 20 mins later, skewer in - still wet, 5 mins after that, skewer in - still wet. Repeat 3 times until beginning to burn. Remove from oven.
The muffins looked OK, quite a nice shape and colour until you try to remove from the case and you find gloopy, heartbreaking mess.
I have absolutely no idea where I am going wrong with these guys, but I am seriously starting to think I am kidding myself that I could ever actually be good at this.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Krabby Patties - Trial Run
Very good fun to make, Mya helped too.
The Burger shiz: Cup cakes, Brownies, red and yellow butter cream, green fondant.
I made packet brownies night before, I turned it out onto a cooling rack whilst it was still warm. And it gave the 'burgers' an authentic flame grilled look, that you don't actually get to see when the cake is constructed, but it tickled me.
Cut burgers into circles, buns in half, roll out the fondant and use cutters to make lettuce, get butter cream in icing bags and let the construction begin.
The fries are made from sugar cookie dough, just cut into thin strips, I have still not found the perfect sugar cookie recipe, but mya seemed to like the fries, dipped in 'sauce'
I am super happy with the way these guys turned out...yay!!!
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?????
SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS!!
Can you actually believe that I made this? because I cant lol! I am stupidly proud of this cake.
There are a lot of firsts for me in the making of this cake. First time I have made a cake of this size, first time I have coloured this much fondant and first time I have ever iced a cake of this size.
I was very nervous when I started out and the sense of relief and achievement when I got it to this stage was amazing. OH and did I mention it tasted REALLY GOOD too!
I mentioned in my first blog that my baking journey was spurred on by my daughters birthday coming up, well she is a huge spongebob fan and it having a spongebob themed party, so this was my trial run for the cake.
Can you actually believe that I made this? because I cant lol! I am stupidly proud of this cake.
There are a lot of firsts for me in the making of this cake. First time I have made a cake of this size, first time I have coloured this much fondant and first time I have ever iced a cake of this size.
I was very nervous when I started out and the sense of relief and achievement when I got it to this stage was amazing. OH and did I mention it tasted REALLY GOOD too!
I mentioned in my first blog that my baking journey was spurred on by my daughters birthday coming up, well she is a huge spongebob fan and it having a spongebob themed party, so this was my trial run for the cake.
Sugar Cookie try No. 2
The morning after the night before I woke up determined to try the sugar cookies again. This time they turned out a bit better...
OK, I am still not completely happy with these ones, but they were 100 times better than the last attempt, so at least I can see some kind of progress.
This time, my eggs were room temp, as was the butter, I did over knead the dough and I left it in the fridge for a lot longer.
What I ended up with was a much more manageable dough which was easy to work with. I done 2 different batches to test how different thicknesses of dough affected the texture, I preferred the more crumbly texture of the thicker cookie and they tasted really lovely, but to be honest, neither batches where exactly what I wanted. Just got to a keep on trucking, right?
I really wanted to get some practice in working with fondant, so again decided to carry on with the cookies.
I bought pre-made fondant and coloured it with sugar flair gel. I used the same cookie cutter to get the right shape and just trimmed them to the shapes I needed with a sharp knife. I then outlined with regular icing, using my new Tala icing kit.
I know they are rough round the edges, and they can be improved vastly, but I was quite happy with this attempt.
Onwards and upwards!
OK, I am still not completely happy with these ones, but they were 100 times better than the last attempt, so at least I can see some kind of progress.
This time, my eggs were room temp, as was the butter, I did over knead the dough and I left it in the fridge for a lot longer.
What I ended up with was a much more manageable dough which was easy to work with. I done 2 different batches to test how different thicknesses of dough affected the texture, I preferred the more crumbly texture of the thicker cookie and they tasted really lovely, but to be honest, neither batches where exactly what I wanted. Just got to a keep on trucking, right?
I really wanted to get some practice in working with fondant, so again decided to carry on with the cookies.
I bought pre-made fondant and coloured it with sugar flair gel. I used the same cookie cutter to get the right shape and just trimmed them to the shapes I needed with a sharp knife. I then outlined with regular icing, using my new Tala icing kit.
I know they are rough round the edges, and they can be improved vastly, but I was quite happy with this attempt.
Onwards and upwards!
Sugar Cookie - FAIL!!!
I have always always always wanted to make beautiful decorated cut out cookies. Lots of them that I could display beautifully in cellophane with ribbons and bows and you know, just be beautiful.
Well today was my first attempt, 2nd baking day into my baking journey and it was HORRIFIC!!!
What went wrong?? OMG What went right?
I found a cookie dough recipe online and I got stuck into the sugar cookie project with enthusiasm and gusto. I was sure that by the end of this baking day I as going to have those beautifully decorated cut out cookies that I was desperate to be the creator of. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The dough was terrible, hard to handle, hard to roll, hard to cook. I chilled it and floured it and chilled it and floured it and it was still a sticky mess. But still I carried on determined...
I managed to get a few cut outs done and on a baking sheet. I was proud of my achievement, they looked the part, they would be beautiful after all!
8-10 minutes later my soul was destroyed...
I had created swollen behemoths, not beautiful cut outs. I have a few ideas of where I may have went wrong.
I was just going to throw them away at this point, but I tasted them, and even though they looked horrible and had a very bizarre texture, they tasted OK, so I decided to ice them anyway.
I iced some with just regular icing sugar which I piped with a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off, that was fine, not fantastic, but at least I got some icing on the suckers. Now onto the rolled fondant AKA Disaster No.2
I had bought a pack of powdered fondant icing which you add water to, NEVER AGAIN. An awful mess that created a horrible sticky goo that was hard to handle. Again with lots of perseverance and swearing I managed to cut out 4 heart shapes and stick them on the cookies.
So cookie ordeal over, I am considering giving up baking FOREVER.
Well today was my first attempt, 2nd baking day into my baking journey and it was HORRIFIC!!!
What went wrong?? OMG What went right?
I found a cookie dough recipe online and I got stuck into the sugar cookie project with enthusiasm and gusto. I was sure that by the end of this baking day I as going to have those beautifully decorated cut out cookies that I was desperate to be the creator of. I couldn't have been more wrong.
The dough was terrible, hard to handle, hard to roll, hard to cook. I chilled it and floured it and chilled it and floured it and it was still a sticky mess. But still I carried on determined...
I managed to get a few cut outs done and on a baking sheet. I was proud of my achievement, they looked the part, they would be beautiful after all!
8-10 minutes later my soul was destroyed...
- my eggs were straight out of fridge
- my butter was straight out of fridge
- over kneading the dough
- crap recipe
I was just going to throw them away at this point, but I tasted them, and even though they looked horrible and had a very bizarre texture, they tasted OK, so I decided to ice them anyway.
I iced some with just regular icing sugar which I piped with a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off, that was fine, not fantastic, but at least I got some icing on the suckers. Now onto the rolled fondant AKA Disaster No.2
I had bought a pack of powdered fondant icing which you add water to, NEVER AGAIN. An awful mess that created a horrible sticky goo that was hard to handle. Again with lots of perseverance and swearing I managed to cut out 4 heart shapes and stick them on the cookies.
So cookie ordeal over, I am considering giving up baking FOREVER.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Cupcakes!
I thought I would start off this baking journey with something I had done before.....The Cupcake.
Just used a very basic recipe, I was a bit of a cheapskate and used the cheapest margarine money could buy. It wasn't until I got it home from the supermarket that I realised that it said, 'Not suitable for home baking'....why on earth not?
Unperturbed, I continued forth. I used a basic cupcake recipe, with my cheap 'not suitable' margarine. The cupcakes turned out well. I used small cupcake cups, and I think I was a bit measly with the batter. So even though they tasted OK, they were pretty teeny and didn't even rise enough to be proud of the wrapper.
I made up some butter cream with my cheap marge, Nutella and icing sugar. Now, I think using substandard ingredient was noticeable with the butter cream. To be brutally honest, it tasted funny. Don't get me wrong it was edible, but a wee bit weird. So, lesson learned. I will use better quality ingredients from now on, promise!
Half the cupcakes were made into fairy cakes and the others just slathered with the 'funny' butter cream and decorated with pieces of broken Curly Wurly!
Just used a very basic recipe, I was a bit of a cheapskate and used the cheapest margarine money could buy. It wasn't until I got it home from the supermarket that I realised that it said, 'Not suitable for home baking'....why on earth not?
Unperturbed, I continued forth. I used a basic cupcake recipe, with my cheap 'not suitable' margarine. The cupcakes turned out well. I used small cupcake cups, and I think I was a bit measly with the batter. So even though they tasted OK, they were pretty teeny and didn't even rise enough to be proud of the wrapper.
I made up some butter cream with my cheap marge, Nutella and icing sugar. Now, I think using substandard ingredient was noticeable with the butter cream. To be brutally honest, it tasted funny. Don't get me wrong it was edible, but a wee bit weird. So, lesson learned. I will use better quality ingredients from now on, promise!
Half the cupcakes were made into fairy cakes and the others just slathered with the 'funny' butter cream and decorated with pieces of broken Curly Wurly!
Thursday, 19 August 2010
The Begining!
So...I have decided I want to make cakes and hopefully with practice be quite proficient at it. This was spurred on by my kid's birthday coming up, we are having a party for her and I want to make the cake. Also as she has started nursery, I now have a lot more spare time on my hands, I consider myself to have some kind of artistic ability and I need a hobby and I just love the idea of making things for other people to enjoy, and maybe even, one day, give them as gifts.
I made some cupcakes for my daughters first birthday and that was the first time I ever really baked anything from scratch and tried cake decorating. I had done some cooking and baking at school and I had made some packet brownies. Anyway, Mya's Cupcakes turned out not bad (they all got eaten - so that's a good sign), and as a first attempt and cake decorating, I guess it went OK. I will look out the pics and post them on here.
I thought as I really am a total Noob, that it would be fun to document my growth (if any) from absolute total beginner to...well...wherever I end up?
So this is my blog, Welcome!
I made some cupcakes for my daughters first birthday and that was the first time I ever really baked anything from scratch and tried cake decorating. I had done some cooking and baking at school and I had made some packet brownies. Anyway, Mya's Cupcakes turned out not bad (they all got eaten - so that's a good sign), and as a first attempt and cake decorating, I guess it went OK. I will look out the pics and post them on here.
I thought as I really am a total Noob, that it would be fun to document my growth (if any) from absolute total beginner to...well...wherever I end up?
So this is my blog, Welcome!
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