Baking - Tips, Questions, Discussions, Recipes.

Hi Lass 

I like the look of the broccoli cake. It would be a coup to get my older daughter to eat some broccoli. I’m working on my vegan baking right now as my 14-year-old has chosen this path. I’m getting some half decent results. 

Xx

Thought I'd pop the apple cake question in here.

Have you any specifics on the cake? Like, do you def want cake, or could it be pie? Or could it be a tiny cake base, with LOADS of Apple and then a top? Or is it just something appley that you fancy, and anything goes? Lol

Lass

Xx

Hummm - I like cake because it transports easily and my pastry making skills are a bit rubbish and you only have one thing to make. But a cake base plus apple plus top sounds intriguing. I adore tarte tatin for example but you have to make it right then and eat it right away. I am a bit health conscious - so approve of part wholemeal flour and not too much sugar, if possible. My neighbours make cakes that are so very sweet I can hardly eat them. -  all natural ingredients, love raisins, dates etc and squishiness and fine with crumble crump type toppings.

This is like a having a personal virtual baker - I love it. Go Lass!

love

flamingo

Heya,

There's a lovely Polish apple cake called a Szarlotka. The Polish supermarket down the road from me has an in-store bakery where they make an excellent version of it. They add a very thin smear of raspberry jam before the apple, and there's also some almond extract in the apple mix or the dough - so you could use almond instead of vanilla if you wanted.

The pastry in this recipe is brilliant. It's very forgiving, and when it's baked it ends up with more of a cake texture than a pastry texture. And it all holds together really well if you're transporting it.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/polish-apple-cake-szarlotka

Mentioning dates.... I have a recipe I LOVE using dates. It's a family recipe, so I'm not allowed to share it, but let e see if I can Google an equivalent/similar one.

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/164/date-crumble-squares.aspx

But for the filling, use pre-smooshed dates as it's easier, swap out the water and use orange juice instead, and miss out the sugar. Then when it comes to the crumble top, add an extra couple of handfuls of oats to loosen the mix so it's a proper crumble top, not like the solid base that holds it all together. Lol

https://www.melburyandappleton.co.uk/date-paste-puree---900g-9976-p.asp?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz7Ptx6H-3QIV0OJ3Ch1bewm5EAQYASABEgLEcvD_BwE

That sort of thing, only that's expensive. It's £1.99 in the international supermarket near me.

And of course, you can add sultanas to either of those if you fancied it too!

Hope those might appeal!

Lass

Xx

Err all you bakers - Will you take pity on a poor man, supply your addresses and I will do a round trip of the UK collecting donations to the PhiLikesCakes charity? Bread will be acceptable.

No thought not.

Ere missuses get the oven stoked.

Phil xx 

If you ever need a recipe or some help, do just shout Phil! There's a load in this thread already to nose through too if you're ever bored.

And certainly, if you're in Leeds, I'm always looking for an excuse to bake! Lol

Lass

Xx

Hi Phil

This might be the golden moment to take up baking. Men make the best bakers of all. (Calm down ladies, I'm just encouraging him to get that mixing bowl out and pick up a wooden spoon and a recipe). Endless delight awaits, Phil, I promise....

love

flamingo

Hi Lass & Flamingo and any further proclaimers of self help.

I am going undercover  here to protect my streetcred. Yeh ok What streetcred?

I have to ad... ad... ad... Own up to recently downloading a recipe for fruit scones. I will be buying the makings next week and attempting to make good scones. Well you can't buy good ones anywhere. Always undersweetened, always undercooked.

I will, unlike you temptresses who give a recipe but hang on to the goodies, offer any leftovers (not a cat in hells chance) for public consumption.

My wife, no doubt, will oversee the process and offer encouragement. aka criticism.

Seriously thank you - Phil

I'm impressed.

If I were you, I would shut your wife out of the kitchen and tell her you are going to surprise her. Otherwise she'll only take all the credit for the delicious scones and will complain endlessly about what a mess you are making. Then bring her a cup of tea with a warm fruit scone. Oh, I can hardly wait. Can I have mine with butter and raspberry jam please.

love

Flamingo

I am going to try them all. I have decided to take the apples to my daughters and we can make Polish cake and dates smushy yummy there together while looking after Abi. She  loves to cook, too and I like nothing better than cooking together with family.

Thank you, Lass, those are interesting, different and sound very tasty.

I have a viewing of my cottage tomorrow so I will spend thew afternoon clearing all the dead fly and spiders and ladybirds and the mess they have made of the windows. Quite incredible how many insect there are this year. It is like a plague.

love 

Flamingo