Hello there beautiful
people, happy new month!!
How was your weekend? Hope great.
Mine was great even though malaria and its entourage tried to cramp my style, well thank God I overcame it.
How was your weekend? Hope great.
Mine was great even though malaria and its entourage tried to cramp my style, well thank God I overcame it.
Today we are going back
to basics.
Yea we are.
It’s going to be all about basic baking must-have.
Having these in your kitchen will go a long way. I call them my “baking pals”; cuz they always stick up for me.
I see baking as a gorgeous edible art, and for you to enjoy and appreciate this art, it is important to know some basic things you need to produce a consistent outcome. Here are some basic must-have;
Yea we are.
It’s going to be all about basic baking must-have.
Having these in your kitchen will go a long way. I call them my “baking pals”; cuz they always stick up for me.
I see baking as a gorgeous edible art, and for you to enjoy and appreciate this art, it is important to know some basic things you need to produce a consistent outcome. Here are some basic must-have;
1. Sieve
2. Measuring
cup
3. Rubber
Spatula
4. Wooden
spoon
5. Electric
Mixer
6. Baking
Soda
SIEVE
Most people believe
sifting your dry ingredients such as flour, baking powder and what have you
not, is a total waste of time, some even go as far as saying “Na over sabi dey
do you” but that my dear reader is a
baking faux pas. Sifting your ingredients serve an important purpose in baking.
It breaks up any clumps in the dry ingredients, making them easier to combine
in your mixing bowl. Just in case your
ingredients are so old that they are clumping together, sifting will turn them
into a fine powder again
You can get it at your
baking supplies store or where kitchen utensils are sold.
You can get it within
this price range: N250 – N500; depending on the size.
Measuring cups
Measuring
accurately is probably the most important cooking skill in the kitchen.
Graduated measuring cups like those in the picture above are made in ¼ cup, 1/3
cup, 2/3 cup, ¾ cup, ½ cup, 1 cup and 2 cup sizes. When baking cakes, cookies,
pie crust, candies and bread, measuring carefully and accurately helps to
produce a consistent outcome.
Measuring
cups are used for flour, sugar, powdered sugar, butter, e.t.c. To use this
measuring cups; spoon or scoop in the ingredient into the cup and run a knife
or spatula across the top to level the surface and scrape any excess back into
the container. Always remember to level the surface, it’s really important.
For
those that reside in Abuja, you can get them at Sahad stores for N300.
You can also get them at a baking supply store.
You can also get them at a baking supply store.
Wooden Spoon
At
times this wooden spoon a.k.a “eba
turner” serves as a good substitute for a rubber spatula when a recipe entails
folding in some ingredients. In case you’re wondering what the item sitting
beside the measuring cups above is; it’s the wooden spoon.
Rubber Spatula
Just
about everyone who bakes needs it. They allow you to scrape all the batter out
of the pan. They are also useful in smoothing the top of the filling before
baking the cake and to fold in certain ingredients when a recipe entails doing
that, and after that licking the batter off the spatula [#which seems to be my brother’s
favourite part of baking].
Electric Mixer
The
most conventional method of using a wooden spoon to beat your batter is okay,
but it’s kind of stressful and consumes more time. In addition to that; you
need to beat air into the batter for a fluffy cake and this cannot be achieved
via hand mixing.
Electric
mixers also make it easier to achieve a batter of smooth consistency because
the blades are powerful enough to blend certain solids, such as butter and
sugar with liquids.
These
are the reasons why each time I turn on my electric mixer to beat my butter and
sugar, I always thank God for the electric mixer and ask Him to bless the
person that invented it, even though I know the person is long gone.
For
Abuja residents you can get this wonderful gadget at Sahad stores or home
electronics stores at this range: N4000 – N7000; depending on the product.
Baking Soda
Most
people I know are not familiar with this wonderful baking ingredient. Each time
I mention baking soda in a baking discussion they’ll be like; “Huh?” Baking
soda also known as Sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda is about four
times as strong as baking powder. Most recipes that contain an acidic
ingredient such as; butter milk, sour cream, chocolate, cocoa always include
baking soda.
Baking
soda is added to neutralize the acids in the recipe plus to add tenderness and
some leavening. When using baking soda in a recipe make sure to sift with the
other dry ingredients before adding to the batter to ensure uniformity.
Otherwise the baked goods can have large holes.
It’s
available at baking supply stores and goes for N100
Pixie dust
1.
Baking
soda starts to react and release carbon dioxide gas as soon as it is added to
the batter and moistened. So make sure to bake batter immediately.
2.
To test
baking soda’s effectiveness; Mix ¼ teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons of
vinegar and the mixture should bubble immediately.
3.
In the
kitchen, baking soda will keep away garbage odors; Sprinkle the bottom of the
pail and then sprinkle again after you put a new bag in.
4.
To
remove stale smells from containers, rinse out with hot water and baking soda.
If the smell persists, let the container soak overnight in the baking soda and
water mixture.
5.
For
burnt on food in the bottom of pots; Sprinkle with baking soda, then add hot
water. Let soak overnight; the dried on food will come loose much more easily.
6.
For
personal use; Hair brushes and combs can be cleaned on a baking soda solution.
7.
In
laundry; to remove grease stain, either add baking soda to the wash load or
pre-treat the stains with a baking soda paste. A baking soda paste is 3 parts
baking soda one part water
Baking is about fun, love and family. I enjoy
and love baking, knowing that I can mix these bare raw ingredients and make
breathtaking-scrumptious-luscious- treats always makes me feel so elated. I
really hope on this tour you all will experience and the joy of baking.
Take care and do have a gorgeous week ahead!
Take care and do have a gorgeous week ahead!
XoXo
I love me some indulgence
