Having a domestic goddess morning

...actually did some baking! Been ages (well, more like years, apart from my foolproof microwave chocolate cake that gets dragged out occasionally ). This is similar to the breakmaker question of a while back - do those who bake reguarly reckon it saves them money compared to buying supermarket biscuits/cakes? I know the quality/taste is better as far as I am concerned, but interested to know what others think of cost comparisons nowadays.

Must be something in the air today - a batch of dough for a dense fruit loaf is rising and a 2nd batch of dough has just been put aside to make Baps. Havent tried either redipie before so should be interesting.

Dont know about breadmakers as I dont have one but I know my Mother loves hers but when she can buy bread at 99 cents a loaf on special its not economic to make her own

As I am currently driving approx. 50 klms to get the best eggs in Sydney metro region, for me its not any cheaper, but the taste is far superior.

I do think if I wasn't buying my eggs from so far away (should drop back to 20 klms in the next few weeks when the local orange farm re-opens who also stocks that egg) then perhaps so, but at least I would get more quantity for the same bucks, and I know what is in my baking and that it hasn't been shovelled from the floor in a factory somewhere;)

Well if you look at it from the point of view that all the ingredients you put in your baking, you will probably have in your house anyway, then yes.
You also have to remember that when you buy ready made, you are paying someone else to bake for you, and whats more they are making a profit off it.
Personally I like the taste and texture of home baking better, so would always choose that option. Now I have never calculated the cost of the amount of power, and haow many cups of flour, sugar etc you get in a bag. Certainly some recipes are more economical than others, but it is nice to have the others sometimes too.

Now cakes, for example, I find a waste of time and effort, because firstly there are only so many slices in it and if someone cuts it thicker then even less servings per cake. Also they tend to go stale quicker than other things so you really do have to eat them within a day or two of baking, otherwise whats the point. Save them for birthdays and other special occasions.
Slices - I find generally easy to make and have lasting ability. Easy to make bigger batches in bigger trays, and you can cut the whole thing at one time so that you can decide how many serving you get.
Cookies I love but then again I have a couple of really good, never fail recipes that make enough to make it worth while turning the oven on.

Thats just my take on it, oh and one more thing to remember, just like home made bread, it is no good for the hips:D

quote:Originally posted by Kiwismum

Cookies I love but then again I have a couple of really good, never fail recipes that make enough to make it worth while turning the oven on.

Feel like sharing?

And if anyone has a good recipe for muffins that you can add fruit to I'd be really grateful - my cookbook is so old that the only muffins is has are those bran abominations [xx(]

hmm... I can ask mum what the fruit muffin recipies are.

Grab an Edmonds Cookbook Tigger. No-one can call themselves a kiwi without having a opy of that in a kitchen drawer somewhere and it has so many good reciepes. I'm pretty sure our rhubarb or blackberry muffin recpies mum makes is just the basic edmonds recipe with added fruit.

My Edmonds cookbook is antique and needs an upgrade, methinks.

I don't know if home baking is more economical as I don't ever buy shop cakes. The trouble is if I make cakes then we just eat them which is not good for the waistline!

I have a good recipe for lemon and raspberry muffins but it is on my other computer so I will try and remember to post it tomorrow. I like it because I can use up the raspberries and lemons from the garden and it is really easy.

George

My everything biscuit recipe is great.. you can make it what ever you want.... add cocoa for chocolate, orange juice and rind, ginger, fruit, choc chips.. what ever you feel like... just remember to add wet flavours to the butter suger, egg mix or if using dry flavourings add that to the flour to get it all mixes through properly....

185g butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs - cream butter/sugar and mix in eggs.

2 1/3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. Mix that it and then bake at 190 for 20 mins (give or take a bit.. depending on how you like you biscuits.. I prefer them fairly soft rather that crisp...

You can make this anything.. just use your imaginations.

LEMON RASPBERRY MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

60g butter
200g flour
2tsp baking powder
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g castor sugar
¼tsp salt
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
120ml milk
1 large egg
150g raspberries

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Stir together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, sugar, salt and zest. In a measuring jug pour in the lemon juice and enough milk to bring it up to 200ml (it will curdle but that is fine), then beat in the egg and melted butter. Pour into dry ingredients and stir briefly until it is just combined. Fold in the raspberries then spoon into pastry cases in the muffin tins. Bake for about 25 minutes until the tops just spring back when touched. Leave in the pan to cool for 5 minutes, then cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes.

Thanks guys, that's great.

After all my efforts, hubby has gone off to work this morning WITHOUT any of my baking [:0]! Just goes to show how unused he is to any being in the house [].

Having said that, he is a dab hand at baking himself, as a flatmate he used to do lots of baking - but as soon as I married him he sorta stopped [V]. False advertising? [}] Nah, just kidding - time is the limiting factor in our household...