Graduating to desserts!

[Clair02]

I'm new to baking, it's been a couple of months now and I've been baking all kinds of cookies (someone told me to start there) and now I feel I might be ready to tackle something a bit more complicated. Does anyone have a recipe in this section that might be a good one for me to start with?

 

[Corzhens]

I have come across several threads about cookies. And the way they were posted, it looks like cookies are for beginners. But for me, I'd say pudding is for beginners since it is far easier to bake pudding than to make a dough. From what I understand with the dough, the mixture has a ritual such that the ingredients should be exact as per the recipe and the timing is also required. You cannot make a dough and bake it on the next day. I still have to make a dough myself and I have to admit that I'm quite scared.

 

[Clair02]

I did start with cookies, as I was told that they were a perfect place for a beginner. I've been doing quite well (even if I say so myself) and now I feel up to tackling more challenging things. I'd appreciate a couple of recipes that I can try out. I've never made pudding before.

 

[ChesterV]

If you've done cookies, then the next step is cupcakes.

After cupcakes, then go to cakes.

After cakes, go to pies or tarts.

After that, you should be able to try anything.

 

[Roxanne G.]

A cake is a great place to start! Here's some information that's helpful. As in pretty much all baking, sugar and butter are "liquefiers" - they make things spread. That's why when we make cookies we don't cream the sugar and butter until it's so light and fluffy it's almost white! Otherwise the cookies flatten out, right? Flour and eggs are binders, they give substance to baked goods. So, cakes like to be light and fluffy!
Always start out with your ingredients at room temperature - eggs, milk, butter, etc...
With most cakes - cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add one egg at a time.

Also, always sift your dry ingredients to get rid of lumps. The proper way to measure flour is to scoop something into the flour, pour it into your measuring cup and tap it flat with something flat. Then sift. (I own a bakery, so at this point I do most of my measuring by weight)

Here's a cake recipe that's in between a cookie recipe and a light, fluffy cake.
A Pound Cake. This is enough for one large tube pan cake or 2 large loaf cakes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients: 2 cups butter, 3 1/2 cups sugar, 10 eggs, 4 cups sifted flour (have already sifted in another bowl), 2 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. salt (add to flour). OK: Everything is room temperature. Cream butter and sugar together with your clean hand or a wooden spoon. Hand gives you a better idea of what it's like when things are fully incorporated. I use my hands. Add one egg at a time until you have mixed in all 10 thoroughly. You will need to be using a big bowl. You are not trying to incorporate a lot of air, this is why you are not using a mixer. Add two cups of flour, mix in, then vanilla. Switch to a rubber scraper - mix in the rest of the flour thoroughly. You are ready to put it into your thoroughly pre greased and floured pans. Carefully fill your pans 2/3rds of the way full. If you have batter left do not try to over fill your pans. Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 30 mins. Ovens vary. Check cake after 1 hour and 15 mins. eith with a skewer, toothpick to see if it comes out clean (from the middle of the cake) or you can insert a instant thermometer in the middle of the cake for a reading of between 190 to 205 degrees. I hope you try this easy cake. I hope you use your hands.

 

[Clair02]

If you've done cookies, then the next step is cupcakes.

After cupcakes, then go to cakes.

After cakes, go to pies or tarts.

After that, you should be able to try anything.

Thanks for the suggestions. Cupcakes actually seem like a great move right now. I think that's what I'll do now. I'm super-excited about the decorating part. That will be the most interesting part for me.

 

[ChesterV]

 

[cupcakechef]

I love the video tutorials of frosting - it's a big way of how I self taught myself a lot of the techniques out there on how to do all different manners of frosting! Once you get the hang of it I think it's not too hard to make the cupcakes look professionally done!

 

[Clair02]

Thanks so much for the video tutorials. They are certainly very informative. I will enjoy trying out these recipes a lot. It actually doesn't look as hard as I assumed it was. And it looks like so much fun, especially if I can do it with my daughter.