So, my husband tells me his co-worker has read this and wants to learn how to bake! Are you out there? Here are a few cookbooks I would recommend starting out with:
If you don't already have
The Joy of Cooking there are some fantastic, classic recipes in it. In particular, if you really want to impress people make their chocolate chip cookies. It's an old recipe and is perfect and needs no adjustment. The really important part, depending on how you like your cookies, is to take them out the SECOND they brown around the edges. I prefer mine chewy in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside. Choosing when to remove them from the oven is always something that makes me second guess myself. However, regardless, they always get rave reviews. I recently made some for a friend who had a party, there were some left over on the counter and even though I made a chocolate bourbon bundt cake expressly for the party, the cookies stole the show. You can't mess with perfection. (See recipes below)
All things baked continue to bake once out of the oven while in the pan on the cooling rack. (Must have a cooling rack or two - the top of the oven is too hot to cool things properly.) So pulling your cookies, cupcakes, cake, scones whatever out of the oven the second they appear done is crucial.
Also, do not fudge amounts of ingredients in baking. And do not mix up the order in which they are added. Baking is like a science experiment. It must be executed exactly as the recipe reads - and then you will come off like a master chef. It's amazing to me how few people bake (because I enjoy it so) and how impressed they are with a decent product. The reason people don't bake is the same reason they don't garden - it takes time and patience and attention to detail. If you give it those, you're golden (and so are your cookies! hooo!).
Now that I've spoken like I know what I'm talking about here are some recipes and cookbooks to try out. Use pans that are light colored, not dark, as they reflect heat better and don't burn your goods. Have liquid and solid appropriate measuring cups. What else... have toothpicks. And buy the best ingredients you can. It makes a big difference. The difference between Nestle chocolate chips and Ghirardelli is huge.
Ok - I love
Cupcakes! by, Elinor Klivans - the recipes are good and not hard to make. The yellow cupcakes are wonderful and easy peasy. The chocolate buttercream is my one of my favorites.
I also have and really like
King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking which is huge and basically the bible of baking with whole grains. It can be intimidating because there are so many options, but that's my issue.
I also use
epicurious.com a lot to get inspired by ingredients or seasonal desserts. That's where I found the
Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake recipe (EASY!) that I've used several times. This is a huge hit with people who claim not to be "cake people". Served with fresh whipped cream and either fresh raspberries or strawberries and a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top through a sieve you look like a great baker. It's also fucking delicious. And did I mention that it's easy? You do need a bundt pan, however. This cake doesn't reek of booze - the whiskey flavor is light and does not overpower the chocolate cake.
These Bourbon Balls, however, will knock your socks off. I recommend making them at least 3 days in advance and keeping them in tupperware. They are great around the holidays.
Bourbon Balls
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon edible gold powder if desired
2 cups vanilla-wafer crumbs (from about 55 cookies)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and chopped fine
1/3 cup bourbon
3 tablespoons honey
print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation
In a small bowl sift together cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar and whisk in gold powder until combined well.
In a bowl stir together wafer crumbs and pecans. In a small bowl whisk together bourbon, remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and honey and pour into crumb mixture, stirring with a fork until combined well. Form teaspoons of mixture into balls and roll, 4 at a time, in cocoa mixture. Bourbon balls may be kept, in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container lined with wax paper, in a cool dry place 1 week.
This is the JOC Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Joy of Cooking
Preheat the oven to 375. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.
Whisk together:
1 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Beat in a large bowl until well-blended:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Add and beat until well combined:
1 large egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Stir in the flour mixture until well-blended and smooth. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips (I added an extra 1/2 cup).
Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just slightly colored on top and the edges are brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.
Makes about 36 cookies.
And this is a "low-fat" (har har) recipe for yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This is the basic cake that the most finicky eaters will love. And for whatever reason, it is hard to beat in my opinion. Fancy cakes can be wonderful, but for me a well-baked classic will beat it taste-wise every time.
Magic Yellow Birthday cake
(Adapted from cooking light)
½ cup of butter, melted
1 cup of fat free sour cream
1 ¼ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups of unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup low fat buttermilk
To start making the birthday magic, get out your favorite cake pans and lightly spray them with cooking spray. I personally love my spring form pans. If you aren’t using a spring form pan, then lightly dust them with a tiny bit of flour on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a lovely bowl, mix the butter and sour cream together till creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 -5 minutes. (Depending how much you are into this!) Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well till you have sunshine in a bowl.
In a different bowl, put the flour, baking soda, powder and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the dry mix to the wet mix, about a half of cup at a time, alternating with ¼ cup of the buttermilk, till the batter is just blended together well. Don’t over mix at this point or you will have interesting bumps in your cake tops.
Pour the batter into the cake pans and tap them a few times on the counter to coax the air bubbles out. Tuck them in the oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean. (I usually can tell when the cake is done by gently touching the middle of the cake. If it feels set up, it is done.) Cool them on a cake rack for about 10 minutes then remove them for the pan. Let them nap on the cooling rack to get ready for their birthday dress of frosting.
Chocolate cream cheese frosting
½ cup (4 ounces) of fat free cream cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/3 cup of dutch processed cocoa
1 tablespoon of milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar,
Plop the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and drizzle the butter over it. Beat with your mixer at a high speed till fluffy and inviting. Here’s the tricky part, sprinkle in the cocoa powder, then the milk, over the creamy mix and blend on LOW till the cocoa powder is safely mixed in. Beat faster till well blended. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, with the blender on low again. After two cups of powdered sugar, taste it and see what you think. I like it at this sweetness, but you may like more sugar. When you have it at the perfect sweetness, whip it up good with the blender till you can’t stand it any more, and you have to lick the beaters! Frost your cake or whatever you have in mind and enjoy!
Nutritional information if divided into 18 pieces (ha!); calories 291, fat 8 grams, fiber 1 gram, sodium 285 mg
And last, but certainly NOT least.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. These. Are. Amazing. And suuuuuper easy to make. Another recipe that wows people all the time. Great for kids who won't eat bananas also.
I hope this is helpful and interesting! Find what you love and make it over and over. It's fun and you become very popular in the process. Happy baking!
