I am the most determined person I know. This is not always a good thing as very often my determination is ill-advised (a few examples: getting numerous failed piercings, highlighting my hair myself, putting up a gallery wall with so-called ‘industrial’ strength double-sided tape…all stories for another day). Even though I am a hopeless baker, I was determined to succeed and set about making the ambitious-yet-delicious French Toast Streusel Cupcakes. The experience was stressful from the start, I didn’t have the right equipment (or temperament for that matter), I kept putting things down and then forgetting where I put them, the kitchen was covered in a fine layer of icing sugar and butter, I realised too late that all the measurements were American, I discovered our icing sugar went off in 2008 and had to go buy more… which I then left next to the till at Tesco and had to send my wonderful, kind, hard-done-by fiancé back to retrieve it (during the Rugby). The result was delicious, but it was a hollow victory - I can’t show you the finished iced cupcakes because you will laugh until you fall off your chair. I think I am pretty much done with baking for a while.
How do you feel about baking? Are you a master? Is it something you can learn or are you born with it?
It’s not all bad news though, I managed to bake a cauliflower, bacon and cheese quiche that was so delicious it brought tears to my eyes. If you trust me after my disastrous cupcake story and want to try my quiche, I used this recipe and tweaked it slightly (I used half cream, half milk and added sautéed onions for some sweetness).
All images via Wishful Thinking
I love this post because it shows that you can have fun and take on challenges without everything having to be perfect. Who cares if the cupcakes don't look as if they've come straight from a magazine shoot and your kitchen needs re-decorating after baking - you persisted and got some cupcakes which is all that counts :-) Have a lovely week xo
ReplyDeletethose are some great pictures! and this was written with such british phrases (the icing "went off", we say expired here, you left it on the till) that i especially loved it (i hope you don't mind that - i know, i know - we americans are easily amused). keep up being determined - both of your baked goods look delicious!
ReplyDeleteI'm a pretty good baker, but sometimes I try something too ambitious, or I am just not in the very exacting, patient mood I need to be in to bake. Then it gets... interesting. I don't know who decided everything home-baked is "supposed" to look like it came out of a professional kitchen, anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteThat quiche looks so yummy, I will have to try it. Baking is not a natural thing for me, I'm happy following a recipe, and will occasionally compromise, but mostly I follow it to the letter for fear of a disasters and a waste of time and ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI love baking, but not everything I cook turns out perfect. I definitely don't master the art of baking, but I am determined to improve myself with every new recipe. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is so funny...I like baking as well but I don't have the patience to be in the kitchen for hours on end and that is not helpful quality! I say hooray for trying!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I prefer baking over cooking ...... it seems to be a little more creative. I am one of those people that would much rather decorate the table or decorate a cake. I can get side tracked by a messy kitchen so I'm always trying to clean up as I go .... which can sometimes cause my meal to burn in the pan. I think also having a gas stove is key too. Something of which my kitchen lacks.
ReplyDeleteYour experience almost breaks my baking heart but don't stop trying! Love your determination.
ReplyDeleteTwo ingredients I never use: butter and icing sugar. Maybe you should try baking without them ... I'm just saying ;-)
Haha I just totally failed at making meringue cookies this weekend, so you're not alone :-) That quiche looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI definitely prefer cooking to baking - with cooking, I feel like I know what rules I can bend and what I can substitute to make it more 'me' - in baking, I feel like I can't change anything for fear of it all going horribly wrong (because it normally does)!
ReplyDeleteFret not, you got yummy cupcakes and a gorgeous looking quiche so I would say you've done very well! ;) x
You do make me laugh :D I prefer to bake than cook, but do way more cooking just because it is a necessity - I have a family to feed. I get zero pleasure out of cooking, but if I'm going to be in the kitchen I want to make yummy food, so am always on the hunt for easy, tasty meal ideas. Would love your cauliflower quiche recipe - it looks divine! xxx
ReplyDeleteI never met a quiche I didn't like- this looks yummy. I am not a baker by any stretch of the imagination, but I do like it and prefer it to cooking on the range.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, both of those things look amazing! I've never made a quiche before, I'll definitely have to try this one. I'm actually a terrible baker. I can cook up a storm, but when it comes to baking something just doesn't click. I've had many disasters and I refuse to post pictures of my decorated cookies/cupcakes/whatever because I'm fairly certain a 6 year old could decorate better than me!
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