Friday 9 January 2015

Baking Brilliance

Baking classes
Do you wish you could bake like Mary Berry or whip up a storm in the kitchen like Nigella Lawson? Or fancy yourself as next year's star baker?

Well baking's not for everyone, for some it can be a stressful affair, following a recipe and making sure that you manage to time everything perfectly can be overwhelming. 

I am most definitely a savoury chief. I'm quite at home with a fridge full of ingredients and being asked to create something from scratch. But when it comes to cake baking I enjoy the process, but am afraid to say that the end result is usually disappointing. 

Baking cakes for me is relaxing but my cakes either don't rise, rise too much or sink in the middle
Bake with Maria
So when Maria from Bake with Maria asked if I would like to road test one of their courses I dusted off the apron and was more than willing to give it a go. 

The lovely ladies at Bake with Maria have lots of wonderful courses to choose from, most of which are delivered in their beautiful Baking Lab in St. John's Wood. After much deliberating over the courses they have on offer I opted for the "Introduction to Cake Baking Class"* with Marianne Stewart. Marianne specialities are cakes, pastries and sugar decorations.

The class itself had only eight people which was the perfect size for learning and having help if at any stage you got lost.

On the menu for making:
Victoria Sponge

Chocolate Brownie

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Marianne had a great way of teaching, she would walk us through the recipe first, giving us a demonstration at each stage of the whole process and was incredibly patient. The class would then be let loose baking in pairs with plenty of ingredients to make enough cakes for you both. 

For me the chocolate brownies were the best, lovely, moist and gooey. Fancy making them at home? Have a go yourself! 
Chocolate Brownies

So here goes:

1. Pre-Heat the oven to 155 Celsius (fan setting) and grease line 2 small loaf tins, or 1 square tin (approx 8"x 8") with non-stick baking parchment. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside. I personally prefer the throw away tins that are pre-greased as these look nicer for serving and giving as gifts. 
Chocolate brownies
2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan with the salt. Turn the heat down low and add the sugar, stirring with a balloon whisk. Turn the heat off but keep the saucepan on the hob and add the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt through and then stir to mix with a balloon whisk. 
Chocolate Brownies
3. Transfer the mix to a mixing bowl, then add the eggs, one at a time, and stir vigorously into the mixture with a balloon whisk. Add the sifted flour and cocoa powder and stir again to combine. 
Stage 3
4. Mix the vanilla, alcohol and coffee and add this to the mixture, stirring through gently before folding in almost all of the hazelnuts, reserving a handful for the top. 
Chocolate Brownies
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling off the top with a spoon or spatula, and randomly scatter the remaining hazelnuts on top. 
Chocolate Brownies
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is set but the brownie has some squishiness underneath, A cake tester should come out with some damp cake mix attached to it and the cake will feel firm on top but a bit wobbly underneath. Let it cool in the tin before de-moulding and cutting up. 

I was kindly a guest of Bake with Maria and supplied the brownie recipe. I had a wonderful time and I am really looking forward to putting my new found skills to the test in my own kitchen. 

I really enjoyed the class and their emphasis to teach you the skills and techniques based on years of experience, enabling you to bake on your own. Best of all you get to take all of your creations home. Yum!Yum! 


The Baking Lab
2nd floor
81 Loudoun Road
NW8 0DQ
London



 photo foodieforce_32.jpg

19 comments:

  1. Your baking looks beautiful. Brownies really do have to be very gooey to work well, there's nothing worse than finishing off a meal with a dry brownie. These look divine.

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    1. They really do the softer and gooey the better. I like to make a big batch and either eat them
      all or freeze and bring out when I need them Lucy x

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  2. I'm rubbish at baking too! It never turns out right and I usually make it too sweet or not sweet enough. Ha.

    This looks like a cool event though :)

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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    1. Well now you have a recipe to make chocolate brownies they were really easy and if I can do them you definitely can Lucy x

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  3. I have never baked and would love to try once... I really don't know I find it so difficult. My sister is a master at baking :) Miss her yummy pancakes and cakes :)

    I am really glad you enjoyed the class. Liuba x

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    1. Having a sister that is good at baking is useful you should make sure you get her to send you the recipe that way you can make them for yourself. This class was great as they were really patient Lucy x

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  4. Lucy, I may be commenting on this twice. I tried and I'm not sure it was submitted. Anyways, I love to bake, but I make such a mess! The brownies look very yummy and I would like to try out the recipe you provided sometime.

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    1. So your not a tidy chef then :-). The class was great because as soon as you had made mess some lovely person cleaned it up for you. Such a great way to bake all the fun and no washing up. Lucy x

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  5. I could do with a course like this! Love baking. This looks really good Lucy. xx

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    1. It was wonderful fun and they taught three great cakes to bake the teacher was incredibly patient too Lucy x

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  6. The brownies look delish, the gooier the better! The only thing I can bake are simple biscuits or cupcakes and even then they don't look all that appetising! x

    Josie’s Journal

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    1. These were lovely but so were all the cakes and we even got to make jam for the Victoria sponge filling. You will have to share your biscuit recipe Lucy x

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  7. omg!! STOP!!!! you're making me super hungry!!! gosh, i love this post beyond words!!!

    have a great week!
    Animated Confessions

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    1. Sorry for making you hungry it was a great course lots of fun to do Lucy x

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  8. I'm not bad at baking but like you I'm better at making savoury dishes. It looks like you had a great time, those brownies sound amazing! xx

    Toasty

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  9. Cooking is very relaxing. It is good to be good at both. You must try the brownies they are lovely and the cooking school was so much fun Lucy x

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  10. Lucy, I am so glad you enjoying all these foodie courses. I started to love cooking in 2014 :) and now I am enjoying (not all the time). Have a nice week ahead! Hug you! Liuba x

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  11. I am a terrible baker!!! You would think all the measuring/exactness would compliment my OCD. But the results are terrible. Especially if there is yeast involved! Proud of you for mastering brownies!

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  12. Oooh, that recipe sounds good, I love anything hazelnut! It looks like you had fun on the course, I hope it gives you confidence for future baking adventures! x

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