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Accessible recipes, useful information & tips on cooking for blind & visually impaired people. by Sue Pallett. Updated 2012!
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Glossary of preparation techniques & cooking methods

This Page's Contents:

Lining cake tins for sponge or light fruit cakes
Lining Christmas cake tins
Pastry - Rubbing in method
Making the Pastry
Rolling out pastry to fit a pie plate or tin
Baking Blind
Is my cake cooked?
Making Bread
Making Cakes
Whipping or Beating Cream
Separating Eggs (New!)

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Lining cake tins when making sponge or light fruit cakes.

To grease and line your tin. Brush or wipe round the inside with your fingertips or a brush containing a little butter or margarine, then either use a ready made liner or lay a sheet of greaseproof or parchment paper over the top of the upturned tin so that it reaches right down to meet the work top all the way around. then cut round it with a sharp knife or score round with the point of a pair of kitchen scissors, pressed right up against the tin. Press the sheet of paper smoothly into position so that it lines the whole of the inside of the tin. Grease the greaseproof or parchment paper again, it is now ready to use. Greasing the inside of the tin before you put the paper in will add extra moisture as well as holding the paper in place, making it easier to add the cake filling.

Lining Christmas cake tins.

Christmas cakes are much richer, needing to be cooked more slowly and for much longer, therefore Christmas cake tins will require greasing, then lining with two thicknesses of greaseproof or parchment on both the base and sides, greasing again, with a double thickness of brown paper collar taped around the outside of the tin, so that the mixture doesn’t cook too quickly.

Pastry

Making pastry. Rubbing in method, plus making and rolling out pastry.

Rubbing in method.

When making some cakes and most pastry. Pick up a small amount of the fat and flour mix between the tips of your fingers and thumbs of both hands, rub your thumbs against the tips of your fingers, letting the mixture fall back into the bowl. Repeat this process, lifting your hands up a little each time to add air to help give the finished pastry or cake a nice crumbly light texture. Try to keep your hands as cool as possible too as this will keep the fat cold and stop the particles clinging together. Don't be tempted to overwork the mix, or it will stick together again. By giving the bowl a gentle shake, any cool sticky pieces of fat will come to the top so that you can work them in. This whole process will only take a few minutes.

Making the pastry.

After completing the rubbing in method. begin to add cold water, between 4 to 6 tbsp, a tablespoon at a time, stirring it round with a flat-bladed knife until it begins to come together, do not use your hands for this. When the knife feels resistant and your pastry is beginning to form a ball, you can then use your hands to bring it together, but if it is not forming a dough and flour is still in the bottom of the bowl, drop the mixture back in, add a little more cold water, mix with the knife again and try to make it into a ball with your hands. You are aiming for a soft but not sticky consistency. Knead the dough for a few seconds on a lightly floured surface.

Rolling out pastry to fit a pie plate or tin.

Use enamel or pot plates with an outer rim and a dip, or well in the centre to hold the filling. Choose two plates to make a covered pie (with a pastry base and lid) that are approximately an inch 5 cm different in size, lightly flour your work top, if you are making a covered pie, break the dough in half and roll each piece out until it is about a quarter inch, half a cm, thick. Don’t make it too thin for pie cases.

Use a good, long, solid wooden rolling pin, flour it before you begin, give your dough a quarter turn after every few rolls back and forth for a good result, keeping a steady pressure will also achieve an even thickness and a good round shape. When your pastry is approximately the right size, check by turning your pie plate upside down, laying it on top of the pastry circle, it needs to be just a little bit bigger than the plate, with a small amount of pastry protruding underneath all the way round.

To line your plate.

Remove the plate from the pastry, flour your rolling pin and starting at one edge, lift the pastry gently and lay it over the pin and roll it so that the pastry has formed a loose roll around the pin. put the pie plate close to the pin and carefully unroll and drop the pastry on to the plate so that it fits into the central well without stretching. Run a pointed knife around the outside edge of the plate to remove the excess pastry. It will come away easily if you angle it downwards and run it round, right up against the rim. Leave this covered plate on one side.

Now flour your work surface and pin again, roll out the other half of the pastry as before, measure the size using the other plate, upside down, cutting round it with a sharp knife to remove excess pastry. Leave the pastry loosely wrapped around your rolling pin as before, so that its ready to form the pie lid.

Now fill your pie, (using the plate you have already lined with pastry) spreading out the chosen filling evenly to almost reach the pastry edge.

Dampen the edge of the pastry rim with a little cold water, either using a pastry brush or by dipping the fingers of one hand into a cup containing a little cold water, and running them round the edge of the pastry. Now, lay the other pastry circle over the top using the same technique with the rolling pin as before, pressing the outer edges together to seal them after making sure that the pastry is sitting nice and flat over the filling and not stretched.

Crimp the pastry rim all the way round between finger and thumb if you wish to make an attractive edging, then prick the top of the pie in a couple of places with a fork, to let out the steam while the pie is cooking. Brush the top of the pie with a little beaten egg or milk to give a nice glazed finish.

Lining a tin.

Rub in, make and roll out the pastry in the same way, use two tins, both the same size, if you need to make a pastry lid. This time, pick the rolled pastry up on your pin, laying it over your tin which has been placed upside down on the work top, leave it in this position and cut round it with a sharp knife to get the right shape to line the inside of your tin. Carefully lift it and leave on one side position the other tin right side up, next to the prepared tin, supporting the pastry with both hands, turn it the right way up and let the pastry fall gently into the empty tin. Use the empty tin again to measure, if you need a pastry lid, Placing it on the pastry, wrong side up, cutting round it to make the pastry lid.

Baking Blind

Baking Blind is the term used when it is necessary to partly bake a pastry case before adding a filling for some flan and quiche recipes. It is just a way of setting and sealing the pastry so that any filling doesn't leak out or make the pastry soggy before your quiche or custard has had time to cook through properly.

When you are making the pastry, Keep the dough and your hands as cool as you can.

After you have made your dough, It is essential that you allow the pastry to rest for half an hour or so, before rolling it out and lining your tin. just pop the ball of dough into a clean plastic bag to prevent it from drying out, then put it in the fridge to keep it cold.

(Please see my sections on making and rolling out pastry for more detailed information).

When the half hour is up, take the dough from the fridge, and try not to overwork or stretch the pastry when you are rolling it out.

Always use the correct size tin, as stated in your recipe.

When you line the tin, Push the pastry right down into the base and firmly up against the sides and right into any fluted edges.

Let the pastry rest and get cold again after you have rolled it out and lined the flan tin. Just put your lined tin into a plastic bag, then put it back in the fridge for a further half hour.

Don't forget to pre-heat your oven to the correct temperature, as given in your recipe.

When you are ready to continue with your baking, take the tin of pastry from the fridge, and unwrap it.

Now, Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork, so that any air can escape from underneath as it cooks, this will help to prevent the pastry from trying to rise up in the tin.

Now Line the pastry case with either kitchen foil or greaseproof or silicone parchment paper.

Then add either a good layer of ceramic baking beans (available from good cookshops), or if you don't have these, dried peas or beans, or even dried pasta will be fine. They will weigh the pastry down in the tin to prevent any rising up and shrinkage.

Now, follow the baking instructions in your recipe for the first stage where it tells you to "bake blind", for the appropriate length of time at the correct oven temperature.

After "baking Blind", Remove the pastry from the oven, let the tin cool slightly, then tip out the baking beans and peel off the paper or foil, before adding the filling and continuing with the recipe.

A good crisp end result is achieved when you bake blind for things like egg custard and quiche Lorraine

Sweat frying.

Gently fry vegetables in a little oil, in a covered pan for a few minutes before adding stock or other ingredients.

Top and tail

Remove approximately half an inch, 1 cm, growing points from each end of most root vegetables and some fruit when preparing them, before cooking.

Is my cake cooked?

That, just has to be one of the most asked “burning” cookery questions ever. Making a cake right from scratch really isn’t that difficult, so please relax, don’t worry and be confident. When you taste that finished result, it will have a flavour far beyond anything that can be shop bought.

The first and probably the most important thing to remember is that all times given in recipes are only approximations. Just how long it will take to bake your cake will depend on the exact temperature of your own oven and that of the ingredients used, i.e. the eggs and fat.

You must also make sure that you are using the correct size tins for the appropriate cake (see the recipe you are working from) and my list of (kitchen equipment and utensils for more details), this is particularly relevant as far as light sponge cakes are concerned as they need room to rise properly. Remember to follow the instructions given in your recipe, have your butter or margarine and eggs at more or less room temperature, position the oven shelves correctly, turn your oven to the right setting, and leave it to reach its optimum temperature for around about a quarter of an hour (with the exception of most fan ovens which do not need to have their shelves specifically set as the temperature is uniform throughout).

Now, use a tried and tested recipe, weigh out all the ingredients correctly, mix up the cake and put it into the oven on the correct shelf. Don’t, whatever you do, be tempted to open the oven door to check on its progress until it is at least three-quarters of the way through the cooking time, particularly if you are making a Victoria sandwich or light sponge, or else it will sink and you’ll end up with a very sad, soggy mass!

Use your watch or a reliable kitchen timer and when the exact time quoted in the recipe has elapsed, take the cake out. and in the case of sponges, gently press the top surface with a finger. If it is firm but springy and the cake is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin it is cooked. Sometimes, if you have very good hearing, it is possible to listen to it, when it has stopped ticking, the cake is cooked. Having said that, this has to be done immediately at the end of the cooking time and at minute intervals thereafter. It only works for me with the Victoria Sandwich, and the “rustic cherry cake” or very light fruit cakes. I’d better admit that this method is a bit controversial so Please don’t rely solely on it, timing is far more reliable in most cases.

Light fruit cakes will be a bit firmer to the touch, some will have cracked across the top a little bit, but this is quite natural for this kind of cake, while still shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Heavier fruit cakes will still be ticking when you take them out, they often won’t be as firm to the touch and you will need to insert a fine metal skewer into the centre, pull it straight out, leave it for a few seconds to cool, then feel it. If there is only a very slight stickiness and none of the fruit attached your cake is cooked.

The statement that a “skewer should come out cleanly”, given in most Christmas cake recipes isn’t to be completely relied on, if you waited for that to happen your cake would be burnt, or certainly not moist enough to store for a long period. Even when making a lighter cake containing apples or chocolate, you can still expect there to be some slight stickiness on the skewer if you use this testing method. Please don’t ever try to use your nose to judge whether a cake is cooked or not, it simply won’t work, particularly if you are using spices.

I deliberately haven’t mentioned the colour of cakes here as I am primarily writing as a blind cook for other blind cooks, but you can be sure, if the texture and flavour are right, then the colour is too! You mustn’t be disheartened if your cake isn’t perfect on your first attempt. All you need to do when you bake it again is adjust the cooking time by a few minutes. Just think how miraculous it is that you have created something that’s edible from a few raw ingredients. Baking is a science and an art, if your finished creation is a little misshapen but still tastes good, then it really doesn’t matter. Far too much emphasis is placed on the picture on that box of shop bought cakes, which look far too good to eat, that won’t taste half as good as yours. Happy cooking!

Making bread.

Enjoy the appetising aroma of home-made bread, with the added satisfaction of knowing that you have made it, from natural ingredients, right from scratch. Please don’t be disappointed if the first loaf you produce isn’t quite what you expect it to be, the loaf you make at home probably isn’t ever going to be the same size, or the same shape as the mass produced bread you buy from the supermarket. However, this will be of no detriment as the flavour will be far superior.

I am only going to give the guidelines for basic bread here. Once you have mastered the traditional! You can then go on and experiment with the many other sweet and savoury methods, as they are all derived from the same basic principles.

Choosing the right ingredients.

Always remember to use the correct ingredients, as shown in your recipe, white strong plain bread flour gives a light, airy texture, if you use half and half white and whole-wheat strong bread flour, it will give the taste and texture of brown bread without being too heavy. Using all wholemeal or stone-ground flour will result in a very heavy, doughy bread that will not rise as much. Combining white strong bread flour with flour containing grains, such as granary flour, rye flour, spelt wheat flour, will create either crumbly or interesting textures and nutty flavours. Cereals such as Oats, barley, bran, etc, will add nutritional value as well as extra flavour, but before adding them, consult your recipe instructions, if you add too much it will result in heavy bread.

Don’t forget to include a little sugar, (ordinary granulated) will be fine as this will feed your yeast and start it working as well as giving structure to your loaf. It is necessary to use a small amount of fat too, either butter, margarine or olive oil, dependent upon your recipe, which will produce a moist, slightly crumbly bread and improve its keeping properties. A little salt should be added to bring out the flavour of the bread, but never add more than the recipe recommends, as it will change the flavour and stop the rising action of the yeast. Yeast produces carbon dioxide, when it is given several things, warmth, time, food and moisture. Traditional active, dried yeast is sold in granular form, either in drums, small packets or sachets, labelled “fast-acting”, be sure to add the right amount for your recipe.

Making the bread dough.

Always remember to use the correct ingredients, as given in your recipe, weigh out all the dry ingredients accurately, into a large mixing bowl, not forgetting to add the small amounts of salt and sugar which perform such an important part in creating a good end result. Rub the small amount of fat in to the dry mixture, , adding just enough lukewarm, tepid, water to enable the mixture to come together into a ball without leaving any dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, use a round bladed knife, not your hands, you are aiming for a smooth, soft, but not a sticky dough.

The temperature of the water you use is very important, if its too cold it will take a long time for your dough to start to rise, or (prove), if its too hot you will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise at all.

Kneading the dough.

Now that you have made your dough, the fun starts, as you have reached the kneading or (knocking back) stage before its put to rise for the first time. Lightly flour your work surface, don’t use too much as it will dry out the dough and change the texture of the bread. form the dough into a ball, make your hands into fists and press your knuckles firmly down into the dough, you will feel it flatten, lift up your knuckles and repeat the process. Bring the dough back into a ball with the palms of your hands, give the dough a quarter turn, clench your fists and knead it again, pressing your knuckles down hard into the dough a couple of times. Carry on doing this, so that you are kneading, reforming the dough into a ball, giving it a quarter turn, then kneading it again for a good ten minutes. You’ll know when you have finished, as you’ll be exhausted, smile. As you continue kneading, you will feel the dough becomes smoother and more elastic, you may even hear the air bubbles popping as you work as the gluten in the flour expands.

Putting the dough to rise.

After you have completed the kneading, or (knocking back) process for the first time, lightly flour the inside of your mixing bowl, drop the ball of dough inside, cover the bowl completely with either lightly greased Clingfilm or a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out, before putting it to rise, (prove), in a warm place, until it has doubled in size. somewhere at room temperature is fine, or in an airing cupboard, but not on top of a radiator or in a low oven as too much heat will kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise at all. You will know when it has reached the correct stage, as the dough will have spread out in the bowl and it’ll feel light and airy if you press it gently. If you listen very carefully, it is possible to hear the dough clicking as the yeast gets to work, Leave it for around an hour and a half before you check it, remembering to cover it again if you have to leave it for a bit longer.

Before you bake the loaf, it is necessary to knead it again, to equally distribute the gluten in the flour, giving the yeast time to do its work properly, insuring a better, more even end result. Flour the work top again, tip out the dough, reform it into a ball, I know it seems a shame to push out all that warm air, but don’t worry you won’t do any harm, knead the dough again, following the technique as given above, for a couple of minutes. There is no need to overwork it at this stage.

Lightly grease your loaf tin, or baking sheets and transfer the dough, gently patting it down so that it stretches out into the edges and corners of the bread tin, Or, if you are making bread rolls, break the dough into small balls, making the right number, as given in your recipe, put them onto your greased baking sheets quite a way apart, slightly flatten their tops with the palm of your hand, before covering the tins and putting the dough to rise in a warm place again for another three-quarters of an hour or so. At the end of this time, the dough should have risen a good way up the inside of the tin, or expanded upwards and outwards if you are making rolls.

Baking the bread.

It is important to remember to pre-heat the oven before cooking your risen loaf or rolls. Bake it according to the recipe instructions, setting a kitchen timer or remembering to time it accurately. When it’s almost up, and you have already begun to enjoy that wonderful, indescribable aroma of home-made bread, there is a really good way of making sure that the bread is cooked through properly.

Remove the bread from the oven, take the tin to your worktop and set it down safely. still wearing oven gloves, turn the tin upside down over the worktop, with one hand supporting the top of the loaf while the other, gently pulls the tin away from the underneath. It should come away quite easily, if not, just wriggle the tin from side to side a little bit. Put the tin on one side. Still keeping the loaf upside down, take off one oven glove and feel the bottom of the loaf, it should feel firm and crusty, try tapping it with your fingers, if it sounds hollow it’s cooked. If the loaf is soft, moist and spongy and sounds dull, put it back into the tin and cook it for a further 5 minutes and repeat the process again. Don’t leave the loaf in the tin to cool or it will go soggy.

Important points to remember.

Home-made bread doesn’t contain any of the preservatives that shop bought bread has, therefore, it will not keep for more than two or three days in an airtight container or bread bin.

You can freeze it, but remember to let it cool completely first.

Bread always slices better when it is cool.

Some bakers and flour producers swear by the “fast acting” yeast products, others prefer the naturally active dried yeast, the choice is yours, however, the fast acting products are most often used in bread makers or in quick bread recipes when the dough is only put to rise once.

Common problems and solutions.

If your loaf has a sunken top, the dough was too wet, either reduce the amount of liquid by 1 tbsp, 15 ml, or increase the amount of flour by 2 tbsp, 30 ml.

If your loaf has a domed top, the bread has risen too quickly, reduce the yeast by 1.5 ml, 1 quarter tsp, or increase the salt very slightly.

If your loaf has an uneven top, too little moisture has been added. Add 1 tbsp, 15 ml, water, or, reduce the flour by 2 tbsps, 30 ml.

If your bread contains large air holes, there is either too much liquid, or liquid has been added when it’s too hot, measure accurately and be careful to add only tepid water.

If your loaf is too brown, too much sugar has been added, so reduce it slightly.

If the loaf is too heavy, not enough liquid was added, increase the amount of water by 1 to 2 tsps, 15 to 30 ml.

Making Cakes.

Introduction.

There are two things that seem to fill the prospective cook with dread, one is making bread, the other cakes. The first thing to remember, which should make us feel better, is that, years ago our grandmas used to make them with ease, never weighing anything out, baking with less sophisticated equipment and cooking facilities than we have today, with excellent results. Therefore, logic tells us that it can't really be all that difficult, can it! It doesn't help when tradition has dictated that the housewife ought to be able to make a cake for her family and friends at the drop of a hat, the finished result being the focal point of the family tea table, by which she would be judged on her culinary ability. Because of this fact, today, it might well seem easier and less hassle, to simply pick up a ready made shop bought cake from the supermarket shelf, but have you ever asked yourself why that really is? Apart from the fact that you can simply open the box and eat it straight away, could it be that your worried about spending time preparing and baking, only to end up with something that's completely inedible? I won't let you make the excuse that it costs more to buy all the raw ingredients, just look at the size of the tiny shop boxed cake and imagine that next to the large, tasty home made cake that you, I promise, are more than capable of making. You do not have to be a culinary genius to bake. Your family and friends will know that you care about them, they'll be full of admiration when they come round for tea and realise that you have made time to bake a cake especially for them.

Important things to remember.

The information I give here is practical, and general, some is specifically for blind and visually-impaired cooks. It would be imposssible to deal with specific problems that people might have, but, if general guidelines are followed there will be less chance of encountering difficulties when cake making.

Oven temperatures and cooking times may vary and should be used for general guidance only.

Probably the two most important things to bear in mind before you start baking, are, Firstly, that you must buy the correct size tin mentioned in your recipe, using one that is either too small, too large, too shallow or too deep, is the main cause of problems when baking your cake.

Follow your recipe correctly. Each specific recipe has been developed with care and precision to ensure a good result, please follow it without deviation.

Always remember, oven temperatures given are for guidance only, your own oven's temperature may vary slightly.

If you are going to be baking regularly, invest in a good quality hand mixer or food processor as it will cut down on time and save on your aching wrists!

Please don't substitute one ingredient for another, i.e. self-raising flour for plain, dark brown sugar for caster sugar, it is possible to adapt recipes very slightly but not to that extent.

Always give yourself plenty of time to bake, don't plan to try making your first cake a couple of hours before your afternoon guests arrive. I want you to relax and enjoy baking, it really is very easy.

Shopping for the right equipment.

You can't expect your cake to be a success if you don't have the right tools for the job. You will need a few basic necessities to start with. a large, sturdy, deep mixing bowl, plus several smaller bowls to hold separate ingredients. A small jug, Weighing scales, (the solid balance style with a large pan and weights in either or both metric and imperial are particularly suitable), measuring cups and spoons, A hand mixer or food processor, a wooden spoon, tablespoon, teaspoon, fork, plastic or rubber spatula, round bladed knife, small sharp knife, scissors, sieve, Greaseproof, parchment or silicone (bakewell) paper, good quality oven gloves, wire cooling racks, sturdy baking tins and trays of the type and size recommended in your recipes, a large airtight tin or container to store your cake to keep it fresh

Before you start baking.

Shop for all the ingredients you will need well in advance, there is nothing more frustrating than opening the cupboard to find that you have run out of something vital.

About an hour before you are ready to start making your cake, take your butter or margarine and eggs out of the fridge and allow them to come up to kitchen temperature.

When the hour is almost up, Set your oven to the required temperature mentioned in the recipe.

Adjust your oven shelves to ensure that there will be enough space between them to slide your cake in to the correct position easily. Its much safer to try this with an empty tin and cool oven now, rather than when you're wearing oven gloves, so you can't feel the shelf grooves. Getting tangled up with the other shelves while you readjust them when the oven is hot could cause a nasty burn or accident. Remember that, once the temperature has been reached, a fan assisted oven, has an even temperature throughout the oven cavity, therefore, it is less important to position the tin in a specific place,

Prepare your cake tin now, please use the tin or tins as specified in your recipe and not those that you think might just do! Grease the tin, line it and grease your paper again. If you are making little cakes in cake cases, don't forget to grease the insides of the patty tins too before putting the paper cases in, this will make them stay in position and it'll be a great help when it comes to adding your cake mixture to them.

Lining your tins will keep your cake moist, prevent the outside from going too brown while its cooking, and help the cake turn out of the tin, on to a wire cooling rack more easily. When it comes to peeling away the paper, there will be less chance of dislodging any delicate sponge.

(Please see my cooking and preparation techniques, For more information on lining cake tins along with the section called "is my cake cooked").

How to begin making a cake.

The first stage in making Many, but not all cakes is by using the "creaming Method", Where fat and sugar are beaten together. Butter and margarine are most commonly used, although some recipes call for oil, lard or other vegetable fats. Most light plain sponges, those with added fillings and flavourings, and fruit cakes are prepared using the creaming method, Consult your recipe as fatless, or whisked sponges, some gateaux's, etc, are made differently. Cakes prepared by the "rubbing in method" when the fat is taken straight from the fridge, are mixed in a similar way to pastry, (please see my section on Making Pastry for more details).

All in one sponge cakes (where all the ingredients, plus a little extra raising agent are put straight into a bowl, then whisked together are quick and easy. Please see the recipes page on this website for more information.

The creaming method.

With your fat at room temperature, weigh out or measure your softened butter or margarine and sugar, transferring them into a large, sturdy, deep sided mixing bowl.

Now, if you need a little exercise, smile! take your wooden spoon and start to mix. "cream" the butter and sugar together, by stirring them quite vigorously, being sure to incorporate it all in from the edges as you work. Turning the bowl round gradually as you cream might help with this, if you have little or no sight.

At first the butter and sugar will stick together in a lump, but gradually it will separate out getting a little thinner and lighter in weight under your spoon. The "creaming" should take about ten minutes with a wooden spoon and 2 or 3 minutes with your hand mixer or food processor. It will be necessary to use a plastic spatula to scrape the mixture down from the sides of the bowl every now and then, to make sure that all of it is properly creamed together. If you have sight, you will see the mixture becoming paler in colour. If you don't have sight, you will still hear and feel the graininess of the sugar as you stir. This will not disappear, but the mixture will feel lighter in weight.

Breaking the eggs.

Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature. Break each egg into a small bowl separately, to make sure that its fresh, by holding it in one hand and giving it a sharp tap on its under side, half way along, either on the side of the bowl, or with the edge of a round bladed knife. You'll feel the shell crack and give. now, while holding the egg over the bowl, put your thumbs underneath on the weakened section of shell, with your fingers on top as a support, gently pull the two halves apart, letting the egg trickle out, tilting the shell so that all the egg falls into the bowl. Tip that egg into another clean small bowl. Repeat the process, adding each egg to the bowl with the first one. Discard the shells, rinse your hands immediately and don't be tempted to lick your fingers. (Fatless and whisked sponges require eggs to be separated, the whites and yolks added to the cake separately, so please see your recipe for details, (consult my section on separating eggs for more help.

Whisking the eggs.

Now that the eggs are all together in one bowl, whisk them well with a fork, keeping the prongs angled down with the back of the fork flat against the bottom of the bowl, turn the bowl round as you whisk, with short, swift movements, till the egg is smooth. This will take about a minute.

Beating in the air.

Begin to beat air into the mix by very gradually adding the egg a little at a time. Add two teaspoons of the beaten egg to the creamed butter and sugar. Now beat well with either your wooden spoon or mixer- processor, for About one minute with your spoon and 30 seconds with your mixer. Continue adding the egg 2 teaspoons at a time, beating well between additions until all the egg has been added. As you work, you'll notice that the mixture will become thicker, creamier, and it will spread upward and outward in your bowl or processor. The egg needs to be incorporated gradually to prevent the mixture from curdling. If it does curdle, please don't panic, just carry on with the next stage of your cake, as it will be of no detriment to the flavour or the end result. All it means is that the egg has been added to the fat too quickly, giving it a slight rippled, bubbly texture that doesn't look particularly nice.

Holding the air in place.

Now, get rid of your processor or mixer and pick up your metal tablespoon for the next stage. This is the time to put in fruit, nuts, choc chips or other flavourings, but its important to add them as gently and carefully as possible. If you use anything electrical to mix them in too quickly or vigorously, they will be chopped up far too finely to taste, plus you will beat out all the air that you have so lovingly and carefully added. The air will insure a good, risen, even result to your finished cake, so you don't want to destroy all that good work now!

Gently, sprinkle your chosen flavouring over the top of the mixture, then starting from the edge of the bowl nearest to you, turn the spoon so that the back of it is facing away from you then slide it, side edge down into the bowl. push it away from you, still with its edge facing downwards, into the centre of the mix, lift your spoon and bring it back towards you so that you don't drag it back through the mixture, turn your bowl round a little bit and repeat the process to incorporate everything.

To stir in the flavourings, will only take about a minute.

Folding in the flour.

Weigh out or measure your flour and sieve or sift it into a clean bowl. Add the flour to your mixture in two halves, still using the tablespoon with the back of it away from you and the edge of the spoon facing down, stir it in gently, turning the bowl round a little to incorporate it in from the edges. Remember to push the spoon through the mixture until its about half way across the bowl, lift the spoon, bring it back to the outside again, give your bowl a quarter turn, push it through to the centre of the mixture again, lift it up slightly so that its not being dragged back through the mix, give the bowl another quarter turn and repeat this process twice more. ~This will have mixed the flour in sufficiently, without knocking out any of the air.

Achieving the correct Dropping consistency.

Now that you have all the ingredients added, you need to know that the cake is of the correct "dropping consistency", it sounds very grand, but all it means is that you need to check that it is the right consistency before it goes into the oven.

Getting this right will insure that your finished cake has a good texture, even risen result, and you'll be able to make a more accurate calculation of the cooking time. There will also be less chance of the cake sinking in the centre, or doming up in the middle.

All that you need to do to get this right is, simply lift up a spoonful of mixture, so that its just below the top edge of the bowl, then shake it gently so that it drops back in. Depending on your recipe, you are either looking for a soft drop (for light sponges) or a little firmer (for fruit cakes), and it all relates to how easily the mixture falls from the spoon, back into the bowl. If the mix doesn't fall fairly easily, now is the time to add a little more wet ingredient, usually 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold milk, after which you need to test the "dropping consistency" again.

Putting the cake mixture into the tin.

Put your prepared, lined and greased cake tin, along side your bowl of cake mix. Use a clean, metal spoon to add the mixture to the tin, dropping it in to the base, as evenly as you can. Your free hand is useful as it can locate the edge of the tin first, guiding the full spoon to the right place. This is where your spatula might come in useful to scrape any remaining mixture from the bowl so nothing is wasted. Remember not to over fill little paper cake cases, one heaped teaspoon should be enough for each one.

Levelling the mixture.

It is very important that you spend a little time making sure that the mixture is sitting evenly in the tin. Do this by using a large, flat bladed palette knife. Keeping the blade flat, start from the far edge of the tin, hold the tin with your free hand, now gently rest the blade flat on top of the cake mix and, without using too much pressure, draw the knife toward you so that it skims the top surface, gently drawing the mix out to the nearest edge of the tin. Do this again, then give the tin a quarter turn before levelling the top again as before. If you do this three or four times, you will be sure that the top surface is nice and level. This will help your cake to rise evenly.

Put on your oven gloves.

Keep your tin level while you transfer it to the pre-heated oven.

Remember to set your kitchen timer as stated in your recipe.

If you are using a fan assisted oven you may be able to lessen the cooking time by as much as a third according to the density of the cake and temperature of the oven. A light sponge may be cooked ten minutes or so earlier, a light fruit cake that usually takes just over an hour, fifteen minutes. A rich Christmas type cake which cooks for longer and much more slowly should be monitored closely and the time altered accordingly. but don't be tempted to open the oven door until the cake is at least three quarters of the way through its cooking time, after all that effort it would be very upsetting to end up with a cake that sinks in the centre because you have opened the door too soon and let in the cold air.

Finally, Please relax, smile and enjoy baking, it really is a very rewarding thing to do. When you take that lovely, well risen cake from the oven and enjoy the wonderful aroma, the taste will confirm that home made, really is the best!

Happy cooking

Sue.

Whipping or beating cream.

Double cream or whipping cream is often used to top sponge puddings, fruit flans, trifles and desserts etc. Its flavour blends well with many others and the taste complements that of the traditional trifle, those fruit and jelly teatime treats, not forgetting the luxurious filling for those fabulous jam and cream scones.

In order to thicken it and bring it up to a more manageable consistency you will need to beat in air to expand the cream, thus enabling it to double in volume and hold its shape.

If you have only partial or no sight like myself, just a little extra care needs to be taken to ensure that you achieve a perfect result.

Take your carton of cream straight from the fridge and pour it into a fairly large bowl, remembering to allow plenty of room for the cream to expand in volume as you beat it. Now, Using a hand whisk or electric mixer on a medium setting so that the cream doesn't splash too much, whip it until it forms soft peaks. Check it every 20 seconds or so. With the beaters or whisk switched off, move them around gently in the cream, and, as it begins to thicken you should feel a gradual increase in resistance. The whisks will make less of a liquid, watery sound too, the more you beat, and the thicker the cream becomes.

When the cream is thick enough, The bowl will sound hollow and deeper in pitch if you gently lift it and tap the outside of the base or sides, this change in sound is due to the air trapped in the cream, helping it to hold its volume and shape. When you start to beat you might think that the cream isn't going to thicken, but it will after a couple of minutes and its then that you must check it regularly, as once it starts it will reach its correct consistency quite quickly.

To test for the correct consistency, (to form soft peaks), scoop up a teaspoon of cream and gently shake it over a clean saucer or tea plate, it should drop easily onto the plate, holding its shape gently but it will not feel as firm to the touch as something like a set jelly or custard.

Be very careful not to over beat the cream though, because if you get it too thick it will separate out into liquid beneath and solid fat on top.

Now, you can either Spoon the whipped cream on to your prepared pudding or dessert if its ready to go straight to the table, or, chill it in the fridge where it will set a little more, then use it to top and decorate your pudding when you are ready.

Try and keep the whipped cream chilled, as cool as possible, to help it hold its volume and shape, which will make it easier to spoon out and serve.

Happy cooking!

Sue.

Separating eggs.

Separating eggs can be a tricky operation at the best of times even if you can see, but don't be put off from having a go. It is possible to do it successfully, , even if you, like myself, don't have any useful vision at all.

There are several ways of going about this, some people use the method whereby you make a small hole in one end of the shell, letting the egg white trickle out slowly into a bowl,, leaving the yolk, intact still inside the shell, but the yolk can be easily pierced and not all of the white can be extracted. I have tried to give you the most reliable way of separating them here.

First of all, search the shops and hardware stores for a large, solid plastic or metal egg separator that has a flat base or bottom with a deep central well, a handle on one end and a lip on the other.

Make sure that your eggs are as fresh as possible. From my own experience, it doesn't matter at all whether they are barn, farmed or free range, its the temperature and consistency of the egg that determines how easy it is going to be to separate it successfully.

Take your eggs out of the fridge an hour or so before you need to separate them and let them come up to room temperature.

You are going to need to use1 teacup standing on a large plate, , a blunt edged flat bladed kitchen knife and two sturdy glass or ceramic bowls which are better than plastic as there is less chance of them tipping over. One to hold the yolks and the other for the egg whites.

Firstly, make sure that your egg separator will sit firmly and safely over the top of the teacup, so that the handle and lip rest on the rim of the cup, to support it. Stand them on a large plate, to catch any spillage.

Take an egg in one hand and the flat-bladed knife in the other. Find the centre of the depth of the egg and gently tap all the way round its diameter with the edge of the knife so that you can just feel that the shell is slightly cracked and crinkly. The idea is that you begin to weaken the shell, all the way round. Don't use too much pressure as you tap, and try to turn the egg gently, this way, there will be less chance of you breaking the yolk before the egg is separated.

Next, hold the egg in both hands, so that your thumbs support it underneath and your fingers are resting lightly on top.

Press up with your thumbs and down with your fingers around the part of the shell you have just weakened by tapping it with the knife. The idea is that you should now be able to pull the two halves of the shell apart without putting too much pressure on the egg. Using the sides of your little fingers to keep your hands in close contact with the egg separator, move your hands apart as the shell opens. Let the contents inside, fall centrally in to the well of the separator. I no this is easier said than done, but, if you are careful and do this gently, without breaking the solid yolk, the egg white should, automatically find its way down through the slots in the separator, into the cup below.

Leave it there for a minute or so to let the egg white the more liquid part of the egg, run through, then gently and carefully, transfer the yolk the firmer part of the egg, which should now be left sitting nicely in the centre of the separator, into a bowl.

I must point out that the yolk is not completely set and can, if not handled carefully, break easily. Pour the white from the cup into the other bowl.

Repeat this process with your other eggs.

Wash your hands thoroughly before continuing with your recipe, do not be tempted to lick your fingers or put your hands to your face, as some eggs contain the salmonella bacteria and could cause you to have an upset tummy.

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