Apparently baking improves your mental health. If that's the case, what should I bake?

[bluetrampolines]

Any inspiration? I'm a novice. Any ideas welcome.

[Kilash]

Anything! Get a book or get onto Pinterest and start experimenting. Victoria sponge and loaf cakes are where I started, then moved on to cookies and scones. baking definately improves my mental health and it's a great activity to do with dc. I started baking with my son when he was 3, it reached a peak of competativeness around age 14, but at 17 he's still going (and has just made some lovely choc truffles!

[Perfectpeony]

Do you have a kitchen aid? If not I would invest! You can start off with simple stuff and whip up things like lemon drizzle in minutes! Then move on to cookies, banana bread etc.

Or you could do a Christmas cake and decorate it? I don’t even like the taste of Xmas cake but I love making it, doing the icing and little penguins (watch YouTube for inspo).

Happy baking!

[OlennasWimple]

I find bread making therapeutic

Measuring the ingredients, mixing it up, letting it rise. Coming back to it and kneading and kneading. Letting it rise again. Baking it. The wonderful smell. The awesome taste...

I might need to make some today!

[CherryPavlova]

Start simple. Scones - warm cheese scones are heavenly. Try bread - it’s very easy.
Then brownies, cup cakes, Victoria sponge and meringues.
Don’t invest in a kitchenaid/Kenwood until you know you like cooking. A hand mixer is fine initially.

[villainousbroodmare]

A recipe that works as it should is key to enjoying the process! I'd recommend Nigella... her recipes are well tested and turn out perfectly. Try her chocolate Guinness cake.

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

loaf cakes. the only bit I find potentially mildly stressful/irritating about baking is when things look wonky. Loaf cakes sort out their own presentation, and are supposed to look a little rustic.

[IggyAce]

thegoddesskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/cranberry-and-white-chocolate-cookies.html?m=1

These are lovely and easy to make.

[mateysmum]

I recommend books by the blessed Delia Smith or Saint Mary Berry. Both give really clear instructions. You can start by making a cake with a simple method. I recommend this. Dead easy and delicious.

www.bbc.com/food/recipes/celebration_chocolate_18175

You could put any topping or filling with it if you don't fancy the cheesy one. Can't go wrong with simple butter cream or melted chocolate.

[yawning801]

Buzzfeed Tasty have some good recipes (sorry...). There's also a guy on YouTube called Totally Sacha who does nice stuff - I made his blondies yesterday, and I've also made his doughnut muffins in the past.

[AdaColeman]

Start off with fail safe things. You don't need expensive equipment for things like rock buns or ginger nut biscuits, or fairy cakes.

You could try buying ready made pastry and make some jam tarts or mincepies. If you enjoy doing that, next time make the shortcrust pastry yourself, all you need is a large bowl and a rolling pin.

Have a look at the BERO website for lots of easy recipes, you can send away for their book very cheaply too.

[Bittermints]

Bertrand Russell mentioned the other day she was going to make a Jack Monroe recipe which sounded good. Four ingredient fruit cake. From memory the four were ginger beer, mincemeat, eggs and flour and you just mix them and bake. Marmalade an optional fifth. That kind of super simple cake could be a good place to start. JM's recipes seem very clear and also not expensive.

Good luck!

[PrivateParkin]

I agree with cherrypav. Start simple, scones are very satisfying to get right and you can do lots of different types. Traybakes, biscuits, savoury things like cheese straws and pies etc.

I think Mary Berry's recipes are the easiest and most fool proof - and they always work. Also BBC good food has loads of recipes on their website and they're classified by how tricky they are (most aren't).

I find baking therapeutic as well. You have to concentrate, and can't think of much else but following the recipe, getting the measurements right etc, so there's not much headspace for anything else, which is one of the main things I like about it!

[iklboo]

Flapjacks are really easy to make and you can use whatever ingredients you fancy.

[Bittermints]

Oh, another recommendation. Nigella's Rocky Road. Needs no baking. Easy and incredibly good. I tweaked her recipe by adding peanuts, chopped up Crunchie bar, maltesers, dried cherries as well as chocolate, butter, marshmallows and crumbled biscuits. It was fabulous. Very rich!

[sossages]

I always do stuff that's finished when it comes out of the oven, so I don't have to try and motivate myself all over again to faff about with icing. Plus icing has so much potential to go wrong; I find it quite stressful and it takes all the joy out of baking.

So:
bread
loaf cakes (I do a Maderia cake)
rock cakes
shortbread

[Titsywoo]

Agree with cheese scones or nigellas chocolate guinness cake. Both really easy and delicious!

[CodLiverOil556]

Gingerbread people always give me pleasure

[AdaColeman]

Drop scones are super quick and easy. Delicious on a cold gloomy day with some jam or golden syrup, guaranteed to cheer you up.

[Piffpaffpoff]

Anything! Nothing too complicated to start with, even just some scones!

[bringbackthestripes]

Baking is very therapeutic but do start with simple things. It’s always disheartening if you have a disaster so easy things to begin with that turn out well give a sense of satisfaction.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4622/classic-scones-with-jam-and-clotted-cream These can be knocked up (and eaten) in no time.

Agree that Mary Berry has some simple and delicious cake recipes and I have only just discovered her in the last year. Her crunchy lemon top cake and marble loaf are easy and delicious

thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-and-vanilla-marble-loaf

www.thestickyfingersblog.com/2015/03/crunchy-topped-lemon-cake.html

[BlancheM]

Learn a simple Victoria sponge recipe, the ingredients are the same weight plus a couple of eggs, then the possibilities are endless. Use the mix to make buns, cakes, loaf cake, add flavourings, choc chips, citrus fruit zest, nuts, raisins, substitute some of the flour for cocoa powder, decorate with any number of icing or toppings, sandwich with jam, cream, curd, ect ect (not all at once obviously!)

[Bowchicawowow]

Baking is definitely therapeutic. People probably think I am mad for baking my Christmas things but it gets me off the sofa, listening to radio and focusing on the task in hand. Why not try making your own Christmas cake?

[Beamur]

Libraries are good for recipe books, or endless amounts online - BBC food for example. I have an incredibly reliable Women's Institure one, would equally recommend Delia too.
Flapjacks, buns, bread, biscuits, don't forget savoury stuff too. I really like making jams and chutneys too, very satisfying.