To think this kind of baking, isn't really baking?

[user8558]

I'm a member of a baking group on FB. Where people take photos of what they've baked that day. That's all. It's nice.

But over half of these creations are based on some other kind of baked good/biscuit/chocolate/confectionery.

Mars bar and Malteser slice, Biscoff and Rolo cheesecake, chocolate orange and Toblerone brownies.

Maybe I'm just hangry.

But it's a bit annoying. Why is everyones baking using branded goods that already exist?!

That's more than I usually pay for eggs but not as expensive as I would have thought. I'm not making a special journey and spending £4 on the bus just for eggs though.

I'm not sure I get what the core issue is. So if I make a brownie and and Cadburys chocolate in it. Is the issue that I call it Cadburys brownies instead of chocolate brownies? Or in case of toblerone I should call it choclate-nougat brownie?

Naff by whose standards? Are you in some kind of imaginary cake competition in your head with your online "friends" Leflic?

Naffness has nothing to do with competition. I agree with the OP’s latest post that it’s making the branded chocolate the focus, rather than than cake or biscuit in of itself. Why does a chocolate cake need to become become a Galaxy chocolate cake.

Things mixed and baked in the oven: baking

What about drop scones which are made on a griddle?

Why does a chocolate cake need to become become a Galaxy chocolate cake.

Why does a cake need to become a chocolate cake?

Things like that are nicer though. Normal stuff is boring. I hate jam and dried fruit. If I could pick a biscoff brownie over a slice of boring home made Swiss roll of course I would

My "Lindor cupcakes" are called that because they are made with Lindor.

@SoupDragon

Things mixed and baked in the oven: baking

What about drop scones which are made on a griddle?

That's griddling.

"What would you like to do today?"
"Could we do some griddling?"

I've just lost the will to live.

The spread has only existed as product since 2007/ 2008,
I first came across it in Center Parcs in Netherlands, where there was smooth or crunchy versions and also speculoos hundreds and thousands. It was invented as an alternative to peanut butter for those allergic to peanuts. It was on a Belgium sort of version of Dragons Den and Lotus were so impressed they approached the inventor to bring it to market.

I give you Lolly cake, wanted to try it in NZ but it was really a bit of let down

There is only a point to reproducing a particular confection if it's unavailable where you live, or they've stopped making it or changed it beyond recognition! Like MacRobertson's cherry ripe, which is now actually made by Cadbury Australia. There are recipes for this and we've tried them and they're great fun and very satisfying. Also, as Kim tells Sharon, a cherry roipe is one of your seven-a-day!

trevsadick, yes, I do actually have 4 lemons,an orange, and a manderine, Oh, an DH grew a grappfruit froma pip, its now 25 years old

I don't see the problem with it. I make brownies with baking chocolate, and made brownies with galaxy chocolate. The galaxy ones were sweeter and I liked them. It's still baking.

I don't get the trend with overloading cheesecakes with tons of sweets though. You can't even see the cheesecake and need to take the damn toppings off to get a taste. I saw one person had put wrapped lollies ontop of a cheesecake, wtf!

trevsadick, yes, I do actually have 4 lemons,an orange, and a manderine, Oh, an DH grew a grappfruit froma pip, its now 25 years old

My exh has trees. I woild be surprised if yiu are in the UK and you can keep yourself in lemons entirely year round. Even with 4.

Although that wasnt my point. My point was unless you use your own lemon, its not baking. It wasnt actually a dig or anything at you

Well they all sound delicious! Maybe you are ready to move on to a more advanced FB group?

@NearlyGranny I've just started making puff pastry. I'm using the John Tovey recipe in Delia's Cookery Course book, absolutely perfect and doesn't take half as long to make. I only use butter though, no lard.

@Almostyfifty, great tip, thanks, I have all the Delia and will check it out. 👍

I love baking but of the corner cutting cheat variety.
I draw the line at packet mixes(flour and sugar basically)
I feel quite smug when someone tells me my wares look and taste delicious.
And I mostly agree with them so I don't give a fuck.

Think the fb group sounds great. What's the name of it?

@MyShinyWhiteTeeth

I think people's creativity should generally be encouraged whatever their starting point.

At the moment it's helping keep everyone doing something.

There are surely more serious sites for the purists.

This.

Theformerpompaterscamander Thats really good! I think when DC can do some things they like on their own ,its such a good confidence boost for them . Coconut Ice is so expensive to buy as well. Tiny box for £2.50 in Waitrose ,makes so much more at home and fun too

I get your point, OP. You want a 'baking from scratch' group, where people weigh out ingredients and mix them themselves.
I'm the same, in fact I think homemade cakes should be mixed by hand with a big wooden spoon, not in an electric mixer to be proper. But most people are not going to agree.
Maybe start your own group?

Almost 50 Delia has a lot of her recipes on line for free .Bless her! Always feel I know her personally as my DM MIL SIL Cousin and myself all used her books at different times in our cookery lives (I learnt to bake with her) DM /MIL used her recipes for inspiration!

I couldn't be doing with a baking club, and couldn't be doing with all that type of cakey baking., its all sweet and horrible stuff.

OP, you epitomise Mary Berry’s “Shop bought fondant” comment on Bake Off.