Cooking Help

[SashaSashays]

I posted this in chat but got zero responses.

I've been trying to cook more regularly as opposed to just heating up like I usually would (fish fingers, frozen veg, frozen pizza, pasta and pesto type things, we aren't on the horse meat) MN has guilted me into it you arseholes.

So I've been aiming to cook from scratch one day a week (I know youre thinking surely I mean seven, NO I do not) as well as our weekly roast. But my skills are lacking as despite being taught to cook by my lovely Jewish nan, I cannot strip a chicken and make five meals from it in 8 minutes. It appears I have forgotten everything, so I have 2 areas I need help with.

1. I am making fish pie tonight. I get the basics but when should I put wine into the white sauce, at the same time as the milk or once it has all thickened up? I don't want it to taste too strong so should I use about a glass or more? Also I want to add leeks and peas should I cook these with the fish or add them to the sauce raw?

1. Does anyone have a fool proof cupcake recipe (largish ones not fairy cakes), mine are always too wet, to dry, too pointy or they sink 5 minutes after being out the oven. I have promised I will make some with DD instead of buying the mix

You have to help me because I cannot ask my mum or sister, it will be too humiliating.

Hi

Re the fish pie - you don't necessarily need wine - I just make a white sauce. But if you want to use it, I don't think it matters when you add it, though if you wait until the sauce has thickened up and then add the wine, you'll thin it again. I think I'd add it at the beginning at the same time as the milk.
A glass sounds quite a lot to me - I'd probably go for about a pint of liquid in total, with maybe a quarter of that from wine. Cooking is mostly trial and error, so if you can't taste the wine, just add more next time. Or, if you like it when you can't taste it, you might not need to add it next time IFYWIM.

Cook the leeks before you add them to the sauce, but drain them really really well, or the sauce will go runny again.
Peas - if they are fresh, cook them first. If they are frozen you can just bung them in.

I do have a good cupcake recipe, but not with me (am in work). If no-one comes up with a reply, I will post it this evening. But if your cakes are coming out pointy, it usually means you are using too much sugar.
Do you test your cakes before you take them outof the oven? If you stick a knife, or skewer into the middle of a couple, you'll be able to see if they are underdone, and leave them a few minutes longer if they aren't cooked.
Recipes always need to be tweaked a little because ovens, scales etc vary. As I said, it's all trial and error until you find the perfect combination that works for you.

Good luck, and enjoy the pie!

Thanks, I probably should have said I'm making 2 large fish pies as there will be about 11 or 12 of us eating so the glass of wine is for that entire recipe.

I've managed to get some responses on the other thread now, but I'd love your cupcake recipe if its really reliable. Mine always sink I do test them and they usually look perfect then about 10 mins into cooling they are cavenous shrivelled little things.

I'm aiming to make strawberry cupcakes as this is what DD has requested.

Strawberry and cream cupcakes

150g strawberries
280g plain white flour
1tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
250ml single cream
6tbsp sunflower oil
1tsp vanilla extract
125 ml double cream
12 whole strawberries to decorate

Preheat oven to 200C
Chop strawbs up
Soft flour, baking powder, salt into bowl
Add sugar and chopped strawbs
Beat eggs, and add single cream, oil and vanilla
Stir liquid into flour mix until combined. Don't over mix
Spoon into tins
Bake for approximate 20 min
Cool
Whisk double cream and spread on cooled cakes, top with a strawberry.
Enjoy!

Makes 12 cakes.

Wine sounds fine for size of pie(s)

Thanks so much! Can I ask, where do you get recipes from so you know that they will be good? Is there some trusted resource I'm missing.

If I wanted to adapt that recipe would I just take out the strawberries and cream or do I need to replace them with some other ingredient (am thinking of just vanilla type cakes etc)?

You've been a great help. I've sent DH the ingredients list to pick up on the way home and my pie sauce is bubbling away!

I've got a book from Sainsburys called "1 mix, 50 muffins". It was only a couple if quid. You can make different muffins by changing ingredients - ie swap half flour for cocoa powder for choc muffins.
Leave out sugar and add bacon and cheese for savoury muffins.

Basic mix is 280g pl flour
(Can substitute all or part with whole meal, bran, oats etc
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate (if using yoghurt)
Pinch salt
115g caster sugar (or soft brown) omit for savoury
2eggs
250ml milk (can substitute buttermilk, yoghurt, sour cream, cream, coconut milk, fruit purée)
6tbsp sun flour oil
1tsp vanilla extract (omit for savoury)

Sometimes I put jam or marzipan in the middle, add choc chips, coffee powder, various flavour icings etc

Savoury recipes include courgette and sesame, spinach and nutmeg, Parmesan and pine nut, cheese and chive, chicken and sweet corn ....

Would your DD fancy rocky road muffins? I can copy recipe. My DDs love them.

Thanks, I'll make a note of that basic mix and try a few creations at some point.

Rocky Road muffins sound amazing!

You seem really knowledgeable about baking, I noticed you said that too pointy is usually a result of too much sugar. Do you think that them sinking could be because I'm not using enough sugar. The basic cupcake recipe I've used is:

175g self-raising flour
175g soft butter or margarine
175g sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

They turn out really nice until they sink. Perhaps I'm under-estimating when they're cooked.

Are you opening the oven then they sink?

Do not open the oven until atleast 3/4 of the cooking time has passed. That could be why they sink.

I only normally open the oven to check they're done so quite far along. They normally sink once they've cooled down or are starting to cool.

I leave the kitchen with beautiful cupcakes, I come back 10 mins later and they are shrunken and shrivelled. Very frustrating.

link

Try this recipe. It uses plain flour and baking powder. I find I get a better rise from using plain flour with baking powder rather than SR flour.

How are you testing them?

After reading delia today, I looked at her website. It's great for the basics.
www.deliaonline.com/

I get lots of recipes off the BBC Good Food website. It's good because there's usually loads of comments and star ratings. Also good online are Jamie Oliver and River Cottage. There's a blog on the Guardian every week called 'The best...' which I quite like.

Thanks, will give that a go. I typically test them with a knife and see if it comes out clean.

These banana muffins are delicious!
banana muffins

Ok if its coming out clean they arent undercooked so its not that.

A drafty kithen, too much air in the mix and banging the oven door can all lead to sinking also.

Oh I meant to watch all those Delia Recipes (did anyone see her on Graham the other week?), maybe she can teach me some tips.

The pie went down really well btw so appreciate the help on that. Dh has just given it his approval of 'not bad' which is praise indeed for him.

Vaguely remember Mary Berry on TGBBO telling a contestant their cake had sunk because they used too much baking powder...I could be completely wrong...

We do have a drafty kitchen as its quite large and the oven is near the back door, plus maybe I'm over beating them. I bought one of those kenwood mixer things and have normally made them in that.

How can I combat a drafty kitchen though? I'd assume its less drafty if the oven is on so I don't know what else I should do.

Let them cool in a cupboard maybe! Or cover with a clean tea towel.

Too much baking powder also tastes disgusting!

hmm think I might have to have a bit of baking day tomorrow instead of my usual day off. Will see what I can do and what makes the most difference in the results.

I'll report back!

Although final question. Are most of these temperatures ok for fan ovens or should I reduce them slightly, do you think that makes a difference?

If a recipe doesnt specify (sometimes a cookery book will say in the introduction) then you should reduce by 10C for a fan oven. :)

Thanks, you might be a wannabe but you're a lot closer to being a domestic goddess than me.

:o I just waste a lot of time reading cookbooks and recipes! And eating cake I hope your baking day goes well! Practice makes perfect!

Rocky road muffins
225g pl flour
55g cocoa powder
1tbsp baking powder
Pinch salt
115g caster sugar
100g white choc chips
50g mini marshmallows, cut in half
2 med eggs
250ml milk
6tbsp sunflower oil

Oven 200C
Sift tog flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt
Stir in sugar choc chips and marshmallows
Beat eggs, milk and oil together
Add to dry ingredients and stir in. Don't beat
Cook for about 20 mins
Makes 12

DDs' favourite.