Is it pretentious and showy-offy to serve homemade biscuits/cakes when you have people over for coffee?

[theFlyingEvil]

no? yes?

i always do it (and am not delia/nigella/etc) but don't know anyone else who does and people always seem to think it is amazing (which it isn't )

???

Yes
but I do it anyway

Is it? Fuck me

it's cheaper to make your own.

Not pretentious at all.

It's only pretentious if you preen slightly as you serve them

Or if your doilies match your apron

No. I make scones with DD as she loves baking and I can get away with less-than-perfect saying it was her.

I serve homemade cakes/cookies if I have the time, but I find it kills two birds with one stone anyway as it gives me an activity to do with DS as he loves baking.

If you promise him a chance to make some muffins later in the day he'll be a little angel in anticipation

Or if you put them on a cake stand and give guests a pastry fork to eat them with (and yes, I do know someone who does that!)

It's pretty standard round here. I've never known anyone serve anything other than home made or locally-made, hand-made organic-type stuff.

No, it's not pretentious.

It's rather nice, actually. (So long as you don't do it whilst wearing a prom dress and a frilly apron a la Anthea)

I don't serve biscuits . Just coffee but it's very nice coffee ....

I don't think so. My biscuits/cakes are always ugly (but tasty) so maybe it would be more of an issue if they actually came out looking pretty. I wouldn't stop serving home-made stuff if I were you, just let people know how easy it is by sharing recipes if they're interested.

oh good. we're not talking fondant fancies or macaroons or anything, just bog standard choc chip cookies or sponge or something (and not both either. i am not enid blyton).

just i have had quite a few people over lately (am not stepford wife either) and wondered if they might think i am wafting my culinary skills in a pointed sort of way?
(which i'm not, even though today's batch of cookies were particularly munchylicious).

am pretty sure i don't preen. not even today

Only if you boast "I made these especially" when serving them.

aaahhhh it is the prom dress and the doilies that are the problem! and there was i thinking it was the hostess trolley

(i am so joking by the way, there are no doilies in my house.)

thanks for the tip primigravida, but i find if i do that then my guests look even more shocked as i (gasp) have TIME to READ a recipe book, never mind follow the pretty straight forward instructions!

Only if you refer to them as 'homemade', or worse, 'made from scratch' .

Otherwise fine and dandy.

I always do it - well, nearly always and I end up apologising if I haven't!

If you're a good cook, only do it for those who you really want to keep coming back.

But remembering my coffee morning days, I would far rather have had croissant or pastries, or even toast! I hated chocolatey sweet things in the morning so soon after brushing my teeth.

Now that is show-offy LL

I think it's nice.

I tried to be pretentious and show-offy at the weekend because I wanted doilies for the plates at my daughter's birthday party. Went to John Lewis - surely the proper home for all baking and homeware related items - and they don't stock them any more because they've given over too much space to naff tatt such as Alessi dog bowls - surely this is the epitome of expensive tatt

i don't even mention them! they are just piled on a very normal and unfancy plate and offered round! then somebody says "did you make these?" and i mutter yes and try and change the subject quick.

may be i am actually a really crap cook?

i don't think i am though [unmodest emoticon ]

so what sort of things are best to serve when i have people round then if choccy is out?

My SS always serves "homemade" cakes etc - but let slip once that while they were homemade, they were actually made by someone else .

TM - most of my friends do it, we all "bake" (to be American about it ).

In fact, I am going to make a chocolate Guinness cake this afternoon!

My youngest DC's made some biscuits at the weekend. I think I could have served them quite happily without being labelled as pretentious. By the time they'd rolled and re-rolled the dough 10 times adding more flour each time, and then 'decorated' them all with half a pound of vivid icing and sugar decorations, I suspect they could have been entered for the Turner prize....and not in a good way

No its nice

lol at margoandjerrys dog bowl!

maybe i should serve baked goods in one of those, then the guests would be so distracted they would comment on the bowl instead!

don't get me wrong, i don't mind that they comment (very small preen), it's just the fact that they then think i am some sort of baking demon who can quote recipes verbatim!