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Original poster

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

67 replies

theFlyingEvil · 15/10/2007 12:05

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 )

???

OP posts:
Original poster
theFlyingEvil · 15/10/2007 12:30

do you have a link to chocolate guiness cake LL please? it sounds yum. will swop you some cookies!

OP posts:
littleNonSpecificHolidaylapin · 15/10/2007 12:43

It's a Nigella... here you are

MamaG · 15/10/2007 12:44

Lapin make me one of those cakes please
I need cheering up

littleNonSpecificHolidaylapin · 15/10/2007 12:46

UK quantities:

250ml Guinness
250g unsalted butter
75g unsweetened cocoa
400g caster sugar
1 x 142ml pot sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the topping:
300g cream cheese, at room temperature
150g icing sugar
125ml double cream

MamaG · 15/10/2007 12:47

Noooooooooo I want you to BAKE it for me!

bodycolder · 15/10/2007 12:51

No its lovely better than a packet of jaffa cakes!

Original poster
theFlyingEvil · 15/10/2007 12:51

most excellent, thank you.

blardy guests won't be getting their hands on this baby!

OP posts:
Anna8888 · 15/10/2007 12:52

Depends where you live.

Here in Paris it would be just weird to serve homemade biscuits/cakes at coffee time - there are so many great pâtisseries to be bought, and they are so cheap, that anything homemade is bound to be hugely inferior and much more effort.

I make my own food for lunch / supper / dinner parties though - don't go along with the traiteur/pâtisserie thing for meals.

Original poster
theFlyingEvil · 15/10/2007 12:54

i am not in Paris! in relatively suburban SW UK.

where, apparently, nobody bakes except me, but according to the poll so far, it is nice and not at all pretentious.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 15/10/2007 12:55

Definitely not show off/pretentious.

I don't as I am rubbish at baking (love cooking though ) but plenty of others have.

Anna8888 · 15/10/2007 12:58

Sure, all I meant is that you should provide whatever is nicer (home made or shop bought) and least effort in the circumstances in order to be both a considerate hostess and unpretentious .

Perfectly OK to buy a lovely homemade cake at a Farmer's Market, also perfectly OK to buy good quality biscuits (Bahlsen, Kambly etc) in the UK. Also very nice to make your own, as long as you don't make a song and dance about it .

slim22 · 15/10/2007 13:00

not at all, it's lovely.
However, If I was in Paris like Anna, would not bother either

slim22 · 15/10/2007 13:01

mmmmmmm, caneles from "moulin de la vierge".........

mummymagic · 15/10/2007 13:03

Oh. My guests get whatever biscuits are in the biscuit tin. Usually something Turkish from the local shop, or Maryland cookies or Chocolate digestives or something.

My biscuit tin is nice though. It's from John Lewis. Does that count?

stepfordwife · 15/10/2007 13:05

no, it's yummy
when can i come over for coffee

CovenOVeneer · 15/10/2007 13:06

I do it all the time and never even stopped to consider if it is pretentious. Some of my friends do and some don't. I do because I love cooking and baking

pollywollydooooooooodle · 15/10/2007 13:09

not thought about it really....i bake for the family and friends get the same sort of thing....cheaper and saves shopping!

Scones with proper butter on seem to be most popular...and it just takes half an hour from start to eating...

Friends do a mix of things those that bake do, those that don't buy....variety is good

littleNonSpecificHolidaylapin · 15/10/2007 13:13

And sometimes you just NEED a Cadbury's chocolate mini roll, not a poncey Nigella cake

ChippyMinton · 15/10/2007 13:13

Definately a good thing to do, when the mood takes me, though, not because I feel that I should

Lidl is a very good source of yummy continental style biscuits and stollen BTW

pollywollydooooooooodle · 15/10/2007 13:17

i agree about the lidl stollen...good and cheap!

margoandjerry · 15/10/2007 13:17

I hate Bahlsen biscuits

That's one thing I really missed when I lived in France and Belgium - proper biscuits and cakes. Not fancy pants stuff with layers of wafer and praline and whatnot - just yummy stuff.

Continental biscuits make me cross

I do, however, heartily agree with the macaroons from the Paul chain of bakeries.

ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 13:18

if you got it flaunt it if i could bake delightful fluffy eye catching, aesthetically pleasing cakes/biscuits i would be showing off/ doing lap of honour around room, awaiting positives and lots of mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

i would know no shame

am i jealous - ehhhhh damn right. as i can only go to the bakery or M&S if i want to serve up

Slubberdegullion · 15/10/2007 13:21

Oh no, I don't think it's pretentious, so long as it's you know fairly tasty yet bog standard type sponge or biscuit. Even I would be most if someone rolled out some divine multilayered light as air patisserie and claimed it as their own.

I am a born again doiley fan. They never fail to raise a smile (break the ice at difficult play dates) and by buying them I am keeping alive the endangered profession and art of doiley making.

BrownSuga · 15/10/2007 13:22

i would rather serve homemade, then you know what's in them.

ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 13:25

why dont all you cake baking goddesses come to my gaff (with all your cakes) and i can do a wee taste test.

form an orderly queue now gals