Mary Berry webchat: Join the queen of tarts on Monday 1.30 - 2.30

[RachelMumsnet]

We are excited and delighted that queen of the kitchen, Mary Berry, will be joining us at MNHQ for a live webchat.

Mary Berry, CBE is one of the UKs best-known and most respected cookery writers and television presenters. She has over 80 books to her name and over 6 million sales worldwide. A judge on The Great British Bake Off she has been voted as Britains favourite baking companion.

Mary's autobiography A Recipe for Life is out this month. A touching, evocative and fascinating memoir, Mary tells the story of her remarkable rise to fame. Everyone who joins the webchat will be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of A Recipe for Life. Join us on Monday or post a question in advance to Mary on this thread.

[TheContrastofWhiteonWhite]

Thank you very much for answering my question Mary.

[MaryBerry]

@Whistleforit

Oh Mary, you are such a classy lady, I want to be you when I grow up. But it's not possible as I only want to ask whether you quite often think Paul is a sanctimonious twit. Albeit within very pretty eyes.

Paul is a great co-judge on the Bake Off. We have loads of fun and he is brilliant at yeast and breads which is a weak point with me. And his eyes are just as blue as you think they are!

[MarmaladeTwatkins]

Oooh she didn't like my question. :(

[MaryBerry]

I've had a great time at Mumsnet. Thank you for all your wonderful questions. Keep cooking and enjoying it!

[RachelMumsnet]

Mary has to leave us now (sigh) Thanks so much for all the Qs and thanks so much Mary for getting through so many. We'll be announcing the winner of the signed copy of Recipes for Life shortly (after photoshoot).

[mothersanonymous]

What a wonderful surprise Monday treat! Thank you!

[HoneyDragon]

I think my girl crush just got bigger

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

[Valentinegal]

Left me out too! I hope you did read it though Mary?

[Elliptic5]

Oh dear, I was so excited at the live web that I didn't phrase my question correctly, so even tho' Mary answered it I still don't know if some cakes are better cooked in a conventional oven .

[mignonette]

Elliptic I am a poor substitute but as long as you use the appropriate temperature guide, the only difference is that fan ovens cook faster and more evenly. Therefore fan temps are given as lower than conventional ovens.

The best thing to do for all cooks is to buy an oven temperature gauge because all ovens tend to be a little 'out'. This is especially important if you bake a lot where the science is more precise.

My DD is training to be a Patissiere and I have worked as a chef (a while ago on a career break from nursing) and this is fairly standard advice.

[RachelMumsnet]

And the winner of our prize draw is..... Honeydragon. Congratulations!
You have won a signed copy of Mary's memoir A Recipe for Life. We'll pm you with details of how to claim your prize.

[Elliptic5]

Thank you mignonette, I thought I had read some where that some things are better suited to certain sorts of oven. I have real trouble with cakes in loaf tins being burnt on top and raw in the middle - had this problem this weekend with Paul Hollywoods Banana and Walnut loaf from the How to Bake book.

And congratulations honeydragon .

[mignonette]

Another thing that can help is buying very light coloured tins Elliptic as darker tins encourage the sides of cakes to cook too fast. Also using greaseproof paper folded over the top and as a collar around the sides (paler coloured paper).

Putting cakes at the top of a non fan oven will cook them faster so the advice w/ these ovens is to cook at the base if it is a slower cooking time recipe (fruit cakes) and in the middle for others. Many recipes from older recipe books (pre fan ovens) will suggest whereabouts to place the cake tins.

[OhDearNigel]

Dear Mumsnet
I never get my very inoffensive and perfactly topical questions answered on Webchats :(
PLEASE if I ever bother to put a question on a webchat can it be answered especially as other people have had multiple questions answered

Off now to cry into my coffee

[HoneyDragon]

Squeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






thankyoooooou

[OhDearNigel]

have just realised my post came over quite snippy. I am aware of the posting guidelines for webchats !!! Please imagine my post being wailed into the computer in the middle of tears of misery

[HoneyDragon]

I definitely read it as distraught wailing not snippiness.

[mignonette]

Ohdear No you didn't come across as snippy. It seems that in this case, asking questions during the webchat yielded a better chance of being answered.

I PMed you (but am not Mary Berry)....

[onetiredmummy]

I missed it unfortunately.

Did Ms Berry expound on her fascinating anti women's rights theories? Or did she ignore questions surrounding the subject?

[mignonette]

Yes she ignored.....

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

I'm sure I've read that she has corrected the Daily Mail's "Mary Berry hates feminists" story - I think it was a Radio Times article where she said that her words were taken out of context and what she meant was something along the lines of "equal rights for women is great but I'm not the right person to ask as I'm not good at political theory"

If any MB fans are still lurking, which of her baking books would you recommend if I'm going to buy just one?

[mignonette]

Mary Berry's Baking Bible

Mary Berry's Fast Cakes

Mary Berry At Home

She has a new book out coauthored w/ her assistant Lucy Young out next February called 'Cook Up A Feast'.

[mignonette]

Sorry if just one then 'The Baking Bible'

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

Thanks mignonette.