Among the panic buying of toilet rolls and pasta, we seem to have been stock buying flour and eggs... or at least buying them more than usual because there's never any on the shelves. It doesn't really make sense, why do people need more flour amid lockdown, why not more biscuits, or chocolate, or cake? Surely something sweet would make you much happier than bags of flour. But after a few days of lockdown it all started to make sense, everyone is baking (whether this is a success or not is another question!).
It's as though Master Chef and Great British Bake Off are perfectly timed, on our TV at the exact time we're all looking for something to keep ourselves busy. Every day our instagram or facebook feed's are flooded with new bakes, fresh biscuits and scrumptious cakes freshly baked by someone you're probably thinking "I didn't have you down as a baker?!". But thats the best thing, you don't have to be a pro, you don't have to have baked before, just give it a try whats the worst that can happen...
One baking craze seems to be school favourites.. pink slices, school tray bakes, cake and custard. We seem to be using this time in lockdown to take a trip down memory lane and relive our school dining experiences. At the time, school dinners seem pretty average. But now, all we want is to remember how good that cake and lumpy custard tasted after some chicken, veg and watery gravy!
However, some people have really been out-performing themselves with some more sophisticated bakes (this is definitely not their first time!). We've seen carrot cake, coffee cake, Oreo cake, and Chocolate chip muffins! Now if thats not something you see and think 'ooo I could eat that!', then I don't know what will!
Some of our expert bakers have even been baking tarts and cheese cakes. I can't say I have attempted baking one of these myself but wow they look fab. The perfect desert after a hearty home cooked meal! If you're anything like me you will loveee chocolate orange. So whats better than this amazing chocolate orange tart! Amazing!
Aspiring Younger Bakers!
Whats been so impressive are the bakes produced by our aspiring younger bakers! I don't know whether Food Tech lessons at school are getting more advanced or what but I definitely couldn't have made anything nearly as good as these when I was younger!
And our younger bakers aren't going for easy bakes by any means! They're attempting chocolate eclairs, bread buns, shortbread biscuits and tarts - something Paul Hollywood would be proud of!
We know how hard lockdown is for everyone, but we imagine that it's extra difficult for those celebrating their birthdays. So a massive happy birthday to anyone celebrating in lockdown! If you are, here's some inspiration from one of our
younger bakers celebrating their 15th birthday in lockdown.... a homemade birthday cake! And wow it looks delicious! A Victoria sponge tiered birthday cake, I dare say it looks better than one from the shops!
Finally.. one cake made by a younger baker is bound to put a smile on your face (we think it might be the best baking submission we've seen)... a unicorn cake! Very very professional! Not only is the decoration fabulous, but the rainbow colouring is exactly what we need to brighten up our days! Why not challenge yourself and give it a go?!
So, now its up to you! Get baking and see what you can make. If you're a first time baker, I recommend recipes from BBC Good Food (very easy and usually not too many ingredients). Send in photos of what you've been up too, whether they're a success or not we want to see! You never know, we might have to write an article on disaster bakes!
Well, we hope this has encouraged you to give baking a try...if you can manage to get hold of eggs and flour that is! If you enjoy it, get baking for people in your community and put a smile on someones face (abiding by social distancing rules). Let us know how you get on!