Why I Love Baking… And Some of my Fav Tools
Fun fact: I learnt to bake before I learnt to cook. I thought that was normal until I said it to someone and she looked at me weird. And from what she said, apparently a lot of people consider baking more intricate and difficult than cooking. They consider baking more complex because of the precise measurements required and the intricate designs in their decoration. For me, precision is one of the reasons I love baking so much. The latter? Not so much. Another fun fact: I’m terrible and decorating cakes and desserts! But the taste will be spot on, I guarantee you that.
So here’s why I love baking
Precision in baking applies to me because of its Predictability. This is perhaps my number one reason for being such a baking nerd. When I first learnt to bake, I associated it with specific things I loved.
Writing was one. You see I was one of those children that wrote everywhere - walls, under the table (yes, literally the bottom part of the coffee table base), in books (they didn’t have to be MY books), basically on any surface my hands could reach. So every time we had to bake, my mum would bring out a cookbook from her collection, select a recipe and have me rewrite it in my own cookbook. It’s in her bookshelf till this day. It was brown, worn, and had all sorts of food stains on it. In hindsight, I see how she was trying to exhaust my energy and channel my passion for writing. And it was successful! I loved seeing the recipes written in my own handwriting.
I also found the results of our baking predictable. I knew that once I followed the instructions with the right measurements, I would get exactly what was promised. Maybe that was where I developed a knack for creating my own recipes and testing them over and over again to make sure I provided predictability to someone else. I knew that with equal parts fat, sugar, eggs and self-raising flour; and a dash of my favorite (vanilla) extract, I would get a vanilla pound cake that tasted exactly the same every time! The same way I know that 2 parts sugar and one part egg whites, whipped up will give me a classic meringue base.
While my life was by no means unpredictable at that time, I think perhaps that was fate preparing me for my future; where I baked as a coping mechanism, where I stayed (or woke) up at night or really early in the morning to calm my wandering mind by baking in the quiet kitchen while everyone was asleep and I didn’t know what to do with my grief and pain. And what a help it has been all these years! I bake when I’m happy, sad, confused, overwhelmed and bored. My friends and family complain about the calories, but no one has turned down the goodies yet!
Baking gives me Purpose. Does that sound deep? Well, it is me after all so if it makes people happy, sets the perfect tone to start a real conversation, helps people bond around a table or a dish, then it has served its purpose to me. More often than not, when I’m invited to someone’s home for dinner, I’m opting to bring dessert. The process of finding out what they want, their favorite flavors, textures and if they have any allergies; it is the trigger to a lot of creativity as I start to brainstorm silently about what I will be baking next. I find that not only do I find pleasure in the predictable process of baking, but I also find purpose and fulfillment in watching people enjoy the results of my baking. The hmmmms and sighs and deep breaths; the lip smacking, silent nods and the trying to talk while eating…. All of that ties everything up in a bow for me. It makes me feel like I have achieved something beautiful, met nutritional needs and filled people with joy.
Chocolate Easter Egg Meringue
Beyond all of this, baking keeps me creative and infuses fun into our household. My husband and sons will occasionally randomly request something they’ve read about or seen in passing; and I will take it as a challenge to replicate it and then add my own twist to it - sometimes on multiple occasions. Sometimes I act like I’m not interested at all, but for days on end, it’s all I can think about! It works to bring variety to our table and develop their young palates. It helps us go crazy - like the one Easter when we decided to make a nest with chocolate eggs that sat on a chocolate meringue. And we wondered and fussed over how to create the nest, until we hit the jackpot and shaped noodles into a nest-like bowl shape (by literally wrapping them around a bowl and baking them) and dipped the crunchy noodles in chocolate! I love making cookies for the boys’ school snack boxes. I love getting stuck on a design or idea, and having my husband (who has never baked anything) randomly suggest ‘maybe try this or that’ and having it work out somehow. And most importantly, baking is a tangible expression of my love and care for those who mean the world to me. Chances are if you’re in my life (and I love you, haha), I have or will soon bake you something!
Here are some of my baking essentials… and links to get yours…
These are my absolute favorite tools that will ensure your baking process is smooth, enjoyable, and results in a fantastic outcome every time. Yes I love some color in my small kitchen tools, so you’ll see that’s a trend here.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Precision is key in baking. A little too much or too little can significantly impact the end result. Never underestimate the importance of accurate measurements.
Mixing Bowls: You need sturdy and durable mixing bowls for combining your ingredients. Opt for a set with different sizes that fit into each other to save space and also to fit various baking needs.
Springform Tins and Silicone Baking Mats: Depending on what you wish to bake, you may need a variety of baking pans and sheets. A set of springform tins which come with removable sides is perfect for that cheesecake you want to proudly display, and can also help with tiered cakes since the stack comes in various sizes. Silicone mats are a must if you bake cookies and other small pastries. They are so easy to clean and wash; and are definitely better for the environment than using parchment paper everytime you need to bake. They are non-stick, reusable, and perfect for anything from cookies to pastries.
Electric Mixer: If you know me, you know my KitchenAid mixer! It is my best friend when I’m kneading dough for bread or mixing batter for - anything really! I grew up on a Kenwood Chef mixer and I maybe still have plans to get that at some point. While you can mix by hand, an electric mixer can save time and effort, particularly for recipes that require light and airy batter. It comes with multiple handles, so the whisk is handy for my meringues, the hook for my bread dough and the basic handle for my batters.
Whisks and Spatulas: A silicone utensil set is so handy and easy to maintain. Plus, they look great displayed in your kitchen; and you can get them in whatever colours you fancy. These are tools you'll reach for often. They're crucial for mixing ingredients, folding in elements lightly, or scraping the last bit of batter out of your bowl.
Cooling Rack: A cooling rack is necessary for allowing air to circulate around your baked goods, preventing them from becoming soggy from accumulated steam.
Is there anything you love as much as I love baking? Share it with me, and maybe I can try something new. Do you have a favorite baked or just dessert recipe? Let me know and who knows, we might have a bake off soon!
If you're just starting your journey into the wonderful world of home baking or want to enhance your baking game, these essentials will surely pave your way to sweet success.