I am not a baker - I am a cook - and yet I want to bake.

[rookie]

I am happy to cook at meal for 20 but dread baking anything. It seems like so much work. And yet, I know that my family would appreciate it if I had a little cake or some cookies on hand for a snack or treat.

 

Are there any REALLY REALLY EASY, SIMPLE, QUICK recipes for snack cakes or cookies that would make transform the likes of me? Healthy would be nice too.

[Surlygirlie]

Carrot cookies.

 

They are my no-brainer cookies for the summer because they are light tasting and most kids have no idea that they are eating a vegetable at the same time. :lol:

 

Mix:

3/4 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar (I usually do a mix of brown sugar and white sugar here)

 

Then add:

2 eggs

1 cup cooked, mashed carrots

1 tsp vanilla

 

In a separate bowl mix:

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

 

Then add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture (about 1/2 cup at a time) until it is well-combined.

 

Drop tablespoon sized amounts onto some cookie sheets and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

You can add a citrus icing on top:

2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp lemon zest or orange zest

 

My kids love the cookies without the icing, so if you want to keep it relatively healthier, then don't do the icing.

[Mama Anna]

No, wait! Me! Me! You cook, I'll bake.

 

I love to bake. Bread, pie, cake, cookies, cheesecake, tartlets, coffee cake - the more involved, the more intriguing. (Unfortunately, "healthy" and "Wow!" don't usually happen in the same baked goods at our house.)

 

Now, dinner? Um. Do I have to? Good thing dh likes to cook!

 

I've got a simple bread recipe for you. You can make it more healthy by adding wheat germ with the flour if you like. I use 9x5 bread pans, but you could even just bake it in round loaves on cookie sheets if you don't have them.

 

"Amish White Bread"

 

2/3 c. sugar

2 c. warm water (about 105 degrees, if you have a thermometer)

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

1/4 c. oil

1 1/2 t. salt

6 c. flour (or 1/4 c. wheat germ plus about 5 3/4 c. flour)

 

Stir sugar and yeast into water until dissolved. Let it proof until the yeast forms a foam on top (10-15 min.). Stir in oil and salt. Add 2 c. flour (wheat germ first, if you're using it) and stir. Add another 2 c. flour and stir. Add the last 2 c. flour in halves or so, stirring in each portion until you've got a dough that's pretty well combined.

Turn it out onto a surface that you've sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle more flour over the top. Knead it (push with a palm, fold it over on itself, push down with a palm, fold it over, etc.) until it's all about the same consistency. (You'll want to sprinkle flour over it from time to time. Should only take about 5 minutes or so for the kneading.) Grease a bowl and plop the dough in there. Turn it over so that it gets a little greasy all over. Cover the bowl with a cloth (towel) and put it in a warm place to let the dough rise. When it's about twice as big ("doubled", they call it), poke it with your finger. If it begins to deflate, you know it's ready. (It takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, I think.) Sprinkle the surface with flour again and scrape the dough out onto it. Divide it in half (I use a knife), shape a couple of rectangles, and plop each of them into a greased loaf pan.

Cover them and let them rise again. (30-45 min. - the top of the loaf should be a bit above the edge of the pan when they've risen.) Preheat the oven to 350, and bake them for 30 minutes.

Take them out, run a table knife around the edge of the pan, turn the loaves out on a rack, and brush the tops with butter for a softer crust. Enjoy, or allow to cool completely before storing. (I wrap mine in plastic wrap and then store in a ziploc on the counter.)

 

Enjoy!

 

Mama Anna

 

ETA: Sorry - you weren't looking for a bread recipe were you! Oops!

Edited May 25, 2010 by Mama Anna
Doh!

[rookie]

Both recipes sound delicious. And YES I want all kinds of baked goods that fit the REALLY EASY category.

 

Thanks and please keep on posting.

[Orthodox6]

I agree with OP that these are two distinct skill sets. I am a natural-born cook, but a baker by learning. Rookie, you can learn to bake ! No need to aspire to a four-tier wedding cake. Don't maintain needless fears ! :001_smile:

[gratefulmother]

I love baking, but not cooking! Some of our favorite recipes that we enjoy are:

 

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread (i substitute whole wheat flour and sugar in the raw in this one)

 

Classic Whole Wheat Bread

 

Granola Bars

 

All of these are on http://www.allrecipes.com.

 

Happy baking I am looking forward to seeing more suggestions.

[Rosie_0801]

BANANA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS (makes 6)

 

1 mashed banana

1 ½ cups wholemeal flour

Baking soda- as per directions on jar

1/4 cup sugar

½ cup choc chips

¼ cup oil

¾ cup milk

 

*1. Mix all the ingredients well and spoon into a well greased muffin tin. Bake for 20mins at 180C.

 

 

These couldn't be easier or peasier ;) If I could find some soy and dairy free choc chips around here, they'd even be vegan. If you're leaving the choc chips out, you do need more sugar.

 

 

:)

Rosie

[littlebug42]

This is my kids favorite snack/breakfast item: Pumpkin Spice bread http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Pumpkin-Spice-Bread-71732

 

I substitute half the oil with applesauce and I have also used carrot juice instead of water. My kids love it.

 

I am a baker. I love to bake different things. The key is to use high quality ingredients (butter, pure vanilla etc) and to follow the recipes. In cooking, it is so easy to tweak things and guess etc but I have found that baking is more precise and accurate measurements more important. Good luck.

[Parrothead]

I agree with OP that these are two distinct skill sets. I am a natural-born cook, but a baker by learning. Rookie, you can learn to bake ! No need to aspire to a four-tier wedding cake. Don't maintain needless fears ! :001_smile:

This is why I have no other talents. I can cook and bake like nobody's business, but I haven't a creative bone in my body. :lol:

 

Here's a mix and bake recipe.

 

 

• 1 and 1/2 cups fresh apple - shredded (about 2 large apples)
  
• 1 and 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
  
• 1/2 cup walnuts - chopped
  
• 2/3 cup dates - chopped
  
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1/4 cup apple juice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

In a large mixing bow, stir ALL ingredients together. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 x 8 baking dish with a coat of cooking spray.

 

Spread mixture into cooking pan. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Cut into bars while still warm.

[kalanamak]

??

Edited May 26, 2010 by kalanamak

[kalanamak]

.

Edited May 26, 2010 by kalanamak
??

[kalanamak]

 

Thanks and please keep on posting.

 

Sweet baking, savory baking, or bread baking??

 

Here is a VERY good quick bread. I've quintupled the recipe well. Everyone loves it, everyone asks for the recipe. Wonderful gift, and you can crank them out. I use half Granny Smith, half Rome or other deep red apple for the contrast, and often, in a fit of luxury, do both the vanilla and the lemon.

 

Raw Apple Bread

 

 

[beard's comment: "A rather unusual baking powder bread that you will find delightfully textured and interesting in color and flavor. It keeps very well and, as a matter of fact, will be better if left to mature for at least 24 hours. It is a fine bread to give as a gift."]

(1 large loaf)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

2 tablespoons buttermilk or soured milk

1 cup coarsely chopped, unpeeled apples

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated lemon rind

Cream the butter or margarine, add the sugar slowly, and continue to beat until light and lemon-colored. Beat in the eggs.

Sift the flour with the salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the apples, nuts and vanilla or lemon rind.

Butter a 9 or 10x5x3-inch loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the tin and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 50-60 minutes, until the loaf pulls away slightly from the sides of the tin or until a straw or cake tester inserted in the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then loosen from the pan and turn out on a rack to cool completely before slicing.

VARIATION: Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon chopped nuts on top of the batter before baking.

[ScoutTN]

A great, EASY chocolate cake recipe (not healthy, but yummy) is on the box of Hershey's baking chocolate - the unsweetened powder, not bars.

Try it, you'll like it!

[cathmom]

Easiest cookie recipe ever!

 

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix it all up. If you want chocolate chip cookies, add 1 cup chocolate chips. Make balls or use a cookie scoop and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Yummy!

[kokotg]

I'm the opposite; DH does the bulk of the cooking around here, but I like baking.

 

Doesn't get much easier than muffins. We like applesauce oatmeal muffins:

 

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,146181-237203,00.html

 

cinnamon muffins (for when we want cinnamon rolls, but don't want to go to the effort):

 

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Cinnamon-Muffins-25969

 

chocolate chocolate chip muffins, peanut butter chocolate chip muffins....muffins can do anything!