Be warned... our game is addictive

Well, first and foremost, Happy Baking Week!

We have now received so many mails from people telling us about their Baking events: from toddler's groups making biscuits to stores doing demonstrations and parents and grandparents baking at home with their kids... THANK YOU for taking the time to write and, above all, for embracing the principles of Baking Week.

We thought we would have a bit of extra fun to tempt you, so we have reset the play scores on the Pyrex SOS Chef game and Pyrex has kindly donated some prizes: so the top 3 scores by the end of the week will win.

Just a note if you have been playing - only scores achieved this week are valid! Please read the T&Cs for the game, ok?

And, please, be warned... the game is highly addictive! It is one of those old fashioned, almost silly games you cannot help but go mad about.

I have now stopped playing: I cannot win the competition and, to be honest, with all the typing and Baking, I really cannot afford another addiction!

But you guys enjoy...

Let's get Baking!!!

Well, here it is!

It is National Baking Week starting tomorrow and I am both excited and terrified!

Excited because I know the team has done a fabulous job and this campaign is incredibly worthwhile - so I do hope that we have reached as many people as possible and provided some inspiration.

Terrified because this is it; this is the week where we will see if the press and the retailers really have got behind us and given us the support we need to make this real and start making a small change.

Some of you have kindly e-mailed to tell us about how great the site is; that you have seen offers and promotions and that it all has inspired you. You have NO IDEA how much that means!!! I do respond personally to all mails, so if you have a comment or suggestion on how we can improve for next year - please, do get in touch.

This last Friday I had a very exciting day, I went to London with Rosemary Shrager and we did radio and newspaper interviews. It was a busy, hectic day, but so worthwhile. Look out for those next week!

Rosemary is just as passionate as I am about getting people back into baking, about sharing happy eating times and how cooking your own food means you are in control of what goes into your body and what you spend.

In a day and age where cash is so vital and our health should be paramount, let's think a bit differently. Buying a cheaper loaf of bread or a reduced price ready meal may not be the healthiest nor the cheapest.

As Rosemary always points out - if you have left overs of whatever, you can make a bake with it! And if you buy 1 kg of flour you can make 2 loaves of bread - you will save so much!!!

And while I am talking about saving: we have been speaking to a great charity called Breadline Africa: they fund a host of projects that help target many aspects of the most impoverished communities in Africa.
Last week they launched an initiative called Blogger Bake Off, encouraging people to bake bread and fund raise through that. They have a fabulous line: "Bake bread, give dough" :-)
More details can be found at http://www.bloggerbakeoff.com/

So one more reason to get baking, we can do it for charity; maybe support your local school, church or even worldwide projects like the above.

Whatever inspires you... just give it a go!

Happy Baking.

That Croissant Bread and Butter pudding recipe...

Hi, all

Well, I have now made this 3 times (it is only all the walking that keeps my belly from ever expansion!) and it has turned out great every time: so I am sharing my own recipe.

Am feeling brave, considering I have the great luck to taste food from the best Home Economists in the country and some great Chefs too...

But I would not be true to Baking Week principles if I did not share a simple recipe, from my own kitchen with you, because this is the whole point: there are no great mysteries with baking, everyone can do it and it is just a case of experimenting and you will get there!

Now, the deal is: you've got the recipe, you must try it and let me know! And if you post the comment here rather than mailing me, I promise to publish it!!!

Fran's Toffee Apple Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding

- 100g Unsalted President Butter (plus enough to line the dish)
- 6x ready croissants (better if they are a little bit stale)
- 4 yolks from Lion's eggs
- 200ml milk
- 200ml ready made "Dulce de Leche" or Toffee (I use Merchant's Gourmet squeezy one; available from most supermarkets!)
- Vanilla essence or paste to taste
- 30g of Sultanas
- 2 Medium Gala apples, cored, peeled and sliced

Pyrex All in one dish with lid 22x17cm (1.5l)
http://www.arc-international-cookware.com/en/products/glass-cookware.php?id_products=561

Pyrex Non-Stick Bakeware Roaster 35x26cm
http://www.arc-international-cookware.com/en/products/non-stick-bakeware.php?id_products=391

Pyrex Jug

Mix the egg yolks, milk, vanilla and 100ml Dulce de Leche (or Toffee) in a Pyrex Jug until fully incorporated.

Line the Pyrex all in one dish with butter, cut the croissants and arrange so that there is no space in the dish.
Tear bits of the croissant if you have to; do not be too precise with cutting it - you are aiming to ensure the full dish is covered with bread - no gaps!

Pour the milk mixture over it, put the lid on and leave in the fridge to soak for an hour or 2.

Now put the oven on 160C to warm up and boil a kettle of water.

Take off the lid of the All in one dish.

Arrange the apples on top, sprinkle with sultanas and squeeze another 100ml of Toffee on top, in a sort of zig zag motion all over the dish.

Cut the butter into tiny pieces: dot on top

Carefully pour the boiling water on to the Pyrex Non-stick Roaster; lower the All in one dish (without lid!!!) in it and place in the oven for about 30mins.

ENJOY!!!

PS: A variation on this - if you are making it for adults only; add some Sherry or Calvados to the liquid mixture... extra yummy!

Thank you for the cookware stories...

Oh, I have been bad.

Not updating my blog is the one thing that I was worried would end up happening when we started this site and here I am - not having caught up with things for a few weeks.

But it has been mad for the Baking Week team - we are just so excited about getting everything ready and we are now in the final countdown: just one month to go!

I have been trying lots of recipes and my latest obsession is Pumpkin Soda Bread http://www.nationalbakingweek.com/recipes/halloween-baking/pumpkin-soda-bread, which I eat with lashings of Philadelphia... I am so glad they are supporting Baking Week: everyone that knows me knows how I love Philly! :-)

The kitchen has been in a greater flurry than usual; I created a great new recipe for bread and butter pudding yesterday using some left over croissant - I wanted to do something a bit different and the results surprised even me: I baked it very, very slowly in a Pyrex glass dish and it really turned out great!

I sometimes do not know how I would cope without my trusted Kenwood Chef and my Pyrex bakeware: my cooking literally depends on them and I have so many fond memories of baking using these trusted friends...

And lots of you seem to have similar stories: I do want to say thanks to everyone that has taken the time to write to tell me about having their Pyrex for decades and how it really is part of their lives.

When you start talking about baking and cooking it is surprising how attached we are to our cookware: one of my friends has his mum's Kenwood Chef that is over 25 years old and he speaks of it with such fondness... it is like it is part of his life.
I, myself, have one of my Grandma's Pyrex moulds and every time I use it, it makes me smile; all the nostalgia comes flooding in.

And here is the essence of what we are trying to do with Baking Week: ensure that our baking skills are not lost and the next generations have these moments of joy to remember too!

We really want to inspire you to get baking! Hopefully you will be starting to see lots of information and ideas on the press on top of what we have here on the site and there are lots of promotions in stores during October.

Do look out for the promotions, as with the dreaded credit crunch, we can all do with saving our pennies and some freebies - you can keep up to date with what is going on by clicking here: http://www.nationalbakingweek.com/home/more-information/

If we are missing something - do drop us a line and tell us. You can contact me directly at: frannie@nationalbakingweek.co.uk

Oh! And next time I will hopefully be able to give you my Croissant Bread and Butter recipe: I do need to try it a couple more times before I share it with you... but I could well have a new obsession! Watch this space...

Happy Baking.

That is what weekends are made for...

So there it is. The last Bank holiday of the year gone... I should be sad, but, to be honest, there are still a few Summer days to be enjoyed and the truth is I LOVE autumn!

I really look forward to the harvest time and having all that wonderful produce around to enjoy!

But I am jumping ahead, I wanted to tell you about my weekend of cooking and baking...

I went blackberry picking this weekend - long walk with the dogs, garden gloves on and a couple of plastic bags: gets me out in the fresh air and, better still, saves me a fortune!
I made blackberry and strawberry jam but here is the twist: I flavour it with rosemary! Seriously. I know it sounds weird, but it really works. Just add a few sprigs of rosemary to the boiling fruit... try it... it brings a lovely, fresh flavour to the jam!

It is actually a bit early for blackberries, I only got 3lbs from my pickings - there should be loads more in about 3 weeks or so, so you still have plenty of time to get out there.

As I was in the mood for big boiling cauldrons (comments about me looking like a witch when I do this have been uttered in the past!), I got some apples from the garden and got some Spiced chutney ready for Christmas.
I take a traditional recipe with carrots, onions, sultanas, etc. and add paprika, dried chilli, star anise, allspice and mustard seeds - makes it perfect for having with cold meats such as ham, goose or turkey over Christmas and New Year!

And, of course, as I was in my best "Domestic Goddess" behaviour, baking ensued!
I made 2 different loaves of bread (both using milk that had gone sour: one soda bread and one rye bread), a bara brith and then Fish pie for dinner.

At this point, let me open a little bracket here and tell you this - reading this blog you may end up getting the impression I am a domestic goddess or some sort of real cook or even a half organised person. Wrong! Everyone that knows me will tell you I am the last person you would imagine as a baker and, even more so, spearheading a campaign like this.
So why do I do it? Why do I spend so much time baking and cooking and why am I so passionate about cooking?

Well, it is nutritious, wholesome and a whole heap of fun! And it is cheap. I mean, 3lbs of blackberries: a good £9 from your friendly supermarket? Free from my local hedge.
Apples? Free from my garden. 2 pts of sour milk? Would have gone down the plughole. Etc.
And it means I am eating fresh food that I am in control of.

Add to it the pleasure of seeing all of this come to life, serving my own jam when people come around, knowing my family will be enjoying my home made chutney at Xmas, eating warm bread as it comes out of the oven...
Now that is what weekends are made for!!!

Happy Baking!

Baking is thriving in Britain

Has anyone else been watching Hairy Bakers - Mondays on BBC2?

Well, if not you are missing out!

It is such good fun and great to see that even Si and Dave have caught on the fact that Baking is making such a revival.

In the series they visit some great locations and have wonderful recipes that echo the sentiments of what we have been planning all along for Baking Week - that Baking is easy, fun and the results are well worth it, because there is nothing better than homemade food!

Today they were focusing on making bread - and had some delicious sounding recipes from Naan bread to wholemeal. YUM!

We have been inspired by Rosemary Shrager for many moons now and we do hope that her support to Baking Week will bring you great ideas too!

Here on the site we have some lovely bread recipes and more can be found on the Allinson's Flour website: http://www.bakingmad.com/

I swear by the Soda Bread recipe on the baking mad site and, in fact, if you have never made bread this really is a great way to start. Soda bread is VERY easy. You can even make it with kids...

2 things to note with this recipe:
1) If you do not have a breadmaker, fear not: there is an easy way to make this without it.
Just put in all the dry ingredients together in a Kenwood Chef and attach the dough hook. Mix all of the wet ingredients in a Pyrex jug and then drop it into one go into on top of the dry ingredients. Mix it on 4 until it is elastic, tip onto a floured surface and shape into a round shape; cutting a cross on top to let the magic in!
2) You can use milk that has gone sour instead of buttermilk. This is what I often do; I get milk from the milkman and often end up with the odd sour pint... so just substitute it one for one!


But going back to the Hairy Bakers: one of the things I am loving in the series is the fact that, again, like us, they believe Baking is as much about savoury dishes as it is about sweet ones.

We really hope that you will find inspiration this year to start baking more; your oven can be your best ally in the kitchen once you get used to it.

Whether it is something from the Hairy Bakers, from the Baking Week recipes or even from an old scribbled book you find it in your cupboard... why not give Baking a go today??? Really - go on. See what you can come up with...

And let me know how you get on!

Why Baking Week?

Well, I have been thinking for a few days how I should start this blog... I mean, what could I tell you about Baking Week and what our motivation has been?

I thought I would start by telling you about me; maybe a bit self indulgent, but it will help explain my passion for cooking and why I, and all the people involved in this project, feel so strongly that Baking should be at the heart of every home... So here goes!

I'm Frannie. I will be writing this blog as often as I can... the idea is to tell you what the Baking Week team has been up to, give you links to sites and articles we think you may be interested in and just generally have a chat - which I love doing!

My passion for baking comes from being a small child, spending many rainy afternoons at the kitchen table or perched on the kitchen counter watching my grandma whip up the most amazing cakes, savoury tarts, breads of all kinds and doughnuts: which she called rain cakes... She would always make doughnuts with slices of apple inside when it rained: and until today, if I am ever at home in a rainy afternoon, I just need to close my eyes and I can feel the whole comfort of being with my granny and biting into this delicious, crisp but gooey concoction... and it always makes me smile!
But I tell you, my granny's doughnuts were not full of fat and e-numbers!!! She used the best flour, little sugar, lots of fresh apple and cinnamon...

And this is what we want to share: family traditions, the opportunity to create something that is a treat but also not unhealthy, that will bring you pleasure... and that is EASY to make!

Food is such a big part of our lives and we often go for quantity, for pre-prepared and processed food thinking we will gain time...
Baking offers you a viable option to create easy to prepare, nutritious and even healthy meals that are just as fast to prepare as ready meals. It does not have to be complicated and fancy sugar shapes!
No, a quick pasta bake, some delicious baked vegetables, a loaf of bread and, why not, some cookies or muffins for a treat - all of these are just so easy to make and will bring you so much joy... I cannot tell you how much!

Baking Week this year has a theme called "Bake 5" - that is, 5 main meals, with 5 ingredients that take about 5 minutes to prepare. (Oh, ok, it may be 7 or 8 minutes... but who is counting when you are enjoying it???)

But we want Baking Week to be more than just about recipes: hence you will also find lots of other ideas, like some Halloween Fun, Great Competitions, Links to in-store offers, Crafting ideas, games, etc on this site. Keep coming back, we intend to grow and grow.

I also need to tell you that to make this a reality it has taken a lot of work! So we have teamed up with some very nice folk that believe in all the above; the partners supporting this campaign are key brands that will help you get great results in the kitchen, whatever you are doing.
I can assure you they are hand picked brands, with strong values and that are possibly already in your cupboard of fridge; so hopefully you will be comfortable with their support and presence on this site and the whole campaign.

Finally, I need to tell you about Rosemary Shrager's involvement. We are so fortunate and so grateful of her support! I will do another full post on the privilege of working with Rosemary, but for the time being I just wanted to mention that she is a true star!
A very hard working mother, grandmother and business woman; everything most of us admire and want to be... so my last word today is a thank you to Rosemary: for helping us make Baking Week a reality!

Enjoy the site, come back often and please help us to get Britain Baking!