In May we celebrated World Baking Day! In honour of the day here are three sweet and three savoury easy recipes for beginner bakers.
3 Easy Recipes for Beginner Bakers – Sweet Bakes:
1. Chocolate Tray Bake – BBC Good Food
Everyone loves chocolate so what else is there to bake that a delicious chocolate tray bake, reminiscent of childhood. This recipe takes 45 minutes from start to finish (dependant on your oven), serves 10 and could be made even simpler by buying shop bought icing. The Betty Crocker Icing tubs, when whisked using an electric whisk/mixer make a delicious alternative to home made icing.
This recipe is very simple and is broken down into 4 easy to follow steps. Even the icing is super simple to make. This bake will be sure to wow at functions or birthday parties. The recipe can also be adapted for those on a gluten free diet by replacing the flour with GF flour and can be made dairy free by utilising dairy free chocolate and margarine.
2. Peanut Butter & Jam Flapjacks – BBC Good Food
As a kid I think many of us had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This recipe has recreated that childhood favourite into a more adult yet delicious dessert. With only 5 ingredients and 3 steps this is a great recipe for beginners to try or even to get the kids involved.
This could be adapted to gluten free by using gluten free oats and can be made dairy free/vegan by using dairy free margarine. If you are allergic to nuts then these would also be very tasty with chocolate spread as a replacement for the nut butter.
3. Vegan Carrot Cake – BBC Good Food
For those that are vegan or even for those who just love carrot cake, this is a simple, yet very tasty recipe that will wow at any bake sale or function.
This recipe is a little bit on the longer side due to the preparation time but is very worth it in the long run. This recipe takes 60-65 minutes and feeds 12-15. There are 3 easy to follow steps and can be adapted for a gluten free diet by substituting the flour for a gluten free alternative.
3 Easy Recipes for Beginners – Savoury Bakes;
1. Courgette and Cheddar Soda Bread – BBC Good Food
Bread is notoriously difficult to make, however, this recipe for soda bread is not only flavourful but is also very easy to make with only 3 steps and 9 ingredients. From start to finish this bread takes 65 minutes to make, which is considerably less than other breads. It also feeds up to 12 people!
Cheese and bread are a match made in heaven! However if you wanted to make this dairy free, a smoked vegan cheese such as Applewood may work well and golden syrup or maple syrups are great alternatives to honey. Utilising gluten free oats and gluten free bread flour would also make this amazing loaf accessible for those who cannot eat gluten.
2. Chorizo & Manchego Quiche – BBC Good Food
Quiches are super simple to make, very customisable and enjoyed by the nation. Chorizo and manchego are two flavours that work incredibly well together and provide a very flavourful and sophisticated quiche.
If you want to make this easier, buy the pastry premade. Personally I would not make my own pastry and shop bought is very accessible and would save a lot of time. Using premade pastry will not change the flavour of the quiche, but will allow beginner bakers to make a delicious creation without the extra worry.
As quiches are so customisable, you could use this recipe as a basis for any flavoured quiche you wanted. Some other recommendations could be; asparagus and gruyere for vegetarians, salmon and chive for pescatarians, cheese and bacon for those classic quiche lovers and for those that are vegan, tofu makes a great alternative to eggs. Gluten free pastry also works very well in a quiche.
3. Cheese & Onion Muffins – BBC Good Food
Who doesn’t like the classic combination of cheese and onion. These little muffins are perfect for on the go, picnics or as a snack. This recipe makes 12 muffins and only takes 40 minutes from start to finish.
As with the quiche these muffins are very diverse and you can add or remove whichever ingredients you wish. You could use vegan cheese and red peppers, gluten free flour, courgette and gruyere and so many other combinations. Have fun with it and see what flavour combinations you like best!
No matter what your level of skill or dietary needs there is an easy bake for everyone to try and get stuck into! Baking is a lot of fun, great for kids to get involved in and of course delicious to enjoy by yourself or shared with others. For more recipes give Health Eco-Friendly Recipes a read.
