for some time now – well, about a fortnight – I have had an urge to Bake A Cake. Lord knows why … although I’m a slightly better than competent cook, I’m absolutely useless at the patisserie side of things. I don’t even have any cake recipe books.
this inexplicable urge has been accompanied by a yearning to make bread; not with the breadmaking machine which is currently languishing in the loft (because we don’t actually *eat* much bread), but the real thing – mixing and kneading and proving and all that.
in a mad fit last weekend, we attempted a sourdough starter – this is currently festering in a container on top of the fridge. Red organic grapes in a muslin bag, flour and water. It looks vile at the moment, and will probably invade Poland before this week is out …
I blame ulygan, whose postings about what sounds like an idyllic existence in rural Scotland make me positively green with envy. Given her last post, I suspect that things are not as rosy as I read them, but it’s inspirational stuff nonetheless.
yesterday we bought bread and cake making books. And last night I popped up to the local village store to buy some dark brown sugar, as all mine had transmogrified into a solid lump. And I took some marg out of the fridge so it would be creamable.
but still no cake has appeared chez Jordan. “There is no excuse”, you all cry. But you haven’t seen The Cupboard. The cupboard where we keep dried fruit and Valrhona choccy chunks and honey and treacle and syrup and glace cherries and nuts and jams and all the other accoutrements of bakery, including the aforementioned huge lump of brown sugar (and icing sugar and caster sugar and granulated sugar and so forth) – never let it be said that I don’t keep full store cupboards. But, *BUT*.
but as soon as you move *anything* in that cupboard, the demons inside move everything else, and it all falls out on top of you. I hate it. We need MORE KITCHEN. And more bookshelves, and more cat space, and more everything. Our stuff > our house.
so if you’re after a nice slice of cake, don’t count on me to provide it. Not before the local bakery opens tomorrow.
We need MORE KITCHEN. And more bookshelves, and more cat space, and more everything. Our stuff > our house.
This is why we have garages …
I have the same problem – more so now that we have to shop in bulk. So I keep stocks on shelving racks in the garage. Up here I shall have to invest in rodent-proof containers (is there any such thing?)to make the thing work.
Eat your heart out time: the new house came complete with not one, but *two* pantries. But both are stuffed full to overflowing. I too suffer from bags-of-flour-on-the-head syndrome. And, somehow, I still never seem to have that one vital ingredient on hand when I get the urge to make anything at all!
I believe to de-lump the sugar you should pop it in a bowl, cover it with a damp tea towel and leave it somewhere warm overnight.
(But I’ve never tried this).
oh, that’s useful – thanks! (although I threw out the old lot …)