To celebrate World Baking Day taking place in May, Paul Dickson shares someof his top baking tips whilst keeping costs down.
You can’t beat the comforting flavour of home baked dishes, whether that’s a hearty pie
or a classic cake. A lot of love and time goes into creating freshly baked produce, so it’s important to make it worthwhile to have on your menu. Whether that’s keeping ingredient costs down or ensuring that you’re keeping waste to a minimum, here are some of my recommendations.
Paul is a Home Economist and food stylist working in London and the North West, creating exceptional visual stories in film & tv, on social media and in print. All of the recipes and videos featured in the article can be accessed online at www.countryrange.co.uk/recipes.
A Comforting Classic
One of my favourite savoury bakes is a traditional suet pudding. It’s a great low cost menu item due to the cheaper cut of meat that you slow cook until it’s falling apart. The heavier nature of the suet pastry makes it substantial and filling, meaning that you don’t need to include an abundance of sides. Just a few good quality chunky chips and green vegetables will be enough so satisfy even the largest of appetites.
Nutritious and Delicious
Baking can be healthy too. These muffins include dried fruits, seeds and nuts, with honey and natural yoghurt being used instead of sugar and other fats. They also work well across day parts, as they’re a good breakfast option whilst also being a healthier choice to serve throughout the day.
Summer Saver
In the summer months especially, when you have an abundance of fresh produce that’s at risk of going to waste, seasonal cakes are an excellent way to use up vegetables whilst offering something different to customers. My courgette and lemon cake is a good example of this, but you can equally try beetroot, pumpkin, and of course carrot is a classic example.
Chocolatey Chunks
A nice way to use up leftover or broken bakes such as cookies or cake, is to smother them in chocolate and give them a new identity. Cake pops are always popular, and these little chocolate covered cookie chunks go down a treat, using up cookies that would otherwise go in the bin.
