Beginner Baking Recipes and Tips-Let's Whisk Up some Lockdown Treats

Has anyone else’s social media been flooded with homemade banana bread recipes? Is it actually possible that banana bread has been sponsoring lockdown all this time? I know this feels like a new, emerging trend but believe it or not during times of crisis the world often turns to good, reliable banana bread recipes. Our cookbooks were first graced with their presence in the 1930’s during the great depression when people were hesitant to throw away food. Banana bread recipes then grew in popularity as a fun way to make use of those troublesome overly ripe bananas that tend to just stink up our kitchens!

So why not eliminate some of that lockdown boredom and avoid those pesky supermarket queues and get baking with the ingredients you already have in your cupboard? This is your guide to the best tips and beginner baking recipes to get you busy in the kitchen this lockdown. Everyone is totally exhausted from our monotonous routines of online lectures and study and it's becoming extremely difficult to differentiate between home and university making us all a little more stressed than usual. Nevertheless, nothing quite says home like the smell of baking and we can't forget that stressed spelled backwards is desserts!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           (Photo Credit: Focus Fitness)

To get started pick a recipe that is easy but also tasty! Lockdown boredom is a feeling we all know too well and unfortunately, it’s often accompanied by a severe lack of motivation. This may make baking seem like a daunting, messy task, which let’s face it, requires a bit too much effort. So, my first tip is to get yourself motivated by baking something that is tasty, a treat to brighten your day and make you smile.

Although almost all of our baking inspiration comes from the Great British Bake Off these days, there is no point picking a difficult recipe that leaves you frustrated with a messy kitchen. There are plenty of easy bakes with minimal mess you can try instead. My top recommendations of beginner baking recipes are chocolate brownies, cookies and, of course, banana bread, after all is there any better way to get rid of lockdown boredom than making some comfort food?

(Photo Credit: BBC Good Food)

You may be wondering, where do I find the best beginner baking recipes? I would start with BBC Good Food, this website has an amazing repertoire of easy bakes to help get you started. Their banana bread recipes are easy to follow with minimal ingredients and I would highly recommend them for a beginner baker. Check them out for yourself at the following link: Banana Bread Recipes-BBC Good Food

                                                                                                                                                                                                           (Photo Credit: BBC Good Food) 

My second recipe is a chocolate brownie because let's face it, it's impossible to make an inedible brownie. In fact the first ever chocolate brownie was actually made by accident! According to Folklore, a baker forgot to put baking powder in their chocolate cake and ended up creating the yummy fudgy chocolate brownie, we all know and love. The nicest and easiest chocolate brownie recipe I have ever made came from the The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, this book has numerous beginner baking recipes that are straight forward and and fun to get you started.                (Photo Credit: Hummingbird Bakery)

You can find The Hummingbird Bakery's recipe for the perfect brownie at the following link: Best Beginner Baking Recipes-Hummingbird Bakery. I have also made the below video which outlines eight simple steps to making a truly gorgeous brownie!

Of course, a cookie is another incredibly simple recipe. Astonishingly, Irish people consume on average €230 million worth of biscuits each year, so why not make delicious cookies at home for a fraction of the price ? I have tried and tested numerous cookie recipes from the comfort of my own kitchen, and I can confirm that the best beginner recipe can be found at the following link: Beginner Baking Recipes-Good to Know.com. This recipe is different to a regular cookie recipe because it contains two tablespoons of golden syrup which give the cookies a gorgeous chewy consistency. As seen here, when I tried this recipe at home the cookies came out perfectly and only took 20 minutes to bake!

Tip Two-Accurately Measure your Ingredients

Now that we know what kind of beginner baking recipes to start off with, we need to make sure we understand how to measure our ingredients accurately. Although Paul Hollywood may not agree with me, it has to be said  that all baking requires is mixing ingredients together until they are combined. It’s really that simple! There is no need to stress over when you should be adding your flour or sugar so instead take the time to make sure you measure your ingredients carefully. Sally’s Baking Addiction provides a quick easy five-minute guide to help you get started:

(Photo Credit: Sally's Baking Addiction)

(Video Credit: Sally's Baking Addiction)

Tip Three-Prepare your Ingredients

All Banana Bread Recipes call for butter at room temperature so why not make sure that your butter is at room temperature before you begin? If you're making brownies, have your chocolate chopped in advance, these little details can be the difference between a frustrating or fun baking experience. Trying to carry out these extra steps in the middle of mixing your batter only leads to frustration. It may even make you want to give up! However, you can ensure a smooth stress free experience by reading your recipe and having everything prepped in advance.                                                                   (Photo Credit: Irish Times)

Tip Four-Keep the Oven Door Shut

Do not give into the temptation! We are all experiencing lockdown boredom, and this tends to increase the temptation to open the over door and see if our baking has been a triumph but this really is detrimental to the survival of your cake! This is an important  tip when attempting banana bread recipes because the cold air can prevent your cake from rising.

Tip Five-Allow Time to Cool

I don’t know about you but as soon as a chocolate brownie comes out of the oven, I immediately want to dig in. But cooling is essential ! When following  the above cookie, brownie and banana bread recipes make sure to cool your bakes for 30 to 40 minutes because if you take them out of the tin too early they may crumble.

 (Photo Credit: BBC Good Food)   

So let's not let lockdown boredom get us down and instead let's get baking. By following these simple beginner baking recipes and tips, you will be ready to enter the Great British Bake Off in no time!

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Happy Baking!