I want to bake....what next??

Baking Made Simple How to buy baking ingredients and bake ware for LESS!

Baking IS simple.

But to keep it simple, you must start with a couple of really important things; ingredients and baking utensils.

Ingredients:

Let me start off by saying I am a self-proclaimed cake snob.  Cake is VERY important to me and a cake that is not tasty is, in my opinion, a crime against....well, cake!  That being said, whenever I bake a cake I always use a boxed cake mix.  WHAT?!?!  Yes, a boxed cake mix.  WHY???  After many disastrous attempts and failures, I determined that I, personally, have yet to find a cake recipe that gives me the results of a boxed cake mix.  I want my cakes to be tasty, moist, properly risen, and have the right consistency and texture.  With many recipes I find problems in one or two of those areas.  And there is nothing worse than a dry cake.  Or a cake that falls apart.  Or a cake that is flavorless.  It ruins the occasion. 

(See this beauty?  You will NEVER encounter a cake that is as dry as this one.  Why?  I used a recipe, not a boxed cake mix!  And it was an important birthday cake.  :(  Learn a valuable lesson from my mistake!)

****I often ADD to the boxed cake mixes to jazz them up!  (More on that another time.)


OFF-BRAND Ingredients:
Now, to further blow your mind, I use many ingredients that are off-brands.  That's right, folks....I buy generic products!  Why?  A better question is "Why not??"  I buy off-brand products because they cost less and give me the same taste and results as name brands.  You will certainly need to use a trial and error method here, as I have over the years.  With this process I've found that some things are definitely ok and some are not.

Examples:

Butter.  Let's face it.  Butter is EXPENSIVE, but it also makes your baking soooo much better.  (NEVER use margarine!)  I always buy off brand butter because butter is butter folks.  $2.50 for the Save-A-Lot or Wal-Mart brand versus $4.00+ for a name brand.  I don't need to pay for a name when most off-brands will work just fine.

Other off-brand ingredients I use: Sugar, Peanut Butter (I prefer the Save-A-Lot brand), vanilla extract, cream cheese (Again, I prefer the SAL brand because it is up to $1 or more less than name-brand and it tastes the same!), ready-made pie crusts (graham or regular), corn starch, salt, Nutella (SAL is NOT okay here!  We love the Wal-Mart generic brand, though.  It tastes great!), honey, nuts, cake mixes (Yes, I will use a SAL cake mix!) and sooo much more.  My method here is absolutely 100% trial and error.  I am willing to TRY an off-brand product just to see if it is as good as the name brand or not.  I wouldn't rush out and buy every off-brand product and try to create a dish.  Instead, start slow.  The next time you need an ingredient, buy one off-brand product and see if it works just the same for you.  If not, what have you lost? 

Name-Brand products I do buy: Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, frosting, Cool Whip (It just works and tastes better!), and flour.  Through trial and error, I've disovered these things are better with the name brand because of TASTE, which is #1 for me, always!

Baking Utensils:

This is another biggee.  I do recommend that if you plan on baking alot, you do take the time to invest in good bakeware.  This doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg!

These beauties are a recent addition to my kitchen.



These pans (Commercial II products) cost me $9.00 each at T.J. Max!!  With stores like T.J. Max and Ross you can often find great deals on bakeware, but you can't always count on these stores having a huge selection.  So, when you're out shopping and you spot a deal, grab it!  You can also get these sweeties (in different sizes and shapes) at stores like Hobby Lobby all the time.  This is great for you because HL has an online coupon for 40% off that can be used on one regular priced item.  (Hobby Lobby Coupon)  You can print this or bookmark it on your smart phone and just show it to the clerk when you checkout.   

Why invest in good bakeware?  Let me tell you a little story....Once upon a time all my cakes came out of the oven rounded on top.  No matter what I did, I could not get my cakes to come out of the oven with flat tops.  It was horrible.  Then I discovered Commercial II pans...and guess what??  When I baked cakes in these beautiful pans...my cakes came out of the oven flat on top!!  And everyone lived happily ever after!

Other Utensils:

I am not a snob when it comes to things like mixers, spoons, whisks, measuring cups, mixing bowls, etc.  Use what you have on hand unless it isn't working for you.  If it isn't working, invest in better equipment.  If you plan on decorating cakes, cookies, etc., I do suggest Wilton's line of decorating products.  They are very good.  And, again, buy them at Hobby Lobby, one at a time using a coupon, if you must, or wait for an awesome sale (HB has LOTS of great sales each week!). 

I hope this has helped and inspired you to bake and bake for less!

Remember, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple!)