Become a star baker at home with these five savvy bakeware swaps
FANCY baking a showstopper this week?
The Great British Bake Off is in full swing and on screens tonight at 8pm on Channel 4.
But you don’t need lots of fancy bakeware to become a star baker — instead, why not try out these swaps?
ICE AND EASY: Want to give your cake the professional treatment?
Instead of buying a piping bag to ice it, grab a sandwich bag instead.
Fill the bag with your icing or buttercream and make sure you shake the mixtures into the corner.
Take a pair of scissors and cut off the corner of the bag and start icing.
ELBOW GREASE: A KitchenAid Artisan mixer is a regular fixture in the Bake Off tent.
But with the appliances coming in at around £400 each, that’s a lot to shell out.
However, many chefs insist that using a mixing bowl and spatula along with some old-fashioned elbow grease will do the job just as well.
ROLL WITH IT: Pie-making, sausage rolls and desserts all call for pastry-work.
But if you don’t have a rolling pin, there’s another way.
An empty or unopened wine bottle is an excellent substitute and does the job just as well.
KEEP YOUR COOL: GBBO fans know the importance of avoiding a soggy bottom, which can be achieved by turning out your bakes onto a cooling rack.
If you run out of cooling racks or you never had one in the first place, you can turn over a muffin tray and place your cake on top to ensure air reaches the bottom.
CUP A LOAD OF THIS: Measuring out the right amount of ingredients is key for any pro bake.
However, without measuring cups or scales, you might be on your way to a baking fail right from the start.
Instead you can use the spoon method: 1 cup is equal to 16 tbsps, so half a cup is 8 tbsps etc.
Or as 1 cup is equal to 250ml, you could also use a measuring jug.
It’s worth knowing 1 cup is around the size of your fist, for guidance.
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