The baking section
I think that nobody’s life is complete with pastries. More or less, but unimaginable. And my life is certainly not imaginable without pastries, because, truth be told, I could eat cakes every day, at least twice a day, and if they were healthy, even more frequently. Really – I don’t believe those people who say they don’t like sweets, because I think that is unnatural. It may be a joke, but I really don’t think it’s natural to refrain from having a piece of perfectly baked cake with velvety cream on a juicy or crunchy cade base. If you add caramel somewhere in the middle, or chocolate, or berries, mascarpone, or vanilla – how is that possible?
Those who bake (and treat the ingredients like a treasure chest) and stand by the oven waiting for the cake to be ready, or those who take something to steel the nerves before attempting to make caramel understand that baking would be much more complicated if we did not have all those products that help the baking process. Each baker probably has their own list of necessities, but here is my list without which I cannot prepare cakes, cookies, candy, and everything sweet.
Baking powder– always. You need it for bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, and cupcakes.
Baking soda– always. Pastries cannot be made without it.
Cocoa powder– will be useful for making hot cocoa and pastries and desserts.
Sugar– I have a package of white sugar and powder sugar on my shelf, but most of the space is taken up by various unrefined and brown sugar – light and dark muscovado, farina, Demerara, unrefined brown, palm, etc.White sugar is refined with a high sucrose content, which is best used in pastry preparation – cakes, cookies, bread, and jams, because it dissolves well. Quality fine sugar should be completely white with no brown tinges. It is ideal for preparing caramel. Powder sugar I use inbaked goods. I use vanilla sugarwith the vanilla seeds everywhere I need slight sweetness with distinct vanilla flavour. Brown sugar is made by leaving the last bit of molasses (it changes the aroma, taste, and colour). Because it is less refined, it has more minerals than white sugar and suits baked goods, sauces, and drinks and can also be added to yogurt, breakfast flakes, and coffee. Brown sugar has a great, deep, and rich sugar flavour. Demerara sugar is one type of brown sugar that I always have at home. It is natural brown sugar, named after the former colony Guyana. It is light brown with large crystals. It gives baked goods additional crunch and also works well with your morning coffee, desserts, cakes, and ice cream. Farina sugar, although brown, is actually white sugar to which molasses or sugarcane syrup is added. It is moist, so best stored in a jar. It adds a unique sweetness. Dark muscovado, which is very aromatic, is unrefined brown sugarcane sugar, which is prepared by boiling syrup and then drying in the sun until all the excess moisture is evaporated. It is perfectly suited to fruit and chocolate cakes, spicy sauces, and chutney. Its brother, light muscovado, is the best brown sugar. Very aromatic, unrefined sugarcane sugar the colour of light honey, and with a mild, creamy caramel taste. Suited to cakes, cookies, and spicy foods. It is milder than the dark muscovado, because it contains less molasses. Rapadura is less refined sugarcane sugar with a rougher texture and more iron. You won’t be able to make caramel from this sugar, but you can safely add it to all kinds of food. It has a full taste, but is not quite as sweet as other sugars. Coconut sugar, which has arrived here only recently, has been used in Asia for centuries. It is obtained by heating the sap of coconut palm tree leaves. It’s a great additive to many foods, especially for those who want less and more healthy sugar, or something interesting.
Vanilla beans– obligatory! The more, the better. Store them in a closed jar, but never throw away after using. If you are making a vanilla sauce or something else, remove the bean, dry completely on the windowsill, and then place in a jar of sugar. I fill several jars this way, and I have homemade vanilla sugar, which also makes a great gift. Look for Bourbon, Tahiti, Madagascar, or other types of vanilla, because each has its own taste nuances.
Vanilla extract, sugar and powder– one package of each, because they can be added to virtually anything and always.
Condensed milk– is great for desserts, cakes, and quickly made ice cream.
Cornstarch– for sauces, cheese cakes, and desserts. I like it better than potato starch – I use organic cornstarch.
Flour– lots and many types. High quality wheat, self-raising (it already has baking powder), whole wheat, spelt, buckwheat, kamut, and gluten free. I am crazy about variety, and I love to have a variety on my shelf for every occasion. If you don’t experiment much, choose the ones you use most regularly, so they don’t take up so much space and you don’t ultimately have to throw them out. Still – the more, the better.
Flakes– I always have oat flakes at home, but lately I have also added quinoa, 5-grain, rice, and other types, in case I need or desire them. You can use whole flakes in cookies, bread, and other recipes, or process them for finer crumbles or even flour.
Extracts, essences or oils– my favourites are orange, mint, coffee, almond, and cocoa extracts and oil. This is one of those things that I buy in organic produce shops when travelling – there are so many flavours to choose from. The last time I brought back bergamot powder and oil, and in France I found orange blossom water and rosewater, which are available in Latvia as well, but this is a tradition I love to continue.
Syrup– maple, agave, coconut, date, etc. Actually, it’s enough to have maple syrup at home, because even a small amount will change and enrich any food (it’s heavenly in cookies and cakes).
Neutral oil, such as grape seed oilthat works for carrot cake(p….) and other cakes (p.), muffins (p.), and cookies.
Sea salt – can’t live without it, because salt is necessary for pastries for two reasons. Firstly, it reacts with other ingredients and creates the perfect environment for activating other products (for instance, it helps the yeast rejuvenate in yeast dough), but don’t add too much. Secondly, it enhances the flavour of other products.
Gelatin sheets– easy to useand frequently used in many cuisines. I once looked at these quite skeptically, but now I always have some at home (I only buy organic), and I rarely use gelatin powder.
Spices– cinnamon (it’s always on my shelf), ginger powder, cardamom, and cloves. Those four basic spices are a must – classics that suit so many things.
Chocolate– 70% dark chocolate, white, and milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is always on my shelf, because I use it most frequently, but every now and again, it’s good to try something different. It’s important to buy good quality chocolate or you can end up ruining your dessert because it didn’t melt well.
Dry yeast– you never know when you will want to fill the house with the smell of freshly baked bread or yeast pancakes.
