Quote: Jennie @ 18th November 2013, 9:00 AM GMTI love baking.
Quote: Ben @ 18th November 2013, 6:14 PM GMTOne thing I hate with the current fad for baking is the people who claim they LOVE to bake.
I have just made brownies with salted caramel swirls and Red Velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream (yes, that's two lots of cream).
I am not going to offer Ben a slice. 
Can I have Ben's slice?
Consider it packed and on its way to you. 
Jennie, it's only the pretend bakers I despise. Your brownies and cake exhibit a certain element of talent.
Quote: Ben @ 18th November 2013, 11:19 PM GMTJennie, it's only the pretend bakers I despise. Your brownies and cake exhibit a certain element of talent.
Crawler!
Quote: Ben @ 18th November 2013, 11:19 PM GMTJennie, it's only the pretend bakers I despise. Your brownies and cake exhibit a certain element of talent.
There is some skill to making scones properly though, probably more skill than in a basic cake, in fact.
Quote: Jennie @ 18th November 2013, 10:01 PM GMTI have just made brownies with salted caramel swirls and Red Velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream (yes, that's two lots of cream).
I am not going to offer Ben a slice.
Two lots of calcium, good for your bones.
Quote: Ben @ 18th November 2013, 11:19 PM GMTJennie, it's only the pretend bakers I despise. Your brownies and cake exhibit a certain element of talent.
To be honest, I don't think baking (unless it is very technical baking - popular in the 80's and on GBBO) requires much talent.
I've just mixed butter and sugar and chocolate together - who would have thought it would taste nice? You can't really go far wrong.
The real creativity and talent comes from coming up with your own recipes and mixing new flavours together. That requires real knowledge and skill.
Quote: reds @ 19th November 2013, 8:47 AM GMTTwo lots of calcium, good for your bones.
Exactly. Plus, if you eat an apple afterwards it TOTALLY cancels out the cake.
Quote: Jennie @ 18th November 2013, 10:01 PM GMTI have just made brownies with salted caramel swirls and Red Velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream (yes, that's two lots of cream).
I am not going to offer Ben a slice.
Want. And quite right he'd only spoil it by mixing it with a rum and coke.
Quote: Nogget @ 18th November 2013, 6:39 AM GMTIt's easy for a well-paid professional like you to mock
Oh, thanks. You're quite right. It is very easy.
Cheers. 
Think I might try and make chilli con carne on weekend. I've never made it before, but have a few recipes. They all say to use mince, which I'm not keen on. Has anyone ever tried to make it with beef strips/chunks?
I have a slow cooker so thinking if I cooked it long enough the beef would go tender but not sure if the rest would go to mush.
Any advice appreciated.
Quote: reds @ 7th May 2014, 2:16 PM BSTThink I might try and make chilli con carne on weekend. I've never made it before, but have a few recipes. They all say to use mince, which I'm not keen on. Has anyone ever tried to make it with beef strips/chunks?
I have a slow cooker so thinking if I cooked it long enough the beef would go tender but not sure if the rest would go to mush.
Any advice appreciated.
Authentic chile con carne should be made with small cubes of meat - pork or beef are both traditional.
The same for Shepherd's pie and Bolognaise.
Mince is just convenient but texturally very different.
If the cubes aren't too big it should tenderise without the slow cooker - but I'm sure it'll be fine.
Any kind of bean should be added towards the end of cooking anyway or, as you say, it'll turn to mush.
Quote: reds @ 7th May 2014, 2:16 PM BSTThink I might try and make chilli con carne on weekend. I've never made it before, but have a few recipes. They all say to use mince, which I'm not keen on. Has anyone ever tried to make it with beef strips/chunks?
I have a slow cooker so thinking if I cooked it long enough the beef would go tender but not sure if the rest would go to mush.
Any advice appreciated.
I've only ever seen it with mince, but with chunks it could be really nice. Like a casserole.
It's traditional to make it with chuck steak and no beans.
I'd say that'd be fine, or use a mixture of mince and chuck.
The biggy is cooking it for a couple of hours and getting the spices right, a mix of cardamon, chilli, paprika and cinamnon.
Heston Blumenthal did a documentary on how to make the perfect chilli if you can find it.
Talking of chilli, I made this a few years ago and it was delicious:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/green-chilli