pricings

Have been asked to make some cakes and cookies to be used at the School's Summer Fete. Apparently they might even be raffle prizes, hmm am I liable if they make anyone ill?! I might even get reimbursed for the ingredients so this weekends task is to work out costings of some of my main recipes. Charging is a scary, but I guess necessary, consideration.

experiment or cheat- not sure

It is the time of year where my workload increases significantly therefore it only makes sense to head to the Kitchen!
For some time now I have been experimenting with cookie recipes and had found one that I was pretty confident in. My aim was now to try some flavours. I went for raspberry and white chocoloate first as today is Daddy's Day and I know my Dad likes them. Apparently he had them for the first time at a Millie's Cookies in York when I went for a university interview- ahh how sweet!
So, being me I decided to look into recipes again. This is where the cheat or experiment comes from. In using a recipe I got from the web I can't really say I am experimenting (aside from trying a new recipe) as I was working from someone elses recipe and not mine. However, I did use their recipe.
First off, what a lot of mixture! Biggest cookies ever! The smell of raspberries cooking is amazing! I couldn't resist breaking off an edge to try and I have to say I liked what I tasted. Cooking times need to be worked out though.
Handed them over to the family guinea pigs yesterday. Todays comments were, 'which millies did you buy them from' and my favourite 'Dad let me try one of the cookies. They are so good. Like millies cookies ones. You've cracked the cookie world'. Seeing as that was coming from two people who aren't found of 'soft' biscuits, that's not bad going. But still, it isn't my recipe it is someone elses!
Today I have made them again this time with my raspberries and then a second batch with dark chocolate and orange. I just made up the quantities for the these. They are in the oven as I type so we shall see what they come out like.
Fingers crossed! Tomorrow they go to the work guinea pigs!

the emotions of baking

I have long believed that, as cheesy as it sounds, if you bake with love the results are always so much better. In reading cookbooks etc I have come across others who also believe this to be the case. Feeding people, providing for them is an act of love and no more so than when you are creating something for one specific person.
I often bake when stressed and in doing so manage to refocus my mind onto more positive things. There are other times when I am just not in the mood and if I do have to bake it is a struggle. Other times it is such a joy that I get rather carried away and only step when run out of space! More often than not it is a sure fire way to forget yourself and when you focus on the positive thoughts it all seems to 'flow' so much better and the cakes taste better too.
My pondering for today is, would others know or is it subjective. If I were to bake right now would someone else know my mood or ultimately would even I be able to work it out.
Hmm, what to bake...