I Feel Rather Bad

Okay, okay, so I've neglected the blog for a while. I feel awful, I feel like I haven't done any proper work in AGES! I have been lazy, but also, I moved house! I moved house in August, and I've finally got my act together and sorted through my clothes which was all in a big heap on the floor... Okay, I couldn't even see the floor, HA! Slovenly. Truly. But now I've properly sorted through the clothes and made that spare room into my lovely new office! From which I shall share with you my creations.

Anyway, enough of that. YES, I have been baking! I have baked in my shiny new kitchen with my new KitchenAid mixer that I got for my birthday and I have few treats to share with you (including my first savoury bakes!) so watch this space!

I thought you'd all like a photo as proof that I am still alive! ;)

Lots of love from Bea

x

People of the World, You Can Now Buy Things from Bea's Bakes!

HELLO EVERYONE!! This is an extremely important post to tell you all about NY NEW SHOP!! :D how exciting can you get?? Bea's Bakes is now a fully functional online bakery and you, yes you, can actually buy things from Bea. I must first apologise because unless you're based in London, I won't be able to deliver cakes to you, as I will be personally delivering cakes and bakes to your door. Anyhow, have fun, and please order yourself something delicious!! ;) 

All you have to do to order from me is go to this link 

It will be deliciously delicious! :D:D:D

Bea 

x x x

I had to get this!

Ahvid (my lovely boyfriend) keeps saying that I have enough baking books, but I say one can never have enough. I got this absolute STEAL from The Works for £9.99 (RRP around £20 from any other book shop).

Who doesn't like Paul Hollywood? I mean, seriously, who doesn't? This book says "How to Bake" on the front, but I reckon this should be simplified to "How to Bake Bread Properly Without Cheating and/or Having a Baking Disaster". This book definitely has the proper way to make bread. As I said, I don't believe in cheating (using "help" like a liquidiser/electric whisk/breadmaker) to bake, and this book certainly doesn't cut any corners with the recipes. I've skimmed through all of them and they're long, detailed, and very well written. As well as bread, we all know Paul loves his doughs. This book is very reflective of this as most of the recipes you find inside are dough based with the exception of a few cake recipes towards the back. The book is very easy to follow and every recipe is accompanied by a lovely full-page photo to actually see what your final results could be. As well as recipes it's also full of tips and step-by-step how-to photos. Very useful if you're a novice, as some recipe books are  vague and only include the bare minimum. All in all looks like a great addition to my collection and I'll hopefully be making delicious breads from this book.

Bea

x x x

I've Bought Something Else

You may recall that I love The Great British Bake-Off, and it is my hope that I shall be applying for the 2014 season (yessss!) So that I can (hopefully) meet Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. I've bought a new recipe book to help me get there! The Great British Book of Baking! :D

This is definitely something that I'll take a few recipes from to post, there's already a few I have my eye on!! This book has such a variety of stuff in it- It's not all sweet stuff! I'm most excited about the bread. How about you??

Bea

x x x

Payday Treat for Myself

I need to justify the fact that I went a bit crazy in John Lewis today. Who doesn't like to splash out every once in a while? I spent £50 (which was quite reasonable considering my hoard) on some baking things that I must say I actually really needed so I can bake and share more deliciousness with you, of course! So I'm feeling pretty good about myself after this spend, I feel like I deserved it. Today I bought:

• A muffin/cupcakes/buns tin
• A rolling pin
• A set of four silicone utensils; a scoopy spatula, a normal spatula, a pastry brush, and a whisk
• A cookie/biscuit sheet
• A loaf tin
• Pastry cutters

This is totally and completely reasonable, is it not? The reason I have purchased these things is because every time I bake, I use Roxana's (my lovely boyfriend's amazing older sister's) things. I feel bad because obviously this will wear her tins out that were probably expensive too. Once you buy things like this, you never buy them again. They're the type of thing that you have forever and never need to buy again. So here I am, set for life for all the buns, cupcakes, cookies, biscuits, muffins, tarts, and pastries I can ever imagine. I'm quite happy with my purchases. I'll let you know how I get on with them in my next bakes! :D 

Bea

x x x

Hello!

Hello Interwebs, my name is Bea, and this be my very very first blog! Aren't you all so excited!? I know I am. Here, in this hallowed space that I will now call Bea's Bakes, is where I will share with you delectable and delicious concoctions of loveliness (or in simple terms, I'm going to bake things and post them here) 

First of all, I'd like to say thank you, Interwebs, for allowing this here project to go ahead.

Second of all, the bit where I tell you about me:
As you probably have sussed, my name is Bea. It is short for Beatrice. Now that we've got the terms of address aside, I can speak about the important stuff: Baking. Stress-reliever, stress-inducer, hobby, family-feud-diffuser, whatever you want to call it. I consider it to be one of life's importances, much to my mum's chagrin because -let's face it- every time I bake at home it looks like World War 3 has commenced in the kitchen. But that's besides the point- back to the about me bit...

20 Facts About Me 

Me with my boyfriend, Ahvid (:

• I was born on June 12, 1993, in Lincoln, UK, and since then have been surgically attached to a whisk.
• My earliest memory of baking was making heart-shaped biscuits, and I remember insisting they were blue (sorry mum). 
• The recipe that I have practiced the most would definitely be currant buns (my dad's favourite).
• As previously stated, I am the world's messiest baker.
• I can't bake without a proper set of electric kitchen scales (I can't measure by eye)
• I love pastel colours
• Currently shooting with a Nikon D90 (all my photos will be either this or iPhone)
• I have a boyfriend whose name is Ahvid.
• I think using an electric whisk or food processor is cheating, unless it's to make Chantilly cream or meringues.
• I currently work for Apple, and my colleagues are my bakery guinea pigs (apart from my family).
• Biscuits are my weakness (baking them, not eating them, hah! Okay, I lied, I love eating them).
• I have never attempted a savoury bake (this will change).
• My baking idols are my nan and Delia Smith.
• My favourite cake is carrot cake.
• I wish to start a bakery very soon.
• My parents live a long way away in Orlando, Florida. ):
• I live in London.
• I'm addicted to watching The Great British Bake Off, but I must confess I hate Mary Berry.
• I love scones. A lot.

and finally

I really, really hope that this blog will be a success.

And so this concludes my very first post. Baking posts will commence soon.

Thanks for reading! (: