It may seem like a silly thing to some people, to really like baking. I’m not overly good at it and am not a big eater, but it’s such an enjoyable activity it makes me wish sometimes I had more imagination for it. Or knowledge of flavours and what goes well with what. But I do not, and I have tried. My brother was a chef for years and my mother cooked well with African influences (she grew up in Uganda), but none of this rubbed off on me.

To try and enjoy cooking and eating a bit more, I decided to look at the processes and the content – i.e calories, carbs, protein and building a balanced meal. Possibly too scientific and not enough creative, who knows. With a recipe though I am usually fine and can pull it off, if I follow it. Once nailed I can improvise a bit, but stray too far from it and it usually goes wrong. My favourite has to be pastries and desserts, this is where I am comfortable.

I also forget how engaging it is, you have to be present, again if you stray mentally, it can go wrong. It’s good exercise, standing and moving to create something tasty. I need to remember all these things and do more baking!

Today we have Jam Tarts – Strawberry, raspberry and apricot.

MKW Baking