By Contributing Writer Brandy Ferguson
If you missed the first post in the Simple Steps to Begin Cooking Homemade series, we talked about some essential pantry staples that will help you get started cooking from scratch.
And this month, we're discussing one of the most obvious, and probably one of our most favorite aspects of cooking homemade - baking!
I'd always loved to bake, and as we began to have children, I realized more and more the importance of using simpler ingredients. Even if I made something with white flour, I still felt better about serving that than I did canned biscuits or pancakes made from a boxed mix that contained ingredients I couldn't pronounce.
Over the years, I've replaced more and more packaged baked goods with healthier homemade versions. Baking from scratch does require a bit of planning ahead, and of course, a bit of prep work, but not only is it healthier, it can be a lot of fun!
Baked Goods to Make Instead of Buy
If you're just beginning to bake from scratch, here are a few simple recipes to experiment with, instead of buying and using packaged mixes:
Crunchy Oats and Honey Granola Bars
Pantry Staples to Help You Bake From Scratch
- whole wheat flour (If you're brand new to baking, buying flour is the easiest, but if you're up for the challenge, learn to grind your own flour here.)
- unbleached flour
- yeast
- baking powder
- baking soda
- sea salt
- pure vanilla extract
- almond butter and/or peanut butter or other nut butters
- sugar
- honey and/or maple syrup
- eggs
- butter
- coconut oil
- coconut
- nuts
- chocolate chips
- dried fruit
Where are you on your real food journey? Do you have a favorite recipe to share?
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The post Simple Steps to Begin Cooking Homemade: Baked Goods appeared first on Keeper of the Home.