lavendar 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 hi girls...may i ask what sort of measuring cups u all r using to measue flour n sugar n etc?i always c in cookbooks saying in cups...some in gramms...so how do we convert? eg. 1 cup of flour and 1 cup sugar and nuts are not the same amount correct?pls help...thanks alot... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beautifulgown 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 I'm having the same problem too, but problem solved! I bought the cup measuring tool :)I also refer to a website for the cup measurement .. here is the linkhttp://www.recipegoldmine.com/kitchart/kitchart2.htmli hope it helps :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 I'm having the same problem too, but problem solved! I bought the cup measuring tool :) I also refer to a website for the cup measurement .. here is the linkhttp://www.recipegoldmine.com/kitchart/kitchart2.htmli hope it helps :)what sort of measuring cup u bought?i have tis cup which has measurement for flour, sugar, liquid and rice... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meiteoh 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 You can buy measuring cups specifically for baking. Cups here do not refer to your normal water glasses or mugs. The cups can be used for both dry - nuts, flour, sugar, etc - and wet - butter - ingredients. You'll need a separate measuring glass for liquids. Also, "how much" depends on how you pack your cup. Usually ingredients are to be filled until level and not tightly packed unless otherwise specified in the recipe.Recipes books come from two major global publisher locations - UK or US. Some publishers provide both cup/gram measurements. Some give only either one. There are books that provide measurements in ounces. When purchasing recipes books, always go for grams/ounces - most measuring scales (especially the old school ones) come in grams and ounces.If you must purchase a recipe book in cups, make sure you have the measuring cups. Try not to convert blindly because some formulas do not give you accurate results. For example, America gallon has less litres of water compared to British gallon. Just save yourself the trouble and buy a scale AND cups. :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simonne 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 I always convert them to gram. Coz eg : flour in cup - i personally think is not accurate.If you have the budget, invest in digital measurement... (dunno what you call that) BUt its good, can measure very accurately as little as 1gram! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 i have a cup which comes in gramms... n also some measuring spoons...tat could be enough for beginner ya? :o Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meiteoh 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 Well, I have a normal scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons. Works well for me. :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beautifulgown 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 I think the one that I bot is the same as mabel ones, measuring cups and measuring spoons too.1 packet comes with 2 sets, 1 for cups and 1 for spoons.I left it at FH's house, can't take a photo to show you, maybe others can help.It works fine with me.Simonne is right, we can invest on digital measurement, that one is more accurate. I will invest that when my skill is getting better :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fusionista 0 Report post Posted December 5, 2007 I only use proper tools if I have to follow a recipe, esp for baking.Since I like to do things on the fly, I cook my meals using my hands as my measurement tool... a handful of this, a thumb size of that, and a pinch of those :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted December 6, 2007 Meiteoh & beautiful gown,i hope i could get around easily in baking like u girls.. this is something new for me.. :( Fusionista,wow...i have seen those pictures u posted here...ur cooking is really terrific...up to 5 stars hotel's standard..i believe u r really a pro even not looking at the photos as u measure things jus like a big chef... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fusionista 0 Report post Posted December 6, 2007 *paiseh* No lah, but big thanks for your extreme compliments. I just let my soul do the cooking, when you cook from your heart, everything will be great! Make sure you eat with your heart too! :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted December 7, 2007 haha...ya true...eat with the heart...even not nice also will be nice cos the person who eats with the heart sees and feels how wonderful the person who cooks with a heart...i have tried a few times of baking with my sister and sister in law...1st few times was really a mess...cakes not rising...taste terrible...alwis wondered if the recipe has problem or we had the problems...keke...so recently i'm quite free so tried to do n voila...taste better...but sad to say...my FH doesnt fancy pastry n cakes...so my family wil be my guinea pig... however FH requested for some italian food and he offered to play masak masak with me doin pizza...gosh... :o i hope it wil be a success...tried lasagna...somehow the sheets very hard at the corners even i have pre-cooked it when the box said noneed boil them...sigh...2nd attempt must do better....after i've got better i think i wan2 invest in a good scale...perhaps a better oven...wat sort of oven u r using?cos we r jus beginners so we jus use the normal tefal oven (small litre)... thinking of buying a bigger one n better brand...wat do u suggest? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simonne 0 Report post Posted December 7, 2007 lavendar : Electric OvenRegarding oven, mine is a "mini size" oven. Sharp - the one can ft one whole chicken in. I use bonuslink point to exchange it (about 4 years back)That day i thought my oven is goin died, i did some research on oven. But expect anything between RM200-300 for (ok ok oven) For pricing wise, Pensonic is the cheapest. ElbaI think i'm gonna get Elba when my oven dies..... That day i saw i think around RM300 .Inside of teh oven is so huge.. Which is good lol.I think Jusco MidValley has wide selection of "electric oven".Some brand like "Moulinex" is expensive but they are good. My mum's oven is Moulinex which is almost 10 years old and still working! According to her that time she bought is RM500++ Nowadays seldom see this brand. Maybe at those upper market electrical shop eg : Harvey Normal / Best DenkiIf you have the budget you can option for "all in 1 oven" which has roasting, baking, steaming.. basically can do everything but $$$ lah..or you can option for Digital oven- their temperature is very accurate good for baking , again $$$When shopping for oven, dun buy too small.. I mean the size of the tray that can fit in the oven - is better wide enough ..Else you can only bake muffin and bigger cake / cookies tray cannot go in!By the way, my oven is quite small, can fit in tray (10.5" X 10.5" max) so if there are nice tray of 12" i cannot buy coz cannot fit in my ovenHope it helps you to decide which oven to buy...When i started baking, many of my fail cakes went and feed the dog. Sometimes that stupid also dun wanna eat. But as you bake more, you will know where goes wrong. Sometimes can't follow 100% from recipe. You can try this simple recipe :Orange Cupcakes You can substitute orange juice with dragon fruit juice, strawberries juice ( but not papaya juice/ banana juice coz they are heavy)Measuring ToolsI found this picture from the net.The Pyrex jar measurement tool is really good for measuring liquid especially oil. Coz plastic one very difficult to cleanMy measuring cup and spoon are in yellow colour. I bought them at JuscoYou might this link on How to MeasureHappy Baking & Welcome to the club! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futurebride 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 lavendar : Electric OvenRegarding oven, mine is a "mini size" oven. Sharp - the one can ft one whole chicken in. I use bonuslink point to exchange it (about 4 years back)That day i thought my oven is goin died, i did some research on oven. But expect anything between RM200-300 for (ok ok oven) For pricing wise, Pensonic is the cheapest. ElbaI think i'm gonna get Elba when my oven dies..... That day i saw i think around RM300 .Inside of teh oven is so huge.. Which is good lol.I think Jusco MidValley has wide selection of "electric oven".Some brand like "Moulinex" is expensive but they are good. My mum's oven is Moulinex which is almost 10 years old and still working! According to her that time she bought is RM500++ Nowadays seldom see this brand. Maybe at those upper market electrical shop eg : Harvey Normal / Best DenkiIf you have the budget you can option for "all in 1 oven" which has roasting, baking, steaming.. basically can do everything but $$$ lah..or you can option for Digital oven- their temperature is very accurate good for baking , again $$$When shopping for oven, dun buy too small.. I mean the size of the tray that can fit in the oven - is better wide enough ..Else you can only bake muffin and bigger cake / cookies tray cannot go in!By the way, my oven is quite small, can fit in tray (10.5" X 10.5" max) so if there are nice tray of 12" i cannot buy coz cannot fit in my ovenHope it helps you to decide which oven to buy...When i started baking, many of my fail cakes went and feed the dog. Sometimes that stupid also dun wanna eat. But as you bake more, you will know where goes wrong. Sometimes can't follow 100% from recipe. You can try this simple recipe :Orange Cupcakes You can substitute orange juice with dragon fruit juice, strawberries juice ( but not papaya juice/ banana juice coz they are heavy)Measuring ToolsI found this picture from the net.The Pyrex jar measurement tool is really good for measuring liquid especially oil. Coz plastic one very difficult to cleanMy measuring cup and spoon are in yellow colour. I bought them at JuscoYou might this link on How to MeasureHappy Baking & Welcome to the club!Hi Simonne,Thanks for your tips and the weblink above. I'm also a beginner and always can't bake good cakes. Had many many attempts but still not good...guess I dont have the talent like you and the rest in this forum. Anyway, the information from the weblink helps a lot for the beginners like myself. I will "ganbatte" and hope to get more tips from all the "SI FU" here :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simonne 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 futurebride When i started baking last time , i always end up with hard as rock muffin ( haha) just never give up be it baking / cooking. Even now, when trying new recipe .. i still face failure.. heheHappy baking! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fusionista 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 When I bake, I follow instructions 110% because of my past failure when I tried to bake my first cake about 11 yrs ago. Turned out like hard kueh :( because I beat everything and waited for a few hours to bake, thinking that I will have hot cake for my family when my parents come home from work. Everyone laughed at me and I never baked anymore, until 10 yrs later. I can't really advise you on the oven because in North America, almost all stove units come with oven. We don't have to go out to search for a separate oven like in M'sia. Whatever oven you get, make sure that the temperature is accurate or steady. You might want to invest in an oven thermometer to learn about your oven hot spots, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beautifulgown 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 I remember my first cake (last yr) .. it sink down! hahahaha .. so terrible but still can eat second try become ok.For my case is I have to noe my oven and also the temperature and timing control, so far now getting better. Last week try to bake butter cake again and this round is good, I don't follow the temperature and time suggested by the bakery book, I have mine own one. :)Happy baking ya. This weekend will try peanut butter cake (the recipe book bought frm simonne) :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futurebride 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 I remember my first cake (last yr) .. it sink down! hahahaha .. so terrible but still can eat second try become ok.For my case is I have to noe my oven and also the temperature and timing control, so far now getting better. Last week try to bake butter cake again and this round is good, I don't follow the temperature and time suggested by the bakery book, I have mine own one. :) Happy baking ya. This weekend will try peanut butter cake (the recipe book bought frm simonne) :)Hi beautifulgown, fusionista, simonne,Thanks for all your advise and tips. I also follow 100% of the recipes and I tot any owen can do good job. I tried n tried luckily sometimes can still eat but family member suffer a lot or....now they so scare when I bake...hehe....coz scared to be guinea pig again. No body want to eat ler!...Im so hurt and sad :( Must learn from you gals here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 my 1st cake did not rised at all... few tries started to rise but hard on the outside n soft (more like uncooked) inside.Now things got better at least can eat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meiteoh 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 My situation is just like Christine now - all the stove tops come with ovens and in Switzerland, the apartments all come with a working kitchen!!!!The trouble here is getting all the other mixing stuff - no measuring cups over here (luckily I've some stashed at home waiting to be shipped over once I move to the new place). I'm eyeing the KitchenAid here but it retails for CHF899 (multiply by 3 for value in RM). =.=But HB did buy me a breadmaker from Moulinex for 69 euroes though. I do need an ice cream maker...and definitely my baking stuff ASAP. :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beautifulgown 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 mabel,I believe once you got your baking stuff you will start your baking again :) can't wait to see your works ah :P too bad, I can't be as good as you :P guess I'm not a patience person, a while learn this .. a while learn that .. nothing can keep me in interest for long time .. hahaha hope this baking will change me :Pfuturbride,never give up, once you can handle your oven everything is possible de :) not all the ovens are the same, so you must know and handle your oven well.lavendar,My FH always the victim but luckily each time can eat :P except for one thing, he is too smart la and make the cake .. yuck! hahaha .. I don't want to remember that incident, too scary la .. not my fault but is his fault! hahaahah .. I remember first time when I tried the cheesecake recipe .. my god!! hard and not sweet at all! hahaha then later my sis-in-law told me I shud using hong kong flour instead of other flour, on the second try using hong kong flour and .. yup!! successful. :)I always be careful when I try on the new recipe .. I will change it according to my lousy 'six sense' but I note down the charges and during the baking I just hope the oven will not explode! hahahaha .. normally I don't want to taste first and let FH tries :P heheh .. if he said ok then mean is ok, if he said Ling .. ahhh .. then I know la :P luckily each time ok .. phewww Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simonne 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 sometimes, the recipe book dun tell us everything eg : to beat how long, dun over beat on certain thing.Over my previous baking i learn than once flour is added into batter , i make sure i dun over beat to avoid kueh like texture. When adding flour to batter, i use spatula to fold whenever possible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lavendar 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 meiteoh,kahwin to switzerland already?congrates!! my baking has seen some improvement ever since I started baking... oh my, those days I was like suddenly need help when baking cos very confused with the measurements. However I did bought the tools simonne recommended and then can see improvement. Kinda like can feel how the batter should be and soon can 'feel' abit when things should be mixed. Thanks all.. But... i paiseh post the ugly cake here... sorry for that... not even close to 30% look of those in culinary creations la girls... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fusionista 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 Mabel,Just get a Kitchenaid Stand mixer and then get the attachments. I'm eyeing on the pasta maker and ice cream attachments :P Mine is the vintage one and they are under USD$100 and all the current modern attachments still works with the vintage models. The mixer comes with a flat beater, dough hook and wire whisk. You'll love it, really! :P I have a Kitchenaid 12-cup food processor too... the motor is over 1 horsepower and comes with multi-purpose, shredding and 2 slicing blades! Cooking for a party is a breeze with these guys The only down side of having a stand mixer is, well, it takes a lot of counter space and when you rent, the kitchen isn't that big :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beautifulgown 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2008 simonne,what will happen if beat for too long (after added the flour)? then normally for how long after the flour is added? hahah .. I got not idea for how long but I just use my lousy 'six sense' again :P I hope I'm not making any mistake sometimes, the recipe book dun tell us everything eg : to beat how long, dun over beat on certain thing.Over my previous baking i learn than once flour is added into batter , i make sure i dun over beat to avoid kueh like texture. When adding flour to batter, i use spatula to fold whenever possible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites