A Baking question - Is it worth it to buy expensive flour?

[Lauralee]

If regular sugar (at least in the US) is not specifically marked "cane sugar" then it comes from sugar beets. Some people maintain that cane sugar is superior, others don't care. I can't really tell a difference, but I always buy cane sugar. Gues I subconsiously believe the hype.

Yep, if the bag-o-sugar doesn't say "cane sugar" on it, it is beet sugar. My thinking is that if I'm buying butter (not margarine), name brand flour, name brand baking soda, real (not imitation) vanilla, and real choc chips to bake my cookies, I'm FOR SURE not going to buy beet sugar.

Pick up a bag in the store next time, twirl it around to the ingredients, and take a looksie. If it's the generic or "cheap" brand, it's probably beet sugar.

Not bragging at all, but my daughter did win first place at the state fair with our choc chip cookie recipe, using the real stuff.

 

[TwingleMum]

For me and I bake alot the bigger difference has been the brand of butter. Butter quality seems to vary. Here your basic choices are Land o lakes, Hotel bar, store brands (supermarket or Costco) and the super expensive European brands. So if I splurge I splurge more on butter.

 

[Tiggeroo]

White Velvet cake

Recipe?

 

[pilesoflaundry]

The type of flour matters but the brand doesn't IMO. In general it's better to buy a local brand of anything though so try and buy the one made closest to you.

Growing up my dad would only buy king arthur whole wheat and gold medal all purpose. I even had the kids gold medal cook book

I used to buy only gold medal but most recently I had a few bags of publix that were very cheap due to a sale and they were just as good. Right now I have a bag of pillsbury. I haven't opened it yet but I hate their cake mix so we shall see!

As for the butter discussion. I only bake with butter. I will stock up and freeze it if I have to be able to afford that. I know butter gets expensive but it really makes a difference. I do use margarine for other stuff, all general cooking.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

I will also add in about beet sugar - - just not as good all around. I am too picky, I even prefer cane sugar from Hawaii, but since I have moved to the east coast cannot get that. When I lived in Louisiana, we used to suck on sugar cane as a treat...very sweet!!

As for flour, Gold Medal is what we always used, wouldn't buy anything else.

 

[RNMOM]

I totally agree with the butter and sugar comments as well. Beet sugar has a stronger smell to me. It tastes fine but in the container I can smell it. I haven't had difficulties with it.

As for Pillsbury cake mixes, I agree they are awful. They have a very strong chemical taste to me. I always use Duncan Hines. The very best flavor, which is hard to find, is the Swiss Chocolate. My MIL got me on to them and I just love it. It is a soft milk chocolate taste and so smooth. Wonderful with vanilla icing of any type.

I use different fats for different cookies. For example, I love Blue Bonnet margerine and use it for my sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies. Butter just is to heavy a flavor. I use butter for my chocolate chip, of course. But, and this is weird, I use butter flavored crisco for my wonderful light peanut butter cookies. It makes them turn out so much better for some reason. I use the recipe from the "Joy of Cooking" and use only Jiff peanut butter too. Butter doesn't do it for these. I also sift the flour as the recommend. I have tried not sifting it and they are really dense. I love these because they are crumbly and very peanutty.

Now, how about salt? Alton Brown always seems to use Kosher salt and we do now too but you do get salty bits of flavor in baked goods. This isn't bad but I wondered how you all feel.

 

[manning]

Old but interesting

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

ooooo a zombie thread.

5 Zombies preferred Gold Medal for fried brains.
3 preferred white lily
2 said they like their brains au natural. We took that to mean we better get out of there and end the survey.