Baking Adventures at the Library

This month's meeting of the Bakers' Club at the library had a theme that piqued my curiosity: Shapes. I was eagerly anticipating the variety of interpretations on the theme and was excited to see what other members would bring to the table. The possibilities felt endless—cookie cutters, shaped cakes, and intricate pastry designs were all on the horizon. However, as is sometimes the case in the world of baking, my offering didn’t quite turn out as planned. But, of course, it didn’t stop me from bringing it in!

I had decided to try something a little different this month: a vintage set of Fairy Irons—an old-fashioned tool that makes little waffle-like batter cases using a batter similar to pancake batter. The irons are shaped in various fun forms, and the process involves dipping them into the batter and then into hot oil to cook. The idea is simple: once they’re cooked, the product should easily fall off the irons, ready to eat. Simple, right? Well, not quite. My batch decided to become stubborn and stuck to the irons, requiring me to carefully chisel them off with a blunt knife. It was a bit of a comedy of errors, but as always, I carried them to the meeting and presented them with a smile.

Despite my personal “failure” (which felt pretty far from the delicate golden brown creations I had imagined), the atmosphere at the club was warm, and we quickly turned it into a productive brainstorming session. Fellow members offered tips, tricks, and suggestions, and I left the meeting determined to try again—and again if need be—until I got it right. Sometimes, after all, the best part of baking is the learning journey.

Other members had better luck with their creations, and the variety on display was fantastic. There were star-shaped Belgian biscuits, which added a lovely, sweet crunch to the spread, a beautiful butterfly-shaped sponge cake that was as light as air, several perfectly crisp shortbread cookies, and perfectly rolled brandy snap cones with a delicious cream filling. It was clear that everyone had embraced the “Shapes” theme in their own unique way, turning their creations into pieces of edible art.

As our next theme will focus on New Zealand Classics, I thought it would be helpful for everyone to have a bit of inspiration to work with. So, I brought along a stack of popular New Zealand-authored recipe books for members to browse through. These books are full of iconic Kiwi recipes that capture the essence of New Zealand's culinary culture, from meat pies to pavlovas to feijoa delights. I thought they’d be a great resource for anyone in need of ideas for the next meeting.

This month's gathering was a wonderful reminder of the camaraderie and creativity that baking encourages. Whether it's a recipe that fails or one that turns out perfectly, the club is all about having fun, trying new things, and supporting each other along the way. I’m already looking forward to our next theme and can’t wait to see what delicious Kiwi classics everyone will bring. And who knows? Maybe my Fairy Irons will finally cooperate next time!

Posted by Hannah

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