I am a good cook but................. ........

I'm with FGT - I'm an OK cook, but most of the time- frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

On a more serious note, my pastry is only good for a missile.

Kindred spirits then ChocLG! 😊

I can’t do gravy. It’s never thick enough and is tasteless. We don’t eat meat so it’s difficult. Can anyone please help?

Pastry……..buy it ready made now.

Who needs pastry anyway? ( I’ve never been any good at pastry, but it doesn’t bother me).
I can’t even make crumble or scones any more as my food processor is broken.

Yorkshire puddings are lovely when just for me, but when I want them to be special for visitors they are always rubbish!

Anything battered is my no go area, my nan used to make the best fish and chips I have ever had but I cannot get mine anything like it.
I can make yorkshires, scones, pastry or breads with no problems.

Another here who is, I’m ashamed to say, hopeless at Yorkshire pudding! I shall be turning in my white rose badge! DD makes fabulous Yorkshire puddings but rarely cooks a Sunday lunch. When they come to me, we have ready made ones!

I couldn’t do Yorkshire puds until I found Mary Berry’s recipe. That works every time, even for me.

GrannyGravy13

Jelly, it is my bete noir I even struggle with the cubes.

I can knock up a pavlova, most cakes, boeuf en croute, (or any other pastry involved dish) my Yorkshire puddings touch the roof of the oven, but jelly…

Did you know that you can put cubes in a bowl and micro to melt? Then just add boiling water.

The trick is to measure the water, and that means it cools down, but if you micro the jelly it stays really (dangerously) hot, so when you add the off boiling measure water it will still mix

The only bread I've ever made came out like bricks. I'd defy anyone to slice it up!

Skydancer

I can’t do gravy. It’s never thick enough and is tasteless. We don’t eat meat so it’s difficult. Can anyone please help?

My gravy is OK, but if I'm in a hurry I use Bisto Best. The lamb one is particularly good.

Anything with yeast, scones, pancakes (Scotch), and until recently the dreaded poached eggs!

I also always use my food processor for pastry, crumble or scones. I think I must have hot hands as I can't make them well by hand.
I don't have any trouble with Yorkshires though, I use a very basic recipe and preheat the greased trays in a 210 degree oven. I have two types of tray; deep muffin tins or shallower Yorkshire holes, depending on how big I want them. Once they've risen well I turn the oven down to 190 so that they can cook inside without burning.
So many people seem to have trouble with them, I tried to help my daughter and my daughter in law and found that they didn't leave the batter to rest for a while and didn't pre-heat the oven and tins. Perhaps some ovens simply don't get hot enough?

I can make any kind of cake and pastry but scones defeat me, no idea why🤷‍♀️

I can't make bread either and I too consider myself a good cook. I think this is probably a good thing though as if I love bread ... and I'm fat enough!!

My pastry used to be so-so. But since I got arthritis in my thumb joints, I can't rub the fat into the flour any more. I have to use an old-fashioned pastry knife (with horizontal blades and a handle on top) and pastry is so much better.

For those struggling with Yorkshire pudding, here is the recipe I use and it always turns out fab. 100 gms plain flour, 2 eggs beaten, pinch salt, 300 ml or 10 fl oz milk, 2 tablespoons beef juices, dripping or oil. Make in the usual way but most importantly is to get the fat really, really hot so it sizzles when you pour the batter in. 220degreesC, or 425degreesF, or gas mark 7. I make mine in one large tin but should be ok in patty tins or a four hole Yorkshire pudding tin.

Scones and Yorkshire puddings

scones. they taste fine, but never rise. So butter one and pop another on top. Have tried every trick in the book and have given up with them.

My first husband used my Yorkshire one time as a doorstop.
I kid you not. Ex of course, but I’m a Yorkshire lass too

I'm quite a good cook but can't make rice pudding or jam.
The rice is either hard and raw with the milk all gone or its solid as a brick you could make a wall with it. TG for ambrosia tinned rice lol
Jam was a disaster too. The first lot I burned the pan black and it came out dry and stringy. The second lot was really watery and didn't set.
But I can make perfect cakes and sponges so it's not me lol

My scones would better used as targets at a clay shooting range .

Sky dancer, when I make gravy without meat stock, I use Marmite, a little tomato purée and two or three squares of plain chocolate. I thicken it with cornflour mixed with a couple of tbsps of cold water.