It is the 2nd of September and I am back in the kitchen today with a couple of orders for collection. I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things which can only be a good thing. I have Sprinkle Cake and Empire Biscuits to bake so a nice, easy start to the month. 🙂
I have had a fairly relaxing time this summer with a great camping holiday and a trip or two to York in preparation for my eldest daughter starting university down there. It is all change in my house this school year as not only is one of my children moving away but the rest of my brood are all attending the same school which hasn’t happened for a long time.
This last month I have been making plans about what I am going to do with the webshop particularly the pricing of the products but as of yet I haven’t changed any prices but I will be soon. The cost of packaging and ingredients has increased, as well as, the energy costs, postal strikes and with everyone being in the same boat it makes running a business to actually make money a very difficult task but I will keep going for as long as I can. It may be that I have to close if it gets to be too much of a struggle or reduce the number of products as I am worrying about the costs of some ingredients now, as well as, the availability so there may be times when I have to refund an order if I can’t get hold of ingredients etc., ( just like in lockdown 2020). There is so much to take into account right now and the main point of being a self employed home baker was to earn a living from this business so I will have to pass the costs onto the customers at some point as I can’t be working for nothing I’m afraid 🙁
Enough doom and gloom though as the sun is shining here and the shopping for university kit for my eldest started in full yesterday. We are talking pans, bedding, plates etc., to name but a few of the items she is going to need. The essentials really to help her on her merry way. 🙂
My trial bakes this month have included a Cookie and Caramel Slice and Chocolate Scones ( without the raspberries this time). The Cookie and Caramel Slice worked out pretty well – my family ate it before I could take a photo of it- so it can’t have been too bad and I will have to bake it again just to take a photo. However, the changes I will make to the next batch will be to use less fat in the cookie mix as I felt it went too greasy for my liking. The caramel had a treacle taste to it and I still don’t know what I did differently but I liked the taste of it as did my husband. The Chocolate Scones were a great hit especially with fresh cream and caramel sauce as the filling although the raspberries and cream filled Scones were yummy too!! 🙂 I will have to add Chocolate Scones to the webshop in place of another product as I know there are some products which don’t sell well in comparison to others. So many changes to make and problems to solve but there is no point in getting stressed about it all.
The baking is done for today so I am sat in my office with a cup of coffee listening to some music – “Mr Blue Sky by ELO” which is very apt for today. 🙂 Whilst baking the sponge for the Sprinkles Cake I decided to cover a sponge with chocolate icing and some grated chocolate to make a welcome change from the traditional Sprinkles Cake. I am keeping this tray for my family to enjoy tonight as I don’t think it will last the weekend do you?? I still have two customers to come and collect their orders before the day is mine so until then I am going to keep on with the admin work which I want to catch up with before next week and the return of the school runs 🙁 I don’t think I am looking forward to the children going back as I really enjoy the chilled atmosphere we have going on right now 🙂 How about you??