procrastobaking

I wrote the following article for my college magazine - one of my favourite pastimes!

The procrastobaker.

While the rest of you spend hours sat at your desks perusing Facebook or catching up on iPlayer’s latest offerings, I’ve discovered a whole new sphere in which to procrastinate: the kitchen.

The beauty of baking is that it not only takes up a considerable amount of time, but also results in an end product: a delicious cake. And if your sweet tooth is anything like mine, the endless opportunities afforded by the production of various cookies, cakes, brownies and other sweet treats makes procrastobaking a wonderfully addictive diversion.

A skilled procrastobaker can easily devote an entire day to this pastime. First of all there’s the decision-making process: considerable time ought to be spent choosing the best possible recipe, involving extensive research on the internet, or, if you’re taking the task seriously, a trip to the library to delve into Mrs. Beeton’s archives for extra tips.

Now that you’ve chosen your recipe, a leisurely cycle to Sainsbury’s is usually necessary in order to pick up ingredients.

Back in college, it’s time to get started on your project. Take your time though; you wouldn’t want spoil all your hard work by missing a crucial stage of the recipe.

Once you’ve put your mixture in the oven you’ve got at least an hour to stay close by, admiring the cake rising magically and taking in the mouth-watering aroma it gives off.

When it’s finished cooking, more ambitious procrastobakers might choose to ice or decorate their cake. Again, this is a painstaking process that rewards dedication and ought not to be rushed.

Now it’s time to share the fruits of your efforts with friends: the afternoon is best spent inviting people over and catching up on their news whilst eating a slice or two.

By now your cake has probably been finished off, so you might as well put your evening to good use and begin deciding what you’ll bake tomorrow to replace today’s offering. Or perhaps you ought to bake a second cake to ensure that your staircase doesn’t feel neglected either...

My proudly procrastobaked peach cake. Heaven.