Baking away solitude: Vienna cafe hopes to unite world's grandmas

Hofbauer, 62, grandmother and member of the social enterprise Vollpension,shows a baking tray in front of a laptop's screen during an online baking class in the kitchen of her home in Vienna, Austria. Photos: JOE KLAMAR / AFP

Framed by wooden cabinets, Karin Hofbauer holds a stick of butter to her laptop camera and imparts to the novice bakers gathered virtually in her kitchen the secrets of kneading shortcrust dough.

"It's a simple recipe, I've made it so many times for friends and family, and it's always a success," the 62-year-old Austrian says before filling the baked apple tart with nuts and vanilla custard.