What's cookin', good lookin'?

[respeito]

I don't think you can get crusts that look so good here.

I like baking, but pie crust is just something that I cannot make. It always tastes good, but it never looks pretty.

Have you considered or tried using a small cookie cutter with the scraps from your crust to make the edges decorative?



Kalamain: the recipe I used was adapted from here:

I didn't have blackstrap molasses, so I used dark corn syrup. I also didn't have any cardamom, cloves, or mace, so in place of that and the ginger, I used ground nutmeg and cinnamon.

 

[MeekMe]

I've made crusts before, I always crimp with a fork and it looks uniform. It's not super pretty though. Buying a crust is WAY easier and saves a lot of time.

For yesterday I baked a pecan pie, which came out great! I also baked Brussels sprouts, which was awesome. It takes very little to make them taste good.

 

[Kalamain]

I've made crusts before, I always crimp with a fork and it looks uniform. It's not super pretty though. Buying a crust is WAY easier and saves a lot of time.

For yesterday I baked a pecan pie, which came out great! I also baked Brussels sprouts, which was awesome. It takes very little to make them taste good.

I just can't do pastry... That and rice are just beyond me.

Brussel sprouts are a bit of a maligned food.

I love it split and lightly fried off in a bit of butter with onions, walnuts and bacon.

 

[seela]

Have you considered or tried using a small cookie cutter with the scraps from your crust to make the edges decorative?

That's a good idea. Need to get me some cookie cutters... As it is I only own one that looks like a pig.

I've made crusts before, I always crimp with a fork and it looks uniform. It's not super pretty though. Buying a crust is WAY easier and saves a lot of time.

For yesterday I baked a pecan pie, which came out great! I also baked Brussels sprouts, which was awesome. It takes very little to make them taste good.

Pecan pie is so good! I've only had it twice in my life though.

Now I want to bake something, but it's too late for that. Some bread is in order tomorrow, though.

 

[respeito]

That's a good idea. Need to get me some cookie cutters... As it is I only own one that looks like a pig.



Pecan pie is so good! I've only had it twice in my life though.

Now I want to bake something, but it's too late for that. Some bread is in order tomorrow, though.

I did some digging around and apparently they sell pie crust cutters in sets. Some are even spring loaded for easy removal. When you have some spare time, just Google 'pie crust cutters' then click the 'Shopping' tab.

I also thought this was a cute idea: using a (new) skeleton key for your pie design.

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/400x/55/d2/ae/55d2aeb9bf551ec57ae6ea82e2cf4503.jpg
From buzzfeed.com

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

*delurks with an offering, for what it's worth*

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2013/11/23/butter-vs-shortening/

*resumes lurk mode*

 

[pfflyerhot]

What's Cookin?

Nothing.

 

[Kalamain]

Nothing.

Come over here... I'll whip you up something nice!

You like soup?
I'm thinking of soup for tomorrow. With homemade rolls.

 

[Kalamain]

*delurks with an offering, for what it's worth*

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2013/11/23/butter-vs-shortening/

*resumes lurk mode*

I still think pasties should have lard n the pastry.

 

[Kalamain]

Just a quick thing...

Any diabetics out there...
This is a very simple yet oh-so-yummeh recipe.

-------------------------------------

Diabetic Friendly Tea Loaf

Ingredients

300g mixed dried fruit. (Made up of whatever you like)
1 Large mug of Tea
16 tbsp Splenda (or 200g light brown muscavdo sugar)
300g Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs.
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Method

Soak the fruit in the tea for about 3 hours (or overnight if you want)

Put oven on to heat at Gas 3 (160°C - 320°F)

Mix all of the dry ingredients together

When all of the tea has been drank by the fruit mix in the dry ingredients along with the eggs to the fruit until fully combined.

Line a 2lb loaf tin with a paper liner and cook for about 60mins until golden and one of them cake tester thingies comes out clean!

 

[midwestyankee]

Yesterday: 9 pies and 1 pudding. For 6 people! Today, it's Leftovers City.

 

[Kitty]

I'm not cooking for a whole nother year since this weekend drained me.

 

[Kalamain]

Homemade Granary bread is Soooooo good!

This one is a winner and will be a regular from now on.
My only issue is that it could do with a bit of extra seeds in there. No biggie though will tweak the recipe.

http://img137.imagevenue.com/loc240/th_347460859_20141129_192816_123_240lo.jpg

 

[seela]

Since it's the first advent today, the Christmas season has officially kicked in and so has my Christmas baking season, since I like to give friends baked goods before Christmas.

I'm currently baking a cake for J to take to work. It's a Cognac cake that I've been making for years, but I only now realized that it's gluten free and since there's been discussion about gluten free baked goods, I thought I'd share the recipe. It's really easy to make, too.

250 g (8.8 oz) butter
250 g potato starch
1 tsp baking powder
250 g sugar
3 eggs
~2,5 tbsp cognac

Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F) and butter and crumb your cake form (the kind with the cone in the center). If you're making it as a gluten free cake, make sure your crumbs have no gluten in it either.

- Mix baking powder with potato starch and combine with soft butter. Whisk it until it becomes light and foamy.
- In another bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until they become foamy.
- Combine the foams and add the cognac. I use an electric hand mixer with the lowest setting and it works just fine, so while you definitely don't want to whisk out all the air of the egg foam, you don't have to be super delicate.
-Put the batter into the cake form and put it into the oven immediately so that the flour doesn't sink to the bottom.

Bake for about 55 minutes. Don't open the oven until at about 45-50 minutes in, because the cake is quite light. When you take the cake out of the oven, let it sit in the form a couple of minutes before you remove it from the form.

You can glaze the cake if you wish, or sieve powered sugar on top of it.

 

[Kalamain]

I have no idea how to get potato starch.... But I will give this a go if I can find some.

I also passed this on to a coeliac friend!

Thanks!

 

[seela]

I have no idea how to get potato starch.... But I will give this a go if I can find some.

I also passed this on to a coeliac friend!

Thanks!

Here potato starch is available everywhere, even in small stores. It's like cornstarch, very light and pure white and can be used similarly to thicken things.

Just don't mix it with potato flour, because that's very different.

 

[Kalamain]

Here potato starch is available everywhere, even in small stores. It's like cornstarch, very light and pure white and can be used similarly to thicken things.

Just don't mix it with potato flour, because that's very different.

I found that I can get it over here. Its not common in shops so I can't just nip to the local and pick up a box. But I found a shop in town that carries it. So I will give it a go.

 

[Endless_Night]

Since it's the first advent today, the Christmas season has officially kicked in and so has my Christmas baking season, since I like to give friends baked goods before Christmas.

Sounds delicious! Thanks for the gluten free, Seela. You, as usual, rock.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I have been on a bread kick as well A bumper crop of peppers had me making this jalapeño and sharp cheddar corn bread. There are both red and green peppers in there for Christmas The sharp cheddar is the little brownish bumps. It's white cheddar, but it cooks up dark like that.

https://38.media.tumblr.com/214cb288758e2b7320ba0d37efe194ff/tumblr_nfv1k5Y8i91ttoj3bo1_400.jpg

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Thanksgiving tartlets

I love to make leftovers into little tarts. Basic pie crust recipe, I use all purpose flour, iced water, half butter/half shortening, and I think baking powder but I would have to double check... I line muffin tins with the dough and then layer in the leftovers. These are especially good with Thanksgiving leftovers but I make them with anything. Roast beef, potatoes and asparagus is also quite delicious, don't forget the gravy!! They are also easy to make vegetarian. This particular batch is... A layer of turkey, a bit of gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, then stuffing, one more bit of gravy, and bake in a moderate oven about 20 minutes. Less, if you parbake the shells first. One of my favourite things!!
Yep, ugly pie crust, but I don't look at them very long

https://31.media.tumblr.com/c38382cd6543c109295994d37137f94c/tumblr_nfv1mudQTx1ttoj3bo1_400.jpg

 

[Kalamain]

Isn't that the very basic idea of the vol au vent??

Just one is plain pastry and one is puff pastry.

Still looks bloody good and a nifty idea if you are having people around the next day or so and you still want to impress.

 

[Kalamain]

I have been on a bread kick as well A bumper crop of peppers had me making this jalapeño and sharp cheddar corn bread. There are both red and green peppers in there for Christmas The sharp cheddar is the little brownish bumps. It's white cheddar, but it cooks up dark like that.

https://38.media.tumblr.com/214cb288758e2b7320ba0d37efe194ff/tumblr_nfv1k5Y8i91ttoj3bo1_400.jpg

I have never made cornbread as over here cornmeal is not easy to get hold of.

Now I know where I can I my have a go... Is it easy?

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I have never made cornbread as over here cornmeal is not easy to get hold of.

Now I know where I can I my have a go... Is it easy?

Very, very easy and versatile for additions.
Just don't over mix the batter.
50 strokes, no more, make sure your egg is beaten before adding it. Very easy, forgiving stuff!

Also, I have made the tartlets with puff pastry. Love them that way too!

 

[seela]

I found that I can get it over here. Its not common in shops so I can't just nip to the local and pick up a box. But I found a shop in town that carries it. So I will give it a go.

Cool, let me know how it turns out.

It's quite plain, so you might want to adjust the cognac. I love it with cognac glaze/syrup drizzled over it when it comes out of the oven.

I bring cognac and sugar almost to a boil (or boil the cognac first for a while if you want to get rid of the alcohol) and then drizzle it all over the cake when it's still warm. It'll seep into the cake and be extra punchy.

Sounds delicious! Thanks for the gluten free, Seela. You, as usual, rock.

You're welcome! It still has tons of sugar in it, though. The texture is really fluffy and not at all dense as gluten free baked goods often can be.

And if you end up ever making it, try it with the cognac glaze.

I have been on a bread kick as well

Ooh, that looks really good! I need to track down some cornmeal again that doesn't cost a ton.

 

[Kalamain]

Cool, let me know how it turns out.

It's quite plain, so you might want to adjust the cognac. I love it with cognac glaze/syrup drizzled over it when it comes out of the oven.

I bring cognac and sugar almost to a boil (or boil the cognac first for a while if you want to get rid of the alcohol) and then drizzle it all over the cake when it's still warm. It'll seep into the cake and be extra punchy.

I'm not a drinker now so I will probably boil off the alcohol.
Or I will try a flavouring. (Or orange juice?)

Ooh, that looks really good! I need to track down some cornmeal again that doesn't cost a ton.

Here in the UK its cheap but not easily available. I've had to search around to find it. In the end it was in a 'World food' section of a shop I don't usually visit.