Search Results for '("C'

[BakerAunt]

I experimented on Thursday with a recipe for Whole Wheat Julekake, a Norwegian Christmas bread, using the recipe in Ken Haedrich's Home for the Holidays: Festive Baking with Whole Grains (pp178-179.

I made a few changes in that I used the yeast for high sugar doughs, replaced a cup of the regular flour with more whole wheat flour, used buttermilk instead of milk, reduced the salt by 25%, and replaced ¼ cup butter with a scant 3 Tbs. avocado oil. I cut the cardamom in half from 1 tsp. and added ½ tsp. cinnamon, as my husband's tolerance for cardamom is not that high. I also added golden raisins, cranberries, cherries, and sliced almonds. I used pearl sugar with the egg wash, an idea I saw in another Julekake recipe. I baked it as a single loaf, using the bread bowl I bought some years ago from King Arthur.

It was probably too much dough for the bread bowl, and the baking time extended to an hour and 15 minutes. I do not use the bread bowl often, as it seems to slow down baking time even with a smaller loaf, something that I and others noted in reviews some years ago. After the first 70 minutes, with the loaf at 165F, I removed it from the bowl and put it directly on the oven rack for 7 minutes, when it finally tested at 198F.

I plan to add a glaze from another Julekake recipe (the one that gave me the idea of half cinnamon. It is a well-shaped loaf, but somewhat darker than I would have liked. I'll post tomorrow about texture and taste.

Oh, and when I was mixing the dough, I was distracted by trying to help my husband with a computer search issue, and initially forgot to add the egg. I had to mix it in well into the process, when the bread had been kneading for a while, and was that ever messy. Once again, I muttered to myself about the disadvantages of the open concept kitchen.

[Mike Nolan]

Fancy rice cookers and instant pots have too many settings for me!

I have a Zojirushi rice cooker that uses a simple thermocouple to control the heating elements, when the water boils off the temperature of the pan goes over 212 and it lowers the heat to a 'keep warm' setting. (I usually unplug it then.)

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the interesting article, with accompanying video, Aaron. When I bake the King Arthur pumpkin ginger braid (not challah but uses six braids), I do the six-strand braid that is specified. I have crib notes in that I bought the KABC mat that has the directions on it. While it helps to know which braid goes where, I think that there is more to it, in the positioning of the braids while working. This video gave me some ideas on how to place a strand before moving on to the next one.

A good friend, of more than 30 years once told me that it took a while for her to realize that Protestant was actually an umbrella term for a lot of different groups, with even the long-established denominations having splits within them. My friend passed away in December, four and a half years after a major stroke robbed her of so much of her life. I missed her then and miss her now.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Happy New Year everyone!

BA - thanks for the pumpkin puree recipe. I wish it were something I could try before Halloween but there is not a pumpkin to be found.

Aside from lunches and breakfast I made fried rice with chicken and broccoli. We didn't have any white rice so I used the brown rice without reading the instructions and it was mushy so the whole thing was kind of a big soggy mess. But Sam is home so instead of lasting for three meals it last for one and a half (Sam eats about five meals a day).

No baking yet. I was waiting to find out about jury duty but since I have filled my commitment I am free to bake.

[BakerAunt]

Pumpkin Puree

Making your own pumpkin puree for pies, breads, soups, or any other cooking or baking use is easy. Most canned pumpkin combines squash and pumpkin and is a noticeably different product with an inferior taste and it tends to be denser, which is why many recipes that call for canned pumpkin also specify adding water. When using homemade puree, you can usually reduce or eliminate any water specified.
Be sure to use the right kind of pumpkin for your puree. A smaller pie pumpkin is the easiest, and I often do two at once. I also like "peanut" pumpkin, which depending on size, might have to be baked one half at a time, or fairy tale pumpkin, which, if large, will also require baking one half at a time. As I try different kinds of pumpkins, I will add them to this recipe. I do not recommend the "Cinderella" pumpkin, as the amount of water does not make it worth all the work.
When buying a pumpkin, buy one with the stem intact; it will keep longer. When ready to use, the dry stem can usually be whacked off on a sturdy countertop.
You will need a knife that can cut through the pumpkin's shell. I use a Kuhn-Rikon knife that has a large, serrated edge that is designed for cutting pumpkins and squash.
To clean out the strings and seeds, I use a grapefruit spoon.
I roast my pumpkins in heavy Calphalon roasting pans. I have a small one, 14x11 inches and 2 ½ inches deep, and a large one, 16x13 inches and 3 inches deep. I can fit two halved pie pumpkins in the large one. The pie pumpkins do not have lots of water, so they could be done on a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. The peanut pumpkin and fairy tale pumpkins have more water, so higher sides are a good idea.

PIE PUMPKIN

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Wash the outside of the pumpkin and dry. Break the stem off by hitting it on the counter. Using a large, heavy-duty knife, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. Scrape out the strings and seeds using a grapefruit spoon. You may need to cut some of the strings.

Place the pumpkin cut side down in the baking pan. Bake for at least 1 hour, but more time may be needed, depending on the size of the pumpkin. When the outside can be pushed in at the highest part, the pumpkin is done. Remove pan from the oven.

Turn over the pumpkin halves so that the cut side is up. I find that a wide spatula helps. It may stick a bit but dislodge it and invert it. Allow to cool until you can handle it.

Move a half to a cutting board. Use a large spoon to scoop out the puree and put it into a food processor, in batches, depending on size of your processor. Process until smooth, transfer to bowl, then finish processing the rest.

If not using immediately, refrigerate or freeze in the portions you will need for what you plan to bake.

PEANUT PUMPKIN OR FAIRY TALE PUMPKIN
Wash and dry the pumpkin and break off the stem if possible. (For a large pumpkin, you may need to cut it first.) Cut in half lengthwise. Depending on the size of the pumpkin, your pans, and your oven, you may need to bake half at a time, with cut side down. A large pumpkin may take 90 minutes to two hours. It is done when the highest part can be pushed down or starts collapsing.

Peanut Pumpkins and Fairy Tale pumpkins have more water than pie pumpkins. I pour off any water that is in the pan, but as it cools, it will release more water. I scrape out the pumpkin, and BEFORE using the food processor, I put it into a strainer over a bowl and allow it to drain,

When the amount of water coming out has diminished, puree the pumpkin in a food processor. Use, refrigerate, or freeze.

USING YOUR PUREE
I have used the pie pumpkin puree and the fairy tale pumpkin puree in pies. The latter makes a slightly lighter pie using my recipe. I also use this puree for other baking as well. I did not think the peanut pumpkin did as well in terms of texture in a pie, but I think it is spectacular in baked goods.

ABOUT SEEDS
Although I have seen many articles about roasting seeds and eating them, and have tried several, I have never managed to produce a tasty result, and I find eating them yucky, with the shells (which there is no good way of removing) tending to get stuck between teeth. I either discard the seeds or put them out for the squirrels, chipmunks, and crows who seem to appreciate them. Other birds seem to like the stringy part.

[chocomouse]

We had pasta with a sausage, onions, and peppers marinara (from the freezer, so just needed to cook the cavitappi) and a green salad.

[BakerAunt]

I also like a good Reuben.

Our dinner was leftover turkey, dressing, gravy, and (for me) cranberry-cherry relish, and microwaved fresh broccoli.

We had fog all day but temperatures in the high 40s.

[Mike Nolan]

Omaha and Lincoln have been debating this for years, but there's some evidence that the first Reuben was sold at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. (There's also a restaurant in New York City that claims to have invented it.)

https://journalstar.com/news/local/the-reuben-may-have-been-originally-made-in-lincoln-not-omaha/article_94f3ca2f-5cb4-5cca-85cf-e2620b824e84.html

We're having salad followed by tomato soup and cheese sandwiches, it's a cold rainy day here, and if the temperature drops as expected, the rain may change to something more solid.

[BakerAunt]

One of my spaghetti squashes was showing signs of going bad, so on Monday, I baked my considerably lightened up version of Ken Haedrich's Spaghetti Squash and Parmesan Cheese Quiche. I use a 10 1//2-inch quiche dish, having had an unhappy experience with the size recommended. I use my oil-buttermilk crust (have olive oil and half canola). I cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in olive oil rather than butter, and I use a 12 oz. can of 2% evaporated milk in place of a cup of half and half or milk and 1/3 cup of heavy cream. His recipe states 2 1//2 cups spaghetti squash, but if I'm going to roast a squash, I plan to use it all. The squash was 2 lbs. 14 oz, and I cut out a couple of bad spots before roasting. I probably had somewhat over 3 cups. I use 8 oz. mushrooms (recipe states 1 ½ cups). I used pre-grated 2% mozzarella on the top as I do not have cheddar or fontina. The only drawback to this recipe is that it takes about two hours of prep and another 45 minutes to bake. I started it after 10 a.m., so lunch will be late today, but on time for the rest of the week when I warm it up.

[navlys]

Because of the relatively warm weather (45*) we grilled 8 burgers ,6 for future meals. I also sauted onions to go on top with sliced grape tomatoes. Time to clean out freezer in preparation for Florida!

[BakerAunt]

Happy New Year, Everyone!

We will be having roast turkey, which my husband has wrestled into thawdom, in spite of six days in the refrigerator. I will make Pepperidge Farm Blue Bag Dressing. (Is there really any other kind?) and make some gravy from the turkey drippings. I plan to pull out some frozen green beans that came from our garden for the vegetable. We will have more apple cake for dessert.

[cwcdesign]

Happy New Year!

We ate leftovers from our tenderloin for most of the week, with one day of chicken wild rice soup from the freezer. My brother sent us a reuben kit from Zingerman's (in the past he's sent us just bread - sending coals to New Castle). We had gone out for lunch to Mom's favorite cafe before her service on December 15th (two years later) where Will and my brother had Reubens - really good ones. Will subtly made sure that my brother knew not to send us bread again. Sadly, Zingerman's is one of those companies that is living off it's reputation. Both this year and last, the bread was stale and we had put it in the freezer as soon as it arrived. The dill pickles are soft, not crisp and the dressing was so-so. The corned beef was OK, but then was tough in the sandwich. I had marked a Reuben casserole at some point, so Will used what was left to make it yesterday. It was pretty good, considering the ingredients, and we would probably make it again with better ones. So, we will have more of that tonight.

[Mike Nolan]

After all the food we ate while our son and granddaughter were visiting, we had salads with tuna fish for supper tonight. I did make cheese dip to snack on as we watch TV (currently the OSU-Georgia game), but my wife seldom makes it to midnight on New Year's Eve.

[Mike Nolan]

I will need to make semolina bread soon, but will wait until my son figures out if his Southwest flights back to Pittsburgh (through Midway) are cancelled on Friday or not. They may be driving back.

[Mike Nolan]

The issue with ammonium bicarbonate (aka, baker's ammonia) isn't loss of potency, it is that it evaporates if not well-sealed.