A few years ago I made a large batch of eclairs (like 8 dozen) and wound up making about 6 batches of pastry cream (several of them gluten-free, to go in gluten-free eclairs). With practice, the prepping/cooking part is not where you spend the most time.
The most time-consuming part of making pastry cream is chilling it, and spreading it fairly thin on a sheet pan then putting it in a blast chiller is one way cooking competitors have to speed that up. Using a drum sieve to strain it saves time, too.
And they don't usually wait for it to get fully chilled and set, they just get it down to about 80. An extra egg yolk or two will produce a fairly firm pastry cream even when it's tepid. I have discovered, though, that it is possible to have a pastry cream get too eggy, it tastes more like scrambled eggs than pastry cream.
This has nothing to do with Aaron's pastry cream question on the recent show...but long ago, PJH of KAF discovered a quick and easy pastry cream that is quite acceptable.
Use 1 box (4 serving size) of INSTANT vanilla pudding and use cream instead of the milk called for on the box of pudding.
Aaron, you mentioned last week that you're involved in making baskets to take to people who are homebound. If you don't mind, what do you put in the baskets?
Once a month for a year, I'm taking meals to a person who is shut-in. Because I no longer take fresh-made hot meals to people, I prepare the food then freeze it. So far, I've taken soups and chili with supplemental food that goes with them, such as dinner rolls (frozen). I have a problem. I'm running out of ideas for food that freezes good. Next month, I'm going to take meatloaf, because I know it is a good freezer. So I'm wondering what you put in the baskets. Looking for ideas.
Anyone else have ideas of food that'd freeze good?
I've had a request from an office staff member to bake this cake again for her birthday. She REALLY liked the frosting. Her birthday is mid-February, so that gives me time to think about the sinking chips issue. This time, I will use mini-chocolate chips (half the amount) and dust them with a bit of the flour, I will use mini-chocolate chips as well to sprinkle on as decoration. I have a yet to be opened container of KAF espresso powder, so this time I'll be sure about its freshness (and it won't be clumped!).
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This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by
BakerAunt.
On Saturday, I baked Pecan Lime Cookies, from Cookies Unlimited, by Nick Malgieri (p.188). I realized after I'd put the first tray in that I'd forgotten the SALT. I hurriedly sprinkled some coarse Kosher salt on them. Next time, I will pay more attention. They are good, but they could have been truly great. I used bleached flour, since they are almost a shortbread, and it really does produce a superior cookie, as it did with my shortbread. I used Hudson Cream flour, as I found a 5 pound bag at my grocery store. (Thanks to Kid Pizza for having tutored us about the use of bleached flour!)
I also want to mention that I was the recipient of a wonderful spice cake with caramel frosting, baked by one of the office staff for my birthday celebration. She said she would bake any cake I wanted, since I always bake the cake for everyone else's birthday, so I gave her my recipe, and she produced a delicious cake.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.
I made KAF's no-knead challah but I have a couple of changes. First, I instead of just water I use water and apple cider, which is standard in my own challah recipe. I also recommend mixing all the dry ingredients together and all the liquid ingredients together then combining them. Otherwise it doesn't seem like everything is thoroughly mixed through-out. Finally I actually had to knead it (just a couple of turns though) to make it all come together. It is a big recipe coming in at about four and a half pounds of dough. I baked off two, one pound loaves and will see how it tastes tonight.
I put together some dough for hamentashen and then I'll make some either today or tomorrow or both days. We're making baskets for members of our temple who are homebound. Two years ago I made the hamentashen and last year the temple bought them. This year we're going to make them with the religious school kids so I am prepping for that.
On Thursday, I used leftover pot roast to make a beef-vegetable combination. I sautéed mushrooms and red bell pepper in grapeseed oil, added broccoli florets, and then strips of beef. I thickened the broth from the pot roast with ClearJel, heated it, then poured it onto the vegetables and meat, and added sliced green onions right before serving it with brown rice. My husband really liked it.
So for $10 for a 2 1/2 pound roast, we've had four meals (and a guest was at one), and there is still a serving left over. While that does not count the vegetables and the rice, I would say it still comes to under $20. I agree with Cwcdesign: Blue Apron has nothing on us!
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This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.
King Arthur finally posted my review of the sticky buns recipe. I gave it a 3, since the taste is good and the dough soft, but clearly there is an issue with the recipe. Someone replied to the review and said that it was not clear why I had trouble squeezing the rolls into 9-inch pans. (Hmm--could it be because the recipe specifies 8-inch pans?!) It was suggested that I had not rolled out the dough to the specified dimensions. However, I know that I did so because I used a measuring tape. The responder did say that my feedback would be included in "future discussions of the recipe." The topping issue was not addressed.
I will have to think about whether I will try 9-inch pans. I also think that I need to find a way to use some ClearJel in the topping, so that I can come closer to creating one that is more like what KAF sells. I don't want to buy it.
I did e-mail the Baker's Hotline. The reply suggested that due to the discussion needed, I should call. That makes sense. It would not be worth my time if I received an answer similar to the response to my review.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: added additional information
I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer. Purchased early this century. Not used a lot. Goes in spurts. It has developed a glitch that baffles me. Anyone have this problem, or a solution?
When trying to put on the flat beater that is covered in white, the beater becomes caught. It won't turn so the knob (don't know what it's called) won't go into the slot. Hubby has to manhandle it off, because he can't get it to budge, either. I have 2 of those beaters. Yesterday, after he pulled off the first one, I thought it'd be okay with the second one. It also became stuck. Again, had to be manhandled off.
This is the second baking day I've had this problem. If my husband weren't home, I'd be out of baking luck, because I can't pull it off when it refuses to move.
I'm wondering if the spring that moves when the beater is inserted and removed could be broken. But, there was a long time between the first instance of this and yesterday, when I used the mixer with no problem.
I also don't know if the spring is even replaceable. And blaming the spring is just a guess. Anyone care to hazard a guess or have knowledge? Thanks.
I pulled out of the freezer the frozen remains of two turkeys and one chicken (mostly bones with bits of meat). I am making a big pot of broth. Some of it will be frozen, but some will be used to make soup, with the Bob's Red Mill Vegi-Soup mix (combo of lentils, split peas, and barley). I add ground turkey, carrots, celery, red bell, pepper, and mushrooms, as well as Penzey's Herbs de Provence. Sometimes I use Bouquet Garni, but I am out of it and need to order more.
On Tuesday morning, I baked Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, a recipe from Ken Haedrich's Home for the Holidays: Festive Baking with Whole Grains (p. 23), that has been a favorite of mine for years.
Aaron--I use cream of wheat (farina) on the griddle, a tip I got from the King Arthur folks a few years ago. It does not burn as quickly as cornmeal or semolina.
I roasted a chicken Sunday with lemon and garlic. This morning (school delay after a Nor'easter dumped some "Wintry Mix" on the road) I made chicken fried rice for lunch. I made it up as I was going and so it has Mediterranean vegetables mixed with basmati mixed with some sauce we had in the fridge called "soy vey" so it is a multi-cultural dish. I'm trying to give my kids something other than sandwiches, burritos, and/or quesadillas.
Tonight is hamburgers and I am not sure what I will make the rest of the week.
So I wanted to try Central Market's Andouille sausage (their own recipe) and without any casing. Cooked it w/Brussel Sprouts - I think they used too much smoked paprika or I'm just not used to that flavor. It seems almost too dry for my own personal taste. Also roasted a sirloin pork so we could eat that as a leftover later in the week. Also did some freezer cooking - made shrimp and pork wontons and gyoza froze them for future lunches. Then last night baked a half shank ham - been craving the bone to make soups and will portion it out so I can wrap and freeze for future meals. Maybe it's just me or maybe the way I baked it - but it came out saltier than I remembered as a child. Of course, my mom had boiled it too.
BevM, have you tried Trisha Yearwood's black bean lasagna? It's totally vegetarian and she makes a pretty good vegan ricotta. I tried her recipe but instead of making it in one big pan, I opted to roll my lasagns and have it portioned out like that. Works great for small simple lunch meals.
Yesterday I made a vegetarian lasagna which included spinach, mushrooms, some thinly sliced zucchini and carrots plus all the usual ingredients (sauce, cheese, etc.). It was made for my vegetarian granddaughter and she enjoyed it. I also made a small loaf of french bread to go with it. We, who are not vegetarian, didn't really miss the meat in it.
Italian Cook--I looked at the Yeast Dinner Muffins recipe again (copied to my files), and it at least activates the yeast in water before proceeding. The Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe, however, neither activates the yeast with water nor allows for a rising time.
