[aaronatthedoublef]

Hi CM. I am near North Haven. It's about 45 minutes. Thanks for the tip. The Sheep and Wool festival sound like a fun weekend activity!

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks CM! This is great.

I usually buy from Costco, which by me has Vermont/New Hampshire (down at my in-laws they have Canadian). If I don't buy from Costco I buy from Trader Joe's. I try very hard not to buy Canadian. BA, I may check out the VT Country Store.

Ironically, it's hard to find CT maple syrup even though I am in CT. I do not tend to see it at farmer's markets and the only farm near me that makes it is the Four H farm. May have to buy some from them next time they have a sale.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I went to the Dakin Farms website. I used to buy my syrup there and they had grade A and B. They no longer carry a grade B. They have grade A amber and grade A dark. Dark is what used to be grade B according to the folks on the chat line.

FYI, their syrup is great but pretty expensive. That's why I stopped buying it.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by aaronatthedoublef.

[aaronatthedoublef]

True! That's why it will work in biscuits and pancakes and such - because they have chemical leaveners.

Pie crust doesn't need to rise.

But it probably wouldn't work in puff pastry and choux.

Thanks

[aaronatthedoublef]

Just read PJ's blog and it was VERY useful. I will definitely let my butter go a little longer next time.

And apparently it will work in pie crusts. I'd wondered if laminated doughs would be okay.

And brown the butter reduces the water in it which probably explains why my shortbread dough was crumbly.

I wonder if I could short cut this by melting my butter first in the microwave and then putting it over heat.

Thanks again!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by aaronatthedoublef.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I wonder how many people confuse cold shrimp with raw shrimp. I used to wait tables and many thought the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were raw. But they were cooked and then chilled.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA! I always like reading PJ Hamel.

In things that are very simple without a lot of ingredients, brown butter is supposed to make a big difference. It was definitely noticeable in my shortbread. I might try it in biscuits or scones and maybe pie crust.

[aaronatthedoublef]

BA, baking soda and acid definitely add lift. Most kids first science experiment it mixing baking soda and vinegar and it's that same reaction in baking.

I just make one big batch of pancakes. They all are eaten. Sometimes I wonder if they are in my sons' mouths long enough for them to taste them.

Thanks

[aaronatthedoublef]

The snickerdoodle bread looks great! And it might be a good alternative to coffeecake as it has canola oil instead of butter!

BA, is the extra baking soda with buttermilk for lift or for acid taming? Buttermilk has more acid than milk and the lifting power of baking soda tends to dissipate quickly. In my pancakes it gives some rise for the first couple of batches and then appears gone.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Nice save Choco! I still proof my yeast even though I use instant which probably the only reason I always remember it. I have forgotten ingredients many times. Kids walk into the kitchen and need attention. I've tried to setup a system like Mike's with marginal success.

If anyone is watching the latest Kids Baking Championship there is a boy from West Hartford on. He made it through the first round which was making shag cakes (is that really a thing? Why!?!?) So if you're watching cheer on Sam.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Yes, the WSJ article was surprising. Chapt 11 is for reorganization which means they want to come out of bankruptcy and try to go back into business but surprising your creditors is not a good way to have their cooperation.

And while some of this is probably attributable to all the non-dairy milk LO'L has priced itself out of the market here. It's $7/lb. Even on sale it's still more expensive than Trader Joe's or Whole Foods store brands which are both very good and less than half the price. LO'L is up in the range of the fancy European or boutique local products.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks Joan and BA for the buttermilk information. BA - it was 1%. Joan - when the recipe calls for decreasing baking powder and upping baking soda is it calling for double acting baking powder? I don't have any recipes that distinguish between double action baking powder and baking powder and even a lot of baking powders on the shelves here make it hard to distinguish.

I used my brown butter to make shortbread. I used my standard recipe - 8 oz. butter, 2 cups flour, half cup corn starch, and vanilla to taste (I use 1 tsp.) Could not get much simpler. The dough was more crumbly than normal but I pushed it together, rolled it out, and cut out cookies with a round biscuit cutter. Mt family went nuts over them. They definitely tasted better after cooling for some time. As I said, I think the butter could brown some more.

This is the thing that confuses me about all the cooking competitions - most of what I bake does not taste good or at least it's best for several hours to several days after baking. People make pastry cream all the time and while I've only made it a couple of times it needed to chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before it had a full flavor and it was even better the next day. So how do people create this great tasting stuff right off the stove or only having chilled briefly, even in a blast chiller?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Mike, what's the best way to use the BBGA forums? They're a little overwhelming.

I made pancakes yesterday but instead of the usual powdered buttermilk I used actual buttermilk. I needed much more liquid than normal. Not sure why and I have not begun investigating yet. I usually use 2.5 cups of milk with a cup of whole wheat pastry flour, a cup of white pastry flour, and a half cup of flax meal.

I used most of the quart of buttermilk.

I browned some butter too. Plan is to use it for brown butter shortbread. It's the first time I've ever made brown butter and I probably could have browned it a little more but I'd rather it be less brown than burned. I'll take it a little farther next time I think.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I've done very little baking since before Christmas. This week I made KAF sour cream coffee cake. My one change is that I make half the crumb topping called for in the recipe. It seems like it's too much and no one has ever complained. It cuts the amount of butter and sugar used by a third. I need to make molasses cookies at some point but we're trying to detox from all of the cookies and chocolate.

My youngest has been watching the kids baking championship on the Food Network and has a list of things she wants us to make including macarons and pate' choux. Not certain when those will happen.

[aaronatthedoublef]

My favorite chocolate cake recipe has always called for a half cup of strong coffee. I've started adding espresso powder too, to my brownies. Like BA's husband, my kids do not like coffee but that does not slow them down eating my cake or brownies.

Cutting down food waste will reduce costs. If you show restaurants a way to cut their costs they will all follow your lead. It will reduce costs in at least two ways - 1) The money spent on food will be stretched farther, and 2) the money spent on waste removal will go farther.

Speaking of food waste one of my sons today suggested we start a place to sell muffin tops. This led to a discussion about the muffin top Seinfeld episode and he had a great idea for the bottoms - put frosting on them and resell them as cupcakes!

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