[BakerAunt]

On Saturday, I baked my adaptation of Ellen’s Buns, but I made them as twelve rolls to serve with tonight’s dinner. I accidentally turned it to the convection mode, so they were slightly more done than usual, which means not quite as light but still delicious. (It's a forgiving recipe.)

I also baked the second sheet of the Molded Gingerbread Cookies, which had sat for nearly 24 hours. I don’t know that the design is that much clearer, but the cookies baked a little firmer. My husband and I both like the taste (not overly molasses) and the spice combination. I'll be baking them again and will include some in the cookie box I send to my sister and nieces.

[BakerAunt]

I baked them once, so I know this answer. I've not baked springerle since then, as they are rock hard.

[BakerAunt]

I went ahead and baked one pan of the cookies after about nine hours. The design did not hold up as clearly as I would prefer. I'll let the other pan sit the full 24 hours and see if I get a different result. The recipe said to bake large cookies for 15 minutes, but I found that they needed 20 minutes. (It would help if the author had specified what is meant by large.)

On Friday evening, I baked my adaption of Bernard Clayton’s streusel topped apple pie, using my oil crust. I used Jonathan apples that we picked back in November.

[BakerAunt]

Friday night dinner was Salmon and Couscous with Penzey’s Mural Seasoning, accompanied by microwaved peas.

[BakerAunt]

On Friday, I rolled out the dough I made on Wednesday for the Molded Gingerbread Cookies. It's an easy dough with which to work. I used a 1/8-inch pie wand on top of a 4/8-inch pie wand, since the recipe says 4/8-5/8 inches, and the oval House on the Hill mold I’m using (a fireside Christmas scene) has some deeper spots. I will need to look for two 5/8-thick wood pieces that I can use in the future.) I used the same technique of pressing one cookie at a time, using an oval scalloped cookie cutter around it, moving it to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then repeating for the rest of the cookies. I had 12 cookies, and one smaller one that I impressed with a smaller springerle mold. The directions say to allow the cookies to sit out on the sheets and dry for 8-24 hours, so I will bake them tomorrow. I probably won’t wait 24 hours because we are having friends over for the late afternoon and dinner on Saturday.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

The one in South Bend seems set up more for caterers, home party givers, and tailgaters. I didn't see much by way of cooking equipment. A lot of the food was of the quantity, not particularly healthy, variety. I didn't look at meat or dairy, as we did not have means to keep such items cold.

I really liked that commercial kitchen store in Lubbock that was open to the public.

I don't have a Sam's or a Costco membership. We don't go to South Bend frequently enough to make it worth while.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I've never eaten a slice, but I have read about it and answered correctly.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I still haven't had the chance to try it. I have the ingredients (well 2% cheese and kale rather than spinach), but it's for lunches for me, and other things needed eating. Maybe

I was thinking that the squash might be better roasted. I think that their instructions are to make it as easy as possible for the cook. I'm not sure about how they cook the greens and the squash. When I do make it, I may put the "galette" into a ceramic tart dish--just in case there are leaks. I have also toyed with the idea of pre-baking the crust a bit in that dish.

[BakerAunt]

I made a correct educated guess.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday, I baked the Springerle Shortbread dough that I made up on Monday. It does hold the design well. I had to let the dough soften before I could roll it. The hard part is pushing down firmly on the molds; I used the rolling pin to roll over the back. I did the imprints one at a time, used my bench scraper to cut it out, transferred it to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat. The first tray needed almost the full 12 minutes; the second one got slightly over brown before 11 minutes had passed. I’m pleased that the designs came out well. They don't show as much when flat, but hold them vertically, and the detail is clear. (I used House on the Hill springerle molds.) My husband and I each taste-tested a cookie. They are, as the name implies, a cross between a shortbread and a sugar cookie. I’ll wrap up the others to put in the gift box for my sister and her twins.

After baking the Springerle Shortbread, I made dough for Molded Gingerbread Cookies, following a recipe in “Too Pretty to Eat,” the recipe booklet that comes with the molds. It uses vegetable oil. The dough is wrapped in the refrigerator.

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on Wednesday, I made a stir-fry with soba noodles, using leftover pork that my husband cooked on Monday, along with what I deglazed from the pan. I included carrots, celery, a red bell pepper, some mushrooms, and broccoli. I think that the key to leftover meat in stir-fry is to try to have a bit of the pan drippings or a bit of what was deglazed after cooking the meat. About 2 Tbs. or so works well.

[BakerAunt]

I also found "Gma's Ginger Crinkle Cookies in the 2019 Christmas Cookie collection from WE (Wisconsin Electric), which is available online. Those cookies use oil and are rolled into balls and into sugar. The recipe does not say to flatten them.

I was looking at the recipe booklet that came with my Springerle molds (House on the Hill), and there is a recipe for "Molded Gingerbread Cookies" that uses oil, molasses and dark corn syrup.

The baking is back into Christmas!

[BakerAunt]

I also knew this one because back when I could use cream in my baking, we discussed it here at Nebraska Kitchen.

[BakerAunt]

Belated Birthday greetings to your wife, Mike.

I don't mind leftovers, even for a third or fourth day, although sometimes I will turn the leftovers into a different kind of meal, as when I make stir-fry with leftover meat, as I plan to do tomorrow. Not having to cook tonight meant that I had time to decorate the Christmas tree.

[BakerAunt]

I have also never made dumplings. My Mom made them, but she bought Pillsbury biscuit dough, cut each biscuit into pieces and put that into the broth. I would have been as lost as you, Italian Cook.

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