BakerAunt

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  • in reply to: Great American Baking Contest! #14290
    BakerAunt
    Participant

      Yes, I use cookie sheets, often with parchment. It is important to grip the parchment as well as the pan when removing it from the oven, as the parchment can slide off with the contents. I have once or twice lost the occasional cookie, so I am careful.

      I'm not sure that I like the ovens that GBBS contestants must use. First, there is no window, so they can't see just how their product is baking unless they open the door. (Paul likes technical challenges that will be ruined if you open the door.) The ovens are also rather low to the ground, and I think that might be one reason for the tipping of contents. I also think that the time limits are unreasonable.

      Len--Thanks for the overview. I will have to start wrapping my head around it after the first of the year. For my husband, Formula One racing is a must-have. The only online streaming is from the SKY network, and it is too expensive. I've been watching a lot less TV, since the only place we get reception without cable is in the garage apt. We're moving into it this weekend and will live there while the house renovations are in process, so we shall see if proximity increased my TV time.

      • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
      in reply to: Great American Baking Contest! #14286
      BakerAunt
      Participant

        Interesting, Len. I think it would also have to wait for us to replace the television I bought twenty years ago. (It has a great picture, and I even had it repaired ten years ago--yes, I found someone who fixed televisions!) We're waiting on buying a modern television until the remodeling is complete. We also have never become Amazon Prime members. I'm going to have to investigate this brave new world of streaming.

        in reply to: Great American Baking Contest! #14282
        BakerAunt
        Participant

          I checked, and it's on ABC. Guess which station cannot be picked up on digital antenna where we live? 🙁 After reading about the hosts, however, I'm not sure that I am missing that much. Let's see what the rest of you think.

          I've not watched Netflix, so I have not seen the British ones.

          in reply to: What are you baking the week of December 2, 2018? #14276
          BakerAunt
          Participant

            Best wishes on your baking project, Chocomouse. Be sure to watch that your husband does not divert customers in order to save the goodies for himself. 🙂

            Our little town is having twice a month farmers' markets over the winter for the first time. If we were not going into home/kitchen renovation (our contractor plans to start Monday! Hurrah!), I would have tried some of my specialized holiday treats.

            in reply to: What are you cooking the week of December 2, 2018? #14274
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              I have been craving homemade stew for a long time, and when I found some lean stew meat for a good price at the local grocery, I bought it. Wednesday night’s dinner was stew, started on the regular stove, them cooked on top of our wood stove. I used a bit of Penzey’s beef soup base, ½ tsp. Sweet Hungarian Paprika, some crushed rosemary, and a couple dashes of allspice. I also added onion and garlic, and I deglazed the pan with a bit of red wine and added 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce and 1 Tbs. tomato paste. After the beef had cooked in it for 90 minutes, I added cut-up Purple Viking potatoes from the farmers’ market and carrots from our garden. (They grew short and fat.) I added chunky mushrooms, more water, and ¼ cup red wine. After the vegetables cooked the additional 45 minutes, I stirred in frozen peas, then used Clearjel and water to thicken the broth.

              Chocomouse--I'm going to have to try the Greek Seasoning with chicken. It was a free sample, and I tried it because I was tired of dill in that recipe. I will be buying it when this jar is empty.

              in reply to: What are you baking the week of December 2, 2018? #14262
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                On Tuesday evening, I baked a new recipe, Lime Bundt Cake, which I found online, as I was searching for cake recipes to use my bounty of limes. I also needed to find ones that used oil rather than butter, since I am limiting saturated fat. I was pleased with the one I made a couple of weeks ago, but it only used lime juice in the glaze. This one uses it in the cake as well:

                I made some changes. I used buttermilk instead of regular milk, and I changed 1 ½ tsp. baking powder to 1 tsp. baking powder and ¼ tsp. baking soda. I used canola oil rather than olive oil and substituted in 1 cup of barley flour for that much AP flour. The recipe specified a 9-inch Bundt pan. I correctly guessed that it would fit into a 10-cup Bundt pan, and I used my “Party” Bundt pan (the one where it can be cut into 20 even slices). I used THE grease to coat the pan. The cake baked well and released beautifully. It is a small cake and perhaps would work in a 6 cup pan. I'll glaze it tomorrow, and add a note on taste and texture.

                Promised Note: I like this glaze much better than the one I used on my previous lime cake. It was just the right thickness and looked lovely on the cake, as well as tasting good. My husband liked the cake a lot; it has the texture of a pound cake. In terms of taste, I feel it needs something--but, of course, I made some changes, including using canola rather than olive oil. I might add 1/2 tsp. vanilla to the cake next time.

                • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                in reply to: What are you cooking the week of December 2, 2018? #14261
                BakerAunt
                Participant

                  For dinner on Tuesday evening, I made Salmon and Couscous, using Penzey’s Greek seasoning. We really like that spice blend with the salmon. We had steamed broccoli on the side.

                  in reply to: A quick dessert for those running out of time #14260
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    It's good to see you posting again, Wonky.

                    in reply to: Vegetable Oil Pie Crust #14250
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      The blind-baking really made for a crisp, flaky crust. The recipe also recommended whisking the milk and the oil well before adding it to the flour.

                      I'm not sure how that would work with a pie with a top crust, since the top could not be blind-baked.

                      in reply to: Re-conditioning a Cast Iron Skillet #14244
                      BakerAunt
                      Participant

                        Thanks, Joan. That is interesting and makes sense for someone doing a number of pots at once. I wonder where he dumped the lye mixture when he was done. 🙁 At least I just have the one pan.

                        That is a good hint about the rust. My husband used vinegar to clean the rust off a used jointer he bought, and it worked well.

                        We had another rainy day, so I have not yet tried the oven cleaner, which according to my husband contains lye.

                        • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                        in reply to: What are you baking the week of December 2, 2018? #14243
                        BakerAunt
                        Participant

                          I baked my favorite cornbread Sunday evening (called “Healthier Cornbread”). I used 2 Tbs. coarse corn meal and made up the rest of the cup with the finer grind. We had it with soup.

                          in reply to: What are you cooking the week of December 2, 2018? #14242
                          BakerAunt
                          Participant

                            I made soup for Sunday dinner, using homemade chicken broth, Bob’s Red Mill Vegi-Soup Mix (various lentils and split peas blend), pearl barley, onion, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, leftover crushed tomatoes, ground turkey, and thyme.

                            in reply to: Re-conditioning a Cast Iron Skillet #14233
                            BakerAunt
                            Participant

                              I will start with the Easy-Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner left behind by our former renters. That way I can use it up and get it out of the house. I'll then see where the pan is at. I now think that it may have more gunk than rust. I will also look locally for stainless steel scrubbers. I can always escalate if necessary.

                              • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                              in reply to: Vegetable Oil Pie Crust #14225
                              BakerAunt
                              Participant

                                We cut into the pie today, and both my husband and I pronounced it delicious! The crust is actually flaky! While it does not have the buttery flavor, with a pie with a strong filling, such as the apple pie, I don't miss it. I might try it for our Christmas pumpkin pie.

                                The canola oil does, to my taste buds, leave a slight aftertaste. I noted that with my crackers, but in that case it helped to add some special dried milk.

                                Note: I substituted in 1/3 cup of white whole wheat flour for that much KAF flour. I used low-fat evaporated milk for the 2 Tbs. milk the recipe specifies, in part because I need to use it up. I might try buttermilk next time.

                                in reply to: Re-conditioning a Cast Iron Skillet #14221
                                BakerAunt
                                Participant

                                  Well, Joan, my husband nixed putting it in our wood stove, and in this rainy, windy weather, there will not be any outside fires.... 🙂

                                  Some people put them in the oven on the self-clean cycle, but as we've discussed before, oven self-clean, especially the really hot ones, may contribute to stove failure. While I could try it with the old avocado green Frigidare that we will donate to Habitat for Humanity if they want it, when we first got the house, the previous people had run the self-clean, and the oven was locked. Someone who knew how to jiggle it got it unlocked for us, and we have never run it ourselves. The sales rep at the store where I will purchase my stove told me that there is an increase in service calls right before Thanksgiving and Christmas because people decide to clean the oven before the holiday baking, and some of the modern ovens get stuck in the locked position.

                                  • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                                  • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                                  • This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
                                Viewing 15 posts - 6,046 through 6,060 (of 7,949 total)