BakerAunt

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  • in reply to: What are You Cooking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7785
    BakerAunt
    Participant

      For dinner on Saturday, I made Chicken Valencia, which is a recipe from a Calphalon cookbook. I use sliced chicken breast, which is dredged in flour and cooked in olive oil. The pan is then deglazed with white wine and a bit of lemon juice, with the sauce reduced by half before adding orange marmalade and a little pepper. I like it served over angel hair pasta, but I used whole wheat pasta, since that is what I have in the house.

      in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7784
      BakerAunt
      Participant

        The VWG I used was from Hogsdon Mills. It came from Walmart. I don't know if it was the brand or how it was stored along the way, but I threw it out.

        in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7775
        BakerAunt
        Participant

          Thanks, Cass. I continue to learn a lot from you. I'll now go back to my original plan not to buy any more vital wheat gluten. I had started leaving it out of the Grape Nuts bread and frankly did not notice any difference. When I bought some VWG from another vendor, I did not care for the flavor it gave my bread.

          I have sometimes used some potato flour (or when I have it, potato water) in my Limpa Bread rather than the VWG.

          Another thought for Aaron--are you kneading your rye bread the same way that you would knead your whole wheat bread--i.e., same mixer speed and same amount of time? Somewhere in my fuzzy mind, I seem to recall someone saying that rye bread should be kneaded gently but firmly and should be claylike.

          I am going to have to try my Limpa bread again, but not until after our big move.

          • This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
          in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7771
          BakerAunt
          Participant

            One of my favorite rye breads, the KAF Nelson's Choice Rye Bread, which they modified and re-named Peasant Style Rye Bread (which is actually from Secrets of a Jewish Baker) adds 2 Tbs. of vital wheat gluten. That must be to compensate for the First Clear Flour's effect. I'd look at the original recipe in the cookbook, but it is already in the Midwest. I looked at my Limpa Bread recipe, and I also use vital wheat gluten, or sometimes potato flour in it.

            I'm going to have to think about what I do when I use First Clear Flour. I actually had not planned to buy any more vital wheat gluten.

            in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7768
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              I've always had success with the First Clear Flour in my rye breads. It certainly improved my Limpa Bread to use it.

              in reply to: Kitchen appliances #7766
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                My husband and I visited a Ferguson's showroom this morning. It's a store that has upscale bath and kitchen items. They did not have a particularly large selection of freestanding ranges on the floor, which is fine, since there is no Ferguson's near where we will be living in Indiana. What we wanted was to be able to see some ranges and look at how they are set up. The salespeople did not seem to be particularly knowledgeable. I think that I know more from our discussions here as well as the research I've been doing. There were very few dual fuel ranges, mostly cooktops and wall ovens or under the cooktop mounted ovens.

                They did have one all-gas BlueStar, so I looked at it, but for me the unsealed burners are a deal breaker. They had the 48" (I think) Thermador dual fuel. I'd probably buy another 30" Thermador if I knew that I could get it serviced when needed. I really like the burners. There was also a large Wolf. I also looked at the cooktops and ovens.

                While I did not see a range that is "the one," it was helpful to look at controls. If we were to go with separate cooktop, I want the controls where they will not get splattered--so in the front not on top. I like that on the stand alone range as well. I also like the burner grids to be flush with one another so that I can easily move pots around. When we go appliance shopping in the Midwest, I'll take along my large pan to make sure that it will fit.

                I was amused to see a Wolf four slice toaster, with a price of $400. Let them eat toast!

                • This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
                in reply to: Pre-Bake Crust on Mini-Pecan Pies? #7761
                BakerAunt
                Participant

                  Hi, Mike. That recipe is close to the KAF Cookie Companion one, and I note that it also specifies quick oats. However, the KAF recipe uses shredded sweetened coconut (I used unsweet), 3/4 cup of sugar, and 2 Tbs. Lyle's golden syrup. It also uses 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 2 Tbs. boiling water. I used the Zeroll #40 scoop, so mine were larger than the KAF ones. They do spread out while baking. I only needed to bake them 15 minutes on heavy baking sheets. Leave room to spread.

                  The cookies firm up as they cool and are delightfully crunchy. My husband does not care for coconut, and he enjoyed them. They last well, and are a good cookie to take on trips. They don't dry out because they are already dry.

                  • This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
                  in reply to: Pre-Bake Crust on Mini-Pecan Pies? #7756
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    I always partially blind bake large pecan or pumpkin pie shells. (I follow the Cook's Illustrated guidelines), which is why I was surprised that the mini-shells do not get blind baked. I'd actually bought small basket coffee filters (use the large commercial ones for regular-sized pies) to use, so when I looked at the recipe I was surprised. It could be that the small amount of filling bakes faster, so no need to pre-bake the shell.

                    I thought that the mini-pies also might freeze well for quick desserts.

                    I'll report back once I try them.

                    in reply to: Pre-Bake Crust on Mini-Pecan Pies? #7749
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      Thanks, Mike. That will save me a step.

                      in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7747
                      BakerAunt
                      Participant

                        I think that most U.S. recipes were designed for the packets of yeast, so darn it, they are going to use the whole packet, no matter what! However, even the KAF recipes often seem to me to have too much yeast, perhaps because people want that rise in an hour, thank you.

                        I often cut back on the yeast if it seems excessive to me. I don't usually double the yeast if I double a recipe but add about half of the original yeast amount.

                        That said, it is better to have someone scrutinize the recipe for balance, as Kid Pizza has offered to do.

                        • This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
                        in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7741
                        BakerAunt
                        Participant

                          Tonight I made the KAF Ultra-Thin Crust Pizza.

                          in reply to: What are You Baking the Week of June 4, 2017? #7736
                          BakerAunt
                          Participant

                            Tuesday evening, I baked "Butter-Pecan Fantasies" cookies from the KAF Cookie Companion (p. 253). I substituted in 1 cup of white whole wheat flour, and I used Gold Medal flour for the remainder and added 1 Tbs. ground flax meal. I used the butter rum flavoring option. I used an 8 oz. bag of the Heath Toffee Bits, and added about 5 1/2 oz. of leftover butterscotch chips. The pecans are from our tree. I baked for 12 minutes on heavy baking sheets (16 per pan). It made 47 cookies.

                            in reply to: American Masters Featuring Chefs #7735
                            BakerAunt
                            Participant
                              in reply to: Measuring #7732
                              BakerAunt
                              Participant

                                If I decide to use weights for KAF recipes, I always use grams, since they otherwise have fractions of ounces.

                                For the most part, I'm still a volume measurer unless it's a cake, in which case I weigh ingredients. I do think, however, that my pizza dough came out better last time because I did it by weight.

                                in reply to: Cookie ideas, please #7726
                                BakerAunt
                                Participant

                                  When I used the old-fashioned oats, there was not enough liquid for the oats to absorb, and the dough did not hold together, in spite of using a cookie scoop. The recipe includes shredded coconut, which also absorbs liquid. When I made the recipe with old-fashioned oats (Bob's Red Mill), they also did not flatten in the oven. However, when I used Bob's Red Mill quick oats, they flattened out nicely.

                                  • This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.
                                Viewing 15 posts - 7,561 through 7,575 (of 8,185 total)