[BakerAunt]

I checked the Nielsen-Massey, and it has the following ingredient list: water, alcohol (35%), sugar, vanilla bean extract.

Their vanilla paste has the following: sugar, water, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, gum tragacanth (a natural thickener)

Penzey's single strength: water, alcohol, sugar and vanilla bean extractives

The ingredient list for the double-strength is the same.

I suspect that for most of us, we won't taste a difference in the various real vanillas, but if corn syrup is added, I'd pass. While I do use corn syrup in the occasional recipe, I like to know that I have chosen to add it.

[BakerAunt]

I use Nielsen-Massey vanilla, probably because KAF sold it in large bottles (quart-size) at much less than I would pay in the store. I've also found it at TJ Maxx and Ross in smaller bottles. I kept several of the 8 oz. bottles, and I move it to those smaller ones. (A tag on one says $9.99.) I've used the Penzeys, when it came to me in gift boxes, and I can't say that I tasted any difference, although the Penzeys' vanilla comes with a piece of a vanilla bean in it. Last week, when rummaging through my stock of extracts after seeing "vanilla paste" called for in a cookie recipe, I found THREE jars of vanilla paste from Nielsen-Massey that I picked up at either TJ Maxx or Ross. It is somewhat thicker than the vanilla extract, and there is a vanilla bean in it as well. The directions say to use it 1:1 for vanilla extract. Based on a single usage, I detect a slightly richer flavor.

I have such faith in S. Wirth's internet searching skills that if she cannot find those flavored powders, then they are likely not to be found. Swirth--I'm glad that you were able to find a way to make your hoard of powders last.

[BakerAunt]

Hello, Rascals. It is good to hear from you. Join us when you can and know that you are in our thoughts.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Cwcdesign. That information is helpful.

I will stick with the KAF espresso powder. I will try pounding it into pieces, and see if I can measure it correctly that way. I worry that its gumminess might mess up my coffee grinder. I've tried using a piece of saran over the top before screwing on the lid, but that did not fix the problem. I will try putting the contents of my next jar into Tupperware and see if that works.

I found that freezing the layers (an idea I got from the Sift issue that dealt with cakes) really improved the result when I make a white chocolate cream cheese frosting for a chocolate cake. It keeps the crumbs from getting loose. Also, that frosting is always much too soft by the time I finish beating it, and I had to refrigerate it until it was cold, then beat it again. With the frozen layers, it spread smoothly, and the cake looked beautiful (without a crumb coat needed first!). I'll try the technique with this cake when I make it on Tuesday and report back.

I like your idea of just decorating with the chocolate chips. I think that the mini ones will be perfect for that.

[BakerAunt]

I bought the Sugar in the Raw at Walmart, as it was the cheapest option ($3.24 for 2 pounds). I also decided that I will use mini-chocolate chips to decorate the top, but stay with regular chocolate chips for the cake (all semisweet). My King Arthur espresso powder is not in good shape. I'm used to it drying out in my part of Texas, but I also took it to Indiana where there were some periods of sustained humidity. So, what I have is a kind of dampish clump. I will check to see if a store here carries instant espresso, but I may have to make do.

Cwcdesign--does the frosted cake do ok in the refrigerator? I will need to frost it Tuesday night for the birthday on Wednesday noon. Lately, I've been freezing cake layers, then frosting them frozen and refrigerating the finished product. Do people think that will work for this cake?

[BakerAunt]

Luvpyrpom--The unhelpful answer you received is typical from the people answering baking questions for KAF these days. It was something that I noticed with KAF about a year ago. There seems to be a culture change there.

Cwcdesign--I'm curious. Is the Facebook group mostly social or mostly about baking?

[BakerAunt]

I heard from Cass, and posted his helpful suggestion for those Norwegian Coffee Buns.

I've got one or two recipes for a pumpkin based pasta. I keep thinking that I'll get to it. I have a pasta attachment for my Cuisinart Food Processor (both given to me by my mother), but I've never gotten around to trying out the pasta attachment. It may be a project for after I retire next summer.

[BakerAunt]

I heard from Cass (Kid Pizza) about this recipe. I'll cut and paste here what he wrote:

Good Morning Marliss.

I hope this note finds you well. Yes Marliss, your recipe has too much Hydration in it. About 85% worth. This is my correction for you:

Assume 6 1/4 cups of flour (29, oz), this is 69% hydration. Use 2,1/2 cups of water.

Marliss, you really do not need to proof the package yeast. This procedure was done many years ago because QC wasn't up to like it is today. There really ever is a failure in today's yeast manu.

Sooo, just add the yeast into the mix like you have done many times before with instant yeast. Use room temp water NOT HOT WATER.. Yes Marliss you can reduce the yeast slightly more to 3/8ths oz (3 tsp worth of package yeast or 3.5 tsp of instant yeast if you like.

Marliss the reason there is a lot of yeast in this recipe is because THERE IS A LOT OF SUGAR in IT !!! You can reduce it somewhat like 1 TBLS worth after measuring out 1/2 cup (3.5,oz)

I have other suggestions if you like such as reducing the sugar further & adding honey, etc. post back if interested with your next results.

Enjoy the day Marliss.
~CASS.

I'm glad to hear that I'm on the right track! I will try the recipe again--perhaps not for a few weeks--and I will post back the results. I may also try the high sugar yeast (and use just 2 tsp. of it), since I have it in the freezer and might as well use it.

[BakerAunt]

I just love eating my way to the crust end of a piece of pie. That would not occur with a center piece of a casserole pie.

A slab pie strikes me as not as thick as the one in the picture with the article. A slab pie would include a greater proportion of crust to filling than the one baked in a deeper casserole dish. I could see a slab pie baked in a rectangular tart pan or a pizza pan.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Oops! I goofed. But at least it got people talking!

[BakerAunt]

In the meantime, I decided to google Hveteboller. Of course, almost all the entries are in Norwegian, but I did find this one:

http://thenewartofbaking.blogspot.com/2013/02/hveteboller-norwegian-cardamom-sweet.html

It is close to the one I made (mine made double the amount). The big difference is in the liquid. 2 3/4 cups, as opposed to 3 cups, and it used half bread flour and half AP. She also mixes by hand, and did a short first rise.

Mine clearly had too much liquid, so I will cut back next time.

[BakerAunt]

Luvpyrpom--I just saw these tips on macaroons. Maybe they will help you.

http://www.tastingtable.com/cook/national/how-to-make-macarons-french-cookie?utm_medium=email&utm_source=TT&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_content=Editorial

[BakerAunt]

I'll see what I can find on YouTube. I don't want to use bread flour, since she says that it will make the pastry less tender, and cautions against using it unless the recipe specifies to do so.

BTW--the buns were definitely superior on the first day. There was a drop off in texture and taste when I ate most of the last two on Monday morning. (My husband also sampled a piece and agreed.)

Beatrice Ojakangas does have a WordPress site, so I have posted a question there. The last post was a couple of years ago, so I do not know if there will be an answer, but I will let everyone know if there is.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I would leave the cake flour at 2 cups and see what happens with the other changes. If you change too much at once, you won't know what actually made the difference.

I was just thinking of Livingwell this morning when my husband and I followed the sacred baking oath to do QC (Quality Control) before I took those buns to church. I miss her comments, and how her questions helped us to learn more about baking.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Cwcdesign, here is what I might do with the recipe.

1. Use extra-fine sugar. The weight is the same as regular sugar. You can either buy it in the store, or process it in a blender or food processor. (If you do the latter, be sure the lid is tight: one of my friends had an issue where it came off, and she had sugar--then ants--all over her kitchen. It's easier to get extra-fine sugar creamed into butter. I use it for all my cakes, and my observation is that it creates a more tender crumb.

2. After creaming in the sugar, I would mix in the honey and the oil. I'd add each egg separately and beat after each one--making sure that I got all the egg white out of the shell. (I use that handy tool--a finger!).

3. I agree that the baking powder and salt amounts seem to be the inverse of what is required. I'm basing that on comparison with a Swedish Rum Bundt Cake that I bake. It also has 4 eggs, but 1 3/4 cups sugar, grated lemon peel, and 2 1/2 cups flour, 2/3 cups milk, and 2/3 cups unsalted butter. It calls for 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder but no salt. (I'll have to add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.--that recipe must have once used salted butter.)

4. That bundt cake does bake at 350F for 50-60 min., and I have a note that it is done at 50 minutes. The recipe calls for a 12-cup Bundt pan.

I hope these comments are helpful. Keep us posted!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: corrected by removing repeated phrases

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