[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, the crystals are smaller than the Pearl Sugar.

Thanks for telling me about Crystallized Sugar, chocomouse. I do admire you for making your own cinnamon chips. I imagine they taste better than purchased chips. Do you put cocoa in them? I bought some caramel chips from the store, since technically/medically, I shouldn't be eating chocolate or cocoa. Before I used them I read the ingredient list and found it includes cocoa. I used them, because giving up chocolate in any form is just plain not do-able for me.

[Italiancook]

This evening, I baked cinnamon muffins. I used my go-to muffin recipe and added 1/3 cup cinnamon chips with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. I taste-tested three for my dinner. The rest are for a couple breakfasts and the freezer.

For the first time, I used KABC Sparkling Sugar, and I don't "get" the purpose of it. Yes, it looks shiny in the jar, but when I sprinkled it on top of the muffin batter, I couldn't see the sugar. Baked, I still couldn't see the sugar. It didn't make the top of my muffins sparkle. Yes, it added a sweet taste, but it didn't look any different than granulated sugar. Do any of you know what this Sparkling Sugar is used on?

[Italiancook]

Len, your bread is spectacular! Looks like great grilled cheese sandwiches. Your scoring is beautiful!

[Italiancook]

I had never heard the term "bride biscuits." Now that I know this term, I'll be sure to give this recipe to brides in a creative way. Don't know what that'll look like, but I have a while to think about it.

I don't like regular biscuits, although I have been known to make and eat cheddar biscuits with red chili. I enjoy Angel Biscuits, because they're softer and higher. I'm a roll-person.

[Italiancook]

Janiebakes, I just posted my tried & true recipe for Angel Biscuits in the recipe section. If cwdesign finds a recipe for them, you can always compare & contrast them.

[Italiancook]

I had a pie crust in the pan, ready to go into the oven for blind baking. The electricity went off. The energy company's automated message warned of a long outage. I put the pan and crust into the freezer. Then, I regretted that move as it meant I'd let some of the cold air out of the freezer. Tomorrow, I'll bake a Lemon Meringue Pie. The last time I baked one was when Mike first started this site. At that time, I reported I found the task too onerous and would never again bake that type of pie. Things change, or I'm hungry for Lemon Meringue Pie. It'll be interesting to see how I feel about the task after it's done tomorrow.

[Italiancook]

I bought a Le Creuset Dutch oven years ago from TJ Maxx. I have no idea the size. I use it to make soups that include a quart of liquid. Plenty of room for all the solid ingredients. I prefer to serve soup from the stovetop, and this dutch oven holds in the heat making the second serving just as hot.

Later I bought the 4 quart Le Creuset, but I rarely use it. I have a glass stovetop and none of the burners are the right size or heat for the 4 quart.

I've never used either for bread. I've read with interest BakerAunt using her dutch oven for rolls, but haven't tried that either. I would only be willing to put the bread into a cold pan.

[Italiancook]

Late afternoon, I made the dough for Angel Biscuits. I scraped it into my 4-quart dough bucket and put it in the refrigerator. I hope to turn all the dough into biscuits tomorrow, but if that doesn't happen, Friday will do. Recipe says dough can be refrigerated for 7 days.

[Italiancook]

Thanks BakerAunt and Mike for your input on my bread rising disappointment. Since it wasn't the yeast, I'm off on a new tangent. Maybe it was my scoring. The recipe says to make an X. But I was in the mood for wheat stalks. Based on Mikes experience with his honey bread, it may have been a flukish rise, however.

[Italiancook]

I made Mushroom Bruschetta for lunch using day-old homemade bread. Intentionally, I didn't slice the boule until today. The problem with that was that the bread felt day-old when I buttered it for a tomato sauce-spaghetti dinner. But we ate it anyway.

[Italiancook]

The price is right and the offer good, but I have to pass. I instituted a new rule before the pandemic: If I buy something for the kitchen, I have to get rid of something by giving it to the thrift store. At the moment, I can't think of anything I can part with.

[Italiancook]

I made 2 boules Cuban Bread. I'm unhappy with the rise -- not tall as normal. I keep my yeast in the freezer and thought it'd last almost indefinitely there. Am I wrong -- does yeast have a shelf life?

[Italiancook]

I made Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake yesterday. Recipe from jennycancook.com. Oil recipe; no butter.

[Italiancook]

cwcdesign, thanks for your helpful information. The crockpot I used for the pork loin is newer -- 3 or 4 years old. It doesn't lock, it's pretty basic. It seems to me that making the pots run hotter defeats the purpose of a slow-cooker. At least for people who depended on them while working outside the home. I'm going to look into the Chef Alarm. Thanks for mentioning it.

[Italiancook]

For the second time, I made Trisha Yearwood's (Food Network) Slow-Cooker Pork Loin. Recipe says to cook for 4-5 hours. Both times, the pork reached 210* in 3-3/4 hours. Both times, it was too dry. I'm not sure it's safe to crockpot cook for less time, but I'll try this recipe one more time & cook for 3-1/4 hours then check the temperature.

I served it for lunch with roasted potatoes & roasted carrots. It was my first time making roasted carrots, but they were scrumptious, so there will be other times.

I put the liquid from the slow cooker in the fat separator. I'll use it tomorrow to make gravy for mashed potatoes, leftover pork loin, and marinated artichokes.

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