[skeptic7]

I was going through my hoard of Washington Post newspapers. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed the articles in the food section. I have only used a few recipes but the stories about the food and cooks and writers were great. I used to have boxes and boxes of unread newspapers but a friend has been taking them away and bringing them to a friend of hers who often fosters puppies and can use newspapers. I was saving them in the hopes that I would eventually read them or place the in the garden to control weeds. I also used them for shipping.

[skeptic7]

I did a small batch of Hot Cross Buns yesterday. I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer for almost all the kneading and mixing. I did knead the fruit in by hand and formed the dough into the proper buns. My arm is still sore from the big snowstorm at the end of January. I had snowcrete -- snow mixed with rain and freezing down to the sidewalk. The chipping necessary to try to clean one walkway and the driveway before the thaw has left me with a sore right shoulder. I am trying to avoid lifting objects with my right arm and was glad to do almost no kneading.
I made 20 small rolls in a 8x13 pan following the Babe (pig) cookbook recipe.

[skeptic7]

Thank you. I like hearing the details of your using the Ankarsrum mixer. Overall do you like this better than your old mixer?

[skeptic7]

Thank you. Is an oil cake like a muffin recipe? Do you worry about glutein development? I can't remember making an oil based cake. I've made sponge cakes with no oil except for the egg yolks.

[skeptic7]

I went to the grocery store (Krogers) as soon as I saw this. I can buy the store brand of frozen concentrate but they only have one variety. Minute Maid orange juice came in Regular, Extra Pulp ( Country style ), and Calcium supplement. I will miss Minute Maid but glad that some orange juice is available. Frozen concentrate is much better for bicyclists and anyone who has to carry the groceries home and is useful in some recipes.

[skeptic7]

Thanks for writing so much about your mixer. Do you think the Ankarsrum does a better job of mixing dough than your old machine? Do you like using it better? I found using a mixer gives me a moister bread dough as I don't need to add flour when kneading.
Have you tried to make quick bread or cookies with it?

[skeptic7]

I had pancakes for breakfast slathered with maple syrup and a little butter. Also a piece of ham. I ate all the pancakes ( 1/4 recipe ) instead of saving some for tomorrow.

[skeptic7]

Chocomouse;
I scald milk before using it to deactivate the enzymes. This does make a difference for whole wheat bread, and makes less of a difference when using white flour. The enzymes in normal powdered milk haven't been deactivated so I reconstitute and scald it. KAF special baker's powdered milk has been treated to deactivate the enzymes so it doesn't need to be scalded and can be added with the dry ingredients.
Milk powder doesn't need to be treated for cookies and quick breads.

[skeptic7]

I made potato rolls with raisins. This has come to be my default roll recipe with lots of butter and eggs and of course potato flakes. I made a point of getting enough milk to be able to bake this before the last storm. I don't have powdered milk here at my father's house, at my home I make sure that I always have some for baking emergencies. This is regular powdered milk and I have to reconstitute it and scald it before using it in bread. I have had KAF special baker's powdered milk before but stopped stocking it because I could only use it for baking. Regular powdered milk could be used in soup or for hot chocolate.

[skeptic7]

Thanks for writing this up!! How much bread dough have you kneaded at one time? What do you think are the upper and lower limits?
Mincemeat sounds wonderful. I haven't seen any in the grocery stores for awhile.

[skeptic7]

I did basic scones with dried cranberries yesterday. These are the basic scones with white flour and sugar, very tasty. I made 16 small scones instead of the 8 the recipe called for. These were very good and I only have one small scone left today,

Baker Aunt; I notice you use Barley Flour in many of your recipes. What advantage do you get from doing this? Is it just the taste?

[skeptic7]

BakerAunt; Happy Birthday

Aaron, I did think your daughter was younger. A toque is much more elegant than a hair net; but you can ask her if she has any ideas. Perhaps a turban or a tignon or a French knit cap?

[skeptic7]

Was the work triangle suppose to be range -- refrigerator -- sink? I think that utensil/silverware drawer needs to be handy for almost everything. Mix -- get a new spoon, fry -- get different spatula, while refrigerator and sink doesn't need to be as often available.

[skeptic7]

Aaron;
Buy a white chef hat so she can stick her hair up and under it. She might think it more fun and use it. These are very amusing and I wish I had gotten one earlier. I've baked bread in a dutch oven too, and that works like a cloche in keeping the moisture in and having the heat evenly around the bread.

[skeptic7]

Looks great! I'm glad that you are using the cloche top and working with a cold oven. Hot ovens are just so scary as your vulnerable hands try to move the bread and bread bowl and cloche top around, I'm impressed that you can slash the dough successfully. My bread normally tears when I try to cut it with my sharpest knife and I haven't got a special knife for that.

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