I just got a box of goodies today also. I got the book "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day" along with an 11" and a 14" hand held dough mixing tools. I've never seen one until I went online looking for the book. A Danish invention that has been around for years.

I was not about to clutter a medium size kitchen with a KitchenAid or other mixer. Plus think of the exercise my arms will get.

I also plan to try Julia's/Ann's baquette in the coming days.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hand held dough mixer

All I can say is I may need to get the julienne peeler. I eat a lot of carrots and have a heck of a time getting thin strips out of them!

That funnel thingey is for funnel cakes....not much else.
And I agree those brownie pans are silly....just cut the brownies....that way you get to eat all the crispy edges!
As for the peeler? I wouldn't. I like making slivers with a knife...Have you tried it yet? And I have a couple of cuisinart Julienne discs...
Linda C

Sooz, I don't understand something, why would you use the brownie pan if you know you are going to return it?
To me, if you use it, it's yours. Did I miss something?
Just wondering...

Nancy

Good question Nancy. I was wondering the same thing.

I think that type of brownie pan is meant for those brownie afficianados that like all crusty sides, right? :)

Don't be complacent about the safety of that julienne cutter. The first time I julienned a carrot with my similar one it slipped and I julienned a finger. Also, there is a knack to using it efficiently. I don't find it has an advantage over a knife for most julienne work. Supposedly it is perfect for shredding green papaya. Could be. I think it may be just the thing for scoring the outside of cucumbers. I haven't done that yet.

I haven't been attracted by any of the silly cone ware. Floppy pans don't appeal to me and, even though i understand they are heat proof, I can't feel good about putting plastics in the oven. I don't even use Teflon any more.

The funnel might be useful in very specialized situations. If you have the need it could be a time saver. I don't have the need.

Jim

Glad to answer--I thought the brownie pan would come in handy, but when I actually got down to using it, it's very inconvenient! In fact, when I purchased it, I asked if I could return it after use if it wasn't "all that" and the store manager (who was on the cash register) said no problem.

Now that I've baked a batch of brownies in the pan, I'm not happy with the way they release from their little squares, and while I did NOT fill each square to the top, I did fill them a little bit over 1/2 full. That was apparently too much, as some of the brownie batter poofed up over the pan itself. The brownie squares didn't pop out easily, but the silicone made it easier to push them out from the bottom--but some of the brownie "corners" remained in some of the squares.

On the good side, the pan cleaned up really well--but that could be because I didn't use any Pam spray on it.

All in all, to me, it's more trouble than it's worth!

I used the julienne peeler with a carrot (I peeled it first with my OXO) and with a cucumber (also peeled it first--decoratively--with my OXO). I tried peeling the cuke with the julienne peeler, but the skin was too thick and waxy, even though I washed it thoroughly!

The julienne peeler worked great, but as Jim mentioned, care is needed. In fact, it came with a blade protector so when you put it in the drawer, your fingers are protected from it's teeth if you rummage around for a kitchen tool. Another suggestion about using it was to place the carrot on a flat surface and hold it down with a fork on one end, while doing the julienne work down-and-away from yourself as it slid down the vegetable.

Oh, yes, Linda, I've tried making little slivers with a knife, but I just can't get them as slim as this julienne tool does them! It's probably more of a comment on my knife skills than anything else! lolam!

I agree with sooz, it's up to the store manager to decide.

Jim, not that I am for Teflon, or silicone rubber, I think each time you buy prepared food, most likely they pass thru many plastic/rubber cooking processes.

The funnel, can it be used as a fat separator?

dcarch

I have that peeler and I love it !!! Diana55

Sooz, it's always fun to get new kitchen toys, isn't it? I've never used that pan, but I happily threw away all my silicone bakeware several months ago. I hated it and needed the space. Nothing seemed to cook right in it, and it was too floppy to be easy to use.

The julienne peeler looks great.... I have a mandoline, but the thought of digging it out, assembling it, and cleaning it up puts me off from using it most days. I've had it 2 years, and have used it maybe 3 times. Glad to know it's there though, in case I decide to one day :o)

Return policies.... I thought that the REASON stores had return policies is so that people can return things that don't work out for them. As long as you don't buy something with the intention of using it once and returning it, I think it's fine.

I am thankful that stores have good return policies.

I get significant discounts buying customer returns :-).

dcarch

I use an ice cream dipper to measure muffin & cupcake batter...an old school one with the thumb release thingee. Works like a charm with no batter dribbles on the muffin pan. A cookie scoop ought to work, too. I just grab the ice cream dipper because it's bigger & holds more batter.

The funnel could be used for pancake batter, I would imagine.
Neat trick for cutting brownies: use a plastic knife. Works like a charm and doesn't ravage the edges.

Jo

Another neat trick for cutting brownies that I learned from AnnT. Freeze them first.
Sooz I love the julienne peeler and just ordered one from a Pampered Chef party that my daughter is having.
I agree with the silicone stuff though. Not all that. However, I do love the little silicone cups for when I make Molten Lava Cakes. They come out perfectly.
I am not sure about the funnel. There are times when I think one might be nice to have, but I probably would not use it too much.
Thanks for sharing your new toys with us!
Sherry