baking with grandchildren -- help, please!
Comments (21)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoroxanna7 thanked Zalco/bring back Sophie!Related Discussions
Miele MasterChef Baking Pros - Help Please
Comments (16)It's quite common for oven thermometers to show a variance in the temp from the digi readout. So here's the standard a few of us have found to be reasonable. Bake a box of Duncan Hines or Pillsbury cake mix using one of the pan sizes they specify, the exact oven setting and set the timer for the earliest 'done' time. See what happens. Those companies engineer those mixes for consistency with almost any oven. So it's a good test. The box mix cooks exactly on time in my oven. The browning is extremely even as is the rising. Since it's processed food there will be less variation in results -- it's been engineered to perform. I used convection bake, lowest rack and put pan in the center with no drip pan below -- just one rack in the oven. If you get uneven browning with the box test, then you likely have an oven issue. If not, then it's probably a matter of finding the right oven mode. My bake cycle is 15 degrees slow. So I just add the 15 degrees to the setting. When I got this oven I knew I would have to accept a long learning curve. I've got 2 books full of my own recipes that I've made forever and I've had to match them up to the right cooking mode with this oven. It's how I've seen the differences and learned to use the various modes. F.ex. I use intensive most, I use bake and convection bake. I rarely use surround. The diagrams of heat sources in the user manual is the most helpful thing I've found to determine which mode to use. I find their explanations to be bizarre. Overall, I really love my oven. It's been a very high performer and very dependable. But I'm not convinced that everything needs convection -- for me it's whatever works best. Here is a link that might be useful: Challah thread...See MorePlease help identify this lidded baking pan?
Comments (2)Thank you leel, I never heard of such a thing as a pudding steamer, but it sounds good and sounds like the same methode for making scottish meatloaf, so I guess it'll work for my needs. Thanks again,Miles...See Moreplease help me find the perfect baked potato
Comments (34)akgirl, I LOVE potatoes in nearly any way possible. However, I also have a huge texture issue with some things and the skin on a microwaved baked potato is one of those things. I'll peel it off and throw it away, but I'm not eating it, it's kind of papery and odd and the potato isn't dry and fluffy, it's gummy and moist. it's actually good when making American Fries, I always peel the skin off and the chunks of potato stay firm/moist enough to stand up to browning in a frying pan. I love those potato skins all covered with cheese, maybe some chili, you know, those wedges of potato? The skins have got to be crispy/crunchy, though. The peels are my favorite part of a baked potato, my youngest daughter used to eat the middle of both of our potatoes (covered in A1 sauce, no less) and I'd eat the skin, buttered with salt and pepper. Annie...See MoreOn Providing Childcare for Grandchildren
Comments (33)I'm reading this as DGS naps. I've been keeping him since DD2 returned to work - 32 months now. Her original days/hours varied and were long, but this last year has been easier at four days a week, and I'm home between 5-6pm. Sometimes earlier, but it's usually 12-13 hours after I wake up. I enjoy every single moment. She receives no support (not getting into details, but it's for the best) so she can't afford to pay for childcare. I don't need the money, so it's my pleasure. I don't have all the free time I used to have, but I don't miss it at all... and I miss him dearly on days I don't see him! For me, this is a one time thing - other current grandchild and any future grandchildren from any of our three adult children doesn't and won't receive. I'm only getting older. ;) In your case, you work and they know it. So to be asked (or expected) to provide childcare is just ridiculous. There are two of them that work, so it seems like they could certainly afford daycare. Might not be what they want, but they should have planned ahead. We cannot see the future, but some things should be worked out ahead of time. Life's curve balls require changes that cannot be foreseen, but it's up to them to figure those out and they shouldn't expect anyone else to do it for them. Volunteering to provide childcare and being expected to provide are two entirely different subjects. This post was edited by allison0704 on Tue, Jun 24, 14 at 15:55...See More
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoroxanna7 thanked jerzeegirl (FL zone 9B)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoRoxanna, to reiterate, either recipe will be fine for decorating. The sugar cookie recipe below makes a tender cookie, sans leavening agents, so cookies will hold their shape (Houzz reduces photos, so they appear blurry, but you should be able to see some detail).
The following are just a couple photos of my sugar cookies from Christmas past. The angel boots were outlined, then flooded with thinned royal icing.Whereas the pears were not outlined, but simply iced with an offset spatula. Ditto for the flowers.
Below, I pressed Shortbread into vintage molds.I usually dust them with confectioner's sugar, but I've also decorated them with a simple confectioner's glaze, or thinned royal icing for more detailed work.
The last one pictured is Gruyère Shortbread; you can see, whether sweet or savory shortbread, the cookies always maintain their shape.
I would post more pictures, but I feel I have reached the level of Hog Wild☺Sugar Cookies
2¼ cups AP flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or extract
Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg, lemon zest,
and vanilla paste, or extract and beat until blended. In another bowl, combine the
remaining dry ingredients (flour and salt).On low speed, gradually add them to butter mixture, until incorporated. Press dough into a
flat disc, wrap well, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Roll out to 1/8" thick on a lightly-floured surface. Cut out and bake in a 350°F oven,for 8-12 minutes.For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top tobottom and front to back halfway through baking.
Solroxanna7 thanked Solsthumper- 6 years ago
6 years ago- 6 years ago
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
6 years ago
Texas_Gem