Archive for the ‘Bakeware’ Category
The term muffin was first coined in England in the 18th century. The word was then spelled ‘moofin,’ which is possibly derived from the Old French word ‘mouflet,’ which means soft. This is in reference to the muffin’s plush, pillowy goodness. Muffins started as a small cake, but today you can find manifold manifestations of these tasty baked goods popping up in muffin pans around the globe.
Some people think that the muffin a direct adaptation of cornbread, which spawned two types of bread: the muffin and the biscuit. They are essentially different sides of the same coin, if you think about it. The muffin has stuck around as one of the most favored breakfast and snack foods in the world.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are as American as it gets. However, my kids have an acute disdain for raisins, which has essentially eliminated this treat from my cooking repertoire. Instead, I substitute the raisins for some dried cherries. 
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¾ cup oats
1 cup dried cherries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
In a bowl, cream together butter and sugars, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in flour and dry ingredients. Gradually beat into mixture. Stir in oats and dried cherries. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes in the oven or until golden.
Here’s a recipe for delicious homemade apple pie. In addition to the ingredients, you’ll need a pie pan and a saucepan. Ingredients:
1 9 inch double pie crust (yes we could make our own, but this is so much easier!)
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp. flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ cup water
8 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and then add the flour, stirring until it is thick. Add water, sugars, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pie pan, and put in the apples. Cover with the second latticed crust, and then pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust, ensuring you pour slow to prevent spills. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 F until the apples are softened. Let cool, serve, and enjoy!
The importance of having the best kitchenware can’t be overstated. There is a saying that there is a tool for every task and that is especially true in the kitchen. People who have been cooking for years can attest, there is a right way of doing things and there is the other way.
When you have quality bakeware, you can be assured that the wrong chemicals are not getting into you food. Things with Teflon in them tend to get Teflon on the food. Teflon, fortunately, is not seen as a carcinogen and cancer causing agent. Get the cookware that best reflects what you would like your food to be.
You might think every rolling pin is created equal, but this is actually not the case. There is a staggering variety of rolling pins in the cookware market, and each one is tailored to a slightly different task. One such variation on the standard rolling pin is the French rolling pin. The major difference between the French and standard version is that the French pin does not actually have handles. It merely tapers at both ends.
Frequent bakers often cite a preference for the French rolling pin, because it allows for more personal control. Bakers feel like they can manipulate the dough’s thickness better with this type of pin. Generally speaking, avoid crushing excessively hard items (such as nuts) with your French pin. You could damage the integrity of the surface, and this in turn can affect the ease of rolling out dough.
Caring for a French pin is the same as caring for any rolling pin. Merely wipe it down after each use, and don’t apply excessive water or soap. If it’s made of wood, never put the cooking tool in the dishwasher.
Here is a delicious recipe for a pumpkin pie inspired flan; a unique variation on the holiday favorite! In addition to the ingredients, you will need a saucepan, a blender and a flan pan. Ingredients:
1 cup pure cane sugar
1 can pumpkin pie filling (14 oz.)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (5 oz.)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. allspice
6 eggs
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 F, and melt ½ cup of sugar (not all of it!) in the flan pan over medium heat. Continue to cook until it caramelizes, being careful not to burn it. Heat up a large saucepan with about an inch of water in the bottom, and move the flan pan into the saucepan. Combine the pumpkin pie filling, milks, eggs, remainder of the sugar, vanilla, and allspice in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the flan pan when done. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean (often about an hour). When done, refrigerate for 3+ hours. Serve with whipped cream or fresh fruit!
Here’s a delicious recipe for lemon cookies sure to please all your friends and family. In addition to the ingredients, you will need a mixer, wax paper, cookie sheets, and a wire cooling rack.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 large egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Dash of salt
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until it’s light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, lemon juice, and zest. Combine the two mixtures, then once the dough has formed roll the dough into two long rolls and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 375 F. Unwrap the dough and cut it into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes, then let cool on your wire cooling rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container; makes about 5 dozen.
I”m a PB fanatic…as far as I’m concerned a healthy “glop” of natural PB (or two, or threee, or…) makes anyting better. Peanut butter certainly makes this pound cake special. For you real PB lovers, add a peanut topping for a double nutty dose.
Peanut Butter Pound Cake (Directions): 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×5x3 loaf pan. 2. Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar together 3. Add vanilla and milk; beat well. 4. Add eggs one at a time. 5. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder, and stir into batter. 6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. 7. In a ziplock bag, pour in the 1/4 cup peanuts, and roll with a rolling pin to crush. Add the rest of the topping ingredients and sake well. Sprinkle over top of cake and pat gently to press the topping slightly into the top of the batter. 8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake tests as done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Let cool completely serving.
Ingredients
* For Cake;
* 1/2 C. Butter (1 Stick), Softened
* 1/2 C. Creamy Style Peanut Butter
* 1 C. Sugar
* 1 Tsp Vanilla
* 1 Tbsp Milk
* 4 Eggs
* 2 C. All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
* For Topping:
* 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1 Tbsp Sugar
* 1/4 C. Lightly Salted, Dry Roasted Peanuts, Crushed
A super simple barbecued chicken dinner–and all straight from the oven so no messy grill to clean up.
My Special BBQ Chicken (Directions): In a pan, mix soda, water, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken and parboil 20-30 minutes until chicken is ready to fall apart. Remove chicken, place in baking dish, and cover with barbecue sauce. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice or with vegetables.
Ingredients:
* 4 whole boneless chicken breasts
* 1 bottle brown sugar barbecue sauce
* 1 cup cola
* 1 cup water
* 2 tbsp brown sugar
* Onion powder to taste
* Garlic powder to taste
* Salt and pepper to taste
These muffins have all of the right ingredients to relax the body and get you ready for bed. The bananas and whole wheat flour are the trick in this recipe.
Sleepy Time Muffins (Directions): Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a blender until pureed. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix only until completely moistened. Pour the mix into a muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Ingredients
* 2 cups whole wheat flour (pastry flour preferably)
* 1 tbsp baking powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 large ripe bananas
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/2 cup milk or soymilk
* 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
* Dash of vanilla