Archive for the ‘Bakeware’ Category
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
Mama cooks the bext Mexican food ever. Of course its not a huge suprise considering she’s descended from 100% Mexican Indians. The thing I really appreciate about her food is the way she learned to creatively integrate her traditional methods, with modern food and cooking techniques. Case in point, Mexican Baked Apples. These baked apples are filled with Mexican chocolate and butter, then topped with marshmallows and baked to perfection. The perfect holiday treat!
Mexican Baked Apples (Directions): Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Halve apples lengthwise and scoop out seeds forming a crater in center of apple. Fill each center with 4 mini marshmallows and 1/4 of the chopped chocolate. Cut 2 tbsp of the butter into small pieces and divide among apples over chocolate. Sprinkle entire tops with cappuccino zest. Place butter in baking pan and melt in oven. Remove pan and stir orange juice and zest into butter. Place apple halves in pan and bake for 30 minutes or until tender. Turn oven onto low broil, place 4 mini marshmallows on top of centers and broil until golden brown. Drizzle with orange butter.
Ingredients
* 2 medium apples
* 32 mini marshmallows
* 1 ounce Mexican chocolate drink mix tablet, coarsely chopped
* 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
* 2 tbsp no pulp orange juice
* 1 tsp orange zest
* Pure brown cane cappuccino zest sprinkles
I used to love butterscotch canides from grandpa growing up. We used to go on long walks to the stor for eggs, milk, and other essenntials. If I was “good” grandpa would reward me with a purchase of buttershctch hard candies which he would ration out ever so carefully to keep me in line. “if you’re a good boy today, I’ll give you all the candies you can eat after dinner” he would say. Well, you can argue with his method but it definitely worked! I was the best kid on the block. Now I can relive that delicious butterscotch flavor with this yummy dessert. This butterscotch cake is made with butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips, and then topped with delicious caramel.
Butterscotch Pound Cake with Caramel Icing (Directions): Combine cake mix, sugar, and pudding. Stir with a wire whisk to remove lumps. Add oil, eggs, water, and sour cream, then beat with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in vanilla and butterscotch chips. Pour into a greased and floured 12 cup bundform pan or a 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing. Let cool completely and drizzle with caramel syrup, if desired.
Ingredients
* 1 18.25 oz box yellow cake mix with pudding
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 3.9 oz box instant butterscotch pudding
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup water
* 4 large eggs
* 1 8 oz carton sour cream
* 1 6 oz package butterscotch chips
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Caramel syrup
I wanted to make a dessert with pumpkin, but did not want all the fat from a pumpkin pie. So, I created a cake that uses applesauce instead of oil and leftover caramel apple wraps to give it extra sweetness without a lot of extra fat.
This pumpkin cake replaces the fat that’s usually in the batter with applesauce. Cinnamon adds flavor, and caramel apple wraps–cut into strips–are scattered on top before baking to add interest.
Caramel Pumpkin Cake - Low Fat (Directions): Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except caramel strips. Pour batter into greased 13×9″ pan. Scatter caramel pieces on top of batter. Bake 28-32 minutes or until middle of cake is cooked (toothpick test.) Let cool. Serve with light whipped topping.
Ingredients
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup applesauce
* 2 cups canned pumpkin
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 2 cups flour
* Two pieces of caramel apple wraps, cut into thin strips about 2-inches long
* Light or nonfat whipped topping