K8memphis

Y'know the old adage that the shoemaker's kids go barefoot. I was taking some brownies that I made and picking up some carry out at a favorite spot on my way to a little luncheon. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and took an extra box of brownies to the restaurant for the staff. I was semi-awkward inside about it. But I did it anyway. They loved them it was so cool!!! So I guess I really should do it again. They were all served up in muffin papers all easy to serve so they could just grab one. Later I was told there was some fighting going on over 'em. Cool!! But as far as going into the kitchen, I just think they are wisely off limits for so many reasons. Beyond the brownies, and this thread, I'd never thought to tip the boh, even though my kid is a chef. I think because it wouldn't amount to much at all. A well turned brownie made more impact than dividing my piddly percentage would amongst the staff y'know? Unless we could start doing 10% foh 10% boh. That'd be cool. Otherwise send in the shoeleather er ahh brownies.

I was dumbfounded by the lead paint analogy--that's like likening a cap gun to an atomic bomb or something real far out. They are both explosives but...C'mon, whose Mom served lead painted cookies or something??!!! Thank you, Judith, for focusing this discussion. I am totally unequivocally opposed to government, city, state or federal banning food. Let's see, how can I put this... Get the hell out of my pantry. Now! And STAY OUT! And while I'm on the subject, the use of Crisco neither has the power to embarass nor does it denote laziness in anyway.

I'm not even cool enough to catch the reference!!!

Interesting. My take on it is that it is the legislators that are the ones doing the whining. And making pie crust does not contribute to ill health it's not eating properly that contributes to ill health. So are you saying if you had ingested the same amount of pie with crust made from butter you would not have heart disease? Edited to say: If you eat salads and grilled foods you will eat much less bad fat. So if you order differently in restaurants you will avoid the bad stuff whatever it is y'know?!

Linda, I think you'll be fine with that one. I got my daughter the 5 quart. Either one is fine for a home baker. Along the way you'll probably make some bread someday. The five quart bowl is narrower. The six quart bowl is wider. I got a funny story about KA's & making bread. 23 years ago, I got bronchitis when I was carrying chef-boy. My husband made chicken soup, cleaned up the house and asked if there was anything else he could do for me. I said, no no no. He insisted, I said, well some cinnamon bread would be cool but that's ok don't bother. He said I'm happy too. I said it couldn't be easier KA spells it our for you. So he got out the little KA cookbook that came with the mixer & he had to go to the store for salt. Of all things we were low on salt. He was busy with that. I was dozing all cozy in my clean little house. He made a beautiful little dough ball, I was admiring his work. He said, Why did it call for so much salt? How much did it call for? Three tablespoons he said. Oh no I'm thinking, he read it wrong it's supposed to be three teaspoons, but that can't be right either for two loaves of cinnamon bread. Of all things it was a typo in the little cookbook It really says three tablespoons of salt!!! PS. It'll be 29 years on Dec 25 IF we make it 12 more days

They'll be having interventions on Dr. Phil and taking up collections for kids of chefs who are arrested for being "users".

There's a recipe used by my many of my pro cookie baking friends now in recipegullet called, No Fail Cut Out Sugar Cookies. It's popularly posted on several of the boards I traverse. It is not my recipe I'm just sharing it with you.

I really don't see any whining by the chefs in the article. There's 'some trepidation', and 'less confident' regarding the making of cookies in particular and pastry in general in order to satisfy the new guidelines which to me is reasonable.

So so true about the recipe, Whisks. I make those little rose shaped like mega muffin little dealies in the rose mini-bundt pans. I just think they are so pretty and so effortless. Some recipes stick like glue and others pop out like magic. I quess you're right it is trial and error. Susan, maybe use that particular recipe with a parchment lined loaf pan.

No Fail Cut Out Sugar Cookies This recipe is one widely used and posted on several of the sites I traverse. It is not my recipe. I am just sharing it here with whosoever wants to bake a crisp edged cut out cookie. NO-FAIL SUGAR COOKIES (originally) Posted by Jennifer Chan (who writes) I can't take credit of that No Fail Sugar Cookies recipe. That was Chris F's VERY FAMOUS, VERY WELL-TALKED sugar cookies. The credit should belong to her. This recipe is GREAT when using complex cookie cutters. The dough holds its' shape and won't spread during baking. Make sure you let your oven preheat for at least 1/2 hour before baking these or any other cookies. 6 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. salt Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Mix well. Chill for 1 to 2 hours Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 8-dozen 3” cookies Keywords: Easy, Cookie, American ( RG1896 )

What is your phobia about corn syrup? When you use the real vanilla, add it when things have cooled off a bit so it doesn't boil up & fizz out on yah. And while the proportions of sugar and liquid equal whatever you said it does in corn syrup, making candy is a precise adventure that I would only recommend for you to use a specifically written formula for. Like if you have one that already does not use corn syrup then use that formula. But I don't suggest you just alter things to your liking because the chances of failure are greater. It's not like cooking. It's very exact. Hurry up and make some.

It is absurd for the government to legislate fois gras and shortening while allowing sugar to damage the pancreas, dim the eye and rot the teeth. White flour has no nutritional value and routinely destroys blood chemistry. In "The Making of a Pastry Chef" Andrew MacLauchlan asked eleven pastry chefs to list their most vital ingredients, most listed chocolate, six listed butter, several listed fruits and various spices. Jacques Torres listed: all of them Probably came out more like, "Aul ov dem" Yah think?!

Oh go ahead, eat one! Or at least cut one bite out of one cookie and put it on top!! nibble nibble

What kid of pan is this Susan??? Has the inside surface been scratched or anything like that??? Has it ever been put in the dishwasher? Maybe switch to clarified butter. I mean yes I'd totally consider a new formula if it's that resistant to cleaning after soaking all night. How well did you incorporate the ingredients? They should not be separating. One cup of molasses is a lot. What else is in the recipe???

I think the cupcakes might be risky, could fall apart, don't you think??? Biscotti or shortbread maybe??? Just a chocolate dipped thought...

I last baked on Thursday so I think I missed the bad alignment of the baking planets this time...I hope so anyway!!

Here's another little detail type thing also. Y'know how stuff shrinks a little bit when baking? Well use that plus gravity to your advantage and make the cake even a bundt type slide a bit in the pan. Hold the pan at a great enough angle to make it move or slide in the pan. I bop the side of the pan with the heal of my hand too to encourage the movement. You can see which parts of the product are being naughty and nice. Take a flexible skinny knife and encourage any areas that are resistent. That's what I do. I turn the pan all the way around like 12-3-6-9 on the clock and smack the side to be sure everything is loose before turning it over. You need to let stuff cool sufficiently as has been mentioned. If it cools too much re-heat the pan on the burner for several seconds--I keep the pan revolving on the burner or slide it back and forth so it evenly heats and loosens the fat which releases the cake from the pan. And of course nothing works like pan goop, equal parts shortening, oil and flour combined. Brush on or use paper towel to apply. Store in frige so it doesn't separate.

So any news to report on the bacon brittle front???

My 350 watt old timer KA is infinitely more powerful than my jazzy muckety muck higher power new KA. Now my old one has bust a bauble in there somewhere but since my husband can fix anything he knows it's a bladeebladeebla part so I'll be fine. But it's not generally the motors that wear out in my experience it's the gears and this other little deal that broke on mine. I got my kid a new KA for a wedding present but she has all my mixers to fall back on too so she'll be fine since cookies & cake are as much action as hers has seen. Chef-boy dropped off an old incontinent Hobart five quart that I'm looking forward to restoring to good health. I keep it 'Pampered' in the corner.

Raisins, dried apricots, coffee would make good ingredients as well as sweet potatoes. You could make a killer sweet potato muffin or souffle like light casserole. I think those spices cry out to be mixed with apples. Windmill cookies, deconstruct a windmill...hmmm...I don't know...just in the broadest brain storming type thoughts I think of baking four cookies in the shape of the windmill's sails, like the fan part of the windmill and put a dessert on each blade or in between each one. Or A cookie in the shape of a shoe with the ice cream in it, on it. Or stick some skinny fan blades into the scoop of ice cream. Don't mind me, I'm a cake decorator... Hot chocolate or egg nog???? I'm not an egg nog addict! It just would so work with those spices! Mulled cider of course. Spiced up apple butter on little bitty crisp southern style biscuits or plain scones with chantilly cream??? Oh geez I'm making myself hungry --gotta quit.

Cool cool cool. Can't wait. I am thinking of homely, homey and comforting hermit cookies but I'm sure there are so many more better ideas out there.

I just made some out of tea a coupla times, mostly caviar. But if you made the blob and left it in the bath and used a small cookie cutter, it should stop the flow of stuff because it's still in the bath. In a perfect world. Then ideally you could make pretty blobs. I don't have any more detail. Just an idea. I just hope someone tries it & tells me.

What happens if you make a blob in there and then cut out a shape out of that?? Wonder if you can press a cutter into the blob and can keep some definition in the finished blobette you made. I imagine it's been tried already, but still one wonders. If only I felt like playing...

I've never sprouted garbanzos/chickpeas but here's a great link.

Sarah, Thank you for allowing me to semi-highjack your thread for a walk down memory lane. Jayt--thanks for the update!