momlovestocook
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Posts posted by momlovestocook
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Hi
Why not make more than one pizza???
When I make pizza dough, I have the kids make thier own(5 and 7). The back of a cookie sheet makes a great peel. Put a little cornmeal on the sheet, put the dough on(roll it on the counter), top and slide onto the stone. They cook faster than a big pizza and everyone can have what they like on top. I'm usually making one while one is cooking.
Sandra
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Pancakes, gingerbread houses and december birthdays-sounds like my house!
My kids love making their own pizzas(they are 5 and 7). I actually think they enjoy the taste of the frozen mini pizzas better but they enjoy actually creating thier own. Oh well, I loved store bought frozen and canned crap when I was young too-thank goodness our tastes grow up with us(sometimes LOL).
I think you should get that pizza stone-Golda's sells nice ones by old stone oven-only had to carry it home from the post office(they usually have everything on sale starting the 26th!!!)
Enjoying your blog
Sandra
ps, we made our gingerbread house sunday and the kids are chowing on it already
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I concur-Seth and Richard, great looking desserts.
After seeing the Grenobloise, I am toying with making that next over the Pave(plus I bought a huge bag of pecans that I have not opened yet).
Sandra
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As a nurse, I either worked christmas or new years. I gave all that up when I had my kids
. I can say, that working the holidays sucked and extra pay or no I would have rathered been home with my family.When I was younger, we had our Christmas meal at a restaurant(my mother was ill and did not want to give up "planning" our christmas dinners). I would say most people were polite, in good spirits and more tolerant than usual. I am sure my Father left a very good tip when paying the bill. We had a nice meal, no preparation, no clean up and good company. Maybe I'll have to revive our dining out tradition
.Sandra
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Yes, the chocolate bar is in the candy aisle. It's 3.99 around Ottawa(they had bittersweet the other day but no milk chocolate).
Sandra
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there is also a recipe on epicurious for pumpkin pie(from the pie and pastry bible) that uses gingersnap cookies-you press them into your pie crust to keep it from getting soggy.
Sandra
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I made the chocolate covered caramel almonds yesterday. I also made the same recipe using peanuts and milk chocolate. It was my first attempt at tempering chocolate. I bought a digital thermometer so hopefully got the temps right for the chocolate. Whether or not the chocolate was perfectly tempered, they taste pretty good. They are Christmas presents for my dd's bus driver so hopefully she will like them(goody bag includes, hot chocolate mix, homemade marshmallows, nuts and just made some caramel popcorn).
Not sure what I'll try next. Next baking project is probably a gingerbread house to make with the kids next week.
okay, I'll try to add some pictures
First is the caramelized almonds
and then covered with chocolate
Sandra
ps we are going to two different meals for Christmas and no one wants me to bring anything-really wanted to make something from the book to WOW my relatives. May just have to make the Faubourg Pave anyway.
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Hi
I made the old fashioned milk chocolate fudge a couple of years ago(posted above) and I was not impressed with it.
The fudge recipe I make is maple pecan fudge-not what you are looking for but really good old fashioned fudge(cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, yum!)-made a batch yesterday.
Sandra
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I was watching a cooking show and the chef just popped the chilies in a freezer bag(after chopping them) and flattened it. She said she just opens the bag, breaks off a piece and closes the bag. Too easy.
Sandra
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I too found there were too many hazelnuts for the nutella tart. I toasted less than half the amount and that would have been enough for the whole tart. I still had some left since I only put it on half the tart.
I compared a bite of each side of the tart-the one without hazelnuts was really good but with the hazelnuts it was awesome. Reminded me of a ferrare Roche(sp???) with the combination of silky chocolate and the hazelnut.
After those wonderful pictures from Patrick S I want to try the Pave but will have to wait a while on that one.
I just used a bittersweet chocolate bar made from President's choice in Canada. It says made in France but no numbers for percentage. I am only baking for us and since I only take a taste of what I cook(not on my diet
) and dh will eat anything, it's not worth the cost to have to mail order the better chocolate. I do have the better cocoa though.Have a great baking day
Sandra
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I made the nutella tart and the chocolate hazelnut sables this weekend. The sables were okay-not sure if I would make them again since the kids do not eat nuts and dh didn't look overly impressed(and he's mr sweet tooth LOL). Into the Christmas baskets they go-the do look amazing. I will definitely make the tart again. I did half with nuts and half without so the kids would eat a bit.
I tried to upload a picture but will have to have dh walk me through it someday. Here is the picture I did manage to get loaded in image gullet
In Canada, we have no name products and one of them is a nutella knockoff. I noticed when I was buying the nutella they also have a no name dark chocolate spread. That sounds like it would be nice in this tart too.
Not sure what I'll try next. I'm busy this week preparing for dd's 5th birthday party this weekend and trying to get some christmas baking done, etc, etc
happy baking
Sandra
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Hi
I'm just a home baker but I make gingerbread houses every year with the kids. I have already made one and gave it to friends as a hostess gift last night(as a kit they can decorate themselves).
This recipe is the one that I have always had good luck with. I've had problems with some recipes being too dry and crumbly and hard to roll but this one is always good. My kids love eating it as well.
gingerbread house recipe link here
There's also info on the link about the royal icing and building the house.
Have fun
Sandra
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Hi
Very interesting blog!
I live about 5 minutes away from a cheese factory in eastern ontario. I have family from about 5 hours away who when they visit, go home with many huge blocks of the cheese from this factory. It is just packed on the weekends with people making a special trip to this tiny village just for the cheese. They are most famous for the cheese curds. They do not add any flavors to the curds. What kind of flavors to you add to yours-sounds like an interesting concept. Also there was a problem a few years ago when the government decided that ALL cheese has to be kept in the fridge which is a problem for curds since they are best served at room temp. Has there been any issues in Seattle about how the cheese is kept?
Again, great blog
Sandra
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I LOVE gadgets
Things I have used today include my kitchen shears(to spatchcock my chicken for supper), My measuring thingy that slides up and down(for molasses today), my offset spatula and my microplane grater.
I am looking at the silicone pastry brushes for my stocking(have to buy my own presents) and a large offset spatula.
Can't have too many gadgets right?
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I use Simply Egg Whites all the time. I have an old hand held mixer without a lot of power and that mixer will not whip the pasteurized egg whites at all!!! If I put a regular egg white in the bowl, the hand held will be able to get peaks out of it. My kitchenaid however can whip the Simply egg Whites to peaks every time.
I am only a home baker but that is my observations.
Sandra
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Well, my MIL must still be in a timewarp LOL. She is still producing dry stringy turkeys. I am not a huge fan of turkey. I much prefer the taste of chicken(except when MIL cooks it then it's just as dry as the turkey LOL).
I still remember the first year my mother(who was a good cook) cooked a butterball. My brothers raved for YEARS how great that turkey was. Although she bought other butterballs, that first one was the best.
I'm in Canada so I've already had my stringy, dry turkey this year. Enjoy your turkey day-it has to be better than mine was.
Sandra
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Candy cane lollipops
1 1/3 cup crushed candy canes,divided
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups ap flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
preheat oven to 375
finely crush 1/3 cup of candy canes in food processor.
Beat together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Stir into butter mixture in three additions.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Slide lollipop stick under bottom half of dough. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining cup of candy canes-press into cookies. Bake another 5-8 minutes(until golden color)
Makes about 48 cookies.
enjoy
Sandra
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I am toying with the idea of making packages of hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows(maybe colored red and green). Not sure if I'll add a mug or not. I'm sure my daughters teachers have more than enough mugs.
I made a few gingerbread houses last year for friends to put together themselves and decorate. Anyone with kids loves it.
I also made up some cookies for santa kits last year for a bake sale and friends. I put cookies, sprinkles, icing and a plate from the dollar store that said cookies for santa in a nice bag.
Heidi-I was just looking at a christmas baking magazine(Canadian Living) and they have cookie lollipops using crushed candy canes that look really festive. Let me know if you want the recipe.
Sandra
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Well, my dh loves to eat. He'll eat anything as long as it's food. While he appreciates good meals, he eats with the same gusto, good or bad it seems. His mother is not the best of cooks(each "holiday" meal at her place consists of dry turkey, boiled potatoes, boxed stuffing, cole slaw with sliced pickled eggs on top and a pea and lettuce salad-can of peas, chopped iceburg and mayo-YUM). It's not a hard act to follow LOL. He always eats till he can barely move when we're at her place because it makes his mother happy(she's also a food pusher).
I used to eat whatever and lots of it. Since coming to my senses and losing 100 pounds, I only eat food that I love or really like. I no longer eat just because the food is there.
If you ever just sit back and watch people eat, you will notice that a lot of people fall into the eat just because it's there category. Since I have stopped mindless eating, I have noticed that as long as food is out, it will be eaten. After christmas supper last year where everyone ate lots of food and dessert, my SIL put a box of cookies on the table. Now, no one could have been the least bit hungry but the box of cookies disappeared-not because they were the best cookies around but because we eat without thinking.
Sandra
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Can't say buche de noel, call it a yule log.
Sandra
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Hi
I used egg whites. Can't see why using regular eggs would make a difference. I'm sure sugar would work instead of splenda.
Sandra
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Here's a link to a recipe I've made. You need to cook them but they are very tasty when you need to grab and go.
Sandra
A Holiday Baking Diary
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
I was going to suggest the brownies from baking with julia as well. A little more work but well worth the effort.
Sandra
ps everything looks and sounds delicious!!! Good looking cookies even without cutters.