JayBassin
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Posts posted by JayBassin
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From my personal experience, it sort of depends on how humid the day is. When I dip my choux in caramel (usually to make Croquembouche) they NEVER go back in the walk-in. The walk-in is certain death for the caramel. It'll get sticky and melty in a matter of hour(s).
Choux dipped in caramel has always been an a la minute sort of thing. Not something that can be stored.
Absolutely, I agree with ChefPeon. Not only does the caramel melt, but the puffs get doughy/chewy, which IMO is even worse. The choux puffs must be crisp. I don't think caramel-dipped choux will last more than 8 hours or so, even on a dry day, without getting gummy.
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Last night I made a pomegranate syrup soaked genoise, layered with peach pastry cream covered in peach bavaroise. It was really tasty, but the soaking wasn't complete, so I ended up with a marbled effect in the cake versus the deep red that I was going for. Plus, the cake was drier than what I wanted.
I've had this problem many times before where I either added too much liquid and it seeps, or too little and its not fully soaked. Is there a method that helps to ensure success?
Thanks
I don't think soaking is intended to saturate the cake. Genoise and other sponge cakes are dry, and traditonal soaking in liquor-spiked simple syrup adds moisture and shelf-life. Most soaking liquids are not so colored as to change the color of the cake, so it doesn't much matter. I think if you soaked a genoise with pomogranate syrup until it was uniform in color, the cake would be too wet. Some tricks (as with lemon syrups) are to pierce the cake with a skewer before soaking, but again this would create colored streaks rather than uniform red color. I'd rather have a cake that tastes good with good texture. Maybe you should learn to see the beauty of a streaked pomegranate genoise?
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I haven't baken since spring (IT's been hot). I wanted to make some challah this weekend and I went to look for my yeast and my wife had put it in the freezer. Is it ruined?
Soup
I store my yeast in the freezer. Won't affect it at all (and it will make it last longer).
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As Anthony said, if you increase the sugar/decrease the flour/egg, you'll increase the chewiness.
Pumpkin's fibrous nature always seems to produce somewhat puffy cookies. If you find it getting impalatably sweet without achieving the chewiness you're aiming for, you might want to track down a less sweet form of sugar like regular corn syrup (not karo) or glucose syrup. Both are superb at creating chewy baked goods (great in chewy brownies, btw).
It's tricky, you might get the right consistency by backing off the pumpkin a bit, but at the same time, you may not have the intensity of pumpkin flavor that you're looking for.
I think it may be due to the high water content in canned pumpkin. If you add significant amounts of water to any short dough it will become cakey. Try dehydrating the pumpkin puree before adding.
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I think that both Virginia and Heather are pathetic choices for the final two. But I believe show producers fully intended that to happen. Why else would they pick so many fantastically unqualified, unskilled, and down-right loopy contestants from the beginning?
But, in Virginia's defense... I for one have never encountered a nut-job chef.
Although I still can't believe she didn't know what a cleaver was.
or what concasse is (and she's a "salad chef"?)
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I would like to improve the crust. It was overly moist and soft almost cake-like. I would like something crisper. Is that possible with such a moist cheesecake? Would it help to use shortbread cooky crumbs instead?
Try using an almond crumb crust:
1-1/2 c almonds
3 T sugar
3 T butter (softened)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pulse everything together in a food processor until you get fine crumbs, then press into the pan.
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Cauliflower remoulade:
break raw cauliflower up into small pieces and mix in the following dressing:
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
2 Tbs dijon mustard
2 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs finely chopped cornichon (or sour gherkins)
2 Tbs finely chopped capers
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, chives, etc)
2 Tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste
You can also use or mix julienned celery root
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I have used the feet of both chickens feet and pigs trotters in stock. I can not say that the flavor is outstandingly better (though the trotters did seem to make the stock richer) the gelatine of the two is well worth the addition especially if the stock is to be used for a sauce. The addition of the chicken feet or pig trotters will allow you to create a sauce consistency with less reduction thus a higher yield and lower cost for your sauce.
I second this. I'd use chicken feet if they were easy to get, but trotters are easier for me to get (and cheap). I split and freeze them. I blanche a trotter half or two then rinse then add to the chicken bones and get a very rich stock. There is no discernable pork flavor---only the richness from the collagen.
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I favor a port wine vinaigrette.
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I also use a coffee grinder, but my post is to push Braun and steer you away from Krups. I've had Braun and Krups gadgets for years, and while the brands work the same, customer service and repairs are vastly different. When my Braun products go bad (even after warrenty), the company is very helpful and often gives me a replacement. Krups doesn't even bother to reply, even under warrenty. I will never buy another Krups product and I urge all eGulleteers to avoid them.
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Puffins are protected by Federal law in the U.S. See the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's list here. Consequently, puffins (or parts of puffins) may not be imported legally into the U.S.
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Just guessing here, but I suspect that the rest in the 'fridge allowed the gluten in the batter to relax, thus enabling the gas bubbles to expand more. It's true that a cold environment will slow down the reaction that generates the gas. I also think that the recipe you cited had considerably more baking soda than I would use for 1.25 cups of flour (maybe 2-3 times as much). Were the cupcakes quite browned when baked? That's a result of baking soda.
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The recipe looked ok, although it seems to be shy a bit on liquid or fat. You might consider increasing the sour cream to 1 C (and if so, boost the baking soda by another 1/4 tsp), or another 1/2 stick butter. I also think RMR may be on to your "dryness" problem---definitely do not overbake: there should be moist crumbs (but not goo) on a tester.
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I used to live in Los Angeles in the late '70s and early '80s, and frequented a family-owned winery called San Antonio right down town. Recently revisited LA (haven't been back in 25 years), but couldn't find San Antonio Winery in the phone book. Anyone know what ever happened to them?
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Apple Upside Down Cake
Serves 8 as Dessert.
This is more like an apple "brownie." It's baked in a cast-iron skillet lined with sliced apples, then flipped out of the pan bottom up. Of course, you can bake it in a baking pan too.
- 3 Tart apples (granny smith), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 1/8 in thick
- 3 T Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 Eggs (or scant 1/2 cup egg substitute)
- 1 c Canola or Safflower or Rapeseed oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 3 T melted butter or unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 3/4 c sugar
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8” oven-proof skillet (I use cast-iron) with Pam and dust with about 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Toss sliced apples with salt and 2 tsp cinnamon sugar. Spread a layer of apples in tbe bottom of the prepared skillet, overlapping neatly.
Beat eggs, 3/4 C sugar, and vanilla until creamy; stir in applesauce or melted butter. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder and fold into mixture. Fold in remaining apples and walnuts. Pour batter over apples in pan and dust top with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes in skillet. Run a knife around the rim of the skillet and invert onto a plate. Serve warm (with ice cream).
Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake
( RG1699 )
- 3 Tart apples (granny smith), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 1/8 in thick
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This is more like an apple "brownie." It's baked in a cast-iron skillet lined with sliced apples, then flipped out of the pan bottom up. Of course, you can bake it in a baking pan too.
Apple Upside Down Cake
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced ⅛ in thick
• 3 T sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 C sugar
• 2 eggs (or 1/2 C Egg Beaters)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 C all purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 C coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
• 3 T melted butter or 3 T unsweetened applesauce
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8” oven-proof skillet (I use cast-iron) with Pam and dust with about 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Toss sliced apples with salt and 2 tsp cinnamon sugar. Spread a layer of apples in tbe bottom of the prepared skillet.
Beat eggs, 3/4 C sugar, and vanilla until creamy; stir in applesauce or melted butter. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder and fold into mixture. Fold in remaining apples and walnuts. Pour batter over apples in pan and dust top with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes in skillet. Run a knife around the rim of the skillet and invert onto a plate. Serve warm (with ice cream).
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How about the same way you make infused oils? Blanch basil in boiling water for 5 seconds, shock, squeeze dry, whiz in a blender with cream, bring to a bare simmer for 5 minutes, let cool, strain.
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My favorite is 3 parts iced gin (or vodka), 1 part iced sake, splash of juice from Japanese pickled ginger (maybe 1/2 tsp per martini glass), a few leaves of pickled ginger, and one pickled plum.
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According to Shizuo Tsuji and my recollection as a young boy in Tokyo, "Tokyo-style" tempura is cooked to a very light brown while "Osaka-style" is served white. I think the difference is not temperature (all fried tempura should be about 360-370 F), but the mixture of oil: Tokyo style has a signficant percentage of sesame oil mixed into the neutral vegetable/grapeseed oil. I admit my memory is pretty shaky, here, so Torakris should weigh in with the correct information.
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I use two Messermeister magnetic strips. They replaced a couple I had earlier. I like the strips, but you need to make sure they are strong, permanent magnets. The last set I had wasn't strong enough to hold my knives:
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I say no, don't whip the eggs for any custard. Whipping incorporates air, which is in the form of bubbles. I don't think cooking removes the air (think meringue). If you incorporate air, you will get bubbles in your custard.
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I always see the word "Entrecote" on menus. I think it's fatty and thin...not really sure...thought it was the same as a Hangar steak.
Entrecote is a boneless ribeye steak.
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Congee (or “Jook”)
Oriental rice porridge
• ¾ C rice (I usually use brown jasmine, and I usually use ½ rice and ½ Scottish oatmeal)
• 4 to 4½ C water
• ¼ tsp dashi-no-moto (instant dashi powder) optional—omit if you can’t find it
• 1 2” piece of dried kelp (kombu, available from oriental groceries)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 C frozen shelled soy beans (edamame)
• 1 14 oz block of tofu (prepared as below)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and soaked in warm water at least 15 minutes, squeezed, and sliced
• 2 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 scallions, sliced
• ½ tsp oriental sesame oil
• hot chili sauce (optional)
In a 3-4 qt pot, bring 4 C water and kombu to a boil. Add dashi-no-moto if you have it. Otherwise, add ¼ tsp salt. Turn down heat and simmer kombu 10 minutes, until water is slightly green. Remove kombu and set aside. Add soy sauce, rice/oatmeal, cover, and return to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in an 8” skillet, heat some cooking oil and give it a blast of Pam. Saute the squares of tofu gently until well browned, then turn and saute on the other side. Cut the reserved kombu seaweed into fine julienne strips.
When the rice starts thickening, add the onions, ginger, mushrooms, and soy beans. This takes about 20-25 minutes. Watch it carefully, because it can go from nicely thick to very thick quickly–you can dilute with water if you miss it.
Add the tofu, julienne kombu, and scallions and sesame oil just before serving, and stir in gently.
Squeezed tofu:
The night before, remove tofu from package and wrap in cotton tea towel. Put on plate, put a weight on it, and refrigerate overnight. This squeezes a lot of water out. Next morning, slice the tofu block into ½ horizontally, then into 3 longwise and 4 across. You now have 24 bite-sized squares of tofu.
Notes:
• Use any mixture of ingredients you want, including cooked chicken, shrimp, etc.
• You can use dilute chicken stock instead of the water and dashi
• Squeezing the tofu makes it easier to saute without spattering. Sauteed tofu adds flavor, but you can add it “raw.”
• You can add 1 Tbs miso (omit extra salt). It’s best to take ¼ C of simmering water/broth from step
1 and whisk in the miso, then pour the diluted miso back into the pot (adding the miso straight makes it hard to disperse evenly without lumps)
• Don’t cook the kombu or scallions too long.
cake sags in the middle -- why?
in Pastry & Baking
Posted · Edited by JayBassin (log)
You also may have too much leavener. The leavener could react too quickly and puff the center before the structure is set by the heat. How much leavener did you use? You could try cutting down the baking powder.
Added note: if the oven temp is too high, you could have the sides cooking too fast. Try using damp kitchen cloths wrapped around the cake pans.