Shel_B

I was looking at that one and wondering about the shape. Does it work well for you? Reviews indicate it's big and might not fit into a utensil crock. What's been your experience with the size? I like that it's one piece, and I also like that it has a large capacity.

I suppose silicone would be acceptable. I didn't mention it because all the silicone items I've seen have been soft and sort of floppy, and it didn't seem like the material would make a good ladle. My feelings about plastic are based on several articles I read over the course of more than a year, so while they are not scientific papers they are from reputable sources, and have given me concern. Why take a chance if there are alternatives that are not questionable.

A unique meal ... https://www.youtube.com/embed/LG3d79V6xsA?rel=0

I'd like to make some chocolate pudding for this coming weekend. The recipes I'll choose from suggest Dutch processed cocoa as an ingredient. It's been several years since I made any of these puddings, and am out of the loop WRT cocoa. Any suggestions for a good Dutch processed cocoa that won't break the bank? Thanks!

For lunch today I toasted a couple of TJ's Masala Burgers in the mini Breville. There are all sorts of veggie burgers that are similar, and I suppose they'd all toast up about the same as these. Usually I pan fry these puppies with a little bit of oil, but I thought I'd try toasting them today. They turned out great, crispy on the outside, warm and delicious on the inside, and nowhere near the muss and fuss of using the stove. Plus, no extra oil was needed, and if you're watching calories, that's a plus. But wait, what about the buns for these burgers? We bought some very thin, flat whole wheat rounds from Costco http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/759254b.jpg last week, and they are the perfect size for the Masala Burgers. After toasting the buns I decided to place them on the top of the Breville. Putting them on a plate would cool them down and create "toast sweat," which would make the buns soggy and unappetizing. The top of the oven gets hot, so it became a perfect place to hold the buns until the burgers were done. All-in-all, another good cooking experience with the mini Breville.

Yes. It's my understanding that nylon will handle greater heat without melting or deforming. I've seen some plastic spatulas melt and deform when being used in a skillet, and saw some videos from ATK showing plastic utensils of this type melt. In addition, I'm concerned about chemicals in certain plastics leaching into the food, and my feeling is that nylon is more inert in that regard. Plus, I prefer the way nylon feels in my hand compared to other plastics that I've used and handled. If there are other plastics that fit my preferences, I'd be happy to consider them, but, as noted earlier, plastic engineering is not my forte, and until just now didn't even know that nylon is a plastic. I'm certainly amenable to learning.

If you're afraid that metal will scratch your pots, and you don't want plastic (nylon is a plastic, btw), then all that's left is wood (or bamboo, which I guess technically isn't wood), right? Well, I guess I'm ignorant about some materials. So, let me refine my request: I'd like a recommendation for a nylon ladle.

I, too, have a ladle that seems identical, although it does not carry the Betty Crocker logo. I discovered this thread because I'm looking for another ladle, this time in a material that won't scratch in interior of my pots, maybe nylon? What else is there? I'm not interested in plastic. Checked equipment reviews at Cook's Illustrated and ATK, and only found stainless steel ladles reviewed. Any one to definitely avoid? Any recommendations?

Yes, you've mentioned that before, back about two years ago in a thread about making dulce de leche. I had no luck using it in ddl, but I may try it again in the chocolate chip cookies. As andiesenji suggested, I'll see if I can find a granulated version. All I've seen this far have been cones.

What is "really good brown sugar?" Interesting comment about maillard reaction. Something to look into. Thanks!

Go here http://www.amazon.com/De-Buyer-Mineral-Inch-Fry/product-reviews/B002S52X1E/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1 and scroll down to the seasoning tips in the first or second review. I did essentially the same thing with my Matfer skillet, and it worked a stitch. Pay attention, don't take shortcuts.

My bad ... and it should be noted that a bunch of people answered the question I posed and offered suggestions, one of which worked beautifully. Hmmm ...

I'm sure you're right, but as with everything else, I start at the beginning and use what I have. Each time I make a recipe, I adjust it based on previous results. I keep notes on how I measure, what changes I make to ingredients, amounts, and technique. When I get a scale, I'll concern myself with weight. Right now I'm perfecting how I measure to get repeatable results. I've done that with my popovers and I can duplicate the results. Now, with the popovers, it's time to start making adjustments. The same process will be used with the cookies. And, for anyone who cares, the first batch was quite a learning experience. I made the cookies too big and laid them out too close, so a couple ran into one another. There was, however, a nice crispness to the bottom and edges, but the middle was a bit too cakelike for my taste. Maybe that's because I made the cookies too big. The second batch was made smaller, and the cookies look like they may be crisper throughout. Gotta wait until they cool further to be sure. I made the third batch smaller still, and the spread looks perfect, with cookies that are closer to the size I wanted and plenty of room between each cookie. They look a little thinner, so maybe they will be less cakelike in the center. Also, I've been adjusting the baking time for each batch, and that seems to be helping some as well. If nothing else, this is a fun way to spend the afternoon. Thanks to all who have been helpful.

I never said I was going to change the original recipe - never! Maybe you misunderstood the purpose of my questions. I'm on a quest for knowledge - in this case I want to know what happens when proportions in a particular recipe are changed. Then, if after making the cookies a few times, and know what I'm doing, I'll have the needed info to make the changes I want, if I want to change anything. Or maybe I'll never make chocolate chip cookies again <LOL> The first batch is about to come out of the oven. Gotta run ...

She roasts a lot of SM's coffee, and I know she's roasted some of their Ethiopian blends. I'll let you know what she says, and, if I can, I'll taste some the next time I'm at her home.

Thanks for posting your comments. Sweet Maria's is a local outfit, and we sometimes grab one or another of their beans. However, a close friend is very much a Sweet Maria's customer, and I passed along your information to her. I'd be interested in getting her opinion on the blend.

Your tips are appreciated. Thank you! It's about time to start mixing and baking. Bust one more question, though. If I reduce the amount of brown sugar, with the intent of getting a somewhat crisper cookie, can I leave the amount of white sugar the same as in the original recipe? And, if reducing the brown sugar while at the same time increasing the white sugar, will that also give a crisper result. In other words, can I play around with the amounts and proportions of the two sugars to "customize" the cookie, and, if so, at what point might there be too little of the sugar or too much of the sugar?

Very helpful ... thanks!

I am going to try my hand at baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I have never made cookies before, so this will be a learning experience and somewhat of an adventure. I am going to start with a simple recipe, what may be considered a standard, the Toll House recipe. The recipe calls for brown sugar, and at the supermarket last night I saw a few types of brown sugar: dark brown, light brown, some just described as brown, etc. What does brown sugar bring to the recipe, and how do the different shades of brown sugar effect the result? Also, all the recipes I've looked at call for "packed" brown sugar. How much do I pack it? The degree of packing would change the amount of brown sugar in the mixture, which would, I imagine, change the result. Are there some "packing" guidelines? Is there a standard for the various brown sugars, or do different brands of dark have different amounts of molasses in them (it's molasses that makes the sugar brown, yes), so that one brand of dark may not be the same as another? And this, then, goes back to the question, "what does brown sugar bring to the recipe?" Thanks!

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Now that she's gotten the info from this thread, it'll be interesting to see what she decides upon.

After talking about this earlier, she's going to taste the Triple Sec and the rum, and see what she might want to go with. I've never tasted Triple Sec, so I couldn't offer much advice. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

Thanks. We just got back from an event, and discussed this. She has two kinds of rum, one of which is Baccardi. If the rum goes well with the other ingredients, maybe she'll use it. Thanks for your help and direct response to the question. The thing is, neither of us drink much - in fact, you could almost say that we're abstemious - so we're pretty much ignorant of the types of liquor in her closet.

Exactly, and thank you. You said it better, and with far greater diplomacy, than I could have.

The choices are the ones mentioned in the original post.

Rum and triple sec, both of which have been mentioned more than once, seems like good choices for the intended purpose.