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Absurdly, stupidly basic pastry & baking questions

Toliver

By Toliver
in Pastry & Baking

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AlaMoi

AlaMoi

Posted
Posted

it seems well supported that creaming will assist in the 'rise' - a couple good articles cited above . . .

but the question, at least for me,,,, is the point where it is 'necessary' or 'beneficial' to do so.

 

something like above/below baker percent of water/fat/liquid . . .or whatever . . . "creaming is advantageous"

bit of a windmill tilt, methinks, because any serious 'recipe developer' would be testing and testing and . . .

 

  • 2 weeks later...
ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

I made a mango pudding the other day that while the taste was fine, the texture wasn't right - too dense.  I want to try it again.  The recipe called for 1 !/2 sheets of gelatin, I used 1/2 tablespoon of powdered gelatin.  The liquid in the recipe consists of 3 T whipping cream and 1/2 cup of mango puree with 1 tablespoon of lime juice at the end.  The recipie directs you to soak the gelatine in ice cold water, and it is squeezed dry and added at the end of the process.  Since I wasn't using sheets, I thought I would soften the gelatin in the cream.  After that had sat for a while, the cream, including the gelatine were heated to a simmer, after which I carried on with the recipe.  Eggs and sugar were whisked together, tempered and the lot heated to 167F.  What did I do wrong?  Should I have treated the gelatin differently?  Does heating it do something bad to it?  Any help is appreciated.

. 

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Anyone?

I'm hoping somebody much smarter than me will help you out but in the meantime, here is David Lebovitz take on gelatin. Click

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted

@ElsieD I don't think you did anything wrong, the whipping cream + mango + lime is only 3/4 c, and not a lot of that is water. Either the recipe is just stiffer than you like or your puree has more fiber and less juice than the recipe developer's.

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Merry Berry

Merry Berry

Posted
Posted

@ElsieD What type of leaf gelatin did the original call for?  Silver, Gold, etc?  If one of the lower bloom strengths like Silver, then the half Tbsp would be way too much I would think.  

 

But, I think PG is on the right track too.  Blooming in water is preferred most of the time since it is neutral pH and there is nothing to interfere with it such as the fats in the heavy cream, acidity of the heavy cream, etc.

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ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

The recipe doesn't specify.  It simply says 1 1/2 sheets of gelatin.  The book makes no mention anywhere else of the type of gelatin to use.  The book is by Edd Kimber, a British pastry chef, should that make any difference.

Pete Fred

Pete Fred

Posted
Posted

The gelatin most commonly sold in UK supermarkets is Platinum strength, and is packaged so that four sheets will set one pint of liquid. 👍

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ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Pete Fred said:

The gelatin most commonly sold in UK supermarkets is Platinum strength, and is packaged so that four sheets will set one pint of liquid. 👍

I have found a place that sells gelatin sheets that are 200 bloom.  Platinum sheets are 230 bloom.  If I use the 200 bloom ones, am I correct in saying I need 1.15 of a gold sheet for every Platinum sheet?  (230÷200)

Pete Fred

Pete Fred

Posted
Posted

It's a little bit outside of my competence zone, so perhaps somebody else could chip in, but i think you don't have to do the maths; it's already done for you. Gold sheets weigh more than platinum sheets (2g v 1.6g), so the same number of sheets will set the same amount of liquid. Therefore you should be fine with 1½ sheets of gold.

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted

I was just trying to rub the skins from toasted hazelnuts and was wondering if anyone has ever tried those steel mesh cut proof gloves for the task. Are they abrasive enough to help? 🤔

 

A6239F90-4E68-4A56-B4FD-C384840ADC0C.thumb.jpeg.daac78a13942f08d6df17dd9b1188390.jpeg

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JeanneCake

JeanneCake

Posted
Posted (edited)

they probably are, and  then you'd have to clean/shake them to get the skin out of the gloves.  Or maybe not; I'm thinking these look like chainmail and there are spaces where the skins would get caught up in?  Usually I boil the nuts with a little bit of baking soda and then toss them on a towel and rub the skins off.  I admit I have less and  less patience with this method the older I get ;) and then I see the price of blanched hazelnuts and think, eh, it's not so bad!  Actually the price of any nuts these days!

 

Edited to add: this method was suggested in one of RLB's books and has always worked for me.  I toast the nuts after skinning them....

Edited by JeanneCake (log)
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  • 2 months later...
ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

I am making a ginger cake tomorrow that is very gingery.  Is there a sauce that I could make to accompany it? A lemon sauce maybe?

  • Like 1
heidih

heidih

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I am making a ginger cake tomorrow that is very gingery.  Is there a sauce that I could make to accompany it? A lemon sauce maybe?

The late great Laurie Colwin adored gingerbread cakes amd wrote several beautful articles about them When I think of lemon icing I thik a simple powdered sugar and lemon juice maybe with a touch of zest and thinned with water as needed - but creme fraiche and the icing drizzle - :)  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016198-laurie-colwins-gingerbread

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I am making a ginger cake tomorrow that is very gingery.  Is there a sauce that I could make to accompany it? A lemon sauce maybe?


I love plain whipped cream with gingery baked stuff, maybe garnished with a few wisps of candied lemon rind or a grating of fresh lemon zest. 
 

  • Like 1
Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted
54 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I am making a ginger cake tomorrow that is very gingery.  Is there a sauce that I could make to accompany it? A lemon sauce maybe?

Applesauce.  Plain and simple.  And what I was raised on. 

  • Like 3

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Pete Fred

Pete Fred

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Is there a sauce that I could make to accompany it?

 

I saw this ginger cake with pear caramel the other day and thought it looked good. From a Michelin starred restaurant, so feel free to award yourself one if you pull it off.

 

Screenshot2023-04-04at8_54_44am.thumb.png.d040754ef61f19b6e0a4df342ddc76c3.png

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ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

@Pete Fred OH lordy, that looks good.  Too late for today but I'll keep this in mind.  I don't suppose by chance you have the recipe for the pear caramel?

Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Darienne said:

Applesauce.  Plain and simple.  And what I was raised on. 

In Girl Scouts camping, we used to heat applesauce to a simmer then drop gingerbread dumplings on top.    (From a boxed gingerbread mix.)    Rather good.   A little whipped cream on top ouldn't hurt this.

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eGullet member #80.

Pete Fred

Pete Fred

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I don't suppose by chance you have the recipe for the pear caramel?

 

I do not, unfortunately. But I doubt it's anything too fancy. Possibly just a light caramel deglazed with cream, then Poire William liqueur and/or the pear roasting juices mixed in. Something like this, maybe, but sadly no photo.

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Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

In Girl Scouts camping, we used to heat applesauce to a simmer then drop gingerbread dumplings on top.    (From a boxed gingerbread mix.)    Rather good.   A little whipped cream on top ouldn't hurt this.

I do love whipped cream although I'm not eating dairy anymore really.  But with gingerbread...only applesauce.  And I think  whipped cream would be an unfortunate addition.  The same for dark chocolate...which I also love.   But then no one really asked me.  :raz:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

I ended up serving it with whipped cream.. I was going to add some lemon zest.  But my lemons refused to be zested, I think they were too soft.

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