Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven (Part 3)

[kayb]

CSO got a workout today.

 

 

Fig upside down cake. Details on Sweets thread.

 

 

First bread I've baked in six weeks. King Arthur Flour Harvest Grains bread.

 

[ElsieD]

I bought them frozen from a shop that specializes in French pastries.  They sell both frozen croissants and chocolatines.  In the interests of fairness, I bought some of both.

[blue_dolphin]

Used the CSO with its little baking stone to make some cracker breads from Six Seasons.  Posted over here.

I had to make them a little smaller than the recipe dictated but that was probably just as well as the full size ones would have required a turkey platter to serve them on!

I used the given baking temp of 450°F and they took a smidge longer than the given time of 1-2 min/side. 

Much preferable to heating up the big oven on a hot day!

[Kim Shook]

Trying to make banana bread this morning.  Timing has been a bitch!  My original recipe called for 350F for 55-60 minutes.  This recipe which is specifically for a CSO, said 325F Convection-Steam for 35 minutes.  I did not notice the "steam" part until AFTER the thing finally finished cooking and I'm wondering how much missing that "steam" had to do with my problems.  It took forever to come up to 200F!  It probably cooked for over an hour.  I did tent it with foil halfway through and it is gorgeous, but why did it take so long to cook?  I'll post pictures later when it has cooled and I cut it.

 

So, it turned out well.  Tasted very good and had a nice texture.  Still confused about why it took so long:

 

I didn't have any chocolate chips, so I used peanut butter chips.  Good idea!!

Edited August 6, 2018 by Kim Shook (log)

[Shelby]

Hi Kim!  

 

Your bread looks great.  

 

I'm confused--and take this with a pound of salt, I've been canning all day and I'm exhausted--it took a long time to get to 200F?  Did you mean 325F?

[Kim Shook]

4 hours ago, Shelby said:

Hi Kim!  

 

Your bread looks great.  

 

I'm confused--and take this with a pound of salt, I've been canning all day and I'm exhausted--it took a long time to get to 200F?  Did you mean 325F?

Sorry - the bread took a long time to get to 200F.  I never trust a toothpick with things that have chips in them.  They always come out gooey and you don't know if it is batter or melted chocolate.

[Shelby]

7 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Sorry - the bread took a long time to get to 200F.  I never trust a toothpick with things that have chips in them.  They always come out gooey and you don't know if it is batter or melted chocolate.

OH ok, duh, I'm sorry.  I was thinking the CSO heat, not the internal heat of the bread. 

[robirdstx]

19 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Trying to make banana bread this morning.  Timing has been a bitch!  My original recipe called for 350F for 55-60 minutes.  This recipe which is specifically for a CSO, said 325F Convection-Steam for 35 minutes.  I did not notice the "steam" part until AFTER the thing finally finished cooking and I'm wondering how much missing that "steam" had to do with my problems.  It took forever to come up to 200F!  It probably cooked for over an hour.  I did tent it with foil halfway through and it is gorgeous, but why did it take so long to cook?  I'll post pictures later when it has cooled and I cut it.

 

So, it turned out well.  Tasted very good and had a nice texture.  Still confused about why it took so long:

 

I didn't have any chocolate chips, so I used peanut butter chips.  Good idea!!

 

 

Hi @Kim Shook, I think her time of 35 minutes, and based on your experience, was overly optimistic, even if you had used the Steam Bake setting.

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, robirdstx said:

 

Hi @Kim Shook, I think her time of 35 minutes, and based on your experience, was overly optimistic, even if you had used the Steam Bake setting.

 

I agree.  I've never baked a full loaf of a banana bread in 35 min.  It sounds like the timing was fairly close to what you'd expect from your experience with your recipe.  

Did you use your recipe or the one you linked to?

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook

 

you should call your version of BB :  The Elvis.

[Kim Shook]

4 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I agree.  I've never baked a full loaf of a banana bread in 35 min.  It sounds like the timing was fairly close to what you'd expect from your experience with your recipe.  

Did you use your recipe or the one you linked to?

I used my recipe.  So, next time I'll go with the time on my recipe.  But should I still lower the baking temp 25 degrees?  I've always heard that when you cook with convection you should do that.  

[Kim Shook]

Just now, rotuts said:

@Kim Shook

 

you should call your version of BB :  The Elvis.

Especially if I use a little bacon grease.  Which, now that I think about it, is not a bad idea.

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin

 

raised an interesting question on the TJ's thread ;

 

cooking the tart's from France : esp the one from Alsace

 

on a 11" pizza screen.

 

the 12 " might just fit , but not a 12.1 "

 

does anyone have an item that is 12 ' round to see oaf it fits the CSO ?

 

 

many thanks

[blue_dolphin]

27 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@blue_dolphin

 

raised an interesting question on the TJ's thread ;

 

cooking the tart's from France : esp the one from Alsace

 

on a 11" pizza screen.

 

the 12 " might just fit , but not a 12.1 "

 

does anyone have an item that is 12 ' round to see oaf it fits the CSO ?

 

 

many thanks

 

Here's how I answered over in the TJ's thread.  More appropriate here:

1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

The 12" will slide in to the CSO if you place the shelf in this orientation:

_/^------------\_

 

but not this way:

 

^--\______/^--  if that makes sense.  And you need to slide it in just so in order to align with the shelf supports on the wall.  I prefer to use the 11" if possible.

 

Even though the 12" can fit, you need to slide it in and out carefully and risk jostling the contents if you hit one of the shelf supports. 

[ElsieD]

33 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Especially if I use a little bacon grease.  Which, now that I think about it, is not a bad idea.

 

Everything is better with bacon  grease.😉

[blue_dolphin]

39 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I used my recipe.  So, next time I'll go with the time on my recipe.  But should I still lower the baking temp 25 degrees?  I've always heard that when you cook with convection you should do that.  

 

Yes, that's my rule of thumb, too. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Two more days and nights till I can order a replacement CSO.  Life is intolerable.

 

[Anna N]

8 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Two more days and nights till I can order a replacement CSO.  Life is intolerable.

 

Is yours out of warranty?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

Is yours out of warranty?

 

I believe still in warranty.  I plan to ship it back to Cuisinart when I get the replacement working.

 

[Anna N]

30 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I believe still in warranty.  I plan to ship it back to Cuisinart when I get the replacement working.

 

 Sounds like a plan.

[Kim Shook]

Made brownies today:

 

Too gooey for me:

I like a super chewy brownie - much drier than this.  I think the problem was the pan I used.  I somehow don't have a square pan and used a fairly small glass casserole.  It made them too thick, I think.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

22 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Made brownies today:

 

Too gooey for me:

I like a super chewy brownie - much drier than this.  I think the problem was the pan I used.  I somehow don't have a square pan and used a fairly small glass casserole.  It made them too thick, I think.

 

They look good to me!

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

Made brownies today:

 

Too gooey for me:

I like a super chewy brownie - much drier than this.  I think the problem was the pan I used.  I somehow don't have a square pan and used a fairly small glass casserole.  It made them too thick, I think.

 

My results with the CSO have been that even with only convection (no steam) recipes I've used for years do not lose as much moisture like they do in the pure dry heat of the big oven. The gaskets on this little oven are very tight, so barely any moisture in the food can escape. Also, I do not see the browning I expect from years of results in the big oven and stuff can overcook without browning. I'm still finding my CSO mojo, but am slowly getting there. In many cases the moisture retention is very desirable, and in others not so much. Overall, I love this little oven, although it certainly comes with a learning curve.

[rotuts]

@Thanks for the Crepes

 

"  CSO mojo "

 

the best of all Mojo.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Replacement CSO ordered.  Should have bread in time for work next week.