Baking 101

[rooftop1000]

Yeast wont be great for cookies and batters that are lightly mixed (no Gluten)

There also other chemical reactions happening having to do with Acid/Base that will affect some chocolate and fruit recipes. Like depending on if you have a recipe with Baking Soda or Powder blueberries can turn green and the product looks nasty.

Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) Cream of Tartar (Tartaric Acid) if that helps at all

tracey

[eskay]

Is there a way to convert between egg sizes? To be specific, I have a recipe that calls for a jumbo egg, but I only keep large eggs around. Is it likely to affect the recipe much? I figured that since it's just a single egg I'd ignore the jumboness and carry on, but will it be lacking in liquid or something?

Thanks

[alanamoana]

not too much help but:

one large egg is usually anywhere from 1.67 to 1.75 oz by weight (this is excluding the shell)

one dozen jumbo eggs is a minimum of 30 ounces. this is including the shell. so, if you divide 30 by 12 you get 2.5 ounces and subtracting about 11% of the weight for the shell...2.22 ounces for one jumbo egg.

you can figure out the difference and just whisk some eggs together and weigh out the extra amount you need to make it up.

[gfron1]

Ann Amernick's new book has a full conversion of egg sizes, as well as whites and yolks. Very helpful. I'll see if its original or if I can post it.

[K8memphis]

Is there a way to convert between egg sizes?  To be specific, I have a recipe that calls for a jumbo egg, but I only keep large eggs around.  Is it likely to affect the recipe much?  I figured that since it's just a single egg I'd ignore the jumboness and carry on, but will it be lacking in liquid or something?

Thanks

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Sarah's got yah covered.

Go here: http://www.baking911.com/pantry/eggs.htm#SIZE

Then scroll down one screen full (one & a half pages) to that lovely and genius and helpful little chart on the left:

"To Make One Cup"

[Beanie]

Is there a way to convert between egg sizes?  To be specific, I have a recipe that calls for a jumbo egg, but I only keep large eggs around.  Is it likely to affect the recipe much?  I figured that since it's just a single egg I'd ignore the jumboness and carry on, but will it be lacking in liquid or something?

Thanks

←

Sarah's got yah covered.

Go here: http://www.baking911.com/pantry/eggs.htm#SIZE

Then scroll down one screen full (one & a half pages) to that lovely and genius and helpful little chart on the left:

"To Make One Cup"

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So much information, but am I the only one who gets a headache reading that web site?

[alma]

Is there a way to convert between egg sizes?  To be specific, I have a recipe that calls for a jumbo egg, but I only keep large eggs around.  Is it likely to affect the recipe much?  I figured that since it's just a single egg I'd ignore the jumboness and carry on, but will it be lacking in liquid or something?

Thanks

←

You can take a look at The American Egg Board, they have plenty of information at: http://www.aeb.org/LearnMore/EggFacts.htm#size

Hope it helps

[jumanggy]

I bought myself a dessert (cake) ring, and I don't want it to be a disaster on my first try: what's the best way to unmold a dessert?

1. should there always be an exactly sized carboard cake round under the cake?

2. should the finished cake be room temp, cold, or frozen?

3. should I always use a torch to heat up the outside? I don't have a torch, so can I use a hair dryer? (by the way, won't either way melt the sides and make it look ugly?)

4. if the ring offers resistance when I pull it down, should I continue or heat the sides a bit more?

I realize if the sides of the ring were lined with acetate, I wouldn't have all these problems.. but I'm assuming I'm supposed to manage it without acetate. Thanks in advance!

[dystopiandreamgirl]

there is a recipe for chestnut truffles in the Bernachon's book; the center is chestnut buttercream dipped in chocolate, wrapped in marzipan and enrobed in more chocolate - they are good but the marzipan is so strong it overpowers the more subtle chestnut flavor - I was mulling over an alternative, and wondered if one could make a chestnut marzipan - as the meal from the roasted nuts is fairly dry, could one force it through a seive, process it with some powdered sugar, a few drops of rum, and a drizzle of corn syrup or liquid fondant, and have a decently textured product?

would it work? if not, why not?

thanks for any responses and suggestions...I LOVE chestnut desserts.

[gfron1]

I bought myself a dessert (cake) ring, and I don't want it to be a disaster on my first try: what's the best way to unmold a dessert?

1. should there always be an exactly sized carboard cake round under the cake?

2. should the finished cake be room temp, cold, or frozen?

3. should I always use a torch to heat up the outside? I don't have a torch, so can I use a hair dryer? (by the way, won't either way melt the sides and make it look ugly?)

4. if the ring offers resistance when I pull it down, should I continue or heat the sides a bit more?

I was expecting a pro to respond Mark, but since they didn't here is my experience. I wasn't quite sure if you were talking about a baked cake or an assembled cake (mousse, genoise). But, for baked cakes I always butter and flour my ring and have no problems at all after 15 minutes out of the oven. Sometimes I'll run a small knife around the edges just to be sure. If its an assembled dessert (like many of us have done the orange exotic), then I freeze (if ingredients allow). If they don't allow, then you're right that the acetate strips become critical.

As for the cardboard. I'm cheap and only have one size - its always too big which makes decorating difficult (hence my closeups when I post pictures ). A smaller one makes more sense for a finished product, but I also rarely serve on cardboard - it gets lifted onto the platter.

I don't own a torch and have rarely needed one. Again this goes back to the freeze and acetate question. If its frozen, you can normally just push it out. With acetate no torch would be needed (or wanted).

[jumanggy]

Thanks for the answer, Rob! Yeah, I was referring to an assembled dessert. I was thinking if I didn't have cardboard under it, I might end up with a hand-sized hole in my cake (if I push the cake up from the ring) or make a hand-shaped indentation on top (if I pull the ring up out of the cake). But the freezing/ acetate makes absolute sense now, thanks. If I do wreck my sides, I guess that's my cue to learn to temper chocolate/ use transfer sheets and hide everything! (Now all we need do is worry about the freezing of the individual components, like meringue (heh), or mousses, creams, and custards.) Thanks again!

[cakewalk]

What's the difference (if there is one) between candied ginger and crystalized ginger?

Thanks.

[cakewalk]

Apparently they're one and the same. Thank goodness for Google, which led me to About.com, which has a recipe to make your own. Here's the link:

http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrec...ystalginger.htm

Edited for copyright reasons.

Edited January 25, 2008 by cakewalk (log)

[JudyPH]

I have a question.... i am opening a cake shop soon.... will be making mostly wedding cakes. I don't have formal culinary training so i think this may be a dumb question.

What kind of oven should i use? Gas, convection or digital?

(hope i posted this in the right section

[alanamoana]

I have a question.... i am opening a cake shop soon.... will be making mostly wedding cakes.  I don't have formal culinary training so i think this may be a dumb question.

What kind of oven should i use?  Gas, convection or digital?

(hope i posted this in the right section

←

i'll assume that since you're opening a shop, you've been selling cakes for a while, right? if that's the case, then maybe you should use the type of oven that you're used to using already. your recipes work with it and you won't have to make any adjustments. if you're looking to increase your production substantially, then you might have to consider different equipment. i'm not sure what a 'digital' oven is. can you explain that one? are you talking about a Combi? gas and convection are not mutually exclusive. you can have an electric convection or a gas convection.

[eskay]

I'm making tarts with a baked custard filling. Is it possible to make the custard and refrigerate it overnight before baking it in the tart shells, or should I make it right before baking? It contains milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.

[pastrygirl]

Chilling the custard separately overnight will be fine, just stir it before you pour it in the tart shell in case it has separated at all.

[eskay]

Thanks for the reply. I ended up doing it the next day anyways, so it turned out to not be an issue, but I'll remember for next time! This is what I made.

[gfron1]

Here's a question that I should know that answer to (but don't). Why the water bath for cheesecakes? I'm asking at a more technical level than "so it doesn't crack." I've made plenty of cheesecakes without water baths that didn't crack. Anybody know the food science answer?

Edited November 6, 2008 by gfron1 (log)

[Darienne]

What's the difference (if there is one) between candied ginger and crystalized ginger?

Thanks.

←

There is the best candied ginger recipe in eGullet in the recipe section from Andie. I tried it with great success and even dipped the finished slices in chocolate.

Then following Andie's instructions, I planted the extra little ginger knobbies and made hard candies out the leftover gingery flavored syrup. Good luck!

[emilyr]

Here's a question that I should know that answer to (but don't).  Why the water bath for cheesecakes?  I'm asking at a more technical level than "so it doesn't crack."  I've made plenty of cheesecakes without water baths that didn't crack.  Anybody know the food science answer?

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I always assumed that it was because it made sure the heat was evenly distributed around the whole cake evenly. You probably didn't crack your non-waterbath cakes because ovens are now much more reliable and even, especially if you're using convection.

[jumanggy]

From the Good Eats Fan Page (Episode on Cheesecake):

The problem is if they get too hot or if they heat too quickly, these proteins over-coagulate. That is they tighten up and they can literally wring all the moisture out of the cheesecake.

So, not cracking, but curdling. Don't ask me how I know but I found that too-eager and jiggling of the cheesecake to see if it's done is a more likely culprit for cracking!

Edited November 7, 2008 by jumanggy (log)

[gfron1]

Leave it to Alton...he knows everything. Thanks.

[alanamoana]

Leave it to Alton...he knows everything.  Thanks.

←

but you're fine baking cheesecakes in a low oven without a water bath. especially individuals that are made in ring molds without bottoms, a water bath is obviously impossible. just be careful not to overcook.

even baking in a water bath (which technically can't get hotter than boiling, 212F) can curdle egg proteins as they cook at 175F or thereabouts when protected by sugar and other things. plus the dry heat on the top from the oven isn't protected by the water.

[lostbaker]

I'm really really new to baking, so please don't laugh :$

What thickness of ganache is ideal? Should it be poured or put on with a spatula? I'm leaning towards poured, I even tried doing that, but I couldn't do the edges well. Parts of it got coated completely and perfectly, but some parts just had a sort of drizzle. Can someone please explain? Thanks. I hope this is in the right section.

Edited November 30, 2008 by lostbaker (log)