The Kitchen: all things delicious and disastrous

Mum's simply doubling it up: there'll be enough mouths to eat that much. And, yes: she has her handy tin we've christened The Monster for years for just such occasions.

And, she's got enough to make three times the frosting... but, doubts she'll need quite that much to cover it... But, better safe than sorry, no?

edited 27th Sep '12 3:07:55 AM by Euodiachloris

I can resist no longer. I will procrastibake. Now.

I've edited that post with more details. but yes, for a double recipe, I'd triple the frosting. But I like thick frosting on most cakes. It was, I'd guess, about 1/4 of an inch thick on the sides and between 1/4 and 1/3 of an inch thick on top.

edited 27th Sep '12 3:21:22 AM by Madrugada

I'll pass along the warning about upping the greasing and everything. The Monster has its charms... but, it lost some of its non-stick a while back. Mum has a Teflon reusable baking liner-thing that'll do quite nicely, but the extra grease along the sides might well be needed, just in case.

Some shielding foil will be at hand, as well: just in case the edges start to dry up. However, the fan over she's got is a corker, and usually hits the middle of whatever you're baking quite easily. I envy her that oven, to be honest. Mine's hit-and-miss and rarely holds a steady temperature.

edited 27th Sep '12 3:28:20 AM by Euodiachloris

Ah, see, I don't have a convection oven.

Incidentally, I might add that "now" is at 9pm, in an unfamiliar kitchen, where everything is labelled with Chinese. Inviting disaster!

Eep! Good luck!

Oh dear, Yuan. Good luck! I'm going back to bed. Nightmares and hot flashes woke me too early.

I ended up with some delicious, very crunchy Nutella choc chip almond biscuits. My 4th Grand Aunty arrived home towards the end to give some advice and do some rescuing.

Oh yes, the apple bread is well worth digging through your boxes to find Beard on Bread.

I gave making soft pretzels a shot on Sunday. They wound up a bit lumpy, and the first round was a bit undercooked, but overall, they wound up pretty darn good.

Plus, there's just something fun about a recipe where I'm made to boil the dough in a solution of baking soda before baking it.

Today's Google Doodle makes me think of Maddy's cake.

Okey-dokey bakers: This week the request was for Boston Brown Bread; this recipe, specifically.

Now it looks straighforward enough, but since I have to complicate everything I touch, I realized that the cornmeal I have already is "baking cornmeal" and has the flour, salt and baking powder premixed into it.

So, since I really don't want to get another bag of floury stuff partly because I really don't use cornmeal much, and partly because I'm running out of both cannisters and space to store them, my question: Do you think the recipe will turn out if I just use that for the cornmeal, and should I reduce the salt and baking soda in the recipe to compensate for the salt and baking powder in the cornmeal, and if so, by how much?

edited 1st Oct '12 5:15:15 PM by Madrugada

Euodia: How'd the carrot cake turn out for your Mum?

I can't find any online recipes for baking cornmeal but the recipe for homemade bisquick calls for 9 cups of flour to 3 tsp baking powder to 3 tsp salt to 1 tsp baking soda plus other things. What's important is the ratio. Three teaspoons are approximately 1 tablespoon and one tablespoon is about 1/2 ounce. Or 1/2 ounce leavening and 1/2 ounce salt for 72 ounces of flour. Assuming similar proportions in your baking cornmeal I think you don't have to make any adjustments.

ETA: Get someone to give you the cookbook RATIO by Michael Ruhlman for Christmas. That book has changed everything about the way I cook.

edited 1st Oct '12 5:52:02 PM by blackcat

Ratio has been added to my Christmas list.

Based on that, I' think I'll just sub in the cornmeal and not fret about the salt and leavening. Worst thing that can happen is that it turns out somewhat fluffier than is traditional.

Or, you could borrow a cup of cornmeal from someone.

@Maddie: Found out yesterday evening, quite late. And, forgot to say. My bad.

She and dad have perhaps just enough for one desert portion each left. The rest walked (some, granted, were portions doing the doggy-bag as people took some home). CC beat the other offered sweet: a home-made, giant Tea Loaf mum said you could probably ballast a ship with, it was that underbaked in the middle (the baker probably didn't allow enough baking time for the larger loaf)... So, it wasn't much of a contest.

Mum didn't end up using the full 3x Frosting. But, did end up passing the recipe around for others who asked for it. The surprise at the pineapple came up... again. Actually, Mum says she really liked it: it just works, even if you have to know what it actually is to put your finger on what the difference is when you taste the cake.

Sounds like your Mum won The Great Carrot Cake Demolition Race; bigger cake, less leftovers.

Anyway, Boston Brown Bread fresh out of the steam bath.◊ Yes, I know that it's traditionally made in a coffee can, but I just couldn't see buying a can of coffee just for the can.

edited 2nd Oct '12 11:13:23 PM by Madrugada

Making monkey bread this week sometime. Also taking suggestions for muffins.

^Apple cinnamon or Cherry Ripe.

Butter-pecan. Pecan flavor in the muffins, a pecan streusel topping.

second recipe; chopped pecans in the muffins.

edited 3rd Oct '12 6:43:54 AM by Madrugada

Pumpkin Muffins!

My Carrot Cake seems to be going viral. It's a good cake.

It would make good muffins, come to think of it. I like the idea that that recipe is going to create slowly expanding pools in the world where "Shima's carrot cake" will someday be the standard against all other carrot cakes are measured; and no one will know who or what "Shima" was, or where the recipe originally came from.