As I look back at the cakes I've decorated I'm reminded of all the things I've picked up because of others' blogging online. I'm now using a new buttercream icing recipe picked up at Cake Central and have improved my technique of mixing it to a consistency of 'air pocket free' because of You Tube! More thoughts on this later ...my grandkids have just arrived and it's time to do some "Gramma-ing!"
I've noticed when I learn something new and try new things, it's a rush. Call me weird but learning new things for me is exciting. It opens the world that much more. It makes me revisit the age old saying, 'the more you know, the more you realize you DON'T know!" Learning about artisan bread lately has brought this all back to mind as well as made me rethink all the things I've learned by just reading on the internet! We should all feel so fortunate that so much information is out there for our use, for good things to happen. I know there's bad things out there to, I'm not stupid, we should be aware of those and protect against those 'misleading' web sites but let's focus on the GOOD! Our brains love learning (at least mine does) and sharing! That's why I love blogging too...to share those new things with others' who love to learn as well (even though I sit here and think, "I know what Julia was feeling like on the movie Julia and Julia (is anyone out there reading this?")
As I look back at the cakes I've decorated I'm reminded of all the things I've picked up because of others' blogging online. I'm now using a new buttercream icing recipe picked up at Cake Central and have improved my technique of mixing it to a consistency of 'air pocket free' because of You Tube! More thoughts on this later ...my grandkids have just arrived and it's time to do some "Gramma-ing!"
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Our Thanksgiving feast in pictures... Thanksgiving table Apple brine for the turkey! (There are a lot of oranges in it too!) Cranberries bursting with that soft popping sound we've come to love! Appetizers Hot, buttery rolls from the oven! Homemade cranberry sauce...thanks Maegan! Fresh fruit salad Green bean casserole...thanks Casey! Buttermilk pie...thanks Dana! Pecan pie Chocolate cream pie Pumpkin pie ...but where's the turkey, the potatoes, the scalloped corn, the dressing and the gravy...the staples of Thanksgiving?? They were there but we must have been SO busy we didn't get pictures of those!!
I admit, I am a pillager. I think not of a "pillager" as robbing others but maybe more as a forager. I forage, glean, obtain, garner and gather when I have a chance! In fact, recently, I pillaged (is that a word?) from my neighbors! Each year they let me take all of the apples I want off of their wise old apple tree in their backyard. Recently one of the limbs broke because of the weight of all the luscious apples on it. Sad, but it was like finding a treasure to me...all those apples within reach, just laying there waiting for me to pick them! And so I did! I hoisted tubs of apples into the basement and up the stairs, washed 'em up in the kitchen sink, quartered, cooked, strained and canned the saucy sauce! I even made batches of apple butter and apple pie filling! I now look at those jars of sauce, butter, and filling on my shelves and think of all that could have gone to waste out there under those trees (I picked off of our two trees too) all winter long! Sorry deer! They're mine now! A telephone call last night inspired me to write today's post. It was from my home economics teacher many moons ago. She couldn't find her "frozen corn" recipe from my Gramma Peggy and thought I might have it. She was right! As a matter of fact my hubby and I just used it Labor Day weekend to bag up 44 quarts of sweet corn! Honestly I didn't even remember that the recipe belonged to my gramma, I just knew it was the go to recipe for frozen sweet corn and that my mom always used it as far back as I can remember! The call also reminded me that this lovely lady (my Home Ec teacher) gave me my first pair of Ginghers scissors...for a wedding present! Now that's what I call "thoughtful!" I just love her for that because I continue to sew today and always use Ginghers scissors. I even put a note on the scissors case for others in my household and it reads... "Don't EVEN think about it!" ...I sure don't want them used on who knows what---they're ONLY for fabric! So you ask, ok, why the picture of blueberries beside this post about sweet corn and scissors??! Well, because my connections go hay wire sometimes...the call reminded me of Gramma, the frozen sweet corn recipe then it spurred on thoughts of the blueberries we just picked and froze. When they were still with us, my Gramma and Grampa Hines picked blueberries from Moody's Blueberry Farm for more years than I can count. I never had the opportunity to pick with them but I'm told Grampa took his stool right out to the patch so he could sit and pick. I did get to enjoy the berries at Gramma's house, all those scrumptious dishpan and buckets full, waiting on the chest freezer when we walked in for a visit (always good timing that we visited right after they picked)! This picture is from Moody's on the bright early morning I picked. Those beautiful berries, still kissed with morning dew, always make me visualize Gramma and Grampa picking there. First of all I have to give credit to all the cake people who share their baking wisdom with people like me who like to learn a lot of new tricks! People who've spurred on my baking interests are my Gramma Hines, Gramma Peggy, Mom (remembering homemade cake donuts for some reason right now and my first Wilton decorating kit gift!), Dad (he could cook a perfect 'sunny side up' egg!), 4 sisters, my kids (yep, they're good cooks and inspire me too), Nora Q. (to whom I owe my cake decorating passion), and all the blogs and websites out there in cyberspace! One website that has been particularly useful to me is "Cake Central." Over the past couple of days I've picked up 4 exciting (ok, exciting to me but maybe not to you!), new tips from posters on that site that I experimented with this morning.
I didn't realize how uneven my cake layers have been in the past! I was always satisfied if the layer raised to the 2" height then I evened out the top using a cake leveler. The extra cake I whack off the tops go into a ziplock freezer bag and into the freezer for cake pops later anyway! When I read about making your own "bake even strips" on Cake Central, I had to try it. I saw the pictures of those "with strips" and "without strips" on other bakers' blogs but had to see it for myself! I could have bought some at Joann's for a bit less than $10 but I figure that $10 I saved can go toward a new Kitchenaid mixer (my 4.5 qt is well over 25 yrs old and still a workhorse)!! I made MANY strips from the towel so maybe I could even say I saved more than $30 (don't know how long the purchased strips are)! I cut/ripped an old towel into 4" strips. Just before popping the pans into the oven, I doused a strip in water, squeezed the excess out, wrapped it around the outside of the pan tucking the ends into itself and was mindful not to get any towel lint in the batter (you could also pin it or use binder clips to hold it onto the pan but I didn't find that necessary). Below are pics showing the results of layers (2 layers on top oven shelf) using the bake even strips and those without (both used parchment paper collars). I baked the layers using the same batch of batter and in the oven at the same time, on the same shelf. Needless to say, I'll be using my homemade 'towel' bake even strips from now on! One disadvantage...fewer cake crumbs for cake pops! Sometimes it's really tricky to get the center of a larger cake done without over baking the outsides. I've seen those "heating cores" to use to help this issue sold at Joann's but couldn't bring myself to spend the extra bucks for one. Besides, they looked like a hassle to me. I'm glad I didn't because I read about an alternative on Cake Central. I found some old metal flower nails (thought I had more but could only find 2, boo), slathered them with the pan goop (see post below), placed them, evenly spaced, upside down in my prepped pan (next time I'll find more flower nails to use), poured in the batter and baked. This picture is the cake turned out of the pan with flower nails removed (they slipped right out-thank you Pan Goop!). It was evident to me how the center was more evenly baked using the flower nails as heating cores. Next time it'll even be better with more flower nails! Paper collars are parchment paper strips used on the inside wall of your cake pan. After slathering with pan goop, I put 2 1/2" strips against the insides of the pans before pouring in the batter. The collars allow the batter to creep up the sides of the pan without spilling out over the top lip of the pan (I like a nice tall layer), thus no crusty sides or lips at the top of your layer. See the pics below for examples of a layer without using the collars and one with the collars (left to right, top to bottom...#1 batter in pans with collars, #2 14" using collars coming from oven, you can see how it's actually taller than the pan, #3 14" after released from pan and parchment paper off, #4 no collars used on this layer, take note of the crusty lip spilling over the top (note...on layer in pic #4 I did not use my homemade bake even strips on it either). Pan Goop...Mix equal parts of flour (any kind), vegetable oil and shortening (I used Crisco). I whipped it up using my mixer just cuz I like that creamy look. You could whisk it by hand if you're so inclined. Use it as you would any pan release spray but it's a heck of a lot cheaper! You can store it in the frig or at room temp. I've read that if it looks like it's separating, no worries...just whip it up again! I slather the insides of my cake pans with it using a pastry brush prior to laying in the parchment paper on the bottom. My cakes practically slid out of the pans this morning when I flipped them out! I used to coat the insides of pans with Crisco using a paper towel then dust them with flour...no more! I was so excited I made some for each of my girls! New Recipe Day! What is it about trying a new recipe? I think it's fun and relaxing when I can afford that luxury! So I found this new one on a blog today called "easybaked" at http://easybaked.net/2011/06/17/salted-caramel-cookie-cups/ - a site dedicated to original, fun and easy easy easy recipes! I'll warn you, if you visit it you'll find something there you'll want to make!! You'll need to spend some time reading Ruthanne's adventures! She auditioned to be a contestant on the TV show The American Baking Competition and used this recipe! I'll let you read about her interesting experience with that. The buttery caramel filling in these cookies is to die for! There's even lots left over to use on your ice cream! The crushed pretzels add interesting texture and a bit of salt that is always delightful with sweet, creamy chocolate and caramel! I made these in a regular sized muffin tin...they are too big for me so next time I'll make a mini version by using mini muffin tins. |
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January 2014
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