| gluten free and spelt help, please. |
[Jan. 7th, 2010|08:25 am] |
hello, you wealth of helpful and resourceful bakers, you.
i just started a job (i really mean like just a few days ago) as a baker for an all natural cafe. the owner is a nutritionist so her part of the job is to tell me what she wants and i'm to figure out how to do it. we're going to be baking to accommodate some food allergies, vegans, diabetics, and i'm starting out with gluten free muffins and using spelt flour. i have never ever baked with any gluten free flour! and though it's a lovely environment where they understand that and let me experiment, i could use a little help. are there any tips or crucial knowledge that i should have about making gluten free baked goods?
a little more importantly, and separately, does anyone have any tips on baking with spelt flour? in addition to the gf baking, we're also making muffins with spelt flour instead of regular wheat flour. i am not trying to make gluten free food with spelt, to clear up some confusion (sorry). in my experience so far (which is three batches of unsatisfactory muffins), spelt hates to be baked with! i know it has an imbalance of gliadine and glutanine, and the lack of glutanine means the muffins do not hold their shape. i've never baked with spelt either, and my attempts to alter the recipes i've been given haven't been super productive. all my muffins have looked like this:
they spread on the sides, cave in the center, and become crust-like on the tops. the recipes i'm using have a lot of oil in them (which i'm working on tweaking) and that makes me think it might be part of the problem, but i do know the spreading and caving is the work of little glutanine. but i don't know how to fix it yet. i'm not sure my boss' stance of mixing spelt with whole wheat flour but i've read that helps. does anybody have any other suggestions?
thanks so much, bakebakebakers! honestly any knowledge thrown my way is super helpful and super appreciated.
<3 |
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| question for baby shower cake |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|07:54 pm] |
Okay, I have two questions for all of you. The first is, what is/are your favorite cake(s) for layering?
My mom will be decorating my baby shower cake. She is an excellent cake decorator, but she usually makes the cakes using a box. I figured I'd make the cake (I very, very, very rarely used boxed mixes), but since I'm no decorator, I never really pay attention or care about what will hold up well to layering and/or decorating.
She'll probably use fondant. So... my question again, after that explanation, is what cakes hold up well to decorating?
My second question is about the actual decor of the cake. Do any of you have any suggestions for a baby shower cake? I'm having a girl. :)
Thanks in advance for any suggestions! |
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| Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls (No Yeast!) |
[Jan. 6th, 2010|10:21 am] |
 Ever had a sudden craving for warm and fluffy cinnamon rolls, but absolutely dread the 1-2 hour wait for the yeasted dough to rise? Well, this was one of those days for me, and the promise of having warm rolls made, baked and eaten all within an hour seemed much too tempting. Personally, I had my reservations, having tried out a non-yeast cinnamon roll recipe in my earlier years of baking. And I know that the orthodox yeast fans out there would scowl, but trust me, these easy, tasty, fluffy, yeast-free cinnamon rolls were the closest you’d ever get to having cinnamon perfection in under an hour. Recipe on my blog, and after the jump! |
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| Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread Pudding |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|06:43 pm] |
Why, yes, I did say Pumpkin Cheesecake Bread Pudding. Rethinking some resolutions?
If it's cold where you live, you neeeeed to make this delicious, simple bread pudding. It's a humble, gorgeous, comforting, easy dessert you'll love. My boyfriend is already asking when I'm going to make it again -- good sign!
This pudding isn't the only thing that's amazing; the cookbook it comes from is phenomenal as well. Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters is a collection of heirloom recipes from the Brass family, as well as from yard sales, used bookstores, antique cookbooks, and various family collections.
Normally I post the full recipe in my post here, but in order to only reprint the Brass Sisters' recipe once (with permission), I've only recorded it on my personal baking blog, linked below. You can also read a full review of their cookbook there.
( another photo )
To get the full recipe, see the full cookbook review, or to test your New Year's resolve with more delicious photos, please head over to my baking blog, Willow Bird Baking!
x posted to bakebakebake, food_porn, and cooking |
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| Soft grainy bread |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|04:41 pm] |
Stop what you are doing right now and listen up: I HAVE PERFECTED MY SEEDY BREAD RECIPE. I know you all thought it was perfect before, but you didn't know that it could be made perfecter. Now you know!
The secret is buttermilk! This is officially my new favourite bread. It is just as soft as bought bread and sooo much tastier. And cheaper! And better for you! Buttermilk, contrary to what I thought until yesterday, is not fatty milk. It's milk with good bacteria in it! It tastes kind of like plain yoghurt. Who'd-a-thunk-it. Anyways, it makes a pretty delish loaf of bread. Apparently you can also use it in salad dressings.
( Recipe )
See more at The Cast-Iron Darling! |
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| tiny cakes, orange and poppy seed cakes, and cinnamon stick.. things |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|05:00 pm] |
Over the past few weeks I've been trying to keep busy, so I've made a few things. The hardest thing I've made, and the only one I don't have a typed recipe for, is the tiny tiered chocolate cakes I made. They tasted great, but because they were so small they were really difficult to ice. I didn't think it was possible for something less than 15cm tall to fall over, but apparently it is.
( recipes and pictures ) |
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| Trailer Park Troubadours cake! |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|12:29 pm] |
I have completed what was, in more ways than one, my biggest cake project ever. It was served to 200 people at a Trailer Park Troubadours concert on New Year’s Day. I’m thrilled to say it was a huge hit! I even got a shout-out from the stage when the band's frontman, Antsy McClain, was talking about their 'crazy friends'. "A crazy friend of ours made this amazing cake for us," and he pointed me out. Best part? That announcement came right before they played my favorite TPT song.
So, I guess you’d like to see pics now, huh? Maybe? (Please?)
The cake was based on this photo, which the band uses in their show. (They call it a Bed & Breakfast. :-) )
( The ride continues )
And now I really should lie down for a while, since I already have a couple of ideas for NEXT year's show ... |
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| White Chocolate Gingerbread Bars |
[Jan. 4th, 2010|12:19 pm] |
Thank you to everyone who posted such nice comments about the wedding. It was just an absolute dream; every single minute of it. My mother did a fabulous job making everything look beautiful and our parents did all that they could to make it a great day for us. All of our friends and family were so generous and we're very excited to go on our honeymoon to Rome in a week! I'll post pictures as soon as I get them back from the photographer, which should be by the end of the week.
I made these bars before Christmas, but I didn't get a chance to post them. They were delicious and they were almost gone by the end of the night when there were just 4 of us eating them. There are a bunch of different, warm spices in the batter and the white chocolate is light and creamy and compliments in the gingerbread flavor perfectly. The texture is great, too; moist and chewy. I halved the recipe in and used an 8x8 pan, but I probably should have made a 9x13 pan because they were so good! Recipe on my blog at The Crepes of Wrath or after the cut.
( White Chocolate Gingerbread Bars ) |
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| Peppermind |
[Jan. 2nd, 2010|11:35 pm] |
Hello, I was just wondering if anyone had any good recipes for making peppermint candy or icing? |
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| Almond Dacquoise Cake |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|11:57 pm] |
Hello! First time poster here (but of course, I've lurked for...a while).
A week ago maybe someone made a post asking for a "showy" recipe and then someone else commented with a link to Martha Stewart's website and this cake itself.
I bake a lot and I usually just do the normal old boring stuff for the Holidays (cookies, cupcakes, etc...), so I figured I should try something a little more challenging and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make this cake (chocolate + almonds = a weakness).
( +1 and recipe link )
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| root beer bundt cake |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|10:01 am] |
I finally bought the Baked cookbook for myself this holiday and couldn’t put it down the rest of my break. Every recipe sounded tantalizing and although often being lengthy, not intimidating. This was the recipe that grabbed me the most (next to the s’mores nut bars, which no doubt will be next). It came together rather quickly (especially the frosting, which was such a breeze) and filled the kitchen with the most delicious, malty chocolate smell.
We all devoured the cake after a dinner of indulgent pizza, and everyone agreed it was one of the best chocolate cakes ever, but only very light on the root beer flavor. Yet the cake is so moist and tender and the frosting is beyond to-die-for. So I still highly recommend this cake, but if you really want the root beer to sing, adding a teaspoon of root beer extract or even a splash of root beer schnapps definitely wouldn’t hurt. (And come on, when does adding schnapps to anything hurt?)
tons more pics and info at my blog, jonesing for...
( Recipes and more pics under the cut... ) |
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| low low fat bran muffins |
[Jan. 3rd, 2010|09:36 am] |
first time posting in this community here, hi to everyone. I will start by sharing one of my recipes. I originally posted it in another cooking related community but just in case you missed it, here it is again:
I made up this recipe after lots of researching, experimenting and tasting. To call it “low low”-fat, instead of no fat or just low fat, is because the muffin itself doesn’t contain any butter, shortening, or margarine, but they do contain egg and trace of fat as I do use the spray on cooking oil on the baking trays so that the muffins don’t stick.
Some people may not like the fact that the muffins lack the richness the butter or margarine can gives. However, they are completely packed with 4 different kinds of fibers, and great as a quick breakfast or a healthy snack between meals. If you are looking for something that is not overly sweet and not at all fattening, I hope you will like this.
They are perfectly fine to be kept in the freezer. You only need to warm it up in the microwave for about 25 - 30 seconds, and top it off with a bit of butter, voila!
( Here is the recipe. ) |
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| Help! Looking for a Frozen Lemon Meringue Cake Recipe.... |
[Jan. 2nd, 2010|09:45 pm] |
I was at a party over the holidays and someone brought the most delicious cake which I have since been looking for everything without any success. It was a Frozen Lemon Meringue Cake. Apparently it was meringue baked in circles and then layered with lemon filling and topped with graham crackers I think and of course frozen until served. That’s all I could really get of it and I want the recipe so badly, my friend's birthday is coming up and he loves lemon and this cake was so lemony is was wonderful. If anyone knows of the cake/recipe I'm talking about I would greatly appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance.
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| Bird's nest pastry help? |
[Jan. 2nd, 2010|05:48 pm] |
There's a Bakery near me that serves this pastry called "A Bird's nest", it's like some cake roll, w/ Jam (raspberry jam??), and I think coconut shavings, with a very rich coffee icing.
I just tried searching the web quickly for a recipe, with no real luck
Anyone have any sites w/ photos that has this recipe? Or any form of help?
Thanks! <3 |
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| Question |
[Jan. 1st, 2010|05:20 pm] |
I just bought a 4 pack of flavored olive oil
gralic
lemon
basil
hot pepper
but they were victim of their cutness coming in 60 mil little bottle. The truth is I dont have any idea to use them any help
note: I'm a vegetarian, no poultry, no fish except for those fish crips from High liner ;)
THANKS lune-celtique |
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| Melting Shortbread |
[Jan. 2nd, 2010|02:36 am] |
I have been trying to come close to my Nana's shortbread for a few years - it was magically melty and somehow she managed never to let it brown. My mom got her hands on an old collection of recipes from the olden days. It is a thick wad of loose pages clipped together and well-thumbed by many ladies. It has a bunch of shortbread recipes, all with the names of the women who made them famous attached. I have been working my way through them each Christmas.
This year, while I don't think I have exactly replicated Nana's recipe, I found one that I think I am happy with - it has a good balance of flakiness and firmness and I managed to bake them at a low enough temperature that none of them got the least bit brown. Also nobody in my family seemed to be able to stop eating them - I ended up making three batches in a week! |
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| German Christmas Stollen |
[Jan. 1st, 2010|11:58 pm] |
 So my family bakes alot of german desserts during christmas. (Cakes, pies, fruits, puddies, ect.) and every christmas we make this traditional german stollen dessert. I think its really good. This is the batch my mom made because mine wasn't as pretty.
weekends1.livejournal.com/946.htmlReciepe |
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