Not For Tea Biscuits

My grandmother's tea biscuits, take number one of the season.

My grandmother makes the best tea biscuits. Or used to anyway, but hasn't been able to recently. They are light and fluffy and buttery and so delicious they can be eaten plain and cold; but of course are better warm with butter! (See http://bexysbakingblog.blogspot.ca/2012/05/nonnas-tea-biscuits.html).

She has given me a few different recipes over the years but although I have tried them all, I have never been able to get them quite as good as hers. Similar, yes. Tasty, definitely. Nonna's? Nope. I can't even pinpoint what the differences may be. We don't live far away from each other so we use the same brands of ingredients, same climate, even have the same or similar kitchen equipment to work with. Is she just missing something in one of her recipes? Does she have a special technique that just can;t be explained? Am I not kneading enough, too much, or too vigorously? Does my oven temperature run high? Is it a subtle difference in biscuit cutters?

It certainly doesn't help that her recipes are never specific. How long do I knead? How thick do I roll out the dough? How much is a 'scant' cup of sugar? What percentage of milk fat? Salted or unsalted butter?

This time around, I decided just to try my ow biscuit recipe I know has worked before and always produces a tender, flaky, and tasty product. But I tried to form them into more of a tea biscuit type. I'm afraid it didn't work out at planned and didn't come close to my grandmother't tea biscuits; but they were darn tasty!

Not high enough, not fluffy enough, not 'tea' enough

Christmas Baking Begins

It is now December, which means my mother began her Christmas baking the other day. She always begins way before me, and we enjoy some cookies hot from the oven, then she packages and freezes the rest. We use them to send to neighbors, to serve to company, and to enjoy the leftovers ourselves into the new year. I do most of my baking closer to Christmas and tend to serve the baked goods fresh. This is because my mother makes mostly different types of Christmas cookies, and of course I cannot forget her delicious chocolate fruitcake. I tend to make other items such as Panettone, my Christmas fruit bread, and pudding - figgy, sticky toffee, etc., and sometimes a Christmas cake. 

My mother has her classic, tried-and-true recipes she stands by and makes each yea. She also likes to try one or two new recipes each year, which sometimes become new family favorites and replace old ones. I have provided the links to the different goodies below, some have a recipe included, but some are family stand-bys and do not. Sorry!

Each year we have:  Gingerbread People, Gingerbread Cookies, Kiss Cookies, Button Cookies, Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies (though these aren't the Christmas version here, they are pictured below and are the same recipe) Chocolate Fruitcake, Shreddies Mix.

Other Christmas cookies I have made throughout the years include:  Iced Ginger Cookies, Chrismtas Checkerboard Cookies, Ginger Crinkles, and Candy Cane Biscotti.

Other Christmas treats that have been made by me or others include:  Eggnog Muffins, Hot Cocoa, Fruitcake Cookies, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Panettone Gifts, Panettone, Brownie Gifts, Merrfy Fruit Squares, Figgy Pudding, and Candy Cane Brownies.

This picture was taken a few days ago, so the count down until Christmas now reads 24 days!

Protein Bars

Recently I was asked by a school cafeteria to develop an ideal protein bar recipe. The cafeteria is looking to start selling some nut-free protein bars to students. So they would like a recipe that they can make themselves in the cafeteria and package and sell. The only criteria I was given was that the bars had to be nut-free and high in protein. However, taken into consideration the establishment, I am also going to ensure the recipe is quick, easy, relatively low cost, appropriate to eat on the go, and of course, tasty. Coming from a high school, tasty usually does not mean flax lentil prune bars. It often means something more like triple chocolate brownies. 

So I have been doing some trials lately. Doing some research, determining high protein ingredients, creating recipes, making them, testing them, and giving them to others for feedback. I will share the trials and results as I make them, I have completed two already. I'll be sure to share my successes and comments soon!

Nonna's Shortbread Cookies

I was quite pleased one day, when I was staying at my grandmother's house and found my great-grandmother's recipe for shortbread cookies. I was looking through my grandmother's stashes of recipes, as we were sharing, comparing, and discussing. I came across this one, and immediately copied it out for myself. I could remember my great-grandmother's shortbread cookies, and they were always the best. They were rich and buttery, never dry and crumbly, not too sweet with  a nice flavor. And they were always cut out in pretty little shapes, such as flowers and hearts, and adorned with just a light sprinkle of colored sprinkles. I couldn't wait to make them myself! 
The first time I made them was like a step back in time, they were exactly like my grandmother's - perfect. I enjoyed inhaling them warm from the oven. I used this prized recipe (which I'm sorry, but I cannot share) in the exhibition baking competition, as it is certainly award-winning. I entered it in the heritage plain shortbread category. So I could not use sprinkles on these cookies, but I did use the same shape my grandmother often used. This recipe has been passed from my great-grandmother, to my grandmother, to my mother and me. I am sure it will be passed on again and again, as it is certainly the best! And it is quite easy as well! Whipping up a batch and baking takes no more than 30 minutes in total. 

Devil's Food Cake

Have you ever noticed that the exact same recipe can differ a lot depending on who makes it? For example, we have shared some of our favorite recipes with others, and then sampled them when they made them, and found they were a lot different than ours. I too have made recipes given to me by others, and had them say my version was different. Still tasty, just different. Sometimes recipe do turn out nearly the same, but often they don't. How many times have you made a recipe from a cookbook, only to find the one in the book looks a lot better? Yeah, I've been there too. Recipes differ due to many variables, such as: ingredient substitutions  equipment used, freshness of ingredients, ingredient brands, attention to directions, processes used, oven type, etc. I will use my mother's chocolate chip oatmeal cookies as an example. Mom's always turn out nice and round and crunchy. I had someone else's version of the same recipe once, and theirs were thick, flat, and chewy. But they were both good.

Here is the cake recipe from my Devil's Food Birthday Cake. Surprisingly, it is extremely similar to the basic chocolate cake recipe I always use, though mine is not considered to be a devil's food cake. Despite the incredibly similarities, this cake turned out notably different than mine. Some of the tasters who have tried both preferred my chocolate cake, though this recipe is nearly identical. I actually think I might prefer this one, though I do like them both a lot. It just goes to show how a few changes can really make a dramatic difference. Anyway, here is the recipe, because it  is a really good one. Very moist and chocolaty! 

Devil's Food Cake

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 cups granulated (white) sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 cup hot coffee 2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch rectangular pan or two 9-inch round pans.

In a large bowl, sift thedry ingredients together. Add oil, coffee, and milk, beat for two minutes at medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for two minutes more. 

Pour batter into preaprd pan(s). Bake large pan for 45 minutes, smaller pans for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Recipe from: Food.com; http://www.food.com/recipe/the-only-chocolate-cake-recipe-youll-ever-need-devils-food-26370

"Cake.” http://www.food.com/recipe/the-only-chocolate-cake-recipe-youll-ever-need-devils-food-26370. Food.com, n.d. Sunday, June 16, 2013. 

New Recipes?

Lately I have been presented with a slight challenge. A baking challenge of course. I have to make something unique, different, something I have never made before; and something a bit challenging. In addition, this item needs to be healthy, and needs to be able to be prepared within a short period of time, probably about an hour or so. Along with all this, it needs to follow the criteria of being colorful, beautifully presented, nutritious, and of course, tasty. I also need to make it on a budget, with a limited number of resources in a quick-paced atmosphere. The good news? I only need to present one serving for submission, and the item can be in any category: dessert, meal, snack, etc.

The problem here, is I am having a difficult time pinpointing an item that I have never made before and would be unique and new to me, but yet it cannot be something that takes loads of time, costs a lot, or requires fancy equipment. This rules out caviar and haggis. It also needs to be healthy, which rules out a three-tiered fondant cake, or a crystallized sugar structure. The issue is, being the avid baker that I am, I have already made so many different things: muffins, cakes, cookies, casseroles, quiches, pies, pastas, squares, fudge, cereal, etc. The thing is, most extravagant items I can think of that are not out of the question based on the supplies and ingredients I can access are not particularly nutritious. This is because most healthy foods are simple; fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, dairy, etc. Hmmm, I sure seem to spend more time searching for recipes than I do making them sometimes. I warmly welcome any suggestions or ideas!

Recipe Organization

Keeping recipes organized is difficult. Knowing exactly where to find a recipe when you need it, and saving good-looking recipes you come across for the future is tough. I have yet to find the perfect system  I used to use a notebook, which was organized by cookbook, and keep record of all of the things that sounded good, and after I made them, I would comment on how they turned out. That worked for a while, but I began to acquire too many cookbooks, and kept needing to add more notes in a certain section, and it didn't fit. Also, I would clip recipes from magazines, newspapers, and print them from online and out them in a binder, and write on them. This works fairly well, though they are hard to organize and keep in the binder, and I keep needing to upgrade to a bigger binder.

Because I read all of my cookbooks cover to cover, and read my favorite ones numerous times and look through them a lot; it is sad but true that I have somewhat memorized them. I know exactly where to find certain recipes, and where to look for certain ideas, and what type of recipes each book contains. I don't have it down to the exact page number, but I'm pretty close. And when I want a square recipe, I know to turn to my favorite squares books. 

Lately, I have been finding a lot of recipes online. They just pop out at me while I am visiting blog sites and such. I have a new favorite website that uploads new recipes numerous times throughout the day, and the majority of them appeal to me. And I love (but hate) how one recipe will link to another good-looking recipe, which will link to another, which will link to another.........
All of this has lead to numerous additions to my Favorites folder. I have that pretty organized into many different subcategories. For example: Recipes - Desserts - Bars. However, this is one of the larger folders, and I will likely need to sub categorize that again, using categories such as Chocolate, Fruit, No-Bake, etc. So far, this technique has been working fairly well, however, I am adding far too many recipes, and I know I will never have time to make them all. At least I have a good selection to choose from! 

My blog is my ultimate recipe organizer. Here, I can keep track of all the recipes I have found, made, and develop. Each post is complete with recipes, comments, suggestions for  next time, and picture. Tags and the search bar help me find things quickly and easily, as does the side menu of past posts. Not that I often make things more than once, because I'd prefer to find something new, but still, the blog has proved to be useful. 

Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know anyone who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie! There are so many different versions of this one popular treat out there. Everyone has their one favorite (or six favorite) kind; the ideal chocolate chip cookie. Some insist on oatmeal chocolate chip, some double chocolate chip, some people like nuts in their cookies, and some people like jumbo chocolate chip cookies. There are thousands upon thousands of different chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. It is difficult to believe that one simple treat could have so many variations, but it does. The size, texture, shape, taste, and ingredients can vary greatly.

These are the chocolate chip cookies my grandmother makes. They are one of my favorites, along with my mother's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, my jumbo chocolate chip cookies, and the chocolate chip cookies at a nearby restaurant. I like them all for different reasons. I like my grandmother's because they have a unique texture - they contain just a touch of rolled oats which makes them nice and crisp and chewy at the same time. I like my mother's because they are chock full of oats, and have a nice balance of oats and chocolate chip all rolled together in a small, crunchy cookie. I like my jumbo chocolate chip cookies because they are soft and chewy with a hint of a secret flavor. The key is, if someone else tries to make my grandmother's or my mother's or my chocolate chip cookies, they won't taste the same. If I crave my grandmother's chocolate chip cookies, my mother's chocolate chip cookies just won't do, and vice versa.

Sharing Recipes

My grandmother and I love to exchange recipes. She gives me some of her recipes - traditional recipes that my great-grandmother used to make, and classic recipes she makes time and time again; recipes that I love and really miss when I don't get to visit her for awhile. Of course, I can never make them as well as she can, but I can make a reasonable substitute. Her recipes are always much less specific and descriptive then the ones I give her, partly because they are a bit old, and partly because I like to be descriptive when I copy recipes. I also share recipes with my grandmother. Usually I will share the recipes for any treat I make especially for my grandmother and she ends up  really liking it. She is like me, and often does not end up making the baked goods for herself, but may ask me to make it again for her. I also share any recipes with her that she asks me for. My cookbook collection and the number of online recipe sites I have bookmarked is much greater than my grandmother's. Sometimes I can find unique or specialized recipes very quickly for her. Also, if she wants a simple master recipe for something, I can often provide her with direction as to a good source of where to find a recipe or which ones are particularly good.
These cookies are chocolate brownie cookies called chocolate nuggets, and I gave my grandmother the recipe for them a few years ago. This is the first time she has made them (actually, I haven't made them since either, but that's just because I like to try new recipes). I gave her the recipe because I made these really delicious chocolate squares, that she loved, but the squares called for only half of a can of sweetened condensed milk. Because my grandmother and I both hate to waste food, I also gave her the recipe for the cookies I made, which used up the other half of the can of milk. She finally decided to make the cookies for my visit. Tasting her cookies reminded me of how different the same recipe can taste depending on who makes it. She made her cookies a lot smaller than mine, and she also cooked them a bit longer. They were still excellent, just different. My mother has also shared her infamous cookie recipe with several different people, and each version has turned out slightly different. They are all good, some are softer, some are bigger, and some are more chocolatey. Of course my mother's cookies always taste the best to me. Sharing recipes is fun and rewarding, but typically whoever made the recipe first makes it the best.

The List

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the never-ending list I have going. Anytime I see a recipe that sounds appealing, and every time I come across a new recipe I want to try, I write it down on my list. My list is now composed of hundreds of recipes I would like to try from a variety of sources. I come across new recipes and tasty new ideas on a daily basis, so my list is constantly being updated. I try to keep my list as organized as possible, but that is not easy when it just keeps growing and growing. I keep this list recorded in a simple notebook, organized by sections. The sections are by recipe source (cookbook, magazine, newspaper article, online), and categorized farther by author and recipe type (meal, snack, dessert). I turn to this list every time I need to bake something, as it gives me ideas of what I should make. Beside the recipe name, I write the source, the page number (if applicable) , and how much the recipe will make. This makes it very convenient to simply flip through the notebook when I want to bake something, and easily find a recipe with a suitable yield, using ingredients already on hand. When I make an item from this list, I write the date I made it, and some comments and ratings next to it. It seems like I add ten more items for every one I cross off. Some day, probably far off in the future, I will finally get through this entire list. I don't often make the same items twice, only if they are particularly good, because I love to try new recipes.You may be wondering why I am not baking something from the list today, instead of rambling on about it. You see, it is nearly impossible for me to bake everyday. There are time constraints, and other chores that need doing. Plus, if I baked everyday, there is no way everything I baked would ever get eaten! Now, I must go add some more recipes I just found to my list...

Fudge

Does anyone have a foolproof recipe for chocolate fudge? I have tried a few different recipes; some failed and some were okay, but I have yet to find the "perfect" chocolate fudge recipe. Right now, I prefer to buy other people's homemade fudge because it is likely to taste better than my own fudge. There are also many other types of fudge, but I have yet to try those recipes. There is divinity fudge, white fudge, maple fudge, brown sugar fudge, butterscotch fudge, peanut butter fudge, white chocolate fudge, peppermint fudge, and many, many others. There are two main techniques of making chocolate fudge. 

1. Quick Fudge, Cheater Fudge, Microwave Fudge, or Condensed FudgeThis fudge uses chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk melted together with other ingredients, and is then refrigerated to set.

2. Old Fashioned Fudge, Candy Fudge, or Boiled Fudge
This fudge combines butter, sugar, cocoa, and other ingredients on the stovetop. The mixture is boiled and must be watched carefully with a candy thermometer, and stirred and poured only when it reaches specific temperatures.

I have tried to make both of these types of fudge before. The first one did not set properly, and was not of the proper consistency at all, although it did taste quite good. The second kind turned out, but the top had a bubbly appearance, the texture was slightly off, and the taste just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Here is a picture of the second type of fudge.

Company’s Coming

If you have not yet checked out the series of Company’s Coming cookbooks, I highly insist that you do. They are the most popular cookbooks in Canada. I myself own thirty of them, and my mother owns almost twenty additional titles that I have easy access to. You have probably noticed that I make recipes from them quite often. The Company’s Coming series includes twelve individual cookbook series and one craft book series. The series range from Original Series to Lifestyle Series to Special Occasion Series, with subjects from sandwiches to desserts to Asian cooking, and in total, the series includes over two hundred different titles. The titles have sold over thirty million copies worldwide!
The one amazingly talented author behind each and every one of these cookbooks is the remarkable Jean Paré. She began her own catering business in 1963, before finally publishing her first cookbook 150 Delicious Squares in 1981 due to great encouragement by family and friends. To publish this cookbook, she with the help of her son, created their own publishing company, Company’s Coming Publishing Limited from a spare bedroom in her rural home. She released one book a year for the first few years, but that quickly grew to at least eight books a year, with a huge test-kitchen and publishing facility. Today, Jean is still alive at almost eighty-four years old, and had just retired as of March 2011!
Now, I probably sound like I am being an advocate for this particular series, but I cannot help it, I simply love this series! I have tried countless recipes from many of the different cookbooks in this series, and I have been satisfied with every single one of them. Many of them are absolutely outstanding! I have never once made a recipe from this series that failed, it truly I a highly trusted and reputable series. Jean Paré stays true to her Golden Rule of Cooking, “Never share a recipe you wouldn’t use yourself.”

PHOTO CREDIT: "Image 2297." http://raisinganarmy.wordpress.com/. Raising An Army, n.d. Wednesday, November 2, 2011