THE PERFECT PIE

A perfect pie requires a perfect crustPie crusts stand in the way of many bakers and their homemade pies.Making a good one is difficult enough -- the right fat in the right combination, the correct amount of water, not over-mixing -- but having it come out of the oven tender or flaky has its own separate challenges.A soggy crust is an issue with so-called custard pies, those that contain a great deal of liquid (including pumpkin and sweet potato). The liquid soaks into the crust before the pastry has time to set, leaving it colorless, bland and wet.Pre-baking the crust makes the final pie more appealing to some bakers, but has its own issues.If the dough has been handled a lot before it is put into the pie pan, it is likely to slide down the sides of the pan as it bakes, leaving a flat disc in the bottom. Even if the dough is handled carefully, or given time to rest, it will certainly shrink a little during pre-baking.Bakers prevent this shrinking by filling the pie crust with something heavy (lining it with foil, then filling the crust with beans or rice).But that seems like too much trouble to many cooks (including me, occasionally), who try to time their precooking to get enough color and set the dough before the pastry starts to shrink, often with mixed results.

By Sarah FritschnerThe Louisville Courier-JournalWednesday, August 8, 2007

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DECADENT CHOCOLATE TREATS ARE FAVORITES

Chocolate is a year round favorite - it's not just for Valentine's Day and Easter. The following tips will help chocolate lovers work with chocolate throughout the year.
* Melting chocolate - It scorches easily, so it should be melted over hot, not boiling, water. It is best to use a double boiler, kept below simmering. If steam curls up and hits the chocolate mixture, it will thicken the mixture to a stiff mass. You can melt chocolate directly over very low heat in a heavy-gauge saucepan, but you must watch the mixture carefully.
* Microwave method - Place a 1-ounce square in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave, uncovered, at medium (50 percent) power for 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until melted and smooth. Add 10 seconds for each additional ounce of chocolate.
* Making chocolate curls - Use a vegetable peeler with a long, narrow blade and a chunk or bar of chocolate. Warm chocolate and blade slightly. Be sure your peeler is completely dry. Draw the peeler along the smooth surface of the chocolate.
* Grating chocolate - Be sure the block of chocolate is cool and firm. Grate with a hand grater, cleaning the grater often so the chocolate does not clog the surface of the blade. You can use a blender, but you will need to cut the chocolate into small pieces.
* Storing chocolate - It should be tightly wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place at a temperature of about 60 degrees. If the chocolate becomes too warm, the cocoa butter rises to the surface and forms a dusty gray film known as "bloom." The "bloom" is not harmful, and, once the chocolate is melted, it returns to its rich brown color. If you store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer, take it out and let it stand until it returns to room temperature before you use it in a recipe. Chocolate is very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature.
Chocolate substitutions. To substitute for:
* 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate - Use 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening.
* 1 ounce semisweet chocolate - Use 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips or 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate and 1 tablespoon sugar
* 6-ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels - Use 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup shortening
* 4-ounce bar sweet baking chocolate - Use 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons shortening.
Gadsden times - April 2008

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LEARN HOW TO USE OVEN CORRECTLY

Ovens come in many shapes and sizes. Here we will focus only on convection ovens. Earlier, they used to come tin a round, lightweight variety, with a glass window. Simple equipment, but very effective. Some companies still make this model and even the best recipes can be made in it.
Modern Kitchens use sleek, square OTGs (Oven-Toaster-Griller) operated on electricity. You can bake a cake, toast sandwiches, or grill kebabs with the press of a button. There are instructions manuals and recipe booklets that come along with the oven. Do make it a point to read them thoroughly. There are gas ranges that have flame burners on the top and large oven at the bottom. These too are effective as electric ovens, ensure to read the manual and learn about the gas marks.
Baking : When baking cakes, cookies, breads or pies, ensure that the oven is preheated to the correct temperature as the recipe demands. It is the simplest rule for getting perfect results. When baking, use the setting that gives both top and bottom heat.
Toasting : To make pizzas, open sandwiches or simple toast, use the setting for top heat. Place pizzas on the tray and toast on the wire rack.
Grilling : To make kebabs in the grill, use the skewers provided and the basting tray to catch all the drips. Use the setting that gives top heat and remember to baste the kebabs regularly and rotate them.
Reheating : Ovens are great for reheating samosas, patties or stale bread. Use the setting as for baking.
Safety Tips :• Use the oven only for its intended use.• Never heat water in the oven. Never try to cook a whole egg.• Never use an oven to heat a room• Never leave a working oven unattended especially if there are children around.• Never use an oven to store things. If it is switched on accidentally, there could be a major disaster.• Keep the are surrounding the oven clean. Keep it free of bags, towels, drapes, crockery and other equipments.• Use of oven mitts is highly recommended to handle the hot baking dishes.

By Sanjeev Kapoor. Sourced from the asian Age 4th aug, 2007

Yum! Cherries!

Cherries, named after Cerasus, a city in Turkey, are divided into two general groups: sweet and sour.
The United States is the world's largest producer of sweet cherries, and Washington state produces about 40 percent of the nation's crop. Varieties of this dark red, heart-shaped fruit include Bing, Lambert and Tartarian cherries. Other sweet cherry varieties, such as Royal Ann and Rainier, are yellow with red tinges.
You also know sweet cherries by a different name: maraschinos. To make maraschinos, the cherries are bleached, dyed red and steeped in a sweet syrup. They are named for the Italian liqueur with which they were originally soaked.
Sweet cherries are available May through August, with peak season in June. Select plump, glossy, hard fruit. The ripest cherries have the deepest color. Fruit with stems left intact last longer.
Refrigerate unwashed cherries in a plastic bag up to 5 days. Freeze individual cherries on cookie sheets until solid, about 1 to 2 hours; transfer to a freezer bag to use later in pies and other baked goods. Frozen cherries are at their best only up to 4 months.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 01, 2007 in the State (SC)

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NUTTY TIPS

Blanching Almonds:

To blanch shelled almonds, put them into boiling water and let stand 3 minutes. Drain. Slide
skins off with your finger. Spread nuts on absorbent paper towels to dry. Roasting also will loosen the skins of peanuts, either shelled or unshelled. Source: Almond Board of California.
Chopping Nuts:
If you need large nut pieces, simply break nuts like pecans or walnuts with your fingers. For finer pieces, use a knife or chopping bowl. Almonds may be chopped in a blender or food processor, 1/2 cup at a time for 30 seconds on high speed. Or, place nuts in a zip lock bag and pound with a mallet or the bottom of a small sauce pan.
Roasting Nuts:
Roasting improves the flavor of nuts. To roast, place blanched or blanched nuts on a baking sheet in a preheated 300 o F. oven. Bake for about 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently to avoid scorching. Watch closely, as the nuts may be golden one minute then turn dark brown the next.
Storing Nuts:
Store nuts in their shells to protect from light, heat, moisture, and exposure. If already shelled, store tightly covered in cool, dark, dry place or in the freezer. Salted nuts are more prone to rancidity than unsalted, so we recommend refrigerating after opening.
Bonus Tip! Roasted Oats:
Roast in a 325*F (160*) oven, stirring 2 or 3 times during baking, watching closely, as the oats will roast faster than nuts. Try using roasted oats the next time you make oatmeal for breakfast... yum!

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How to make whipped cream

If you're serving a pie for dessert over the holidays, it's going to look naked without whipped cream. You could go the spray-can route, but for a better-tasting alternative, whip up your own. Here's how:

# Before you begin: Make sure the cream is very cold; if you have time, chill the whisk (or beaters) and bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will help the cream whip quickly and will increase its volume.

# Adding flavor: If you plan to use any flavorings, such as extracts, liqueurs or spices, add them with the sugar in Step 2 (below).

# A sweet substitution: You can replace granulated sugar with an equal measure of confectioners' sugar.

SWEETENED WHIP CREAM

Makes: 2 cups

1. In a deep mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. If you use an electric mixer, beat on medium speed; do not overbeat (or the cream will turn buttery).

2. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over the cream. Beat until soft peaks return.

-- Adapted from the Holiday 2007 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

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Pastry chef's tips will make yoor baking better

The French Pastry School in the Chicago's Loop turns out new pastry chefs ready for the professional world of ganache, puff pastry, mousse and much more. But it also offers classes for the non-professional. In a recent class on "Introduction to Cakes & Tarts," pastry chef Bob Hartwig took 16 baking enthusiasts through several French standards, including chocolate hazelnut cake with two mousses, lemon and chocolate tarts and much more.AdvertisementAlong the way, the always encouraging and always entertaining (and sometimes very funny) Hartwig offered tips that anyone facing a roster of holiday baking can take into the kitchen:

Cakes# When making a cake batter with more than two mixtures going together, don't incorporate the batters 100 percent until the final addition. Mix them just 75 percent. This helps avoid overmixing.

# "Comb" cake batter up the inside of the cake pan with a spatula and the cake will rise better.

# Don't poke a cake with a toothpick or other cake tester; if it isn't done and must return to the oven, then you've just given moisture a way to escape. Instead, touch the center lightly; it is done when it springs back.

# When letting a cake cool after baking, place a paper towel on top to trap steam and prevent the cake from drying out.Pastry

# When making a tart or pie dough, don't mix all the way until the dough comes together. Instead, when the dough is nearly together, place it on a large piece of plastic wrap and gently mold together by hand into a ball in the wrap. This will help prevent overmixing.

# While you're at it, roll the dough out partway in the wrap. First, unwrap the ball of dough partially so that the wrap is under the ball. Place another piece of wrap over the dough. Gently flatten with your palm into a flat disc. Then roll out the dough, still between the layers of wrap, until close to your finished size. Now the dough is ready to chill until ready for final rolling out between plastic wrap.

# Two strips of thin wood placed on either side of your rolling pin can help you roll more evenly. Try paint stirrers found at hardware stores.

# Avoid using a serving dish that detracts from your pastry. You want the eye to be enticed by your work, not the dishware.

# When prebaking a tart crust, take it directly from the freezer to the hot oven. A crust will form before the dough thaws, retarding shrinkage of the crust.

Source : Joe Gray * Chicago Tribune * December 19, 2007 * Jackson Clarion-Ledger

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