I have an idea for a birthday cake for my brother, which involves cooking the cake in a waffle iron. I know I did this several years ago, but can't remember what kind of recipe I used, or how it turned out. My original thought was for a basic yellow cake, but now I'm thinking that a chiffon or sponge cake might be better.
Has anyone done this before? What was your experience -- do you have any advice or suggestions?
Never sift dry ingredients into a bowl, while standing under a ceiling fan.
I live in Florida, in a house without air conditioning (yes, that is possible). This winter we did not have one hard freeze and only a couple of frosty mornings.
Due to the warmth, my bread doughs always rise in about half the time that the recipe suggests. Sometimes I will punch it down and give it an extra rise, and sometimes I will put it in an ice bath to slow it down. If I have lots of time, I will refrigerate it for several hours.
But, most of the time, I just go with the quicker rise time. My breads always turn out tasting good, and risen quite well. However, I have given up on sourdough breads, because they never turn out well.
Am I missing anything by not having a "long, slow, rise time?"
Any suggestions to alleviate this problem (if, indeed, it is a problem), other than moving to Maine?
I have been trying to avoid meat from feedlot animals. This limits our restaurant/menu choices, when we eat out. I have 2 questions:
1. are there restaurants out there who offer meat from animals that were treated humanely, and how do you find them?
2. if I see "exotic" meats on the menu (like bison or venison), can I assume that they have been raised humanely, or are there now feedlot-type places for deer, also.
It is my plan to layer the waffles with vanilla custard, then top with fresh peaches.
Hershey's does make a dutch process cocoa. They market it as "Special Dark" and it comes with the same label as their special dark candy bar.
I use both natural and dutch cocoa, depending on what I have on hand. Each gives its own special flavor to the recipe. But you have to be careful. If the recipe calls for baking soda, then use natural cocoa (dutch processed cocoa is quite alkaline, and combining it with baking soda can give a strange taste to the food it's cooked in).
papillon -- actually the name of my cat (who looks nothing like a butterfly). I'm not telling my age, but it looks like I am older than all of you. No children, but two cats -- the other is Ebony (guess what color she is).
I love to bake and like to spend all day in the kitchen, when I have time -- which is rarely.
I read SE daily, but don't often post.
My day job is totally unrelated to food (teaching) and I live in central Florida.
I grew up on true Southern cornbread, which does not have any sugar (or flour) in it. Therefore, I never developed a taste for the Jiffy mix. My cornbread is simply cornmeal (preferably yellow), buttermilk, egg, and shortening (plus leavening, of course).
And it must be baked in a smoking hot cast iron skillet.
But, I also loved my grandmother's johhny cakes, which were fried on the stove, also in a cast iron skillet.
this does look spectacular, and I will be trying it. But, I want to know where LoCo lives. My Meyer lemons are already juiced and in the freezer. My tree has blossoms on it, but I won't have ripe lemons again until Christmas.
We are in central Florida.
I haven't made (or eaten) sloppy joes in so long that I can't remember the last time. The recipe looks really good and I will definitely try it. But will have to wait until my parents leave (they are visiting for a week), as my mom does not eat ground beef or tomato products!
OK, I will try the overnight in the fridge method next time -- it will just require some advance planning.
As for "sourdough tends to be a slow riser anyway" -- maybe that's the way it's supposed to be, but that has not been my experience. Either it overproofs and I have to punch it down and start over, or it deflates once in the oven. Perhaps it will work with the fridge method also.
Thanksl for your advice!
My mom gave me "The Settlement Cookbook" when I first went out on my own, and I loved that book. Gave my copy to my nephew when he got his first apartment, planning to gey a new copy for myself.
Was disappointed to find that it is out of print.
I have since bought the 75th anniversary "Joy of Cooking" and have been enjoying it almost as much as Settlement.
To clarify, my use of the word "exotic" was not to imply non-American meats. But simply those that do not show up as often on menus -- that is meat that is not beef or chicken (in general).
Anyway, you guys have given me a lot of great ideas and websites to look into. Already I have found a farm just a few miles from my house that raises heirloom breeds of poultry, and their eggs.
Still haven't found a restaurant that fits the bill -- but the Wofgang Puck lead is intriguing (there's on about 1/2 hour from me).
Thanks for everyone's input.
Vanilla cream custard and peaches sound delicious! I might try this using a sweetened corn muffin mix..thanks for the great idea.
Right on! Sounds cool papillon;
I would do the vanilla custard as well, make sure that you make some home-made whipping cream and you could sprinkle some amaretto cookies or granola in one of the layers.
So with the basic yellow cake batter; how is it that you prevent it from sticking/burning/melting in the iron? I would like to attempt this.
I'm Rosezilla (named for my three year old daughter and the giant lizard thing that stomped Tokyo...it's what I call her when she's being...how you say...willful). My real handle is Mandy. I live in Santa Barbara County again after growing up here, but lived for 11 years in western Sonoma County...home of fabulous food and wines. It spoiled me rotten, to become an adult surrounded by all of that luscious produce and foodie opportunity. I managed a microbrewery's kitchen for 6 years, and have SERIOUS opinions about ales, should anyone care for them. Now I'm a home cook primarily, although I do a little catering here and there. My daughter's favorite foods are salmon and broccoli, so I feel as though I've triumphed a bit over the three-year-old beige-food diet. We do, however, eat at McDonald's every Friday after school...it's our little Happy Meal indulgence...and those tiny cheeseburgers are SOOO good. I live with and cook for my mother, as well. I am dating a high school band director, who has actually LOST weight being with me, as he's eating more asparagus and less fast food. I think that size 14 should be the new size 6. I am curvy, healthy, happy and active...and think that excellent foods should be part of everyone's diet. I am active in the "S'Cool Food" movement here, which tries to bring local and sustainable healthy food into school cafeterias. And I love, love, love this website.
I just made this and it's extraordinary! And the instructions are fantastic - I followed them precisely and got perfect results. This would be lovely as one ingredient in a British-style pudding as well.
@alacto-- I grew up in Williamsburg! If you're still there, I'm quite jealous of your accessibility to Aroma's. I was a slave at the Cheese Shop for a few years, and while I can't stand the house dressing any more, oh the cheese and wine selection....mmmmm
Bro recently made these avocado eggrolls for a party. They are wonderful. We didn't use a sauce - no one noticed :D.
Whip 'em up and bring 'em down to the party!!
@kfarrel3: Hope you're enjoying Florence! I miss Antico Noe sandwiches so much :(
Mrs. L, a, ahem, 40 something (at least for two more weeks) who is just learning to cook and dealing with the fact that I own over 500 cookbooks (over 400 that have never been cooked from!). I live in San Jose CA and I see dead people for a living (no really, I manage a cremation business). I love serious eats to help me find out what's going on in the food world and to make me feel even more behind cuz I cook recipes I see here rather than open up one of my many cookbooks!
@NC Terry - I looooooooooove Zingerman's! Love love love! You have the best job.
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