Basic Crepe Batter – Tips and Tricks to Get the Perfect Crepe Batter Every Time

As a child I was always barely waiting for my mother to make crepes and eat them filled with home made sour cherry preserves! Back then is when I learned how easy it actually is to make the crepe batter whether you are mixing it by hand or using a food processor or blender. Just follow a few basic guidelines and you’ll always have perfect crepe batter!

Making the crepe batter requires a different technique based on the tools you have at hand to make it. If you have a blender or food processor you can just put all the ingredients together and mix until you get a smooth consistency. If you mix it by hand using a whisk start by beating the eggs then add a bit of flour and milk at a time. Sifting the flour will also help avoiding the flour to clump up but if you don’t have access to a sifter just add the flour one tablespoon at a time and try to spread it all over the batter surface rather than dumping it all in one place. Doing it this way is a bit more tedious but it will ensure that your final batter will be smooth and free of flour clumps.

Consistency wise, I prefer having the batter a bit thicker when using a spreader tool on a heavy cast iron crepe pan or an electric crepe maker, or runny if I use a light pan and spread the batter by tilting the pan. The best consistency is achieved when you poor the batter from a ladle 8 to 10 inches above the batter into the rest of the batter and it forms a continuous stream which does not splash when falling in the rest of the batter. Also you have to keep in mind that if you are refrigerating the batter for a couple hours to leave the flour absorb all the liquid, you will end up with a thicker batter. To compensate for this I usually check the consistency before cooking the crepes and add more milk to achieve the desired consistency.

The basic ingredients and quantities for the basic crepe batter are as follows:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt to taste

This will create a thicker batter best suited for use with a spreader. Add about 1/2 cup of milk for a thinner batter that will easily spread by tilting the crepe pan.

This batter will work for both sweet and savory crepes but if you want to make just sweet crepes you can add a bit of sugar and vanilla for more flavor!

Bon apetit!

How to Make Waffles- with Recipes

Making Waffles

By Diane Watkins

A well made waffle is a breakfast delight. Follow these tips to learn how to make waffles perfectly every time, then try out some of our variations of waffle recipes. First, read the directions that came with your waffle maker. The correct temperature setting is important. If the baker is too cold the waffles will stick or appear spotted. When too hot, the waffle will brown too quickly and the inside will not be cooked. You want them just right. Perfect waffles for breakfast can set you up for the day ahead like nothing else.

Preheat the waffle maker until the correct temperature is obtained, approximately 5- 8 minutes. Chocolate Waffles and Gingerbread Waffles need a slightly cooler waffle iron than plain waffles.

Pour the batter onto the pre-heated waffle iron using a ladle or pitcher. Pour batter into the center of the grid to about an inch from the outside edge. The batter will expand as it cooks and fill the grid.

If your waffles stick, the waffle iron may not be hot enough or the recipe may need more fat. Follow your waffle makers instructions about seasoning the waffle iron before the first use. An improperly seasoned waffle iron may cause sticking as well. It should not be necessary to grease the iron, the batter should have enough fat to prevent sticking.
Plain Waffles
Makes 4 waffles:

1 1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, separated
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted shortening

1. Pre-heat the waffle maker.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
3. Beat the egg white until stiff but not dry.
4. Beat the egg yolk, add milk and melted shortening; pour into the dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated.
5. Fold in the whipped egg white.
6. Bake 4 to 5 minutes in a hot waffle maker.
7. Serve hot with melted butter, syrup, honey or other toppings.

Variations:
Pecan Waffles:

Add ½ cup chopped pecans. Serve with ice cream and butterscotch sauce.
Orange Waffles:

Substitute 1/3 cup of orange juice and 2/3 cup of milk for the milk. Add 2 teaspoons of grated orange zest. Serve with melted butter, syrup, or powdered sugar.
Chocolate Waffles

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
4 tablespoons shortening
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1. Preheat waffle maker to a light setting- slightly cooler than for regular waffles.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
3. Melt together the chocolate and shortening.
4. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
5. Beat the egg yolks. Add the milk, mix well, and pour into the flour mixture, then add the melted chocolate and shortening. Stir all together until just mixed. Do not over mix.
6. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
7. Bake 4 to 5 minutes in waffle maker set to a light setting.
8. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

Gingerbread Waffles

½ cup molasses
6 Tablespoons shortening
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk

1. Preheat waffle maker to a light setting- slightly cooler than for regular waffles.
2. Combine molasses and shortening in saucepan, heat to boiling point, then cool.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, ginger, and sugar together.
4. Beat the eggs, add the milk and cooled molasses mixture. Pour into the flour and stir just until moist.
5. Bake about 5 minutes in a waffle maker set on a light setting.
6. Serve with whipped cream, hard sauce, or stewed apples and bacon.

Apple Waffles

2 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg, separated
1 1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons melted shortening
1 ½ cup pared and diced apples

1. Pre-heat the waffle maker.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar together.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
4. Beat the egg yolks, add milk and melted shortening; pour into the dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated.
5. Fold in the whipped egg white.
6. Fold in the diced apples.
7. Bake 4 to 5 minutes in a hot waffle maker.
8. Excellent served with sausages.

Blueberry Waffles

2 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon sugar, divided
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg, separated
1 1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons melted shortening
1 cup blueberries

1. Pre-heat the waffle maker.
2. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with the blueberries, set aside.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar together.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
5. Beat the egg yolks, add milk and melted shortening; pour into the dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated.
6. Fold in the whipped egg white.
7. Fold in the blueberries.
8. Bake 4 to 5 minutes in a hot waffle maker.

Six Tips for Cooking the Perfect Pancakes

by Terry Telford

Pancakes are the staple of a delicious breakfast and the highlight of a casual brunch. But for many weekend chefs, the first pancake inevitably ends up in the trash can or the belly of the family pet. So what’s the secret to perfect pancakes? How can you master the art of cooking right from the very first pancake? Here are a few of the most frequent pitfalls of the pancake artist:

* Leaving lumps in the batter. Although many people feel that good pancake batter should be lumpy and uneven, many chefs actually encourage cooks to completely mix the batter until it’s the consistency of rich cream. This allows the gluten to be released from the flour. For best results, whisk the batter thoroughly for several minutes to allow air into the mixture.

* Cooking right away. It’s hard to wait for breakfast, especially when it’s something as delicious as pancakes. But batter needs some time to set – at least one hour minimum, but three hours is ideal. This allows the starch to grow and expand and air bubbles to release. For lighter, fluffier pancakes, mix your batter and then cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge.

* Using a pan that is not properly seasoned. For best pancake results, start with a flat non-stick frying pan. Season the pan with a bit of vegetable oil first by heating the pan and then roll up some paper towel and carefully rub the oil into every inch of the heated pan. Leave the pan to cool down and then remove the unused oil. While not everyone can devote an entire fry pan just to pancakes, you’ll find the most success if you never wash a seasoned pan. Instead, wipe it down after cooking with a wet cloth.

* Using a pan that is either too cold or too hot. Stove temperatures vary, so there is no “perfect” setting to make pancakes. Ideally, the frying pan should be so hot that it almost smokes. But if it’s giving off plumes of bluish smoke, then it’s too hot and your pancakes will burn. If you’re not sure if your pan is ready for cooking, throw on a few drops of water. If the water instantly evaporates on contact, your pan is too hot. If the water sits for awhile and takes its time to boil, then you need to turn up the temperature a few notches. You’ll know the pan is the right temperature when the water droplets sizzle on contact and then evaporate after a few seconds.

* Pouring too much batter. Most amateur pancake chefs make the crucial mistake of overdoing it on the batter for the first pancake. This usually results in a thick, oily cake that is burned on the outside and raw in the middle. For thin crepe-style pancakes, use just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan by turning the pan in circles. For thicker pancakes, use about half a ladle or about two or three tablespoons.

* Flipping the pancake too soon. Once you’ve poured the batter, let the pancake set for a few seconds, or until small bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges begin to look solid. Then take a spatula and gently jostle the ends of the pancake before shaking the pan to jar the cake loose. Firmly place the spatula under the entire pancake and then flip it in one quick motion. Stack pancakes on top of each other to keep them from cooling down too quickly while you continue cooking.

Follow these tips and your first pancake will wow your guests and loved ones – instead of your dog.

Terry Telford is the publisher of Kingston East News and an avid promoter of Kingston Ontario. He highly recommends the fine dining experience at Bistro Stefan.

Related Articles:

Make-Ahead Buttermilk Pancakes

How to Make Waffles

How to Make Crepes

How to Make Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatoes are now listed as a super food. These southern favorites are high in fiber, vitamins A, B6 and C, potassium, manganese and complex carbohydrates.  The extra fiber means that they don’t affect your blood sugar the way that white potatoes do. (Assuming, of course, that you aren’t loading them up with sugar.) Try these baked sweet potato fries with salt and pepper or be adventurous and try them with garlic powder, cinnamon, or your favorite seasoning mix. Sprinkle the seasoning on the pan to prevent the fries from sticking.  While the amount listed may seem like a lot, a good bit of it will be left behind on the pan.

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

4 Sweet potatoes, cut into wedges

2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon crushed black pepper

Large sheet pan

Oven, preheated to 425 degrees F.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the salt and pepper over the sheet pan.

Toss the sweet potato wedges in the olive oil to coat.

Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Turn them once so that a little of the seasoning sticks to all sides. The majority of the salt and pepper should remain on the pan, creating a barrier to sticking.

Bake the sweet potatoes for 40 minutes, turning the fries halfway through the cooking time. The fries are done when they are brown and crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Large wedges may take longer.

For more information on sweet potatoes, visit: Know Your Ingredients- Sweet Potatoes. Also check out other ways to make sweet potatoes on the Sweet Potatoes Recipes page.

Cookie Decorating 101

by: Mimi Cummins
Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that’s a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you generate your own ideas for cooking decorating.

DECORATING COOKIES BEFORE BAKING

Cookies can be decorated before baking with materials that withstand the heat of baking. Some things that you can place on your cookies before baking are:

• colored sugars or natural sugars such as pearl sugar
• jimmies, non-pareils, silver and gold drag, and other sprinkles
• raisins and dried fruits such as cranberries
• nuts

These items can be placed on top of almost any cookie to dress it up a bit and give it a more festive appearance.

Paint a Masterpiece

You can also paint your cookies before baking them. Make an edible food paint out of an egg yolk mixed with a few drops of food coloring and paint the cookies with a clean paintbrush. The paint will dry while baking and give the cookie a colorful, glazed appearance. This is a fun activity for kids!

A bit of Trompe L’oeil

The folks at Better Homes and Gardens have a creative recipe for Colored Cream Dough which is a dough of frosting consistency that can be piped onto cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a writing or star tip, and then baked. The result is a cookie that looks like it has been frosted but the frosting is baked on and hard.

DECORATING COOKIES AFTER BAKING

Decorating cookies after baking them requires that you apply some kind of liquid-based substance that will adhere to the baked cookie, or that will act as a glue to attach other items. Usually, this takes the form of frosting, icing, or melted chocolate.

Frosting vs. Icing

There is a big difference between frosting and icing. Frosting is thick and holds shapes like rosettes and shells like those you see piped around the edges of a birthday cake. It remains soft to the touch and has a creamy texture, and most people think it tastes better because of the creamy buttery flavor.

Icing, on the other hand, is a thinner, more liquid substance, and as it dries it thins out, becomes very smooth across the surface of your cookie, and hardens. This is the icing to use for the most beautiful, professional results.

Working with Frosting

You can use frosting in two ways. One way is to simply use a knife or rubber spatula to spread the frosting across the whole surface of your cookie. The other way is to place the frosting in a pastry or decorating bag fitted with a small tip and piping out thin lines or rosettes of icing onto the cookie.

Either way, once the frosting has been applied to the cookie you can then further embellish it by using colored sugars, non-pareils, or any of the decorating items mentioned in the Decorating Before Baking section above. Christmas-Cookies.com has a delicious recipe for Buttercream Frosting at http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=306. See detailed instructions on piping frosting from Better Homes and Gardens.

Working with Icing

Icing is a little more difficult to work with but its smooth surface produces the most beautiful results! Icing should always be piped onto a cookie because it will run off the edges if spread with a knife. Once iced you can apply silver drag饳, or other sprinkles just as mentioned with the frosting above, before it hardens. Christmas-Cookies.com has an excellent recipe for Royal Icing at http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=42. Better Homes and Gardens also a recipe for Powdered Sugar Icing ( http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=288 ) that dries less hard than Royal Icing and has a shiny surface. Martha Stewart’s website features an excellent article on how to pipe icing onto cookies for professional-looking results.

Melted Chocolate

Just about any cookie can be embellished simply by dipping it in chocolate or drizzling chocolate over it. You can even dress up the everyday chocolate chip cookie for gift-giving or serving at parties. Melting chocolate is a simple process, but a few rules must be followed in order to make it a success. For Easter, try using white chocolate tinted in pastel shades with food coloring. Use the gel, paste or powdered kind of food color, because the liquid drops may make the chocolate seize up.

What You Need

You can either use chocolate chips or baking chocolate (the kind that comes in 1-ounce squares) and the same process applies whether you use dark chocolate or white chocolate. A small amount of shortening should be added at the ratio of 2 tablespoons shortening for 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped up baking chocolate.

Double Boiler

Place chocolate and shortening in the top half of a double boiler or in a metal bowl that has been placed on top of a saucepan filled with hot water. The water must be very hot, but not boiling, because the steam generated by boiling water could get moisture into the melting chocolate which makes it curdle.

Allow the chocolate to melt over the hot water and stir it occasionally until it has achieved a liquid consistency.

Microwave

Place your chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving 20 seconds, stir again. Keep doing this until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove it from the microwave and stir it until completely melted.

Dipping

Dip one end of your cookie, or half the cookie, or even the whole cookie into the melted chocolate. Set the cookie on a wire rack to let the chocolate harden. If you wish, you can sprinkle chopped nuts, coconut, or non-pareils over the melted chocolate before it hardens.

Drizzling

Scrape melted chocolate into a ziplock baggie. With a sharp scissors, snip off a very small corner of the baggie. Drizzle top of cookies with zig-zags of melted chocolate. Cool until chocolate is set.

Using these simple techniques will help you produce a variety of beautiful-looking cookies at Christmastime and throughout the year.

Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author

Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book “Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts.” This book, “enthusiastically recommended” by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo. For more information visit http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/ or order here.

Cookie Baking Tips

Cookie Baking Tips

by: Michael Paetzold

Making better cookies is a lot easier if you understand the difference between the average commercial bakery and the home kitchen. These tips will allow you to make better cookies at home whether it be for a special party or your annual Christmas cookie baking session.

There are 4 major things that are done commercially that are overlooked by the average home baker.

Number 1 is that the average home baker does not have a stone oven. Most commercial bakeries have stone shelves and that disperses the heat to the pan in a much more even manner. Obviously, buying a commercial oven for this alone is not feasible for most of us. (I have considered putting a commercial pizza oven in my laundry room but my better half vetoed that idea . Thus I settled for going out and buying an oven stone for our regular electric oven. This serves the same purpose with no loss of space in our laundry room and at a huge savings versus the price of a commercial pizza oven (even the used one I wanted).

The second thing is the thickness and quality of the cookie sheet. The average commercial facility uses a sheet pan or half sheet pan which is probably 2 to 3 times as heavy as the ones used by the average home baker. This like the oven stone disperses the heat much better and makes it much easier for the cookies to bake evenly. I definitely recommend checking out your local restaurant supply house to get some half sheet pans which will definitely be better than the cookie sheet available at your local supermarket or Walmart.

The third item I use when baking cookies is parchment paper. It is much easier to remove the cookies from the paper, your tray doesn’t get all cruddy and need to be cleaned between batches and you will have much less burning on the edges.

The fourth thing the average home baker misses is portion control. I have a variety of ice cream type scoops that I use for portion control. This allows each cookie to be the same size and allows them to all bake consistently. When I used a spoon, I always ended up with a variety of sizes and the cooking was never quite even.

Hope these tips allow you to make better cookies in your house. I know using these tips has improved mine.

About The Author
Michael Paetzold is the owner of I Love Desserts (http://i-love-desserts.com) your source for all things about desserts.
webmaster@i-love-desserts.com

Muffins and Quick Breads

Muffins and quick breads are really the same bread baked in different pans. The secret to making a good muffin or quick bread is in the mixing. The batter should be stirred (never beaten) only until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be rough and lumpy, but this is ok. The remaining lumps will dissipate during baking. If the batter is over-stirred or beaten, the muffins will be small with peaked tops. They may have tunnels running through them with a tough, rubbery texture. The texture and flavor both will suffer from improper mixing.

The batter should be placed in the greased pan and baked immediately after mixing. Allowing the batter to stand will result in a loss of leavening and an inferior muffin. If it is necessary to hold the muffins before baking, place them in the refrigerator for up to 20 minutes.

There are two different methods used to make muffins and quick breads: the muffin method and the cake method. The muffin method is easier and produces a coarser, open texture. The cake method produces a finer, more cake like texture. The cake method is normally used for richer muffins containing a larger proportion of sugar and shortening. The two methods follow.

The Muffin Method: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Combine the egg, milk, and melted shortening. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

The Cake Method: For a more cake-like texture cream the un-melted shortening with the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beat well, then stir in the milk and other wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients, stirring only until all are incorporated.

Orange Tea Muffins

A sweet muffin that uses the cake method to produce a fine textured cake like texture.

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 Tablespoons grated orange zest
½ cup orange juice

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pans. (Makes 12 – 15 muffins.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat well. Stir in milk, orange juice, and zest.

Add the flour mixture, stirring just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat.

Fill muffin Tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cheese Surprise Muffins

This muffin is a savory muffin that uses the muffin method, combining wet and dry ingredients in one easy step. Do not beat.

¾ cup flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated American cheese
½ tablespoon finely chopped green pepper
1 egg
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted shortening
½ teaspoon grated onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin pans. (Makes 8 medium sized muffins.)

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the corn meal, cheese and green pepper and mix well.

Combine egg, milk, melted shortening and onion.

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat.

Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

The Perfect Cake

The Perfect Cake
By Diane Watkins

The perfect cake is easily recognizable.  It’s shape is perfectly symmetrical with a  golden brown crust.  It has a  feathery velvet texture. It is moist and light.  The taste is pure heaven.  You can certainly recognize a perfect cake, but can you make one?

When making a cake it is important to follow the recipe exactly.  If you try to skip a step you may have less than desirable results.  Skip the sifting step and your flour will be heavier than it should, creating a heavy, dry cake.  Over-mix and your cake will be tough and chewy, more like a good bread.

So, what are the steps in making a good cake?  Lets explore these separately.

The Right Ingredients
First, use the right ingredients and measure carefully.  If the recipe calls for cake flour, you will have best results with cake flour.  All-purpose flour can be substituted, but will not make as tender a cake.

Mixing
Beat the liquid ingredients well before combining with the dry ingredients.  Once the dry ingredients are added, the cake should be stirred gently, unless the directions tell you otherwise.  If your cake is course and dry, or has tunnels, you have probably over-mixed.
All-purpose flour has a higher gluten content, and this will affect your results.  Also realize that all-purpose flour varies according to the region of the country it is produced.  Southern brands of flour are a softer gluten than those in the northern US.  If you must substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour, either use a southern product, or use 2 Tablespoons less per cup of flour suggested.

Leavening Agents
There are three different leavening agents used in cake making.  Baking powder, baking soda, and air.  Occasionally, you may see a recipe calling for yeast, but this is not the norm.  If the recipe does not call for either baking powder or baking soda, then your leavening agent is air and your beating step is very important.  Pound cakes, sponge cakes, and angel food cakes all use air as their leavening agent.  Many cakes use a combination of leavening agents, including air. Beating the cake at the suggested speed for the appropriate time listed will beat in the air and make your cake light.

Baking powder also comes in different varieties, including regular and double acting.  If your recipe specifies a variety, be sure to use the one called for.    Most recipes that call for baking soda require buttermilk, lemon juice, or vinegar.  Do not substitute regular milk for buttermilk without adding acid, as it is necessary to activate the baking soda and make the cake rise.

Shortening, Oil, and Butter
Again, using the correct shortening is important.  If substituting, be aware of the liquid content.  Everyone is aware of the need to decrease the liquid when using oil, but you may not know that butter contains more liquid than shortening, requiring an increase in volume and a decrease in the liquid added to the recipe.

Baking Pans
Choose the correct size and shape of baking pan.  The batter should almost fill the pan, without any spillage or bulging.  Baking times and temperature will be dependent on the pan size.  A thinner pan may need a higher temperature to bake the cake without drying it out.

Prepare the pan as directed.  Most recipes call for the pan to be greased and floured.  A piece of waxed paper or parchment paper cut to fit the bottom may be placed in the greased pan if desired.  This will aid removing the cake when done.  If using the paper, grease the bottom and sides, place the paper into the bottom and then flour the sides if directed.

Baking the Cake
Preheat the oven as directed.  Starting in a cold oven, or too hot an oven will affect the rising and browning of the cake.  A cake started in a cool oven will not allow the cake to rise sufficiently before the crust forms and the cake may fall.  Too hot an oven may cause a crack to develop, and the crust might harden and over brown.   The cake should be placed in the center of the oven for best heat distribution.  Be aware of your oven, if there are hot spots in your oven you may need to adjust.

The cake is done when it is lightly browned and it springs back when lightly pressed with the fingertip in the center or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry.  The cake will have begun to shrink away from the sides of the pan.

Follow the recipe on removing the cake from the pan.  Some cakes can be removed immediately, some need a 5 minute rest, and others must be allowed to cool completely in the pan.  Proper attention to this detail will prevent repairs caused by the cake sticking to the pan and tearing.

Using the proper ingredients, mixing well at the proper time, and careful baking will produce a light tender cake that you will be proud to serve.  Follow the recipe, understand the reasons behind the directions, and you, too will have the “knack” for cakes.

How to Cook Collard Greens

It seems the last holdouts in my winter garden are collard greens. Believe it or not, even with the weather we have had recently, I still have collards. Well, it is time to begin getting ready for the spring garden, so I am cooking the last of the collard greens.

How to Cook Collard Greens

• 1 large or 2 small ham hocks
• A mess of collards, as many as your pot will hold.
• Water or stock
• Salt, pepper, garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes, optional
• Pepper vinegar-for serving, optional

1. Put the ham hocks in a large pot and add water or stock to cover them. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for approximately 1 hour to extract the smoky goodness from the ham hocks.
2. Meanwhile, trim the collards. Remove the center rib from each leaf and cut the collards into 1 to 2 -inch squares.
3. Add the collards to the pot, along with the seasonings to your taste. (Except for pepper vinegar.)
4. Simmer the collards, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until the collards are tender.
5. Serve the collards sprinkled to taste with pepper vinegar.
6. Don’t discard the “pot likker”, its considered the best part by some and it is definitely full of vitamins. Drink it or use it for soup, etc.

Easy Southern Grits

In the south, grits go with everything! We are more often thinking of grits as a breakfast food, however my grandmother served grits at any time of day as a delicious side dish. Basic instructions for grits follow, then later I will add a few of my favorite variations.

Basic Quick Grits

1 cup quick cooking grits (not instant)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly, stirring constantly, add the grits. Grits will clump if added all at once. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until grits are thick and creamy, approximately 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

I omit the butter from the recipe, then serve the grits with a pat of butter melting on top.

If you have left-overs, see the next recipe.

Fried Grits

After cooking grits put them into a loaf pan and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. They will coagulate into a solid loaf. Next morning, or next meal, slice the loaf and fry in hot butter until both sides are a golden brown! You mix in flavors into the cheese before chilling into a loaf, traditional ones include cheese, fried onions,and bacon bits. Try whatever you have available.

Serve alone or topped with any (one) of the following:
Maple syrup
Homemade preserves
Honey
Brown sugar and cinnamon
Grated cheese
Fried onions
Bacon bits
Hot sauce
Salsa

Stone-Ground Grits

Stone ground grits are cooked like quick grits except that they must be cleaned first and the cooking time is much longer.

1 cup stone-ground grits
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Clean grits by placing in a large bowl and covering amply with cold water. Pour off the water and any chaff that rises to the surface. Repeat, the process, stirring the grits and letting them settle before pouring off the chaff. Drain the grits.

Bring water and salt to a boil. Slowly, stirring constantly, add the grits. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until grits are thick and creamy, approximately 40-45 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in butter if desired.

Three Cheese Grits

3 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dash hot sauce
¾ cups quick cooking grits
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded sharp American cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, extra for garnishing top
2 large eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine broth, onion, garlic and hot sauce in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Slowly add grits, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until grits are thick and smooth, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat, add cheeses. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the eggs until light yellow and thick.

Add a large spoonful of grits to eggs to temper, then fold the eggs mixture into the grits.

Place the grits into a lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmasan cheese.

Cover and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees, uncovering after 20 minutes. When done the grits should be puffy and lightly browned.

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