Freezing Cookies And Cookie Dough
November 29, 2011 by admin
Filed under Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Baking, How To
If you’re looking ahead to the holiday season and wondering how you’re going to get all your baking done, consider freezing your cookie dough or fresh baked cookies ahead of time. When the holidays get closer you can get that last bit of shopping done or last present made instead of spending all your time in the kitchen.
Christmas Cookies. Photo by Everyspoon via flickr
Freezing Cookie Dough
Cookie dough will freeze well for 4 to 6 weeks. Rolls of dough should be sealed tightly in plastic wrap (chill in refrigerator first before freezing). Other kinds of dough should be stored in airtight containers. Drop cookies (unbaked) may be frozen on cookie sheets and transferred to freezer bags. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
Don’t try to freeze soft meringue-type cookie dough. Chocolate chip, brownies, peanut butter, and sugar cookie dough (or anything similar) freezes well. Let the dough defrost in the refrigerator (about 2-3 hours). Make sure to label the container with the date and type of cookie dough.
Freezing Baked Cookies
Almost any baked cookie freezes well. Let cookies completely cool before freezing. Wrap cookies individually in plastic wrap then store them in a ziploc freezer bag or storage tin (coffee cans or holiday tins work great). You can also just layer the cookies between layers of waxed paper in the container, but the individually wrapped ones will store longer.
Freeze frosted cookies uncovered first until they are firm. Then pack them in airtight container lined with plastic wrap or foil. Make sure to label the container with the date and type of cookies. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen up to 6-12 months (frosted, about 3 months). Frozen cookies thaw in about 10 minutes at room temperature (if you can wait that long). If cookies should be crisp when thawed, remove them from the container before thawing.
Gingersnaps
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2 eggs
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 c. molasses
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add molasses, stirring well. Refrigerate dough for an hour or two to chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a little sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Snickerdoodles
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Refrigerate dough for an hour or two to chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Peanut Butter Crackles
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
Chocolate kisses or stars
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together butter, peanut butter, and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and press chocolate kisses firmly into cookie.
About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com
Decorating Christmas Cookies
November 29, 2011 by admin
Filed under Desserts, Holiday Baking, How To
Finished cookies. Photo by Kristin at Meringue Bake Shop via flickr
by Diane Watkins
Beautifully decorated cookies make your holiday table look festive and add a nice touch to every activity. Decorating cookies is easy if you have the right equipment.
Start with a perfectly flat cookie. Prepare your cookie recipe dough. Chill the dough, and roll it out directly onto parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use
Start with a flat cookie. Photo by John Pozadzides via flickr.
roller rings or perfection strips, if you have them, to make sure your cookie dough is even. Your cookie decorations will look better and be easier to execute if your cookies are flat and even.
Cut the cookies out, leaving them 1/2 inch apart. Remove the extra dough, leaving the shaped cookies undisturbed on the parchment paper or silicone matt.
Transfer the parchment or silicone matt to the cookie sheet and bake the cookies according to the cookie recipe directions. Your Christmas cookies will be perfectly shaped and will not be distorted by moving them to the baking sheet. Cool your cookies completely before decorating.
Make Royal Icing
Make a recipe of royal icing by mixing:
- 4 tablespoons of meringue powder
- 2/3 cup of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- Beat the mixture with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl, mix 8 cups of confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon gum arabic. Mix thoroughly, then add the sugar to the egg mixture.
- Beat on low until the sugar is mixed in, then increase the speed to medium until stiff peaks form again.
Decorate the Christmas Cookies
Outline the cookie before filling in with icing. Photo by Humangirl via flickr
- Divide the royal icing into separate bowls for each desired color. Cover with a damp paper towel when not working with the icing. Add paste food colors to get the desired color, then add a small amount of water to the bowl and mix in. You want the icing to just barely flow but not be runny. Make all the colors that you will need for your design and keep them covered until ready to use.
- Place the royal icing into a pastry bag with a small round tip. Draw a thin line around the border of one color and fill in the border with icing. The icing should flow together to fill the area. If the icing does not flow, add a tiny bit more water. If it runs off the cookie, the icing is too thin.
- Wait a few minutes for the icing to crust before adding the next color. It works well to fill in all of one color on all cookies before moving to the next color. Pipe each color in this way, outlining the color right up next to the first and filling it in. Allow the icing to dry. It should take only a few minutes for the icing to crust.
Add a Third Dimension with Another Layer of Royal Icing
Pipe another layer of icing details onto the dried icing for a three dimensional cookie and a more detailed look. Try stacking decorated stars, with the largest on bottom and getting progressively smaller to form a tree. Combine sleigh and reindeer and attached them with licorice strings. Build a gingerbread nativity scene with all the cookie characters.
Design Your Own Christmas Cookies and Cookie Decorations
With practice, you will be able to make professional quality cookies in a large variety of designs. Start with the designs in your cookie cutter shapes, then branch out to designing your own cookies. For inspiration try simple coloring book or stain glass patterns. The possibilities are endless with a little imagination.
Tips for Deep Frying a Turkey
- Image via Wikipedia
Tips for Deep Frying a Turkey
Deep fried turkeys have become all the rage in recent years for a delightful Thanksgiving bird, and for good reason! The skin is left crispy and full of flavor and the meat is moist and delicious without tasting greasy or oily. Unfortunately, deep frying a turkey safely can present a challenge to the uninitiated. With a bit of preparation and planning and a few key tools, these safety concerns can be left by the wayside on your journey toward a wonderfully tasty turkey.
Image by sayesbury via Flickr
There are a few key things to remember about deep frying a turkey:
Always keep gloves and a fire extinguisher nearby. Not needing them is great, but not having them can lead to disaster.
If you purchase a kit to deep fry your turkey in, always read and follow the directions. Most will be designed for a specific weight range of turkey and may have special instructions.
The optimal weight for a turkey to be deep fried is between 10 and 20 pounds. At 10 pounds, it should take 3 minutes per pound and at 20, it should take 3.5 minutes per pound to cook through.
Always ensure that your turkey is completely thawed. If there is any doubt, do not fry the turkey. Hot oil tends to explode violently when exposed to cold water or ice, which can cause severe burns and even burn your house down. A 20 pound turkey takes about 4 full days to thaw in the refrigerator.
Set up your turkey frying station outside on the pavement, never on a deck or in a garage. You want to be free of overhangs and on a level surface.
Never leave your frying station unattended once the oil has begun heating. Make sure to keep small children and pets away from the frying station. The turkey could take up to an hour or more to cook and at least 3 hours for the oil to cool.
Use an oil with a high smoking point, 450 degrees F if possible. The best options are canola or peanut oil.
Always lower the turkey into the oil carefully and slowly. This is best achieved with a small pulley attached to a board, supported by a ladder. Use gloves. Hot oil will burn skin instantly if it splashes. Using a pulley also means that you can allow the turkey to drain when finished without straining your arms or dripping scalding oil.
Once fried and drained, allow the turkey to sit for 10 to 20 minutes before carving. This oil can be strained and used up to three times.
To avoid staining caused by oil splatters, place a flattened, broken down piece of cardboard under the fryer. You can also use a large plastic drop cloth with sand or kitty litter to soak up the oil.
Roasting a Turkey
There are many methods used by Southern Cooks to cook a moist and tasty Roasted Turkey. Most methods rely on basting. The turkey can be basted every 30 minutes with a basting bulb, or covered with cheesecloth soaked in butter. Other methods include brining the turkey (soaking in a salt water solution for 8-10 hours), or injecting a basting solution into the meat. Whatever method you prefer, proper roasting is key to tender moist meat.
Image by due.chiacchiere via Flickr
- Completely thaw the turkey. Start early and thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in a place where the air temperature is no higher than 40 degrees. A 20-pound turkey takes about two or three days to thaw completely. Be sure the turkey is thawed completely, until no ice appears in the inner cavity and the meat is soft. Be careful: If the inner cavity is still frozen or even partially frozen when you put the turkey in the oven, the outside of the bird will be done before the inside, and the inside temperature will not be hot enough to destroy disease-causing bacteria, or if it is the outside meat will be dried out before the center is done.
- Remove the neck and giblets from the cavities. If this is your first time cooking the turkey, be sure that both cavities are emptied. Reserve the neck and giblets for use in preparing the giblet gravy, if desired.
- Prepare the stuffing. If you are preparing the stuffing early, mix only the dry ingredients. It is recommended that you cook the stuffing separately, but if you do stuff the turkey, do not stuff it until you are ready to roast it. Stuff the cavity loosely. Do not pack it. If you choose to cook the stuffing separately, you can place a quartered onion and some celery leave and other desired herbs in the cavity for flavor.
- Prepare a basting sauce. I prefer to baste with melted butter to which I add fresh or dried herbs. You can also baste with a mixture of wine and butter. Baste the turkey with your sauce and place a loose tent of aluminum foil over the turkey to prevent the skin from burning before the turkey is cooked. This tent will be removed during the last 45 minutes or so of cooking. If you are using cheesecloth, soak the cheesecloth with the basting sauce and place over the breast and drape onto the thighs. When using cheesecloth, you do not need the foil tent. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes during roasting.
- Roast your turkey at 325 degrees for the recommended time for the weight of your turkey. These times are approximate and should be confirmed with a meat thermometer. Be sure to check the thermometer about 3/4th of the way through the time indicated so as not to overcook. Dry meat will result if the turkey is overcooked. The following table gives approximate times for roasting turkey at 325 degrees F.For safety and doneness the internal temperature must reach 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 in the center of the breast. If the turkey is stuffed, the stuffing should reach 165 degrees F in the cavity. This temperature is essential to prevent food borne disease, and should be measured with a meat thermometer. The pop-up thermometer that comes in many turkeys serves as a good approximate of doneness, but should not be relied on as the ultimate authority. When placing the meat thermometer in the thigh or breast, it is important not to touch the bone. The bone conducts heat and will be hotter than the meat. Do not allow the cooked meat to come into contact with anything that has touched the raw turkey.
- During the last 30 – 45 minutes of cooking, remove the foil tent to encourage browning. If you desire to use a glaze, spread it over the turkey now with a pastry brush.
- After dinner, separate the stuffing from the turkey and refrigerate leftovers immediately. Within a few hours bacterial will begin to grow causing disease if the meat is not quickly cooled. Large chunks of meat will cool slowly, and therefore should be refrigerated immediately to begin the cooling process. Meat, stuffing, and gravy can also be cooled, then frozen for future use.
- Luke warm leftovers allow bacterial growth. Food eaten cold will not have the opportunity for further growth, however when heating leftover, they should be heated to at least 165 to kill bacteria.
| Wt. of Turkey | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 10-18 lbs | 3- 3 1/2 hrs. | 4 – 4 1/2 hrs |
| 18-22 lbs | 3 1/2 – 4 hrs | 4 1/2 – 5 hrs. |
| 22-24 lbs | 4- 4 1/2 hrs | 5 – 51/2 hrs |
| 24-29 lbs | 4 1/2- 5 hrs | 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 hrs |
The turkey must be roasted all at once. You cannot partially cook it ahead for later finishing. This method has been shown to increase the chances of food borne illnesses.
Know Your Ingredients: How to Cook Rice
May 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under How To, Know Your Ingredients, Seafood
Cooking Rice
Cover rice with twice as much water as rice. So if you use 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water. I usually add a teaspoon of oil or butter to the water to prevent it from foaming and boiling over. Bring it to a boil. Stir once to separate the grains, put the lid on, and turn the heat down to low. Cook the rice until all the water is absorbed and the rice is done. Fluff the rice with a fork or turn it into a bowl immediately. This prevents the rice from overcooking and compacting into a gooey mess. Different rice varieties take longer or shorter to cook, use the table below as a guide.
Cooking Times for Rice Varieties:
Long Grain White Rice – 15 to 20 minutes
Long Grain White Rice, Baked: bake in a 350 F. oven, 40 minutes to 1 hour
Brown Rice – approximately 45 minutes
Short Grain Sticky Rice – Soak for 10 minutes before cooking, cook for 10 minutes
Using Leftover Rice:
Image via Wikipedia
Don’t throw out leftover rice, add a few vegetables and stir fry it, make a rice salad or refrigerate or freeze it for later use.
Refrigerate or Freeze Rice for Later Use:
Make large batches of wild rice or brown rice and freeze it in serving size containers. When you are ready to use it, add a tablespoon of water and cover it with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for a minute or two, until hot, then fluff with a fork.
Fried Rice
Recipes for fried rice begin with cooked rice. This is a good way to use up leftovers of either brown or white rice along with leftover meats and vegetables. Stir fry minced cooked meat and vegetables in 2 tbsp. of oil until vegetables are just tender and meat is heated through. Add 4 cups of cooked rice and 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Stir fry until the rice is hot.
Variations — Making Your Rice More Interesting
Make rice with chicken broth instead of water. Also add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning and 1 cup of fresh or frozen chopped spinach. Cook as usual. Stir in ½ cup or more of grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Go for a fresh flavor with this variation. Stir 2 diced tomatoes and ½ cup of parmesan cheese into freshly cooked rice. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil and serve.
Add ½ cup of dried fruit such as apricots, raisins or sweetened cranberries along with the zest of one orange and ½ cup of nuts to the rice as it comes off the heat. Mix in and fluff with a fork. This makes a great side dish with pork or chicken.
Rice Recipes:
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
April 25, 2011 by admin
Filed under How To, Vegetables
Sweet potatoes are now listed as a super food – and this recipe is a good way to get more of these nutritious vegetables in your diet. 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.
Image by sweet mustache via Flickr
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.
More healthy sweet potato recipes:
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Bisque
How to Make Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes Normandy
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Salad with Zucchini, Bell Pepper and Corn
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes
Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes
How to Make Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes
April 15, 2011 by admin
Filed under How To, Vegetables
Baking or microwaving is one of the easiest ways to use sweet potatoes. Simply cook them the same way you would an Idaho potato. When it comes time to dress them, get a little creative. Instead of butter, try topping them with a sprinkle of cinnamon and top with a spoon full of pineapple tidbits. This is a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of sweet potato casserole, without the fat and sugar.
Image via Wikipedia
To Bake Sweet Potatoes:
Wrap each potato in foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and slit open. Stuff as desired.
To Microwave Sweet Potatoes:
Wash the outside of each potato and prick the skin in several places with a fork. This will allow the steam to escape without rupturing the skin. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Press the potato, it will yield easily when done. If it is still hard, microwave for 2 more minutes or until done. Cooking times vary with the size of the potato and the power of the microwave.
The Perfect Cake
April 14, 2011 by admin
Filed under Desserts, How To, Know Your Ingredients
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, and 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, 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.
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 for the leavening.
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.
BakingThe 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 to harden and overbrown. 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.
Try these Southern Cake Recipes:
Pound Cake
Strawberry Jam Cake
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Southern Fruit Cake
Cooking with Tomatoes
April 14, 2011 by admin
Filed under How To, Know Your Ingredients, Vegetables
Cooking with Tomatoes
Oh, the joy of summer, a vine ripe tomato. Roasting or grilling tomatoes concentrates their flavor for a rich taste.
To peel: Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds in boiling water; remove and place immediately in cold water. Remove the stem, and the skin will slip right off.
Image via Wikipedia
To seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze each half, using your fingers to remove seeds.
Tomato Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp being careful not to pierce the shell.
Roast: Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool.
Grill: Cut tomatoes in half. Brush cut surfaces with Oil or dressing made with oil and basalmic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt, fresh ground pepper and basil. Place cut side up on aluminum foil or greased grill over hot coals about 10 minutes. Do not turn.
Recipes for Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Ripe Tomatoes
Basic Crepe Batter – Tips and Tricks to Get the Perfect Crepe Batter Every Time
Berry Stuffed Crepes, photo by Brisbane Falling
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!
Do you love crepes? So does the author who blogs about them and electric crepe maker machines at http://electric-crepe-maker.com.
