Any Home Bakers Here?

[sunflour]

@NorthFLChick I will post it tomorrow. Got a few batches baked…OMG they are so good, it would be a crime to frost them. Gonna leave the rest in fridge in saran wrapped packages to bake tomorrow. The dough rolled well when cold, but warms so quickly I only got one chance to cut it.. and took the selvages and rewrapped to reroll.

 

[sunflour]

This is link to the Easter Sugar Cookies Recipe:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easter-sugar-cookies

I used salted butter and reduced the added salt to 1/4 tsp.

The first batch browned to quickly, but had a great flavor. So I baked the rest a little more brown than I normally do for sugar cookie recipes. Tried one today and OMG the brown foot is a little too cooked. I cooked some on parchment paper and some just on the pan, and those on the parchment paper seem to bake a little faster. Rotating a pan with parchment paper is interesting, the chicks almost flew off and to the oven dungeon..So next ones, just rotated the paper.

After in fridge the dough did roll out well. But for these and for the last sugar cookie chicks I tried, the dough rolls and cuts well for one roll. Maybe I don't work fast enough, but when the dough warms even a little, it is way too soft for a second roll. I used to make sugar cookies only once every Christmas with a recipe by Tupperware and i could roll, cut, pick up the remainder, press it back into a ball and keep rolling and cutting til all was used up. But both tries with these recipes only let you have one shot at it.

I balled up the scraps and left if fridge overnight and gonna see how that does. Both recipes wanted a really long chill 3-4 hours - and I only chilled about one hour, maybe that is a big difference

Guess if an hour is enough the recipe authors would have said so.

@NorthFLChick
Thanks for your cookie recipe. Soaking the raisins - would never have thought about that. Bet I can handle the drop cookies better than cutters..

Or maybe I'll bore you with what is a rounded tablespoon --- just kidding.

Here's one of mine:

 

[sunflour]

Guess I need to learn to follow directions: the sugar cookie dough did so much better after in fridge overnight. Got all baked.


Above were cooked on parchment paper.


Above were baked just on a cookie pan. No real difference in time or outcome.


Above were ones made from scraps - not really different than the fresh rolled.

This is my new rolling pin "for beginners" who cannot figure how to get 1/8 inch dough

.

 

[ronott1]

Guess I need to learn to follow directions: the sugar cookie dough did so much better after in fridge overnight. Got all baked.


Above were cooked on parchment paper.


Above were baked just on a cookie pan. No real difference in time or outcome.


Above were ones made from scraps - not really different than the fresh rolled.

This is my new rolling pin "for beginners" who cannot figure how to get 1/8 inch dough

.

Nice tips!

When the cookies stay in the fridge over night, enzymes work on breaking down the starch. The enzyme action helps by adding a bit of umami flavor to the cookies.

 

[N F C]

@sunflour , great review of the cookie recipe! I like how you tried different ways of baking and refrigerating times. You had your own test kitchen going girlfriend!

For the cookies, I use 1 of 2 different size scoops, depending on how large I want the cookies to be (usually use the larger one,

). They look similar to ice cream scoops, with a squeeze handle for dumping the dough out of the scoop part. I got them from a book party for Pampered Chef a long time ago but I think most any place that sells baking equipment carries them. I like using the scoops because it makes the finished product a more consistent size. The bigger one is good for meatballs too and the smaller one is good for melon balls.

Thanks for sharing your cookie review with us, they look good!

 

[ronott1]

I baked white bread today and substituted molasses for the sugar.

It has a great taste to it!



San Francisco sourdough bread is rising!

 

[sunflour]

I baked white bread today and substituted molasses for the sugar.

It has a great taste to it!



San Francisco sourdough bread is rising!

Those are really nice, molasses sounds wonderful.

Please post the sourdough pics when finished.

 

[N F C]

I baked white bread today and substituted molasses for the sugar.

It has a great taste to it!



San Francisco sourdough bread is rising!

Your bread looks wonderful! Do you freeze it if there's too much to eat in a couple days? I don't usually have extra (DH takes care of most of it quickly, lol) but wondered how freezing works for you if you do.

 

[ronott1]

Your bread looks wonderful! Do you freeze it if there's too much to eat in a couple days? I don't usually have extra (DH takes care of most of it quickly, lol) but wondered how freezing works for you if you do.

Yes, I freeze the extra loaves. I will freeze two of these and thaw them out as needed. Freezing keeps them fresh like just baked bread.

 

[sunflour]

@ronott1


What is the longest time you have frozen bread and it still be good when thawed? A month or more?

And thanks for mentioning your sourdough, almost forgot it was time to feed my starter