To find out if your yeast is good, first dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar or other sweetener in warm water with 2 cups of liquid and then add your yeast. Wait several minutes for it to dissolve and start working, developing tiny bubbles. If there are no bubbles then discard it and go through the process again. Since yeast and salt don’t get along, add it after finding out the yeast is good.

Measuring

Fluff up your flour before measuring since it always settles when stored. Now sprinkle flour into measuring cup and slide off excess with a knife blade. Taking this step will cause you to measure a true 4-ounce cup instead of getting a 5-ounce cup from being compacted.

Knead

Knead dough for about 5 minutes and let it rest to relax the dough. This helps the rest of your kneading easier.

Liquids

To add a different flavor and even make nutrition better, substitute water for juices or broth or when a recipe calls for milk try buttermilk.

Sugar and Sweeteners

It’s not necessary to have or add sugar in a recipe, but it does bring out the flavor. If you want to add sugar and need moisture try honey or molasses.

Oil

Unless you’re counting calories adding oil to bread is better because it will make your bread fresher longer.

Storing Flour

If you use your flour fairly fast, store it in a cool, dry place. If you don’t use your flour very fast then put it in a lock-type plastic bag and store it in your freezer.

Dry Ingredients

Substitute a little dried fruit, vegetables, cheese, nuts, grains, seeds or herbs and spices for some of the flour in your recipes. Just add it into the cup before you measure your flour. It will change it up and it is wonderful.

You can find many more tips and recipes at Cristie’s Cookin. Submit your favorite recipe to win a free “Gotcha Covered” Apron. Check out those spices, Bling It, Ring It and Zing It. Cristie’s novel “11.11.11″ by TJ Stokes is a thriller you won’t want to miss.

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world — her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the “trade” has grown ever since. Cristie’s creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie’s books at http://www.cristiescookin.co m and http://www.tjstokes.com

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of mix spices
1 cup of blueberry/fruits
150 gramme of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 cup of milk (fresh)

Preparations:
1. Heat the oven at 200°C. Grease the muffin tin. In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients.
Add the fruits. Mix well and create a hole in the middle.

2. Melt butter and sugar on slow heat , once melted, remove from heat.

3. Pour melted butter and sugar into the dry ingredients as well as the egg and fresh milk.
Don’t stir too hard to ensure the blueberries are not too crushed.

4. Pour mixture into muffin tin at 3/4 level. Bake for 25 – 30 mins or
until it’s turn golden brown. Wait few minutes before removing the muffin from the tin.

Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 – 30 mins
Make: 16 pcs

Nora’s comments: Sounds good and ez pz, like my princess would say.

Thanks Liz for sharing!

I am no pizza expert but I love my pizzas. So if you think this looks yummy-licious, here’s what I did:

I used pastry pizza base and leftover french loaf for the base. Since I didn’t have the proper tomato paste for pizza, I used tomato ketchup instead. I added herbs like basil, thyme and parsely over the ketchup. Then I sprinkled just the slightest of grated cheese over that, next I sprinkled minced chicken meat which was earlier fried with some herbs. Then I added button mushrooms which were sliced. Next I sprinkled more cheese, alternating with sliced cheddar cheese which was tore in smaller pieces.

I used alot of canned pineapples which is my favourite topping, then sliced tomatoes. In between the sprinkling, I added the herbs just to get in between the ingredients. The idea of putting the cheese in between is also to produce the cheesy effect in the ingredients. Bake at 180C. How long you need to bake depends on the size of the pizza or the french loaf. The french-loaf pizza will take shorter time to become crispy so please watch over the oven – use only the top heat if you wish.

So if you are not ready to go on diet yet in 2007, you have got to try this!

This is not only true during Christmas, but also at other times, when you crack your head for cake ideas for an anniversary or birthdays etc. There is something fulfilling about cake decoration, won’t you agree, especially if you do it yourself.

Imagine the faces of your loved ones! I know what that feels!

If you want to get more cake decorating ideas and tips, you can get them here.

Worth checking out!

]]> http://www.mycookery.com/blog/129/cake-decoration-ideas-and-tips/feed/ 1 http://www.mycookery.com/blog/106/two-ways-to-do-your-butter-cake/ http://www.mycookery.com/blog/106/two-ways-to-do-your-butter-cake/#comments Thu, 02 Nov 2006 07:06:11 +0000 nmaskuri http://www.mycookery.com/blog/?p=106 I have been incredibly busy the last two weeks, what with festivities of celebrating end of Ramadan (fasting month), and the baking and cooking – on top of the kid’s exam period. Any true-blue Singaporean parents will agree with me, exam period is a time for parents to lock up the kids in the room and study!

Anyway, I had promised to share some cookie recipes which I have baked for the festive season, however, I haven’t had the chance to put the pictures together. But I will share this glorious butter cake which I have done in two ways, the old-fashioned way and the cupcake way. Learned this in a baking school too:) Yes the butter cake is meant to crack at the top (it’s better to crack than not, so I was taught, why? I can’t remember).

So simple, so hearty, so delicious. The basic ingredients are similar to the original English Pound Cake (supposed to be a pound of measurement for each ingredient), but we mere mortals use the metric system, so here we go:

Ingredients: 250g butter, 250g castor or fine sugar (I use slightly less, like 230g); 250g eggs (about 5 eggs); 250g self-raising flour; 20g fresh milk (since I use self-raising flour, I simply added a pinch of baking powder).

Method: Heat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy using electric mixer, always remember to scrape the side of the bowl. Add the eggs one by one. Then add the flour which has been sifted with the baking powder. Lastly add the milk. Do not overbeat.

Cupcakes: This batter can make about 30 cupcakes. Use cupcake mould otherwise the paper will not withstand the weight of the batter. Add walnut and raisins on top of the cupcake. Bake for 15 minutes, ensure it’s baked before removing from the oven.

Baking tin of 8×8: Line the tin with greaseproof paper. Pour the batter into the tin, you have a choice of leaving it plain or add anything you fancy to decorate the top – I used almond flakes for this as you can see. You can use raisins if you wish. Just remember to roll the raisins in flour before adding into the batter, this will ensure they don’t sink to the bottom. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

There you go! Psychologically it’s interesting to note, the cupcake seems to generate greater interest than the other one. Maybe it’s the walnuts that really makes the difference!

Hope you like it and try it.

The picture below is a bread pudding which I baked recently and someone thought it looked good. I thought the recipe is pretty easy and basic. If you want the recipe, drop me a line!

  Chocolate Mud Cake – The Birthday Cake

 Kuih Bangkit Rapuh – this is to die for!

 Chocolate cupcakes, so good you can eat on its own.

 That’s the toppings, ain’t those happy colours!

  My Princess

* All measurements must be adhered to with scales or measuring cups, spoons and jug. Dont be tempted to add a little extra of any ingredients.

* Ensure that you have the correct shape and size of tin (pan) for the recipe, otherwise this will affect the depth of the cake, the cooking time and the texture.

* Make sure the tin (pan) is properly prepared and lined for cooking the recipe you have selected.

* Check that you have all the necessary ingredients that are stated in the recipe and that they are at the right temperature.

* Ensure soft margarine is kept chilled in the refrigerator to maintain the right consistency, and leave butter out to become room temperature and soft for creaming.

* Must sift all dry ingredients to help aerate the mixture and to disperse lumps.

* If a cake is being made in a food processor or an electric mixer, be very careful not to overbeat as this will cause the mixture to collapse in the middle during baking. Remember to scrape down the batter with a plastic spatula during mixing.

* If ingredients have to be folded into a mixture, use a plastic spatula with a flexible blade to cut through the mixture, turning it over and at the same time moving the bowl. Dont be tempted to stir, or be heavy-handed with, the mixture or it will lose and become heavy.

* Level mixtures in the tin (pan) before baking, to ensure the cake top is flat when baked.

* Ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature before baking.

And last, but not least, test the cake before the stated baking time, and again before removing it from the oven.

p/s: Has anyone ever said to you, “Your baking is so delicious, or your cakes are so beautiful…you should go into business!?” Have you ever taken a cake decorating class and thought, “How could I turn this into a career?” Maybe you’ve been to a wedding, seen and tasted the cake and thought, “I can do this!” Perhaps you just enjoy working in the kitchen and want to learn how to start a real home-business. To find out how, please click here:

http://dowager.cinfotree.hop.clickbank.net