What are you baking today? | 2014

[PrincessFiona60]

Looks yummy MsM! Egg wash on top?

 

[msmofet]

Looks yummy MsM! Egg wash on top?

Thank you PF.

Nope just a milk wash.

 

[Cheryl J]

That looks fantastic, msmofet!

 

[msmofet]

That looks fantastic, msmofet!

Thank you Cheryl.

The hardest part is waiting for it to cool and then chill in the fridge.

 

[Andy M.]

SO made a banana bread this morning and I'm in the middle of making a batch of onion bagels.

 

[merstar]

I baked Cook's Illustrated's Ultimate Banana Bread and was very disappointed. The taste was great, but the texture was too wet. I like moist, not wet. I've been baking everything from cakes to cookies to quick breads for decades, so it wasn't me. Instructions were followed perfectly, and the toothpick came out clean. Plus, my oven is extremely accurate. This was a ton more involved than typical banana bread recipes - it was a PITA, and in the end, I wasn't happy with it. I was very surprised, because this recipe has had lots and lots of great reviews.

 

[Andy M.]

I baked Cook's Illustrated's Ultimate Banana Bread and was very disappointed. The taste was great, but the texture was too wet. I like moist, not wet. I've been baking everything from cakes to cookies to quick breads for decades, so it wasn't me. Instructions were followed perfectly, and the toothpick came out clean. Plus, my oven is extremely accurate. This was a ton more involved than typical banana bread recipes - it was a PITA, and in the end, I wasn't happy with it. I was very surprised, because this recipe has had lots and lots of great reviews.

Merstar, try this recipe. It's excellent! Caution, it requires a larger than normal loaf pan. A 9"x5" is not big enough. If you have a bread pan It'll work. You can also make muffins with it.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f23/best-banana-bread-ive-ever-had-4730.html

You can use a 4.5"x8.5" loaf pan and two minis or a 5"x9" and one mini loaf pan. Seems like a pain but it's worth it. I guess you could cut it down if you like the recipe.

 

[GotGarlic]

I baked Cook's Illustrated's Ultimate Banana Bread and was very disappointed. The taste was great, but the texture was too wet. I like moist, not wet. I've been baking everything from cakes to cookies to quick breads for decades, so it wasn't me. Instructions were followed perfectly, and the toothpick came out clean. Plus, my oven is extremely accurate. This was a ton more involved than typical banana bread recipes - it was a PITA, and in the end, I wasn't happy with it. I was very surprised, because this recipe has had lots and lots of great reviews.

That's a bummer. I've made that recipe several times and love it. Mine has been moist, but not wet. I did stop putting the banana slices on top, but I thought reducing the banana liquid was a great idea that really kicked up the banana flavor.

I made biscuits for strawberry shortcake yesterday. Yummy!

 

[merstar]

Thanks, Andy! It's copied and pasted.

 

[merstar]

That's a bummer. I've made that recipe several times and love it. Mine has been moist, but not wet. I did stop putting the banana slices on top, but I thought reducing the banana liquid was a great idea that really kicked up the banana flavor.

I made biscuits for strawberry shortcake yesterday. Yummy!

I don't get it. Maybe my bananas were too big? The recipe specifically states "large bananas," and that's what I used. I used the weight measurements for the flour to make sure it was absolutely right on. When I mixed the batter, it definitely seemed like there was an imbalance, ie, too much liquid, but I usually have good luck with CI recipes, so I gave it a shot. I agree that the banana flavor was excellent, but the texture didn't turn out the way I wanted - it was just too wet and dense.

 

[Addie]

I baked Cook's Illustrated's Ultimate Banana Bread and was very disappointed. The taste was great, but the texture was too wet. I like moist, not wet. I've been baking everything from cakes to cookies to quick breads for decades, so it wasn't me. Instructions were followed perfectly, and the toothpick came out clean. Plus, my oven is extremely accurate. This was a ton more involved than typical banana bread recipes - it was a PITA, and in the end, I wasn't happy with it. I was very surprised, because this recipe has had lots and lots of great reviews.

Over the years of watching ATK and CC, I began to question some of their recipes. I have to remember that their "tasters" are the members of their staff. Not everyone has the same taste buds. Sometimes, in their effort to over simplify a recipe, I think they do it more harm than good.

 

[fairygirl69]

Oh my! I subscribe to that channel too and am itching to try it. Their brownies are to die for. Today I'm making lemon bars.

 

[GotGarlic]

Over the years of watching ATK and CC, I began to question some of their recipes. I have to remember that their "tasters" are the members of their staff. Not everyone has the same taste buds. Sometimes, in their effort to over simplify a recipe, I think they do it more harm than good.

That's true of any recipe source. I don't think their goal is to simplify, but to create delicious, reliable recipes. None of the recipes of theirs that I have made failed. Watching the shows doesn't give the same insight into their methods as reading the magazine.

 

[Andy M.]

I have subscribed to their mag and watched the show. I've made a number of their recipes with mixed results. Some are quite good and other not so much. I think many of their recipes are overly complicated for a potentially minor difference in results.

I watched the banana bread recipe on TV and thought it was way to fussy to be practical. This is especially so when you have a recipe that yields great results simply.

 

[bakechef]

I like CI but I've had recipes fail. One is a butter cake recipe, it is reprinted in numerous other cookbooks of theirs, but in my baking book the flour measurement is wrong. I made a multi grain loaf, yield one loaf, but when I made it as one loaf there was too much dough for one loaf. I made a gingerbread recipe and it was pretty much inedible. All these from the same book. I follow every recipe exactly the first time, and I measure with a scale.

Sent from my XT1080 using Discuss Cooking mobile app

 

[CarolPa]

BoracayB,

You can also scoop the dough, as Addie says, then freeze it. That way you can bake off a few cookies as you need them and not have a big project every time you want a treat!

How To Freeze Cookie Dough Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn | The Kitchn

I do that with oatmeal cookie dough. DH loves cookies, but after a couple days he wants a different flavor. Sometimes I freeze the finished cookies, but freezing the dough give a more fresh baked flavor.

DH is the only person I know who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies. He doesn't like chocolate, but likes white chocolate. One of these times when I think of it I will make a dozen or so with white chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet morsels. He would eat those.

So Addie, now you know "of" someone who does not like chocolate chip cookies.

 

[CarolPa]

Today I baked a lemon meringue pie. I do not make it from scratch. I usually use Durkee lemon pie mix, but WalMart didn't have it so I bought a can of Lucky Leaf lemon pie filling. Baked a crust, filled it with the pie filling and then topped it with meringue. DH is very happy with it made that way, and that's what counts. It will keep him happy until tomorrow until he wants some other sweet treat.

 

[msmofet]

I baked a cheesecake last night. Haven't cut it yet because it needed to cool. I hope family waits till I get home from work to cut it. DD #2 birthday tomorrow so had to bake yesterday.

 

[merstar]

Yesterday I made two of my favorite quick breads - Cinnamon Swirl and Dark Chocolate.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Two pans of 16-count mini-scones, an orange-chocolate chip and an oatmeal cranberry walnut. Looks like the Sample Monster walked through my kitchen.