Question for the MUFFIN MAN

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jkath

Hospitality Queen
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
11,447
Location
Southern California
Muffin Man, I know you've just joined on with our family of foodies, but I have a question for you already!:chef:

Searching through all your pastry chef knowledge...what is your best, no-fail recipe? (or at least one of your favorites)
Thanks!
 
Sorry Jkath you are going to have to be a bit more specific do you want a cake recipe or a dessert recipe or cookie or bread etc would be happy to help just need a little bit more info.... :chef:
 
Hello Muffin man!! I also have a couple of questions (probably more to follow....)

1. Many people seem to believe that the eggs must be separated when you make cakes... I never did this, just drop the whole egg in a bowl and then whisk with sugar... and the cakes seem to come out just fine. Is there any reason for separating the eggs for making cakes? Do they produce any special effect?

2. There are some recipes for cakes, also for mousses, the instruction says to whip the separated eggwhites, THEN add it to another wet mixtures... I tried it once and the egg white totally lost that "whipped effect", it went down flat...I feel discouraged even to try this technique again, is there any trick for maintaining it fluffed while mixing?
 
Hi Urmanaic13 the answer to your first question is that usuallly the recipe will tell you if the eggs need to be seperated if not just keep whisking your eggs & sugar as per normal. I haven't heard that one about the should be seperated so I would just keep doing the same unless the recipe says other wise.

Now for your second question the answer to this is that if you do decide to try again you must fold the egg whits through really gently I know it may seem that the egg white is never going to fold through but believe me they will eventually. Now with your egg whites make sure that you do over whip your egg whites I find that if you whip your egg whites until they form medium peaks you may find it easier to fold through. The reason they get you to seperate the eggs & whip the yolks & the whites seperately is to give you a lighter product so the rougher you are with the egg whites & yolks once they have been whisked the heavier you product will be.

Hope this helps a bit Urmanaic13
 
Thanx Muffin man for sharing your knowledge!! When I tried it I was using a manual whip and I tend to get impatient with things like this...so problem could have been the underwhipped eggwhite...now we got this wonderful Braun Turbo Mixer/Whip... with this we also could produce a fine meringue, so this may be a big help... just one another thing, excuse me if I am a little too persisting... does "folding in" involve a certain technique? I understand that as "mixing very softly with some larger sweeping upward motion without stirring around like a madman"... do you have some corrections to my interpretation? I am often tempted to solve this problem, but if I was going to retry I would like to do it right as I don't take setbacks very well!! Thanks again!!
Licia
 
ur, here's a good definition for folding:


Definition: A technique used to gently combine a light, airy mixture (such as beaten egg whites) with a heavier mixture (such as whipped cream or custard). The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier one in a large bowl. Starting at the back of the bowl, a rubber spatula is used to cut down vertically through the two mixtures, across the bottom of the bowl and up the nearest side. The bowl is rotated a quarter turn with each series of strokes. This down-across-up-and-over motion gently turns the mixtures over on top of each other, combining them in the process.


--Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
 
Right on Stacey!! This is precisely the kind of explanation I needed...baby step by baby step, an idiot's guide to folding!!
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Thanx a ton!!
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Sorry 'bout that, muffin man! Actually, I'm looking for a no-fail dessert recipe that my 12-year-old son can make. He's worked in the kitchen with me here and there, and really gets good ideas. But, it's always my recipe, not his. I was hoping for something that he could claim as "his". Thanks!
 
This is abit of tough one Jkath does your son now much about cooking the reason I ask this is that pretty much all the recipes I have are pretty much fail proof cause I have been using them for many years & have been tried & tested over & over again. But the reason I ask is that most of them also have a great deal of cooking over heat or using caramels or sugars at high temperature. Plus the recipes aren't that much fun to make for a younger cook because most of the time is spent eitther in the oven or waiting for things to rise, set or bake. So I will start rather basic & if you want something a bit more challenging then let me know & I will send you smoething ore involved.

BANANA CAKE
2775grm banana’s
2775grm sugar
750ml oil
750grm melted butter
130grm Baking powder :chef:
20grm salt
24 eggs
2775grm flour
method:
whisk bananas & sugar until light and fluffy then add oil then the eggs & mix until combined then add the flour & rest of the dry ingredients & mix until smooththen add melted butter last & fold through gently then place in to loaf tin & bake at 150-160c 50-60min or until the centre sprngs back when touched gently.
This recipe is great served warm with ice cream. Or used in a bread & butter pudding instead of bread prefferably a chocolate bread & butter pudding.
Hope this is the sort of thing you where looking for..
 
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