Oh my!!! I ran out of Butter!!

It is a mortal sin for a baker (at least for me!) to ran out of butter...

Butter according to Fine Cooking Magazine, is the cornerstone of all baking. You can never replace the taste and the tenderness it gives to your baked goodie.

I personally experienced that using butter properly is a key to a delictable cookie. If you noticed, most recipe calls for a "room temperature" or "softened" butter, but we shouldn't be too literal about it. So what does that mean?? The experts say, ideally butter should be about 65° to 67°F... Don't frown because you don't a thermometer... You can also test your butter on your own.

Basically, when the butter just came out of the fridge, leave it out on your counter for 30-45min. Now to test it, make sure the butter is pliable but not too soft. It's sort of like rubber when you try to bend it. You can also lightly poke it and your finger creates a nice dimple on the surface and doesn't go all the way through. Another tip, once you have your butter in the bowl and you started creaming it, it shouldn't shine like its going to sweat, if it does, pop it in the freezer for a minute and check again.

Some of you may ask why do we have to make a big fuss? Well, this will answer most questions I receive from friends: why did my cookie flattened? or why is it hard? it starts with the butter baby! (But ofcourse there's more to it, like using white sugar or brown sugar? and that's my next topic hehe)

Check this illustrations from Fine Cooking Magazine and Cooks Illustrated.

Tahoooo!!!

Sorry it's been a week since I last posted, got sick for couple of days, then had to keep up with work.. yup! life of a corporate slave... tsk tsk (not complaining though, blessing is still a blessing...)

Anyhoooo, since I promised my friends in Bahrain that I will share my "taho" experience, so 'er goes.. But I must say, I was never successful. The freaggn tapioca gave me the most challenging task I ever had to deal with in cooking! bah!!!!!!

Well, it all started when I saw a photo of taho at my sexy preggy friend's wall who lives in California. She said it was easy as pie. I was craving and salivating over the thought of it so my hunt for the ingredients began. hehehe I needed soft silken tofu, brown sugar and large tapioca pearls. Tofu was not a problem, you can get it in any supermarket. I tried 2 kinds and I suggest using MORI-NU Soft Silken Tofu because the texture is closer to what we are used to back home. Tapioca is also available in most Asian stores. Now, here's how:

Prepare the tapioca first. Cook the desired amount of tapioca in boiling water until soft before adding the desired amount of brown sugar for a little sweet bite :) But like I said, I was not successful doing this. I had wasted a KILO of tapioca for trial and error and the closest I came to being successful was when I had to sit my a** for 5hours waiting for it to soften. So I'm all ears for any tapioca expert advice.hehehe 

For the sugar syrup, combine 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4cup of water in a non stick sauce pan over medium heat. Keep on stirring until the sugar melts and the sauce comes to a simmer.

Now the tofu.. Unwrap the tofu and microwave on medium (say 500W) for about 3-5min until warm. I prefer doing this method instead of putting it straight in the glass because the tofu has extra water. It allows you to take the extra water off (remember how the taho vendor used to do it???hehehe)

To assemble, traditionally, you spoon the tofu in first, top it with tapoica and pour the syrup. But hey, its your cup, right? you can do as you please.. I do mine half a glass tofu, lots of syrup then fill it with tapioca up to the rim!!! (and more on the side!) LOL Enjoy guys!



I found this and the tapioca pearls at Hanaro Asian store



An old classic cookie

More than a decade ago when I first had my "baking debut" LOL And yes, I started baking using Betty Crocker's cake mixes...hehe y'know, just add water, oil and eggs then pop it the oven!  But thanks to Betty Croker, it ignited my interest to baking.

My first cookie recipe was handed to me by my mun, and what could be more classic than an oatmeal raisin cookie. It was also given to her by a very dear friend. Please forgive me.. this recipe has been used, abused and over used so it now appears like a delapidated piece of manuscript! :)

From this recipe, I have fully understood the use of butter, sugar and leavening agents. I would personally give this recipe to those who has just started baking. This simple yet classic recipe used the 3 basic ingredients equally to bring an even taste and texture of your oatmeal cookie. 

Well ofcourse, after a decade, I have come up with my own version that suites my taste. For now, I am sharing you this recipe. And on my next blog, I will share with you in details, the information I've learned about the basic ingredients in baking... Hopefully, you too can start experimenting and whip your own version of this all time favorite!

Just retyping it incase the script on the image is not readable:

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 375°

Mix all ingredients, except oats, flour and raisins in a large bowl. Stir oats, flour & raisins

Drop dough by round tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown.

Remove from cookie sheet. Cool.

It's not Magic

Baking is like another language in the world of cooking.. Understanding and following minute details on a recipe makes a big difference on your baked goodie. Say, a cup of sifted flour vs. a cup of flour, sifted... the first one means the flour has to be sifted first before measuring. While the second means, measure a cup of flour first before sifting. Believe me, as much as I bake, I still end up with "reject" batches (Thanks to my beloved mother, the rejects don't get wasted! LOL) because my butter was too soft or my oven is just wee bit higher than it should!!

I am not really a religious recipe follower. I normally select several versions of one recipe, fuse the best ideas, incorporate whatever my picky palate dictates and finally, try it out. Thanks to google, information is always available! and from what I've learned from various food websites, books and magazines that every ingredient (and technique) affects the texture, taste and consistency of anything you bake.

As I continue on with my blog, I will share with you tips & tricks that I find very useful to basic baking. I particularly like Cook's Illustrated & Fine Cooking magazine. They illustrate and explain the science behind baking as they conduct "experiments" in their test ktichen. And yes, food network magazine occassionally has neat tricks too! (Be warned though, it may give you the urge to lick the mouthwatering photos!hehe)

Picky Palate

I'm sure you have googled a specific recipe and end up dizzy reading numerous versions of it. There must be gazillions of baking sites and bloggers across the web, both professionals and amateurs, professing their love for cooking, sharing their recipes & techniques, their success and failure attempting new things.. But the question is, how do we know which is the best until we try it?  

A chewy cookie? or maybe cakey? or no wait, maybe crispy? sweet or semi sweet? with nuts for a bit of crunch or just plain? a healthy version or the whole nine yards? ... For an amateur baker like me, all the goodies we come up with are based on our personal taste and preferences. My senses rule once I start shakin' & bakin'! Of course, my recipes or knowledge in baking didn't just pop in my head, I read and google a whole lot! But in the end, it's my palate who decides which is the best recipe, yet... >:|

Not everything has a price tag

Was chit chatting with a good 'ol pal today and told him about my new blog. Him being a fierce lion in the jungles of the corporate world, he asked me: What do you expect to gain from it? hmmmmm Good question.

See, I don't run a business out of this hobby. I am working 10-12 hours a day, 5days a week (and even more at times @_@ ) but yes, I do get occassional orders from fellow sweet-o-holics. What can I say?! I LOVE TO BAKE!hehe  It is not in any way a chore for me, rather, it relieves my stress. It feels different every time I play in the kitchen, my senses are different, it adapts (so to speak) to the world where I completely trust my senses and feel most confident. And when the sweet little buggers comes out of the oven, the smell of spice: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg... you name it! Ahhh,, HEAVEN! (there are even times that I bake just to make the house smell like cookies! lol)

I told my friend, I really wasn't thingking of material gain when I decided to blog again, it just felt right. Of course, apart from the nudging of my mates and inspiration from my other half, I guess baking has always been my passion and the kitchen is where I truly belong  ^_^ (hmmm come to think of it, i do gain something.. i am gaining "pounds" LOL)

Hand stirred

The ultimate advice you will generally read on a baker's blog is to NEVER over beat or over mix your batter. I'd say, chuck your hand mixer out and give your arms, hands & wrist a workout!! Over mixing makes baked goodies hard and takes the chewiness we all like.

At least for beginners, I absolutely advice not to get used in using the mixer. In time yes, but not until you learn to "feel" your batter. Gibberish eh?? but you see, once your hand gets used to the feel that your batter is just right, you'll know its ready to bake & surely end up with a perfect crisp on the outside, chewy in the inside, flavorful goodie!

Try it: once you have all your ingredients in the bowl (following the recipe you have, ofcourse) and as you start mixing it, the motion is heavier, you exert effort. And as you stir, you will feel less stress on your hand & wrist and visually see that everything is mixed together... IT'S TIME TO STOP & drop your weapon!hehe You don't have to make sure that every tiniest lump of sugar or flour has to be incorporated. Generally, a batter is never "perfectly smooth" (unless the recipe calls for it).

I have shared my recipes to family and friends but majority says that their attempt didn't turn out the same as mine. We all know technique makes a difference so if you really have the inclination to baking,  I suggest  developing your intimacy with the batter! LOL

The Name

Since I was little, cooking already took a chunk of my heart... I was seven when I first cooked my first vegetable stew, standing up on a stool so I could reach the stove (ofcourse with my father's supervision *wink*). And as I grew older, baking became my passion...

Cookie Jar was a name of a sign board I saw in my hometown, but oddly enough, I never actually knew whether it was a bakery, cafe or confectionery shop. I always get excited as we drive by the area, stretching my neck as long as I can, to get a good look at that huge country sign as we drove pass it from a distance.

From the memories of my childhood, my passion for cooking and inspiration from family & friends, I started to share my sweet treats for everyone to try ^_^ its nothing fancy but definitely special!

And now, after a couple of years since I last blogged, I finally took the next step of sharing my notes, thoughts and baking ideas with hopes that the hustle and bustle in my kitchen can help amateurs (like me!) to work on their skill or just simply entertain my fellow aficioanados here, there and every where!!