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Monday, February 20, 2012

Cake Enhancers



Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of meringue powder to your cake mix to help it rise a bit higher and make it a bit lighter in texture.
Add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin to the cake batter, helps prevent the top of the cake splitting or cracking.
First add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the butter and sugar called for in the recipe before mixing the rest of the ingredients. Helps make the cake lighter.
Take your time creaming the butter, beat/cream for at least 5 minutes to get lots of air into the butter. Add the sugar and beat/cream really well again.
Separate eggs before adding them to recipes–beat yolks till golden and creamy then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat the egg whites until light and frothy before folding them into the butter mixture.

Why does my cake crack?


The most common cause of a crack in the surface of the cake is baking in an oven that is too hot. The surface of the cake sets very quickly, before the inside of the cake has had time to expand fully. Then as the inside of the cake heats up and starts to rise it has to break through the crust to have the space to expand. This tends to give a volcano look to the cake with the inside of cake spilling out of the crack.Actual oven temperatures often vary from the setting on the dial and it would seem that your oven might be running a little hot. Try setting it a little below the temperature stated in the recipe next time you bake a cake. Also take care to bake the cake in the center of the oven, not too close to the top where the temperature is highest.Another cause could be over-dosing on leavener e.g. baking powder or baking soda, so always measure these ingredients carefully.

Also plzzz ensure u use proper baking utencils for measurement..

Baking is a science not an art...accurate measurement is very important..

Plz invest ur money in measuring spoons, measuring cups(for dry ingredients) and jugs for liquid ingredients

FEW MORE REASON IF ur cakes sink AFTER u take them out


Over or underbeating – too much or too little air is incorporated into batter.
Underbaking - oven temperature too low and / or too short a baking time. Probably not thoroughly cooked. Bake longer or reduce the heat by 25 degrees F and bake longer.
Over or under measurement of liquid or too much sugar.
Too small a pan
Excessive jarring or moving of the cake during baking.
Opening the oven door before cake sets
Oven temperature too low.
Too much baking powder or baking soda Keep recipe close to 1 teaspoon baking powder or 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour.
Beaten egg whites - When you beat egg whites, their proteins unwind and join together loosely, making them very unstable. Make sure at least one of the egg whites is not beaten, but added with the liquid ingredients instead, to help stabilize its structure.
Sugar and fat under-creamed.
Not enough liquid
Too much flour
Used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour.
Careless or poor depositing in the pans.
Baking powder was old.

Some Reasons Why Cakes Sink or Fall In The Middle:

 Cakes will sink or fall because:
1). Overbeating – too much air is incorporated into batter.
2). Underbaking - Oven temperature too low and/or too short a baking time.
3). Over or under measurement of liquid or under measurement of flour.
4). Using too small or large of a baking pan.
5). Moving or jarring cake before sufficiently baked or opening the oven door before cake sets.
Note: Only open oven door if absolutely needed, one-half to three-quarter's way through baking.
6). The most common error has to do with the oven temperature. Make sure you have an oven thermometer to test your oven for accuracy.
7). Depending on the recipe if you fold in egg whites, if not beaten fully or folded in too harshly, the cake could fall.
8). Even creaming the butter and sugar too much or too little can cause problems.
There are a number of reasons to why your cakes may be sinking after u take then out theses are as follows:
The cake may not be cooked for long enough
Your oven may not be the correct temperature so its recommended that you test it with an oven thermometer!.
also the oven door may have been opened before the cake has set causing the cake to collapse!.
The mixture also may not have been beaten thoroughly enough or there might have been too little flour or too many eggs

Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe


Recipe Type: Condiments
Yields: approximately 2 to 2 1/4 cups
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks, room temperature*
1 whole egg, room temperature*
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Big pinch freshly-ground white pepper
Up to 2 cups vegetable oil or pure olive oil (all one or a mixture)**
* Since raw eggs are being use, only use the freshest eggs you can buy (the fresher, the better). As an egg ages, lecithin, a protein that acts as the central emulsifying agent, breaks down and the power of the egg yolk to stabilize the mayonnaise weakens. You may also use pasteurized eggs.
** For a basic mayonnaise, use an oil with a mild flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients. If you plan to refrigerate your mayonnaise, then choose a refined oil such as pure olive oil or sunflower oil. An unrefined oil, such as extra virgin olive oil, will solidify when chilled and cause separation later as it returns to room temperature.
Preparation:
Put the egg yolks, egg, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and white pepper in the work bowl of the food processor; process for 10 seconds or more, until creamy.
With the food processor running continuously, pour in the oil very slowly in driblets at first, to start the emulsion process. NOTE: Add 10 to 15% of the oil at this time. The first addition should be small and gradual. Wait about 30 second between additions.
When the sauce has definitely thickened, you may add the oil in a thin stream. Do not stop the machine at this point, but cease pouring every few seconds to be sure the oil is being absorbed. NOTE: Add about 50% of the oil at this time.
Then continue until the remaining 1 1/2 cups of oil are incorporated. NOTE: You may not need to use all the remaining oil at this time.
Stop the machine and check the mayonnaise for taste and consistency. Adjust the seasonings and, if the mayonnaise is very thick, process in drops of lemon juice or warm water to thin. The mayonnaise may be used at this point, or you can process in some of the remaining oil for a thicker sauce.
Transfer the finished mayonnaise to a bowl. If not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for a good week.
Makes approximately 2 to 2 1/4 cups.
Precautions for Preparing Mayonnaise:
IMPORTANT: All the ingredients must be at room temperature. If necessary, eggs may be immersed in warm water for 10 minutes to bring them up to temperature before breaking them into the blender jar.
Since raw eggs are being use, only use the freshest eggs you can buy (the fresher, the better). As an egg ages, lecithin, a protein that acts as the central emulsifying agent, breaks down and the power of the egg yolk to stabilize the mayonnaise weakens. You may also use pasteurized eggs.
Eggs keep the fat (oil) and the liquid (vinegar or lemon juice) of the mayonnaise evenly blended together. If egg yolks weren’t used to emulsify the mayonnaise, the heavier liquid would sink and the lighter fat would float just as they do in vinegar and oil dressing.
Never use aluminum bowls or saucepans to prepare mayonnaise, as they will turn the mayonnaise gray. Stainless steel, enameled, plastic (food processor) or glass may be used.
Add the oil very slowly, especially at the beginning.
Since homemade mayonnaise has fresh eggs in it, the mayonnaise should not be left at room temperature for more than a couple hours, as food poisoning is always a concern.
Repairing "Turned" or "Broken" Mayonnaise:
If mayonnaise breaks at any point, it can be brought back together by beating the broken mixture bit by bit into a fresh egg yolk.
As soon as this new mixture begins to thicken, the broken mayonnaise can be added more quickly.
Mayonnaise frequently breaks when stored overnight in the refrigerator and should be reconstituted before being used.

Sour Cream

You will need:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk (or even white vinegar will work)
Instructions
In a screw-top jar, combine the heavy cream and sour cream (or buttermilk). Shake the ingredients up a bit to thoroughly mix and let stand, covered, at room temperature for about 24 hours or until it becomes very thick. You can store your sour cream in the refrigerator in the original jar you mixed it in (or use some other resealable container) for up to one week. Make sure that your sour cream is well chilled before using.
If you want to make a lighter sour cream, substitute whole milk for 1/2 cup of the heavy cream.
PS: Buttermilk is made by adding 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of room-temperature whole milk. You then leave this to stand for about 10 minutes. Then use in the recipe as directed.
Here is a handy link showing various substitutions that can be used instead of Sour Cream.

Home made Khoya

For Method 1
You will need:
Evaporated Milk 1 Tin (unsweetened)
Milk Powder 2 cups
Take a mixing bowl and put the milk powder in it.
Now add the Evaporated milk in it slowly.
Knead it into a dough (hard dough)
Now make a ball of this dough and put it in the freezer.
After 30 minutes or so, take this ball out of the freezer.
Now grate it using a coarse grater and use it as you want it.
I prefer this method as this is the fastest and sure shot method.
For Method 2
Ingredients:
3 cups Full Cream Milk
300 ml Thickened Cream
1 can Condensed Milk
1. Put all the ingredients in a microwave proof container
2. Heat it on high for 4 minutes
3. Take the container out and stir it.
4. Heat it on high again for 4 minutes.
5. Stir it again.
If you are not using the Microwave then just heat the mixture in a thick bottomed pan on the stove for 5-6 minutes ( or more , until the consistency starts to thicken ), making sure that the mixture does not stick to the bottom.
Your Khoya is ready. This can be used to make Burfi and Malai Pedas.

How Much and How Many


Butter, Chocolate
2 tablespoons butter = 1 ounce
1 stick or 1/4 pound butter = 1/2 cup
1 square chocolate = 1 ounce
Crumbs
20 saltine crackers = 1 cup fine crumbs
12 graham crackers = 1 cup fine crumbs
22 vanilla wafers = 1 cup fine crumbs
8 to 9 slices zwieback = 1 cup fine crumbs
1 slice bread = 1/2 cup soft crumbs
Nuts
1 pound walnuts in shell = 2 cups, shelled
1/4 pound chopped walnuts = about 1 cup
1 pound almonds in shell = about 1 cup, shelled

Fruits, Vegetables
Juice of 1 lemon = 3 to 4 tablespoons
Grated peel of 1 lemon = 1 teaspoon
Juice of 1 orange = 6 to 7 tablespoons
Grated peel of 1 orange = about 2 teaspoons
1 medium apple, chopped = 1 cup
1 medium onion, chopped = 1/2 cup
1/4 pound celery (about 2 stalks) chopped = 1 cup

Cheese and Eggs
1 pound process cheese, shredded = 4 cups
1/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled = 3/4 to 1 cup
1 large egg, beaten = 1/4 cup
12 to 14 egg yolks = 1 cup
8 to 10 egg whites = 1 cup

Cereals
4 ounces macaroni (1 - 1 1/4 cups) = 2 1/4 cups cooked
4 ounces noodles (1 1/2 - 2 cups) = 2 1/4 cups cooked
4 ounces spaghetti (1 - 1 1/4 cups) = 2 1/2 cups cooked
1 cup uncooked rice (6 1/2 - 7 ounces) = 3 - 3 1/2 cups cooked
1 cup precooked rice = 2 cups cooked

Substitutions

1 tablespoon cornstarch = 2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour = 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
1 square chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water
1 cup sour milk = 1 cup sweet milk into which 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice has been mixed. 1 cup buttermilk may also be used
1 cup sweet milk = 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk plus 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Buttermilk = for 1 cup use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to measure 1 cup
Cake flour = for 1 cup use 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
Cracker crumbs = for 3/4 cup use 1 cup bread crumbs
Dark corn syrup = for 1 cup use 3/4 cup light corn syrup and 1/4 cup molasses or 1 cup light corn syrup
Garlic = for 1 clove, minced use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Garlic salt = for 1 teaspoon use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder and 7/8 teaspoon salt
Half-and Half = for 1 cup use 1 tablespoon melted butter and enough whole milk to equal 1 cup
Honey = for 1 cup use 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/4 cup liquid
Lemon Juice = for 1 teaspoon use 1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
Lemon Peel = for 1 teaspoon use 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Light corn syrup = for 1 cup use 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup liquid
Molasses = for 1 cup use 1 cup honey
Onion = for 1 small chopped, use 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
Prepared Mustard = for 1 tablespoon use 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard and 2 teaspoons vinegar
Semisweet chocolate = for 1 ounce use 3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips or 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 1 tablespoon sugar

 

Weights and Measures


3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons equal 1/8 cup
4 tablespoons equal 1/4 cup
5 1/3 tablespoons equal 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons equal 1/2 cup
10 2/3 tablespoons equal 2/3 cup
12 tablespoons equal 3/4 cup
14 tablespoons equal 7/8 cup
16 tablespoons equal 1 cup
1 cup equals 8 fluid ounces
1 cup equals 1/2 pint
2 cups equal 1 pint
4 cups equal 1 quart
4 quarts equal 1 gallon
8 quarts equal 1 peck
4 pecks equal 1 bushel
1 liter equals 2.1 pints
1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds
28.3 grams equal 1 ounce