I started cooking with beer and I can’t stop

Howdy and happy summer! Summertime makes me think of two things: the beach and some ice cold drinks. Of course, iced coffee is always at the top of my list (I’ve been drinking it since I was four, I know, it’s bad), but now that I am recently old enough, beer is now part of my summer! Since I started working at an awesome local craft brewery, I’ve been bringing home more beer than I can drink– so I started cooking with it!

 

I got the best birthday present, the Craft Beer Cookbook, for my birthday, and it’s really gotten me hooked. Everything I make is amazingly delicious, craft beer is a great tool for cooking because it adds lots of depth of flavor. Now I know that there are a lot of people who are either craft beer “snobs,” or don’t know what it is, so I’ll explain. Craft beer is typically made in smaller batches, and doesn’t use adjunct ingredients. For example, some big names may use corn or rice to feed the yeast, but they don’t give that much flavor. Craft beer does not use these filler ingredients, and therefore has a fuller, more-developed taste. Yum!

I’m still learning more about beer and working through the cookbook, but I find myself wanting to cook with beer even when I’m not trying out a new recipe. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that this past week I made beer-braised chipotle chicken with red peppers and drunken cilantro lime rice (from the cookbook). It was super easy to make, and the sauce was basically just beer that we allowed to cook in a pot for a bit with the chicken. The rice was also cooked with beer, I used an amber ale instead of the recommended pale ale with citrus notes, and I’m thinking, why don’t I cook with beer all the time? It’s basically a pre-made sauce; the brewers already took the time to develop a beer with nicely balanced flavors, and as cooks all we need to do is throw some protein and vegetable in there!

So next time you are staring in your fridge and don’t know what to make, grab a cold one and make some awesome chicken with it! Or try the cookbook, because there is soo much more than chicken in there! I have to tell you, I don’t believe in making brownies from scratch, because they never seem to come out as fudgy as the box mix. But I made the chocolate stout brownies from the cookbook and they were the BEST. I ate the whole pan, they were rich, velvety and fudgy, and I can’t make them ever again if I plan on fitting into my new summer clothes. I will have to experiment a little more with beer in desserts, and I will report back to you. Happy cooking!

Christmas Gift Trick: Cookie Mugs

You may recognize Christmas as one of the most pleasant seasons of the year (or you may not, no pressure). But sometimes all of the merriment, gift-giving, cookie-baking, and decorating can start to really hurt your wallet. And that’s fine! I mean losing weight is good… right? Well, maybe not from your wallet; but you don’t want to be cheap (that’s not in the Christmas spirit!). It’s the thought that counts, not how much you spend. Yada-yada, I’m not going to get into it; I’m assuming you’ve seen at least one Christmas movie.

So how do you give thoughtful, quality gifts without starving your wallet? Christmas cookies! Okay, here’s what you have to do. Buy one holiday mug per person you want to give a gift too. They don’t have to be expensive, you can find nice ones at less-expensive stores that are perfectly good. Then, make as many cookies as you can in as many kinds as you want. Next, fill the mugs with the cookies! 

It may sound simple, but a pile of cookies will brighten almost anyone’s day, and the mug will last as a gift that will sit in their kitchen for eternity! (I don’t know about you, but I never throw out mugs.) It helps if you can make a festive gingerbread to put on top, but really this one is all about what you can do. (Ignore the ones in the picture, they were festive but also a thank you gift for people.) To make it look more full you can throw in some bite sized candies too, or a hot chocolate mix! Then wrap them up in cellophane with a nice bow, and you have conquered the holiday gifts for your acquaintances, co-workers, and the people-who-you-aren’t-sure-you’re-exchanging-gifts-with-but-have-to-be-prepared-for-just-in-case.

Forgot something? 3 Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dishes

It’s Wednesday night and sleeting where I am; so at this point if I’ve forgotten anything for my Thanksgiving feast, there’s no way I am going to get it. Improving in the kitchen is fun, but it’s always nice to have a backup plan. Here are some backup plan Thanksgiving dishes that you might be able to make with stuff you already have.

Appetizer: Stuffed Crescent Roll-Ups

I don’t know about you, but I always have some extra crescent roll or pie crust dough in my fridge. Last year I didn’t plan enough appetizers, so I improved these roll-ups, and they were a big hit! There are a lot of good ideas of things to do with crescent rolls from Pillsbury, but I made my own creation. I made it as one big roll; roll out all of the crescent dough so it doesn’t have the perforation. Then on 1/4 of it, spread some pesto, layer pepperoni and ham (or other meats you have and want to use), some cheese, cut up roasted red peppers, and spinach. Then roll it up like a log and place on a pan. Cook in your oven using the instructions for the crescent rolls, it may need extra time. When it’s done, take it out and carefully slice it. You’ll have some nice slices packed with flavor, and you don’t have to tell your guests how easy it was to make!

Dessert: Crack or Cookie Pie

I’m not saying you need to turn to hardcore drugs, crack is a kind of chocolate-caramel bark that is as addicting as, well, crack. You can find my detailed instructions of how to make it here, all you need is saltines, butter, chocolate, and sugar!

If you don’t want any addictive desserts or don’t have saltines, you might want to try a chocolate chip cookie pie. An original Nestle Toll House recipe, the ingredients are pretty standard and you should already have most of them. You can always substitute a different kind of nut, and you don’t even need to use a pie crust! Make it in advance and stick it in the oven before you serve it; it’s delicious warm with some ice cream on top.

I hope this saves you from some hungry guests! It’s hard to imagine not having enough food for Thanksgiving, but let me tell you, it’s not something you’ll ever want to experience. I wish you all a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving, and a successful Black Friday if you’re into that kind of thing. Happy eating!

Can you taste the quality? How to tell a good bakery from a bad bakery

Because I bake all the time, I can easily spot or taste a bad quality baked good. I also worked at a high-end bakery for years, and know exactly what top notch cupcakes are all about. My town just got a new bakery, and I was too curious not to try out their stuff (plus they have espresso, so there was no way to lose). But when I walked in there, I knew off the bat that the cupcakes were not going to meet my high standards. For those of you who want to determine the quality of a bakery, here are the signs.

The first, refrigerated cases. If there are cupcakes and pastries in a display case that doesn’t have precipitation on it or isn’t making a whirring noise, then you’ve found yourself some Crisco frosting. There are multiple ways of making frosting or pastry creme, but if it doesn’t have to be refrigerated then there’s a high chance that there’s something that’s preserving it, something you don’t necessarily want to eat. That being said, most things should be allowed to sit out for a while to come to room temperature, which is fine. You want to watch out for things that never need to be refrigerated.

The cupcakes that I tried this weekend had a kind of frosting that I am familiar with; it’s made from powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vegetable shortening aka, Crisco. You can tell that you’re eating Crisco frosting if you can hear a light crunching sound when you’re eating it. This frosting is what Wilton recommends to go with their decorated cake pans. It has its purposes, but don’t be wasting $4.00 on a cupcake with this low quality frosting. This is the same for pastries, pastries should always be refrigerated to preserve the cream. You know that there’s something artificial and low-quality going on when it doesn’t need refrigeration.

To tell a good frosting, look for the shine. Buttercream is made from butter, so it should be a little shiny! If it’s made from a lot of sugar and other artificial ingredients, it won’t be reflective at all. It will also be very squishy, and won’t harden even if you refrigerate it. If you refrigerate it and it’s hard and you have to let it sit out to soften, then it’s made from enough butter. Just think how you have to let butter soften for basic baking, it’s the same thing.

Next, the price. This might seem pretty obvious, but if you want top quality unfortunately you’re going to have to pay for it. If you’re getting a sheet cake to serve 40 people for $20, then get ready for your Crisco frosting. On the other end, if you think that you might be paying too much, break it up into servings. Divide the price by the number of people you’re serving. If it seems like something you would spend for a cupcake for each person, then you’re in the clear. Just remember that this won’t count for decorated cakes, that’s a whole other can of worms.

Also, size. This may not be a foolproof method, but I have honestly never had an over-sized cupcake that was good quality. If there’s a bakery that’s selling giant cupcakes, my experiences tell you to expect very dry cake and overly sugary frosting. This is also true if the bakery only carries one size of cake, I just find that practice to be overall strange and I have yet to find such a place that has high quality goods.

Level of richness, and I’m not talking about money. Higher quality goods are going to be richer. The way to tell is by the largest sized slice of cake you can eat. If you cut yourself a huge piece of cake and only manage to eat a portion of it because you’re too full, then it’s very rich and probably good quality. If you’re able to eat a huge slice, then that means it has watered-down ingredients. You get full quickly if you’re eating buttercream made from butter and chocolate ganache made mostly from chocolate; low quality products will use filler like oil and Crisco, which won’t fill you up as fast.

Know when to mix, and when to scratch

As a baker, you may assume that I am also a baking snob. Meaning, I refuse to make things that are not from scratch. While this is majorly true, my baker gene and laziness conflict; there are a few things that I see fair not to make from scratch. My rule is: scratch always, mix when they won’t know you did. 

I have tried making brownies many times, with different recipes, from different books. But honestly, none of these end up being better, or even remotely as good as the from-a-box brownies. I don’t know what it is, but to me you just won’t gain from making a brownie from scratch. But it can depend on what kind of brownies you like. I like really fudge-y brownies that are barely baked all the way through, which I have yet to accomplish from scratch. But if you like a cakeiy brownie, I think that it would be possible to make from scratch and meet your expectations. My three favorite brownie mixes are: Duncan Hines, Trader Joe’s truffle brownie mix, and mixes from Ghirardelli.

The other thing I find acceptable to buy instead of bake is pie crust. Let me precede this in saying that I do not really like pie, and do not like making pie. If pie is your thing and you think homemade crust is a must, please don’t be offended. But if I’m going to make a chocolate cream pie or something it’s just easier for me to buy a Pillsbury pie crust or an Oreo crust, depending on what I’m making. My Nana and I made an apple pie with a store pie crust and it was amazing, so save yourself some time and no one will ever know! Is there anything you prefer to mix instead of make from scratch? There are definitely more shortcuts to take that won’t compromise your quality. My rule is: scratch always, mix when they won’t know you did.

3 Tips for Decorating Like A Pro

By no means am I saying that I my decorated cakes look professional; I am not that delusional. But I know a little more than the average person, and sometimes my cakes don’t turn out half bad. I’ve figured out some pretty neat stuff through all my successes and failures, and thought I’d share it with you.

1. Vegetable Oil

I’m not talking about greasing the pan, I use it to grease the fondant. Most places will tell you to use powdered sugar to keep the fondant from sticking on your counters when you roll it out, but it makes such a mess and can dry out or make your fondant powdery looking. I don’t know how I started doing this, but it works just as well to spray some vegetable oil non-stick spray on your counter instead. And it makes your fondant nice and shiny! Just be careful not to use too much, that could be gross.

2. Tools

I was taught in math class that the calculator is a crutch, but I look at it as a tool. I love tools, they make things easier! I have a lot of baking tools but one of the most useful for fondant decoration is a Ribbon Cutter. Since I’ve gotten it I use it every time I decorate a cake. A fondant ribbon or some stripes is a really easy and cute way to decorate a cake, and the cutter satisfies the need I have for perfectly straight lines.

3. Keep it clean

If you were to put two plain cakes, one professionally done and one homemade, next to each other you would probably know which one is professional. The key to making something look like you bought it is nice clean edges and level layers. When you’re making the layers, use a cake leveler to make sure they’re even. When you coat with buttercream, make sure it’s even. You can even square off the top edge of the cake using your angled spatula, and chill before you add fondant or more buttercream.

4. Do what you know

Fondant covered cakes have been all the rage the last few years, but it’s not always necessary. Pick a skill or two that you can do well, and do it well! It’s better to pick something that you’re good at and use it artfully than to try a bunch of things and cover the cake with them. It helps to plan out what you’re going to do in advance, and as things go wrong you can add or subtract. Save the new skills for the practice run!

Cookbooks That Will Have Your Back

I’ve recommended some cookbooks in some other posts, but there are so many more that I haven’t talked about! Now that recipes are super easy to find on the internet, I think cookbooks are losing out which is really a shame. Sure, the internet is great for when you’re looking for a specific recipe, but the internet has given me some not-so-reliable recipes in the past. Cookbooks are great because once you find a good one it’s like having a loyal best friend, it will always be there for you and you know it’ll have your back. They are also great for when you don’t know what you want to make; I love flipping through my favorite cookbooks on a rainy day and finding something to bake. Unfortunately like the internet, there’s no way of telling if it’s good when you buy it. So for you I have picked my top six cookbooks, that are as precious to me as family photos (please note that this isn’t a particular order, just the order I’m pulling them off the shelf).

1. The Good Housekeeping’s Illustrated Cookbook (1980 edition)

I referenced this book for the 14 Layer Cinnamon Torte Post, and it is by far the most valuable cookbook I own. I won’t bore you with the same stuff I already wrote, but this book shows you how to do things with pictures and has everything. My mom and my Nana each have one that I was waiting to steal once they were um, “finished with them.” But I found out that you can get it on Amazon.com for about $0.01; so naturally I ordered a half a dozen. I have the 1980 edition, but I’m sure the later editions are great too.

2. Any Mickey Cookbook

Like I’ve said before, Disney knows what they’re doing when it comes to food. I actually have two Mickey cookbooks (and by I, I mean my mom): Cooking with Mickey Around the World and Cooking With Mickey Volume II.I’m not saying you have to get these particular books, I think any Mickey cookbook is going to have classic quality recipes. They’re really cute because it tells you which restaurant and which park the recipe is from. So next time you take a Disney vacation, maybe pick up a cookbook and your vacation can come home with you!

3. How to Squeeze a Lemon

Now I’ll be honest, I got this book and its partner as a gift and I haven’t really read this whole book and there aren’t any recipes in it. But this book is right up my alley because it tells you how to do almost anything, like the little things that cookbooks already expect you to know what to do. So if you’re new to cooking or baking, I’d take a look at it because it can translate some recipes for you.

4. Baking and Desserts

I don’t remember where I got this book but I do know that the spine is worn down from me staring at its beautiful pictures. Don’t you hate it when a cookbook lists a recipe for something without a picture? How are you supposed to pre-salivate over what you’re going to make if there’s no picture? This book just has a million things that I’m planning to make in it, and so far the recipes have come out really well.

5. Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

I couldn’t have a list of cookbooks and not include one of miss Martha’s now could I? I have a whole bunch of her cookbooks, but this one has the most post-its in it so clearly it’s the favorite. Martha has put enough pictures to make me happy in here, and the recipes are a good mix of classic desserts and new things to try. When I’m not sure what to bake, I always grab this book. There’s also a great section with references for what equipment to use and how to do some basic techniques.

6. Nestlé Toll House Recipe Collection

My mother and I have long since memorized the Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe because honestly I haven’t had a better chocolate chip cookie than that. This book also has the chocolate chip cookie pie which I love, and other fun things that all include chocolate; so of course it’s a win. This book is kind of old too and I don’t know if you need to go buy one, but just remember to keep an eye out for the Toll House recipes when you can because they are usually top notch.

 

6 Baking Rules of Thumb

The best way to learn is from your mistakes. But with baking, mistakes can be frustrating and wasteful! So here are my six rules of thumb for mistake-free baking, that I learned from my own mishaps.

1. Best recipes have few and simple ingredients.
2. Use exact measurements, except with these situations:
        a. When the recipe says “scant” or          “generous.” Scant means just under and generous means a little over.
        b. If you’re measuring vanilla. As long as you don’t put in 1/2 cup where it asks for 1 tablespoon, you’ll be fine. Who doesn’t love a little extra vanilla?
         c. When using chocolate chips or any other addition like nuts. You would need to use a lot of chocolate chips to ruin a batch of cookies, so go nuts!
3. Butter should always be softened when the recipe tells you it should.
4. Don’t open the oven unless you’re rotating what you’re baking.
5. Let your cookies, cakes, and cupcakes cool! Wait to add frosting so it won’t melt, and don’t close them in a container until they’re cooled off.
6. Prepare your equipment! For whipped cream, chill your bowl and whisk in advance. For egg whites/meringue, your bowl must be completely clean and cool, any debris can keep them from fluffing up.

I hope this helps! Do you have any rules of thumb that I missed here?

7 Weird Baking Terms and What They Really Mean

One day my brother and I decided to cook a fancy dinner. We went through a bunch of cookbooks to find something challenging and delicious to make, and found something that looked good and had ingredients that we already had. We started reading the directions, and the first step was to “Caramelize the mirepoix.” Huh? What the hell is a mirepoix (pronounced meer-pwa)? Even though we both speak French, we had no idea what this meant and ditched the recipe. New cooking and baking vocabulary can turn you away from a great recipe, so here are some terms that will help you jump right in.

Cream the butter

This phrase is found in a lot of baking recipes, but what does it really mean? It’s the base for the Nestlé Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe and many others; it basically means combing the butter and sugar by beating them together. It’s easiest to do by putting the butter in the bowl and beating it on medium speed with a hand or electric mixer. Once the butter is fluffed up, add in the sugar and beat again; the result should be nice and fluffy. Make sure that you used softened butter for this! A lot of things can go wrong if the butter isn’t soft.

Bain Marie

Another French term, this is just a water bath for heating things like chocolate, eggs, and sugar. It usually includes a medium saucepan half-filled with water and put on medium heat on the stove. Then take a bowl that fits halfway in the saucepan so it’s just resting in the water, and put whatever needs to be heated in there. This is the best way to melt chocolate so it doesn’t burn, and can be used for things like meringue and bases for buttercream.

Folding

We’re not talking about laundry here; folding is a way of mixing or combining ingredients gently. This technique is used for everything from Chocolate Mousse to French Macarons. It means that you are using usually a spatula to sweep around the sides of the bowl and underneath the ingredients you are combining. It’s important to fold when it tells you to fold and not mix (circular motions that cut through the batter); folding is usually called for when you have to retain air or fluffiness in a batter. Just be gentle and you’ll be fine!

Confectioner’s Sugar

This might be an easy one, but when I first started baking I had no idea what it was. Confectioner’s sugar is just a fancy name for powdered sugar, it is not plain white or granulated sugar. If it looks like the kind of thing that’s very powdery and that you would sprinkle on a doughnut, then you’ve got the right stuff.

Alternating Additions

I think you would be most likely to see this in a recipe for cake. Typically there will be a batter or dough that is already started, and you alternate adding a liquid and a powder, usually flour or sugar, to it.

Food Processor

A food processor is usually used to chop things up or grind them into crumbs (like nuts or Oreos), but can also be used to make things like cookie dough. When I want some chopped walnuts for example, I use either my ancient Cuisinart Food Processor or a Ninja. But I’ve also made cookie dough in it too, although I prefer my KitchenAid Mixer. It depends on what you’re making, but it’s not always necessary to use one over another kitchen gadget. The food processor is nice because the lid stays on while mixing, and there’s sometimes a hole in the top that lets you add things without a mess while it’s still mixing.

Heavy Cream vs. Whipping Cream

Don’t stress if you bought one and the recipe calls for the other! They do the same thing.

 

I hope this helps you attack some new amazing recipes! Did I miss the weirdest baking term you’ve ever come across? Give me a shout, I’m definitely going to make a part 2 to this list.

2 Reasons Why Patience is a Baking Must

Baking is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon with a nice reward at the end. But sometimes people like me are too impatient to wait the proper amount of time for their cake and cookies, and it ruins everything.

Spontaneous baking has some of the same problems; say it’s 11 at night and you are in desperate need of some chocolate chip cookies. By the grace of the baking gods you have all the ingredients that you need, but alas the butter is not pre-softened. You have three options: 1, take a nap and wait for it to soften; or 2, microwave it; and 3, use it cold.

Regrettably I have done all of these things, and I recommend option 1. Option 2 sounds fine until you microwave it too much and it gets soupy in the middle. Option 3 sounds OK until your cookies come out hard and flat. So take some deep breaths or a coffee and wait for it to soften, you won’t regret it!

My impatience has also gotten the best of me when I wanted to make a new chocolate cake recipe with marshmallow frosting. It came out beautifully and didn’t even stick to the pan; and by some miracle I had the frosting made and the kitchen cleaned by the time that sucker got out of the oven. Except my super dishwashing efficiency shot me in the foot.

Because did I wait for the cake to completely cool before I frosted it? No of course not! I frosted it anyway and this happened (see picture). I ended up eating it out of a bowl, which by the way, was still delicious. But luckily I was making this cake for myself and not for someone’s birthday or a party; that would have been embarrassing and disappointing.

Next time you decide you need cookies in the middle of the night or can’t wait to see your finished experiment, take a walk, call your grandmother, or watch a movie. Waiting may save you some serious failures, even if they are still delicious.