Apple Bread!

• Cooking Spray
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Prepare 2 loaf pans (8 1/2x4 1/2-inch loaf pans) with cooking spray.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts, and apples in a large bowl. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon together in a small bowl; add to flour mixture and mix until just moistened. Evenly divide mixture between prepared loaf pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 90 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

After attempting some homemade banana bread, I decided to spice things up by trying to create a chunky apple bread. As I was creating the recipe, it called for 3 cups of apples. I wasn’t sure what kind of apples so I used fuji apples. Also, I don’t know how much 3 cups of chopped apples is so I only bought 3 apples. I didn’t fully follow the recipe, like how I used yeast in the dough and made it a yeast bread. I prepped the dough as stated, but gave the dough 45 minutes to rise before reshaping. Also, we used a 12x12 pan so it was one giant loaf of bread. As we added the wet with the dry, it created a rich scent of apples. I felt that  the 3 apples was too much because there were mainly chunks in the bread. After some help with my brothers, we went quick making the bread and we were very efficient. We all were divided into different labors like, I would do all the mixing while another brother would do all the chopping, and another brother would mix the dry ingredients. The recipe actually went great and it was fun spending some bonding time with my family and making something common, bread.
Taste:
After tasting the bread, it wasn't what I expected. Throughout the bread, there were little pouches and bites of cinnamon. This just ruined the overall taste of the bread and parts of the bread had either too much cinnamon or none at all. Now lets move onto the apples. I did not enjoy the apples at all, there were chunks of apples in the bread! It was not enjoyable at all because I felt all the juices of the apples sapped out and disappeared. Then these little chunks turned into crunchy flavorless pieces. The bread was rich in flavor though, but each bite was a surprise. After some few investigations, I can conclude that the taste was from the poor mixing I did and that little thing turned the whole bread upside-down... Literally.
Texture:
The Texture of the bread was intriguing. Not letting the bread cool, we lifted it from the pan and onto the cooling rack, letting the bottom disassemble and crumble. The bottom was a soggy mess! The rest of the bread, actually felt like a refined, fresh, and crunchy bread feeling, but the bottom was this soggy mess and a chunk of the bottom fell off right before my eyes. It was a rather mushy texture, and it was not the right feeling.
Appearance:
The appearance of the bread looked great. Five minutes before the end of the baking, we dusted the top with a nice sugar top. It looked fabulous when it came out and even smelled rich. The bread rose and it reached a good consistency when we took it out. The bread looked even to be bread of quality to be sold in stores.
Aroma:
The smell of the rich apples and sweet cinnamon flowed through the room. It was like the smell of summer in the air when you opened that oven door. The flavors of the apples oozed out into the air and the cinnamon made it even nicer.
Conclusion:
To conclude, in the past week I made an Apple bread from Allrecipes.com and altered some of the recipe to what I have. The product turned out great, smelled great, but the taste of the bread told me otherwise. I enjoyed cooking this month with my bros and hope to see you on next month's blog of Culinary Adventures!

Banana Bread - April

     For this month, I decided to make some banana bread like I used to make during the summer. The first step was something I had lots of familiarity with because we had used it so much the past week: the creaming method. I made sure that the butter was at room temperature before I began, to ensure that it would turn out properly. The experience I got helped me to know that even though the recipe says to cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, that just means for about a minute and thirty seconds. However, it also utilizes the muffin method, because the two mixture, the wet and dry, are separate until they meet in the end, and at that point in time, it's only for a little bit. The most fun part about making banana bread has to be mashing the bananas in a bowl. It's so much fun to mush something that's so squishy. Once my batter was done, I filled a jumbo muffin tin. My mom prefers them in muffin form instead of the bread kind, I don't know why.
     Once they came out of the oven, I let them rest on a cooling rack until they were cooled down. However, my mom ate one while they were still hot. Both my mom and I agree that they turned out pretty good. The smell was overpowering of bananas, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The crust was nice and golden brown, and it wasn't all lopsided looking at all. When I took a bite of it, the flavor of banana coexisted peacefully with the flavors of the bread. There were no tunnels whatsoever, and the texture was nice and moist like a good cake. Overall, I think I did a great job with identifying what mixing methods to use and executing them well to produce an overall good finished product. 

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Waffles

3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 C. milk
2 eggs

Preheat waffle iron. Melt butter in microwave. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, beast together milk and eggs. Whisk liquid mixture until just combined. Stir in melted butter. Brush hot waffle iron with butter. Spoon about 1/2 cup of batter onto waffle iron and close to cook. This first waffle will be the tester. Cook waffle until golden brown. Remove to plate and keep warm.



Hong Kong, Pandan, Belgium, and Flemish. What do all of these have in common? They are all types of waffles. Waffles are a classic breakfast in all parts of the world, but for this lab, I made classic American waffles, in the shapes of hearts.

My outside lab was a classic recipe that has been in my family for many years. The method I used was the muffin method which I had just learned in class.

Using the muffin method outside of class was new for me. I didn't exactly know what "beasting" was when I started, but I just went through the recipe using the muffin method, which ended very well.

I found all the ingredients and put them all together the way we learned in class, because I wanted to try to incorporate the methods I learned. the batter was lumpy, which was not how my dad has taught me to make waffles, pancakes, muffins, and cookies. The 1/2 cup was a perfect amount for each waffle, but I put a little extra in a couple, which made a drippy mess on the counter. Other than that, my waffles went according to the recipe very well.

The waffles ended up with a very thick texture, but not as rubbery as I have made them before. They tasted more flavorful than the toaster waffles I was used to, too. They tasted rich, but not sugary or salty. They were fantastic and classic, with a consistent flavor and texture all the way through.  They were golden-brown, except for the one I had made that leaked out; this one was very pale in comparison to the others. There was not a very pungent aroma at all. They tasted the same as the ones my dad had made before, though the mixing method was not as he had taught me. I think he probably taught me to mix it all thoroughly so there weren't pieces of flour and egg bits all throughout. The texture was also the same, and I was pleased with the results.

This was a fun recipe to make with what I had learned in class. I made it again a week later, with the same results. This is an easy recipe that was a perfect Friday night breakfast-for-supper, then a perfect Valentine's Day breakfast for my parents.

Candy Shop Pizza

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup peanut butter
2-3 cups chopped candy bars (Heath, Butterfingers, Kit Kats, Reese's, and/or Twix)

In bowl combine flour, soda, salt. Set aside. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Spread onto pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-24 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over hot baked cookie. Drop peanut butter by spoonfuls over chips. Let melt, then spread. Sprinkle chopped candy bars on top. Let harden. Cut up into "slices" or squares and serve warm.

Home-baked cookies. The smell of a chocolate chip cookie is enough to make anyone's mouth water. When this is combined with peanut-butter and chocolate spread and candy bars, it certainly is a triple threat. This was the smell that filled my home a few weeks ago when I decided to make candy shop pizza for my family.

For this project, I used the creaming method to make an enormous cookie. It was similar to what we learned in class, but I did this lab before that. The recipe was very easy for me to follow, and went off without a hitch. I started by collecting all of the ingredients. The recipe was similar to the muffin method, in that the ingredients had to be separated. The recipe is fairly self-explanatory, and it was interesting to see it all come together. The most shocking part was watching the chocolate chips melt and combine with the peanut butter on top of the pizza. The types of candy bars I used were Butterfingers, Twix, Crunch and Milky Ways.

This recipe had a very rich and sweet final product. My family and I enjoyed it warm, and the savory tastes of chocolate, caramel and peanut butter were very nice together. The intensely flavored cookie-type dessert was one of the best I had ever had. It smelled very sweet and satisfying. The texture was crisp on the sides and tender in the center, just the way a cookie should be. The cookie had a caramelized and glowing appearance and all the colors were tones of brown and tan that were appetizing-looking when all put together. This dessert was absolutely amazing, and I would make it many times over if I could. Not only was this recipe very good-tasting, but it was also fun for me to make, using many different methods I hadn't ever had to use before.

April Cooking Assignment: Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the month of April, I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch. I used the creaming method. The creaming method is when you beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is fluffy and then you add in the dry ingredients mixture. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I did change a few things. First, the recipe called for light brown sugar, which I didn't have. I used dark brown sugar instead. The recipe also called for room temperature butter and the butter I ended up using wasn’t nearly room temperature. The final change I made was the amount of chocolate chips. I added a little bit extra chocolate chips because I like extra chocolate.

When the chocolate chip cookies came out of the oven they smelled perfect. My mom said the smell reminded her of when her grandma used to make cookies. They smelled warm and sweet, but looked even better. They were golden brown on the edges and the inside was filled with gooey chocolate chips. The color of the cookie was a darker brown because of the dark brown sugar I used. When I bit into it, it tasted sweet and chocolaty. The cookie was crispy on the edges and soft on the inside.

I would definitely make these cookies again. Not only did they taste amazing, but my entire family loved them. I did learn something from this experience, the type brown sugar you use doesn’t necessarily effect the taste, but it will effect the color.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cups light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
• 1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick vegetable oil spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl to blend.
4. Using electric or stand mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy.
5. Add white sugar and brown sugar and beat until well blended.
6. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until mixture is creamy and well blended.
7. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until blended.
8. Pour half of chocolate chips into the bottom of a large bowl and then add half the dough on top of the chips.
9. Stir dough and chips together, then add more chips and more dough until all is mixed together.
10. Cover and place dough in refrigerator for 24-36 hours.
11. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet, giving each cookie plenty of room.
12. Bake for 14-15 minutes until brown around the edges and pale brown in the middle.
13. Cool slightly on cookie sheet.
14. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely.
    
    

Montly blogger - Angie Hour 2

Mall Pretzels Angie Lelyukh

Hmm, Making mall pretzels at home, ironic? mm No, not if you get sick of paying for overpriced pretzels at the mall. My favorite place to eat when I get a chance to go the mall is definitely pretzelmaker, one creamy power pomegranate smoothie and a ranch pretzel (that lasts about 3 mins) cost me $10  which made me wonder how much it cost them ..  fifty cents? perhaps one dollar? So I was super excited when I found out we are making mall pretzels at school in fact I liked it so much I decided to make them on my own time at home for my family, who, like myself, loves them beyond belief.

I used the same recipe that we used at school. Thankfully  the ingredients are quite simple:

1 1/8 t. active dry yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoons salt

¾ cup warm water (110°F)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

 ½  cup bread flour

1 cups warm water (110°F)

1 tablespoons baking soda

1 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

As welll as the method of preparation.

1.    In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in ¾ c. warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

  Preheat an oven to 450°F

2.    Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3.    After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place onto parchment covered baking sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

5.    Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar

Analysis

Because the fermentation takes a while to happen I made the batch of dough and let it stand as I ran around running errands I came back about an hour later to find it doubled in size, expected, but I left it sit and when i came back a half hour later, it was almost tripled in size! (unexpected), i thought to myself “Heyy good thing i waited, that means more dough and more pretzels.”  But as took of the plastic wrap, poked at it a few times, picked it up, and set it back down, it shrunk in size again to being doubled (i was disappointed). I realized by playing with it let out the CO2 and alcohol during the fermentation process (bad idea). It was also helpful making these in class because i knew how elastic the dough was suppose to be, it took me awhile to get the right texture because I had to add water, then more water then it was too much water and sticky so more flour and on and on but i finally got it.

My, oh, my. Who wouldn't enjoy a warm, soft, buttery, ranch seasoned pretzel? As soon as they came out of the oven I dipped them in melted butter, and drizzled powder ranch seasoning on them (the family favorite flavoring). Taking the first bite of the pretzel was like biting into.. happiness & accomplishment. Being fresh, they were still warm and fluffy. The tasted buttery, garlicky, and salty. The texture from the outside was a little crisp but the inside soft and spongy. The aroma of them was acidic (seasoning), salty and the delicious smell of melted butter. The seasoning really added to the appearance of the pretzels, the little snips of parsley added green color to the golden brown pretzels , and the butter perfectly glazed them, making them look exquisite and mouthwatering.

Peanut Butter Cookies-- Monthly Cooking Assignment

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix all ingredients until just blended. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet and press a crisscross pattern into each drop with a fork.
3. Bake 10 to 11 minutes, or until light golden. Cool before removing from baking sheet

I did not change a thing in this recipe. It seemed so simple, i didnt think anything needed to be changed. The mixing method i used was one-stage. Everything was thrown in the bowl at once. We have not done anything like that thus far in class.

The overall product was pretty good. There was almost too much peanut butter for my liking. It almost tasted just like peanut butter was dropped on a cookie sheet and baked alone. The texture was soft and smooth. The smell was really endearing. Knowing what i know about flour, and the purpose it holds in recipes, i was surprised these cookies held together. Flour gives products their structure, and having no flour, i dont know how they held together. I would say the egg could have been what held them together.

I would probably make this recipe again, but use more sugar and less peanut butter. It was just too peanut butter flavored for my taste. I learned how i can change a recipe to better satisfy my liking.

Mystic Lake Banana Bread-- Monthly Cooking Assignment

Mystic Lake Banana Bread

5 ripe bananas

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups AP flour

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, using a paddle attachment, mash the bananas on low speed. On low speed add the sugar, salt, oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and poppy seeds. Mix all these ingredients for two minutes on low speed. Add the flour and mix on low speed for an additional minute.
In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and buttermilk thoroughly, making sure the baking soda is mixed in well without over-mixing your flour. Make sure to scrape the mixing bowl with a spatula throughout the process.
Spray each loaf pan with cooking spray and pour four cups of batter into each pan. Place the loaves on a ½ sheet pan or cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake at 325°F for 50 to 60 minutes. This bread will appear to be on the darker shade of color when fully baked.
Oven temperatures may vary so test with a knife or a longer toothpick. When the knife or toothpick comes out clean, remove the breads from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let the breads rest one hour before removing from the pans to slice and serve.

In this recipe, I changed the amount of poppy seeds, because i did not have enough for the full 4 tbsp. It was plenty, and in the future, i may add less than what i added in this one. Im not much of a poppy seed fan. This mixing method was the muffin method. My product was not very affected by the preparation method.

Overall, the bread was delicious. It is extremely good when you chill it and eat with butter. It was kind of dark, but it did not taste like it was burnt. The flavor was very much banana. I love bananas, so i loved this bread. It was smooth, but had a crunch from the poppy seeds. It smelled the best when it came right out of the oven.

I would definitely make this again, because it was so simple, and it tasted great. I learned how to better apply the muffin method by making this recipe.

Emily Theis
Hour 2