Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #3

[BetteDavisEyes]

...I looked up biscochitos. Do you use the traditional lard to make them? In the olden days, my mother used lard to fry chicken, and her fried chicken was the best. She later switched to Crisco solid shortening, and eventually to veg oil. Still good but not quite the same!

Lard? No way! I use Mrs. Field's recipes for most of my cookies, and she always recommends unsalted butter. I must have used up the last of a bottle of Christian Brothers brandy and used Cognac instead. The Biscochitos turned out perfectly. I will get ingredients for my other cookies tomorrow and bake one type each day.

 

[anneg]

Lard? No way! I use Mrs. Field's recipes for most of my cookies, and she always recommends unsalted butter. I must have used up the last of a bottle of Christian Brothers brandy and used Cognac instead. The Biscochitos turned out perfectly. I will get ingredients for my other cookies tomorrow and bake one type each day.

Makes sense! I've been using unsalted butter for a long time, after using salted butter for many years before that.

 

[Quiet Time]

Lard? No way! I use Mrs. Field's recipes for most of my cookies, and she always recommends unsalted butter. I must have used up the last of a bottle of Christian Brothers brandy and used Cognac instead. The Biscochitos turned out perfectly. I will get ingredients for my other cookies tomorrow and bake one type each day.

Do you use the middle rack for baking the cookies?

I do, and I my cookies always end up burnt on the bottom.
I won't even make them anymore......

I use a regular sheet pan.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

One of the many things that I learned from watching Debbi Fields' Dessert Show in the early days of Food Network is that most cookie recipes call for temperatures that are too high. Mrs. Fields recommends most cookies be baked at 300* instead of 350* or 375* that is usually suggested. I move both racks to the center of the oven and bake two sheet pans at a time. I set my oven timer for the shortest baking time recommended, and my cookies turn out perfectly every time

 

[mickey2942]

It is some crazy weather here. We could still be barbecuing. I am thinking about getting my husband a smoker for Christmas, just a small, electric one. We could keep it on the patio.

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Another cookie baking tip, just from personal experience. I use lighter colored aluminum baking sheets. I have tried the darker ones with non stick and they tend to brown my cookies too much.

 

[killarney rose]

Definitely use the lighter aluminum sheets. Ive found the Wilton brand works really good. I also use parchment paper and check before the suggested time on the recipe.

 

[Quiet Time]

One of the many things that I learned from watching Debbi Fields' Dessert Show in the early days of Food Network is that most cookie recipes call for temperatures that are too high. Mrs. Fields recommends most cookies be baked at 300* instead of 350* or 375* that is usually suggested. I move both racks to the center of the oven and bake two sheet pans at a time. I set my oven timer for the shortest baking time recommended, and my cookies turn out perfectly every time

Thank you.
I've often thought that my oven may be getting too hot at that temp.

I will try it at 300-325* from now on. And reduce cooking time, if needed.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

We enjoyed our dinner at Picano's last night and learned that they will be open on Christmas Eve. Our waitress told us about it, and later, our former favorite waitress now hostess/manager visited our table to promote it. I think it's the first time they have been open on Christmas Eve, and we are seriously considering it. They will offer an abbreviated menu of popular dishes along with some specials, including surf & turf. We're not planning another family gathering for the holidays, and since we've always "felt like family" at Picano's for more than 35 years, it seems fitting to join them on a special night.

We went to Nino's today for something for dinner tonight, as well as some other items. I now have all the ingredients for the rest of my cookies and will bake over the next few days.

 

[IceIce9]

Another cookie baking tip, just from personal experience. I use lighter colored aluminum baking sheets. I have tried the darker ones with non stick and they tend to brown my cookies too much.

I always take my cookies out of the oven when they look “almost” done. I place the cookie sheets on cooling racks and the cookies finish baking on the hot baking sheet. Then I remove the cookies with a spatula when completely cool.

I learned that if I let them bake until they look completely done then they actually overbake a little on the baking sheets.

My thick, soft chocolate chip cookies are still a little jiggly in the center when I take them out of the oven, but after they cool on the baking sheets they are perfect.

 

[IceIce9]

One of my friends mentioned a depression-era recipe that his grandmother used to make when she wanted to make a pie but didn’t have any fruit, Mock Apple Pie made with Ritz crackers. I found a recipe and baked a couple of pies yesterday, and they were surprisingly good! We ate the pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

Mock Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

FILLING
2 c. water
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. cream of tartar
35 RITZ Crackers
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cinnamon

TOPPING
1 c. crushed RITZ Crackers
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Make filling: Mix water, granulated sugar and cream of tartar in large saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Add crackers; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min., stirring occasionally.
3. Line 9-inch pie plate with crust as directed on package; fill with cracker mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cinnamon.
4. Make topping: Combine all topping ingredients.
5. Bake 10 minutes at 400, reduce to 350 and cover edges of pie crust with foil. Bake 18-20 more minutes, or until pie filling has set. It shouldn't jiggle a lot when moved. Cool before serving.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Just finished baking 4 dozen White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies. I will bake two more types of cookies tomorrow and Wednesday, then package them in tins for gifts.

 

[PayrollNerd]

My uncle showed me how to make scalloped potatoes. He had this slicer gadget and he gave it to me! He wants a different one. I’m excited to be able to make slices, 3 different thicknesses, depending on the guide panel you use. The other two guide panels are julienne or French fries.

He puts onions in his recipe. Sometimes he cooks chunks of sausage and adds that too. I would reduce the quantity of onions and add chopped garlic. They were very good!

 

[anneg]

My uncle showed me how to make scalloped potatoes. He had this slicer gadget and he gave it to me! He wants a different one. I’m excited to be able to make slices, 3 different thicknesses, depending on the guide panel you use. The other two guide panels are julienne or French fries.

He puts onions in his recipe. Sometimes he cooks chunks of sausage and adds that too. I would reduce the quantity of onions and add chopped garlic. They were very good!

I love scalloped potatoes! That slicer looks like a nifty tool.

 

[weepingangel]

That’s a mandolin (slicer)right ?
We’ve got an old one gets used a bit.
almost bought the spouse a little electric chopper gadget thing for a good deal but the reviews were meh so I passed

 

[weepingangel]

I think it was this one
KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper - KFC3510 - Walmart.com
but at Kohl’s. It’s nowhere to be found on their website now.

I’ve picked up a few new little kitchen items - he’s so hard to buy for but he’s the cook of the house so
potato peeler, oven mitts/hot pad, glass measuring cup , spoon rest. Our current peeler we received as part of a tool set for our wedding 20 plus years ago lol
I see there’s a pizza cutter on the Amazon list so I’ll pick up that next online order I do

That’s a mandolin (slicer)right ?
We’ve got an old one gets used a bit.
almost bought the spouse a little electric chopper gadget thing for a good deal but the reviews were meh so I passed

 

[Yesiamapirate]

My uncle showed me how to make scalloped potatoes. He had this slicer gadget and he gave it to me! He wants a different one. I’m excited to be able to make slices, 3 different thicknesses, depending on the guide panel you use. The other two guide panels are julienne or French fries.

He puts onions in his recipe. Sometimes he cooks chunks of sausage and adds that too. I would reduce the quantity of onions and add chopped garlic. They were very good!

That is a nice slicer but be careful. They are sharp.
I used to have a mandolin just like that until one day it sliced my fingers tip off. Blood everywhere, jicama slaw in the trash and I sported a band aid in an awkward spot for weeks. It was the last time I ever used it. Got it mostly cleaned and packed it up in a plastic garbage bag and threw it in the basement figuring one day we would make peace. I found it when we moved 2 years ago. I pitched it. It was expensive, too. I probably should have kept it.
Now I am a bit clumsy with sharp things so I cannot blame the slicer.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I think it was this one
KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper - KFC3510 - Walmart.com...

When my niece and her partner were here with their 5-month-old baby girl on Thanksgiving, I asked if there was something that they could use for their home. Niece indicated that she wanted to make her own baby food, so I said that I would order a mini food processor for them. We always have Macy's Star Reward money, so I ordered that Kitchen Aid food chopper for them. It arrived on Sunday, and as soon as I finish my cookie baking, we will deliver their food processor, more diapers, and Christmas cookies to them.

 

[PayrollNerd]

That is a nice slicer but be careful. They are sharp.
I used to have a mandolin just like that until one day it sliced my fingers tip off. Blood everywhere, jicama slaw in the trash and I sported a band aid in an awkward spot for weeks. It was the last time I ever used it. Got it mostly cleaned and packed it up in a plastic garbage bag and threw it in the basement figuring one day we would make peace. I found it when we moved 2 years ago. I pitched it. It was expensive, too. I probably should have kept it.
Now I am a bit clumsy with sharp things so I cannot blame the slicer.

That was the first thing I said to my uncle, how do you not cut yourself. I’m on blood thinners so cuts for me are not good. He showed me how to put the potato on the prongs and hold the white domed cover, then slide it down. I was oh ok, now I feel better!

 

[Yesiamapirate]

That was the first thing I said to my uncle, how do you not cut yourself. I’m on blood thinners so cuts for me are not good. He showed me how to put the potato on the prongs and hold the white domed cover, then slide it down. I was oh ok, now I feel better!

I didn’t follow the directions. I used it without the dome thing for whatever reason!