I guess I'm going to have to learn to bake

[Medusa]

I love to cook because if I mess up a recipe, I can always somehow make it right. Ok, usually, not always. Baking is too precise. Anyhow, I bought a nut roll today and couldn't wait to get home and sit down w/a cup of decaf and enjoy it. Yuk! It was like biting into sawdust. So I thought I'd spread some butter on it and nuke it for a few seconds. Now it takes like warm, buttery sawdust. I guess I'm spoiled on my late sister Dorothy's nut roll which she made w/black walnuts and jampacked that thing w/nut spread. It didn't need doctoring ever. I've changed my mind, though. I still don't want to learn to bake. I'd rather gritch.

[pomtzu]

If you can read a recipe, and you have measuring spoons and measuring cups, THEN YOU CAN BAKE!!! There's nothing to mess up!!! Start with something simple - like pumpkin bread - it really is sooooooooo easy! Want my recipe?

[Medusa]

If you can read a recipe, and you have measuring spoons and measuring cups, THEN YOU CAN BAKE!!! There's nothing to mess up!!! Start with something simple - like pumpkin bread - it really is sooooooooo easy! Want my recipe?

This has been my experience: years ago when I was renting, I had an electric oven and, believe it or not, I did have a few recipes that turned out pretty well. Since I bought his house, though, it came w/a gas oven and cooking w/gas, I love but I've noticed that baking w/a gas oven just doesn't work. Or is it the baker, ie., moi?

[pomtzu]

Cluck-cluck-cluck (chicken)

I have to admit tho - I don't really like baking with gas either. Electric is much more precise and everything comes out better. Guess you're off the hook!

[Randi]

Mary, your gas oven is no excuse! LOL! I don't think I have ever baked in an electric, so give it another try!

This link has some very easy shortbread recipes, they're quick and easy.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=shortbread

[Medusa]

I knew I wouldn't get off easy, doggone it.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've always hated to cook but I love to bake. I too think it's because I have to follow a recipe so I know exactly what to add and how much to add.

Now I rarely find the time to do it though. I've always used electic ovens and my oven right now runs hot so I know that I have to set the timer at least 5 minutes less than the required time.

[Lilith Cherry]

Taz Zoee please may we have your brownie recipes? I love to bake and to cook and have used both gas and electricity with equal success; right now though I am reduced to using a large toaster oven so the temperature tends to fluctuate sometimes. ( China doesnt have ovens as general kitchen equipment - just a two ring gas burner

I am terrible at following recipes "precisely" and tend to experiment as I go along

Brownies are very American so I am not used to making them and would love some nice moist chewy recipes!

[jennielynn1970]

We had some weird burners in Sweden, they were solid and heated up electrically. I haven't seen them here. I'm thinking ceramic burners??


They also had a great recipe for brownies called Kola Kaka. It was thin, and chewy, and chocolatey. yummmmm. I still haven't been able to replicate it over here in the states.


Lilith Cherry... if you want some box mixes for brownies (some are just as good as home made), just ask, and I'll pick some up and get them out to you over there for you. I know I missed certain things when I was in Sweden... peanutbutter for one. They didn't do peanut butter!! I had it shipped to me, lol.

I still miss candy from Sweden. The salt licorice. That was the best stuff on earth. It was rock hard and salty as a lick for deer, lol, but damn it was good!!! I'll have to see if I can find any place that imports. There's a lot of things I can find at IKEA, but a lot of it's not "authentic".

[DJFyrewolf36]

I stink at baking and cooking in general...which is kind of sad concidering my dad is a decendant of a famous baker in Minnesota. I look forward to the holidays every year because of my dads excellent baking skills. I'll have to see if he will email me his "never fail" pie crust recipie. Its so easy that I have a hard time messing it up lol.

[Giselle]

Taz Zoee please may we have your brownie recipes? I love to bake and to cook and have used both gas and electricity with equal success; right now though I am reduced to using a large toaster oven so the temperature tends to fluctuate sometimes. ( China doesnt have ovens as general kitchen equipment - just a two ring gas burner

I am terrible at following recipes "precisely" and tend to experiment as I go along

Brownies are very American so I am not used to making them and would love some nice moist chewy recipes!

Lilith Cherry, I, too, am Chinese and was brought up in a very traditional Chinese household. Do you have experience with Chinese pastries? It's very hit or miss over at my house Currently, we're trying to perfect ginger milk. Like I said, it's hit or miss. I'm wondering if you personally have any tips or suggestions.


Back to baking, ummmm stupid question. Can somebody explain the difference between electric and gas oven? I'm not even sure which one we have. I'm pretty sure it's gas. Maybe that's why I can't bake

[jennielynn1970]

Back to baking, ummmm stupid question. Can somebody explain the difference between electric and gas oven? I'm not even sure which one we have. I'm pretty sure it's gas. Maybe that's why I can't bake

Not a stupid question, like I said, I'm not sure what the oven burners we had in Sweden were even made out of, lol.


Electric ranges usually have coils that heat up for the stove top, and in the oven they have the same type of material for the heating elements, but they are not in coils/circles.
Here's a hot burner:


This is the oven heating element:


Many stoves/ranges now come with glass cooktops, so the surface of the stove is smooth, and the coils are underneath the glass cook top.

Glass top range:



Gas stoves have open flame burners. They have these "grates" that go over top of the gas element, like a grill top you might have outside, and your pots on on top of that (not like on an electric element where your pot goes directly on it).

Gas range here also has a griddle built in on the top for making pancakes and stuff (very cool!)


The oven element for gas ranges actually has open flame as well. This is what the top element looks like in a gas oven:


Normally the bottom gas element is below the "floor" of the oven, and you have vents where the heat and flames can come out by the sides.
I think this is from the bottom... it is under the base/floor of the oven, but the flames heat up and come that heat comes through in the open areas on the floor of the oven:

[Karen]

Taz Zoee please may we have your brownie recipes? I love to bake and to cook and have used both gas and electricity with equal success; right now though I am reduced to using a large toaster oven so the temperature tends to fluctuate sometimes. ( China doesnt have ovens as general kitchen equipment - just a two ring gas burner

I am terrible at following recipes "precisely" and tend to experiment as I go along

Brownies are very American so I am not used to making them and would love some nice moist chewy recipes!

Here's a good recipe - from my old copy of the Fanny Farmer cookbook. The new one has a different brownie recipe which is not, in my opinion, nearly as good. I often throw chocolate chips or mini marshmallows into them, as I cannot have nuts, so go ahead and add whatever extra goodness you want! No fancy equipment needed, not even a mixer - a big spoon will do fine! They're yummy plain, anyway.

Brownies********

3 oz baking chocolate

6 tbs. butter

1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or whatever else you want to add!)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

******
350°

butter the inside of a 9 inch square pan (or equivalent)

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a big bowl.

Stir in sugar, eggs, salt, flour, nuts and vanilla

Combine well. Spread into the pan somewhat evenly - no need to be too picky or perfect.

bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool at least a few minutes before cutting.

[moosmom]

Mary, Mary, Mary...can you say BETTY CROCKER???

[Randi]

Jenn Librarian, you should have come over to Copenhagen when you were in Sweden, we have peanut butter and lots of licorice here. And lots of shops sell brownies too. When were you there?

I'd be glad to send you some licorice - only the postage is horrendous! Up to 250 grams is DKR. 48 = $8 and 500 grams is DKR. 72 = $12.

Then, I'm not sure what foods are allowed to send, but I guess I could write cat/dog treats on it.