The Baking Thread

[Supe]

@Supe if Mrs. Supe is left-handed, she may not find the pouring shield particularly helpful.

I ended up getting rid of mine since I'm left handed and using it didn't result in any sort of ease. Plus it's bulky and I keep a cover over my mixer to keep it cleaner - the pouring shield got in the way 

She is right handed, and I'm sure would have no problem tossing in the trash if its utterly useless!

 

[leggo PE]

@Supe don't forget to get Mrs Supe this:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

(or whatever one fits the mixer you buy - I just grabbed the first link listed tbh))

I absolutely love mine and no longer use the paddle that came with my mixer.

Woah, that's awesome! I should get this for myself!

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

Woah, that's awesome! I should get this for myself!

It is! I ended up buying one for my grandmother for hers after I had had mine for awhile.

Just make sure you get the right one for your mixer - the link I posted was legit the first result for "kitchenaid paddle scraper" lol

 

[leggo PE]

It is! I ended up buying one for my grandmother for hers after I had had mine for awhile.

Just make sure you get the right one for your mixer - the link I posted was legit the first result for "kitchenaid paddle scraper" lol

Yeah, I saw that there's a place to search for the model number (which is probably what I'll do) to find the right version. Super handy!

 

[leggo PE]

Yesterday, I baked these apple carrot muffins: https://cookieandkate.com/apple-carrot-muffins-recipe/

They are yummy but if/when I make them again, I will definitely heed the warning about lining the muffin tin! I didn't line it with anything, instead choosing to spray it with coconut oil (which is my normal go-to for my non-stick pan) and they stuck quite a bit. Maybe I should have let them cool completely before trying to get them out of the pan onto the cooling rack, because the batter was a bit more crumbly due to the oats in it. 

But in any case, I'm eating one right now and quite enjoying it!

 

[Supe]

I gave Mrs. Supe her mixer last night (Gloss Cinnamon Artisan), even though her birthday is next week, in hopes that she'll get her baking frenzy out of her system next week while I'm out of town.  I think she was more excited over a damn mixer than she was her engagement ring.

 

[JayKay PE]

Yesterday, I baked these apple carrot muffins: https://cookieandkate.com/apple-carrot-muffins-recipe/

They are yummy but if/when I make them again, I will definitely heed the warning about lining the muffin tin! I didn't line it with anything, instead choosing to spray it with coconut oil (which is my normal go-to for my non-stick pan) and they stuck quite a bit. Maybe I should have let them cool completely before trying to get them out of the pan onto the cooling rack, because the batter was a bit more crumbly due to the oats in it. 

But in any case, I'm eating one right now and quite enjoying it!

Usually when I deal with oats/cake-breads/muffins, I let them cool for around 10-minutes after I pull them out of the oven before starting to play with them.  I learned the hard way with a chocolate chip banana bread that hadn't 'settled' and I ended up yanking it out of the bread pan...but only the top half of it.  Resulting in hot mush all over my hand from pulling too hard.

Also, I line with Crisco or butter+flour (because why not kill myself slower).  I always found sprays never worked for me, even the 'miracle sprays' that supposedly keep anything from sticking.  Maybe it's because I like to use more dark brown sugar than regular sugar in my desserts thus more sticky?

 

[JayKay PE]

Double-post!

On the subject of KitchenAid mixers, I do have a pro 5+ (I believe, I know it's def a pro series and I don't think it's a 600).  5-quart capacity + a 425 watt motor = I can mix anything (or mostly anything).  Really helps when I'm working challah bread, which usually calls for around 5 cups of flour or more, and the handle on the mixing bowl comes in handy more than usual once you have it when you start working with bigger mixes.  Plus I like the lift more than the tilt head.  Means I can have my unit pretty close to the wall, if necessary, and I feel like the unit is more stable when it's grinding through some of my more tough doughs/cookies mixes, whereas I feel a tilt head would not have handled it so easily.  This is specifically when I'm working at medium-mix speeds with fairly dense mixes, like anise cookies or babka.  I also believe the Pro-series have the metal drive train throughout, and the artisan/smaller models didn't, but I can't recall if KitchenAid fixed that due to all the complaints?

Any who, I got it for really cheap due to a combination of Target no longer selling them/trying to get rid of them, a few Target gift cards, and my brother's Target employee discount.  I think it was like $90-something after all was said and done?  I mean, it's not as pretty as the tilt mixers, and I'm sad I can't add as many decals, but this this is a trucker that I've never feared of overheating or stopping, even when mixing some really tough bread.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

I gave Mrs. Supe her mixer last night (Gloss Cinnamon Artisan), even though her birthday is next week, in hopes that she'll get her baking frenzy out of her system next week while I'm out of town.  I think she was more excited over a damn mixer than she was her engagement ring.

TBH, I'd be more excited over a mixer than a ring

 

[Supe]

TBH, I'd be more excited over a mixer than a ring

It makes more sense when you consider it was me on the other side of the ring.

 

[leggo PE]

Smitten Kitchen cinnamon sugar scones baked yesterday!

Debating trying to make challah tonight (L'Shana Tova to my Jewish EBers!) But not looking forward to the 3-4 goes or could take to make with the time or needs to rise...

 

[JayKay PE]

I've got a pretty legit challah recipe, if you'd like.  I like to do 5 or 6-strand braids.  Usually it's a weekend project for me due to the multiple proves.

Also...was going to bake tonight/break in the new oven to see how it heats chocolate chip cookies, but I randomly got off the waitlist for a meetup group thing.  Since I'm trying to be sociable at this new location, I guess I need to go.  Maybe I'll bake on Wednesday after gym class?

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

@leggo PE those look so good.

I saw her post them on IG last weekend.

I made another batch of superhero muffins last weekend. And will likely make more this weekend lol

 

[leggo PE]

Made the challah! Apple honey challah, recipe also from Smitten Kitchen. I was majorly inspired by her story yesterday, but didn't make the fig one she demonstrated because I didn't have any figs. I did have apples and honey though!

Yeah next time, I'll probably make challah on a weekend too. From start to end, it took about 4 hours, which had me up later last night than I would have liked normally. But I think it was worth it! 



It did end up being more square than round, but it rose well and smells delicious. It was a four strand braid. I definitely need to work on my braiding! I see much more challah in my future, since the actual process wasn't that difficult, more just time-consuming.

Can't wait to try it after work tonight!

 

[JayKay PE]

@leggo PE Ah!!!  That looks so great!  I don't think I've ever had a 'round' challah?  I've always braided it and had it be as long as my forearm.  I have a huge container of buckwheat honey my mom bought me recently.  I reaaaaallly want to try and make a honey cake sometime this weekend.  

Being sociable is hard and is cutting into my baking time.

 

[leggo PE]

Honeyyyyy! I want to bake more with honey. Which is saying something, seeing as honey is usually the sweetener (foregoing white sugar) in most of the things I bake. Probably because I look for recipes that don't use a lot of white sugar. And heck, I always sub in turbinado sugar instead of white sugar anyway.

 

[JayKay PE]

I almost never bake with white sugar...because I like to use homemade brown sugar instead (mix all those molasses in!).  I don't think I've ever really used honey in a recipe before, but I use it a lot as a sweetener for my morning yogurt, when I remember.  I like using buckwheat honey in general since it's so much darker and has more of a nutty (?) taste to it instead of the clover and wildflower honey that is what is usually in super markets.  Def want to make a honey cake.  Maybe I can buy a pretty pan or something this weekend.  I also need to buy some shortening/Crisco.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

I've wanted to make challah forever for some reason. I've never even eaten it but I think it's the braiding portion of it...

I also want to make the fig rolls from Great British Bake Off - learned they have a website with all of their recipes so that'll happen at some point soon.

KAF just posted buttery snickerdoodles on their IG and I want to make those too. I have a veryyyyyyyyy long "to bake" list

 

[JayKay PE]

I need to learn how to convert weights to cups/tbsp/etc.  I always want to try BBO recipes!  But they are always listed by weight (which I knoooooow is more accurate) and always include simple or golden syrup....Which are ridiculously hard to find here in the US, unless I go to an extremely expensive import store or buy it online.  I might start tinkering because there were a couple of bakes that I was like, "This.  This is what I want to make."

Dude.  @LyceeFruit @leggo PE.  I know we all have potential bake lists that far out lengthen common sense.  Would it be possible to have a 'bake month' or something, where we submit the recipes we've always wanted to bake, but keep putting off, and then try to bake one once a week with results/pictures posted here?  Maybe staggered so one person posts on Monday, one on Wednesday, one on Friday, or something like that?  I feel like I'd be more inclined to attempting a clementine tea loaf if I knew some people were expecting photos.  Would force me outside my bubble/keep me expanding my baking instead of keeping towards the recipes that I like/know.

 

[mudpuppy]

I need to learn how to convert weights to cups/tbsp/etc.  I always want to try BBO recipes!  But they are always listed by weight (which I knoooooow is more accurate) and always include simple or golden syrup....Which are ridiculously hard to find here in the US, unless I go to an extremely expensive import store or buy it online.  I might start tinkering because there were a couple of bakes that I was like, "This.  This is what I want to make."

Dude.  @LyceeFruit @leggo PE.  I know we all have potential bake lists that far out lengthen common sense.  Would it be possible to have a 'bake month' or something, where we submit the recipes we've always wanted to bake, but keep putting off, and then try to bake one once a week with results/pictures posted here?  Maybe staggered so one person posts on Monday, one on Wednesday, one on Friday, or something like that?  I feel like I'd be more inclined to attempting a clementine tea loaf if I knew some people were expecting photos.  Would force me outside my bubble/keep me expanding my baking instead of keeping towards the recipes that I like/know.

You can make your own simple syrup.  Back when I used to drink cocktails I made my own simple syrup for them.  I'd be willing to bet you can make your own golden syrup too.