Bakegab: The Bellgab Bakeshop

[Walks_At_Night]

A wonderful crossover (no pun intended) from the Senda thread. The recipe sounds interesting- the presentation? Priceless.

That's hilarious

[WOTR]

The civil thing is to match the words to the clothes since words are even easier to change and what butchery a person has undergone doesn't interest me in the least.

Personally I think the whole trans thing is tragic and that people 50 years from now will be appalled in the same way we look back at lobotomies now, but a pronoun is a vanishingly small tribute to the enormous effort, expense, and pain someone has endured.

Wow- you completely nailed it. I know I have mentioned that I have a trans-woman working for me. You knew that something was a little "off" from the start. But then one day she came in and said she would like to be called a different name. I did ask what the pronoun was, and she said "she."

I will agree with you- I think that we are making a mistake when every person who feels different is given hormones and the option of surgery... But to me- it is their choice, and their life. I'm not living it...

I cannot call somebody "zim or zir" or any of the other blatantly ridiculous made-up names. But if "she" wants to be called "her", takes the time to learn how to apply make-up, change her wardrobe, endure the ridicule that some people still heap on her, and try to be just "one of the girls", I'm not about to refuse any act as minor as calling her by the name and pronoun she prefers.

[K_Dubb]

Wow- you completely nailed it. I know I have mentioned that I have a trans-woman working for me. You knew that something was a little "off" from the start. But then one day she came in and said she would like to be called a different name. I did ask what the pronoun was, and she said "she."

I will agree with you- I think that we are making a mistake when every person who feels different is given hormones and the option of surgery... But to me- it is their choice, and their life. I'm not living it...

I cannot call somebody "zim or zir" or any of the other blatantly ridiculous made-up names. But if "she" wants to be called "her", takes the time to learn how to apply make-up, change her wardrobe, endure the ridicule that some people still heap on her, and try to be just "one of the girls", I'm not about to refuse any act as minor as calling her by the name and pronoun she prefers.

Thanks.  Let me refill Shreddie's shot locker with my own bit of oversharing:

I've actually thought about it quite a bit after hearing a trans woman (they hang around but fit rather uneasily in the LGBT sandwich, not unlike a slippery tomato) breathlessly tell how she "knew", describing how, as a very young boy, she would pose in the mirror with a towel draped over her head to mimic a girl's long hair, at which point an icy chill of recognition came over me.

Had I been blessed with enlightened parents instead of stern, Bible-believing folk who never discussed such things, who knows what would have come of my utterly naive experiments, any one of which might have been seized upon as a seminal, life-changing event by an enterprising mental-health professional of the modern school?

The recollection still makes me wince and hunch protectively over my anatomy, of which I am exceedingly fond.

[AZZERAE]

[Roswells, Art]

Thanks.  Let me refill Shreddie's shot locker with my own bit of oversharing:

He's been absent for awhile. Did your poetry finally do him in?

The Vogons would approve.

RIP Sredni

[K_Dubb]

He's been absent for awhile. Did your poetry finally do him in?

The Vogons would approve.

RIP Sredni

Haha I have goaded him mercilessly, which I fancy was a new sensation for him.  I am not sorry; some of his sorties have been mean, not in the Mean Girls sense as much as low and cheap.

I am sorry if he's gone, though -- his education is far superior to my humble pretense to it (or anyone I know, really) and the chance to talk to him was the main reason I joined up.  Nor am I foolish enough to claim victory, as the minute my back is turned he will charge out of nowhere and gore me in a vulnerable spot.  I will content myself with observing that the matador is generally held to be smarter than the bull.

Damn, these britches are fancy.

[chefist]

Lorena?

[chefist]

He's been absent for awhile. Did your poetry finally do him in?

The Vogons would approve.

RIP Sredni

What is your fav recipe? Chef...

[AZZERAE]

Lorena?

[pyewacket]

Uh, thanks for sharing, Azraa. I imagine there is a niche market for that.

Bakers do make 'baby bump' or baby shaped, baby shower cakes, but some people don't appreciate the visual of such a cake being cut up and served and give it a pass.

I guess a cake can 'lack taste' in more ways than one.

mobil gas station near my location 

[pyewacket]

I found another set of pictures that show my progress in theme cake decorating.

Halloween.

My first attempt. Covering the cake with fondant and using gumpaste for the figures. My work is sloppy and the figures are not well defined. I used cookies cutters for the side embellishments. Not great, but the kids liked it.



After gaining more experience through tutorials, here is a vintage post card inspired cake.
Much cleaner work, more definition, plus, I found a source for black colored fondant! Big score there because coloring fondant is tricky.



I extended the theme to the sides by creating a graveyard. Work still a little sloppy with seams and joints not blended.


 

[pyewacket]

This was my best effort and when it was reviewed on the forum, I was told that I had achieved competition level work. Ha, I would crack under the pressure. It took me two weeks to create the figures with wire armatures and the other components using rice krispy treats as the sculpted base for fondant cover. I forget what the percentage of non edible elements are allowed, but it is not very high. I did use skewers and some wire.

I hope this shows much more detail in my figures and cleaner work overall.









bmo harris hours near me



find the nearest mobil gas station

[K_Dubb]

Oh that is gorgeous, Pye!  Has to be the most cheerful cemetery ever.  Forgive me, you may have mentioned it before, but is the fondant layered over buttercream?

[pyewacket]

Oh that is gorgeous, Pye!  Has to be the most cheerful cemetery ever.  Forgive me, you may have mentioned it before, but is the fondant layered over buttercream?

You are such a sweet man, K_Dubb! Thank you and yes, fondant is layered over buttercream icing. Some people don't like the taste and just peal it away when the cake is served. The standard fondant is not very tasty, but they have come out with some yummy varieties such as chocolate and skittle like flavors. I cannot keep the chocolate on my shelf- it is too tempting. If you would like to try using fondant, I would be happy to help.

[SredniVashtar]

Is this a self-portrait?

[pyewacket]

Is this a self-portrait?

Sreddie! Where have you been? Nice of you to crawl out from under your rock to play.

Ha, I am much more wicked than that and way more than you can handle.

[pyewacket]

Is this a self-portrait?

BTW, my first inclination would be to turn you into an ugly toad, but it looks like someone beat me to it.

[WOTR]

This was my best effort and when it was reviewed on the forum, I was told that I had achieved competition level work. Ha, I would crack under the pressure. It took me two weeks to create the figures with wire armatures and the other components using rice krispy treats as the sculpted base for fondant cover. I forget what the percentage of non edible elements are allowed, but it is not very high. I did use skewers and some wire.

I hope this shows much more detail in my figures and cleaner work overall.









bmo harris hours near me



find the nearest mobil gas station

They are all impressive with an unreal amount of detail. I MIGHT have the patience to decorate one of the figures. And then I would be done. Quite the undertaking- and then to allow others to scarf it down in a matter of minutes? I would punch the fist one to lay a knife to my creation...

[pyewacket]

They are all impressive with an unreal amount of detail. I MIGHT have the patience to decorate one of the figures. And then I would be done. Quite the undertaking- and then to allow others to scarf it down in a matter of minutes? I would punch the fist one to lay a knife to my creation...

Thank you, WOTR. Part of the fun is dismantling and eating the delicious hidden part of the cake. I think it was a yellow/vanilla cake with Nutella/buttercream filling and buttercream frosting. What can I say- I'm a giver. The smiles on the children's faces made it worth the effort. 

[K_Dubb]

Hawaiian Butter Mochi



I am working on this recipe because I love butter mochi so much.  Mochi is Japanese stuff traditionally made via a laborious process from pounded, cooked rice -- it can be sweet or savory -- but in this country we have



thank God, which is just add water (or other liquid).  Its gooey consistency makes this like no other cake.

1 lb. rice flour
2 1/2 cups sugar (!) or 1/4 tsp pure sucralose powder (highly recommended)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt (sounds like a lot but trust me -- that's a lot of rice)
ground mace (if you can find the whole blades) and cardamom to taste -- a lot

6 eggs, beaten
1 stick salted butter, melted
1 can coconut milk
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp rum extract
1 tsp vanilla

mix and pour all in a 9x13 and top with a handful of unsweetened flaked coconut (not the baking kind which is so processed and infused with PG it's gross) mixed with powdered sugar to taste, maybe 2:1, and bake for an hour at 350.  It will puff up like a Dutch baby but settles back down.

BEWARE this is what they grow those big Hawaiian boys on!

[DigitalPigSnuggler]

Well- la-dee-dah! Now you want to know about ovens- eh?

Here is a nice recipe that can make muffins or loaves:

Ingredients

    1/2 cup butter
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    1 1/2 tbs vanilla
    2 eggs
    3 1/2 cups flour
    1 tbsp baking powder
    1 tsp salt
    2 cups milk
    2 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350°. Either line the muffin tin with paper liners or spray two loaf pans with non stick spray.
    Using either an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
    Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. Slowly start to incorporate the dry ingredients.
    As the dry ingredients are being mixed into the butter mixture, slowly pour the milk into the batter.
    Once all of the ingredients are incorporated, turn the speed up and whip the batter until extremely smooth.
    Fold in the blueberries.
    Divide the batter among two loaf pans or muffin tins.
    Bake at 350°. For the muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. For the quick bread bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden. both should pass the toothpick test before taking out of the
oven.
Let cool completely before slicing or serving.

After a long absence, I was finally able to return home and to try out this recipe.  Like many items freely available in the USA, there are no frozen blueberries to be found, so I had to substitute canned blueberries (15 oz size) for the frozen.  This turned out to be advantegeous, as there was juice in the can that I could use.  I stirred in some sugar, and then reduced it until it was a syrup.  The syrup was then poured into the cracks that form at the top of the loaf, where it seeps into the loaf (I do this for my orange bread also, with good results).

I flubbed one step near the end.  I used a wooden spoon to fold in the flour and add the milk over several iterations.  When I felt that it was all incorporated, I added the blueberries and spooned the mixture into the loaf pans, forgetting to do the final high speed whip with the mixer.

Nevertheless, the results were very well received.   My observation was that this could serve as a good base recipe for loaves or muffins (as you suggest) and could be varied with other fruits or other inclusions.  My next project will be to bake Granny Smith apple pieces, and substitute those for the blueberries.  Cinnamon apple loaves. 

Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.

[pyewacket]

After a long absence, I was finally able to return home and to try out this recipe.  Like many items freely available in the USA, there are no frozen blueberries to be found, so I had to substitute canned blueberries (15 oz size) for the frozen.  This turned out to be advantegeous, as there was juice in the can that I could use.  I stirred in some sugar, and then reduced it until it was a syrup.  The syrup was then poured into the cracks that form at the top of the loaf, where it seeps into the loaf (I do this for my orange bread also, with good results).

I flubbed one step near the end.  I used a wooden spoon to fold in the flour and add the milk over several iterations.  When I felt that it was all incorporated, I added the blueberries and spooned the mixture into the loaf pans, forgetting to do the final high speed whip with the mixer.

Nevertheless, the results were very well received.   My observation was that this could serve as a good base recipe for loaves or muffins (as you suggest) and could be varied with other fruits or other inclusions.  My next project will be to bake Granny Smith apple pieces, and substitute those for the blueberries.  Cinnamon apple loaves. 

Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.

You are welcome, DPS. You can do so much with a good basic recipe and it sounds like you came up with a delicious variation. I use canned cherries and make the syrup the way you did when I make filling for Black Forest Cake- with the addition of cherry liqueur.

Here's a yummy recipe for the upcoming Autumn season that does not involve pumpkin. I think they take pumpkin flavor/scent everything a bit too far, but to each their own.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (I prefer to use an emulsion rather than extract, because they retain more flavor after the baking process.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
2 cups zucchini shredded

Beat eggs until foamy, add sugars, vanilla, and oil and mix well. Add dry ingredients except for the flour and mix well. Add zucchini, alternating with flour, mix well after adding each.

Bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour for large loaf or about 35 minutes for small loaves. Toothpick should come out clean when tested.

I believe this recipes will make two loaves.

Happy baking.

[starrmtn001]

You are welcome, DPS. You can do so much with a good basic recipe and it sounds like you came up with a delicious variation. I use canned cherries and make the syrup the way you did when I make filling for Black Forest Cake- with the addition of cherry liqueur.

Here's a yummy recipe for the upcoming Autumn season that does not involve pumpkin. I think they take pumpkin flavor/scent everything a bit too far, but to each their own.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (I prefer to use an emulsion rather than extract, because they retain more flavor after the baking process.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
2 cups zucchini shredded

Beat eggs until foamy, add sugars, vanilla, and oil and mix well. Add dry ingredients except for the flour and mix well. Add zucchini, alternating with flour, mix well after adding each.

Bake at 350 degrees, 1 hour for large loaf or about 35 minutes for small loaves. Toothpick should come out clean when tested.

I believe this recipes will make two loaves.

Happy baking.

OMG!  Thank you Pyewacket!

[pyewacket]

I hope you get great results, starr. If you like cranberries I have an old bread recipe that I used for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking.

Ooff- I have got to rewrite this one- the original is so worn and tattered.

Cranberry Bread

Sift together:
2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar

Cream together:
2 TBS. Shortening (I like to use high ratio but your favorite will do quite well)
3/4 cup orange juice (room temperature or it will affect the egg and shortening)
1 egg beaten

Mix dry and wet together thoroughly.

Fold in:

1 Cup cranberries, cut in halves.

Pour into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake until toothpick stuck into center comes out clean.

Temperature: 350 degrees

Time: Approx. 1 hour

Enjoy 

[DigitalPigSnuggler]

I hope you get great results, starr. If you like cranberries I have an old bread recipe that I used for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking.

Ooff- I have got to rewrite this one- the original is so worn and tattered.

Cranberry Bread

Sift together:
2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar

Cream together:
2 TBS. Shortening (I like to use high ratio but your favorite will do quite well)
3/4 cup orange juice (room temperature or it will affect the egg and shortening)
1 egg beaten

Mix dry and wet together thoroughly.

Fold in:

1 Cup cranberries, cut in halves.

Pour into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake until toothpick stuck into center comes out clean.

Temperature: 350 degrees

Time: Approx. 1 hour

Enjoy 

I was reading this with an erection that was threatening to knock the tie clip off of my shirt, when I came to this line:

2 TBS. Shortening

No shortening available hereabouts, fam.  Can you suggest a substitute?

[pyewacket]

I was reading this with an erection that was threatening to knock the tie clip off of my shirt, when I came to this line:

No shortening available hereabouts, fam.  Can you suggest a substitute?

You can substitute butter or margarine for the shortening. Shortening is 100% fat -butter/margarine is 85% fat and 15% water which could change the consistency, but will add more flavor. You can do a one-to-one swap, it's not often noticeable in cake and bread recipes.

Hope that helps.

Don't forget to wash off your tie clip. Baking can be exciting. 

Edit- Do not use 'whipped' butters, margarines, or blends in baking.
   

[pate]

I was reading this with an erection that was threatening to knock the tie clip off of my shirt, when I came to this line:

No shortening available hereabouts, fam.  Can you suggest a substitute?

I'd have to look, but I often use (I think) 2/3 lard 1/3 oil (I like both peanut and corn depending on other flavors present).

Use an oil with a high smoke point.  Anyhow, use a blender to whip the two together.  Whatever the ratio is that I use, you can find it in my bananna bread recipe that is around here somewhere.

Butter can also be used as shortening, or any oil really.

I like my lard/oil mixture.  Crisco allegedly was invented to grease propeller shafts for the Navy in WWII...

Nautical Shore.

[DigitalPigSnuggler]

I'd have to look, but I often use (I think) 2/3 lard 1/3 oil (I like both peanut and corn depending on other flavors present).

Canola oil, perhaps.  The intention is to get fat into the recipe.  As Pye points out, there are other options, but you have to consider % of fat content and flavor.  It would be useful to have the various options summarized in a table.

I wish that I could get shortening and Crisco.  Sometimes the demand here for certain products overlaps that of the USA (jackpot!) and sometimes it does not (sad trombone).  I have Mississippi Roast on my project list, but I can't find pepperoncinis here to save my soul.  They are handed out as fuckin condiments in the USA, but as rare here as powdered unicorn penis.  I may be reduced to bribing the drones at Papa John's to bust out a recipe's worth for me.  They'll probably charge me for the pizza; hold everything but the pepperoncinis, and don't cook those.  FML

Crisco allegedly was invented to grease propeller shafts for the Navy in WWII...

...and ended up greasing the shafts for randy faggots when they got a pull at the disco in the 70's.

[pate]

If I remember correctly saturated fats are solid at room temperature and unsaturated fats are liquid.  Your "good" shortenings are generally somewhere in between.

My biscuit recipe uses butter, rendered beef fat and lard.

Bacon grease could also be used as a shortening, if you want bacon flavored blueberry bread (or whatever it is you are making), cut down/omit salt in the recipe if you use bacon grease...

[pyewacket]

The combinations pate suggests sound like they would work well. The commercial 'whipped' butters are more of a spread. They process the butter adding air or nitrogen gas to increase its volume and make it easy to spread even if chilled.

This process causes the product to foam, melt faster, and reduces the fat solids. By volume, one cup of whipped butter will not weigh the same as a cup of regular butter. Not suitable as a substitute for baking or cooking.

DPS- This link might help.

https://joyofbaking.com/IngredientSubstitution.html

You can also reduce/replace the fat in a recipe with pureed fruit, like unsweetened applesauce, mashed bananas, or canned pumpkin puree. To reduce fat content just cut fat amount in half and substitute and equal measure of one of the above. Replacement is tricky and did noticeably change the texture and flavor when I tried it. Not bad results- but an acquired taste to be sure.

I have used both plain, unsweetened, or vanilla Greek yogurt (look for low moisture content) in brownies. Use equal volume as the fat required by the recipe. They were moist and fudgey, but the texture might be too gummy for some tastes.

Low fat ricotta and cottage cheese can work, too.