My oven and I have come to an understanding over the last three months. I can't say that I have figured it out, because I haven't consciously changed what I am doing.1 The cookies have just started to set/bake better.
As it is, baking cookies is labour intensive... 2 hours non-stop, mixing dough, putting lumps on the tray, waiting a few minutes, taking them off the tray, putting on fresh dough. As a consequence, cake baking has become much more appealing to me; mix the ingredients, decant into a vessel of some form and leave in oven until it smells edible and is reasonably solid - watch TV, stretch, and/or read in the mean time...
My most recent foray into baking is carrot cake.
My Dutch teacher asked if I could make it (worteltaart - in het Nederlands), and I am not one to walk away when the gauntlet is thrown down.
After I emailed my mother for her recipe, I announced my latest experiment on Facebook:
My mother, everyone... Regardless of her declamations, she did give me a recipe.3
23:00hrs and my usual [carrot] dealer wasn't at his stoop5 and I'd be darned if I was going to throw away a potentially good mix. I did a mental inventory of what I had in the apartment; The only reasonable substitutes were oranges. I figured because they were so juicy and had a stronger flavour (I don't have any data to support that, just a gut feeling) that I'd use 150 g oranges and an extra 77 g of self-raising flour to soak up the juice.
My most recent foray into baking is carrot cake.
My Dutch teacher asked if I could make it (worteltaart - in het Nederlands), and I am not one to walk away when the gauntlet is thrown down.
After I emailed my mother for her recipe, I announced my latest experiment on Facebook:
In principle, it worked out very well. Unfortunately, while I was checking it at half-time, I fumbled the dish and spilled a bit. Thereafter, the cake, she was a bit lopsided :(
I shared it around at salsa and it was well-received. And there was much rejoicing.
I decided to make another batch for my trip to Ireland...
I mixed most of the ingredients together... and I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those damn kids not having any carrots.4
...
...
23:00hrs and my usual [carrot] dealer wasn't at his stoop5 and I'd be darned if I was going to throw away a potentially good mix. I did a mental inventory of what I had in the apartment; The only reasonable substitutes were oranges. I figured because they were so juicy and had a stronger flavour (I don't have any data to support that, just a gut feeling) that I'd use 150 g oranges and an extra 77 g of self-raising flour to soak up the juice.
Naturally, it worked out perfectly.
I shared it around in Ireland and it was well-received. And there was much rejoicing.
I shared it around in Ireland and it was well-received. And there was much rejoicing.
****
1Cognitive bias fail (or a win?).
2OK... not quite rocking.
3Cake:
175g soft brown sugar
175mL sunflower oil
3 large eggs
150g self raising wholemeal flour (Orange cake: 227 g flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
225g grated carrot (Orange cake: 150 g diced oranges)
"Mix sugar and oil, add eggs and mix well, sift in dry ingredients beat everything til everything is well combined. Add grated carrots and stir well through. bake in 180 degree oven till cooked."i
Frosting:
225g philadelphia cream cheese
225g butter
454g icing sugar
Zest of orange
4"Classic Máirtín"
5Or maybe he was there and I couldn't see him because I don't have enough carrots in my diet to see well in the dark.ii
2OK... not quite rocking.
3Cake:
175g soft brown sugar
175mL sunflower oil
3 large eggs
150g self raising wholemeal flour (Orange cake: 227 g flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
225g grated carrot (Orange cake: 150 g diced oranges)
"Mix sugar and oil, add eggs and mix well, sift in dry ingredients beat everything til everything is well combined. Add grated carrots and stir well through. bake in 180 degree oven till cooked."i
Frosting:
225g philadelphia cream cheese
225g butter
454g icing sugar
Zest of orange
4"Classic Máirtín"
5Or maybe he was there and I couldn't see him because I don't have enough carrots in my diet to see well in the dark.ii
----
iWord of God:"Máirtín, I gave up making actual cakes and use this recipe for muffins now, they're baked in 15 mins."
iiThat's a joke, by the way. (link)
iiThat's a joke, by the way. (link)
