On Waxed Paper

Sometimes, I come across a product in my kitchen, and I think to myself, "surely this has more uses for it than just the one or two that I bought it for…right?"

Waxed paper is definitely one of those products. It’s pretty much ubiquitous in kitchens of all varieties, from the busiest professional kitchen to the tiniest of home kitchens. I figured there must be more to it than a good way to keep my cakes from sticking to their pans - and boy was I right! Check out this link for a long list of the many uses of this super-product: http://www.cookingvillage.com/cv/kw/tiptionary_results/0,1755,sLang%3Dus&sLet%3DW&iSCat%3D545,00.html

But remember, waxed paper WILL smoke and burn if used simply as a baking sheet; its uses in the oven are limited to those that protect it from direct exposure to the heat of the oven. So don’t try to bake your next batch of cookies on it!

Crumb Crusts Demystified

for years now i have been trying to figure out how to make a good graham cracker crust. i have always followed the instructions to a T, yet every time the result was a hard, nearly uncuttable crust. at last, after much diligent searching online, i have discovered the secret! every recipe i’ve used has called for melted butter to be combined with whatever crumbs i may be using (graham cracker, gingersnap, nilla wafer, etc.) the melted butter is the culprit! the trick is to use softened, room temperature butter and combine THAT with the crumbs…the result is a perfectly crumbly yet firm crust that is fork cuttable but sturdy enough to support your filling of choice!

i’ve already tested this out on a chocolate pudding pie (recipe to be posted soon) and the results were exactly what i had hoped for. hooray!

A Note on Thickeners

cornstarch, apparently, is not a very dependable thickener. according to my research, its thickening effect is somewhat fragile, and if used improperly the result can actually be to thin out the soup/sauce/whatever in question. as you may or may not know, in order to activate its thickening power, cornstarch needs to be brought to a boil. however, after it has started to do its work, overstirring can break up the thickened network that the cornstarch has created, releasing excess liquid and actually thinning the substance! boo.
flour is a much less volatile thickener; however, it adds a more noticeable taste to your dish, so i would also recommend using it sparingly. if you do decide to use it, create a roux by mixing it with some sort of fat (butter, grease, even milk can work) and cook it for awhile to get rid of some of that raw flour taste. it’ll change color as it cooks (alton brown does a great special on gravies around thanksgiving time that explains rouxes in detail – keep an eye out for it!) after you’ve cooked it to the desired level, stir it into your sauce/soup. (this is my trick for particularly fussy alfredo sauces – i know it’s cheating, but it works like a charm!)for more on how cornstarch works, see http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/10-06-03.html

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes Gone Awry!

so, one of the best ways that i’ve found to come up with new recipes is to combine older tried and true ones. whenever i come home for spring break i try and take advantage of our huge gorgeous kitchen as much as possible…and that is what i did. i decided to attempt to create a recipe for strawberry cheesecake cupcakes. the idea was to take my basic white cake recipe and fill them with a combination of my cheesecake filling recipe (already successfully used in many a chocolate cupcake) and strawberry filling recipe (already successfully used to fill my mom’s birthday cake.)

unfortunately, i got a little too excited and did not exercise the usual level of care that i would – and should – when combining recipes. instead of thickening the strawberry sauce into a filling-like consistency, or draining the excess liquid, i left it in its original runny form and simply mixed it with the cheesecake filling. the result? a yummy, but soupy, strawberry cream cheese concoction that, when baked, formed a sort of creamy layer in the middle of my cupcakes (sort of like cupcake sandwiches) instead of the cheesecake-textured center i was looking for. they were still pretty good, but not at all what i had intended. whoops.

lesson learned: when combining recipes, don’t forget science!