Jul/090
Tips on Baking Cookies – Softening Hard Cookies
Have you ever tried any chocolate cookie recipe that are wonderful immediately after they have been taken out of the oven... they are soft and chewy-that is until they are completely cooled and then they become quite hard. Following are some tips on softening these cookies while they are being stored:
1) Butter or Margarine must be at natural room temperature. If you soften by heating, cookies will be too hard when cool.
2) Coarse brown sugar controls spreading of cookies, More coarse (brown) sugar equals more spread. More fine sugar (white granulated) equals less spread. But 2 cups combined is max.
3) To soften hard dry cookies put the in a sealed container with a piece of bread or apple.
4) If you're like me, you want results instantly! Put cookies (uncovered) in microwave along with a mug of uncovered hot water. Uselow heat setting for several minutes; check after a minute or so. Time depends on amount of cookies.
5) I have had very good results when I put a chunk or two of apples in the cookie storage container. It's quick and easy. I don't wait until they get hard; if it's a recipe that I want to stay moist I just add the apple when I take the cookies out of the oven and first store them.
6) If your stored cookies have gotten too crisp for your liking, put them in a plastic bagwith a piece of fresh bread. The next day you will have soft cookies again.
Jul/090
Recipe Beef Potato Casserole
Here is another western food recipe that I would like to share with you guys. My friend Lina used to bake this and I love it. But for me to make it myself is well.. quite difficult because after all I am a very determined woman when it comes to cooking. ehhehe..
Anyway, heres something good and worth trying :
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
1 small bay leaf
1/3 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 1/3 to 3 cups cubed cooked beef
1/2 cup cooked sliced carrots
1 cup mashed potatoes
In a medium skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion, celery, green pepper and bay leaf and cook for 8 minutes over low heat. Pour in the ketchup and water. Stir until blended well. Heat until mixture bubbles then remove from heat. Season with sugar, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Remove the bay leaf and add beef and carrots. Mix well. Pour into a medium casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the casserole. Coat with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
