Baking Equipment to Stock Your Kitchen With

I thought I would take a break from baking topics and recipes to discuss what equipment you may want to stock in your baking section of the kitchen. Some of you may have a well-equipped kitchen, especially if you have been baking for years. For those of you who don't, here is what I would recommend to start out with:

• Cake pans: either 8" or 9" round, 3 of them (so that you can make a 3 layer cake)
• One 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" square pan (good for brownies and other small cakes)
• One large rectangular pan, approximately 9" x 13" (good for making sheet cakes)
• Bread pans: "standard" size, at least 2 of them as some recipes call for splitting the batter into 2 pans)
• One standard sized muffin pan (You can make a lot more than just muffins in these; popovers or cupcakes, for example.)
• 2 or 3 cookie sheets, the largest size that will fit in your oven (Even if you don't want to get into baking cookies, cookie sheets are used for other things, such as jelly rolls for example. I have even used them to dry pumpkin seeds in the oven!)
• One 10" tube pan (This is a pan that is in 2 pieces and is round. Used for pound cakes, angel and chiffon cakes, etc. The two pieces are designed for easy removal of delicate cakes)
• One bundt cake pan. (These days they come in different shapes. Essentially it is a mold. Choose one that has a design or shape that appeals to you. Some people even collect these as some can be quite elaborate)

The items listed above I recommend in heavy gauge metal, but not Teflon coated. Teflon, in my opinion, alters the baking slightly, and eventually scratches. If you purchase good quality pans they will last you for years, perhaps a lifetime.

• Two 9" pie plates, made of glass (Pyrex). (Glass bakes better pie crusts)
• 1 rolling pin
• 1 pastry cutter
• 1 flour sifter
• measuring spoons and measuring cups, in a variety of sizes
• 1 spatula, silicone or rubber
• 1 wire whisk
• 1 mixer, ideally a stand mixer of good quality. Otherwise, at least a hand mixer. If you can afford it I would suggest having both a stand mixer for large and heavy jobs, and a portable hand mixer for quick or small jobs, or for mixing at the stove.

All of the above list of items will enable you to bake just about anything and everything. If you are fond of baking a particular category of items, you may want to expand on your equipment inventory. For example, if you love baking cookies, you may wish to consider adding cookie presses or molds. If you are into making all kinds of muffins, try adding mini muffin pans, jumbo muffin pans, etc. Then there are specialty pastry pans, and other sizes of baking pans and pie plates. As long as you have the basics you can always add on to your equipment collection as need arises.

I generically mentioned rolling pins and pie plates. I will discuss these in a little more detail when I get into Pie Making.

Whether you are just starting out and need all or some of the basics, or if you are advancing into specialty items and want a particular piece of equipment, take the time to enjoy looking around the bake aisles of the stores, catalogs, or online. You just might find something to spur your interest in a particular area of baking. In the meantime, have a great week filled with tasty treats.

Next week: Cakes

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Loaf

A few weeks ago I recommended that you look for what is in season when planning out your baking for optimal taste and cost savings. The other day Costco had a sale on large containers of fresh blackberries. I purchased several containers and made a blackberry pie, and today I will be making blackberry jam. My adult children will be thrilled as they look forward to receiving my jams as well as my pies.

As for pound cakes, in the previous post earlier today I gave you a recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake, which is a large cake, utilizing a tube pan. Now I will give you a recipe to try for a smaller loaf sized cake, one that is old-fashioned basic and "goodness". This recipe does not use leavening agents. Instead air beaten into the eggs will do the "rising", so be sure to beat them well as per the instructions.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake Loaf

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Butter and flour a 9" loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Sift flour, salt, and nutmeg together and set aside.
3. Beat (cream) butter until light, then add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.
4. Beat egg yolks until thick and light, then add to butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well.
5. Blend flour in gradually, then add in vanilla and beat until smooth.
6. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold gently into batter. Note: When beating egg whites, always use highest speed of mixer for best results.
7. Pour batter into pan. Bake 1 hr. and 10 min., or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Next Week: Baking Equipment to stock your kitchen with

Chocolate Pound Cake

Last week I briefly wrote that one can get creative with desserts made with poundcake. Last evening I went to a Bunco party ( a ladies night out of playing a game called Bunco whereupon the attendees bring a dish to pass for snacks. Someone brought a homemade pound cake that they elaborately decorated by "frosting" it with whipped cream and then covering it with slices of fruit and nuts. Just another example of how a relatively simple cake can be the basis for endless possibilities of desserts.

Chocolate Pound Cake

This recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa. You might notice that some brands of cocoa are labeled as "Dutch" cocoa. Dutch cocoa goes through a process of treating the cocoa bean with an alkaline substance prior to grinding the beans. Natural cocoa has a bitter flavor which is neutralized by the alkaline treatment. Therefore, if you can find it, I recommend the Dutch version of cocoa for your baking needs.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tbs. grated unsweetened chocolate
1 tbs. vanilla extract

1. Sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
2. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter, shortening, and sugar about 4 or 5 min.
4. Add eggs, beating after each is added.
5. At low speed, beat in flour mixture, in 4 additions, alternating with the milk, adding a little milk at a time.
6. Add grated chocolate and vanilla.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 min., or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Let cook in pan 10 min. Turn out of pan and cool completely.

Next post to follow this one today: Another Pound Cake recipe

Pound Cake

Most everyone is familiar with pound cake; usually bought at the grocery store, wrapped in a loaf sized box by a familiar brand name. If that is, however, your only exposure to this type of cake you are missing out on a cake that is moist, spongy, and slightly sweet rather than the dry and relatively bland version.

Some of you may be familiar as to how Pound Cake got its name. If not, I am providing you with a little history here. In the middle ages pound cake started out as a "sweetened bread" Sometime towards the 19th century the bread evolved to a pound cake. The pound in the name literally refers to the four main ingredients and their quantity in the recipe, or weight. Hence, the traditional pound cake contains 1 lb. of flour (about 3 cups), 1 lb. of eggs (about 6 large), 1 lb. of butter (four sticks), and 1 lb. of sugar (about 2 cups).

Today the recipe has evolved and improved with the addition of various ingredients from leavening agents for better rising to chocolate for marble pound cakes. One can make the full sized cake in a bundt or tube pan, or a smaller version in a loaf pan. The pound cake is also versatile in how it can be used. Serve thin slices, plain or with jam, with coffee for a snack, make a simple but tasty dessert of berries or ice cream placed on top of a slice of cake, or create an elaborate dessert comprised of pound cake, whipped cream, and strawberries for a version of strawberry shortcake. The possibilities are practically endless since the cake does not have an overpowering flavor to interfere with your creativity.

A few tips on preparation:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature in order to end up with a fine-grained texture.
Eggs are the primary source of rising by virtue of air that is whipped or beaten into them. Therefore, add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the next egg. When you add the flour, turn the mixer to the low speed, or gently fold in by hand. This will prevent the air you incorporated into the eggs from being dispersed.

Next Week: A couple of Pound Cake recipes

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Here is the second post for today, a recipe for Zucchini Bread. I entered Zucchini Bread at a county fair a few years ago using this recipe. Out of 32 entries, mine won the Blue Ribbon for First Place. I also had this recipe published in the fair's book entitled Exhibitors' Favorite Recipes, in 2005. Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (Note: Do not use oils such as canola, safflower, etc., as these will give an off taste. Use only pure vegetable oil such as Crisco or Wesson brands.)
2 cups finely grated zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sugar

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of 2 loaf pans.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
In large bowl, sift flour. Stir in the flour the salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
In another large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed. Add oil, vanilla extract, and grated zucchini, and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake 1 hour.


Next Week: Pound Cakes

Quick Bread Recipe - Date Nut Bread

Did any of you follow my suggestion to see what was in season in your supermarket? I did yesterday, and I found locally grown, red ripe strawberries. The strawberry packages were on sale, two 32-oz. packages for $5.00 total, which was a savings of over $7.00. Today I will be making home made strawberry jams and some strawberry pies. The pie lessons will be in the future. For now, as promised, here are a couple of quick bread recipes, starting with a basic, Date Nut Bread.

Date Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups pitted dates, chopped
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour (I recommend an unbleached flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar Note: When measuring brown sugar, whether light or dark, always pack down firmly into measuring cup.
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Note: for an added variation, try substituting 1 tsp. brandy or rum, either the real thing or the extract.

Directions

1. Place the chopped dates into a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside to cool.
2. Grease and flour two standard sized loaf pans (generally 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 1/2").
3. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Set aside. Note: For those of you new to baking, there are inexpensive hand held sifters on the market, any of which are satisfactory.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Note: Those of you in Europe or Asia, please make the appropriate conversion to Centigrade.
5. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
6. Add cooled date mixture and mix well.
7. Add fluor mixture and beat slowly until well combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing between the two loaf pans.
9. Bake about 1 hour and 10 min., or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap, zip lock bags, etc., then in aluminum foil, and store overnight. Serve the next day, or freeze for later use.

Next post this afternoon: Another quick bread recipe. In the meantitme, I am off to making the Strawberry Jam!