LaMar's Donuts

I have been thinking about creating a category called "Sweet Places to Visit." There are so many places in the world to find wonderful sweet treats that make your mouth water and wake up your taste buds. Right here in Omaha you can find quite a few secret hot spots. One of them is LaMar's Donuts.

Did you know that in the United States we consume more than 10 billion donuts per year? LaMar's alone claims to make 17.9 million per year. We love our donuts, don't we?

Ray LaMar opened the first LaMar's Donuts in a converted gas station in Kansas City, Missouri in 1960. The company has grown to 27 locations in six states (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska). In Nebraska where I live, there are two locations in the capitol of Lincoln, and one location in Omaha. The Omaha location is at 17202 Audrey Street, and offers on-line ordering as well.

Restaurant critics have described LaMar's donuts as sinfully good, purely heaven and fit for kings. I would like to add my own description, "decadent beyond belief, and amazingly awesome!"

If you want to gawk at more delicious and yummy photos, go to the LaMar's wesite and under the menu bar, click on "yummy photos." I guarantee there will be a mad rush to find your car keys.

www.lamars.com

Happy drooling,

Pam

     

Decorating with Edible Glitter

The first time I saw edible glitter used for decorating baked goods I had to have some.  I was watching a pastry chef adorn a beautifully decorated cake with it.  I loved how it made the cake glimmer with pride.

Edible glitter adds color and sparkle to a variety of baked goods.  It comes in many colors including gold and silver.  The process for making edible glitter is similar to the way cellophane wrap is produced.  A liquid gel is formed into very thin layers which are then cut into very tiny flakes.

Most glitters are made from gum arabic, a natural emulsifier.  It comes from the hardened sap of the Acacia Senegal tree.  A different type of edible glitter is made from a gelling agent called sodium alginate, which comes from the cell walls of brown kelp.  This type of glitter is made to last a little longer before it starts dissolving. 

There are edible glitters that have flavoring added to them.  Flavored glitter melts immediately in your mouth, impacting even more flavor to the foods you eat.  Non-sugar sweeteners can also be added to give the flakes a sweet taste. 

The food dyes in edible glitter are approved by the FDA.  It is completely safe to consume.  Make sure you never store arts and crafts glitter next to edible glitter.  Craft glitter is made from tiny flecks of plastic or foil.  You wouldn’t want to eat that type of glitter by mistake.

If you really like to decorate baked goods, add some edible glitter to your baking pantry.  A good time to use it is during the holidays when you want to serve something special to family and friends.  You can also stencil the tops of cakes with it.  I like how the white glitter makes a white frosted treat look like a winter wonderland of snow!

Happy decorating,

Pam 

Checking Your Oven for Accuracy

There is no tool more fundamental to baking than your oven.  Let’s face it, you couldn’t bake without it.  But did you know that your oven could be off as much as 100 degrees!

Most people don’t think twice about their ovens’ accuracy.  In a perfect world, you would set your oven to 350 degrees, and it would bake at 350 degrees.  It is estimated that most home ovens are off by 25-100%.  Even a brand new oven could be off if not properly calibrated.

When following a recipe, many people rely completely on the time given to bake.  If your oven is calibrated wrong, it could result in an over-baked or under-baked product.  As a standard rule, you should always check your baked goods at least 5 minutes before the time is up.  To test your oven for accuracy, make sure the oven rack is centered in the middle of the oven.  Place a good quality oven thermometer in the middle of the rack.  Some people think that you should place the thermometer in the back or side of the oven.  Those areas near the oven walls get too hot and will not give an accurate reading.  The thermometer should be centered in the oven.

Set your oven to 350 degrees.  Allow at least 20 minutes for it to preheat.  A sign that your oven could be inaccurate is when it signals that the oven is ready after only 5-10 minutes of preheating.  After 20 minutes or so, quickly open the oven door and check the thermometer reading.  If the temperature says only 325 degrees, the next time you should set the oven to 375 degrees.  That should bring you variably closer to 350 degrees.  Make a note of what it says so that the next time you bake you can adjust the temperature.  It’s probably a good idea to check your oven temperature on a monthly basis to get the best possible results from all of your hard work!

 If you discover that your oven is off 50-100 degrees, you may want to invest in a new oven thermostat.  You can also contact a local professional to perform some adjustments that could help to stabilize the temperature.

Once you have figured out where your oven temperature really stands, you can easily work around it.  Don’t forget to make the adjustments each and every time you bake.

Happy baking,

Pam

How to Bake a Soft, Chewy Cookie

Everyone seems to have their own preference when it comes to baking cookies.  There are people who like their cookies thin and crispy, cake-like, or soft and chewy.  I personally gravitate to the soft and chewy type.  But how does one achieve this?  That is one of the most frequently asked questions in the baking world.

To start off, let’s talk about measuring the flour.  Too much flour can be the culprit in many cases.  It can make the cookie hard, dry and cakey.  Using the “dip and swoop” method works the best.  Dip your measuring cup into the flour and fill it clear to the top.  Use the dull end of a butter knife and drag or swoop it across the top to even it out.  Some people are tempted to tap the measuring cup before swooping.  This can result in too much flour.  Also, I found that substituting part of the all-purpose flour with white bread flour helps to achieve a soft and chewy cookie.  I learned that tip from Alton Brown, cookbook author and T.V. personality on the Food Network.

The type of sweetener that you use in your cookies can make a big difference, too.  A cookie baked using only white sugar will be crunchier than one that has brown sugar.  Brown sugar has a bit of molasses in it to make it softer.  The molasses adds moisture to the cookie.  Adding honey, corn syrup, agave syrup or maple syrup also will help achieve chewiness.

If you are making cookie dough in hot or humid conditions, your dough may appear to be warm and soft.  If you bake with the warm dough, the cookies will  spread out too much and risk getting crispy.  That is also why you should let your cookie sheets cool completely before placing more cookie dough on them.  It’s best to chill the dough before baking in less than ideal conditions.

What I feel is the most important step in making soft and chewy cookies is the baking time.  Removing the cookies from the oven at just the right time will prevent hard or crispy cookies.  Over-bake them by only 1 or 2 minutes and you’ve lost them.  I recently started baking all of my cookies at 325 degrees.  I feel the slower bake helps them not to brown too quickly and stay soft.  The cookies are ready to come out of the oven when the middle is just set.  That is, the dough no longer looks shiny.  The cookies will continue to bake when you remove them from the oven.  Leave them on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 

Finally, you must take care in storing your baked cookies.  Only store them in an airtight container once they have completely cooled.  Storing warm cookies can turn them mushy.

With a bit of practice, you can have a soft and chewy cookie every time.  Good luck!

Happy baking,

Pam

   

Vanilla Cinna-Scotch Oatmeal Cookies

I love a good oatmeal cookie.  It's one of those cookies where you can add any combination of chips, nuts or dried fruits, and it works well.  If you have a well-stocked pantry, the sky is the limit!

This is a great oatmeal cookie recipe worthy of Grandma.  You can just taste the love in every bite!

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

½ cup of white granulated sugar

1 cup of golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of pure almond extract

1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour

3 cups of quick oats, whirled in a food processor*

½ teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup of white chocolate chips

2/3 cup of butterscotch chips

2/3 cup of cinnamon chips

2 teaspoons of water, optional

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a non-stick silicone baking mat, or lightly spray with cooking spray. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, white sugar and golden brown sugar.  Using an electric hand mixer, mix on medium speed until well combined.  Add two eggs, one at a time, mixing well for each one.  Then you can add the vanilla and the almond extracts.  Mix well to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, processed quick oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together until well combined.  Add the flour-oat mixture to the wet ingredients.  Use a large rubber spatula and mix only until half of the flour has disappeared.  Add all of the baking chips and start folding them in.  If the mixture seems like it’s going to be too dry, you may add 2 teaspoons of water.  Continue to mix until all of the flour has disappeared.

Using a 2” cookie scoop, place cookie dough balls approximately 3” apart on the baking sheet.  Slightly flatten the tops with the palm of your hand.  Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 14-16 minutes or just until the cookie has set.  The top will no longer look shiny, and the edges will look very light brown.  When done, let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.  Store in a covered container.

*To whirl or process the oats, place them in a large food processor.  Process for  10 seconds or until they look kind of like sawdust.  I do this to soften the texture of the cookie a bit.  Sometimes I will process only part of the oats, and add the rest in whole form.  It depends how chewy you want them.

Happy Baking,

Pam

To Scoop or Not to Scoop!

If I had to pick just one kitchen tool for making cookies, it would be a cookie scoop.  There are many types on the market, but do they all do a good job? 

Over the years, I have used various sizes of stainless steel mechanical cookie scoops.  They easily release scoops of dough by squeezing and releasing the handle.  You get precise, round cookies every time.  They can also be used for muffin and cupcake batters, drop scones, mini loaf pans and mini bundt cakes.  You can even make the most decadent mini chocolate truffles!

I have read some reviews on plastic cookie scoops as well.  It seems that a lot of people had issues with the dough sticking to the scoop.  They also didn’t last as long as the metal scoops.  Stainless steel scoops are dishwasher safe, whereas some of the plastic ones are not.  For my money, I prefer the stainless steel.

When I make cookies I will use either a 2” or a 1 ½” size scoop.  It depends how generous I am feeling that day.  If I am serving only a small crowd, I might use the larger cookie scoop for bigger cookies.  If I have to stretch a recipe, I will use the smaller scoop.  The only thing you have to remember when you are going to make bigger cookies is to add a few minutes more to the baking time.

I love making cookies that all turn out the same size.  Using a cookie scoop is the best way to do it.  I will occasionally use my digital scale to assure that all the scoops of dough are the same weight.  When scooping the dough, you have to level the top as you are dragging the scoop up the side of the bowl.  If you don’t pay attention to the way you scoop, some cookies will end up smaller or larger than the rest.  Once I have placed the cookie dough on my baking sheet, I will slightly flatten the tops with the palm of my hand.  If you do this just right, the cookies will look perfectly round before baking.  If they don’t, you can shape them  with your fingers.  That’s how to get evenly sized cookies every time.

To answer the question, "to scoop or not to scoop?"  I say scoop to your hearts' desire!  I wouldn't bake without one.  Give it a try and decide for yourself.  Your cookies will turn out beautifully every time.

Happy scooping,

Pam

Pure Almond Extract

There are just some aromas that need to be made into perfume!  Almond extract is one of them.  I’m not far off when I say that, because almond extract is used for some skin and hair products because of its ability to seal in moisture and strengthen hair and skin.

But I’m here to talk about almond extract in baking.  Its’ popularity is second only to vanilla extract.  It is made by pressing the essential oil from bitter almond seeds, then combining it with ethyl alcohol.  As you all know, pure almond extract is much stronger than vanilla extract.  Only half as much is needed compared to vanilla is most recipes.  If you are allergic to nuts and need to substitute almond extract, you can use pure vanilla extract in its place.  Remember to add more vanilla to compensate for the loss of almond flavor.  You can also substitute small amounts of alcohol in recipes with almond extract.  Make sure you use less extract than alcohol or it could become too strong for your taste buds.

I have found that almond extract goes very well with lots of other flavors like vanilla, cherry, orange, caramel and chocolate.  It also enhances recipes that contain berries.  A lot of times, I will use part vanilla and part almond extract in my recipes just to give it extra flavor.

When purchasing pure almond extract, it is recommended that you buy it in small quantities if you are not using it often.  As it ages, the alcohol will begin to evaporate and could change the flavor and strength.  Always keep the lid on tight after using to keep it from evaporating as well. 

If you can afford to you should always buy pure almond extract, rather than natural or artificial.  Pure has the most flavor and produces the best results in your baked goods.  Imitation extract uses chemicals to replicate the flavor, which in turn, weakens it.  They do make organic almond extract as well, but some companies have difficulty finding all of the ingredients in organic form.  They will add a small fraction of natural ingredients to compensate for the loss of organic.  Enough is used to still be able to call the product organic.  The only time I bought organic almond extract I was extremely disappointed.  I found it very watered down, with hardly any almond flavor at all.  All brands may not be that bad, so if you want organic you should do the taste test for yourself.

Scandinavian countries use almond extract to flavor most of their delicious baked goods.  They treat it like other countries would treat chocolate! These countries are also known for using many different pungent spices in baking as well.  They love their flavors, but so do we, right?

I hope you will try adding almond extract to some of your favorite recipes.  You will notice how it brings out the flavors of other ingredients and makes everything taste just a little bit better!

Happy Baking,

Pam