Weekend Kitchen Gadget-The Perfect Cookie

I love making cookies and the ones at the kiosk in the mall are very good. Sometime ago I learned the secret in making those soft and chewy cookies. Of course it really isn't a secret...one can buy a cookbook from Mrs Fields that tells you how. But since none of my friends have Her cookbook,I can still say it's a secret.

These is some of the tools I use for that perfect size, always the same size cookies. My camera took this photo, it came out like this. I only have the two gadgets on the green mat. The camera setting tiled it for me. I thought it was cool.
The yellow one is a cookies dough scoop. It has a silicon bottom that you press to release the dough. Now the hand metal scoop is one you squeeze the handle and the dough is released.it comes in many sizes. I used the metal type for years. Then one day at a Gadget store I saw the yellow bottom cookie dough scoop. It had a lifetime warranty. I like both, each one works great. Now you can make the perfect size every time.

Since you visited my blog and read all the way through this post I will give you the secret to that Mrs Fields cookie. Now don't tell anyone........It's how you bake them.( 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes).

Auntie E's Baps

Baps are a type of bread from Scotland. They are soft crusted and a silky texture roll. I like to make them for hamburgers and breakfast sandwiches. You can cut them in half and toast on a bagel setting and spread marmalade on for a snack.
In trying to make this a more healthier Bread, I have changed the lard out to Shortening and the cream to skim milk. We found the taste to still be there and the texture was not compromised.


Auntie E's Baps

3 3/4 to 4 3/4 cups of Unbleached bread flour.
4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoon) active dry yeast.
1/2 teaspoon organic fine sugar.
1 3/4 cups of half skim milk and water (at 95-105 degrees F),divided
Milk for glazing and flour for dusting.

• Add yeast,sugar and 2 tablespoon Warm liquid in glass bowl, let stand until foamy about 5 to 10 minutes.

• Sift together 3 3/4 cups flour and salt. Mix in shortening with clean fingertips until fine crumbs are left.. Make well in center.

• Add rest of liquid and the yeast mixture in center. With wooden spoon start add flour into well. continue until all flour is added.

• Turn out onto floured Pastry cloth or floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes. Until dough is smooth and silky.

• Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and turn to greased top. Cover with damp cloth and Let rise in warm, place free of drafts for 1 to 1.5 hrs,until double in size.

• Turn out onto floured surface or pastry cloth and divided into 12 equal pieces. shape pieces into 3 inch rounds, Place on two lightly greased Baking sheets.

• Brush with milk and dust with flour, Let rise for 30 minutes in warm place.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

• Sift a little more flour over the tops and lightly press thumb in the middle (this will keep them flattish then domed)- I tend to let them dome some, so do not press so hard.
  

• Bake for 15 minutes, until golden top and bottom. (about half way through cooking switch baking sheets,if using two racks for cooking)

• Remove from oven place dry towel over them and let them cool a little before cutting and eating.

copyright 2010 by"AuntieE'sCookBook/M Dubros"

Ask Around the Table- Grocery Stores.

I go to a lot of grocery stores; Giant, Superfresh, Harris Teeter, Safeway, Food Lion and Farm fresh. There are some I would like to go to; Whole foods, Wegmans and Traders Joes. Then there are those mega stores who know the ones; Walmart, Sams, Costco and BJ's. Out of of these stores I still shop at the Commissary on Post. I find the prices much better, down to earth. Oh yes I do still shop at Sams once in a while for things. Found I like the chicken at Superfresh better, the Salmon at Sams and the fresh fruits at Giant. The Bread at Harris teeter is great and they have a better international food isle. Where do you grocery shop?
Prices are so high I tend to stick with the Commissary. I can not figure out why and how the prices went up and stayed up. It's like the consumer gave in and just agreed to pay the higher prices. After Katrina the price went up , then there was the gas crunch, the truckers strike, chicken and meat crisis and so one. All while this was going on the prices at the Commissary stayed down. That got me thinking is this Greed? What do you think?