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flour

Tip For Making Perfect Pie Dough
baking

Simple Tip: Freeze Butter or Shortening When Making Pie

Currently I'm obsessed with pie.
by partysugar

Currently I'm obsessed with pie. Not only am I baking them, but I've also been researching the art of pie-making. The key to super wonderful flaky crust is very cold ingredients. Since most pie dough recipes have you add cubed butter or shortening to flour, I always make this my first step. I dice the butter or scoop the shortening and place it in a small dish. Then, I put this in the freezer while I prep the flour. It ensures that the fat is completely chilled.

Do you have a secret for making perfect pies? Please share it with us below!

What Is Instant Flour, or Wondra?
baking

Know Your Ingredients: Instant Flour

I recently came across a recipe that called for instant flour, an ingredient that I haven't been very familiar with.
by

I recently came across a recipe that called for instant flour, an ingredient that I haven't been very familiar with. What is it, and how is it different from all-purpose flour?

Instant or instantized flour, as it's called, was first introduced by Gold Medal in 1963. It refers to a low-protein, finely-ground, granular type of flour that has gone through pregelatinization, a process that involves heating the flour with hot water or steam, then drying it out. It's formulated to dissolve rapidly in either hot or cold liquids, making it an ideal thickening agent in creating lump-free sauces and gravies. It's also often referred to as Wondra, the leading brand for instant flour.

Wondra is sometimes called for in pie, tart, and other baking recipes to achieve a flaky consistency and texture. When have you come across instant flour?

Source

Classic Béchamel Recipe
recipes

The Basics: Béchamel Sauce

Calling all home cooks: if you haven't been acquainted yet with béchamel sauce, it's time you learned a thing or two about it.
by

Calling all home cooks: if you haven't been acquainted yet with béchamel sauce, it's time you learned a thing or two about it. Chances are you've eaten this white sauce more than a few times in your life, whether layered in moussaka, drizzled on a croque monsieur, or as a component in other classic courses. Béchamel is over 300 years old, and is such a key element of traditional French cuisine that it actually serves as the base for many other sauces (see variations after the jump). The white sauce begins with a roux, and then scalded milk is gradually added, until the consistency is smooth and thick. Once you've mastered the recipe, you can use it to make a filling for white lasagna or to mix together a cheese sauce for nontraditional nachos. What are you waiting for? Get the recipe when you read more.

Definition of Masa and Masa Harina
definition

Definition: Masa

Masa & Masa Harina Masa — literally "dough" in Spanish — is a cornmeal dough traditionally used in Latin cuisine.
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Masa & Masa Harina
Masa — literally "dough" in Spanish — is a cornmeal dough traditionally used in Latin cuisine. Unlike cornmeal, it's made of sun- or fire-dried corn kernels that have been cooked in a solution of lime or ash and water and then ground.

When dried again, the substance becomes masa harina, or "dough flour." Both are used to make tortillas, empanadas, tamales, among other dishes.

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Whole Grain Flour Breakdown
baking

Whole Grain Flour Breakdown

Baking is always happening at my house, whether it be cookies, muffins, or bread.
by

Baking is always happening at my house, whether it be cookies, muffins, or bread. Not only do I love concocting delicious treats with my girls because it's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but I love that I can make scrumptious foods and know they're made with actual ingredients.

I also think it's fun to try out recipes using different flour. Whole wheat or all purpose is the usual standard, but there are so many other flours out there made from whole grains. They add different flavors, textures, and colors to your recipes, and they can also offer added nutrition. To see how whole-grain flours compare read more

Cake Flour
baking

Definition: Cake Flour

Cake Flour Sometimes known as pastry flour, this high-starch, soft wheat flour has a fine texture.
by partysugar


Cake Flour

Sometimes known as pastry flour, this high-starch, soft wheat flour has a fine texture. It makes baked goods like cakes more tender than regular flour because it has the least amount of gluten. Bleached cake flour has a bright white color.

The best substitute for cake flour is to use 7/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch to make 1 cup of cake flour.

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Rising Wheat Costs Means an Increase in Flour Prices
baking

Gold Medal Flour May Cost More Than Gold

As someone who loves to bake, I was pretty bummed to hear that the price of flour is going up.
by

As someone who loves to bake, I was pretty bummed to hear that the price of flour is going up. We've been hearing about how grocery prices are going up due to increased prices of dairy and wheat, but this is the first time I've seen solid numbers. According to CNN Money, the price of a 50-pound bag of flour went from $16 to $37, a 131 percent increase. And if that's not crazy enough, sources say that the price may reach $40 next week.

The prices have been steadily climbing due to poor growing conditions including a US Winter freeze and a European drought. With prices reaching new records, it's not just the homecook who won't be able to afford anything. Increased prices means less profit margins for restaurants and retailers. Sooner or later, those price increases are going to be passed on to those of us eating the food. So start saving your pennies, that $2 croissant might just be $3 tomorrow.

Source

What Would You Make?
cheese

What Would You Make?

Ok here's the deal: You are at home and hungry for food.
by partysugar


Ok here's the deal: You are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/ girlfriend/ spouse/ child/ friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have cheddar cheese, fresh thyme, and all-purpose flour. Using these ingredients, along with whatever staples you currently have in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make? Tell me in the comments section below!

To see what I would make, read more

Yummy Links: From Pie Bags to Bad Restaurants
Movies

Yummy Links: From Pie Bags to Bad Restaurants

Maybe if I had one of these hand pie crust bags I would make more pies.
by

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Pizza
honey

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Pizza

Making your own pizza is one of the most satisfying things a person can do.
by

Making your own pizza is one of the most satisfying things a person can do. A lot of time, effort, and love goes into a homemade pizza, and it tastes like nothing else.

Now I don't mean buying a ready-made crust like Boboli - I mean making the pizza dough. Once you know how, it's really quite easy, and healthier too. It'll take some time to let the dough rise, so that's why making pizza is great for the weekend.


Want to see my recipe for Homemade Pizza? Then read more