Okay, so just real-quick-like... I have to share... I've been having some major baking issues lately and couldn't figure out what was happening! It just seemed like nothing was turning out well. I don't use white sugar and I don't use all-purpose flour, so I was starting to think that the recipes I was trying just weren't going to work because of my substitutions... So I was hesitant, but I went to the store and bought High Altitude AP flour, unbleached AP flour, and bread flour. I was going to experiment and get to the bottom of it... but I also had another inkling. And that was to buy an oven thermometer. I had a funny feeling that maybe my oven was not so accurate. So I put it in and turned the oven on. The oven took a few minutes and then BEEP, it's ready and at 350... right? I look inside at the thermometer... BARELY up to 250 degrees!! Are you kidding me?! I've been ruining loaf after loaf of bread, and killing myself over why it was so difficult! (Yet, hadn't ALWAYS been...) Now, the oven does eventually get up to the right temperature, it just takes an extra 10-15 minutes to do so.. still unsure and not willing to waste any more expensive flour, I used the unbleached AP flour today. I figure if those turn out, then I'll slowly add back in my other flours in recipes. And wouldn't you know! Today, when I actually KNEW the oven was at 375, I put in a tray of dough and came back with something... well.... amazing. I can't really get over how excited I was. Because I made Texas Roadhouse rolls... yeah, you know the ones... I'd pinned a recipe from Eat Cake For Dinner and they said they were close, and by golly, they're close enough in my book! (The only thing I didn't make, to even more closely compare them, was the sweet butter they use at the restaurant... maybe next time)
But anyhow.. SO stoked.
Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue.
Yield: Makes about 18
But anyhow.. SO stoked.
Okay, yeah, so maybe they don't LOOK that pretty... haha. The note on the webpage said she rolled out the dough and then folded it in half, sealed it with a light roll over the top of it and then cut them into squares... well, I guess I was a little TOO gentle about the sealing part, since they pulled apart like two pillows... haha. But oh well! It didn't change the fact that they are amazingly delicious and so close to the actual thing! Yay! SO... I have regained faith that I am a capable baker... finally! And now that I know it's not the operator, I will try again with my other flours... I think next time I make these, I'll at least use half AP, half WW and see what happens...
And while on the subject of baking... in a blog or three ago, I'd mentioned trying to make a flourless and butterless chocolate cookie... maybe I didn't say it on here, maybe it was pinterest, I don't remember. But I digress. Even WITH my terrible oven, I made a cookie that tasted darn delicious! I shared them at our Thanksgiving gathering, and I'm pretty sure they didn't last very long... oh, and did I mention they were low-sugar as well? Yeah, well... they were... ;-)
They were adapted from the webpage Divine Baking. And if you stay on her page for too long, you can get into trouble, everything looks amazing!
But I tried out the chocolate cookie, putting my own spin on it... here goes:
Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided Okay, here is my first switch, I used half 70% dark chocolate chips, and half grain sweetened chocolate chips. (Check them out, they're made with barley flour and cocoa powder and are lower in sugar and delicious!)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided--I used 2 cups (I used one cup stevia, one cup xylitol)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided Okay, here is my first switch, I used half 70% dark chocolate chips, and half grain sweetened chocolate chips. (Check them out, they're made with barley flour and cocoa powder and are lower in sugar and delicious!)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided--I used 2 cups (I used one cup stevia, one cup xylitol)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 (I halved the sugar here) cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.
Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).
Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. (Okay, this was the one exception I made with sugar, because I figure using just stevia wouldn't taste as good... so I combined about a 1/4 cup stevia with a 1/4 cup powdered sugar to coat the outside)
Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.
SO good and I'm pretty sure of all the people that ate them, they probably didn't even realize that they weren't terrible for you... yay!
Alright, well, I know I said I would talk about the advent calendar I made... but maybe tomorrow.
Food trumps all other discussion. It's just the way it is.
Happy Baking! 'Tis the season, after all! I know, that thanks to a $3 thermometer, my baking days really did just get a whole lot happier! ;-)
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