circusboy's Profile

make enough for six, and assume someone else is making desert.

re: overspilling muffins. just fill the tin a bit more, but don't forget to butter the top of the muffin tin. bearing in mind that if you don't use the paper cups, getting the muffin out can be an issue if you can't get a knife down the side.

second note, put the muffins on a lower shelf in the oven. this directs a bit more heat to the bottom of the muffin, and less to the top.

I used to get them all the time when I lived in Italy, (I was 12 at the time.) I still can't believe that after all this time that there are actually enforcement people devoted to confiscating the eggs.

what's truly unbelievable is that you can cross the border with a box full of the toys, it's only when the toy is still wrapped in chocolate that it appears to be a problem.

I'm all for basic consumer safety regulations, but there is a point where it changes from selling something that is inherently dangerous to selling something with which you can do something stupid to yourself. and kinder eggs are definitely on the far side of that line.

one tip, rather than cutting the butter up and adding flour, you can just place the butter between a couple of sheets of wax paper when flattening it. you just have to remember to peel the paper off and flip it frequently, or the spreading butter will tear the wax paper. bonus points if you have a stone counter top that you can keep a bag of ice on before you work. (

pbs.org's video collection has the julia child episode where she has a guest beating the butter on saran wrap, worth watching for the technique, though he's making mille feuille rather than croissants. (essentially the same, just leave out the yeast, sugar and oil)

having attempted this a few early times with simply softened butter, the beating it up really makes a difference.

I have one, but I bought it, generally use it for mixing plastics and glues more than food. (carefully wrapped in a plastic bag,) but then I tend to use estimates for most baking. 'until it looks like...' is a commonly heard phrase for me.

I generally think of a crumpet as a thinned out bread dough (batter) cooked like a pancake. (the recipes I've found seem similar to soda bread, white/french bread and brioche in their contents and use of yeast or eggs. google 'crumpet recipe' and marvel at the variety...)

english muffins are an unthinned bread dough, cooked like a pancake.

the major difference between the two is that the crumpets are so thinned out that the bubbles can pierce the top and create lots of little holes to fill with butter and such, where the english muffins are so thick that the bubbles remain on the inside. (hence having to split them before adding the toppings.)

best cookie sheets I've ever had were simple 16"x20" sheets of 18-20 gauge stainless. one short edge bent at 90º. because there were no rims or edges, they did not have to be thick to not buckle when heated.

you could use them as cookie sheets, a pizza peel, wind screen, cookies would slide off the edge, with the bottoms properly cooked... heaven... and almost impossible to find anymore. if anyone knows of a source? otherwise it's back to buying sheet steel and looking for a bender...

a bit late to this, but could you dredge them in powdered sugar? I have no empirical evidence to back this up, but it might be worth a shot.

Well worth the trouble to buil your own table... Though I might recommend taking it easy on the finish, or you'll be too afraid to use it.

Here's mine, http://gallery.me.com/circusboy/100100
Anyone else?

echoing opk, salt is a good trick. learned this in cooking school many years ago for making crepes in regular skillets.

pan must be hot, then add some oil, and a teaspoon or so of salt. rub the oily salt around the bottom with a paper towel and remove the excess salt before cooking. generally speaking for most cookware, it helps if the pan is quite hot *before* you put the oil in.

and if you can help it, never scour the pan again. it won't be shiny, but it will cook better.