Fluffy Pancakes from a mix

So, my favorite pancake is actually a from scratch recipe.  But sometimes you want just enough for one with no leftovers and a box mix can be that quick fix.

The generic brand of mix and a can of sparkling water. In this case, lemon bubly.

You just trade out the water and use the bubly. Equal liquid to what the serving size on the box called for. And in the same fashion, if you don't want as thick a batter add a bit more liquid when initially mixing. It will froth up a bit while mixing. Mix just til well blended. Ladle into a hot greased griddle or skillet and cook per usual for pancakes.

Has a great fluffy texture and a slight lemon taste. Yum.  I do not use syrup, ever, so not sure how that would taste.  But the pancakes themselves can be given this light tinge of flavor with fluff by changing up the flavors of sparkling water used. Lots of possibilities.

Happy eating.....

Cake mix

So, I finally tried using a cake mix with sparkly as the only liquid. But I don't drink much soda of any kind anymore (like maybe  1 to 2 cans worth a month, if that. I had some sparkling water though in the fridge from awhile ago and decided to try it. I not so long ago came across a blog that said it was good.

So, one box store brand yellow cake dumped in a mixing bowl. Emptied the can (12 ounce) of sparkling grapefruit water into it and whisked a min or two. Poured into a buttered and floured bundt pan and baked 30 minutes at 350. Once out of the oven, I let it sit in the pan 2-3 minutes and then turned it over on to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. It came out of the pan easily. 

While it was cooling, I made the icing. It is a teaspoon of vanilla, 4 drops of food coloring, close to 2 cups of powdered sugar, and enough water (just add a little at a time) make it thick enough to make it rope looking in appearance once mixed up. Drizzle over the cake and cool. 

The cake itself didn't rise quite as high overall I think. It was moist and very flavorful. However, it is very crumbly in a moist way. Lol. So, I would just say you should give it a try and see how you like it.

Cranberry Bagels

As of a month or so ago, I started making bagels. This is the most recent version. I have been making potato cracked peppercorn and also garlic bagels.

  These came out good, but I will likely reduce the fruit by 1/3 next batch to compare and decide which is better.

Recipe
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast (I use the red star brand I buy in 2 pound bag)
5 tblsp white sugar
1 tblsp soft or melted butter (the real thing)
1 tsp salt
1 cup of craisins
1-2 tblsp oil (for coating bowl for dough rise and also the baking sheet)
Cornmeal
Baking soda (couple of tsp to add to the water boil)

I have an 8 qt kitchenaid stand mixer, but any stand mixer works. If you don't have one you could mix everything and hand knead it awhile.

So, put yeast and warm water in the mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and use your dough hook turn to speed 2 and mix. Once formed into dough continue to mix for 10 minutes.

Then, put in oiled bowl and cover with a towel if bowl deep enough or a piece of wax paper sprayed with pan coating.  Rise til about double which is usually about an hour.

Punch the dough. Let it sit a few minutes. Divide it into 8 balls. Poke your thumb into each one shaping your bagel with a silver dollar sized hole and set on a  greased pan. Turn on the oven to 425. While it heats boil a pot of water. When water reaches boil add baking soda to it. Boil one or two if big enough pot at a time, about 30 seconds per side. Then remove and put on oiled baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Once done, bake for about 16 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a minute, and remove to a cooling rack.

Yum

After cooled completely I keep in the fridge so they hold up longer.

Fabulous homemade candy

This one is a definite keeper.

So glad I found this post Vegan "Butterfinger" Candy  It is only the second recipe for this candy I've found that doesn't use candy corn in it. The other, I tried before finding this post was a larger qty of some ingredients and following the instructions given made way thick candy which didn't have the right texture. It was much harder not as flaky. I was going make again with tweaks, but found this post and made it instead. 

The only change I made was cooking the syrup in the microwave. These turned out amazing and once enrobed in chocolate are pretty spot on. A great clone of the original. Yay! Hurray for homemade!

My photo has one pan (bottom left) of chocolate coated pecans. I will usually use up any excess chocolate coating nuts. No waste and you gain another snack.

Pumpkin love

As fun with carving is now mostly put aside for the time being it is time to focus more on holiday crafting. In the kitchen as well as with yarnie goodness.

However, my carves are available year round in the etsy store. Please check there often.

Boiling Weeds

So, I had seen posts on this as a way to kill weeds here and there for quite awhile now. I had never tried it though. Anything natural or non-chemical as a resolution is very appealing since I have a puppy and she likes to eat things.

In the past, at a different address we would just pull weeds, or dig them up as needs be. Sow thistle which has flowers looking like a dandelion gets huge (like 4+ feet high) with leaves that are stickery and adhere to gloves, etc, if you grab it and its roots strike very deep and if you let it grow several feet high... well, it's stem system will rival a small/medium tree in width.  It is technically edible.

Anyway, on my small patio some that was still short came in through the area they have decorative bark. It had already gotten deep enough roots it wouldn't come out pulling by hand. I recalled this as a natural way and so got some water in the teapot going.

I went out and poured it once piping hot onto the plants. After just a short time, you could tell there was some impact.

And then, later that afternoon.....

Within a week it was truly dead. And this is how it looks now.....

So, it does work! If I had done up more water and poured it on again same day or even a day later I think it would have worked faster. And, it is not exactly practical if you have a lot of area to do. But if you have some of these or just any weed it is an option. Just don't get it on a plant you wanted to keep.

Microwave Sponge Candy

So, I had seen assorted posts in my net surfing and scrolling on pinterest regarding sponge candy for quite a long time. I even found several hailing the greatness of the Boston area candy company who apparently started the whole idea many decades ago. And too, also, came across many who posted different names it went by: sponge, hokey-pokey, angelfood, honeycomb, cinder toffee, etc.  Honestly, never heard of any of them before I stumbled across the posts as I mentioned.  I like candy and have been in my share of candy shops over my lifetime yet don't recall ever seeing this stuff. Hm.

Anyway, the photos looked enticing. It seemed similar to the peanut brittle I make except most all recipes were on the stovetop and I do not make my brittle that way. I did once. It didn't turn out so well and then I found a microwave version. After I made the peanut brittle that way (perfect every time!) I never would consider trying to cook it on a stovetop again. The microwave version is also faster. So, that said, with the sponge I started trying to look for a microwave version. The only one that kept appearing had 4 ingredients (included in that vinegar) and I did try it twice. First try got me something sticky that was not the right consistency. I chucked it. Second go at it, correct consistency but it was burnt. The issue was it had a time range on how long to cook and was not exact. I figured 3rd time would be the charm and then ended up not using that recipe again. Instead, I came across another stove top version that sounded appealing and tweaked it for microwave cooking. Success first time I made it. Woot! 

Consequently, I most likely won't make that other recipe I referenced a third time since there is no need to do so. 😎 I am one who likes making candy at Christmas to add to goodie box gifts. So, another that is a winner that is easy to make is fabulous. I have seen many that enrobe their sponge candy in chocolate. I haven't tried that yet because I didn't have any paraffin (food grade) to use with my chocolate chips to make dipping chocolate (that sets up and stays like on a store/candy shop candy would).  That is certainly an option if you want to add it to yours. Or leave it plain! It has gone over very well with the dozen or so people who have tried what I have made (couple batches now).  I should add that this sponge candy is a lot like a lighter more airy butter toffee. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it. 


                   Butter Toffee Sponge Candy - Microwave 

1/2 cup (1 cube) of real butter (no margarine) plus about 1 tablespoon of additional to grease the pan
1 cup of granulated sugar 
1/2 cup of corn syrup (I use Karo)
1 tablespoon of baking soda 
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

Either an 8 or 9 inch square pan. If you go with 8 inch your toffee will be thicker.  I have been using the 9 inch non-stick no-seam metal pan.  You will need to grease it on bottom and all sides to the rim on inside of pan. 

A microwave safe GLASS BOWL (sorry, needed to emphasize you cannot use plastic/metal etc) that is at least 1.5 quarts in size.  Mine in photos below is a Pyrex 1.5 qt.

You need to prep everything before you start cooking because once it's ready to start adding things it goes really quick and the candy will start setting/hardening before you can get it out of the bowl. 

The sugar is measured out and the baking soda has been measured out and put in the green 1/4 cup. Push it around a bit to squish any lumps you might see.

So, butter up the pan.....

 In the glass bowl, put the butter, sugar, and karo. You can try to mix it a little, but really it won't much until the butter is melted. So, place the bowl in the microwave at 1 minute on full power. Take it out and stir as best you can then put it back in the microwave for another minute. Mix well at that point.  

Put back in the microwave and set it for 4 minutes on high/full power. Remove and stir it up.

Put it back in the microwave for 1 more minute at full/high power.

Now you stir in the vanilla.

Then, one more minute in the microwave on high.

Now, stir it up. Now is the really act fast part. Add the baking soda and stir quickly about 4-5 times. Then, pour into the buttered pan scraping the bowl some. Don't touch the pan, don't jostle it, shake it or anything thinking you need to 'settle' the candy. It will spread on it's own and will change appearance some as it cools.

Some air bubbles might surface or pop as it is sitting left alone. Totally normal. Awhile later it is looking like below.

Now, it usually takes about an hour to be totally cool. Touch the bottom of the pan at that point to check. I then smack my palm upward on the underside of the pan while I am holding it with the other hand to put a crack in the candy. It helps to get it out.

Then, you can either exploit the crack with a butter knife or use a hard plastic (or something similar yet safe for non-stick pan surfaces) on one of the sides to pry up a piece. Once you get part of it out the rest lifts up no problem. Snap it into pieces and enjoy!  I store mine while it lasts in a gallon zip lock. Even the little crumbles can be used in cookies, ice cream, just to eat....

Now, you can chose to enrobe it in chocolate before storing. If you opt for that, you need about 1 12oz bag of chocolate chips or equivalent in bar form and about 1/4 of a paraffin bar (a couple tablespoons worth if you shredded it). Melt those together in the microwave heating 1 min at a time and stirring well after each minute til it is smooth. Then, dip each piece of sponge in the chocolate and lay out to set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Once fully set, you can store in a zip lock.

*Enjoy!

oh, a helpful hint for cleaning your bowl you cooked the candy in. Once the candy has been poured into your pan, run the glass bowl under straight hot water at the sink. It will melt the candy off the bowl. After it has melted away, adjust your water temp and wash as you normally would.