The Baking Topic

[Meredith Quill]

2 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Do you get it softened with the examples you provided? (Here, at least, it's hard and more or less impossible to crumble up by hand. I put it in a food processor).

If I use it new, straight from the packet, it's usually soft enough to crumble in my hands, sometimes I've had to whack it a bit with a rolling pin, heh, probably depends on how old the batch is? Although, I normally decant into pots/jars/whichever, and place one of the clay or terracotta sugar savers in there to prevent it from drying out.

ETA Hmm, I wonder if climate makes a difference? As pertains to warehousing and storage before the product reaches the supermarket shelves that is. We have a temperate climate here, not a hot or even a warm one (although we can have short periods of heat). Naturally, the hotter and drier the climate the quicker things will lose moisture.

[PRgal]

This two ingredient drop biscuit recipe (from The Kitchn) has become a weekly ritual for me.  Or rather, a version of it.  Instead of self-rising flour, I'm using my multigrain soda bread blend (aka my "pandemic mix" - a mix of oat, Kamut, spelt, whole wheat, quinoa and buckwheat flours with baking soda (instead of baking powder) and a bit of salt) and half Greek yogurt, half kefir/egg white. 

Edited February 19, 2023 by PRgal

[CheshireCat]

51 minutes ago, SilverStormm said:

If I use it new, straight from the packet, it's usually soft enough to crumble in my hands, sometimes I've had to whack it a bit with a rolling pin, heh, probably depends on how old the batch is? Although, I normally decant into pots/jars/whichever, and place one of the clay or terracotta sugar savers in there to prevent it from drying out.

Both times that I've bought it (they asked for the same cake this year), it was one block of sugar.

 

51 minutes ago, SilverStormm said:

ETA Hmm, I wonder if climate makes a difference? As pertains to warehousing and storage before the product reaches the supermarket shelves that is. We have a temperate climate here, not a hot or even a warm one (although we can have short periods of heat). Naturally, the hotter and drier the climate the quicker things will lose moisture.

Could be. Winters are normally very dry here and their birthday is in winter. The package is sealed, so you'd think climate doesn't make a difference but who knows. While I didn't bake as much while still living in Germany, I never noticed a difference in how various doughs react to the weather. Whether I baked in summer or winter, it was always the same. Here, I definitely notice a difference, like needing less butter in summer.

[Meredith Quill]

Youngest daughter is attending a slumber party tonight and asked for some lotus biscoff cupcakes; her wish is my command.

 

Belated girly Galentine's cupcakes.

[CheshireCat]

I finally managed to upload the pictures. I did a couple of different flower designs for the little chocolate-truffle "box" and the dog but as I was playing catch-up after a power outage Sunday, I was only able to photograph it with a cell phone Valentine's Day morning.

 

First time I made the gnomes. I'm not entirely happy with the hats, they look puffed up, so I'll have to figure out a way how they won't look like that. Not sure if the noses are right either, I'll have to experiment with that.

 

And the Mardi Gras masks. Cookies with sparkling luster dust or sugar are really hard to photograph and more often than not come out blurry. I suspect the lense of the camera gets distracted by all that glitter and isn't entirely sure where/how to focus.
They're three cookies, the eyes are "sealed" with isomalt and inside are sprinkles. (They were for a group of kids, so I'm sure the parents were thrilled when the kids opened them up 😉)

[Meredith Quill]

Beautiful work!

[WendyCR72]

1 hour ago, CheshireCat said:

I finally managed to upload the pictures. I did a couple of different flower designs for the little chocolate-truffle "box" and the dog but as I was playing catch-up after a power outage Sunday, I was only able to photograph it with a cell phone Valentine's Day morning.

 

First time I made the gnomes. I'm not entirely happy with the hats, they look puffed up, so I'll have to figure out a way how they won't look like that. Not sure if the noses are right either, I'll have to experiment with that.

 

And the Mardi Gras masks. Cookies with sparkling luster dust or sugar are really hard to photograph and more often than not come out blurry. I suspect the lense of the camera gets distracted by all that glitter and isn't entirely sure where/how to focus.
They're three cookies, the eyes are "sealed" with isomalt and inside are sprinkles. (They were for a group of kids, so I'm sure the parents were thrilled when the kids opened them up 😉)

Wow, these are impressive!

[SuprSuprElevated]

Absolutely gorgeous @CheshireCat!  We sure have the talented folks here in our little corner of the internet.

[EtheltoTillie]

I have a brown sugar update!  I found a 2 pound bag of rock hard dark brown sugar in my cupboard.  I tried the overnight paper towel/plastic wrap technique printed on the bag.  It worked!  I dumped the sugar into a shallow bowl with some wet paper towels on top and then covered the whole thing with plastic wrap and left it overnight at room temperature.  The sugar was completely softened by morning.  Now I put it in (what I hope is) an airtight container and I just bought a small terra cotta planter base from the hardware store to use in future.  Thank you @SilverStormmfor that idea.

As someone said earlier, I don't remember my mother having this problem.  She had a real Tupperware brand container she used for the brown sugar.  I don't have that container anymore, although I did for a while. 

I'm still going to use the pourable brown sugar for my oatmeal.

Edited February 25, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Meredith Quill]

Here in the UK, Mother's Day falls in March each year. This year it's on the 19th and I shall be making a small floral cupcake bouquet and two gift boxes to give to family and friends for their mums. I'm also doing a medium size birthday bouquet earlier in March for a friend of the family. Then before we know it, Easter will be upon us! #lotsofbaking 

[CheshireCat]

Mother's Day isn't until May here. We also have a specific Father's Day in June (in Germany, it falls on an existing holiday, as if they created it as an afterthought which they may have done).
But, St. Patrick's Day is a thing (I'm guessing due to the many Irish immigrants), so it's St. Patrick's Day for me. (And likely a 10th birthday with a soccer theme, have to check in with the mother).

[Trini]

On 2/23/2023 at 7:07 PM, CheshireCat said:

I finally managed to upload the pictures. I did a couple of different flower designs for the little chocolate-truffle "box" and the dog but as I was playing catch-up after a power outage Sunday, I was only able to photograph it with a cell phone Valentine's Day morning. ...

Those are gorgeous!

[Meredith Quill]

3 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Mother's Day isn't until May here. We also have a specific Father's Day in June (in Germany, it falls on an existing holiday, as if they created it as an afterthought which they may have done).
But, St. Patrick's Day is a thing (I'm guessing due to the many Irish immigrants), so it's St. Patrick's Day for me. (And likely a 10th birthday with a soccer theme, have to check in with the mother).

I've noticed that both US and UK Father's Day fall on the same day, but for some reason our Mothering Sunday differs from the US one by a wide margin. Weird, I don't know why that is.

St. Patrick's Day is observed, as are the other Saints Days but nowhere near to the same extent as the US does. Is St. Patrick's the only one celebrated in the US?

St. David's Day (Wales) - 1st March (not a public holiday)

St. Patrick's Day (Ireland) - 17th March (public holiday)

St. George's Day (England) - 23rd April (not a public holiday)

St. Andrew's Day (Scotland) - 30th Nov (public holiday)

Don't ask me why some are public holidays and some aren't... it's a small bone of contention for the Welsh and the English lol, but as I have ancestry from three of the four countries, it is what it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[CheshireCat]

16 minutes ago, SilverStormm said:

I've noticed that both US and UK Father's Day fall on the same day, but for some reason our Mothering Sunday differs from the US one by a wide margin. Weird, I don't know why that is.

The US and German (continental Europe, I believe) Mother's Day are on the same day. 🤷‍♀️

 

16 minutes ago, SilverStormm said:

St. Patrick's Day is observed, as are the other Saints Days but nowhere near to the same extent as the US. Is St. Patrick's the only one celebrated in the US?

To my knowledge, yes. I've never noticed the others in the calendar and I just checked and they're not in there. Maybe it's got something to do with the US not wanting to have anything to do with anything English (although, Scotland was still independent back when the US was founded, wasn't it?) and/or the immigrant population? For example, one neighborhood in Chicago is known for its Irish population whereas there are no Welsh/English/Scottish neighborhoods. My guess is, country-specific traditions like St. Patrick's Day spread from neighborhoods like that and some get adopted by the general population for one reason or another (relatability?) and others not so much (like the Chinese New Year).

[JustHereForFood]

19 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

The US and German (continental Europe, I believe) Mother's Day are on the same day.

Most (though not all) European countries celebrate it on the second Sunday of May, same as the US.

Mother's Day around the world

[caitmcg]

On 2/25/2023 at 6:26 PM, CheshireCat said:

The US and German (continental Europe, I believe) Mother's Day are on the same day. 🤷‍♀️

 

To my knowledge, yes. I've never noticed the others in the calendar and I just checked and they're not in there. Maybe it's got something to do with the US not wanting to have anything to do with anything English (although, Scotland was still independent back when the US was founded, wasn't it?) and/or the immigrant population? For example, one neighborhood in Chicago is known for its Irish population whereas there are no Welsh/English/Scottish neighborhoods. My guess is, country-specific traditions like St. Patrick's Day spread from neighborhoods like that and some get adopted by the general population for one reason or another (relatability?) and others not so much (like the Chinese New Year).

It’s really a thing here due to the Irish immigrant population. Otherwise, we have no saints day or other religious holidays aside from Easter and Christmas (which are public holidays). St. Patrick’s Day is more a sentimental thing which, as I understand it, is fairly divorced in practice from anything in Ireland. 

[PRgal]

On 2/25/2023 at 6:14 PM, CheshireCat said:

Mother's Day isn't until May here. We also have a specific Father's Day in June (in Germany, it falls on an existing holiday, as if they created it as an afterthought which they may have done).
But, St. Patrick's Day is a thing (I'm guessing due to the many Irish immigrants), so it's St. Patrick's Day for me. (And likely a 10th birthday with a soccer theme, have to check in with the mother).

St. Patrick’s Day happens to be on a Friday this year which will bring in the dilemma of whether one can have corned beef… 

[JTMacc99]

19 hours ago, PRgal said:

St. Patrick’s Day happens to be on a Friday this year which will bring in the dilemma of whether one can have corned beef… 

You just need your priest to give you the okay, for example:

 

Essentially it's "Go ahead and celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but if you choose to eat Corned Beef, you should make up for it with some other penitential act."  

 

And speaking of St. Patrick's day, I'll be breaking out my Irish Tea Cake recipe that surfaces once a year. I used to make soda bread, and then I was introduced to a cake-like version of it, and that's been my go to ever since. 

[isalicat]

I'm Catholic, abstain from meat on Fridays through Lent (and generally through the year, actually, as just a habit I got into to eat fish on Fridays so as to eat less meat and more fish!). Fortunately I really hate corned beef so happy to be excused from it this year - I have always thought it was basically salt with a meat base 😾

Sorry - that was off topic! So to get back to baking: How do you all feel about Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix as opposed to baking corn bread/muffin entirely from scratch? I can't really tell the difference in the finished product: am I a Philistine or not?

Edited March 1, 2023 by isalicat

[Meredith Quill]

Happy St. David's Day to all the Welsh folk!

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, isalicat said:

How do you all feel about Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix as opposed to baking corn bread/muffin entirely from scratch?

The advantage of from scratch is that you control what's in it. For folks watching sugar intake, the boxed mixes may have more sugar than they care to eat.

[CheshireCat]

Also, if you look at cake mix ingredients, there's hardly anything in there that you'd put in your baking when you bake from scratch. A cake mix contains three-ish ingredients that I use in my baking: sugar, wheat flour (which is part of every flour, bleached or unbleached) and a leavening agent.

 

 

 

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, isalicat said:

How do you all feel about Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix as opposed to baking corn bread/muffin entirely from scratch? I can't really tell the difference in the finished product: am I a Philistine or not?

 I'm sure there are those that do all things from scratch. I'm not one of them. On some things, it wouldn't seem that the benefits outweigh the extra work and added expense. Jiffy muffins might fall solidly in that group for me.

Go ahead and spend the buck! All scratch and no shortcuts make Jane /John a dull baker.

[Browncoat]

Jiffy corn bread is way way too sweet for me.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Also, if you look at cake mix ingredients, there's hardly anything in there that you'd put in your baking when you bake from scratch.

That is true, yet I'll still use one about half the time (not that I make a lot of cakes to begin with, so it's not a frequent thing).

Jiffy Cornbread mix, though, hell no; I don't like sweet cornbread to begin with, and that's really sweet. 

I don't like sweet bread, period; bread is not cake.  The bread I buy is made with whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water, that's it.  I also like sourdough and rye, but that's my go-to.  (I most often make sandwiches as wraps, with whole wheat lavash, though.)

[JTMacc99]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

I don't like sweet bread, period; bread is not cake. 

Do you mean yeast breads like Challah or a King Cake or an Italian Pannetone, or do you mean the things that are called "sweet breads" but are pretty much cake like banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and so on?

[Quof]

I never understood the pandemic fascination with banana bread. It's one of the first things one learns to bake because it's so easy, and there's only so much that can be done to improve the basic recipe - hint, chocolate.  I've always viewed it as a default, I have no sweets in the house and I have some bananas that are going bad, so what the hell.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Do you mean yeast breads like Challah or a King Cake or an Italian Pannetone, or do you mean the things that are called "sweet breads" but are pretty much cake like banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and so on?

No, I mean bread that purports to be whole wheat, whole grain, or something basic like that, yet has sugar, honey, molasses or some other type of sweetener in it. 

[JTMacc99]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

No, I mean bread that purports to be whole wheat, whole grain, or something basic like that, yet has sugar, honey, molasses or some other type of sweetener in it. 

Ah. Yes, yuck to that. 

3 hours ago, Quof said:

I never understood the pandemic fascination with banana bread. It's one of the first things one learns to bake because it's so easy, and there's only so much that can be done to improve the basic recipe - hint, chocolate.  I've always viewed it as a default, I have no sweets in the house and I have some bananas that are going bad, so what the hell.

There was a pandemic fascination with banana bread?  Heh. Sounds about right. 

 

[Quof]

Second only to sourdough, which I also never understood.   

But we have a blizzard on the way, so I am making a no-knead oatmeal bread.

[isalicat]

Thanks for the feedback on the Jiffy cornbread mix. I am definitely not a baker (actually lived in a house without a real oven for 25 years and barely missed it as we ate mostly grilled meat/chicken/fish and my toaster oven there could accommodate a small meat loaf and a small baking pan of cut up chicken).

But every few months I make a big vat of either Chili Colorado (chili with no beans) or a big beef stew and if I have guests, I like to have something to go with besides my never-ending salads. So the Jiffy mix produces cornbread easily and quickly and reliably and is ridiculously inexpensive. I did not realize it is sweeter than made from scratch - corn always tastes sweet to me so I thought that is just what cornbread tastes like. I prefer fresh sourdough above all other bread if I am going to eat bread - a fresh baguette with some butter is better than any cake or cookie to me, but I try not to eat anything with flour for the most part (thus, not a baker 😺 )

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:17 PM, Browncoat said:

Jiffy corn bread is way way too sweet for me.

I like sweeter corn bread.  I really like the jiffy corn bread pudding made from mix, creamed corn, sour cream, and butter. 

On 3/2/2023 at 9:45 AM, JTMacc99 said:

Do you mean yeast breads like Challah or a King Cake or an Italian Pannetone, or do you mean the things that are called "sweet breads" but are pretty much cake like banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and so on?

yes, that's the difference between a quick bread and a yeast bread. 

Monday is Purim, so I am commencing the Hamantaschen prep.

Today, I make the prune lekvar filling.  Right now soaking prunes in wine. 

[annzeepark914]

On 3/1/2023 at 5:25 PM, isalicat said:

 😾Sorry - that was off topic! So to get back to baking: How do you all feel about Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix as opposed to baking corn bread/muffin entirely from scratch? I can't really tell the difference in the finished product: am I a Philistine or not?

I love Jiffy cornbread mix. I make it as a cake & put butter & wild blueberry jam on it while it's hot. Years ago, when I lived in NC, I went to a New Year's Eve party. The host made cornbread from scratch (to go with the black eyed peas).  Took a bite of the cornbread & was stunned that it didn't taste like any cornbread I'd ever had. It didn't taste like corn to me. Corn is sweet but this cornbread wasn't.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Took a bite of the cornbread & was stunned that it didn't taste like any cornbread I'd ever had. It didn't taste like corn to me. Corn is sweet but this cornbread wasn't.

Like so many things, cornbread traditions are pretty region specific, and the "Is cornbread sweet?" debate is right up there with "Are there beans in chili?" with things that can get you (metaphorically) shot in some parts.

Cornbread was a staple of my dad's family's diet (in Oklahoma), while my mom's family (in California) hardly ever ate it.  So what I grew up with was his, which is not sweet.  I don't make it very often, but when I do I make my grandma's version just with jalapeño added. 

[Browncoat]

Yep.  Where I grew up, it’s buttermilk cornbread — not sweet, and definitely no kernels of corn.

[SuprSuprElevated]

23 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Right now soaking prunes in wine. 

You may have discovered the reason for prunes. 🧐

[EtheltoTillie]

I love prunes!  The prune filling is delicious, though, made with wine and oranges and orange zest.  It cooks down for hours and almost tastes like chocolate. 

[CheshireCat]

On 3/4/2023 at 9:05 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

Monday is Purim, so I am commencing the Hamantaschen prep.

 

I've got a recipe for those in one of my baking books and made them several years ago (although, I filled them with jam I had gotten from a friend). They were absolutely delicious!

[EtheltoTillie]

18 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

I've got a recipe for those in one of my baking books and made them several years ago (although, I filled them with jam I had gotten from a friend). They were absolutely delicious!

Apricot and raspberry are also popular.  Prune is special, for the cognoscenti LOL.  I have to make it myself, because it's not something commonly sold. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[CheshireCat]

7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Apricot and raspberry are also popular. 

If memory serves, that's what the recipe called for. I remember that the Hamantaschen on the picture were filled with something yellow-ish and red-ish.

I have to make them again and try them with plum butter, though. My family and I all love it!

7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Prune is special, for the cognoscenti LOL.  I have to make it myself, because it's not something commonly sold. 

Do you have a Lidl close by? They don't always sell it but occasionally, they have plum butter. We always stock up on it as it's used for filling things like jelly-filled donuts and yeast rolls in Germany. (And we like to eat it simply like jam, too).

[BooksRule]

On 3/1/2023 at 4:25 PM, isalicat said:

How do you all feel about Jiffy corn bread/muffin mix as opposed to baking corn bread/muffin entirely from scratch?

I've found that Jiffy does well as muffins, but doesn't rise up enough for me if I use it to make a small square pan of cornbread.  It's too thin.  I do buy if when I want cornbread to go with soup or something, because making the muffins is fine.  It works well if you want to use it as a base for something else (such as a casserole that calls for a cornbread layer or topping.  I find that it works as well as making cornbread from scratch.

I've only made this once or twice, but I ate at a restaurant in Lexington, KY a long time ago that had the best cornbread.  They were known for it and gave out postcards with the recipe.  I lost the recipe, but googling will find it.  If you want a thick cornbread that has sour cream, cream corn, and yes, it does have sugar in it, along with the usual cornbread ingredients, try this one (it almost has the texture of a pound cake and makes a big pan): https://www.cooks.com/recipe/b872n0xw/deshas-homemade-cornbread.html 

[caitmcg]

On 3/4/2023 at 6:05 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

Monday is Purim, so I am commencing the Hamantaschen prep.

Do use a cookie dough or a yeast-risen dough for your hamantaschen? I’ve only made them with the former, which I think is more common, but I know the yeasted dough is traditional for some people.

[EtheltoTillie]

30 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

Do use a cookie dough or a yeast-risen dough for your hamantaschen? I’ve only made them with the former, which I think is more common, but I know the yeasted dough is traditional for some people.

I use a cookie dough.  A yeast dough would not be traditional for my family.  I usually have trouble with the dough. This year I am trying a butter based dough and an oil based dough.  The oil recipe has a little baking powder in it.  The butter based dough is hard to handle.  I have never really gotten the process down even after doing this for a long time.   You have to shape the dough circles into the little triangles, and sometimes the dough starts breaking apart.  My last year's batch was much better.

My prune filling turned out good.  I also purchased Bonne Maman apricot preserves, and they're really good.  I had Hero brand apricot preserves, and they were kind of tasteless.  I had Hero brand raspberry preserves, and they were delicious. 

BTW, Purim is actually tomorrow, not today.  Starts tonight, though. 

23 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

If memory serves, that's what the recipe called for. I remember that the Hamantaschen on the picture were filled with something yellow-ish and red-ish.

I have to make them again and try them with plum butter, though. My family and I all love it!

Do you have a Lidl close by? They don't always sell it but occasionally, they have plum butter. We always stock up on it as it's used for filling things like jelly-filled donuts and yeast rolls in Germany. (And we like to eat it simply like jam, too).

I actually have access to a Lidl, but I think plum butter is not the same as prune lekvar.  It has to be made from the dried fruit.  The plum butter looks good, though. I'm going to try to find some.

Edited March 6, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

21 hours ago, BooksRule said:

 

I've only made this once or twice, but I ate at a restaurant in Lexington, KY a long time ago that had the best cornbread.  They were known for it and gave out postcards with the recipe.  I lost the recipe, but googling will find it.  If you want a thick cornbread that has sour cream, cream corn, and yes, it does have sugar in it, along with the usual cornbread ingredients, try this one (it almost has the texture of a pound cake and makes a big pan): https://www.cooks.com/recipe/b872n0xw/deshas-homemade-cornbread.html 

Oh, that sounds great.  I've never seen self-rising cornmeal, though . . . Can one make a substitute by adding baking powder or baking soda? 

[CheshireCat]

48 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I actually have access to a Lidl, but I think plum butter is not the same as prune lekvar.  It has to be made from the dried fruit.  The plum butter looks good, though. I'm going to try to find some.

You would be right, plum butter is made from fresh plums but as far as I know, it's made from prunes as well. They're much more popular in Germany than the other plum kind. (But I guess, plum butter sounds better than prune butter 😉)

[EtheltoTillie]

4 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

You would be right, plum butter is made from fresh plums but as far as I know, it's made from prunes as well. They're much more popular in Germany than the other plum kind. (But I guess, plum butter sounds better than prune butter 😉)

Well, in recent years some brands have started calling prunes dried plums.  I guess they think it sounds better.  Prunes have a bad reputation.

[CheshireCat]

55 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

  I guess they think it sounds better.  Prunes have a bad reputation.

Why? 

Plum (prune) cake is extremely popular in Germany. It's a simple yeast dough spread out on a baking sheet and halved prunes on top, usually with cinnamon. Then it goes into the oven. Or you can put Streusel on top (which I prefer). Traditionally, it's then eaten with whipped cream.

[caitmcg]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I also purchased Bonne Maman apricot preserves, and they're really good.  I had Hero brand apricot preserves, and they were kind of tasteless.  I had Hero brand raspberry preserves, and they were delicious. 

I generally find Bonne Maman preserves to be very good, and I also like their apricot fruit spread. The one flavor from I do buy is black currant, because it’s the main source available to me.

 

2 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Why? 

Plum (prune) cake is extremely popular in Germany. It's a simple yeast dough spread out on a baking sheet and halved prunes on top, usually with cinnamon. Then it goes into the oven. Or you can put Streusel on top (which I prefer). Traditionally, it's then eaten with whipped cream.

Presumably because of their laxative properties. Other than fancy (expensive) imports, the best prunes are the Sunsweet Amazing, which are large, plump, and moist — and the bag does say dried plums in large print, and prunes in small print. Costco has them for a great price.

[EtheltoTillie]

@CheshireCat Yes as @caitmcgsaid, the bad reputation is for the laxative properties.  I think people think if the eat a prune pastry they'll be running to the bathroom. 

I would love to try that German plum or prune cake you described 

I used to make a chicken dish from the Silver Palate Cookbook that had prunes in it.  Also soaked in wine.  The prunes were the best part.  Chicken Marbella.

Edited March 7, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[BooksRule]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Oh, that sounds great.  I've never seen self-rising cornmeal, though . . . Can one make a substitute by adding baking powder or baking soda?

Probably, though I know I would have to google the issue as to how much to use.  I know I've seen the substitution listed on other recipes (self-rising vs. regular flour and baking power).