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muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

any liquid can be reduced just by heating it - but why would you want to do that, answer comes back to two of our old friends, flavor and consistency (texture)., by reducing any flavored liquid you intensify its flavor and at the same time thicken it. you can continue this process until what you have left is a syrup if it contains sugar, or a sauce if it does not., this is 1 of the most important tools in the kitchen , believe it or not, because a great sauce can rescue an indifferent meal., literally any liquid can be reduced ., a few uses, wine is frequently used in cooking , both as a marinade and as an addition to sauces for meat., there are some problems with it though, 1 of which is that you need a really good wine and quite a lot of it to produce a reasonable sauce for, say, six people., on the other hand , if you use pure grape juice and reduce it to a syrup, that syrup, added to any sauce (or gravy if you prefer) will lift it into the realms of gourmet ., more , you don tsp have to make your reduction on the night you prepare your meal. you can reduce a liter of grape juice at any time to the consistency and flavor you want; then just store it in the fridge., you can do the same thing with any fruit juice - prune is sensational - and store it until needed. just about all of them will do things for ice cream, pies or tarts that will have your guests demanding the recipe, pork with apple sauce use a carton of fresh apple juice from the supermarket and reduce it. and if you want a real sensation add in a glass of apple brandy during the reduction process., are you getting an idea of how simple this is, take any carton of fresh stock straight of the shelf and reduce it. you will transform it into something even the manufacturer won tsp recognize. but beware, you need to start out with good quality in the first place, because when you reduce a liquid you intensify all the flavors, and not just the good ones., if it s salty to start with, for example, it will be salty beyond belief by the time you ve reduced it even by half. so if you are going to use a supermarket stock, make sure it s an extremely good 1., believe me when i tell you that stock cubes should not be used for reduction sauces., thickeners, because you will be tasting as you go (won tsp you ), you may find that you get the flavor you want before the desired consistency is reached., a couple of hints right now for your sauces., sweet ones can be thickened successfully without loss of color by adding in liquid glucose early on in the reduction process. surprisingly, this will add little in the way of sweetness and produces a beautiful velvety sauce when whisked., if you get it wrong and add too much, no problem. stir in a little extra water to thin it., reduction pans, reductions need to happen rapidly in serving to preserve flavors. and the greater the surface area of the liquid the faster the water will evaporate., however you may want to whisk something into the sauce while its cooking - such as butter or olive oil for example - and for that i find a small wok is best; 1 with a handle., a wok is less likely to reduce so fast that the sauce is burnt while your back is turned. but try both methods and see which you prefer. you may even end up using something totally different., no magic to this. whatever works for you, that s what you should use, in this and everything else to do with cooking., just bear in mind that what you re after is speed and ease of use. as well as a great tasting result, of course. :>), keeping, if they should dry out , simply add a little water and heat through., sauces containing meat juices of any kind must be frozen if you re going to keep them, and should be brought to boiling point before being used again. there is no need to thaw them out to do this, in fact it s better not to. simply drop the frozen cubes into a saucepan, melt them over a gentle heat, and then bring swiftly to the boil., why do you do this to avoid food poisoning, that s why. you are making sure that any bugs introduced into the sauce during the preparation process are killed off., worry , this will not be because of anything you have done wrong (i hope!), but because bacteria are part of our everyday lives and they exist in every kitchen, however clean., in fact your food , and especially your meat, is crawling with wildlife that you will never see. don tsp worry about them. careful handling and simple precautions will ensure that these miniature monsters can never multiply enough to harm either you or your guests.

cranberries, sugar, water (more or less as needed), butter, orange juice concentrate, fruit pectin (certo that is 1 envelope), orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg

fabulous chocolate peanut butter cookies, level 3, unsweetened dutch cocoa, unbleached baking flour, baking soda, salt, semisweet baking chocolate, broken, unsweetened baking chocolate, broken, light brown sugar, chopped peanuts, unsalted butter, eggs, real vanilla, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, prepare cookies : preheat oven to 325 degrees., sift together cocoa , flour, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of wax paper. set aside., heat 1 inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. place semisweet and unsweetened baking chocolate in top half of the double boiler. tightly cover the top pan with plastic wrap and heat 12 to 15 minutes. remove from heat and stir chocolate until smooth. keep at room temperature. or, melt in microwave., place brown sugar and butter in the bowl of electric mixer and beat on medium speed 1 minute. scrape down bowl and beat on high speed additional 30 seconds. scrape down bowl. add eggs, 1 at a time, while beating on medium, stopping to scrape down bowl after incorporating each addition., add vanilla and beat on medium 30 seconds. add melted baking chocolate and beat on low 10 seconds more. scrape down bowl and beat additional 30 seconds. add flour mixture and beat on low until thoroughly combined, 20 to 30 seconds. remove bowl from mixer, add chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; mix thoroughly with rubber spatula. add peanuts, place 6 to 8 cookies per baking sheet (each cookie is approximately 2 tsp. put sheets in middle of oven. bake for 18 to 20 minutes, cool cookies on pans 5 to 6 minutes. transfer cookies to wire rack. repeat procedure until all cookies have been baked. cool cookies thoroughly before storing in sealed plastic container., prepare chocolate dipping sauce : heat cream, butter and sugar in saucepan over medium-high heat. when hot, stir to dissolve sugar. bring mixture to boil. place chocolate in stainless steel bowl and pour boiling cream over chocolate. let stand 5 minutes. stir until smooth. cool to room temperature. (dip can be made 3 to 4 days ahead and refrigerated. reheat, stirring. bring to room temperature before using.), put dip in a serving bowl, so guests can dip their cookies in before eating.

how to estimate food quantities, source : catering handbook by edith weiss, all good quantity cook books will indicate the size of the portions, and all packaged food items indicate the total weight of the package. ultimately, it is for the caterer to determine if the portions indicated are what he wishes to serve, if not, then he must make the necessary adjustments. the size of the portion should be determined by, occasion, time of service, age and sex of guests (young, old , all men, etc.), appearance of the portion on the plate (or in the package)., teenagers eat more than any other age group. they eat practically anything and everything, and the spicier the better., people from their mid-twenties to mid-fifties have sophisticated tastes. they are apt to eat in moderation and good taste., people past sixty eat much the same as the middle group , except for a lessening of the sharp and spicy foods., when hors d oeuvres are to be served, the following outline suggests a suitable number, all of which are considered generous servings, at a four-hour reception , regardless of the starting time - 12 per guest., cocktail hour , to be followed by dinner - four per guest., wedding reception , from 2:30 to 5:30 - eight per guest., cocktail reception , from 3:00 to 6:00 - eight to ten per guest., all other occasions , estimate four per guest per hour for the first two hours, and two per hour after that., these figures include both hot and cold hors d oeuvres and canapes., do not include relishes and dips., self-service vs. served, sometimes when guests serve themselves they tend to be very generous; at other times they may be very timid. for a self-service buffet allow slightly more than if the same buffet is to be served by waiters. guests do not al ways take more themselves, but since they do not always know how to serve properly, more food is wasted., hors d oeuvres, when calculating quantities for an hors d oeuvres only cocktail party, figure approximately 12 pieces per person for the first hour (8 hot, 4 cold) and 6 pieces per person every hour past the first hour., hors d oeuvre only cocktail party : number of people x 12 hdv for first hour number of people x 6 hdv for every hour there after., example, hour cocktail party for 25 guests you will need approximately 450 pieces of hors d oeuvres, guests x 12 hors d oeuvres = 300 pieces hors d oeuvres for the first hour, guests x 6 hors d oeuvres = 150 pieces hors d oeuvres for the second hour, hors d oeuvre before dinner : number of people x 6 hdv for 1 to 1 and a half hour service, example, hour cocktail service before dinner for 25 guests you will need approximately 150 pieces, salads and side dishes, when calculating quantities for salads and side dishes, please figure approximately 5 oz per person if you are serving multiple salads and / or side dishes. if you are serving only 1 salad or side dish, please figure approximately 1/2 a lb per person. use the following chart to figure out quantities., side dish or salad, number of guests x .50 = number of lb needed, example : 10 guests x .50 = 5 lb needed, multiple side dishes or salads: number of guests x .30 = number of lb needed, example : 10 guests x .30 = 3 lb needed, entrees and first courses, when calculating quantities for a first course, please estimate 2-4 oz of protein per person., example : you are serving 10 guests salmon for an entree., x 1/2 lb = 5 lb salmon needed, example : you are serving 10 guests salmon for a first course., x 1/4 lb = 2.5 lb salmon needed, source : cook s fresh market

lemon chiffon cake, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, egg yolks, cold-water, lemon juice, lemon rind, egg whites, cream of tartar, sift flour. add sugar , baking powder and salt; sift 3 more times, last time into a large mixing bowl. make a well in the center of the mixture, and pour in oil, lightly beaten egg yolks, lemon juice and rind. beat all this thoroughly., in another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff. gently fold flour mixture into egg whites. pour into greased and floured tube pan. bake at 325f for 1 hr. and 10 min. test with straw or cake tester to see if done. invert over bottle and let set on table. let cool completely. frost the cooled cake with lemon frosting. serves 12-16 easily., lemon frosting, sugar, soft butter, milk , more if necessary, grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, grate lemon rid and wrap in piece of cheesecloth. wring the oils into the sugar before it is blended, or gently blend with the sugar. let set 15 min. or more to allow the flavors to blend. then cream sugar and butter, add juice and enough milk to make icing. frost cake, tip decorate with sprigs of mint for color .

pinto or kidney beans,drained and rinsed, your favorite spicy bbq sauce, dried oregano, coriander, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, dried chili flakes,or more to taste, black pepper, water ,as needed

butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, extra virgin olive oil, dried chili pepper flakes, more to taste, kosher salt, yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, country bread, 1-inch thick, ricotta cheese or 1/2 cup goat cheese or 1/2 cup feta or 1/2 cup mascarpone, coarse salt, mint, chopped

farfalle (bow tie) pasta, canned white tuna in water, drained and flaked - or more to taste, cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces, ranch dressing

sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled, gruyere cheese, shredded, baked pie shells, eggs, heavy cream, milk, fresh grated nutmeg

all-purpose flour or 3 cups bread flour, more for dusting, instant yeast, salt, cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

ground chuck or sirloin, cooked fusilli , or bow-tie pasta (you can use more or less), onion, chopped, bell pepper, chopped, celery stalks, chopped, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce or 1 cup v-8 (preferred), shredded cheddar cheese, divided, oregano, basil, louisiana hot sauce, salt and pepper

finger sized chunks extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (or seitan, or tempeh, or gardein strips), all-purpose flour, fresh ground pepper (more if you like lots of pepper), paprika, dried oregano, dried basil, full fat coconut milk (235 ml), vegetable oil (for frying ), nondairy butter, melted, hot sauce , depending on how spicy you like it (30-60 ml), garlic powder, salt, pepper, vegan mayonnaise (store bought or homemade -225 g), nondairy sour cream (store bought or homemade -120 g), dried parsley (or 1-2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine), dried dill (or 1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped fine), garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, salt, black pepper

organic free-range chickens, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, red onion, quartered, lemon, halved, head garlic, halved, fresh thyme, bay leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling, mixed mushrooms such as button , cremini, shiitake, or oyster

carrot, peeled and grated, yellow lentils, washed and soaked in boiling hot water for 15 to 20 minutes (yellow moong dal), white lentils (white urad dal), mustard seeds, green chili, chopped (use 2 if you like it more spicy), cucumbers , chopped into real small pieces, oil

time : 10 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, more to taste, heads broccoli, 1 lb each, cut into bite-size florets, extra virgin olive oil, fat garlic cloves, minced, cumin seeds, roasted (asian ) sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes .

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

ground lamb (or other lean ground meat of your choice), onion , chopped (optional, if short on time, use chopped frozen s), garlic cloves, minced (optional, use more or less or garlic power, according to taste), curry powder (use high quality, such as madras), water (or use low sodium chicken or vegetable stock, i usually use homemade), fresh marinara sauce (such as buitoni), baby spinach (or up to 1 lb of chopped fresh or frozen spinach, or kale, or other green of your choice)