Tips , tips , tips.

Dear Lavanya,
It is nice to receive a pat on the bacxk for an old post!
Thankyou.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear mam

ur tips on kneading the chappati dough with hand mixer is really very useful.i just tried with a cup of floor n hav kneaded the dough for tomorrow.gd the dough was kneaded in no time.

mam ,pls do post the tips for mixing the dough ,icing n folding the cake dough.mam pls do post this at ur convenience.

thanks n regards
raji

Dear Raji,
Yes, I will post tips on "creaming", "folding", "rubbing" etc for cakes. I will post on icing, but that can never replace a demonstration, sadly!!
I will await your phulka FBs tomorrow, Raji.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chithra,
you are incredible, I have no other word for you. You are always innovating, trying new ideas. When mostly people will brush aside a request for tips on kneadng with hand blender and grinder, saying that the person is too novice, you are taking it very much seriously and giving us such wonderful tips. You know, you are making cooking into a hobby which all enjoy rather than a chore to be done every day. I love you so much!

Dear Chithra,
you are incredible, I have no other word for you. You are always innovating, trying new ideas. When mostly people will brush aside a request for tips on kneadng with hand blender and grinder, saying that the person is too novice, you are taking it very much seriously and giving us such wonderful tips. You know, you are making cooking into a hobby which all enjoy rather than a chore to be done every day. I love you so much!

AMEN!

Dearest Chith,

I am trying to catch up on all the posts while the babies are napping. Amen to every word of Varloo's.

You amaze us with making even trivial things soo interesting and colorful. Will try to get back with some FBs after trying them over the long weekend!

Love
Vidya

Hi Miss Doris,
Welcome to IL. E mail id is not allowed in the open forum & had to be deleted.
Please share your thoughts in the open forum.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by dorisbaby10

Hi,Greetings from Doris,
My name is Miss Doris Soumah. l saw your profile and after going through it i made up my mind to contact you as my friend, So i want you to write back to me through my email address so that l will give you my picture and for you to know who i am. l hope to see your mail soon.
lt is from me,Miss Doris.

Oh Varloo,
Please do not embarass me by your super nice words!
One thing, you say is right. I do not want ladies to think there is nothing creative in cooking! I started as a novice & I am here in your midst with a sub-forum to my credit! Do I not owe it to the world at large?
Such lovely words, God bless you, Varloo.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by Varloo

Dear Chithra,
you are incredible, I have no other word for you. You are always innovating, trying new ideas. When mostly people will brush aside a request for tips on kneadng with hand blender and grinder, saying that the person is too novice, you are taking it very much seriously and giving us such wonderful tips. You know, you are making cooking into a hobby which all enjoy rather than a chore to be done every day. I love you so much!

Dear "twinsmom",
Welcome back. Need I tell you, how much I missed you?
The essence of life is in trivial things & how we take it, Vidya! Please take your time & try out. My hugs & kisses to Mahi & Shaku.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by vmur

AMEN!

Dearest Chith,

I am trying to catch up on all the posts while the babies are napping. Amen to every word of Varloo's.

You amaze us with making even trivial things soo interesting and colorful. Will try to get back with some FBs after trying them over the long weekend!

Love
Vidya

To beat - to introduce air into a mixture by repeated vigorous motion, using a wooden spoon, wire-whisk, fork or an electric beater.

To bind - to add a liquid, egg or melted fat to a dry mixture to hold it together.

To blend - to combine all ingredients thoroughly until very smooth and uniform.

To cream - to beat fat and sugar to incorporate air, break down the sugar crystals and soften the fat.

To fold in – to combine two mixtures very gently with a spoon or dough kneader gently, with an under-and-over motion, until thoroughly mixed. The air incorporated in the mixture should not be disturbed. While using the dough kneader blades, use it only at the first speed.

Unsalted fat or olive oil or refined oil should be used for greasing cake tins and lining papers.
Greased butter papers can be used to line tins to bake cakes which need a long time for cooking.
After cooling, loosen the edges all around with a palette knife.
It is advisable to transfer the cake to a wire mesh & wait till it cools thoroughly before cooling.
Cakes using rubbing in method:
This method is used for plain cakes with or without fruit. Here the fat is rubbed in the flour until no lumps remain and the mixture has the appearance of fine bread crumbs.
If using hands, use a large bowl and lift the hands well above your work, allowing the mixture to fall back – this helps to aerate it. The dough mixer can be used if you have an electric hand mixer.
The egg is then beaten lightly & added gradually with enough milk to give a dropping consistency. To test this, take a spoonful of the mixture and hold it over the bowl. It should drop from the spoon, by the time you have counted five slowly !
I shall post Plain Sultana Cake shortly.
Cakes using Creaming Method:
A very large no: of cakes are done by this method.
Butter should be soft. Butter & sugar are creamed very well using the whisking blades or with a wooden spatula. The mixture should be light & fluffy.
Break eggs into a small bowl, then add one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Too much egg added at a time may result in curdling the mixture; in this case sprinkle about 1 tbsp of the measured flour, before proceeding further.
Now, lot of air is incorporated in the creamed mixture. When adding the flour, care must be taken that it is added as gently as possible (without beating) either with dough kneader or by hand. The aeration should not be disturbed. To give a soft dropping consistency a little milk may be added. Rich chocolate cake is made by this method.

Cake Making Faults:
If a cake sinks in the middle, it may be due to:
1 – too much baking powder
2 – too many eggs or too little flour
3 – moving or shaking the cake in the oven or opening the oven door and admitting an inrush of cold air before it has set.

If a cake is heavy, it may be due to:
1 – beating after the flour has been added
2 - cooling in a draught

If the fruit in a cake sinks to the bottom, it may be due to:
1 – the fruit being added when it is moist
2 – under-baking
3 – too many eggs or too little flour

If the cake is dry & of an open texture, it may be due to too much of baking powder.

Too hot an oven makes a cake crack or have a thick crust (not cooked inside properly).

Too cool an oven fails to set the mixture sufficiently quickly; it may then rise & overflow the tin.

Always use fresh raising agents like baking powder, soda bicarb, yeast etc. Every two months, throw away the old stock & buy fresh.

Always sieve with flour.

Powder sugar at home for all cakes.

Brown sugar, where specified, adds to the flavour and colour.

Icing sugar must be stored in a fridge. Always sieve it before use to get fine texture in icings.

Butter is best and margarine is the best substitute.

Eggs, if used, must be fresh.

Dry fruits like cherries, tutti frutti are dusted with flour before adding. Chop raisins to remove seeds.

Use best quality flavourings and use sparingly.

Assemble all ingredients, before you start baking. Remove to preheat the oven to the desired temperature.
Weights should be exact to get good results.

Always level measuring cups with a knife.

To measure syrup or honey, use a warmed or greased spoon to prevent syrup adhering to the spoon.

Hello Chithra

I recently joined Indusladies and find it a great place to share, discuss and know about varied topics.Hats off to you people, its an amazing site.
I recently got married and trying many recipes that you have posted. All the dishes are coming out well and my husband is impressed
Thanks to you!!!!
Love you and your posts.....
Keep the good work going

Lol
deeyashu