BakingAsked Sep 27, 2020 by Linda W.
I've been trying to figure out how to make a cake my mom made in the '60s. It was similar to gingerbread - one layer in an 8x8 pan. The unusual thing is that you could turn it out of the pan and it had a glaze in the bottom that would drip over the cake. I thought I had found the answer when I saw an episode of the Great British Baking Show in which they made self-saucing puddings. But when I tried making a recipe for that, the sauce had more of a gravy consistency than a glaze.
Mom's spice cake/gingerbread had something more like what is at the bottom of a pineapple upside down cake, but there was no fruit in it.
I will keep experimenting with the self-saucing pudding idea, but would love advice/input from others on this. Thank you!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Linda - This sounds like a pudding cake, for sure. We have a recipe on the website for a Maple-Whisky Pudding Cake (baked in individual ramekins) but the cake doesn't get turned out - the glaze-y sauce starts at the top and ends up at the bottom of the ramekin.Two tips with this kind of cake - 1.) make sure to pour the sauce in and let it sit on top of the cake batter, don't stir! and 2.) don't over-bake the cake. If you do, the sauce becomes a bit thicker and isn't as distinct. Others here may have some ideas, but I think a search for a gingerbread pudding cake would probably yield a good starting point. You could then experiment with turning the cake out rather than leaving it in the pan as most recipes do. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 25, 2020 by Jeff H.
I was wondering why when I read recipes using grated cheese, frequently the weight specified doesn't equal the volume specified. Recently I made one that said 2 ounces of parmigiano reggiano equaled 1 cup. When I weighed the cup of grated cheese it was between 4 and 5 ounces. Rather puzzling.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jeff - Generally, when we refer to a weight of cheese we are referring to the amount \before\ grating. So when we write, "2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated," we mean 2 ounces of ungrated cheese that is then grated. We do this because it's easier to buy cheese by a weight than volume measurement. You can easily cut an 8-ounce block of cheddar in half and then half again, grate it, and not have to measure in a measuring cup. Hope that helps explain it! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 23, 2020 by Tucker K.
I am a recent upgrade-to-Insider subscriber. I love Milk Street's content but I'm a bit perplexed by some of the site's organization. Not sure if I'm simply still unfamiliar with the site. In terms of navigability, I have 2 main questions:
1. Is there a way to "search" recipes/ingredients exclusively within "recipes" or even specific recipe categories (e.g. Fast and Slow, Cookish, etc.)?
2. I'm also wondering if there are plans to increase the number of items (e.g. recipes) displayed on a given page, as it becomes tedious to click through 7+ pages!
Thank you!
Answered by Evan Petto
Hi Tucker!
Thanks for your question—we're so happy you're enjoying our content!
Currently, there are no ways to filter your search results exclusively within recipes besides our main "mains" "sides" "desserts" etc filters. We are however currently in internal review of our search platform and how to make it more user-friendly—this feedback is key to identifying ways we can better our user experience. Look for more updates in the coming weeks!
With our growing archive of recipes, we are also aware of the increased number of pages users have to look back at recipes we have published in the past. This feedback has been passed onto developers in the past and will see some improvements as we continue to upgrade our web experience.
I hope these answers help and we appreciate you taking your time to reaching out to us. Keep enjoying Milk Street!
Best,
Evan
Digital Content Director
Read MoreAsked Sep 21, 2020 by Jenise V.
Hello! I would like to specifically bake cakes from scratch for 1, 6'' baking pan. How do I calculate the ingredients for this sized pan and any other sized pan or pie dish that's not 9"? Thank you!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jenise - Stella Parks over at Serious Eats did a great article on scaling recipes here. You will need to divide the total weight of ingredients in the recipe by the total amount of batter needed (for a 6" pan she says you will need 12 ounces of batter) to yield the multiplier. I would recommend using a scale to weigh ingredients rather than try to figure out volume measurements. This may prove tricky when breaking up eggs. To figure out weights of eggs it's easiest to whisk together a whole egg and weigh it and then remove or add to get the weight you need. See Stella's linked article for more helpful tips and clarification. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 21, 2020 by Hana F.
The Southwest Asian Style Mushroom Omlete calls for:
Don't use a conventional skillet. A nonstick pan is key to allow the omelet to easily slide out. Also, make sure the skillet, including its handle, is oven-safe, as the omelet finishes cooking in the oven at 400°F.
Do you know which type of pan he is referring to? I always thought non-stick shouldn't go into the oven. I'm in the market for some new pans.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Hana - You can definitely put a nonstick skillet in the oven! You just need to make sure the handle of your skillet is oven safe - by that we mean that it has a stainless steel or silicone handle. A nonstick skillet should not be used over very high heat or under the broiler, however. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 21, 2020 by Craig B.
Hello does homemade mayonnaise or aioli really only keep for one week in the refrigerator. I always make mine more acidic than that stuff at the grocery store, so I would think it would keep longer than a single week. I've been too cautious to ever use it past a week in the fridge. Afraid it would be instant food poisoning. What is the truth on the matter?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Craig - Even if you add more acid to your mayonnaise it's impossible to know if it's enough to prevent bacteria growth in the mayonnaise. Although it's probably not going to be instant food poisoning, I'd still recommend only keeping homemade mayo for a week or, at most, two. The only way to safely extend the shelf life of homemade mayonnaise is to use pasteurized eggs. Some higher-end stores carry pasteurized eggs or you can try to pasteurize eggs yourself at home. There are several methods for home pasteurization - sous vide, microwave, or stovetop - which involve slowly heating the egg yolks to 160 degrees before making the mayo. Because this \may\ cause the yolks to thicken and not properly emulsify, you may need to add some water while heating to keep them more fluid. It may take a bit of trial and error, but you could then store your mayonnaise for about a month. Hope this helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 20, 2020 by Michael T.
Closed captions would be a great addition to your videos, both for recipes and the cooking school for those of us who are severely hearing impaired. Automatic closed captions, as available on most UTube videos would surely work. How can that be implemented?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Michael - We definitely understand how critical closed-captioning is for our subscribers and viewers who are hearing-impaired and appreciate you taking the time to write in. I passed along your concerns to our video and education teams and this is already something that they are working on implementing for both videos and our pre-recorded cooking classes. We are hopeful that we can implement these changes as soon as possible. Currently, our live Zoom cooking classes do offer closed captioning. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 16, 2020 by Walt G.
When I was growing up my grandmother, of Czeck descent, used to make a unique dessert for the holidays. The dessert is called dolecky (go to google translate for pronunciation). I have looked, but have not found any reference to this dessert. The dessert consists of the following. It starts with a raised sweet bread biscuit (about 3/4" thick) made with golden raisins. On this goes first, cottage cheese, followed by whipped prunes with unsweetened whipped cream on top. Most people hear these combinations and are not too impressed, however we were always excited when we had this dessert and enjoyed it very much-sometimes too much!!
I'm curious in your experience or travels if you have come across this dessert or something similar.
Thank you,
Walt Gessler
Watson, MN
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Walt - We've never come across anything called dolecky in our travels, but we have seen kolaches. These are sweet, raised buns - sometimes with raisins, sometimes not - that are filled/topped with cream cheese and fruit. Prunes are a popular filling in these, so I'm wondering if your dessert might be your grandmother's version of kolaches? If you do an internet search for kolaches you will find dozens of versions and recipes to determine if this is similar to your grandmother's dessert. Good luck and let us know if this is the same dessert! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 14, 2020 by ann B.
I'm sitting in a smoke filled house in Seattle. I put a pot of your chili con carne on as a kind of aroma therapy. It's working a little too well. My veg husband now wants the chili, but with beans and veg crumble. The seasonings in this smell gorgeous, so I can't blame him. Can I add two or three cans of black beans or kidney beans and use the same method? Or I could soak some dried beans? I wouldn't want them to become mush, but I'm out of my depth here.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Ann - Although I think you could \definitely\ adapt this to a vegetarian chili, we haven't tested it so I can't offer a quick modification. If I were testing this recipe, I'd probably try to combine this recipe for Indian Spiced Kidney Bean Stew with the recipe for Chili con Carne to create a vegetarian chili in the Instant Pot. It may require some tweaking, but that would be my recommendation for where to start. So sorry I can't give you a quick fix! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Sep 06, 2020 by Kathie R.
Hello
Posted this comment/question in the recipe comment section also. Followed this recipe to the letter and the cake came out a bit dry. I noticed another comment with the same issue. I used a glass loaf pan. Wondering if I somehow over baked it. My oven temperature is not significantly off. In contrast I just baked your Mexican Sweet Corn Cake which turned out great however I actually had to bake it a bit longer to get a clean toothpick. I had high hopes for this recipe and would like to give it another go.
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Kathie - I do think it's the glass loaf pan causing the cake to be overbaked. Glass is an insulator. It takes longer to heat up but, once it does, it holds the heat longer. And while that can result in more even baking, it can also mean that the edges and bottoms will brown too quickly, and sometimes before the inside has cooked through. Once out of the oven, your loaf will take longer to cool down, which can create a slightly drier cake. The standard advice for baking in glass is to lower the oven temperature by 25°F from what the recipe calls for and bake up to 10 minutes longer. I would also ensure that your loaf pan measure 9x5, which is what we use when testing our recipes. A slightly larger or smaller loaf pan can affect how quickly the cake bakes as well. I hope this is helpful! Best, Lynn C.
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