Well, at least I realized it before I left home. But if you think that didn't throw me off kilter as far as my day's plans went! About face, change horses, restructure day and . . . trip, stumble, hiccup . . . proceed with some semblance of productive order. (Not very flexible, am I?)
I busted my derriere today to get two batches of cookies made and stashed in the freezer. A tragedy it would be around here if there were no cookies for a quick pick-me-up snack when we're working so hard physically outside all day.
The first batch was Gingersnaps, an old standby favorite that for some reason today didn't collapse into the flat cookies they are supposed to be. Stayed in little puffy mounds and are hard as rocks instead of soft and chewy. Hrumpf.
For the second batch I made Molasses Apple Cookies which just plain don't look right. They're kinda shiny, smooth and look like they're frosted with chocolate glaze. (Not what you wanna have on molasses cookies.) They are just not supposed to look the way they do today. The taste is okay but I can't figure out why the look and texture is strange. Hrumpf.But all in all, the day ended up being okay. (Although the cookie gods were definitely not smiling on me. Mumble-grumble.)
I DID make it into my quilt studio for an hour tonight. And that's definitely a good thing!
8 comments:
You're not alone in the realm of kitchen failures. Last night's cake went to the chickens.
I'm sorry your cookies didn't turn out as well as you'd have liked, but thanks to you we did have a wonderful chicken soup tonight! The chicken was definitely a little on the "stringy" side, but plenty tender and quite tasty! I've also got plenty of broth left over to make another soup or something with. So, thanks for the advice on cooking old birds! :) Hope tomorrow is more rewarding for you!
My flop last week were the easiest thin...mashed potato's. Had to stop half way thru and finished them the next night. Perfect wall paper paste!
You have reminded me that I haven't baked since Christmas I think! I'll add that to the list now...
Hi, JJ - Chickens or pigs . . . they'll welcome all kitchen failures. Ours have had plenty! (Don't know about you but it makes me feel lots better about my failures . . . I figure we get the good ingredients back eventually.)
Oh, Patty, good, good, good! Yes, sometimes the meat will get a little stringy . . . better that than tough though! Got any taters left from last year? A good chicken broth makes a wonderful base for Cream of Potato Soup. I've been making it frequently lately to use up the last of our potatoes that are going, going, going . . .
Hey, Katie - I've done the same thing with mashed potatoes. I have to stop and ask myself, "Uh, HOW long have you been cooking?"
Hi, Erin - YOU HAVEN'T BAKED SINCE CHRISTMAS??!! Good lord, girl, send me your address and I'll send you a CARE package!
Seriously, your family is probably much healthier for not having had the baked goods. Luscious produce from your fantastic garden is much, much better food!
Your cookies look great from over here! I don't bake them very often. Maybe I should go in the kitchen now and do that!!
Hi, Beth - Thanks for your kind words, but there's something very definitely wrong with them. My daughter was over tonight and she said she thinks they have a "chemically" taste. I used molasses in both recipes so now I'm wondering if there was something wrong with it. I tell ya, if it isn't one thing . . . ! ;o)
Good luck on your cookie baking. I'm sure they'll be much better than mine!
Re: mashed potatoes-- I remember reading in "Cook's Illustrated" a while back that the best results were achieved by putting the peeled, cooked potatoes through a ricer. Well, we don't have a ricer, but the last time I made mashed potatoes, I put the chunks of cooked potato into a wire mesh sieve and worked them through with a wooden spoon. Then I just folded milk and butter into the very light, fluffy mass until it looked and felt about right, and they turned out better than they ever had before--not gluey at all!
(The sieve worked fine for a small batch, but I think you could get similar results using any sort of food mill for a larger batch.)
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