Photo Courtesy Zoe Bakes
Warning: Anyone who comments to me about the weather today is in the line of fire. I am sitting at my desk watching yet another deluge of rain coming down. Is it time for the rowboats? Thank goodness I have the likes of Zoe François’ Bee Hive Cake to make me smile.
Never underestimate their immortal words:
To Thine Own Self Be True and The Importance of Being Earnest– I have Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde to thank for teaching me a lesson earlier this week. Actually, I think I actually engaged in a form of willing self-deception as I “surreptitiously” (no one was watching, right?) tried to cheat and keep 2 tblsp of flour in my recipe that didn’t belong there. As you know from Monday’s post, I made another batch of David Leite’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and had less than satisfactory results. This sordid tale brought these two titles into my head and planted them there. The experience has turned into a mystery of sorts and I have spent the last couple of days soul-searching as I continued to stubbornly avoid accepting the evidence – even to the point of resorting to some statistical venues to seek the cause of my “crumb-y or crummy cookies”. While I now somewhat also suspect that my box of micro-wave softened light brown sugar may also be a suspect, I continued to search for the meaning of the 2 tblsp flour- affect.
I actually calculated the percentage-affect of my mistake: 2 tblsp:2 cups is 6.25%. 2 tblsp:3 2/3 cups, the total quantity of flour in the recipe is 3.389%, and so, even though I had trouble convincing myself that 2 tablespoons of extra flour really didn’t matter much, I was wrong, period, done. So, when anyone tries to convince you of the value of weighing ingredients, something emphasized over and over in pastry school, and you doubt this, remember me. (and do an experiment yourself – weigh and see this: (think there are 8 oz in a cup? think again………… and, you may indeed get other measurements from other sources, go figure.
Dry Goods – courtesy Allrecipes.com
All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup = 4.5 oz
Bread Flour: 1 cup = 4.8 oz
Cake Flour: 1 cup = 3.9 oz
Pastry Flour: 1 cup = 4.25 oz
Whole Wheat Flour: 1 cup = 4.25
Cornmeal, coarse: 1 cup = 4.85 oz
Cornmeal, fine: 1 cup = 6.3 oz
Oats, rolled: 1 cup = 3 oz
Walnuts, chopped: 1 cup = 4.3 oz
Walnut/pecan halves: 1 cup = 3.5 oz
Coconut, dry shredded: 1 cup = 2.5 oz
Chocolate Chips: 1 cup = 5.35 oz
Ok, so I think I have covered that subject quite enough……..
Today’s thoughts – I know all the complaints about Facebook. Many people consider it to be in the category of a “public nuisance”. But I have to tell you that I find the most amazing recipes and ideas on what I call my daily “Food Feeds”. As with my travel-related “friends” inspiring me to visit a myriad of places and evoking lots of ooos and ahhhhs, like these:
photo courtesy Strada Vini del Cantico
and Cindy Houlihan’s priceless picture from Pienza:
I find using Facebook as the most friendly source to see what other people are conjuring up in their kitchens – from famous chefs to basic home cooks. I think it’s really a great resource. It’s free and you can delete or by-pass anything you want to. What’s not to “like”?
Just this morning I found about 10 recipes which I would definitely make. The cake, shown above happens to be my favorite today – it “takes the cake”.
The Beehive Cake, Brown Butter Banana and Honey Buttercream Cake – http://zoebakes.com/2011/06/22/beehive-cake-brown-butter-banana-cake-and-honey-buttercream/
This one is a keeper and I am bound and determined to try this recipe.
I am honestly amazed and inspired by all the people out there who share my passion for getting into the kitchen and making and “designing” food. I am not one of those people who is so into designing a plate and creating what I call, architectural food, but creating a cake such as this is my idea of fun – not too fussy, not too crazy and it’s whimsical. I like whimsical. And, it celebrates the bees!
And, check out this new book, this family’s story and their other books – they are indeed inspiring and committed organic farmers:
I am off on another mission now – to research and/or develop a new recipe for Lobster Tacos!