Baking Basics: Storing Cookie Dough

So, I'm freaking out right now!  The good kind of freaking out.

Like a kid in a candy store.

But not the lame store in the mall with stale, three-plus year old candy.

No.

The type of candy store you find at historic landmarks, at state capitals...we're talking barrels of candy lining the walls, aisles, windows. 

That's the kind of candy store I'm in.  

I'll admit it's pretty lame because what I have to announce really isn't that big of a deal.

I mean, I didn't win the lottery.

I didn't get to put my handprints into a slab of cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

And I didn't get asked out by Jason Segel to be his date to an awards show or even just for a drink.

Sure, what I have to tell you is pretty cool...

....but I just don't want you to be misled by my over-exuberant display of excitement. 

Nat's Adventures in Baking was featured in the "Back For Seconds" Link Social yesterday!

Click to see.

See?! How totally rad is that?!

Somebody actually read (er.....looked at pictures) on my blog!! 

(It's you obvi)

I really shouldn't reveal that I'm so utterly shocked that another human being would take notice of my work.  

It comes off as annoyingly self-depreciating or as a sneak-attack, undercover ego trip.  

"Ah, you guys read my blog, ah, I'm so shocked...yada yada.  of course you read my blog, duh!"

But I can't help it.  I'm so stunned.  

I've been linking my posts to blog socials (basically, an arena to share your posts with other bloggers) for months, but I've never been the most viewed post for the week!  

I knew sprinkles were the key to success!

Sprinkled Pies.   Check.

Sprinkled Puff Pastries.  Check.

Sprinkled Popcorn?  Sure, why not.  Check.

Oh, it's on. 

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Do you ever wish you could have freshly baked cookies all the time?

Of course you do!

I never have dough leftover from a cookie batch. This is mostly because if you make it...they will come. "They" meaning your family, friend, significant other, cat, dog, mouse...doesn't matter. If cookies are made, they WILL get eaten...that very day...that v-e-r-y moment.

So today's baking lesson is on how you can easily store the cookie dough you slaved over, help stave off the rabid beasts at home, and have ready-to-bake cookies right at your fingertips. 

There are two ways to do this:
1) "Log" - Refrigerator Method
2) "Individual" - Freezer Method

"Log" Cookie Dough Storage (Refrigerator Method).  Lasts 7-10 Days
1) This method is extremely simple.  All you'll need is some plactic wrap.
2) Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface.
3) Scoop all of the cookie dough on top, and fashion into a log shape the best you can. 
4) Wrap dough in plastic.  Make sure all areas are covered completely as you don't want them to dry out.
5) Once wrapped up tight, roll the log against the counter to smooth any "lumpy" ends.
6) Store dough in the fridge.  Can be stored for up to a week or so.
7) When you want cookies just slice and bake! 
8) This method only works in the fridge because a frozen log is quite hard to cut!

So obviously, I didn't take any pictures of that method.

Mostly because I'm so lazy that I don't want to have to slice cookies later.  I want to just plop pre-portioned bits on a baking sheet and eat away!

This next method is my preferred choice.  For when you want to have cookies available for a long time. 

Pre-formed Individual Sized Cookie Dough Storage (Freezer Method).  Lasts 1-2 Months

1) This method is just as easy, only it takes a little more time because you need to "flash freeze" the 

     individual portions first or the pieces will stick together.

2) With a spoon, fashion small balls of dough and place on a non-stick cookie/baking pan.  

3) Place pan in freezer for about an hour.

4) Once pieces are firm and mostly solid, place in a heavy duty ziploc bag.

5) Squeeze out all the air...all of it...or at least as much as you possibly can.  The less it is exposed to air 

    the longer it will last and you'll avoid freezer burn.  

6) Write date on bag and store in the freezer.  Can be stored for up to two months.  The more you take 

    care to always seal the bag and remove air, the longer you can keep having ready-to-bake cookies on 

    hand.

7) When you are ready to bake, take out desired pieces and let defrost on a baking sheet.  *Tip: If you 

    have a Silpat you can bake them frozen.  The mat helps conduct the heat evenly. 

If you'll excuse me, I have some cookie dough to eat bake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behind The Blog: Bloggity Blog Redesign

I don't know why I call this my "Bloggity Blog."

I just do.

Whenever I save a file or photo for this here blog - "bloggity" is usually somewhere in the title.

I guess that's kind of what I do.

Morph proper names like "Nat's Adventures In Baking" into nonsensical non-names.

It's how my cat became:

Booger
Boosh
Boosher
Boo Bear
or Little Bast@#%...oh, that's not a nice one.

I wonder if he knows his name is Archie?


While I have a real food review post coming up soon, I'm pretty busy working for the next couple weeks so I won't have time for a more detailed post until this weekend.

What better time to give you a tour around the new design, huh?

I've been using the "Dynamic" view in Blogger ever since they first introduced it.

For a complete and utter beginner, it's great because it instantly gives your blog a facelift - no brains involved.

However, I always had issues with it looking different on every computer and not being user friendly.  

Finally, after two successful "test" blogs, I got up the guts to switch back to "Simple" view...and viola!  Here we are.

If you ever want to start a blog, I suggest you never, ever go with the Dynamic View - as tempting as it may be.  Your blog layout may suffer for awhile, but you can build in Simple View one step at a time and it's infinitely more customizable.  

So now I introduce to you the new header and even newer - page bar!

Home Tab: Get the goods.  Here's where all the posts happen in a chain of the four most recently added.

Comments Section: At the end of each post.  What made you laugh?  What made you cry?  

About Me: For now it's just background on why I started this blog, but I'll add more to it bit by bit if I feel inspired. 

Recipe Index:  This is my favorite part!  I've wanted to do this forever.  Now you can find the recipe you need, when you need it.  First, I plucked out my favorites - the ones I'd make again - and put them at the top.  The rest are organized by type.  Maybe you'll find something that intrigues you.

Baking Basics: I also set aside a tab for all the baking 101's, the "how to's" if you will.  Once again finding what you need, when you need it.

Fav Blogs: Giving a shout out to the blogs I follow.  The ones that inspire me.  Hopefully you'll find one or two that spark your interest.

And now, for the Sidebar.

On the top half we have:

The Search Bar.  Looking for a recipe that uses graham crackers? Marshmallows?  Type it.  Find it.

The Follow By Email.  Can't remember to check back here every week?  Me either.  Just type in your email address. You'll get a verification email.  Click the link and you're all set.  You won't have to miss out on a post again.

The Popular Posts.  Here's a running log of the top 5 most popular posts.  So you can relive them over and over ...and over.

And the bottom half:

Blog Archive.  All posts listed by date.  Year, then month, then individual post.

Subscribe.  You can add N.A.I.B. to your RSS feed.  If you don't know what that means then you don't have it.  Basically, if you like all of your news, blogs, etc (anything that is regularly updated) all in one place then here you go.

Become a Follower.  Join the club and publicly declare your affiliation with my blog (-gity blog ;).  Every blog offers this, but in all honesty I've never seen any benefit in it, except that it makes me look good. (I'm popular!)

Translate.  In case you have all these international friends who would just love my blog.  Or you want to brush up on your Bulgarian.  It's amazing and scary how many languages you can translate this post into.  Dang, Google.  Taking over the world, one blog at a time. 

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And that my friends concludes this session of "Nat's Bloggity Blog Tour."

Hope you like it!

And find it a whole lot easier to navigate

...plus a little prettier too.

Baking Basics: Measuring Liquids Vs. Solids

So today is the beginning of a new segment for me.

Let's see...

We've had:

Fails - Infamous mishaps.

Food Reviews - Witty wisdom (criticism?).

Face Offs - Overzealous endeavors.

Behind the Blogs - ME.

Your standard post with (★ ★ ★ ★ ☆) - The goods.

And now, drum roll please......dddddrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Baking Basics!!  - The brains.

Kind of spoiled the surprise with the title there, though, huh?

That's okay, because I'm pretty excited.

Now, this, in no way, means that I think I know everything there is to know about baking and therefore am the single-most-credible source for all of your baking needs. In fact, if you want pure credibility for "measuring liquids and solids" here you go: Food Service Warehouse.

But there are no pictures.

Sometimes I have to see something in order to do it.  To have something broken down step-by-by. At the very least...it helps.

So that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am starting this segment.

For you.

Because you can bake too.

Maybe you already know how to properly measure flour, but you've never been able to successfully caramelize sugar (trust me, it took me FOR-E-VER.  Tons of sugars and two torches later, I think I'm getting the hang of it).

All of this stuff and more is going to get covered right here.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words, we are both going to get a break from the overabundance of language normally present in my posts.

I have already compiled a lineup of things I would like to cover, but if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to send them my way via the comment section at the bottom of each post.

And so commences another N.A.I.B. Chapter.

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How to Properly Measure Liquids and Solids

What you'll need:

• Set of "dry" measuring cups (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup)
• Set of "wet/dry" measure spoons (1 tbsp, 1/2 tbsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1/4 tsp)
• A "liquid" measuring cup (standard size measures up to 2 cups)

Tip: Because measuring often results in spills and messes, it is always prudent to measure over the sink,

       counter, etc.  Somewhere besides over the bowl you are using to mix ingredients.  Can't ever take

       back that Tbsp of Vanilla, that was supposed to be a tsp.

The Spoon and Level Method - Dry Ingredients (Large Amounts)

1) When measuring dry ingredients, especially "airy" ones, like flour and powdered sugar you want to 

     make sure not to pack them down.  This removes the air and disturbs the texture.  So you do not 

     want to just dig the cup into a bag and scoop up the amount you need. 

2) To properly measure, you want to scoop the ingredient spoonful, by spoonful, into the measuring

    cup.

3) Keep piling the spoonfuls in, until a small mound begins to form over the top.  

4) With the flat edge of a knife, cut through the mound a few times to make sure that the entire cup is 

     full and there are no missing gaps. 

5) Then, with the same flat side of the knife, slide it across the mouth of the measuring cup.

6) Presto, chango you have properly measured your first dry ingredient.  Not too little, not too much, 

     just the perfect amount.  

The Spoon and Level Method - Dry Ingredients (Small Amounts)

1) The same concept applies here.  Albeit on a smaller scale.  We don't want to shove as much as we possibly can into the spoon.  We want to keep the texture of the ingredient.  If the ingredient is packed, i.e. baking soda/powder, scrape around to get enough loosened up before measuring. 

2)  Here because we can't "spoon" something into a spoon, we are just going to scoop up a heaping 

     amount.

3) Tap the top of the spoon with the flat side of a knife.  Then slide across to create a level amount. 

4) Dry ingredient measuring? Done!  

Oh wait, there is one exception.  Brown Sugar.

The Brown Sugar Exception - Packing

1) Brown sugar is basically sugar with molasses, so I guess it's not really a 100% dry ingredient.  Hence 

    the measuring exception.  

2) Here you want to pack it all in.  Pat it down.  Stand on it.  Whatever you need to do.  Go ahead        

    and cram as much sugar as you can into that measuring cup or spoon.  

3) Stop adding when the sugar is level with the top. 

4) When you dump the sugar out, it should slide out in one firm clump.  The molasses makes it slightly 

     sticky, thus, it adheres to itself.  *Now there is even exceptions to exceptions.  This is the "general" 

     rule for brown sugar, however, there are recipes that specifically call for "unpacked" brown sugar.  

     In this case, you would measure the sugar the way you would any other dry ingredient, by spooning 

     and leveling. 

The Eye Level Method - Wet Ingredients (Large Amounts)

1) To measure liquids, you need a measuring cup specifically for liquids (pictured above).  Using the

    cups for dry ingredients will not produce the correct results.  This is for larger quantities.  Small

    quantities (i.e. tsp) can be measured in standard measuring spoons.

2) Basically, the correct measurement is the one you see at eye level.  Place the cup on a flat surface,

    bend down, and take the reading.  Add or subtract as needed.  (Picture above: At eye level, amount

    reads 1 Cup - correct)

3) Taking the reading from above or below eye level will give you an incorrect reading and you may be 

     adding too much or too little to your recipe.  (Picture above: Above eye level, that same amount is 

     reading as slightly more than 1 Cup - incorrect)

4) (Picture above - Below eye level, 1 Cup of water reads as slightly less - incorrect).

The Bulbous Method - Wet Ingredients (Small Amounts)

1) Unlike for larger measurements, measuring spoons can be used interchangeably between liquids and 

    solids.

2) For small amounts, you want to measure until just before the "spilling point."  For fattier liquids there 

    might be a dome or "bulb" that remains intact just above the top of the spoon. 

3) For other liquids, trying keep this "bulb" of liquid will just result in spilling.  In either case, measure until at least level and add to the rest of your ingredients.  

And now you are an accomplished measurer!