Yay for New Pans! Yuck to cleaning the cupboards to make them fit…

Now, what does cleaning my cupboards have to do with Food Storage?  Well, without some organizational system, I cannot find the pan I need when I need to use it!  And I made it worse by buying some new bake ware! After almost 25 years of marriage,  it was time. I bought some of my old pans at the dollar store (when dollar stores first came on the scene, and they had some pretty incredible stuff) maybe 20 years ago. Many were worn from years of use.

 

Being a frugal gal (not cheap, there’s a difference. I will pay for quality.), I didn’t set out to replace all my pans at once. The thought first entered my mind when I had problems making some quick bread for a friend’s son’s wedding reception. No matter what I did (using Pam, greasing the pan liberally), I couldn’t get the loaves out in one piece. It was frustrating to say the least. Then and there, I decided that I needed a couple of nonstick loaf pans.

 

I did a lot of research and decided that I wanted heavy-duty, commercial bakery type pans. I’d narrowed it down to two brands: USA Pan and Chicago Metallic. Both have great reviews, so I bit the bullet and bought a couple of larger non-stick loaf pans.  I bought 10 inch x5 inch USA Pans (you can view one here).  They make the perfect size bread loaf for my family.

 

 

After falling in love with them, I bought some USA Pan and Chicago Metallic mini loaf pans (with an Amazon gift card I earned through MyPoints.com). And aren’t they lovely?? Especially compared to my old pans which were looking pretty sad. See?  (I sprayed them with non-stick spray, and the pans are so non-stick without the spray, I’m not sure I needed it.)  Think those look snazzy?  Check them out here and here on Amazon!

 

 

Today, I made chocolate chip pumpkin bread to break them in (recipe here). The loaves came out of the pan so easily! I’m very happy!  (And my boys are begging me to cut the pumpkin bread!)

 

 

I’m also very happy, because I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards and got rid of some old things which were gathering dust. Take a look at my organized cupboards now!!

 

 

I didn’t take before shots, but trust me, it’s a major improvement! And isn’t that life? A constant rearranging and reorganization of everything.  Not just my kitchen, but my everything!  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.  It keeps things fresh.  Life is a work in progress, and I love it!

 

How about things for you? Any kitchen pans or gadgets you want to add to your inventory? Or is there a closet, cupboard, or storage area that needs your attention? Please share!

 

 

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Laurel Laurie Staten Nguyen Newhall, CA

Oreo Truffles: They’re Probably Going To Kill You, But, Hey, It Might Be Worth It. They Taste SOOO Good! Or You’ll Die Happy…

Some time ago, my sister, Tammy, and I were talking about cake balls, which are a perfect circle of sweet goodness, and she said she makes “Oreo Truffles” instead of cake balls.  I am not too keen on using super processed, store bought cookies any more than I have to (and I rarely “have” to), so I filed that info away for later.

 

Fast forward to a week or so ago when I attempted and failed to make a chocolate ganache (see post here).  I signed up to help with dessert for a church women’s swim party, and I thought that chocolate truffles filled with ganache would be perfect.  And they probably would be…  If I could make ganache, which obviously I can’t!

 

Normally, this would not be a big deal.  I try something, I fail, no biggie.  This time, I committed to bring something delicious before I’d even tried it!  Oops.  BIG OOPS!

 

Thankfully, I remembered my sister’s “Oreo Truffles.”  I made them this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised.  They were quite delicious!  And they were so easy!  Want to know how you can pollute your body with super processed Oreo truffle goodness?  Here’s the recipe.

 

Oreo Truffles

 

Oreo Truffles

 

1 package of Oreos (about 30 oreos, any flavor)

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

dipping chocolate (or 1 c chocolate chips + 1 T shortening)

 

Crush Oreo cookies.  (A food processor makes this fast and easy!)  Stir in cream cheese (or add to the food processor and pulse until combined).  Roll into balls and put in freezer until hard.  Dip in melted chocolate and return to freezer.  For best taste, let flavors combine for 12 hours before serving.

 

Here’s my photo step-by-step.

 

I put Oreos in my food processor.

 

Using the pulse button, I let the food processor “crush” the Oreos.

 

I poured the cookies into a bowl with the cream cheese (softened). Next time, I’ll skip softening the cream cheese and put it in the food processor.

 

Using a wooden spoon, I stirred the cookie crumbs into the cream cheese.

 

Using a small scoop, I portioned the truffle mixture, then my kids rolled them into balls. I added toothpicks for easy dipping.  Next, I put the “truffles” in the freezer for about 3 hours.

 

To make dipping chocolate out of chocolate chips, I added 1 tablespoon of shortening for each cup of chips. I melted them in the microwave in 30 second increments (stirring between increments).

 

It took about a minute for the white chocolate chips. The dark chocolate chips took longer.

 

Holding the toothpick, I dipped the frozen “truffle” in the white chocolate.

 

I let the excess chocolate drip off before placing the truffle on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

 

I drizzled the excess dark chocolate over the white chocolate truffles.  Then I put all the truffles back into the freezer.

 

The lovely truffles required only 15 minutes of prep time. The only difficult part was waiting to eat them!

 

I made some of the truffles out of golden Oreos and the rest out of regular double stuff Oreos. My favorite was the chocolate Oreos with the white chocolate coating.  Disregard the toothpicks I cut in half.  I removed them before eating.  🙂

This is not healthy, but it sure is yummy!

What’s your favorite “not healthy” treat?

 

Laurel Laurie Staten Nguyen Newhall, CA

Chocolate Ganache: Epic Fail To Epic Save

Have I ever mentioned that I like to improvise when cooking?  Sometimes improvisation results in wonderful creations.  Other times, especially when working with temperamental ingredients, improvisation results in a big, yucky mess.  (Isn’t that the story of my life?!)

 

Last Saturday, I decided to make some chocolate truffles filled with chocolate ganache.  I’ve worked with chocolate before.  I make fudge almost every year and have been doing it for about a decade.  I felt pretty confident that I could follow the simple instructions for chocolate ganache.  I was wrong!  Very wrong!

 

“How wrong?” you ask.  Well, I made a tiny mistake and my ganache was a tiny bit grainy.  Just a tad bit.  I decided to “fix” it, and I ended up with this.

 

That is not fixed!

 

For you to truly appreciate my experience, I’m going to show you in a photo step-by-step how my hubris caused my epic fail.

 

I started with some simple ingredients. I knew that by using chocolate chips (which are already tempered) it would be a touch trickier, but how hard could it be?

 

I set up a double boiler by putting a bowl over a pot of water on the stove. I made sure that there was a pretty tight fit so that the steam didn’t cause the chocolate to “seize.” I turned the heat on medium (which I now realize was too hot), and let the chocolate melt.

 

Isn’t that pretty? No graininess, no seizing, just beautiful, melting chocolate.

 

I added my cream (which I realize now I should have heated first and then added the chocolate.  I guess I should read all of the instructions before I begin, huh?)…

 

It didn’t incorporate as well as I thought it would.

 

I kept whisking and it finally came together, but it was a touch grainy. I consulted the internet about how I can “save” ganache once this happens.

 

Those tips didn’t work. In fact, it got worse!

 

What was I going to do?  I didn’t want to waste perfectly good chocolate!  Thankfully, I found one website which explained that once your chocolate ganache is gone, it’s gone.  BUT… you can use it in other things, like cookies.  So I whipped up a basic oatmeal cookie recipe and spread it in a pyrex pan, like this…

 

 

I spread the chocolate mess over the top.

 

I spread the remaining cookie dough over the top and let it mix a bit with the chocolate. Then I put it in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

 

After 20 minutes, they were browning, so I removed them from the oven. They probably could have gone for another few minutes, but I like my cookies chewy.

 

And here they are! They were delicious, too!

 

I might have to mess up some chocolate ganache again and make these cookies!

 

Have you ever had an epic fail or an epic save?  I’d love to hear about it!

 

Laurel Laurie Staten Nguyen Newhall, CA