A long time ago, in a battered library copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette, I read a tip that has really made me happier on some levels. And now I share it with you:
Bake a batch of muffins in an oblong pan and cut them into squares to eat.
Do you hear angels singing? I do because I detest scrubbing a muffin pan. And I never have enough of those paper liners around and you still have to wash the pan and no amount of greasing makes it easy to clean and, and , and...
We have muffins for breakfast every Monday morning. I bake a batch of 24 in my Pampered Chef 10 x 15 bar pan. They cook in 18 minutes and can be cut and spatulad-out immediately. My 12 x 18 baking pan can hold the batter for two loaves of quick bread (current favorite if Cinnamon Amish Bread) that would take 50 minutes to bake in loaf pans. In the big rectangle - only 20 minutes!
The only downside we've experienced is that my children don't realize that muffins are really supposed to be round. When a friend delivered a batch of healthy muffins after Hunter's birth, the small children called them cupcakes (and were a little disappointed when they bit into one!).
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Two questions...
ReplyDeleteHow do you START the Cinnamon Amish Bread? I had been making it last year and let the last starter go bad. Now I would love to make it again and have no idea how to make the starter. (I am just starting to make things froms scratch, so this is new to me.) OK, part-two of first question: do you really have to go through a 10 day process of manipulating the starter before making the bread? Is there a way to start it and bake it in the same day?
Second Question: How would one make a homemade "bisquick" type mix? I would love to prepare my own mix to store and use as needed rather than buy the boxed stuff. Money is getting tighter and I'm trying to do more at home and less at the store.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
kymberlie {at} stefanskis {dot} net
mychildsview.blogspot.com
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Wow. I just noticed on your live traffic feed that someone from Collinsville, OK, arrived on your site. I grew up there and it is a very small town. That's ironic and neat!
ReplyDeleteI'll dig out my Amish starter recipe and blog about it later this week. We love it and it makes fantastic pancakes (like sourdough). I've always waited about 10 days - give or take - to start using it so it has that tangy flavor. In fact this last batch was a yeast based starter for more tang. But more on that later...
ReplyDeleteFor the homemade mix, I use a homemade pancake mix that is listed under recipes on our website and also back in the archives of the blog. It does not have the fat mixed in (most homemade Bisquick mixes use shortening), so I just add oil or butter as I make it up.
Why oh why did I never think of this before? This is a perfect tip! I too hate scrubbing muffin pans and for whatever reason the kids eat squares with less mess than a regular muffin.. go figure! LOL!
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