THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)

[andiesenji]

Andiesenji

Do sur le table ship overseas?

The variety and the price is increible, here again in perth we get ripped off.

Thanks

Hally

This is what it says on their shipping info page:
What if I place an order from outside the Continental U.S., Alaska or Hawaii?Back to Top »

    We currently cannot calculate shipping or billing charges for any online orders being shipped to countries outside Continental U.S. or to the following locations:

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   Please call our customer service department 24 hours a day (toll-free) at 800-243-0852 to place your order.


Here is the main website.

[maddy]

Did you find all of that in Target? I'm off there tomorrow. You are a good shopper maddy.

Only the cake tin and sprinkles stand.
Pie maker in Harris Scarf, and rest in 2  kitchenware stores.

I did notice that Target are stocking lots of Jamie Oliver stuff......cookware, plates, utensils etc.  Lots of 50's green that I love, and creamy colours......I'm not going to look at them any more though 

[Halex]

Thans Andiesenji

Maddy and I am not going to cook anymore!LOL
Hally

[Bedlam]

Oh was off to Target. I really love the Mini pie maker,especially how versatile making cupcakes. Love the shortbread mould also. probably for the best.

[judydawn]

I think I need one of those too.  I never seem to have success with cup cakes.  Made half a batch yesterday in paper patty cases which didn't seem strong enough to hold the mixture.  It mostly ended up spilling out and onto the tray.

[maddy]

Could be a combination of factors Judy.  I do find the cheaper papers don't adhere to the cupcakes too well, don't fill more than 3/4 full, maybe temp needs to be a little higher or cooked longer in your oven.  Have you checked the temperature recently?

[JulieO]

I think I need one of those too.  I never seem to have success with cup cakes.  Made half a batch yesterday in paper patty cases which they didn't seem strong enough to hold the mixture.  It mostly ended up spilling out and onto the tray.

Judy do you sit your filled cases inside the individual openings of a  muffin tin?  That's what I do, whether making the smaller ones or larger ones I sit them in the corresponding sized tins.  They help them to sit right and they just fall out of the tin once baked. 

[Wonder]

I've never been able to get mine to rise evenly, they always seem to rise more in the middle or over to one side or just all over the place. I use silicon cup cake holders which are quite firm and hold up well.

[maddy]

Do you use the fan on your oven wonder?
I never do for cupcakes or cakes either.  If you want more level cupcakes, usually baking at 160-170c achieves this.  I do find baking them at 180c makes them peak too much for my liking.
Ovens can be temperamental too unfortunately.  You really have to test cook things to get to know what works.  I know that I can't place cakes in the middle racks of mine, as they burn there, cupcakes are fine.
I also find that items brown more on one side than the other  wish it was as simple as setting the temp. 

[fundj&e]

Wonder i followed hallys tip for a flat top 

 3/4 full and cover with alfoil

[Wonder]

thanks Maddie and fundj. I have a large smeg and find the fan is way too small to evenly distribute the heat which I think contribues to them rising and leaning to one side. If I turn the fan off the cooking temp seems far too low . I would so love a new oven, my smeg is only about 5 years old and it's the worst decision i ever made

[andiesenji]

When I was catering I had to bake a lot of cupcakes and muffins and people don't seem to line the domed tops, except in certain "flavors" - chocolate can be domed and no problem, white or other flavors should be flatter.

I bake cupcakes at 300° F. which is close to 150° C.  The baking time is a bit longer and I test two or three with a probe thermometer to be sure they are done.  Obviously heavier batters take longer to bake.  

For making a dozen or so, I measure the batter into the cupcake tins, bang them on the bench to disrupt any big bubbles and then take a soup spoon, dip it in water and with a twisting motion make a depression in the center of each cupcake.
This way when the oven heat makes the batter begin to puff, it rises in the middle first and evens out .  It will still be domed, but not as much.

If I am making a large batch, several dozen cupcakes, it is easier to fill the cups with a pastry bag, making a swirl around the outside of the cup and ending with a small dollop in the center - this takes some practice but once you learn how, it will be faster than the "normal" way.
This is the way many professional bakers do it and the way I learned in baking school way back in '56.  
Again, after the cups are filled, bang the tins flat on the bench and then straight into the oven.  The batter will spread and fill on its own.  

Regular pastry bags are really too small but you should have no difficulty finding the large ones and you don't need a fancy tip, just a plain round tip or one of the large fluted tips works just fine.  

You can see the type of pastry bags I mean here.  I've got the plastic-coated fabric bags in 12", 16", 21" and 24" and I'm sure you can find them in other countries.  
However you can also use a large Zip-Lock bag and just cut a corner off.  Not as easy to hold (for me) but it will work.

[cookie1]

I'm like Maddy, I never use the fan for cakes or biscuits.

[judydawn]

Thanks for all the tips girls.  My Miele doesn't seem to have any setting that doesn't use the fan    I will check the temperature Maddy but I don't have a problem with anything else I cook in there.  I probably slightly overfilled the cases but will buy some better quality cases next time and will place them inside a muffin tin too.

[maddy]

  My Miele doesn't seem to have any setting that doesn't use the fan   

  I don't understand why manufacturers make them that way.  You should have the choice of using fan or not.
I only use the fan for making cheese and bacon rolls.   It's just too noisy to use!....plus like I said, never use it for baking.....I don't like the results as much.