Category: Baking Recipes

All About Ice Cream

Ice cream, America’s favorite treat, has been around for a very long time. It is believed that some form of ice cream dates back to 200 B.C. Folk lore has it that in the 1st Century, Roman Emperor Nero ordered his slaves to bring ice from the mountains to make his iced mixture with fruit topping.

Another form of ice cream was made by King Tang of China (A. D. 618-97). He combined ice and milk. From China ice cream was brought to Europe when, in the 1200’s Marco Polo had brought an ice cream sorbet recipe back with him to Europe from the Far East. The recipe called for the ingredients snow and milk. Ice cream was later imported from Europe to the United States where it was served by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to their guests.

In New York City, in 1776, the first ice cream parlor was opened. The word ice cream was started by the American Colonists. They first called it “iced” cream and it was later shortened to “ice” cream. In 1777 Philip Lenzi, a confectioner, placed the first newspaper advertisement for ice cream in the New York Gazette.

When First Lady Dolly Madison was in the white house from 1809 to 1817, she served ice cream to guests. Ice cream was even served to immigrants as part of their meal when they arrived at Ellis Island.

The hand crank ice cream maker or freezer was invented in 1846 by Nancy Johnson. Today, ice cream is still made using the basic method of the hand-crank ice cream freezer. In 1848 a similar ice cream freezer, the Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer was patented. By 1850 ice cream had become a popular treat. It wasn’t until 1851 that Jacob Fussell’s Baltimore Company began to manufacture and market ice cream commercially.

It isn’t clear who or when someone realized that mixing the cream in a small pewter pot inside of a larger pot filled with salt mixed with ice would lower the temperature of the ingredients. The wooden freezer bucket and paddles would open the way for the larger-scale manufacture of ice cream. Historians disagree on when the ice cream cone was invented. It has been said that the ice cream cone was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 when on July 23 Charles E. Minches thought of making a pastry cone and filled it with two ice cream scoops. The ice cream cone first appeared at the St. Louis World’s Fair later in the year where, historians believe, there were more than 50 ice cream cone vendors.

Historians also believe that before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, metal and paper cones were being used. England was also already selling edible ice cream cones. Another theory is that prior to the 1904 World’s Fair, an ice cream vendor from New York City had grown tired of customers pilfering his serving dishes, so he invented an ice cream cone in 1896.

In 1926 Clarence Vogt came up with a process of continuously freezing ice cream for the commercial manufacturing of ice cream. By the 1930’s ice cream had a huge increase in popularity and many flavors of ice cream and sherbets had become available.

By the 20th Century many flavors of ice cream were being sold on a large scale in grocery stores, supermarkets and ice-cream franchises. With the many flavors of ice cream available in supermarkets and eateries, vanilla is still America’s favorite and chocolate is the second favorite flavor of ice cream.

Corn Sweetener for Everyday Consumption

Part of a balanced diet requires some form of sugar that is taken into the body. According to one study, most Americans rely on corn sweeteners to provide the right amount daily.

Last year, corn sweetener captured 56% of the nutritive market. This just proves that this is used on a variety of items that people take for granted. This may be in the form of bread, to a formulated juice drink and also in some of the medicines that the patient is given.

Corn sweeteners are divided into three types. The first is in the form of syrup. This has been used as an ingredient in making food such as ice cream, hotdogs, canned goods and certain vegetables. People on a diet or those who love eating salads can also use this as a condiment for flavoring.

The second type of corn syrup is dextrose. When this word comes to mind, people think this is the one used in the hospital that is inserted into the body. This is true since this chemical is easily absorbed by the body.

In fact, the greatest user of this are the drug companies since this plays a major part in the fermentation process which helps in producing various medicines such as penicillin.

But dextrose also has other uses. This provides a good source of carbohydrates that is mostly found in chewing gum, jams, preserves and icing mixes. There are also a variety of items of pastry products that can be made from using this such as bread, buns and rolls.

Dextrose is used to extend the shelf life of certain products and is also used by beverage companies to make non-alcoholic drinks.

The third type is crystalline fructose. This is formulated as a result of a chemical process and is used on a variety of products such as caned fruits, condiments and other processed foods.

Sodas also contain crystalline fructose as one of its ingredients which provides the drink some artificial flavor that is favorable to the taste buds. Other products that have this are cereals and other instant drinks that are available in the supermarket.

Is consuming anything with corn sweetener safe on a daily basis? The answer is yes because this gives the body energy in order to efficiently. People can drink or eat this and the individual will know how much percentage it has by reading the label located on the side of the product.

What Are Some Popular Mexican Desserts

When it comes to Mexican deserts there are many to choose from. Flan is a common and popular dessert. It is caramel custard. The dessert includes rich custard with a layer of soft caramel on top. The dish is known as flan in most of the world, even though it is a French word. Flan is simple to make and usually consists of vanilla flavored custard. You may be able to find them made in other flavors such as coconut, lemon, and other fruits.

Empanadas are another dessert found in Mexico. It is a stuffed pastry that contains different sweetened fillings depending on the country. Some fillings you can find in Mexico are cream, pumpkin, and a variety of fruits. In some states in Mexico, the empanadas are filled with different meats. Empanadas can be served as a dessert and also a breakfast food.

Chocolate has a rich history in Mexico. The Aztecs adopted the use of chocolate from earlier Mayan culture. Chocolate played an important role for the Aztecs. They used it both as a food and as currency. One of the items that the Spaniards acquired from the Aztecs was chocolate. The Spaniards took the chocolate back to Spain where it became the King’s official drink. The Aztecs made a variety of drinks with the chocolate which also included nuts, seeds, and honey. Champurrado is a chocolate drink that is very popular at breakfast time in Mexico. It is warm and thick. You can find people in the morning buying a cup by street vendors. It is also considered a dessert which can be served with Churros.

A dessert found in the Yucatan is called sapotes dulces. Sapotes are a fruit grown in Mexico. It is very rare to find the fruit in the United States. Sapotes have an orange flesh that has a unique flavor of being juicy, creamy and can often be said simmiliar to the flavor of coconuts, and vanilla. Sapotes dulces is a dessert using the fruit and mixing it with orange juice, rum, and sugar and served chilled. It is easy to make and has a great flavor.

Cajeta is syrup made in Mexico that’s main ingredient is caramelized milk. The process of making the syrup consists of slowly cooking down the sweetened liquid until it is thick. Sweetened milk is the most common ingredient of the syrup. Cajeta is eaten by itself, on pastries, and even as a topping on ice cream. The Hershey Company introduced their own cajeta targeted for Mexican food lovers that live in the United States.

There are many more Mexican desserts to please your sweet tooth. There is a wide variety of chocolates, cakes, cookies, candies, just to name a few. Recipes can allow you to experiment and discover new sweets. If you would like to sample them before making your own, some local authentic Mexican restaurants include these desserts. You may also have luck finding them at a Mexican grocer in your area. It will be easy for you to get hooked on these tasty and enjoyable treats.

Callebaut Belgian Chocolate: The World’s Finest Chocolate from Belgum

From chocolate bars to chocolate cakes, a lot of people simply love eating chocolate. Even people on strict diet have admitted that they cheated at least once when they were dieting by eating chocolate. In fact, dieting people have humorously said that chocolates were their number one enemy in a war and they always lose.

Although chocolates have existed for centuries, almost everyone still enjoys eating chocolate. Some people even dubbed this delicious treat as the “happy food” where it can put a smile to depressed people after eating one. In a more medical approach, researchers have found that chocolate is definitely good for your body. It reduces blood pressure, and it was also found that the chemicals found in chocolates keeps your blood flowing and it also keeps your heart healthy.

You also need to consider that old people who loves eating chocolate outlived other people of the same age because they testified that chocolates keeps them happy, and it keeps them feeling younger.

Indeed, this guilty pleasure candy is considered to be the most popular candy in the world.

If you love chocolate and you love to make chocolate products and delicacies, you should consider getting a Callebaut Belgian chocolate. Callebaut Belgian chocolates are considered to be the world’s finest chocolates and are used by popular restaurants all over the world for their chocolate delicacies.

Callebaut has been producing chocolates for 120 years and is a well known company for producing the finest chocolates in the world. In fact, Callebaut chocolates are the number one choice of professionally pastry chefs, chefs de cuisine, and even ice cream manufacturers all over the world. Callebaut chocolates are superior in quality and it can be used in any of your cooking with chocolates included in recipes.

Callebaut only makes its chocolates from the only finest grades of cocoa beans found in the south. They ensure high quality chocolates to their clients and are trusted by their clients all over the world. Whether you are a professional pastry chef, or you just like to cook chocolate delicacies, or you just want to eat chocolate, Callebaut chocolates is you chocolate of choice.

You can be sure that the chocolates provided by Callebaut (whether you like it mixed in with other foods as part of the ingredient or you just want to eat it in its pure form) are made with the highest quality cocoa beans that you will surely love.

If you love making chocolate pastries, Callebaut can offer a one-of-a-kind chocolate taste that will significantly improve your chocolate pastries where every member of your family and friends will surely love.

Callebaut chocolates can be ordered in blocks or it can also be ordered in its liquid form. Whatever kind of chocolate you want, you can be sure that Callebaut has it.

They also offer different kinds of chocolates, from dark chocolate to milk chocolate and even white chocolate, you will surely have what you want with Callebaut chocolates.

So, if you are looking for a way to improve your chocolate pastries and other chocolate delicacies, you should purchase Callebaut chocolates. This Belgian chocolate can satisfy your chocolate cravings and purchasing in bulk will provide you with great discounts.

Whether you own a pastry shop, or you just simply love cooking chocolate delicacies for your family and friends, you can be sure that Callebaut chocolates can satisfy your chocolate cravings. Your chocolate delicacies will be one of the best with Callebaut chocolates.

Simple Cake Decorating Ideas

Cake decorating is not as difficult as it seems. We look at the elaborately decorated masterpieces and feel completely intimidated. Here are a few simple ideas and hints to make your cake decorating project a winner.

– Buy readymade cakes, or make your cake from a mix.

– Make sure you have several pastry bags, a coupler, a flower nail, and 6 icing tips- #824 large open star, #23 small open star, #104 small rose, #125 large rose, and #109 and #129 drop flowers.

– A turntable makes icing a cake much easier. A lazy susan will work.

– Use decorations that are already made- fresh flowers, silk flowers, ribbons, and fruit are some of the items you can use.

– Always brush fresh fruit with a glaze to seal in moisture.

– Use a decorative cake plate or platter to present your cake.

– Use Ganache icing.

Ganache

1 pound semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. unsalted butter

Place the chocolate in a bowl.

Combine cream, butter, and sugar in a pan, bring the mixture to a boil.
Pour the mixture over the chocolate, stirring gently until it is melted.
Using royal or buttercream icing, ice the cake with a thin coating, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Place a cooling rack on a cookie sheet.
Make sure the icing is set, and place the cake on the cooling rack.

Quickly pour the ganache over the top of the cake and down the sides. You can use a spatula to smooth the surface if needed. The hot ganache will melt the icing, so only smooth as necessary. Tap the rack to remove any excess ganache, this can be refrigerated for later use.
Chill the cake until set, remove to a serving platter.

Fruit Flan

You can choose to purchase a pre-made flan, or bake one yourself.
Slice your choice of assorted fruit and arrange it on the cake surface in concentric circles.
Coat with apricot glaze.
Serve on a decorative cake plate or platter.

Apricot Glaze

12 oz. jar of apricot jam
2-3 tbsp. Water

Combine jam and water in a saucepan.
Bring ingredients to a boil.
Strain glaze and keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Heat to brush on fruit.

Piping

Using a pastry bag and the tip of your choice, you can create a number of cake decorations, ranging from flowers to simple borders. Basic icing recipes can be found on the internet. Work on a piece of waxed paper before you apply any icing to a cake.

Edible Flowers

Apply icing to your cake
Decorate the cake with piping if you desire
Distribute edible flowers in a decorative fashion

I hope that any, or all, of these tips will help you with your cake decorating projects. My suggestion is to gather all of the tips, tricks, and ideas you can find and print them out. Put your collection in a binder and the next time you are having a problem with your cake decorating project, you will have an answer at your fingertips.