List it very carefully and put at the top it is for experienced bakers only. You might also put that the handling makes a lot of difference, so follow the instructions very carefully.
Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 9075 Location: South Wales
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 20 12:55 pm Post subject:
Photos or a video clip of the methodology can be a very useful addition to the recipe.
Perhaps a troubleshooting guide would also be useful. People are generally more careful when they know what can go wrong and when they know that you will know what they did wrong, depending on the result!!
Slim
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6612 Location: New England (In the US of A)
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 20 12:48 pm Post subject:
Specify how each action appeases the otherwise cranky biscuit gods.
The god of levity prefers butter cold for instance
years ago i had a cookbook by zoe camrass (sp?) which treated recipes as method even more than as a list of ingredients.
i rather like that approach, the number of times i have followed a recipe and wondered why anyone would bother writing it down makes me think they must have been "economical" with the important details.
for instance:
"bake at 170c for 15 to 25 mins"
is not as useful as " check after 15 mins and continue to bake until they are .... blah, blah and blah.... keep watching as the sweet spot only lasts for about a minute"
imho no recipe is for experts only, some are more complex than others but if broken down into clear single actions any complex process can be mastered from the instructions.
there have been examples of experts giving away a recipe but omitting a vital bit of knowledge so the result is good but not like the one they make
you know who i mean grannie
when she was very old and felt it was time to bequest she quietly told me to substitute half the flour for ground almonds in her choccy cake recipe. that changes the result from good to world class like her version
ummm.
i am happy to share now if i have any good uns and can write them down effectively.
For some reason or other, although my mother told me exactly how to make her Victoria sandwich, I have never had the same results as her so I just don't bother making it.
My biscuit recipe has 5 ingredients and I don't even make it the 'proper' way. It relies upon the combination of 3 flavours to make it special. Dead easy even for beginners.
Slim
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 6612 Location: New England (In the US of A)
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 20 9:39 am Post subject:
Southern (American) style biscuits are hard to achieve (at their fullest potential) where I live because the standard flower available is from hard wheat. Down south they use soft wheat with less gluten, in a self rising premix that I don't think out grocery stores carry.
My grandmother probably want trying to hide recipe components, but when writing one down for family would often include instructions like "add enough butter"
ta
we have started trying more biscuit recipes lately..something to do with being indoors this weather!!
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