Powdered Eggs Experiment 1

I bought powdered eggs a few weeks ago for the first time, so my experiments are beginning. My first experiment was with cookies.
For this experiment I made 3 batches of cookies. The first was my control group, and was made with a regular egg. The second batch was made with 1 1/2 Tablespoons egg powder and 3Tablespoons of water, as I learned from Everyday Food Storage. The third batch was made according to the container's directions, with 2 1/2 Tablespoons of both egg powder and water.

Here were my observations of the dough:

• The two batches made with powdered eggs were dry. The third batch (made according to the egg powder package directions) did not hold together completely.

• The two batches with egg powder tasted the same. Yes, egg powder is pasteurized, so it is safe to eat cookie dough!

Observations of the cookies:

• I thought all 3 batches tasted the same.

• Several people noticed that batches 2 and 3 had a slight different flavor than the first batch, but thought they were all good.

• Several people thought that batches 1 and 3 tasted just the same except 3 was a little more salty.

• One person thought the third batch was a little more moist, and one person thought it was a little dry.

My final thoughts:

• Why follow the package directions and use 2 1/2 tablespoons of egg powder when 1 1/2 tablespoons will do the trick?
  
• I will try using a little more water next time.

Update on eggs at Maceys

I talked about the powdered eggs on sale at Maceys in this post.  Turns out that the can has approximately 170 Tab in it (I opened up a can and measured), making large eggs about $1.12 per dozen.  Not quite as good of a deal as I had hoped.  But eggs are frequently more expensive than this, so I guess I may save money by using them sometimes.

Baked Pie Crust

This is one of my pie crust recipes.  I use this recipe when making cream pies (such as my rhubarb meringue pie), or when the recipe calls for a baked pie shell.  This recipe is from "Cook's Country" magazine (call me crazy, but I can't see a date on it).  It turns out perfectly every time, tastes almost like a shortbread cookie, and is truly a no fear pie crust. 

No-Fear Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but cool
2 ounces cream cheese, softened but cool

Lightly coat 9-inch Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray.  (I don't use a glass pie plate, but it would be helpful.)  Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.  With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl, stopping once twice to scrape down beater and sides of bowl, until completely homogeneous, about 2 minutes.  Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of dough.  Turn remaining dough onto light floured surface, gather into ball, and flatten into 6-inch disk.  Transfer disk to greased pie plate.  (I skip this last part, and just throw the dough straight from the mixing bowl into the pie plate.)
Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using heel of your hand.  Hold plate up to light to ensure that dough is evenly distributed.  (I skip this part, and just eye-ball it from the top.)  With your fingertips, continue to work dough over bottom of plate and up sides until evenly distributed. 
On floured surface, roll reserved dough into 12-inch rope.  (I just take the dough and make a bunch of snakes.)  Divide into 3 pieces, roll each piece into 8-inch rope, and form fluted edge.  (I just take all my "snakes" and put them together on the top of the pie plate, making sure to connect them to the rest of the pie dough.  Then I flute.)  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325.  Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork.  Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  If large bubbles form, wait until crust is fully baked, then gently press on bubbles with kitchen towel.  Bubbles will settle as crust cools.

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

This pie is delicious! I made it on Saturday using some rhubarb I had frozen in the spring. The rhubarb was a bit difficult to work with, since it had defrosted then refrozen.

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

2 Tbs. butter
2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 Tbs. corn starch
2 beaten egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
Meringue (Betty Crocker recipe below)
1 baked pie shell

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add rhubarb and 1 cup sugar. Cook on medium low heat, until sugar is melted and rhubarb is soft. Mix 1/4 cup sugar, salt, cream, corn starch, and egg yolks together. Add to hot mixture and cook until thick. Pour into baked pie shell and top with meringue, being sure to touch the pie crust all around. (If you don't, the meringue will shrink to the middle of the pie.) Bake at 400 for about 5-7 minutes, or until meringue is golden.

Meringue

3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla.

Tofu

Believe it or not, but tofu is a food storage food. I freeze it!
First, some basic explanations on tofu, since most people aren't very familiar with it.

What is tofu?
Tofu is soybeans processed in a fashion similar to cheese.

Where can I buy tofu?
Tofu can be found in your local grocery store in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It is next to eggroll and wonton wrappers.

Why should I eat tofu?
It's healthy, and a great source of protein.

What types of tofu are there?
Silken-can be used in smoothies and as a substitute for cream cheese in cheesecake. I never buy this kind.
Firm and extra firm-This is the kind I buy. I marinade it, then fry it.

More about tofu
Tofu is packed in water, and acts as a sponge. So, if you plan to marinade it, you want to get as much water out of it first, so that it can then soak in the marinade. You can get water out of it by using towels, paper towels, or smashing it between two plates with some heavy cans on top.


Freezing tofu
Just like every other food, I try to buy tofu when it is on sale, and then buy more than one package. Within the past few months I have seen tofu discounted for quick sale, and Buy One Get One Free. Great times to stock up. Tofu firms when it is frozen. To freeze tofu, I just take it out of its original package, squeeze some water out of it (see above), then put it in a marked freezer bag.

Cooking frozen tofu
I make up my marinade (I like teriyaki) in a bowl, then put the frozen tofu right in the bowl with it, and store it in the fridge with a lid. When the tofu is defrosted enough to cut, I cut the tofu in cubes (about 1 inch), then put it back in the marinade. Store in the fridge until the tofu has taken in the marinade (about a day). Then I cook the tofu (without the marinade) in a fry pan with a little oil, stirring minimally. Then I add the marinade, and take out the tofu (you can use the same bowl through this whole process, since you're using tofu, not meat), and let the marinade simmer. This thickens and enhances the flavor of the sauce.

Any questions?

Freezer vs. Canned Jam

It is almost canning season! So today I researched freezer vs. canned jam. The difference is that freezer jam is not cooked. This makes it a lot easier and simpler than canning jam. But the flavor is definitely different.
When canning, I recommend getting an actual canning book. I have the Ball Blue Book. By following the recipes in this book, I know the food meets the USDA's requirements, and will be safe. I don't know if a recipe from a website, friend, or family member will be safe.
When making a freezer jam, you don't have to worry about safety. Anything can go in the freezer, and as long as the freezer is cold enough, it will be safe to eat.

Waxing Cheese

Someone asked a question when commenting to a recent post!! You can do this too!

Waxing cheese is when you take a special kind of wax and dip cheese in it so that it can stay on the shelf, instead of in the fridge or freezer. Think of cheese you see at Christmas time in gift boxes. Like I said when I mentioned this in my Cheese post, I have never done this before, and I don't know much about it. All I really know is that you should start with a mild cheese, because it will age, and become stronger over time. Someday I will wax my own cheese, and I'll write more about it. But first I need to do more research. I need to know if this really is safe, and what the shelf life is.

Cheese!

I like to buy cheese when it is $2 per pound or less. My family likes cheese a lot, and eats it in vast quantities. So, when it is on sale at the aforementioned price, I like to stock up. Luckily, cheese lasts quite a long time in the refrigerator, and even longer in the freezer. If I freeze it, I like to shred it first (if it didn't come shredded), put it on cookie sheets in the freezer until it is frozen, then bag it. Then when I need it in a recipe, I just put the cheese in frozen. Smith's has cheese on sale right now. 8 oz for 95 cents, if you buy 10 participating items (I bought 10 cheese).
Someday I plan to buy wax so that I can wax my own cheese. Someday...