International food blog

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Product Review - Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix and Ideas

If you try to make those 36 cookies you had better change the cooking directions to under 8 minutes or so.

Recipe says you need 1 stick or 1/2 cup butter. No problem.
Recipe says you need 1 TBSN water. I had to use 2 TBSNS. (Next time I make I am going to use brewed coffee 2 TBSNS to see what happens. I will also add 1/2 tsp. coffee flavoring)
Recipe says you need 1 egg. I use LARGE egg that had large yolk.
I read instructions wrong and used a TBSN so the cookies were much bigger and I only got 14 (I ate a lot of the dough) so there would have been 16. (no 24 cookies - mine weren't rounded but big.)
It said in instructions to put cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. I used parchment paper and since I thought the cookies too big and thick I sprayed with cooking spray!! I baked the cookies 11 minutes. SEE BELOW WHAT I GOT!! Cooking is fun!! Since I didn't make them to give away or for company I will cut them apart!!

I will make them again and not spray the pan!! I will also use two pans!! Just use parchment paper or foil and NO PAN CLEANING. I don't mind showing my mistakes because if you have EVER COOKED or BAKED anything you have made 1 or more mistakes along the line.

They taste good!!

Other experiments I might try:

Instead of coffee these flavors go well with molasses:

Molasses pairings:

BANANA

GINGER

CINNAMON

CLOVES

SMOKE

This is what your cookies should look like. Nothing in the recipe about putting sugar on the outside which shown on the package photo above. So next time I will sprinkle with granulated sugar.

NOTE: Don't buy all those colored sugar sprinkles. Make your own CHEAP colored sugars from an easy recipe I got from Sandra Lee on the FoodNetwork.com a few years ago. Can store them in individual bags and use again. (If you don't have some of the colors use a color wheel or your ingenuity & mix up colors to make colors!!!!!!!!!!!

For your cookies:

Halloween: orange and black sugar

Thanksgiving: orange and brown

Christmas: red and green

Valentines Day: pink and/or red

St Patrick's Day: green

Mother's Day: pink and blue

Father's Day: multiple

Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day: red, white and blue

OR USE YOUR IMAGINATION.

Could put on cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc!!!!!!!!!!!

For colored sanding sugar:

1 cup sugar
8 to 10 drops each food coloring in 2 different colors

My notes: Put the sugar in a plastic bag, add drops of food coloring and zip bag shut and shake around till all sugar is coated. Then open bags and rest the bags. I would leave bags or bag open a little bit to make sure the liquid is dry.

This is what your cookies should look like. There is a SCRATCH cookie recipe at the site on the photo.

Monday, February 6, 2017

INTERNATIONAL: EASTERN EUROPE: Azerbaijan - Baku Cuisine from Saveur Magazine, VIDEOS AND MORE!!

LINK TO BAKU CUISINE FROM

SAVEUR MAGAZINE

ABOUT AZERBIJANI FOOD:

LINK

ABOUT AZERBIJANI FOOD:

LINK

Recipes

LINK TO KUTAB RECIPES

LINK TO other recipes

Photos and Recipes on Pinterest from Giada's Collection

LINK

VIDEOS

LINK TO MUSIC VIDEO

LINK TO VIDEO ABOUT CITY OF BADU

LINK TO LOCAL MARKETS

INTERNATIONAL: HERBS AND SPICES 30 - Turmeric (Golden Milk) with link to Turmeric Health Benefits and Recipes

LINK

Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to southern Asia, requiring temperatures between 20 and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Wikipedia

Bangladeshi, Indian, Iranian and Pakistani cuisines
and curries.

LINK TO 37 Ways to Drink Turmeric

INTERNATIONAL: Guacamole, Salsas, and Sauces For Your Next Party

NOTE: Chelsea Kenyon says in the post that guacamole doesn't keep very long and she is correct, however, I experimented and it freezes well in small batches with air kept out of the container. Put plastic over the guacamole if there is a space between the guacamole and the lid of the container.

Defrost and stir.

At the link below it gives you one guacamole recipe but scroll down the page and you will find many others!! And several recipes for salsas and sauces.

LINK FOR GUACAMOLE RECIPES

LINK TO VIDEO