Microwave Baking, Does It Work?

Microwaves, for home use, became popular from the 1970s to the 1980s.  At that time, they were large, bulky, heavy, and cooking food properly was hit or miss.  Nowadays, they seem to be a standard in every residential home, apartment, business office, and fast-food chains.  They have become more compact, easier to carry, take up less room on the counter, and definitely more efficient.

Back in, oh around 1989, I purchased a microwave cooking set put out by Tupperware. It was stackable bowls in which a complete meal, including dessert, could be cooked around the same time as your favorite sitcom show.  Unfortunately, unless the included cookbook was used, making other types of recipes was again, hit or miss.  After a while, the set was boxed up, placed on a shelf and forgotten about.  Oh, I still have it, as you never know when the gas range will go kaput, and eating out is, also, not an option.

 

 

How do microwaves cook food exactly?  According to a 1999 article, by Scientific American, and I quote, “"A microwave oven cooks food because the water molecules inside it absorb the microwave radiation and thereby heat up and heat the surrounding food. The microwaves cause water molecules to vibrate; the increased friction between the molecules results in heat.”  Basically, after getting those molecules a rocking and rolling, the food, or recipe ingredients, cook from the inside outward.  That is why, sometimes, the center will be fully done, or even well done, while the food closer to the container sides is not completely cooked.

Often, I have seen recipes regarding baking cake in a microwave, mainly inside a ceramic mug.  In fact, you can purchase a kit, of pre-measured ingredients, mix in the mug, microwave, and “wallah!”, dessert.  Maybe I am microwave challenged, but these kits did not work for me; usually ended up with a gooey, inedible mess.

So, when I recently found a recipe, to bake an entire chocolate cake, in a microwave, I was intrigued, but hesitant.  Why?  I have been working so hard to learn “bake from scratch” which, in turn, has been teaching me patience.  What if this recipe fails?  Will it set me back in acquired baking skills, and lead to frustration instead of patience?  These, and other questions, would be answered, same bat time, same bat channel…if you do not get the reference, we certainly cannot be friends.

Ovens cook/bake using Fahrenheit, or Celsius (metric) units which is basically temperature increase or decrease, under standard atmospheric pressure.  Microwaves, however, work using wattage which is electrical energy transferred over time.  While ovens are standardized, microwaves are not; cooking speed increases dependent on the power (wattage) of the microwave.  So, when using a microwave-based recipe, results will not be the same if using a wattage different from what the recipe states, if it states one at all, and most do not.

 

Back to the chocolate cake; the list of ingredients, and directions, were simple, so decided to give it a try.  The author did not list what size microwave used, so my baking time actually doubled from the time indicated.  Other than that, the cake itself came out moist, not too dense, and pretty tasty by itself.  Of course, after adding on the frosting, it was even better.

Happily, my baking skills were not challenged, nor diminished, and my learning of patience continued.

Does microwave baking work?  Trial and error, and patience, will give the answer.

 

 

 

5-Minute Chocolate Cake

(Youtube Channel - Emma’s Goodies)

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

½ cup + 1 Tbsp. oil or melted butter

1¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. warm water

Method

Prepare your dish (microwave-safe container, around 9- to 10-inches in size) by lining with parchment paper, then greasing and lightly flouring the inside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl.

Stir in the sugar (I used a combination of brown and white sugar for more flavor).

Add the oil followed by the water and combine using a whisk.

Pour into your prepared dish and microwave 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate

1 Tbsp. shortening

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

½ tsp. vanilla

Method

In a small saucepan melt chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add boiling water to make a spreadable consistency.

Mary Cokenour

 

Pucker Up Those Lemon Lips.

Remember those Country Time Lemonade commercials from the 1990's?  The narrator’s baritone, overlaid upon soothing jazz music, enticing us to enjoy the simple pleasures.

 “Summer...ahh...warm breezes blowing...laughter with friends...and ice-cold Country Time Lemonade...”

There is something about lemons, even though they are sour in taste and give us pucker faces, that makes us crave them. We use them to make drinks, desserts, use as an ingredient in main dish meals, and even saturate our homes through cleaning supplies.  While cutting off paper thin slices of lemon peel, for my Lemon Fruit Scones recipe, the scent of the lemons filled my nostrils.  Yes, it was like the old commercial of laying on the grass, gazing at the sky, figuring out what animals the clouds looked like, and sipping on ice-cold lemonade.

 

Did you know that the lemon is not a naturally occurring fruit, but a hybrid species?  It is a combination of bitter orange (a citrus fruit native to East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, and Southeast Asia) and citron (ancient fruit with a very thick rind and bumpy skin; also, the origin of the lime).  Originally, bitter orange, citron and, eventually, the lemon were primarily used for medicinal purposes in Asian and African countries.  It was not until the 18^th century when a Scottish doctor, James Lind, discovered a connection between eating/drinking citrus fruits, and eliminating scurvy in sailors.  Once again though, as a medicinal purpose.

How did lemons come to the United States?  We have those explorers, from Spain, to thank once again as they planted lemon seeds, in what we now know as, California in the 1700s.  The other three states where lemon trees flourish best are Arizona, Florida and Texas.  Lemon trees bloom throughout the year, so readily abundant, on the American market, as opposed to the Meyer lemon.  Meyer lemons are a smaller, sweeter hybrid, used in dessert making, jams, jellies, specialty cocktails and fruit salads.  They are harvested mainly between the months of November to April, and are more costly than the common lemon.

How did lemons go from being a medicine to a popular, thirst-quenching refreshment.  The earliest recorded “lemonade” recipe came from 14^th century Egypt with the use of sugar, dates or honey to sweeten the beverage.   The French, however, in the 1600s, claim they invented honey lemonade, so here we go again with another origin story.  In America, 1838 saw the first published recipe for lemonade made with egg whites, and during the Temperance movement, it was pushed as a suitable replacement for “demon rum”.  Any way you slice it, mix water, lemon juice, fresh lemon slices and sweetener, and you have lemonade.

 

So, back to those scones I mentioned earlier on.  It is a basic scone recipe with lemon being the main taste ingredient.  Using freshly squeezed juice and minced lemon peel (aka zest) will actually give you that exactly, a fresh lemon scent and taste.  Dried lemon peel can be used, but reconstituting it, with bottled lemon juice, not water, is a good cheat. 

 

Dried vs. Fresh Lemon Peel (Zest)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Scone Made with Blueberries and Using Dried Lemon Peel

First, I made the scones using blueberries and the “cheat”.  Personally, I found them lacking in lemon flavor, and definitely the number of blueberries used.  However, and here’s a huge thank you to my guinea pigs (aka taste testers) for their very much appreciated feedback.  While one felt it was a perfect combination, the rest agreed with my assessment, and I went with majority rule to tweak the recipe.

 

Dough Ball

 

Dough Pressed Out

Score Dough into 8 Triangles

Fully Baked

Separate and Let Cool

Glaze Made with Dried Lemon Peel.

Second batch was made with fresh lemon, but raspberries, and a half cup more than the original recipe called for in fruit.  Oh my, what a difference in taste, scent and texture!  Yes, yes, fresh is always best, but when all you have is dried lemon…you get the gist of it, right?

Lemon Scone Made with Raspberries and Using Fresh Lemon Peel.

 

Cut Butter into Dry Ingredients

Crumbled Mixture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scored Dough

 B

Baked, Separate, Cool

Glaze Ingredients

 

Glaze Made with Fresh Lemon Peel

 

Well now, it is summertime, so go out and enjoy some lazing in the shade, with an ice-cold glass of lemonade, and a glaze covered scone to nosh away the hungries.

Lemon Fruit Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (add 3 Tbsp. for high altitude)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. sugar (or sugar substitute)

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. finely minced, fresh lemon zest, divided in half (if dried 1 and ½ Tbsp. + 1 tsp. lemon juice mixed in)

6 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 and ½ cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or cut-up strawberries (if frozen, thaw, and drain any excess liquid)

1 tsp. lemon juice  

3/4 cup 2% milk

For The Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup 2 % milk

½ tsp. lemon juice

lemon zest

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; line baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly sprinkle with flour.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.  Add sugar, salt, and half of the lemon zest. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender, or fork, until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add in fruit, lightly coat with dry mixture.  Add lemon juice and milk; fold gently until the mixture forms a soft dough. It will be wet and sticky, but do not add extra flour or knead dough.

Turn dough out onto floured parchment paper, and cover hands with flour as well.  Pat dough out into a 1-inch diameter circle; use a sharp knife to score dough into 8 equal triangles.

Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until scones begin to turn brown.  Carefully move parchment paper to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Use a knife to cut completely through score marks and separate scones; let cool another 10 minutes.

Make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest until smooth. (If glaze is too thick, add a bit more milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.)  Drizzle scones with the glaze; place in refrigerator to firm up glaze on scones.   Before serving, bring up to room temperature, or warm up, individually, in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Servings: 8

Mary Cokenour

 

 

Pioneers Celebrate with Pork

Welcome July! In Utah, there are two holidays that are celebrated with much revelry, food and fireworks.  July 4^th starts out the month to celebrate the American colonies declaring independence from Mother England.  The end of month celebration is July 24^th, Pioneer Day, which commemorates entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into Utah's Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

Perusing through my collection of Utah state, and Mormon influenced, cookbooks, there was one recipe that seemed to be a popular Pioneer Day dish, Pork Stew.  Salt pork was the main ingredient, if not available, then thick cut bacon was the secondary option.  Now the question is, “Why the use of salt pork?”

First, we have to understand what salt pork is, how it is processed, and why was it so important to the pioneers?  Cut from the pork belly, is resembles uncut bacon, but much fattier.  The excess fat allows for the salt, in the curing process, to be absorbed fully, and preserve the meat.  Layers of salt and pork belly are covered in water and soaked for up to three hours.  The meat is removed and hung to dry before being wrapped carefully.  During the 17^th to 19^th centuries, and mainly used by the military, salt pork could last up to 18 months, so it kept men fed during the worst circumstances.

For pioneers traveling to the untamed West, salt pork was a necessary item on the list of provisions; along with dried fruit, vegetables, spices, grains and a variety of long-lasting food items.  Travel was by wagon train, horses, or on foot; there were no restaurants along the way to feed weary travelers, and no stores to buy more goods.

The Brigham Young caravan left Iowa City to make a 1,300-mile trek to the Great Salt Lake Valley.  They were known as the “hand cart pioneers” as they did not have the benefit of wagons, nor oxen.  Each person was allowed to carry only 17 pounds on their person, while the carts were loaded up from 400 to 500 pounds of food, bedding, clothing and cooking tools.  The carts were pushed and pulled by “people power” only.  Now this is a reenactment I would like to see!

In The Mormon Pioneer Cookbook (page 85) and Utah Cook Book (page 33), there are two very similar recipes, both giving credit to the 1847 pioneers.  Salt pork, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, water, pepper are the ingredients listed.  Salt?  There was already an abundance of salt preserving the pork, so adding would have made the stew inedible.  Basic preparation was to add all ingredients to a pot, place over the fire and cook until the potatoes were tender.

Nowadays, we have available a huge variety of foods, spices, and cooking gadgets that surely outshine those simple recipes from long ago.  To make my updated version of pioneer pork stew, pork, potatoes, onions and tomatoes were a must; adding beans, garlic and chili powder gives it a deeper southwestern flair.  Oh, and instead of salt pork or thick cut bacon, I cheated and used boneless pork chops which are leaner.  Come now, you know how I do not follow rules when I can get away with it.

 

Pork Chop Stew

 

Ingredients:

6 (2 lbs.) boneless pork loin chops

5 small potatoes, peeled, cubed and parboiled

1 medium onion, chopped

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 cups red kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

5 plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups beef broth

Preparation:

Spray a 4-quart crock pot dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Begin placing layers of ingredients inside:  pork chops; potatoes and onion mixed together; sprinkle spices evenly; kidney beans; tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

In a small bowl, whisk flour into the beef broth to create a slurry; pour over all ingredients in the crock pot dish.  Cover, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours; potatoes, beans and pork should be fork tender.

Makes six servings.

Perhaps, when celebrating this year, you might consider cooking up some of those recipes from the pioneers, and get the full effect of what their first celebration was like.

Mary Cokenour