Hello,
Here's my assorted responses to:
Jeanette, who wanted to know about cinnamon rolls:
I smear the rolled-out dough with butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar
and cinnamon, and then roll up, slice (I use a dough knife/scraper), let
rise again, and bake. I think the secret to truly decadent cinnamon rolls
is smearing them with cream cheese frosting while they are just a little warm.
You can also refrigerate the rolls after forming them and let them warm up
to room temperature the next morning and finish their second rise, and then
bake. This is nice for those "company" breakfasts and you don't have to
get up four hours before everyone else to provide a baked breakfast.
Elisabeth, who wanted to know about other cool catalogs:
I love the Penzey's catalog. You can request one at www.penzeys.com or by
calling (800)741-7787. They provide wonderful spices. Like King Arthur,
their catalogs also have great recipes. The last catalog included an
orange crescent roll recipe that was yummy! I have ordered several things
from them and always been very pleased with their products.
Carolyn, who wanted to know about convection ovens:
I have a GE TrueTemp convection oven. I have the option of using it as a
regular or convection (fan on) oven. I got it in July of 1999, so I am
still figuring it out. I use the convection function for baking and I
really like being able to bake three sheets of cookies at once (no sides on
the cookie sheets, dough on parchment paper). I also use it for yeast
breads (nice crust), but not for muffins or other baking powder or soda
leavened items. I also found that the circulating heat is good for
casseroles and roasts.
One thing I do not like is the depth of the oven. It seems a bit shallower
than other ovens I've used, and my big pizza pan is just barely fitting inside.
I do reduce the time and temperature for some things, but I haven't noticed
a significant time savings, except for the three sheets of cookies. The
oven instructions came with a conversion chart and instructions for
converting the temperature using the keypad, but I usually just eyeball it
and knock 25-40F off and keep a close watch on the progress. I am using it
more than I thought I would, and I do like the results.
Erin Nesmith, who really wishes King Arthur classes would come to
Washington state.