Survey Results from Box mix vs. Scratch

Here are better images of my graphs on the last post:

Box Mix Versus from Scratch the Battle Rages On!

Have you ever needed to make a cake on short notice? Here’s your scenario, your cousin’s sister’s second stepbrother’s great aunt is coming over for a visit. And you know she really loves homemade cake. She’s coming in one hour and you don’t have half the ingredients to make one. However, you do have a box of marble cake mix. Which leads you to question, whether using the mix is cheating or not? Is there some stigma against using box mix? From my own experience most bakers hate the thought of using it for one reason or another. Some argue about the preservatives, while others feel that it’s not made from the heart. Like some sort of equation for baking:

From scratch ingredients + a lot effort = Cake made with Love
Box mix + a little effort= Cake made with deception and lies

Let’s be honest we’ve all done it from one time or another. So, why take shame on passing that box mix off as your own. You simply got the recipe from your good friend Betty Crocker for a $1.99, or maybe a $1.50 if you met her at Wal-Mart. The matter is you’re not the only one that uses box mix. “According to The New York Times, Betty Crocker, a General Mills brand, leads the $382 million market for cake, cupcake and pie mixes, with a 38.1 percent share” [2]. Even though these are boxed mixes, they started out as recipes from scratch at one point. Harry Baker, for example, invented the Orange Chiffon Cake, in the 1920s. He was just a California insurance salesman turned Hollywood caterer, who later sold his recipe to General Mills, according to the Oxford Companion [1].
We must accept that cake mix is a part of our culture, whether we like it or not. For example, Betty Crocker has been around since 1921 and was known for giving baking advice to General Mills consumers [5]. This is interesting since she is not a real spokesperson, but a character created by executives of General Mills to add a more personal touch to their brand. The last name “Crocker” came from a retired executive named William Crocker and the first name “Betty” was chosen because it sounded endearing. You can see how much her image changes on each ad:

It wasn’t until around 1945 right after World War II that the very first Betty Crocker cake mixes came out. They’re flavors were Devil’s food and Party. We can really see a huge surge in cake mix around the 50’s:



“In the 60’s, newly liberated women were admitting "I hate to cook," so along came even easier mixes. But not too easy. When consumer tests showed that women felt guilty adding only water to make a cake, those crafty Crocker technicians reformulated the recipe so housewives would have to add eggs” [3]. Today cake mix is used in almost every American household across the nation. To read up on more box mix history go to: Learning to Love Cake Mix or History in a Box by Lenore Skenazy

There are two main benefits from baking from scratch, time and cost. When you are in a pinch for time box mix will help you out. Mainly since everything is already premeasured out, all you have to do is follow the directions. As for cost, lower-income cooks use box mixes because they can be less expensive than buying the ingredients for cakes made from scratch. The US economy has taken a rough toll on many households. Leading to many bakers having to cut corners in recipes. “Homemakers with children aged 6 to 11 are 47 percent more likely than average to be heavy purchasers of baking mixes. They are 81 percent more likely when their children are aged 12 to 17. Cake mixes are more popular than mixes for brownies and cookies. Six in ten homemakers purchase cake mixes occasionally, according to Mediamark Research Inc” [4]. I’ve also conducted my own research on boxed mix to find out what are peoples general opinions on using it. I collected about 20 surveys online and here are the results:(For better images of my graphs click on the label at the bottom of this post "Survey Results")



I can vouch for these results since I am guilty of using box mix now and again. I usually like to bake from scratch, but I couldn’t help myself when I saw Ina Garten’s Coconut Madeleine mix.I bought it at Sur la Table for $7 and gave it a try. And if you are are wondering where I got the pan go to Bed Bath & Beyond they were on sale for $14.99:

Madaleine's from a Box

I was shocked because it tasted like something made from scratch! It even had bits of coconut in it! Bits of Coconut! However, even thought this was from mix there was a lot of effort that went into these cakes. The trick is to alternate mixing the melted butter and cake mix, plus beating the eggs. It was like baking from scratch, but simpler. Instead of coating them with powdered sugar, I melted a half a bag of Nestle chip with 2 teaspoons of shortening. And simply coated them with melted chocolate, which went really well with the coconut flavor. My friends and family enjoyed them a lot, they even thought the madeleines were made from scratch. As a whole, regardless if the cake is made from scratch or from mix, it’s the thought that matters. The mere fact that you are giving friends and family a treat they will love makes no difference from where it comes from. It’s all made from the heart!

If you want to see a side by side comparison of box mix versus scratch go to: The Kitchn.com

Foot notes:

1. Abraham, Lisa. "Made from scratch: heaven in a cake pan." Akron Beacon Journal (OH) 29 Sept. 2008: Newspaper Source. Web. 29 Nov. 2011
2. Newman, Andrew. “Cake Mixes, Taken Seriously”. The New York Times 11 May 2011: Lexis Nexis. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
3. Skenazy, Lenore. "Learning To Love Cake Mix - Or History In A Box - New York Daily News." Featured Articles From The New York Daily News. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.
4. Waldrop, Judith. "Scratch And Mix." American Demographics 14.10 (1992): 4. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
5. "Who Was Betty Crocker?" Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. Web. 07 Dec. 2011.

Too much Pumpkin? Let's make some Ginger Pumpkin Bread

So, Thanksgiving is over and you realize that you bought too many cans of pumpkin puree. You know… because you though there was a shortage again this year and stock piled your pantry with so many cans you don’t know what to do with them. Well.....at least I know I did, that doesn’t make me crazy just overly prepared, yeah overly prepared. Anyway, it’s November how can you not have some form of pumpkin. Whether it's pie, cake, or even bread. It’s like an obligation to this season! So, if you did go over the deep end this season with buying canned pumpkin, but you don’t want to be subjected to another pumpkin pie, this is the treat for you.

I found this recipe in an old issue of Everyday Food, a monthly food magazine published by Martha Stewart but, you can also find this recipe on Martha’s website. And I love this recipe! I cannot stress that enough; it smells so good in the oven. It has a nice balance of sweetness and spice. Plus, I don’t even like ginger, but really like this. This bread is the perfect comfort food after a long cold day.

So, if you want to spread the bliss with your friends you can buy mini loaf pans like I did. I got these pans from Michael’s craft store. They come in all types of neat colors and patterns for any occasion. They’re only a $1 a piece, but you got to be quick because they sell really quickly. If Michael's has already sold out of them you can instead buy a four pack of paper loaf molds for $6 , these are nice because they do not need to be greased and come with their own wrapping.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)
3 large eggs
Sugar Glaze, (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (6-cup) loaf pans (or 5 mini loaf pans); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs; add flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; invert pans and transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool completely. Glaze, if desired.

Sugar Glaze: Whisk 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Drizzle over bread.

For the recipe online: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

For the mini loaf pans: Mini loaf pans

The Mystery of the Missing Butterscotch Toffee Square Recipe

To bring in the Fall season I baked one of my favorites Butterscotch Toffee Squares. Now I found this recipe 5 years ago in a magazine called Relish. However, this magazine is not printed anymore and the recipe is not on their website either. Relish use to come in the Pittsburgh Tribe Review's newspaper on the first Thurs. of every month. I wish they would go back to printing their magazines, since they offered a ton of recipes in each issue. And wasn't just baking, Relish carried a lot of different meal ideas for dinner parties and entertaining. Luckily, I kept my old issue to share with everyone, so this delicious blondie is not lost. The recipe calls for Heath bars, but I use Nestle Butterscotch chips for a smoother texture. They are crumbly on the outside, but soft and chewy in the middle. This is a really simple recipe to make in a short amount of time. You could really throw any type of toffee or chips you want and make it your own. These blondies go really well with a cup of warm apple cider.

Butterscotch Toffee Squares (Yields 16 bars)

Recipe by Jean Kressy

Ingredients:

1 Cup of all-purpose flour

1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

1/3 Cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Cup of crushed Heath bars (or Butterscotch chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil letting the edges extend over 2 sides. Then Coat foil with spray.

2. Stift flour and baking powder in seperate bowl. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla with mixer until blended. Turn to low speed, add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in candy bar bits or chips into batter. Then spread evenly in pan.

3. Bake 22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan with foil and cut into 16 bars.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! This is my last Halloween cookie recipe for the month of October, before we jump into November. And they are Ghostly Chocolate Cats and Bat cookies:

Look at the kitty! It's so cute I could just eat it up!

Even this little bat brings a smile to my face! It sort of looks like a batarang from the old 1960's Batman cartoon. I wonder if I could throw it at someone....

This cookie was a perfect addition for my Halloween grab bags. They're like sugar cookies, but made with unsweetened cocoa powder. I got this recipe from Martha Stewart's website, the instructions were easy to follow and it yields a lot. At first I was worries about the texture of the dough, but after I let it firm up in the refrigerator it was easier to work with. You can dot the eyes with whatever you like. I melted some white chocolate chip and dotted them on. The recipe say you can stick pieces of candy in them before they cool down. These cookies are really good with a glass of milk or a steamy cup of coffee. They're chocolately, crunchy, and crisp! My friends really loved them and I think you will too. Here is the recipe:

Ghostly Bat and Cat Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling and cutting out dough
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
Small candies or sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg. On low speed, mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half, and form into 2 disks, each about 3/4 inch thick. Wrap disks in plastic; chill until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

3. On a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes.)

4. Using 2- to 3-inch Halloween cookie cutters, cut out shapes, dipping cutters in flour as necessary to prevent sticking; place on a baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.

5. Bake until surface is dry to the touch, 10 to 15 minutes (if decorating, press candies into dough halfway through baking). Cool cookies 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve, or store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

If you would like to see the recipe on Martha Stewart's site click the link below:
http://www.marthastewart.com/315407/ghostly-bat-and-cat-cookies

Día de Muertos & Sugar Skulls

Did you know in Mexico they honor the dead by offering them treats? Every November 1st and 2nd natives of Mexico will set up an altar in their home dedicated to a loved one that passed away. These altars are usually covered in candles, pictures, flowers, and sweet treats. This tradition has been around for 3,000 years celebrating life and death. The holiday Día de muertos or Day of the Dead originated from Aztec culture and has been passed down from many generations. The celebration itself is bright, colorful and loaded with skulls.

The skulls carry a very strong representation of death and rebirth. Originally,the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during the ritual. Today the Day of the Dead is celebrated in different parts of the US, Mexico and Central America. One of the most popular treats that can be found on an altar is the Sugar Skull. Its sugar that has been molded into a skull and decorated with brightly colored frosting and even glitter. On the forehead of the skull is the name of a dead relative and the skull is usually eaten by a close friend or one of their family members. Now I have always been interested in making them, however you have to find the right mold to do it. But, if you are interested in trying to make your own sugar skulls visit: http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/sugar_skulls/instructions.html

And if you would like to find out more about Dia de Muertos visit: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-history.html

Peanut Butter Drizzled Pumpkins

So for my next Halloween recipe I decide to make peanut butter drizzle cookies. These are completely different from your average peanut cookie. First off they are cut outs instead of scoop and drop cookies. Which means, you can shape them into anything you want with some cookie cutters. Since I am doing Halloween themed baking I decided to go with the pumpkin cookie cutter. And Yes! I know, if I make cookies in the shapes of pumpkins shouldn't they be pumpkin spice flavored? Well, who made that rule! I like variety now and then, and peanut butter, lots of peanut butter.
Anyway, the second interesting thing about these cookies is the base of the dough. The base is made of Hershey's melted Reese's peanut butter chips. You don't even need a jar of peanut butter! Just melt the chips in a sauce pot with butter, stir until smooth and there is your peanut butter mixture. Fair warning, this recipe will leave your kitchen smelling sweet and peanuty. The most important part of this recipe was the baking time. If you leave these in the oven for to long they have the texture of biscotti, but if you take them out too soon they'll fall apart. So, be careful with your baking time.

Now, I thought that these would not taste as good as other peanut butter cookies I have made; since it doesn't use real peanut butter. But, to my surprise I was really wrong, they were good. I mean really good. And the drizzle made them even ten times better. That was the one cookie my friends seemed to enjoy the most next to the Witch fingers I featured in last week's post. So, if you would like to give your special little monsters this sweet treat the recipe is below:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE or PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE (recipes follow)

Directions

1. Place butter and peanut butter chips in saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Pour into large bowl; add brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda and pecans; blend well. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes or until firm enough to roll.

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough, a small portion at a time, on lightly floured board or between 2 pieces of wax paper, to 1/4-inch thickness. I used the wax paper to avoid a big mess with flour. Keep any extra dough in refrigerator. With cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until almost set (do not overbake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

4. Drizzle CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE or PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE onto each cookie; garnish as desired. About 3 dozen cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP GLAZE: Place 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZE: Place 2/3 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips and 1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. Microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Makes about 1/3 cup glaze.

You can find this recipe online at: http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/5087/Peanut-Butter-Cut-Out-Cookies.aspx