Article: Tips to Make Soft, and Delicious Doughnuts

Tips to Make Soft, and Delicious Doughnuts posts: Mrs Husna, Malang


You and your family like to enjoy donuts? Instead of always buying, it's worth it to try it for yourself. If you already like this certainly makes you want to get the tips of tender and delicious donuts, right?
Doughnuts or donuts in a discussion called in English, one cake whose name is quite popular and could be as a favorite the world community. Appearance since the first time, the donut has a very distinctive appearance shape with a hole in the middle like a like a ring. But there is also an occasional round if filled with recipes inside.
Doughnuts have a long history, American archaeologists found some relics that illustrate the types of food shaped like a donut in the prehistoric era. However alleged that the donut comes from the Dutch state, precisely from the Manhatten area, and there donut called "olykoeks" or fried cakes.
Until now, the emergence of the donut is still a favorite cake recipe servings practical to eat. Even in America itself, perhaps there are currently over 10 million donuts are produced each year. Not to be outdone, in Indonesia recipe cake donut recipe, adapted from the Western culinary This popularity can be equated with the recipe of Indonesian traditional cakes such as recipes snacks. The evidence for a donut is not difficult, both in traditional and modern in a variety of bakery shops.
In the midst of modern society, not always present the appearance of a round donut with a hole in the middle, even more unique and varied forms, so that more and more tempting to eat. You're curious to make the donuts themselves with flavors of delicious, fragrant and truly feels tender when bitten? Come see the following quick tips:
Discover the recipe Ingredients: 1. Flour The main recipe ingredients to make donuts recipe is wheat flour with protein content was. When pengulenan, will change majadi gluten proteins, which then gives a framework / fine texture. Sometimes, a recipe of flour used in making donuts recipe mixed with low protein flour to obtain a softer terkstur.
2. Sugar Pick the sugar dissolves easily in water. Refined sugar can be also used. Sugar not only as a recipe ingredient to sweeten, but also determines the storability of tenderness and maintain donuts. Even if you wish to make the donuts salty, do not leave sugar. Why? Sugar also serves to activate the yeast.
3. Egg There was no denying the use of egg recipes make recipe more delicious donuts. Many people prefer to use the egg yolks than whites. With the aim to soften and provide a more attractive yellow color.
4. Developers Yeast is a recipe developer of the most popular material. The most widely used today are instant yeast, because it is far easier to use it is simply mixed with the dough. Furthermore, the addition of baking powder recipes and recipe improver (bread improver) as the developer also influence tenderness and donuts.
5. Liquid Some like to use water. Some have also preferred to use a prescription liquid milk into the batter. Use milk to make a cake donut recipe softer than water, other than that it was much better.
6. Salt Although its use was just the tip of tea spoon, adding the salt in the dough large enough function is to control the development of the dough. To remember, salt inhibits the yeast so that the work should never be close. So the addition of salt, preferably after the dough evenly, would be much better.
7. Fat Margarine and butter is the fat used in making prescription seirng donuts. The presence of fat in a donut dough recipe will make a rich flavor in addition to also make the donuts so soft.
8. Cooking Oil Choose the cooking oil clear yellow color. Better use of solid cooking oil, because the result is more cryspy.
9. Topping If enough dtabur first donut with powdered sugar, donuts now began to beautify themselves. Recipe ingredients that could be used as a prescription misis sprinkles, almonds recipes, chocolate recipes, recipe chopped nuts, until a variety of recipes perment trimit shaped funny and interesting.
Identify Tools Used:
1. Measure Tool Maybe you can be amazed by the skills of old parents who are able to make donuts without sufficient dose to the science of predictions. Oops lho carefully, without taking the risk is very important measuring tool usage. To produce standard and delicious donuts, which must measure at least you have the scales and measuring spoons.
2. Dough mixer Creating donut dough recipes can be mixed directly with the hands and diuli condition must be consistent pengulenan strength. Along the development of times, now you can use a machine called a mixer. For the dough recipe that amount is too much, could use a mixer household scale by replacing the rotors with spiral shapes.
3. Kom Dough / Containers No special requirements are recommended and most importantly must be cleaned.
4. Rolling Pin Grinder is useful for thinning the batter to be formed and also menggeluarkan inflate the air as the dough recipe.
5. Matter Doughnuts If you usually only round donut shaped with a hole in the center, now a donut display quite varied. More and more culinary experts berivovasi by printing donut box shape, triangle, oval to wavy. Wow, donuts look now increasingly varied and tempting!
6. Pan In order for maximum results, select non-stick pans are coated so it does not easily burn.
Making Techniques
1. Mixing Start from the sifting flour with the aim that the results are not grainy, then mix all dry ingredients recipe and stir well. Add liquid gradually, stirring until blended. Once well blended recipe, the fat can be incorporated, stirring constantly until smooth and blended.
2. Pengulenan In this technique could use a hand or mixer. When using hand movements quite easily. Do it like washing clothes, pull the dough is pressed forward with a little and fold again in your direction. And so on and laukukan-lulang repeated until the dough smooth. Using the mixer, consider the batter should not be too hot due to friction propeller mixer. If this happens, you should stop and proceed with recipe dough by hand until completely smooth. To test the dough is smooth, take a little dough, then pull wide. If dough is torn, repeat the process until the dough no longer pengulenan easily torn.
3. Fermentation Once the batter is smooth then rested called fermented to develop the dough recipe. During the fermentation process approximately 15 to 30 minutes, adonana should be covered with plastic or wet towels. The aim is to prevent evaporation and the results are not dry.
4. The dough deflates Well, this ditahap use of pin rollling very useful tool. Adonaa removed from the container, then pipihkan until as thick as expected.
5. Print Once flattened, print donut dough according to taste. Yagn tool can be used to mnencetak stailess made from steel. Create a donut shape and pretty interesting. Remember, the form that will make the donuts look pretty tempting. Once printed, fermentasikan back for about 10 minutes to inflate.
6. Fry Donut should always be fried in oil and soaked with a lot of specific heat to keep the yellow color is evenly browned and cooked. In order for a donut is not too much to absorb oil, it is better to use solid gorang oil. This oil is rapidly frozen in room temperature.
7. Cake donuts are ready to be more beautiful decorated In this article presents a longer trend donut recipe plus step by step. Surely donut fragrant aroma, soft texture and appearance when digigigt an interesting shape, there would always be looking for donut fans, surely!. ***
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Various Kind of Nuts
Nuts That Are dried fruit kernels or seeds have encased in a hard woody shell or rind. There are many specific kinds of Fruits Included in the category of "nuts" and Also That many really are not true nuts. People eat many kinds of nuts and the coconut Poor 'Some have long been recognized as an Important food source. Many kinds of nuts contain valuable substances Poor 'oil and minerals. That there are nuts grow wild and are gathered from the plants, but the peanut Some Poor ', are very large cultivated in Quantities. Peanuts are nuts and are sold as Also processed into peanut butter.
Nuts as Food The peanut is by far the most popular nut Used for food. Other Popular nuts are cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachio nuts and pinons. The breadnut Is Also popular and is often ground into flour to use in making bread. Most of These nuts contain Between 50 and 70% fat and oil and from 15 to 30% protein. They contain starch Also, Vitamin C and the B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Also include walnuts and pecans Vitamin A. Nuts are a healthy part of the diet and acres Included under the Meat and Protein sections of the food pyramid.
Nuts as a Source of Oil Valuable There are oils in many kinds of nuts. Generally, oils These are divided into two groups - non-drying oils and drying oils. When drying oils are exposed to air they want form a thin elastic film. The nuts in this category are Home walnuts, candlenuts and oiticicas. They are Used in the manufacture of paint, printer's ink, linoleum, oilcloth and patent leather. Non-drying oils are always in a liquid state at room temperature. The nuts in this category include peanuts, coconuts, cashews, pecans, filberts and pili nuts. They are Used in the manufacture of lubricants and lighting as well as in making margarine, and soap.
Other Nuts There are Some nuts Used in the tanning process. These include bitternut nuts, acorns and pecans. Other nuts, and acorn beechnut Poor 'Are Used as livestock feed and the betel nut is often chewed as a stimulant. ***
----------------------------------------- by James Hunt About the author: James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories That covers a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.nuts-central.info

Tips Mengolah dan Memodifikasi Adonan Roti (Bag.2)

Tips Mengolah dan Memodifikasi Adonan Roti (Bag.2)
kirman: Bunda Syahrial Z, Kota Duri- Riau

Metode Pembuatan Adonan Roti
Banyak metode pembuatan roti manis, roti unyil, roti burger seperti metode sponge dough (metode tidak langsung). Metode yang umum digunakan adalah straight dough atau metode langsung. Metode ini dibuat dengan cara mencampur semua resep bahan dan mengaduknya hinngga terbentuk adonan yang licin dan kalis. Metode ini paling umum digunakan karena hasil adonan maksimal, waktu fermentasi bahan resep-nya hanyak 1.5 - 3 jam.

Tahap Penting pembuatan Adonan
Hasil roti akan maksimal jika mengikuti tahap pembuatan yang baik dan benar sesuai petunjuk. Berikut tahap dasar pembuatan roti;

1. Penimbangan
Setelah semua bahan dipilih yang berkualitas baik, bahan roti kemudian ditimbang. Penimbangan dan pengukuran sebaiknya menggunakan alat ukur yang standar. Benda padat ditimbang dengan timbangan digital atau analog.
Benda cari menggunakan gelas ukur, sedangkan bahan-bahan pemberi aroma biasanya diukur dengan sendok ukur. Ketepatan timbangan sangat memperngaruhi hasil roti. Pastikan timbangan berfungsi dengan baik dan proses menimbang dilakukan dengan benar agar hasil roti maksimal.

2. Pengadukan / Pencampuran / Mixing
Proses pengadukan bahan resep merupakan tahap yang sangat penting di dalam membuat roti. Prosesnya pertama mencampur resep adonan menjadi satu (pick up), adonan kemudian diaduk agar tidak menempel lagi di mixer dan mangkok adonan, pengadukan diteruskan hingga permukaan resep adonan licin dan elastis, teruskan mengaduk sebentar lagi hingga seluruh resep adonan licin kalis dan permukaan terlihat kering.
Setelah tahap ini pengadukan sebaiknya dihentikan, jika tidak adonan akan basah, lengket dan berair. Bila tahap ini terjadi maka akan overmix dan adonan akan menghasilkan kue yang bantat, lembek dan pri-pori tidak bagus.

Fungsi pengadukan adalah menciptakan adonan yang homogen, membentuk dan melunakan gluten sehingga memungkinkan adonan menahan gas ketika proses pengembangan / fermentasi.

3. Fermentasi
Setelah seluruh resep adonan kalis, adonan kemudan dibulatkan dan didiamkan untuk fermentasi / pengembangan. suhu ideal untuk fermentasi roti adalah kisaran 34 - 35 derajat Celcius. Suhu terlalu dingin akan menyebabkan proses fermenasi berjalan lambat, sedangkan suhu terlalu panas akan menyebabkan fermentasi berjalan terlalu cepat dan yang mengakibatkan tekstur roti menjadi kasar.

Waktu yang diperlukan untuk fermentasi adalah 30 menit, namun fermentasi akan menjadi semakin lama jika suhu dingin. Dalam kondisi ini, fermentasi bisa mencapai dalam 1 jam. Patokannya adalah, proses fermentasi segera diberhentikan ketika resep adonan sudah mengembang dua kali lipat dari besar resep adonan semula atau ketika adonan ditekan dengan jari, adonan meninggalkan bekas permanen, tidak kembali ke bentuk semula.

Fermentasi terlalu lama akan menyebabkan adonan over prof, yaitu kondisi dimana adonan menjadi lembek dan berair. Fermentasi terlalu singkat akan menyebabkan roti keras, pori-pori kasar dan roti tidak empuk.

4. Pengempesan Adonan
Setelah adonan difermentasikan, resep adonan kemudian dikempeskan dengan cara meninjunya dengan tangan atau digiling dengan gilingan hingga gas terbuang semua. Tujuan dari pengempesan ini adlah menghentikan sementara proses fermentasi karena adonan akan dipotong dan ditimbang. jangan menguleni adonan yang sudah difermentaikan karena pori-pori yang sudah terbentuk akan menjadi rusak dan serat yang terbentuk menjadi hilang. Cukup dikempeskan saja.

5. Potong dan Timbang
Adonan yang sudah dikempeskan kemudan dipotong menjadi bentuk sesuai kebutuhan resep dan ditimbang. Tujuannya agar roti yang dihasilkan besarnya seragam dengan berat dan volume yang sama.

6. Pembulatan Adonan
Adonan yang sudah dikempeskan kemudian dibulatkan kembali dengan tangan. Tujuannya adalah membentuk lapisan film untuk menahan gas selama proses fermentasi dua. Manfaatnya adonan lebih mudah dibentuk dan lebih elastis.

7. Pembentukan
Setelah difermentasi-2, resep adonan kemudian digiling agar gas keluar dan dibentuk sesuai kebutahan resep. Pada tahap ini seringkali dilakukan penambahan isi di dalam adonan resep .

8. Fermentasi
Tahap ini sering disebut dengan perletakan adonan di dalam cetakan atau panning. setelah adonan diletakkan di dalam loyang atau cetakan beroles margarin. Fermentasikan adonan atau diamkan resep adonan selama 15 menit atau hingga adonan mengembang maksimal. Adakalanya setelah resep adonan mengembang maksimal, permukaan diolesi dengan kuning telur atau susu tawar dan larutan gula pasir agar warna kulit lebih mengkilat dan bagus.

9. Pengovenan atau Pembakaran
Pengovenan resep adonan roti memerlukan temperatur yang berbeda pada masing-masing jenisnya. untuk roti ukuran kecil diperlukan suhu sekitar 180 derajat Celcius selama 12 - 15 menit. Untuk ukuran lebih besar seperti roti tawar diperlukan sushu 220 derajat celcius selama 20 - 25 menit.

Pemanggangan dilakukan hingga roti matang dan kulit berwarna kuning kecokelatan. Roti yang menggunakan gula banyak seperti roti manis memerlukan waktu pemanggangan lebih singkat karena gula yang tinggi mengakibatkan adonan lebih cepat berwarna kecokelatan. Selalu memanaskan oven selama 5-10 menit terlebih dahulu sebelum adonan roti dioven hingga tercapai suhu yang diinginkan.***

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source: Tabloid Lezat

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A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery

Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap 'n tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I'm going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment
Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it's rounded bottom and one wooden handle. This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties. There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it. You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat. Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel. The paper will come away black. Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean. Your wok is now ready to use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat. You may also apply a little oil if you wish. This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob. This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with - any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do - metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients
Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients don't keep well if left unused. Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.
Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.

Techniques
Stir-Frying
The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as it's shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips. Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking. Measure out sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl. If cornflour is included, don't forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides. I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Deep Frying
You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy. Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it's hot enough.

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Shallow Frying
This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Steaming
Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery. You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don't need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it. Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn't getting wet.

Braising
As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock. Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.

Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers' Tales websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website. ***

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by Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers' Tales websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website.

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Kitchen Mysteries

One of the biggest unsolved mysteries of the kitchen is the fondue pot. Fondue pots are a popular bridal registry item and they are often given as house warming gifts. But by the time the thank you cards have been sent, the fondue pot has usually disappeared never to be heard from again. They wind up in the back of a closet or in the attic or some are even re-gifted. Why does everyone want a fondue pot but no one ever gets around to making fondue?

Fondue is easy to make. Sure there are some recipes that require saut ing vegetables or marinating meat overnight and some use exotic ingredients that you won't find at the supermarket. Those types of recipes taste great but they are the reason that your fondue pot is gathering dust instead of being used.

The key to getting use out of your fondue pot is to pick very simple recipes that are easy to make such as the recipes listed below. One is a basic cheese fondue that substitutes regular Swiss Cheese for the more expensive and harder to find Gruyere cheese. The 2nd recipe is Mocha Fondue, a must try recipe for coffee and chocolate lovers. Once again this is a recipe with basic ingredients and easy instructions.

Swiss Fondue 2 cups dry White Wine 1 Garlic Clove 1 lb Swiss Cheese 3 tbsp Flour 1 tbsp Lemon Juice 1/4 tsp White Pepper Salt to taste Nutmeg to taste

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic clove and add clove to pot Heat up the White Wine & Lemon Juice on medium low heat - should be hot but do not boil Mix Flour and Cheese in a bowl Slowly add cheese mixture while stirring Add remainder of ingredients while stirring Optional: Add a splash of Kirsch or Blackberry Brandy To Dip: Italian bread cut into cubes, vegetables, flat breads

Mocha Fondue 8 oz Semisweet Chocolate 1/2 cup Hot Espresso or Coffee 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar 2 tbsp Butter 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chop chocolate into small pieces and set aside Heat espresso and sugar in fondue pot on low heat Slowly add chocolate and butter while stirring Add Vanilla Optional: Add a splash of Irish Cream To Dip: Angel Food Cake, Apple Slices, Bananas, Strawberries, Pound Cake, Pretzels, Pineapple Chunks, Marshmallows

Fondue can be easy to make and it's definitely fun. The key is to use simple recipes so that you can spend your time enjoying fondue and not worrying about getting a complicated recipe right. Isn't it time that your fondue pot became a permanent fixture on your countertop. You can free up some room for it by moving the crock pot into the closet. ***

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by Anthony Tripodi
About the author: Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of GoFondue.com - The Home of Fondue. For more information about fondue including recipes, ideas and equipment, visit http://www.gofondue.com

Artikel: Tips Mengolah dan Memodifikasi Adonan Roti (Bag.1)

Tips Mengolah dan Memodifikasi Adonan Roti (Bag.1)
kirman: Bunda Syahrial Z, Kota Duri- Riau

Jenis Dan Fungsi Bahan:

1. Tepung Terigu
Tepung terigu untuk membuat roti harus menggunakan resep tepung terigu tinggi protein atau hard wheat. Tepung jenis ini banyak mengandung gluten / protein terigu. Protein gluten ini tersusun atas gliadin dan glutenin. Giladin berfungsi sebagai perekat dan menjadikan resep adonan roti elastis. Sedangkan glutenin berfungsi menjaga adonan resep tetap kokoh dan menahan gas CO2 selama proses fermentasi sehingga resep adonan dapat mengembang serta terbentuk proti-pori.
Tepung terigu tinggi protein mengandung sekitar 14 % protein. Terigu jenis ini akan menghasilkan tekstur roti yang berserat halus dan empuk.

Tips:
Jika salah didalam memilih tepung terigu, roti akan berserat kasar, keras dan tidak mengembang maksimal. Terigu jenis ini dijual dengan merek dagang cakra kembar.

2. Ragi
Ragi (yeast) adalah mikroorganisme hidup dari keluarga fungus, spesies Saccaharomyces Cerevisiae. Di dalam resep adonan roti, ragi bergungsi memfermentasi adonan sehingga adonan dapat mengembang dan terbentuk serat / pori roti. Di dalam proses fermentasi, ragi merubah gula dan karbohidrat di dalam adonan menjadi gas karbondioksida (CO2) dan alkohol. Terbentuknya zat inilah yang menjadikan adonan mengembang dan bararoma harum khas roti ketika dipanggang.

Di pasaran banyak dijual aneka jenis ragi. Seperti ragi basah atau ragi kering instan. Ragi basah kurang populer karena tidak praktis dalam penggunaanya, seperti harus menggunakan adonan biang, disimpan dalam suhu dingin dan tidak tahan lama. Ragi instan lebih banyak digunakan karena praktis dan dapat dicampur langsung ke dalam adonan.

Tips:
Penambahan ragi biasanya menggunakan perbandingan 20-25 g ragi per 1 kilogram tepung terigu. Ragi instan dijual dengan merek dagang fermipan.

3. Gula
Di dalam resep adonan roti, gula berfungsi sebagai makanan ragi. Dengan adanya gula, ragi bisa berkembang lebih cepat dan proses fermentasi menjadi berjalan dengan baik. Gula juga memberi rasa manis pada hasil akhir resep roti dan memperbaiki warna dan aroma karena proses karamelisadsi selama pemanggangan. Fungsi yang lain adalah sifat gula higroskopis sehingga menjadikan roti lebih awet. Gunakan gula sekitar 25% dari berat tepung terigu. Roti tertentu seperti roti manis memerlukan jumlah gula lebih banyak. Penambahan gula terlalu banyak akan menyebabkan proses fermentasi berjalan cepat sehingga pori-pori roti menjadi kasar dan roti lebih cepat gosong saat dipanggang.

Tips:
Pilihlah gula berkualitas baik, ciri-cirinya tidak bergumpal, butirannya halus, berwarna putih bersih tanpa kotoran.

4. Lemak
Adonan roti umumnya menggunakan lemak nabati (margarin) dan lemak hewani (mentega). Di dalam adonan roti, lemak berfungsi untuk memperbaiki tekstur dan citarasa.
Resep roti akan lebih empuk dan aroma harum dengan adanya lemak di dalam resep adonan. Tekstur roti juga lebih halus dan serat tidak kasar dan seret ketika dimakan.

Tips:
Penggunaan lemak biasanya 2-6% dari berat tepung. Pilih lemak sesuai dengan kebututhan resep yang akan dibuat.

5. Cairan
Adakalanya adonan roti harus ditambah dengan cairan, seperti air dingin, susu cair, jus buah atau santan. Gunakan dengan jumlah sesuai dengan petunjuk resep. Kelebihan cairan akan menyebabkan adonan lembek. Sebaliknya, kekurangan cairan menyebabkan adonan keras, susah digiling dan dibentuk.

Dengan adanya cairan di dalam adonan, kepadatan adonan bisa dikontrol, membatu penyebaran bahan-bahan lain agar dapat tercampur rata. Cairan juga memungkinkan terbentuknya gluten lebih cepat dan elastis. Cairan seperti susu memberikan efek hasil roti lebih empuk dan adonan lebih elastis.

Tips:
Gunakan susu tawar cair dan air ber PH normal untuk hasil adonan maksimal.

6. Telur

Telur yang biasanya digunakan untuk membuat resep adonan roti adalah telur ayam. Di dalam resep adonan, telur berfungsi memperbaiki nilai gizi roti, meningkatkan cita rasa menjadi lebih lezat, membantu pembentukan tekstur serat roti lebih halus. Kandungan lecithin di dalam kuning telur membantu mengemulsi adonan sehingga struktur adonan lebih kompak. Pilih telur ayam yang baru, tidak retak dan bersih.

Tips:
Selalu memecahkan telur di dalam baskom, jangan langsung di atas resep adoan untuk menghindari telur yang ternyata busuk.

7. Bread Improver

Penambahan bread improver kadang perlu ditambahkan . Bahan ini tersusun dari ascorbic acid dan L. Cyxtein serta sodium metabisulphite yang berguna sebagai penguat dan pelunak gluten. Bread improver juga mengadung makanan bagi ragi, enzim serta emulsifier. Dengan penambahan bread improver, proses fermentasi akan berjalan lebih cepat, tekstur roti lebih empuk, serat lebih halus, volume yang besar serta roti lebih tahan lama. Dijual dengan merek dagang unipan.

8. Garam
Walaupun diperlukan dalam jumlah sedikit, peran garam sangat penting di dalam adonan roti. Dengan adanya garam proses fermentasi ragi dapat dikontrol. Jika tidak ada garam, fermentasi akan berjalan lebih cepat dan gula akan habis dimakan oleh ragi, akibatnya warna kulit roti akan menjadi pucat dan berkerut karena tidak ada gula. Garam juga berfungsi menyetabilkan kekokohan gluten di dalam menahan gas sehingga adonan tidak mudah turun.

Tips: fungsi lain garam adalah memeperbaiki cita rasa menjadi lehih gurih dan roti menjadi lebih awet. Penambahan garam sebaiknya 2 - 2,5% dari jumlah tepung.***

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source: Tabloid Lezat

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Easy, Frugal Tuna Casserole Recipes

Tuna casseroles are one of the most frugal dinners you can make. Most picky kids will eat them, and most picky husbands will too! Whenever you can't think of something for dinner, you can bet you will probably have the ingredients on hand to make some of these all time favorites:

Classic Tuna Casserole
1 envelope chicken noodle soup mix 2 1/2 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 can tuna 2 cups canned peas, drained 1/4 cup buttered bread crumbs Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine soup mix and water; heat to boiling. In another saucepan, melt butter over low heat and blend in flour and pepper. Gradually stir in hot soup and cook until thickened. Add tuna and fold in peas. Pour into a greased baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through.

Chopstick Tuna
1 can tuna, drained 1 can cream of mushroom soup 2 cups chow mein noodles 1 cup celery, chopped 1/4 cup onion, chopped 1/2 cup almonds or cashews, chopped

Combine soup with 1/4 cup water. Add 1 cup chow mein noodles and remaining ingredients. Place in baking dish and spread rest of noodles on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tuna Supper Casserole
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach 1 can tuna, drained 1 small can sliced mushrooms (optional) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon minced onion 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 egg, slightly beaten

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain well. Drain mushrooms, saving liquid. Add lemon juice and water to mushroom juice to make 1 cup liquid. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, and blend in onion, flour, salt, pepper, and mushroom liquid. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thick. Beat sauce into egg, then add mushrooms. Arrange spinach in a casserole dish, then top with tuna. Pour sauce on top. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tuna Casserole
1 (16 oz.) carton cottage cheese 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 medium onion, chopped finely 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup sour cream 2 cans tuna 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 cups macaroni, cooked Cheddar cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients except cheese together in a casserole dish and top with grated cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.***

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by Rachel Paxton
About the author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. Creative Homemaking's free recipe database also has more than 50 casserole recipes to choose from. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

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Italian Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Appetizer

Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe appetizer is an easy and delightful beginning to any meal. The delicate salty flavor of prosciutto balances the sweet and juicy cantaloupe to create a taste pleasing appetizer.

This traditional Italian antipasto often appears on the menu in fine Italian restaurants. Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe can even be found in cafes around Rome and other hot spots in Italy.
Try serving Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe attractively arranged the next time you have a dinner party and then sit back and relax. You will be delightfully surprised at all the compliments that will follow your presentation.

Ripe cantaloupe
Prosciutto sliced very thin
Black pepper

Chill the melon, cut it into halves and remove the seeds. Slice the melon into inch wide slices. Run your knife along the bottom of the flesh close to the rind, being careful not to remove the rind. Leave a small amount of the rind at the end of the slice attached to the flesh. This will allow for an appealing presentation.
Drape 2 wide, very thin slices of prosciutto at an angle over each slice of melon. Allow some of the melon to show through the prosciutto. Grind a small amount of black pepper over top and serve chilled. ***

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by Shauna Hanus
About the author: Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

Artikel: Tips Membuat Donat Empuk dan Enak

Tips Membuat Donat Empuk dan Enak
kiriman: Bu Husna, Malang
Anda dan keluarga suka menikmati kue donat? Daripada selalu membeli, tak ada salahnya kan untuk mencobanya sendiri. Kalau sudah begini tentu Anda ingin mendapatkan tips membuat donat yang empuk dan enak, bukan?

Donat atau dalam bahasan inggirsnya disebut donut, salah satu kue yang namanya cukup populer dan bisa jadi sebagai favorit masyarakat dunia. Kemunculannya sejak pertama kali, donat memiliki penampilan bentuk yang sangat khas dengan lubang di tengah layaknya seperti cincin. Namun sesekali ada juga yang berbentuk bulat lau diisi dengan resep di dalamnya.

Donat memiliki sejarah yang cukup panjang, para arkeolog Amerika menemukan beberapa peninggalan yang menggambarkan adanya jenis makanan berbentuk seperti donat pada zaman pra sejarah. Namun diduga keras bahwa donat berasal dari negara Belanda, tepatnya dari daerah Manhatten dan disana donat dinamakan "olykoeks" atau kue yang digoreng.

Hingga kini kemunculan donat masih menjadi sajian resep kue favorit yang praktis untuk disantap. Bahkan di Amerika sendiri, mungkin saat ini ada lebih 10 juta donat diproduksi setiap tahunnya. Tak mau kalah, di Indonesia resep kue donat yang diadaptasi dari resep kuliner Barat ini kepopulerannya bisa disejajarkan dengan resep kue-kue tradisional Indonesia seperti resep jajanan pasar. Buktinya untuk mendapatkan kue donat tidaklah sulit, baik di pasar tradisional maupun di berbagai bakery shop modern.

Di tengah masyarakat yang modern, kini penampilan donat tidak selalu berbentuk bulat dengan lubang di tengah, bahkan bentuknya makin unik dan bervariasi, sehingga makin menggoda untuk disantap. Anda penasaran ingin membuat kue donat sendiri dengan citarasa lezat, aroma yang harum dan sungguh terasa empuk saat digigit? Yuk simak tips singkat berikut ini:

Kenali Bahan Resepnya:
1. Tepung
Bahan resep utama untuk membuat donat adalah resep tepung terigu dengan kandungan proteinnya sedang. Saat pengulenan, protein akan berubah majadi gluten yang kemudian akan memberi kerangka / tekstur yang bagus. Kadang, resep tepung yang digunakan dalam membuat donat dicampurkan dengan resep tepung protein rendah untuk memperoleh terkstur yang lebih lembut.

2. Gula
Pilihlah gula yang mudah larut dalam air. Gula halus bisa juga digunakan. Gula bukan saja sebagai resep bahan untuk memaniskan, tetapi juga menentukan keempukan dan mempertahankan daya simpan kue donat. Sekalipun donat yang ingin Anda buat berasa asin, jangan tinggalkan gula. Mengapa? Gula juga berfungsi mengaktifkan ragi.

3. Telur
Tidak bisa dipungkiri pemakaian resep telur membuat resep donat makin enak. Banyak orang lebih suka menggunakan bagian kuning telur ketimbang putihnya. Dengan tujuan melembutkan dan memberikan warna kuning yang lebih menarik.

4. Pengembang
Ragi adalah resep bahan pengembang yang paling populer. Yang paling banyak digunakan saat ini adalah ragi instan, karena jauh lebih mudah cara penggunaannya yaitu cukup diaduk dengan adonan. Selain itu, penambahan resep baking powder dan resep improver (bread improver) sebagai pengembang juga berpengaruh terhadap keempukan kue donat.

5. Cairan
Ada yang suka menggunakan air. Sebagian ada juga yang lebih suka menggunakan resep cairan susu ke dalam adonan. Penggunaan resep susu membuat kue donat lebih lembut ketimbang air, selain itu rasanya jauh lebih enak.

6. Garam
Walaupun penggunaannya cuma seujung sendok teh, penambahan garam dalam adonan fungsinya cukup besar yaitu untuk mengontrol pengembangan adonan. Yang patut diingat, garam dapat menghambat kerja ragi sehingga jangan pernah didekatkan. Jadi penambahan garam, sebaiknya setelah adonan tercampur rata, akan jauh lebih baik.

7. Lemak
Margarin dan mentega adalah lemak yang seirng digunakan dalam membuat resep donat. Adanya lemak dalam resep adonan donat akan membuat kaya citarasanya disamping juga membuat donat jadi lembut.

8. Minyak Goreng
Pilih minyak goreng yang warnanya kuning jernih. Lebih bagus menggunakan minyak goreng padat, karena hasilnya lebih cryspy.

9. Taburan
Kalau dahulu donat cukup dtabur dengan gula halus, kini donat mulai mempercantik diri. Bahan-bahan resep yang bisa dijadikan taburan seperti resep misis, resep almond, resep cokelat, resep kacang cincang, hingga beragam resep perment trimit yang bentuknya lucu dan menarik.

Kenali Alat Yang Digunakan:

1. Alat Ukur
Mungkin Anda boleh kagum dengan keahlian orang tua zaman dulu yang mampu membuat kue donat tanpa takaran cukup dengan ilmu perkiraan. Ups hati-hati lho, tanpa mengambil resiko alat ukur ini sangat penting penggunaannya. Untuk menghasilkan donat yang standar dan enak, minimal alat ukur yang musti Anda punyai yaitu timbangan dan sendok ukur.

2. Pengaduk Adonan
Membuat resep adonan donat bisa dicampur langsung dan diuli dengan tangan yang syaratnya kekuatan pengulenan harus konsisten. Seiring perkembangan zaman, kini Anda bisa menggunakan mesin yang disebut mixer. Untuk adonan resep yang jumlahnya tidak terlalu banyak, bisa menggunakan mixer skala rumah tangga dengan mengganti baling-balingnya dengan bentuk spiral.

3. Kom Adonan / Wadah
Tidak ada persyaratan khusus yang musti disarankan dan yang terpenting harus dibersihkan.

4. Rolling Pin
Alat penggiling ini bermanfaat untuk menipiskan adonan yang hendak dibentuk dan juga menggeluarkan udara saat adonan resep mengembang.

5. Cetakan Donat
Kalau biasanya donat bentuknya hanya bulat dengan lubang di tengah, kini tampilan donat cukup variatif. Makin banyak ahli kuliner yang berivovasi dengan mencetak donat bentuk kotak, segitiga, oval hingga bergelombang. Wah, tampilan donat kini makin bervariasi dan menggoda!

6. Wajan
Agar hasilnya maksimal, pilih wajan yang dilapisi anti lengket sehingga tidak mudah gosong.

Teknik Pembuatan

1. Pencampuran
Mulailah dari pengayakan tepung terigu dengan tujuan agar hasilnya tidak berbutir-butir, lalu campur semua resep bahan kering, aduk rata. Tambahkan cairan sedikit demi sedikit sambil diaduk hingga rata. Setelah resep tercampur rata, lemak bisa dimasukkan sambil terus diaduk hingga kalis dan rata.

2. Pengulenan
Pada teknik ini bisa menggunakan tangan atau mixer. Bila menggunakan tangan, gerakannya cukup mudah. Lakukan seperti mencuci pakaian, tarik adonan ke depan sambil sedikit ditekan lalu lipat lagi ke arah Anda. Begitu seterusnya dan laukukan berulang-lulang hingga adonan kalis.
Yang menggunakan mixer, perhatikan adonan tidak boleh terlalu panas akibat gesekan baling-baling mixer. Jika ini terjadi, sebaiknya hentikan dan teruskan dengan menggunakan tangan hingga resep adonan benar-benar kalis.
Untuk mengetes adonan kalis, ambil sedikit adonan, lalu tarik melebar. Kalau adonan sobek, ulangi proses pengulenan hingga adonan tidak lagi mudah sobek.

3. Fermentasi
Setelah adonan kalis lalu diistirahatkan yang disebut difermentasikan untuk mengembangkan resep adonan. Selama proses fermentasi lebih kurang 15 hingga 30 menit, adonana sebaiknya ditutupi plastik atau serbet basah. Tujuannya untuk mencegah penguapan dan hasilnya tidak kering.

4. Mengempiskan Adonan
Nah, ditahap ini penggunaaan alat rollling pin sangat bermanfaat. Adonaa dikeluarkan dari wadah, lalu pipihkan sampai setebal yang diharapkan.

5. Mencetak
Setelah dipipihkan, cetak adonan donat sesuai selera. Alat yagn digunakan untuk mnencetak bisa terbuat dari bahan stailess steel. Buat bentuk donat yang cantik dan menarik. Ingat, bentuk yang cantik akan membuat donat kelihatan menggiurkan. Setelah dicetak, fermentasikan kembali selama lebih kurang 10 menit agar mengembang.

6. Menggoreng
Kue donat harus selalu digoreng dalam minyak banyak dan terendam dengan panas tertentu agar warnanya tetap kuning kecokelatan dan matangnya merata. Agar donat tidak terlalu banyak menyerap minyak, lebih baik gunakan minyak gorang padat. Minyak ini bersifat cepat membeku dalam suhu ruang.

7. Kue donat siap dihias agar semakin cantik
Pada artikel kali ini menyajikan resep donat yang lagi tren plus step by step . Tentunya donat yang aromanya harum, teksturnya empuk saat digigigt dan tampilan bentuknya yang menarik, pasti akan selalu dicari para penggemar donat, tentunya!. ***

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source: Tabloid Lezat

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Various Kind of Nuts

Nuts are dried fruit that have kernels or seeds encased in a hard woody shell or rind. There are many specific kinds of fruits included in the category of "nuts" and also many that really are not true nuts. People eat many kinds of nuts and some such as the coconut have long been recognized as an important food source. Many kinds of nuts contain valuable substances such as oil and minerals. There are nuts that grow wild and are gathered from the plants, but some such as the peanut, are cultivated in very large quantities. Peanuts are sold as nuts and are also processed into peanut butter.

Nuts as Food
The peanut is by far the most popular nut used for food. Other popular nuts are cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pinons and pistachio nuts. The breadnut is also popular and is often ground into flour to use in making bread. Most of these nuts contain between 50 and 70 % fat and oil and from 15 to 30 % protein. They also contain starch, Vitamin C and the B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Walnuts and pecans also include Vitamin A. Nuts are a healthy part of the diet and are included under the Meat and Protein section of the food pyramid.

Nuts as a Source of Oil
There are valuable oils in many kinds of nuts. Generally, these oils are divided into two groups - drying oils and non-drying oils. When drying oils are exposed to air they form a thin elastic film. The nuts in this category are English walnuts, candlenuts and oiticicas. They are used in the manufacture of paint, printer's ink, linoleum, oilcloth and patent leather. Non-drying oils are always in a liquid state at room temperature. The nuts in this category include peanuts, coconuts, cashews, pecans, filberts and pili nuts. They are used in the manufacture of lubricants and lighting as well as in making margarine, and soap.

Other Nuts
There are some nuts used in the tanning process. These nuts include bitternut, acorns and pecans. Other nuts, such as beechnut and acorn are used as livestock feed and the betel nut is often chewed as a stimulant. ***

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by James Hunt
About the author: James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.nuts-central.info

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No Bake Grasshopper Pie

Here is a delicious no-bake pie for you to try!
Crust: 1 bag (7 oz) chocolate and mint-filled sandwich cookies (Such as Pepperidge Farms Mint Milano) 1/2 cup slivered almonds 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Filling: 8 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese) 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup creme de menthe syrup (such as Torani, availabe at gourmet stores, or www.torani.com) 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar 1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup heavy cream Mint and chocolate curls, to garnish

1. Slice 1 inch off one end of each sandwich cookie. Pulse these pieces in a food processor with almonds until all are ground. Add softened butter and pulse until evenly combined. Press crumbs onto the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate, covering your hand with plastic wrap to avoid sticking. Prop remaining cookies, cut side down, around rim of plate. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

2. Filling: Let mascarpone cheese soften in a large bowl at room temperature. Beat slightly with a hand mixer until smooth. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Let soften 2 minutes. then microwave for 15 seconds, until gelatin is dissolved. Let cool slightly.

3. Gradually beat creme de menthe syrup and sugar into mascarpone until blended; mixture will look curdled. While mixer is running, add 1 1/4 cups of the heavy cream. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Gradually beat in gelatin; beat until medium-stiff peaks are formed. Pour into prepared crust, swirling top decoratively. Refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

4. Once pie is set, beat remaining 1/3 cup cream to soft peaks. Dollop on top of pie and sprinkle with chocolate curls and mint sprigs.

Per serving: 395 calories; 30 g. fat (16 g sat) 4 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate; 1 g. fiber, 72 mg sodium, 74 mg cholesterol.
Makes: 12 servings. Prep time: 20 minutes Refrigerate: 4 hours or until set
Meet The Love of Your Life Elenas Models http://www.elenasmodels.com/?goto=delinda ***

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by Phyllis Wasserman
About the author: Author is website owner and gourmet cook and accomplished writer. Visit my websites: http://www.phyllisrecipes.com http://www.earlybirdspecials.info http://www.medicineestore.com http://www.happypettips.com

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Spaghetti Sauce Choices

Jarred spaghetti sauce is fast, convenient and tasty. Most are basic marinara and don't have additives like food color, preservatives and artificial flavors. Many are high in Vitamins A and C. As far as food choices go they are a very healthy packaged food. Check the labels when buying. A cup of raw, chopped tomatoes (equal to about 1/2 cup of cooked sauce) has only 16 milligrams of sodium and depending on ripeness and the variety of tomato, up to 5 grams of natural suagr. So a 1/2 cup serving of jarred sauce can range from 200 to 770 mg of sodium and as much as 10 grams of sugar. Tomatoes are naturally sweet, so tomato sauce doesn't need added sweeteners to be tasty. The sodium level should be about 350 mg or less per 1/2 cup serving. Spaghetti sauce has a bonus. The powerful antioxidant lycopene is inherent in the tomatoes. Lycopene is supposed to prevent certain cancers, like prostate and breast. It is also said to lower your risk of cardio-vascular disease. Heat and oil enhace lycopenes absorption by the body. So cooked tomato products offer you the best source of lycopene. The best jar sauce I have used is Rao's Marinara, next would be Bove's Marinara, and last I would recommend Colavita Marinara. ***

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by Phyllis Wasserman
About the author: Homemaker, retired secretary, from North Eastern U.S. Avid cook, and gardener, with recipe website http://www.phyllisrecipes.com Also, pet lover with animal care website http://www.happypettips.com