How do you make Nutella? We love it!

jbalt009 said:  "For some reason whenever I make cookies from scratch they come out puffy and dry. I don't know why. I wish they would come out moist and chewy. As for this topic, cookies of any kind are worth cooking from scratch then buying those cookies available in the refrigerator aisle at the grocery store. It has too much junk for something so basic. Plus you can control the amount of sugar and oil you put into it."

Sugar and oil? …that combination might be why you have puffy and dry. Pretty crunchy too.  And if you are shorting the sugar (been there, tried that) then you are quickly losing the moist and/or chewy.  Think of the sugar as another "wet" ingredient as it marries to the fat when mixed.  And Ross is dead on with the different fats having different effects on a pan cookie.  Depending heavily on the sugar amount and type of grain, shortening = well-formed & crispy; butter = soft and chewy/melty; lard = feel the mouth-melting joy (who needs chewing?!).  White sugar leans toward crispy/crunchy and, thanks to the molasses content of brown sugar, all such cookies are chewy soft.  All variable, of course, on the choice of fat.

And I agree, ANY cookie from the refrigerator aisle has about as much charm as attempting to eat a solo spoonful of hydrogenated shortening.  ICK.

Wait, another thought on the dry cookie … perhaps you are baking until well-browned? Bake just until a hint of tan for pale cookies or a bit of spring-back for brown sugar cookies.  Well-browned usually means over-baked; still dunkable in coffee though!  I have family members (yes, adult and child!) who circle like vultures when I'm baking the holiday marathon praying for a pan of over-browned cookies.  Or pounce when a cookie is broken between pan and rack. Just play with recipes with your boys … in the end they won't remember the, um, experiments as much as that you cared to share that time with them.

mountainkat said:

KellyB!  I just had to say thanks for reposting that no-knead bread.  I'd been meaning to try one for awhile so today rather than my same old tired sandwich bread (usually let the dough go in the bread machine then let it rise and bake) I used that recipe… I actually started last night right before bed, then finished up this morning…

It turned out just perfect!  A new convert was made!

Thanks!

kat

So glad you like it kat.  A few of my friends were skeptical because bread can't be that easy.  Well it is and it's good.  Try mixing up the flours sometime.  Whole wheat may take a little more water and then seem really soggy.  Don't worry, it will bake up just fine.

Stock and broth.  I've got a big pot simmering on the stove right now.  Cooked up three chickens and threw all the skin, bones and fat into the pot.  I'll end up with a wonderful stock that I can use at a moments notice.  I'll can mine but other people prefer freezing.  It costs just pennies and I know exactly what's in mine vs unpronounceables at the store.  I also control the salt. 

Don't forget to add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the pot while cooking.  Helps leach some of the calcium from the bones.  I can use all the calcium I can get.

Oooo, I hadn't heard about the vinegar tip for stock, thank you! … I'm presuming it's the acidity that does the leaching as I'd lean towards using apple cider vinegar first.  Maybe balsamic with beef bones ……

Beverly C,

My friends use the feet from processing day to make stock.  It so rich and delicious.  Good for you in making stock out of something people would normally throw out. 

Another item to add to the make it from scratch list.  Cinnamon sugar.  I was at the store yesterday and they actually sell it at the store.  I didn't realize it.  The lady in front of me had a little container of it in her cart.  The price was ridiculous.  So easy to make at home.  I just mix up a batch and keep it in an old sugar shaker in the cabinet.   The same with garlic salt.  Make it at home and save a bunch of money.