Just for clarification: you say to let the butter soften, but others say to cut it cold--the colder the better, in fact. Does this vary by recipe, or is there a preferred method for any streusel? Thanks. > On Aug 3, 2015, at 1:57 PM, Regina Marie <reginamariemu...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I love making pastry. Very easy. Wash your hands well. Combine dry > ingredients for your crust. Now it is important you don't just take the > butter out of the fridge. Take it out ahead of time and let it soften. Then, > place in the middle of the dry mixture and knead until all the butter > disappears into the dry ingredients and forms very small clumps, kind of like > some kind of meal or like Bisquick. If you are paranoid about using you > fingers which is what I prefer, a good pastry cutter or 2 butter knives > cutting opposite ways can work. Just make sure to turn the bowl often and > check with your fingers if it is working and you habeen cutting the butter. > Pampered Chef has a great pastry cutter. > > *smile* > Regina Marie > Phone: 916-877-4320 > Email: reginamariemu...@gmail.com > Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/mamaraquel > Find Me: http://www.facebook.com/reginamarie > Listen Live: http://www.jandjfm.com > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Peggy Carpenter via Cookinginthedark > [mailto:cookinginthedark@acbradio.org] > Sent: Monday, August 03, 2015 10:35 AM > To: cookinginthedark@acbradio.org; Alex Hall > Subject: Re: [CnD] I have a huge streusel problem > > Hi, I have used a pastry blender or just cut/broken up the butter into small > pea sizes. Sounds like your marble size might be too big. Don’t give up and > try smaller pieces. >> On Aug 1, 2015, at 11:11 PM, Alex Hall via Cookinginthedark >> <cookinginthedark@acbradio.org> wrote: >> >> I certainly could be. I think I have two problems: how small should the >> pieces of butter be, and how firm? By the time I'm done, the butter pieces >> are about the consistency of soft modeling clay and, as I said, not quite as >> big as marbles. >>> On Aug 1, 2015, at 11:06 PM, Debbra Piening <debbra.pien...@att.net> wrote: >>> >>> I mix the dry ingredients, then lay the cold stick of butter on top and use >>> two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, checking with my >>> hands from time to time until I have the right consistency. I've never had >>> a problem doing it that way. I wonder if you could be handling the >>> streusel a bit too much. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Alex Hall via Cookinginthedark [mailto:cookinginthedark@acbradio.org] >>> Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2015 8:46 PM >>> To: janbrown >>> Cc: [cookinginthedark@acbradio.org] >>> Subject: Re: [CnD] I have a huge streusel problem >>> >>> Well, the melted butter recipe I tried today was new, so I'll stick to my >>> usual one. I mix the dry ingredients together--cinnamon, flour, and brown >>> sugar usually, but sometimes oats and/or other spices. I then remove a >>> stick of butter from the fridge and cut it into 20 or 24 pieces--little >>> cubes--which I put in the dry ingredients. Finally, I mix it all around >>> with my hands, squeezing the butter into smaller lumps as it softens enough >>> to allow this. I try to work as much of the dry stuff into the lumps as I >>> can, without melting them. By the end of it, I usually end up with buttery >>> lumps somewhat smaller than marbles, plus a ton of extra dry ingredient >>> mixture that has nothing with which to combine. Plus, my lumps are rather >>> soft, and even if I refrigerate the whole thing, it just never seems… right. >>>> On Aug 1, 2015, at 9:36 PM, janbrown <janbr...@samobile.net> wrote: >>>> >>>> I have never had this particular and I can't fathom why you are having it. >>>> The course crumbs thing is most important so you don't have isolated flour >>>> pockets. >>>> It is tough to know when you work it enough or too much. >>>> Use your hands and allow some coolness in the butter. >>>> Mix until good old course crumbs take shape. >>>> It ought to work. >>>> Can you describe precisely what you do? >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> >>>>> On Aug 1, 2015, at 4:05 PM, Alex Hall via Cookinginthedark >>>>> <cookinginthedark@acbradio.org> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hey all, >>>>> Yet again, I tried to make a streusel topping, this time for some baked >>>>> pumpkin oatmeal. My sister made this recipe last week and it was perfect. >>>>> I made the same recipe, following the same instructions, and the oatmeal >>>>> was perfect. My topping, though, tasted like baked flour more than the >>>>> brown sugar/cinnamon/butter mix it should have. >>>>> >>>>> I've never once made a good streusel/crumb topping. I've tried with and >>>>> without flour, I've used cold or melted butter, I've tried with and >>>>> without oats, I've used different ratios… A streusel is supposed to have >>>>> the consistency of gravel, with the sugars and spices surrounding small >>>>> bits of butter (or clumped together with some flour, in the case of >>>>> recipes using melted butter) Those small pieces then crisp up in the oven >>>>> and provide a wonderful experience for the top of your oatmeal, coffee >>>>> cake, muffins, whatever.. Mine is always either way too chunky; so fine >>>>> that it melts in the oven; never crisps up; or (like today) tastes--and >>>>> has the unpleasant texture--of flour. I don't know what else to do, and >>>>> no one has been able to show me in person how to do this right. I'm to >>>>> the point where i either ask someone else to make my topping, or make it >>>>> myself, knowing it'll be anywhere between "tastes okay but doesn't have >>>>> the texture of streusel" to "tastes like baked flour and has no spice >>>>> flavor at all". It's incredibly frustrating, because other than this, I'm >>>>> actually a good cook. For whatever reason, streusel-like toppings are the >>>>> one thing I simply cannot master, though I've been trying for years. >>>>> >>>>> My question, then, is simple: how do you all do it, particularly those of >>>>> you for whom streusel works out well? I know it can be done by hand, >>>>> because I've never seen a streusel that comes out tasting great be >>>>> prepared in any kind of machine. I just don't know the procedure, and if >>>>> I do, I'm messing it up somewhere along the way. Maybe I'm mixing too >>>>> long? Not long enough? Working it too much? Is my butter too big? Should >>>>> the cold butter warm up enough so I can mold it or not (I've been told >>>>> both yes and no on that one)?. Thanks in advance. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Have a great day, >>>>> Alex Hall >>>>> mehg...@icloud.com >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Cookinginthedark mailing list >>>>> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>>>> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >>>>> >>>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Have a great day, >>> Alex Hall >>> mehg...@icloud.com >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Cookinginthedark mailing list >>> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Have a great day, >> Alex Hall >> mehg...@icloud.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Cookinginthedark mailing list >> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Cookinginthedark mailing list > Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org > http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark > >
-- Have a great day, Alex Hall mehg...@icloud.com _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
