Hey Everyone,
Got a birthday party to throw? Or just need dessert for a Shabbos meal? Or that friend that asked you to “just make one thing” for your upcoming get together?
And then it hits you. You realize the reality. This is a really bad day to bake. We know the scene. Doctor’s appointment that took 1 hour instead of 5 minutes. Traffic on the way home (don’t they know you NEED to bake?!). Kids got way too much homework today. Or at least that’s how it feels. And oh! Supper. And laundry. Because otherwise what will they wear tomorrow?
Back to the baking. You CAN do it. And it doesn’t need to a dreadful task. It can be fun and easy. How?
Simple.
Plan in advance. Just a bit. Grab your recipe when you have a minute and read through it. You will often find that there are steps where you can take a break, or do in advance.
Here’s what we’re talking about:
- Any recipe that calls for refrigerator or freezer time in the midst of preparation means you can stop at that point and come back to it later. Take advantage of these rests – for you and the dessert!
- Frozen desserts are your best friend. Look for recipes for ice creams and sorbets, of course, but also find those frozen soufflés, semi-freddo, frozen parfaits and the like.
- Many desserts can be frozen once they’re ready. Don’t wait for the last minute to make your dessert. If you have a few moments ahead of time – just make it and freeze. Or better yet? Double your recipe and freeze! That way you can just pull it out of the freezer as you need over the next few weeks. Let’s hear it for zero stress. Many butter-rich cookies freeze well such as shortbread and chocolate chip cookies and brownies.
- You can make cookie dough when you have time to do the mixing. And then freeze it! How? A few simple steps:
1) Once you’ve made your dough, shape the balls with an ice cream scooper – quick and easy – and place them on a baking sheet.
2) Stick the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes.
3) Now that the cookies have firmed up, place them in ziplock bags, according to the amounts you’ll need when it’s time to bake.
4) You can be super organized and label your bags with the cookies type and baking time required.
5) When you need the cookies – pop them out of the freezer, place them on a cookie sheet and bake as per instructions of the recipe.
Voila! Fresh cookies =)
- Pie crust. Often the big part of making a pie is the crust. Dreading it? Or don’t have time for the whole process from a-z? Pie crusts freeze really well. Just pull it out before you’re ready to assemble the pie with enough time to thaw.
- Same goes for pie fillings – if all you’ve got is 5 minutes, you can make the pie filling and keep it in the fridge up to a few days! Just make sure it’s at room temp before you fill the crust and bake.
There you go. No doubt, it’s nice to have a full uninterrupted hour in the kitchen to bake. No doubt. but if all you’ve got is 5 minutes on Monday, and 10 minutes on Tuesday – you can still make your dessert!
~ Love from our Kitchen to Yours,
A Taste of Home in Israel