What can you NOT make/bake?

[lovesmurfs]

The other thing I can't make is my grandmother's orange cookies. The cookie comes out great, but it's the icing I can never make work. it's just butter, orange juice and powdered sugar, but the butter seperates and turns the icing grainy EVERY time I try.

Have you tried creaming the butter with the powdered sugar, then adding the OJ? Sometimes that helps.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I am a good good, an adventerous cook, I love to try new recipes, no matter how complicated. Actually, the more complicated, the more the challenge! However, I can't make bread - not any kind of bread, not even biscuits - every time I have tried has been an utter failure. It is quite frustrating!

Here is the best biscuit recipe -- biscuits were one of my hills to conquer -- This is foolproof -- no lie!! The first thing I did was buy a Pampered Chef pastry blender (about $5).

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/JPs-Big-Daddy-Biscuits/Detail.aspx

 

[rhanditresmom]

I have a great recipe for awesome cinnamon rolls. You do use yeast, but the base is a yellow or white cake mix. They are like a Cinnabon roll......heavenly!

I'll post it if anyone wants to try it.

I'm a pretty good cook & don't have a problem with the things mentioned. My challenge, however, is poached eggs.

They come out either runny or hard - what's up with that? I even bought an egg poacher & I fight with that thing too! Problem is, they're DH's favorite.

Do post it! I'll try any recipe at least once!

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I can make the best cookies all of them except. . .chocolate chip!! Mine always turn out terrible no matter the recipe. But my husband makes the absolute best so I am saved.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Do post it! I'll try any recipe at least once!

Here's mine -- life's too short to deal with yeast directly....

Clone of a Cinnabon

1 loaf frozen bread dough (Rhodes)

Filling
½ cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons softened butter

Topping
1½ oz. softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Thaw dough according to package directions.
2. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough on floured surface into a rectangle (about 11” X 17”).
4. Spread with 4 T. softened butter. Spread brown sugar/cinnamon evenly mixture over.
5. Roll up and cut into 8 rolls. Place in cake pan.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°.
7. Bake rolls until golden brown – about 15 minutes. While baking, mix remaining ingredients. Spread on rolls when you take them from the oven.

When I cover them while rising, I wet a tea towel with hot water (one reserved for just that purpose, because the cinnamon stains) and wring out. I also put the oven on the lowest possible setting and put them in there to rise.

I used to make the rolls the same day (makes for a VERY early morning!), but lately I’ve been preparing them up to #5, cover the dish (metal or aluminum) with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. Then, the next morning, I cover with the warm wet towel and let them rise.

Sometimes around the holidays you can find frozen sweet bread dough, but the regular works just as well.

 

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

gravy....I just cant get it. Both of my grandmothers and my mom spent countless hours trying to teach me. I give up!!!! If you want gravy, we better be going out to eat.

Oatmeal cookies by the recipe off the quaker box. Dont work for me. My sister who doesnt like them, makes them for me. Shes the best.

 

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

I cannot make sunny side up eggs. I think it's because I prefer the yolks hard and so does dd so I just never learned. DH prefers them sunny side up so he's in charge of making them. He does a fabulous job--even better than my mom so now he makes them at her house, too.

My DH taught me. Crack your egg in pan and while that side is cooking, get a spoon and scoop whatever oil you are using out of hot pan and pour directly over the yolk until it is white, then it wont bust open when you flip because it is already cooked and will on take a few seconds for the white to cook on that side. HTH!!!!!!

 

[It's A Happy Day]

double post...ooops

 

[It's A Happy Day]

I cannot make sunny side up eggs. I think it's because I prefer the yolks hard and so does dd so I just never learned. DH prefers them sunny side up so he's in charge of making them. He does a fabulous job--even better than my mom so now he makes them at her house, too.

Another great tip I just heard recently. Crack egg into pan. Cook 1 side then stick under the broiler to set the top - no flipping, no bursting the yolk. I guess this is what alot of chefs do.

French fries- The only ones that I can make are the frozen kind. If someone has hints,I'd love them.

Mine were always limp and droopy not crunchy until I read that you cook them twice. Fry in oil till brown, drain, and let cool. Right before serving throw them back in the hot oil to crisp them. It seems to work.

 

[hellokitty86]

I can't make rice or mashed potatoes. With mashed potatoes- I never cook them enough. I think I do but then they always come out gross! And I don't think rice is supposed to be crunchy.

 

[MELSMICE]

Do post it! I'll try any recipe at least once!

Here's mine!!!!! Hope you enjoy!

CINNAMON ROLLS

Base:

1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix
5 cups flour
2 (1/4 oz) pkgs. active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups hot water

--Grease two (2) 13 X 9 pans
--Preheat oven to 375 degrees
--Mix cake, flour, yeast & water until smooth
--Roll half of dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface
--Spread with generous amount of melted butter
--Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture
--Roll up in jelly roll fashion
--Cut into 12 slices
--Place rolls in 13 X 9 pan
--Repeat with other half of dough & put in other 13 X 9 pan
--Cover & let rise for 40 minutes

Topping:

--1/2 cup melted butter
--1/4 cup brown sugar
--1/4 cup light corn syrup
--Combine all ingredients & pour over unbaked rolls
--Bake for 35-40 minutes or until done

Glaze:

--1 cup confectioner's sugar
--1/2 Tbsp. water
--Pour over semi-cooled rolls

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Gravy, any kind I just cannot seem to get it right. And on the slice-n-bake cookies--my kids favorite kind

Minky, I am the gravy master...All gravy questions here.
My gravy is soooo good it is a food group.

So what are you doing?

As far as my weakness...pie crust. Although I am admitting that I don't try enough.

 

[rhanditresmom]

To the cinnamon roll recipes posters:

THANK YOU!!! I will try them. They sound goooooooodddddddd.........

 

[U2_rocks!]

I can't make rice or mashed potatoes. With mashed potatoes- I never cook them enough. I think I do but then they always come out gross! And I don't think rice is supposed to be crunchy.

How do you cook the potatoes? Have you tried peeling and slicing them (or chopping them up) and putting them in a steamer basket and just steaming the heck out of them? Don't boil them in water - cook them with steam (they will retain more nutrients that way). You can't cover them completely at first or the water will boil over, but once you've had them on a while you can turn the heat down very low and cover completely, and just let them steam like that for a while (like 20 minutes). Just make sure you have enough water in the bottom of the steamer so it doesn't all boil out and burn your pan! When you test the potatoes for doneness, stick the very middle of the thickest piece of potato you have in there, and you should barely need to press the knife for it to slide through. Hope that helps somewhat!

BTW: I've found that occasionally I get some potatoes that have hard spots in them. I'm not sure if it's the potaotes themselves or that they are just old or something, but they don't mash well at all!

 

[Robinrs]

To the cinnamon roll recipes posters:

THANK YOU!!! I will try them. They sound goooooooodddddddd.........

I agree!!! Yummeeeeee!!!!!

 

[PaulaSue]

I can do anything with a reciepe but nothing without. DH can throw anything together (and never read a reciepe) and it tastes great.

 

[ozarkmom]

I can't make meringue for pies.

Yeah my meringue sucks. Someone what is the secret? I make a very yummy chocolate pie but the meringue just doesn't turn out right.

 

[ozarkmom]

Psst... Pillsbury premade crusts. Pass it on.

I'm just about anything from scratch challenged (but I can make a mean Toll house cookie!)

Are your toll house cookies chewy? for some reason everytime I make my favorite cookies they turn out different. The last few times they've been kind of thick and dry if that makes sense. We like them really chewy.

 

[MScott1851]

Sweet tea.

(Hanging head in shame and hiding my 'southern girl' license.)

DH has to make the tea at home. I either get it too weak, too sugary, too strong, whatever. I have tried and tried and tried, and finally gave up when we got married.

 

[lowie]

for the life of me i can't do a quick stir fry and have the meat be tender.. i just gave up on them years ago