Comments on: Cooking with Kids: Dealing with Failure http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/ Family-Friendly Food and Recipes Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:31:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kaela http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2338 Kaela Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:47:53 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2338 Hi Sarah, It may have more to do with the quality of your pastry flour than with the recipe itself. As Zoe mentioned (thanks for the shout-out, Zoe!), I do use a lot of WW pastry flour in my baking, for everything from pastry, to scones, muffins and cakes, breads and pasta. I get mine from Wild Hive Farm in Clinton Corners, NY, but I have noticed that there is a huge variability in commercial WW pastry flour; some are quite nice, ground very finely (like talcum powder) and some are coarse, made from hard red spring wheat (rather than the softer white wheat) and aren't much different from bread flour in texture. Also, if your market only carries huge bags, they've probably been sitting there for a LONG time and even flour has a shelf life. I recommend trying my recipe for WW pasta: http://localkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/dark-days-handmade-whole-wheat-pasta/ The recipe is quite simple, can be enjoyably made with kids, and it is easy to control the amount of liquid and adapt it to your flour. If that doesn't work for you, it may be that the flour has been sitting on the shelf for years, and is simply too old. I've had this happen in the past, and I usually end up throwing it on the compost pile. Good luck, Kaela Hi Sarah,

It may have more to do with the quality of your pastry flour than with the recipe itself. As Zoe mentioned (thanks for the shout-out, Zoe!), I do use a lot of WW pastry flour in my baking, for everything from pastry, to scones, muffins and cakes, breads and pasta. I get mine from Wild Hive Farm in Clinton Corners, NY, but I have noticed that there is a huge variability in commercial WW pastry flour; some are quite nice, ground very finely (like talcum powder) and some are coarse, made from hard red spring wheat (rather than the softer white wheat) and aren’t much different from bread flour in texture. Also, if your market only carries huge bags, they’ve probably been sitting there for a LONG time and even flour has a shelf life.

I recommend trying my recipe for WW pasta:
http://localkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/dark-days-handmade-whole-wheat-pasta/

The recipe is quite simple, can be enjoyably made with kids, and it is easy to control the amount of liquid and adapt it to your flour. If that doesn’t work for you, it may be that the flour has been sitting on the shelf for years, and is simply too old. I’ve had this happen in the past, and I usually end up throwing it on the compost pile.

Good luck,
Kaela

]]> By: Stephanie http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2337 Stephanie Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:50:20 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2337 Hey, I'm a long time reader but have never commented before. If you're interested I have a fantastic dark chocolate cupcake recipe. They are super chocolate-y without being overly sweet, yum! It might not be the most kid-friendly recipe though, it includes hot brewed coffee. Hey, I’m a long time reader but have never commented before. If you’re interested I have a fantastic dark chocolate cupcake recipe. They are super chocolate-y without being overly sweet, yum! It might not be the most kid-friendly recipe though, it includes hot brewed coffee.

]]> By: Jan (Family Bites) http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2336 Jan (Family Bites) Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:58:40 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2336 How great it is to learn a lesson and then have something so yummy to eat. I love the photo! How great it is to learn a lesson and then have something so yummy to eat. I love the photo!

]]> By: Stephanie - Wasabimon http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2335 Stephanie - Wasabimon Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:08:45 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2335 The cupcakes might have been a failure, but the photo is pure gold! So is your design. You've got a beautiful blog here. :) .-= Stephanie - Wasabimon´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wasabimon/~3/tdikyJ-pgPE/" rel="nofollow">Pan to Oven Baked Pork Chops Recipe</a> =-. The cupcakes might have been a failure, but the photo is pure gold! So is your design. You’ve got a beautiful blog here. :)
.-= Stephanie – Wasabimon´s last blog ..Pan to Oven Baked Pork Chops Recipe =-.

]]> By: zoe p. http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2334 zoe p. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:28:29 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2334 Hm. I love not-so-sweet and very dry chocolate cake. As for the whole wheat pastry flour, Kaela, at local kitchen, seems to use it for A LOT of her recipes. http://localkitchen.wordpress.com/ Hm. I love not-so-sweet and very dry chocolate cake.

As for the whole wheat pastry flour, Kaela, at local kitchen, seems to use it for A LOT of her recipes.

http://localkitchen.wordpress.com/

]]> By: Sarah Caron http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2333 Sarah Caron Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:10:03 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2333 Patti, the glaze was really good. I might try it on brownies. Sook, thanks!! I love how they look ... but the taste. Oy. Patti, the glaze was really good. I might try it on brownies.

Sook, thanks!! I love how they look … but the taste. Oy.

]]> By: Patti V. http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2332 Patti V. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:53:17 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2332 Well at least the glaze was magical! I agree that was a good lesson for Will and Paige. And it's wonderful that they enjoyed their time in the kitchen. .-= Patti V.´s last blog ..<a href="http://patti-latebloomerboomer.blogspot.com/2010/01/see-gull.html" rel="nofollow">See gull?</a> =-. Well at least the glaze was magical! I agree that was a good lesson for Will and Paige.

And it’s wonderful that they enjoyed their time in the kitchen.
.-= Patti V.´s last blog ..See gull? =-.

]]> By: Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes http://sarahscucinabella.com/2010/01/25/cooking-with-kids-dealing-with-failure/#comment-2331 Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:59:51 +0000 http://sarahscucinabella.com/?p=2258#comment-2331 What a great lesson for the kids. I love how you related the failure to something great. The cupcakes look so beautiful, though. :) .-= Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MyFabulousRecipes/~3/c7MWVobZAK4/tonkatsu.html" rel="nofollow">Tonkatsu</a> =-. What a great lesson for the kids. I love how you related the failure to something great. The cupcakes look so beautiful, though. :)
.-= Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes´s last blog ..Tonkatsu =-.

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