Cake Flour Substitute Recipe - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

 

Unless you’re a professional baker 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 or baking is your passion, how many types of flour do you need? According to my research, there are 15 types of flour – it’s insane! There are the common wheat-based flours and the gluten-free ones. Many of them, though, can be made from scratch…
 
I admit, I have a few, and I’m blaming Club Foody for that! There’s my regular unbleached all-purpose flour, bread flour I like using for making pizza dough and bread 🍞, my 00 for pasta, and my homemade toasted flour. Now, if I need others, I try to duplicate them.
 
Besides my toasted flour that I use to enhance the gravy for my Ragoût or Gumbo, there are others I make at home 🏡, like self-rising flour, whole wheat, almond meal, rice flour, and even bread flour, using vital wheat gluten.
 
Another one that can easily be made at home is a Cake Flour Substitute! More than likely, you probably have everything on hand: all-purpose flour and cornstarch, although other starches can be switched, like arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch 🥔.
 
To obtain the same fine texture, after these two ingredients are combined, it’s important to sift them together for about 4 to 5 times. Then, I like whisking the Cake Flour Substitute until well blended. These steps help aerate the flour to achieve gorgeous lightness in your baked goods, like angel food 🍰 or chiffon.
 
Did you know that when using exactly the same ingredients as Cake Flour Substitute (based on 1 cup), you can recreate Pastry Flour 😮?
The difference is a slightly higher protein content. When making it, sift only twice. Another way to duplicate it is to mix equal parts of all-purpose (AP) flour and cake flour. Sift these two together a couple times as well. For larger batches of flour, reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon for every cup of AP.
 
Bleached vs. Unbleached Flour…
Both can be used to create cake and pastry flour. The difference lies in the final texture of your baked goods.
– The preferred one is all-purpose flour because it’s finer, whiter, and mimics the delicate texture of commercial cake flour.
– Unbleached all-purpose flour works fine, but the results will be slightly denser due to the fact that it’s not chlorinated, which is what breaks down the starch in bleached flour. It also requires a touch longer baking time ⏰ as it absorbs less moisture than its counterpart.
 
I compromise when I make my cake flour because I prefer using unbleached all-purpose flour over the bleached one. It’s a personal choice. It’s chemical-free 🚫🧪 and aged naturally over several weeks, allowing it to whiten on its own.
 
What’s the downside of not using bleached all-purpose flour when baking?
The baked goods will have a slightly coarser crumb and may not rise as high 🎂 as those made with bleached flour. In terms of moisture, the batter might feel “wetter” therefore, it would require somewhat longer baking time. Overall, the baked goods won’t turn out as delicate and light.
 
If you stick to unbleached all-purpose flour to make your cake flour, here are a few tips to help improve it. Sift, sift, sift, sift, and sift again, then whisk it. This will ensure the mixture is well-aerated. If you make sponge and chiffon cakes, Boston cream pie, or angel food cake, stick to bleached all-purpose 😉.
 
Making a Cake Flour Substitute from scratch has many pluses…
It’s convenient, as you likely have these two ingredients in your cupboard, therefore, it’s cost-effective 🏧. The texture is far superior to the commercial ones, and the gluten content is lower by using cornstarch. Spend a few minutes and make this great alternative…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are a few tips and tricks that can be quite helpful… 😀
– Perfect Meringue
– Homemade Sanding Sugar aka Sand Sugar
– Parchment Paper Rounds for Cakes
– Chocolate Honey Graham Cracker Pie Crust
– Vanilla Sugar – How to Make It
– Sugared Herbs and Fruits
– Perfect Whipped Cream Every Time – How to
– Keep Moisture Out of Powdered & Granulated Foods
– Leftover Evaporated Milk Ideas
– How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly
and for more handy kitchen tips and tricks 💡, click on this link… Recipe Category • Tips & Tricks
 
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Fondue Parmesan Recipe • A Popular Québec Appetizer! | Club Foody

 

Across Canada 🌎, and I’m sure the same happens in the States, from the East Coast to the West, and North to South, there are many dishes which are staples of a region or province that are often not found in other areas.
 
The perfect example is Québec, the province I grew up in, along with the rest of the country. There’s Creton, Tourtière, Tarte au Sucre, Bouilli, and so on. While living in other provinces, these dishes were not known and, obviously, not available at any supermarkets 🛒.
 
This situation forced me to make 👩‍🍳 my own and not depend on the grocery store or when visiting family and friends back home. That is how I started making all the dishes mentioned above, plus my own Merguez, Poutine, Grand-Pères, and many others, including this one… Fondue Parmesan!
 
Unlike traditional “fondue”, this version is a mixture of creamy cheese made with Gruyère and Parmesan that is chilled before being cut 🔪 into squares. They’re breaded and then pan-fried until golden. Originally from Québec, this delicious appetizer is very popular for serving at dinner parties.
 
Fondue Parmesan is easy to make…
After the butter 🧈 is melted, the flour is cooked for a good 1:30 to 2 minutes to remove the raw, starchy taste. Next, the cheeses are added and stirred until melted. When there’s a little cheese left, egg yolk, smoked paprika, and freshly ground mixed peppercorns go into the saucepan and are well blended.
 
The mixture is spooned 🥄 into a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper. If you’re not sure how to line it, here’s the link Lining a Square Pan with Parchment Paper. Using a spatula, the mixture is spread out before placing a piece of wax paper on top, making sure it covers the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
 
An extra step I take is to use a flat-bottom measuring cup, or a glass, to smooth the cheese mixture 🧀 out. It helps to level it properly, giving an even surface so that when the pieces are cut, they’re nice and neat.
 
It’s refrigerated for at least 6 hours or overnight. When the cheese mixture is somewhat more solid (it will still be sticky), it’s cut into squares and breaded with flour, egg mixture 🥚, and breadcrumbs. I use Panko, but to ensure it adheres properly, I ground half of the amount.
 
The next and final step is to pan-fry the pieces. The oil is brought up to 375ºF. Working in batches without crowding the pan, the squares are fried until golden, which takes no longer than 1 minute (or less) ⏳ per side.
 
We all know that 350ºF is the sweet spot for frying food. The reason to bring it up higher 🔥 is that by the time the pieces are carefully placed in the skillet, the temperature will drop down to around 350. Starting higher ensures that the temperature will remain high enough throughout the cooking process.
 
The cheese mixture can be made ahead of time. Also, after being fried and at room temperature, the pieces are stored in an airtight container and can be frozen for up to 1 month 📆. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet and transfer to a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
 
Incredibly delicious, this Fondue Parmesan is a lovely recipe to try! With a breaded cheese mixture quickly pan-fried, this Québécois appetizer is perfect to serve at your next dinner party. Sitting on a bed of lettuce along with cherry tomatoes 🍅, I’m sure this will become a popular item with your guests…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more delicious Québécois recipes for you to try… 😀
– Pork Stew with Meatballs ~ Ragoût de Boulettes & Pattes de Cochon
– Sucre à la Crème – Butter & Cream Fudge
– Salmon Pie
– Canadian Butter Tarts with Maple Syrup
– Old Fashioned Baked Beans with Bacon
– Sweet & Savory Homemade Ketchup
– Shepherd’s Pie
– Maple Walnut Cake
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
and for even more Canadian recipes 🍁, click on this link… Recipe Category • Canadian Cuisine

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/fondue-parmesan/ 😉

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Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee) Recipe | Club Foody

 

My maternal grandmother was multi-talented! Perhaps it was the fact that she spent her entire childhood 👧 and teens in a private convent run by nuns . It was where all the girls from upper-class families went.
 
They learned more than any other schools: from music, history and geography , accounting, management, first ai, sewing, cooking, gardening 👩‍🌾, etiquette, and so forth… The nuns were preparing them for entry into society.
 
Instead of going along with her mother’s prospects list, she decided (I got my stubbornness from her… we’re both Aries, lol) to marry a blue-collar young man who was working as a conductor on Canadian National trains 🚉. From their union, they had seven kids.
 
Due to her years at the convent, she was a great pianist 🎶 and also a fantastic cook. Each time we visited my grandparents, I knew she made something incredibly delicious. It was during one of our visits that I tasted her Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee).
 
This classic French dish is simply delightful! With chicken pieces browned in butter 🧈 and braised in a lovely white wine, creamy mushroom sauce, this comfort food is amazingly tasty! In our family, we describe it as a “white stew”, the opposite of Coq au Vin.
 
There’s no right or wrong when making this dish! Most of the time, when I make my version of Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee), I use boneless, skinless thighs. The reason is they cook much faster. To make it authentic, like my grandmother did, she used a whole chicken 🐓 that she cut into eight pieces.
 
For more flavor and a deeper richness to the sauce, using drumsticks and chicken thighs or breasts with bone-in, skin-on is the way to go. If you opt for one of them (or all), keep in mind that the cooking time will be longer ⏰.
 
Often the seasonings used in this recipe are pretty simple: salt 🧂, pepper, and mild paprika. I prefer using hot paprika to give the dish more oomph. A spice blend I also like to add is Herbes de Provence. Besides butter, I brown my protein in some olive oil to prevent the butter from burning.
 
Although chicken is the preferred meat, nothing is stopping you from using other proteins like rabbit 🐇 or veal. When it comes to serving this French dish, I place a thigh on top of mashed potatoes, liberally spoon the sauce over, and sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley as a finishing touch.
 
Creamy and incredibly delicious, this Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee) is a great recipe to make for your family. Served with crusty bread 🍞 to soak up the yummy sauce, this is the perfect comfort food to enjoy anytime.
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more delicious comfort food recipes for you to try… 😀
– Guinness Beef Stew
– Chicken Scarpariello
– Moroccan Lamb Couscous
– Italian Sausage, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
– Texas Cowboy Stew
– Easy Egg Rolls in a Bowl
– French Onion Dijon Pork Chops
– Saag Aloo
– Easy Beef Egg Noodles
and for even more poultry recipes 🐓🦃🦆, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/fricassee-de-poulet-chicken-fricassee/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Cream of Rutabaga Carrot Soup with Maple Syrup Recipe | Club Foody

 

Although we’re finally here in March, the month can be unpredictable. We can still encounter many cold days, snowstorms, and heavy rain ☔. What we need to get through the last “official” month of bad weather is a nice, hot bowl of soup!
 
On the website 💻, I’ve posted over three dozen recipes, and they just keep coming. It can be a Creamy Cabbage Soup, Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta Fazool), Moroccan Harira Soup, Bourride Provençale with Aïoli, Kartoffelsuppe (German Potato Soup), and so on…
 
Before we say goodbye 👋 for a good 8 months of cold temperatures, let’s add another fabulous one to the list… my Cream of Rutabaga Carrot Soup with Maple Syrup! Flavorful, this comforting soup is loaded with deliciousness! It’s exactly what we need until the double digits stick around until November.
 
After generously seasoning (and I mean it) the onions, rutabaga, and carrots with ground sea salt 🧂, they’re sautéed in butter and oil, then cooked for 10 minutes. Did you know that by adding a small amount of oil, it prevents the butter from burning?
 
To this, ginger and garlic 🧄 are quickly sautéed before adding spices such as Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper for a little heat, and freshly ground mixed peppercorns. Then comes the broth. I prefer chicken but vegetable is another option.
 
The mixture is brought to a boil, covered, reduced to medium-low, and simmered gently for 30 minutes ⏰ or until all the vegetables are tender. When time is up, make sure to test if they’re done otherwise, cook them a little longer.
 
It won’t be a Cream of Rutabaga Carrot Soup with Maple Syrup without the heavy cream and, of course, maple syrup 🍁! When these two are added, the heat is returned to medium, and the mixture simmers, uncovered this time, for another 5 minutes.
 
Using an immersion blender, the soup is puréed until completely smooth. If a regular blender is used, scoop up a small amount, put the lid on, and cover it with a dish towel while holding the lid so it doesn’t splash out all over the place and burn you 🔥.
 
Before serving, like I always say, – “taste 🥄 and adjust the seasoning if needed”. The soup is scooped into warm bowls, and the top is drizzled with heavy cream. I like to garnish it with crumbled cooked bacon and sprinkle on some freshly chopped parsley, which completes the dish.
 
My Cream of Rutabaga Carrot Soup with Maple Syrup is incredibly tasty and also very satisfying! In Québec, March is the beginning of the sugar shack season, and what better way to enjoy this delicious gift 🎁 from Mother Nature than by making this amazing recipe…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Check out these other delicious soup recipes… 😀
– Lasagna Soup
– Avgolemono Chicken Soup
– Corn Chowder
– Albóndigas • Mexican Meatball Soup
– Garlic Soup
– Hot & Sour Soup
– Italian Wedding Soup
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
– French Onion Soup Gratinée
and for even more soup recipes 🥣, click on this link… Recipe Category • Soups & Chowders

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/cream-of-rutabaga-carrot-soup-with-maple-syrup/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Smoked Oyster & Bacon Pizza Recipe | Club Foody

 

I don’t know about you but we have “pizza night” at least a couple of times a month. We love our pizza! No, we don’t order 📞 from Pizza Pizza, or go to Boston Pizza. It’s all homemade. I have a few selections of dough and over a dozen flavors.
 
Back in the ‘80s, my fiancé Carlo and I were working in bars, and after work, we had a little snack. One of our favorites was to put a slice of cheese on a piece of bread 🍞 and then place a few smoked oysters on top before popping them in the oven under broil. Obviously, I evolved since then…
 
Today, I’m sharing the elevated version that came from that quick snack I had back then… Smoked Oyster & Bacon Pizza! With rich, savory flavor and a slight sweet undertone, this pizza is loaded with deliciousness 😋! It features a gorgeous pairing of ingredients, giving this pie another dimension of what pizza can be!
 
To make this pie, I use my Mediterranean Pizza Dough, however, I often switch to either Rustic Italian or Easy-Cheesy Herb Pizza Dough. I’ve never tried it but another alternative can be store-bought 🛒 premade pizza dough. In that case, read the cooking directions.
 
After the pizza sauce is spread over the two crusts, leaving an inch around the edges, the rest of the ingredients go on: red onions, roasted red peppers, cooked bacon, mushrooms, smoked oysters 🦪, smoked paprika, cheese, and red pepper flakes.
 
When it comes to smoked paprika, it can be substituted with mild paprika. What I like to do is to sprinkle smoked paprika on one pizza and the mild on the other pie 🍕. There are also red pepper flakes that can be added but it’s optional.
 
The bold flavors of this Smoked Oyster & Bacon Pizza are strong and you can opt for a milder cheese 🧀, but to stand up to the pie, I prefer using sharp instead. It has an intense, tangy taste with a lovely, nutty background. It delivers a nice robust, punchy flavor compared to the mild ones.
 
The pie is transferred to a 500ºF preheated oven and baked for only 12 minutes ⏰ or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. As I mentioned above, this is for homemade pizza dough. For store-bought, read the directions and bake accordingly.
 
After it’s baked, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before sprinkling on some fresh chopped parsley and slicing it 🔪. It allows the cheese to set instead of oozing out, the toppings to remain in place, and the crust to stay crisp.
 
This Smoked Oyster & Bacon Pizza is one of my favorite “gourmet” pies! With a gorgeous combination of ingredients, this is a great finger food to add to your folder, especially if you enjoy 💖 smoked oysters as much as David and I do…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more delicious pizza and dough recipes for you to try… 😀
– Pepperoni Pizza
– Sombrero Pizza
– Green Onion Pizza Dough
– Pizza Rustica
– Meat Lovers Pizza
– Best Foolproof Cauliflower Pizza Dough
– Seafood Pizza
– Meat Lovers Pizza
– Greek Pizza
and for even more comfort food recipes 🥰, click on this link… Recipe Category • Comfort Food

For ingredient amountsm directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/smoked-oyster-bacon-pizza/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube