ITT we talk about baking

[honeychile]

I love to cook, and I love to bake - WHEN I have the time and someone to feed! I really miss my clients, because I was always taking them goodies, saying, "Save me from myself!"

My DH's niece makes THE best pie crust I've ever had. Seriously, why she isn't in the culinary arts is beyond me. My mama made good pie crust, but Rachel's is divine! I do know that using ice water is very important, and only putting a tiny amount in at a time is key. I also know that I will usually get frustrated and buy the nasty, pre-made type! There's a pie crust that's actually a very skinny brownie that I'd like to try.

My DH thinks I make the best chocolate chip cookies he's ever had. I don't, but then again, I don't like them very much. I like oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips OR raisins, but not both. I love experimenting with various trifles, getting the right flavors to blend, not compete, and I love to use VERY old cookbooks, to see what something tasted like a hundred+ years ago. My favorite is The Robert E. Lee Family Cooking and Housekeeping Book. Every recipe has been tried, and brought up to date, but you get to see what it originally looked like.

I make horrible pancakes, too!

ETA: One of the secrets of bread makings is having strong arm muscles! My grandmother sold bread from her home for about 50 years, and one of the few things she ever taught me was how to knead bread!