In this issue
	Weekly Specials The Nemeses of Perfect Baking Cooking Hint: Citrus Zests The Secrets of Cinnamon

The Nemeses of Perfect Baking

We're all looking for that perfect pie, or cake, or loaf of bread. It doesn't always happen. In our experience, there are four reasons that account for most of the less than perfect products Under baking or over baking. This has to be nemesis number one. Breads are often under-baked and cookies are often over-baked. Under-baked bread is soggy. Crusty breads will never be crusty if the temperature doesn't get high enough to drive the moisture from the dough. Over-baked cookies are dry and hard. Try baking cookies until they just start to brown and see if you don't like them better. Most soft breads should reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees and most crusty breads should reach a temperature of 200 to 210 degrees. A thermometer is the bread baker's best friend. To reach internal temperatures such as these, crusts will often be a darker brown than what you often picture in the perfect bread. If you would like a golden crust on your bread instead of a rich brown crust, try draping the loaf with aluminum foil for the last six or eight minutes of baking. The aluminum foil deflects the heat and will protect the crust from becoming too dark. See the rest . . . »

Cooking Hint: Citrus Zests

We love the flavors imparted by citrus and use zests (the colored outer peel) often in everything from chicken to frostings. Grate zests carefully removing only the outer, colored peel. The pithy white second layer will impart a bitter taste to your foods. We like to steep lemon for puddings and beverages. We use a vegetable peeler to take strips of lemon peel from the fruit. Then we take a very sharp knife and cut the white under layer from the yellow peel. After steeping, we remove the lemon strips with a slotted spoon.

The Secrets of Cinnamon

Quality cinnamon makes all the difference in your baked goods. Often, good cinnamon will convert ordinary cookies and pastries to exceptional. Most of the cinnamon that you buy in grocery stores is acrid and astringent with almost a chemical taste. Good cinnamon has a spicy-sweet, almost citrus-like taste. Wet your finger, dip it in your cinnamon, and taste it. A good quality cinnamon will be pleasant without being overly sweet. Most inexpensive cinnamon will make you pucker. We get our cinnamon, a fine Korintje cassia imported from Indonesia, from a wholesaler and consider ourselves fortunate to have a good quality cinnamon available and at a reasonable price. We've used that cinnamon to create some very good cinnamon products: Monkey Bread, Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin Bread, Frosted Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Cinnamon Buns with White Fondant Frosting, Philly Sticky Buns, and a variety of cookies. You might consider the following sources when shopping for cinnamon: Penzeys.com Spicebarn.com Spicehunter.com Happy Baking from your friends at, The Prepared Pantry!