I have spent nearly most of the day over the kitchen counter and stove, cooking. I made two batches of spinach empanadas for a potluck tomorrow, and another batch of puppy chow (seriously...the greatest thing ever). Granted, the empanadas took a little longer than I thought, seeing as how once I had the filling made I realized I'd forgotten to thaw out the pastry sheets.
I probably could have just gotten away with another thing of puppy chow for the potluck, but I don't want to fall into a rut. And the spinach empanadas I last made junior year and college and remembered them being very good. I just never got around to making them again. So...this was a very good opportunity. But here's one thing I have had confirmed. My oven is weird.
I first started thinking this when it came to baking cookies. Nine minutes or so right? Hmmm...not so much. Unless you count the bottoms of the cookies which were burned. But the tops weren't really cooked all the way through. I've since tried moving the rack all up and down the oven and shifted the pan, but the cookies still get burned. So today, my recipe called for 15 minutes baking time in a preheated oven at 350.
Check.
Only after 15 minutes...my empanadas weren't golden brown. They weren't even slightly golden. I kept checking periodically for the next 15 minutes or so, and even turned the heat up a little bit. Of course, then I got paranoid and thought the bottoms were burnt (they weren't). So...very strange. My recipes aren't usually off that much.
Long story short...my empanadas turned out ok, just took a little longer to cook. So then I took a break and made more puppy chow. This came about since a) they were very popular and b) my officemate wasn't in the day I made them and so I said I'd make them again for the next potluck.
Now what can I make next weekend? The pastry sheets I bought for the empanadas had a recipe for tiny strawberry Napoleons. I'm thinking I may have to try that for the next potluck.
I probably could have just gotten away with another thing of puppy chow for the potluck, but I don't want to fall into a rut. And the spinach empanadas I last made junior year and college and remembered them being very good. I just never got around to making them again. So...this was a very good opportunity. But here's one thing I have had confirmed. My oven is weird.
I first started thinking this when it came to baking cookies. Nine minutes or so right? Hmmm...not so much. Unless you count the bottoms of the cookies which were burned. But the tops weren't really cooked all the way through. I've since tried moving the rack all up and down the oven and shifted the pan, but the cookies still get burned. So today, my recipe called for 15 minutes baking time in a preheated oven at 350.
Check.
Only after 15 minutes...my empanadas weren't golden brown. They weren't even slightly golden. I kept checking periodically for the next 15 minutes or so, and even turned the heat up a little bit. Of course, then I got paranoid and thought the bottoms were burnt (they weren't). So...very strange. My recipes aren't usually off that much.
Long story short...my empanadas turned out ok, just took a little longer to cook. So then I took a break and made more puppy chow. This came about since a) they were very popular and b) my officemate wasn't in the day I made them and so I said I'd make them again for the next potluck.
Now what can I make next weekend? The pastry sheets I bought for the empanadas had a recipe for tiny strawberry Napoleons. I'm thinking I may have to try that for the next potluck.
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