Quick questions on ANYTHING (see first post for Freezing, Reheating, Slow Cooker, +)

Churchmouse

I've bought fennel bulbs for the first time and want to serve them steamed with fish very shortly!! Have been zooming around google but can only find the helpful advice "steam until tender"!!! Yes but what sort of time is that? Cabbage steams in 3 or 4 minutes, carrot batons in 5, but how long does fennel take? Any help appreciated.

Savvy_Sue

I'm guessing here, they're about the size of small potatoes? So small potato kind of time - 15 minutes maybe?

but as I say, I'm guessing, and I don't often steam things ...

Pink.

Hi Churchmouse,

I haven't cooked it myself but I found this which says 15 minutes and this which says 10 minutes. Not much help to you but my guess is somewhere in between.

Pink

Churchmouse

Thanks Pink and Savvy_Sue!!! To be perfectly honest I've just finished ( or rather not finished it:rotfl: ) I guessed and steamed it cut into wedges for about 6-7 minutes, which was perfect from a tenderness point of view. Now I've had it raw in salads and cooked, when in restaurants, and have enjoyed it. Never has it tasted so bland and just yuk:o I think maybe I've had it roasted when cooked before. Don't think I'll be bothering again:D DH started with it, and now can't eat his tuna ( the good expensive stuff from M&S:eek: ) because he says it tastes "funny" after the fennel:mad: He says he'll try to eat the tuna cold later. At those prices he'd better!!!
Oh well, if we don't have failures, we won't enjoy the successes as much (that's what I'm telling myself:rolleyes: )

Just reporting that DH is alive and well and quite likely to stay that way since he has now eaten his tuna:rotfl:

CM

findingmyownway

When making muffins / cakes etc how do you stop the choc chips/cherries/raisins etc from sinking to the bottom of the tin while its cooking?

They usually taste great - but getting an even distribution of 'stuff' through the finished product would improve the presentation!

catz747

Sometimes they work, sometimes they're Yorkshire biscuits ..... could be the differing egg sizes that I buy? I consistently forget to pre warm the tray so it's not that, any ideas what else it could be?

Also, since this is questions on anything, am I right in thinking I can send something parcelforce at the Post Office rather than having it collected?

Savvy_Sue

catz747 wrote: »

Also, since this is questions on anything, am I right in thinking I can send something parcelforce at the Post Office rather than having it collected?

Can't help with the Yorkshires but yes, you can use the PO for Parcelforce!

rach

catz747 wrote: »

Sometimes they work, sometimes they're Yorkshire biscuits ..... could be the differing egg sizes that I buy? I consistently forget to pre warm the tray so it's not that, any ideas what else it could be?

its probably that you're not getting enough air into them sometimes.
overcooking can also make them hard.

the best way to make them is to beat well and then to leave to stand for a bit before putting in the oven.
definitely prewarm the tin with the oil/fat in - you need to get the fat really hot to make them good.
my gran who makes awesome yorkshires swears by adding a bit of very cold water just befoer you pour the batter into the pan, it makes the hot and cold contrast much better and the yorkshires better

hope that helps

Pink.

findingmyownway wrote: »

When making muffins / cakes etc how do you stop the choc chips/cherries/raisins etc from sinking to the bottom of the tin while its cooking?

They usually taste great - but getting an even distribution of 'stuff' through the finished product would improve the presentation!

If you toss them in flour the shouldn't sink to the bottom. When making muffins you should mix all the dry ingredients (including the choc chips etc) and the wet ingredients separately before quickly mixing them together and baking.

Pink

hazzie123

Can I freeze my uncooked chocolate chip cookie mix?