or just straight dough without any "things" in it like shredded
coconut, nuts or chips?

TIA

I know that big hunks can't pass through but for certain discs, can one
get away with a thicker dough with coconut in it?

http://www.wilton.com/recipes/articl....cfm#chocolate

"Can I add chocolate chips, raisins or other decorative items to the
dough?
Wilton doesn't recommend adding any large solids to our spritz recipes.
Large ingredients won't pass through the design openings in the disks."

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I know that big hunks can't pass through but for certain discs, can one
> get away with a thicker dough with coconut in it?
>
> http://www.wilton.com/recipes/articl....cfm#chocolate
>
> "Can I add chocolate chips, raisins or other decorative items to the
> dough?
> Wilton doesn't recommend adding any large solids to our spritz recipes.
> Large ingredients won't pass through the design openings in the disks."
>

I doubt it. The issue is that you need to cleanly cut the dough when you
lift the press. If you have strands of coconut, the strands will bridge
from the deposited cookie to the dough in the press. When you pull away,
the surface will be torn and the next cookie will start with strands of
coconut. The whole concept of using a cookie press is to make fancy shapes
with clean details. If you are going to deposit ragged lumps of dough in
distorted shapes, you may as well use a scoop. One possible solution would
be to grind the coconut into very fine particles in the food processor. You
could always feed them to the dog if they turn out wonky.

I have a spritz cookie recipe that uses very finely ground almonds. I would
stick to proven recipes. Using a cookie press can be frustrating even
without pushing the envelope.

For me, the cookie press (battery operated) was just one more appliance
that sounded good at the time, but after a few uses got relegated t the
back shelf, soon to be given away or tossed. I can only get decent
results fomr one of the eight or so disks. For the nozzle attachments,
I can get better results from the disposable cone bags with insertable
nozzles. And, aboyut one-fourth of the douugh is always left behind in
the machine, or lost in wiping up after each cookie formed.
..
Some days I just feel really old, when I prefer to do things the old
fashioned way, by hand.

The only appliance that I finally broke down and bought and still like
is the electric can opener.

Anyone want to buy an electric pizzelle maker? Or a hand-held blender
thing that Emeril calls a boat motor? They sounded at the time.

Already gave away three different popcorn poppers, two crockpots, a
few oversized baking trays and pots, etc. Amazing! I now have room in
the cabinets for actual food.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> For me, the cookie press (battery operated) was just one more appliance
> that sounded good at the time, but after a few uses got relegated t the
> back shelf, soon to be given away or tossed. I can only get decent
> results fomr one of the eight or so disks. For the nozzle attachments,
> I can get better results from the disposable cone bags with insertable
> nozzles. And, aboyut one-fourth of the douugh is always left behind in
> the machine, or lost in wiping up after each cookie formed.
> .
> Some days I just feel really old, when I prefer to do things the old
> fashioned way, by hand.
>
> The only appliance that I finally broke down and bought and still like
> is the electric can opener.
>
> Anyone want to buy an electric pizzelle maker? Or a hand-held blender
> thing that Emeril calls a boat motor? They sounded at the time.
>
> Already gave away three different popcorn poppers, two crockpots, a
> few oversized baking trays and pots, etc. Amazing! I now have room in
> the cabinets for actual food.
>

I tend to agree with you. I do like my food processor and use it daily. I
don't have a lot of room for seldom-used appliances and have limited my
selection to the very minimum. I have an electric waffle iron because I
don't know of an alternative way to make waffles. My "boat motor" was
dropped and is on it's last leg. I'm in no hurry to replace it, but it is
so small and tucks into my pantry on its own hanger that it doesn't take up
much space. I didn't replace my hand-held mixer when it broke. I gave away
my bread machine. An electric skillet takes up space in my basement. I
don't buy much canned food, so my ancient hand operated can opener is more
than adequate. I don't have an electric deep fryer, rice cooker, yogurt
maker, or any of the many specialty appliances that are available.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:13:55 GMT
"Vox Humana" > wrote:


> I tend to agree with you. I do like my food processor and use it daily.
> I don't have a lot of room for seldom-used appliances and have limited my
> selection to the very minimum. I have an electric waffle iron because I
> don't know of an alternative way to make waffles. My "boat motor" was
> dropped and is on it's last leg. I'm in no hurry to replace it, but it
> is so small and tucks into my pantry on its own hanger that it doesn't
> take up much space. I didn't replace my hand-held mixer when it broke.


That reminds me, I need to buy my father a new waffle iron for
christmas. His only heats on one side now. For some reason he's OK with
turning his waffles after a few minutes, but I'm no longer interested in
eating his waffles . . . .

Are we talking about a restaurant-grade boat motor or a stick blender?

I wouldn't have any use for the commercial appliance, but my Braun
Multiquick sees a lot of action.

It's been a while since i picked up my hand-held mixer. I can't recall
using it for anything but frosting since acquiring my own bosch mixer, and
i don't really go in for frosting.


> I gave away my bread machine. An electric skillet takes up space in my
> basement. I don't buy much canned food, so my ancient hand operated can
> opener is more than adequate. I don't have an electric deep fryer, rice
> cooker, yogurt maker, or any of the many specialty appliances that are
> available.


I don't think anybody has improved on the design of the Ekco 'Miracle
Roll" can opener.

Sure, they add features, but my 30 year old Ekco still works as well as
it did in the 70's, and many of these new-fangled contraptions only work
for a year or so before crapping out.

Yes, it doesn't have big soft handles - it doesn't have handles at all!
But somehow it just works and it's never been a hindrance. It's only fault
is being small enough to get lost just when i need to open a can of sliced
olives.

I will admit to being a believer in rice cookers of the enclosed
variety.

I realize that, as a baker, I should know damn well that all i need is
my oven, a casserole dish, and a clean tea towel. But the machine is just
so easy and flawlessly reliable. Dump in rice and water, maybe a little
butter and salt, plug it in, turn it on, and come back in a half an hour.
It's very hard to beat the cold precision of a well calibrated thermal
switch.

If i had an inclination to make yogurt, I'd do it the way my parents
taught me, in mason jars in a water bath in the oven.

"Eric Jorgensen" > wrote in message
news:20051221123340.4698b32d@wafer...

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Eric Jorgensen" > wrote in message
> news:20051221123340.4698b32d@wafer...
> .
>
>> Are we talking about a restaurant-grade boat motor or a stick blender?
>>
>> I wouldn't have any use for the commercial appliance, but my Braun
>>Multiquick sees a lot of action.
>
>
> Same here. I have a Braun stick blender. If I don't get a new one for
> Christmas, I may buy a new Braun from Costco.
>
>
>> Sure, they add features, but my 30 year old Ekco still works as well as
>>it did in the 70's, and many of these new-fangled contraptions only work
>>for a year or so before crapping out.
>
>
> Someone gave me a new can opener from Pampered Chef. You know, it was one
> of those guilt purchases they made because they had a 1 square inch piece of
> pizza made with refrigerated biscuits and piece of hotdog on a stick. The
> can opener become so dull it wouldn't open cans after about 6 months of very
> light use. I'm glad I didn't throw my old one away. I also given a can
> opener which I believe came from QVC. That one broke in short order.
>

I have an Ecko from 1988 that works very well. I have to admit that I
belong to the from-scratch-cooking breed and have only used it sparingly.

>
>> I will admit to being a believer in rice cookers of the enclosed
>>variety.
>
>
> I don't make much rice and I find that I get good results in the microwave.
> I guess if I had a diet that included rice on a daily basis I might buy a
> rice cooker.


I make rice almost everyday and still have not succumbed to the rice
cooker. I use a 3-quart revereware pot for 2 cups of rice. I let
rice+watercome to a boil, give it a stir, place the lid and leave the
pot on the lowest possible simmer for 20 minutes. I let the cooked rice
rest for 10 minutes before serving. Its that easy! That said, all my
relatives including my parents in South India where rice is a staple,
have the rice cooker now and swear by it!

>
>
>> If I had an inclination to make yogurt, I'd do it the way my parents
>>taught me, in mason jars in a water bath in the oven.
>>
>
>
> I just make it in my oven without a water bath. I set the oven to 110F and
> let it work for 3 - 4 hours.
>
>

I make yogurt in the oven pre-warmed to 110F in winters(I turn the oven
off after I put the pot containing the milk+yogurt culture in. It takes
longer but I get a firmer curd with 1% milk). In summers, I just leave
the cultured milk on the counter overnight.

- Kamala.