Everyone does it sometime. You’re following a recipe to the letter. And yet … SOMETHING GOES WRONG. The fudge fails. The roast is tough. The sauce breaks. “What did I do?” you moan — and thus begins the search for the cause of the mess.
Good Eating asked you, dear readers, to share your tales of woe. Then we checked in with culinary experts and our own test kitchen staff to find the source of your problems and how you can fix them in the future.
Pay attention, now. You never know when someone else’s problem will become your own! The main thing, though, is to KEEP COOKING!
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Case No. 1: The crying game
Q: I just love banana and lemon cream pies. I have made these successfully but, in the last few tries, they became watery. Is there a trick for adding the cornstarch so as to not develop a watery end product?
Maryann Kull, Crystal Lake
A: Cream-pie fillings “rely primarily on the coagulation of the proteins in the eggs to create [firmness],” according to The Prepared Pantry Web site (preparedpantry.com). These pies usually rely on egg yolks because they are high in protein as well as fat, which is “needed to create the rich, smooth texture that we expect in custards,” says Dennis Weaver, president of The Prepared Pantry.
Cornstarch is added as a thickener and binder that helps prevent pies from weeping because, Weaver explained, it “sops up” any excess moisture in the filling.
You need to cook the filling long enough so the mixture coagulates (that happens at 160 degrees), but if you cook it too long, and don’t stir the mixture enough (stirring keeps the temperature down), you’ll overcook the custard: Overcooking breaks down those all-important proteins, and that’s when the weeping starts. “Joy of Cooking” recommends that custards be cooked over medium heat — not high or even medium-high — to help prevent overcooking. On the other hand, he explained, once the filling begins to cool, take it easy with the spoon: If a custard is overstirred, especially as it cools, he said, the cornstarch granules deflate and lose their ability to thicken.
Some recipes temper the yolks by first stirring some hot filling into them, then pouring the yolks-and-filling combo back into the saucepan. But we found that the streamlined recipe in “Joy” was much easier to execute, though it required more stirring and whisking as the custard cooked. Our lemon cream pie turned out creamy and firm, with no seepage.
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 3 hours
Yield: 8 servings
This recipe was adapted from various sources: We subbed lemon for banana in the ingredients of the banana cream pie in “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook,” but relied on the cooking method found in “Joy of Cooking.”
Lemon cream pie
Vanilla wafer crumb crust:
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, about 35 cookies
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups milk
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream, optional
1. For the crust, heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the wafer crumbs, melted butter and sugar with a fork in a 9-inch pie pan until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and sides of pan, making a small rim. Bake 10 minutes; set aside.
2. For filling, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan; gradually whisk in the milk. Whisk in the egg yolks until no yellow streaks remain.
3. Heat mixture just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat; whisk until smooth, being sure to scrape sides of pan. Return pan to medium heat; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla, whisking just until the butter melts. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust; press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving: 371 calories, 40% of calories from fat, 17 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 163 mg cholesterol, 50 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 237 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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Case No. 2: Foiled by fudge
Q: For many years, I made [a fudge recipe] and it always turned out fantastic. However, one year I went to make the fudge and all of the fat separated out of the mixture as I was stirring it and the fudge turned out rock hard instead of soft and creamy. I tried it at least two more times, but they failed. Eventually I just gave up. The only thing I can think of that has changed was that I started using a premium chocolate as opposed to the more commonly available Hershey’s and Bakers.
Barb Zaniolo, Flossmoor
Q: I have a 15-year-old fudge recipe. But for the last three years, the fudge will not set up. It’s soft, and can’t be cut well. [The recipe] does not require a candy thermometer, but I tried that. No use. One ingredient, the evaporated milk, originally came in a 14-ounce can and now is 12 ounces, so we [tried adding] the extra 2 ounces; no good. Please help.
Mary Stathopoulos, Schaumburg
A: Though each of your fudge problems are different, the common denominator is a ruined texture.
“The smooth and creamy texture of fudge has to do with how much water is left in the mixture after boiling, and the resulting sugar syrup’s concentration,” noted Sarah Phillips, founder and CEO of baking911.com.
“If the mixture was boiled beyond the required temperature, the sugar syrup will become especially concentrated, the fudge will be hard, crumbly and dull in appearance. Conversely, if the fudge has been undercooked, or it is humid and absorbs moisture from the air, it will become soft and many times, runny.”
A broken candy thermometer might be to blame, Phillips said.These delicate instruments break easily. To see if yours works, put it in a pan of boiling water. It should read 212 degrees in about 10 minutes.
In the first recipe, the fudge might be boiling for too long: “If a fudge recipe gets too hot, the cocoa butter and other fats get squeezed out of suspension, and will separate out.” Try reducing the amount of boiling time the recipe calls for.
For the second recipe, which did not require a candy thermometer, try boiling the fudge a minute or two longer to reduce the liquid in the candy.
Variations in how ingredients are manufactured also can affect a recipe, Phillips said. The way a chocolate was formulated 15 years ago might have changed, or the 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate bits that you used to buy is now 11 ounces.
Phillips also suggested that you both use “pure cane sugar,” which is labeled on brands such as Domino and C&H. C&H’s Web site notes that pure cane sugar has a lower melting point than other types of granulated sugar (often made from beets), and that difference may factor into your final result.
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Case No. 3: Mac ‘n’ cheese blob
Q: I found a great recipe for macaroni and cheese from scratch. I followed the recipe exactly. After I added the Cheddar cheese, I ended up with nothing but a big glob of cheese that started looking strangely enough like orange plastic in the bottom of my pot. The longer I cooked it, the worse it got. The stuff never melted into the creamy sauce I was expecting. I’m hoping you can help me.
Mary Jane Butkus, Chicago
A: You need flour in that baked macaroni and cheese, explained Corrine Kozlak, the Good Eating food stylist/tester who tried your recipe. Simply melt the butter, stir in about 2 tablespoons of flour, then add the milk. Whisk until the milk comes to a low boil. As you slowly add the cheese, let each handful melt before adding the next one. And regulate the heat so the sauce is just barely bubbling, which helps the melding take place.
Three-cheese mac and cheese
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from a recipe in “Joy of Cooking.”
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons each: butter, flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking, 2 minutes; gradually whisk in the milk. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and Colby cheeses, a handful at a time; cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the cooked macaroni; pour half of the mixture into a buttered 11/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle half of the Monterey Jack cheese over the macaroni mixture; add remaining macaroni mixture. Top with remaining cheese and the bread crumbs. Bake until bubbly and light brown on top, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving: 412 calories, 47% of calories from fat, 21 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 34 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 564 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
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Case No. 4: Roasted to death
Q: Last night I made a beef round roast for dinner. The meat package did not come with directions, but I looked the item up in my trusty “Betty Crocker Cookbook” (edition 1950s!) and followed these directions:
Oven pre-set at 350 degrees. 34-37 minutes per pound. According to the weight of the roast, I had it in the oven for 90 minutes. I used a covered roasting pan and added one onion, carrots and one potato, all sliced, and a cup of wine. After the initial 90 minutes the sliced potatoes were still raw, so I added another 30 minutes to the time. I took the pan out of the oven, let it rest. I sliced the meat and it was very, very tough.
I buy quality meat and have tried using a Crock-Pot and sometimes that works for me. Sometimes I achieve the delicious fall-off-the-bone consistency. but even then it is a hit-or-miss event.
Arlene C. Hogan, Naperville
A: Two things are probably at play here: temperature and cutting method.
Bill Begale, owner of Chicago’s Paulina Meat Market, said that your round roast — and he suspects it was a bottom round — needs to be cooked only to an internal temperature of 135 degrees, 140 at the most. You won’t get fall-off-the-bone consistency though. For that, try a chuck roast. Begale said that you should use an instant-read thermometer that will give you the temperature almost instantly. Make sure it’s an accurate thermometer, he warned; those marked simply as “rare,” “medium” or “well” are inaccurate.
Insert the thermometer deep into the meat as close to the middle as possible. Remember, too, the meat’s temperature will rise a few degrees while it stands after roasting. (That way you can finish up those potatoes, if need be.)
Take care in carving the roast. Begale said you have to cut against the grain or the meat will be tough and stringy.
How do you find the grain? Look at the lines of the meat and cut across them.
“Against the grain is the most important thing in doing a roast,” Begale said.
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Case No. 5: A temperamental trifle
Q: I cut a recipe out of the Trib for a Grand Marnier trifle, but have issues with Step 4: “Melt (milk) chocolate morsels in the top of a double boiler. Stir in 4 tablespoons orange liqueur.” Every time I add the liqueur, the mixture seizes — turns into an unattractive, grainy lump. So, I have adapted the recipe. After I add the liqueur, I then add some cream, maybe 2 to 3 tablespoons, stir it in and voila! It’s smooth and silky as it seems it should be. So, what gives?
Leah Bolek, Zion
A : We asked Elaine Gonzalez for her solutions to your chocolate mess. Gonzalez is a master chocolatier emeritus and a Candy Hall of Fame member.
Her take? “Chocolate has a love/hate relationship with liquids: It loves a lot and hates a little. A good rule of thumb is to allow at least 1 tablespoon of liquid for every 2 ounces of chocolate.” This usually prevents the dry particles of cocoa and sugar in the chocolate from clumping together (seizing), she said.
Sometimes it may be necessary to add an extra tablespoon or more of liquid, if the chocolate shows any signs of thickening. This is especially true using dark chocolates, which contain the highest percentages of cocoa solids.
“Another thing to consider is the orange liqueur that was used. Orange liqueurs can range in proof from 24 to 80. Because the lower proof liqueurs contain more water, using one of those would help to make the mixture more stable.”
She also suggested substituting an equal amount of milk chocolate in bar form for the morsels. “Morsels contain less cocoa butter (about 26 to 29 percent) than the average bar of chocolate. Bar chocolates melt better.
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Case No. 6: A sticky situation
Q: I bought a beautiful new bundt pan and proceeded to make a lemon poundcake. It was a great recipe; I had used it before. This time, the cake stuck to the pan and I could not get it out. When I finally did, it broke! What did I do wrong? I greased the pan and floured it, just like I always did. I cooled it, I thought, long enough. Something caused it to not come out of the pan. If you have a suggestion, I certainly would appreciate it.
Sandra Bard, Lincolnshire
A: These beautiful cake pans with intricate crevices require thorough and concentrated coating with butter and flour to prevent sections of the cake from sticking.
We use a pastry brush in the test kitchen to coat bundt pans with melted butter, brushing to make sure we’ve covered every inch before dusting with flour.
Then make sure the cake cools a bit in the pan after it comes out of the oven. Use a timer to let the cake sit for 5 minutes. Your poundcake should slip out easily.
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Case No. 7: Gooey zucchini bread
Q: I have been making the same zucchini bread recipe for years. The last few times I’ve made it, the bread is soggy and gooey — almost as if I forgot the baking soda/powder (which I have not). I have used fresh flour, baking soda/powder and have done nothing different than in the past. Do you have any suggestions?
Carole Latimer, Highland Park
A: With a recipe, familiarity can breed contempt for measuring. That explanation and a few more emerged from a conversation about your zucchini bread with pastry chefs Glenn Rinsky and Laura Halpin Rinsky, authors of the new (and excellent) “The Pastry Chef’s Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional” (Wiley, $19.95).
“I smile about recipes that we have done for 15 years, because we get sloppy putting them together,” Glenn said. Because most everything else about your recipe and method appeared to be consistent — the oven, fresh ingredients, etc. — Glenn zeroed in first on measuring, explaining that often when we become very familiar with a recipe, we are not as exact with ingredients as when the recipe was new to us.
Next, the chefs advised that you begin with the zucchini, then look at the flour. The zucchini may be contributing too much moisture. “Grate it into at towel, then enclose the zucchini in the towel and wring it out, taking out all that excessive moisture,” Glenn said. The flour may be too weak, Laura explained, wondering if you have changed the type of flour you use or if the brand itself has changed.
Finally, you may be using too much butter to grease the pan. When the butter melts, it contributes to the liquid in the recipe.
“The ultimate solution is to look at each of these steps and then change one thing at a time,” Laura said. “It is sort of a science experiment. She needs to go back at every step and see what is going wrong.”
Zucchini walnut bread
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Carole Latimer uses a recipe from the original “The Silver Palate.” We had good results with the recipe by omitting the butter from the batter, greasing the pan sparingly and cutting back on the oil.
3 Eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated, unpeeled raw zucchini, squeezed dry
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low speed in a large bowl until light and thick; fold in the grated zucchini. Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; stir into zucchini mixture until just blended. Fold in the walnuts.
2. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; unmold. Cool completely on a rack.
Nutrition information per serving: 419 calories, 56% of calories from fat, 26 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 42 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 454 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
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Case No. 8: Falling flat
Q: I have been making cookies for over 35 years. For the last few years, using a basic chocolate chip recipe, the cookies flatten out with chocolate-chip bumps. I use margarine and chill the dough. I have tried using parchment paper and the release-foil as liners on the cookie sheets. I also recently tried an oatmeal cookie recipe. While they tasted good, I passed them off as oatmeal lace cookies, because of the thinness and flatness. Please help me figure out these flops.
Carol Ritchie, via e-mail
A: There may be several causes for flat cookies, according to Shirley Corriher in “Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking with Over 230 Great Recipes.” Fat plays a big role in cookie thickness and texture. Margarine (which has a higher water content than butter) may have led to your thin cookies. “More liquid in the batter will enhance spread,” writes Corriher. “For a puffed cookie, use shortening and cake flour to limit spread. Switch from baking soda to baking powder to keep the dough acidic, which also limits spread.”
And, she writes, try cutting down the amount of fat and sugar just a little.
Oatmeal-nut-raisin cookies
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes per batch
Yield: 4 dozen
These soft, oatmeal cookies are adapted from a Quaker Oats recipe.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon each: baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup each: raisins, chopped nuts
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat together the butter and sugars with electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the reserved dry ingredients. Stir in the oats, raisins and nuts, stirring just until mixed.
2. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet; bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes per batch. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.
Nutrition information per serving: 108 calories, 42% of calories from fat, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 19 mg cholesterol, 14 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 56 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
