Baking in Hawaii is so so so different from baking in Japan, well, in my kitchen in Japan anyway.In Japan, I don't have a "real" oven, my "oven" is the size of a dormitory microwave oven.
Sure, it can toast, bake, broil and microwave, but because of its size and because the element only heats the perimeter of the oven, I can only bake on my turntable (if I want things cooked/baked properly).
Which means I can bake 6 muffins at a time or a round cake.
No 9-inch x 13-inch pans and anything bigger than an 8-inch square pan is kind of sketchy.
My motto: Anything that can fit on the turntable is a go, anything that can't is a no.
So, yesterday even though it was miserably humid, I helped my mom bake scones and muffins. She made 1 batch of muffins (24 muffins) and 6 times the recipe for scones...6! (in the end, I think we ended up with 48 scones)
It was a family project as dad was in charge of greasing the scone pans.
I was in charge of pulsing the dough in the food processor which I did in several batches.
What amazed me was that she had 4 scone pans!
We were done in no time and I was in awe of the volume that we baked.
I know mom bakes a lot throughout the year but I guess you never truly appreciate stuff like "an oven" until you don't have one, one that size anyway.
It is Friday here, hope you have a great weekend!
Scone pans? I never even heard of/seen those. We used to make these ENORMOUS batches of scone dough and everything was shaped up, sliced and sectioned by hand. I hated that job because if you didn't work fast enough, the butter content would start softening in the heat of the bakery...yuk! Putting scone pans on my list.
ReplyDeleteYah, I know about the oven situation which I had in Oki this last time, though mine would take a 9x13 pan/dish and didn't a rotating thingy. It was basically a counter-top electric oven.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great!! And don't worry, we have a family member who is a professional pastry chef, but doesn't have a "real" oven at home either! She still makes super-yummy things.
ReplyDeleteKinda like cast iron type Rowena, though not as heavy??
ReplyDeleteAt least yours could do a 9x13 Nate, I always gotta cut down the recipes I try so it will fit on the turntable :(
That is amazing Jude!
Take care everyone.
Kat
I know what you mean! I am looking forward to baking when we move back to America in October. In fact, I am baking the dessert bar at our 50-person wedding. My mother thinks I'm crazy! No, I'm not crazy, I just haven't baked in 3 years, mother!
ReplyDeleteI would be amazed at 4 scone pans too! It's an ex-pat thing!
So nice to be understood Kristin :)
ReplyDeleteI think it is cool you will be baking for your wedding!
Take care.
Kat
It is hard to bake when it is so humid but nice to be able to munch on the results! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid in Hawaii, my Chinese-immigrant mom used her wok for most of her cooking and rarely turned on her oven (except for holiday meals). For many years I just thought the oven was a storage area for large pans!
ReplyDeleteKat, you might enjoy this small-oven tale funny: An American friend of mine lived in Shanghai for a few years in a very new, modern, Western-style apartment; yet he had a tiny oven, too, which was a dilemma because he cooks so much. During Thanksgiving it was quite the adventure for him to find a large turkey; then to defrost, season and stuff it in time; only to realize that it wouldn't fit into his tiny oven! So he removed the stuffing and cooked it separately and cut the turkey into pieces before sticking it back into the oven. He said all his expatriate friends were thrilled to have an American turkey dinner but he never tried that again until he returned to the U.S.
so true Debinhawaii :)
ReplyDeleteThose are great tidbits Jenster :)
Take care you two.
Kat
I love scones! Where's your mom hiding all the 48 scones?? ;)
ReplyDeleteAll in her freezer Rick!
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat
Great post- I feel the same way just going from my small apt to my parents' wonderful kitchen, haha.
ReplyDeleteK, I felt the same way after moving out of my parent's house to an apartment in Japan :)
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Kat