For as long as I can remember, my mom, sisters, grammy and I have baked cookies together during the Christmas season. Sometimes we experiment with pretty spritz cookies or those pesky rosettes, but every year we make batches upon batches of Great Grandma Kuck's sugar cookies. As a surprise for my host family and, of course, a taste of home during the holiday season, I decided to whip up a batch of these scrumptious treats. Things I did not consider before attempting this experiment: the differences between American all-purpose flour and European flours, volume vs. mass measurements.
Most lay-bakers in America have a bag of all-purpose flour in the cupboards. As the name suggests, it can be used for, well, all (or most) purposes. In Europe and Russia, however, flour is sold in both "bread" and "cake" varieties. While both bread and cake flour are sold in the U.S., all-purpose is more common and less of a pain in the behind. When I went to the grocery to purchase my baking goods, I was aware that there were different kinds of flour, but I forgot that most of the cake flour sold here is "self-rising". This means that it already contains baking powder, so most stores don't sell baking powder on it's own. The cashier gave me such a crazy look when I asked where I could find it.
As for the differences in measuring methods, this would have been easily dealt with if I had access to a scale, but alas I did not. With the internet, a sharpie, and some guesswork, I did some kitchen McGyver-ing. Currently, my dough is in fact a dough and it is happily chilling in the fridge. I'll post some pictures if they turn out tomorrow, but until then, I will leave you with happy holiday thoughts.
Much love,
Abby
Most lay-bakers in America have a bag of all-purpose flour in the cupboards. As the name suggests, it can be used for, well, all (or most) purposes. In Europe and Russia, however, flour is sold in both "bread" and "cake" varieties. While both bread and cake flour are sold in the U.S., all-purpose is more common and less of a pain in the behind. When I went to the grocery to purchase my baking goods, I was aware that there were different kinds of flour, but I forgot that most of the cake flour sold here is "self-rising". This means that it already contains baking powder, so most stores don't sell baking powder on it's own. The cashier gave me such a crazy look when I asked where I could find it.
As for the differences in measuring methods, this would have been easily dealt with if I had access to a scale, but alas I did not. With the internet, a sharpie, and some guesswork, I did some kitchen McGyver-ing. Currently, my dough is in fact a dough and it is happily chilling in the fridge. I'll post some pictures if they turn out tomorrow, but until then, I will leave you with happy holiday thoughts.
Much love,
Abby
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