Articles and Recipes

Today the Spotlight is on husMait's Set of 3 Melamine Mixing Bowls.

This set has become my go-to mixing bowls. I love the comfortable feel, versatility, and ease of use. These bowls have been designed for prepping and serving. They are space-saving with a stackable and nesting design which helps de-clutter kitchen cupboards. They have an easy-grip lip that makes for easy handling and allows ingredients to flow evenly when pouring. There is a rubber foot on the base to keep the bowl from slipping. They are easy to clean, dishwasher safe, refrigerator safe, freezer safe, and non-stick. The bowls come in 1.5L / 1.5 quarts, 2L / 2 quarts, and 3L / 3 quarts sizes.

Many recipes call for separate bowls for prepping wet ingredients, or dry ingredients, or ingredients that need to be added in a certain order, and these three bowls are perfect for this.

The tall sides and bowl shape is perfect when beating ingredients, it minimizes splatter and mess, and the shape allows for good aeration when whipping cream or egg whites. The Silicone Flour Scraper pairs perfectly with the shape of these bowls; making mixing and removing batter a breeze.

You can purchase these bowls in their Set of 3 Melamine Mixing Bowls or in the Ultimate 14 Piece Bakeware Set which is an outstanding value. 

Let us know how you are using this set of mixing bowls and what you like best about them in the comments and reviews.  

With warm wishes for your home,
from the husMait home kitchen.

I love products that have multiple uses and our HusMait Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters are designed to do just that.  

In the short time I have been using these cookie cutters they have cut English Scones, Sugar Cookies, wonton wrappers and have been used to mold Almond Cookies.

These stainless steel cutters come in six (6) different sized cutting rings that can be nested for compact storage in a kitchen drawer or cabinet.

They are easy to clean and are dishwasher safe. Rust-resistant, non-stick, and easy to use.

I plan on using them to cut home made pasta for ravioli so watch this space! Do you make mini or small pies? The large cutter will fit perfectly in a standard cupcake tin. Let us know how you use cookie cutters creatively. 

With warm wishes for your home,
from the husMait home kitchen.

Looking to add a lot of veggies to your meal today? Make veggie pizza at home, a great alternative to ordering pizza online.

The best part of pizza is that you can customize the toppings the way you like. Just prepare the dough and ask your family and friends to choose fillings and toppings and enjoy. It’s that simple! I love a variety of toppings but always have a soft spot for mushrooms and onions.

Complementing flavor profiles and colorful toppings is a fun activity we do over the weekends. We engage our kids to do little tasks, like assembling ingredients or spreading toppings over the dough. What’s your favorite pizza topping?

Oh, don’t tell me that you don’t like pizza. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza. If you don’t, it means you’re missing something super delicious.

Let’s make veggie pizza at home with available ingredients from your pantry. I bet after reading this blog; you’re going to try this recipe at least once in your home.

Before diving deep into the baking process, you must be aware that you should have the best baking tools in your pantry to bake pizza, cake or muffins, or whatever you want to prepare. Baking tools and equipment play a key role as good quality tools are a necessity. 

It’s enough of the talk.  Let’s move to the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Dough Preparation

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Pizza Sauce

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• ½ small onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 pinch black pepper powder

Pizza Topping

• 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup broccoli
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Step 1

Add yeast and warm water in a mixing bowl. Leave it for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and becomes foamy.

Step 2

Meanwhile add dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, sugar, oregano, and salt) into a large mixing bowl. Add egg and oil and yeast mixture into dry ingredients. Mix the dough with a stand mixer until ball forms. Take dough out of the bowl, knead with soft hands for about 5 minutes until smooth.

Step 3

Now transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Keep it aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step 4

Preheat baking oven to 235 degrees C. Lightly grease a baking sheet if you’re not using a non-stick baking sheet or spread a baking mat on the sheet to avoid burning/sticking.

Step 5

Take a saucepan and add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, one tablespoon oregano, garlic, onion powder, one teaspoon salt, and pepper. Let the pizza sauce ingredients cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until a thick sauce formed.

Step 6

Place doll into a silicone rolling mat and divide into two halves using a knife and roll it on a baking mat using silicone rolling pin. Place the dough onto the baking sheet lined with a baking mat.

Spread pizza sauce over the top and spread mozzarella cheese or any cheese of your choice, top it with your favorite veggies and gain sprinkle mozzarella over the top.

Step 7

Place the baking tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until crust turned golden and you can see melted cheese over the top. Enjoy hot!

https://www.bakingmad.com/recipe/ham-and-mushroom-pizza

Tools Used in this Recipe

• Mixing Bowl
• Silicon Rolling Pin
• Baking Sheet/Pizza Tray
• Baking Mat
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons

While preparing our favorite treats like cookies (or any baked good), we oftentimes end up with messy parchment papers or sticky pans that are hard to clean. What could be the best way to avoid food sticking or discoloration and have a non-stick baking surface?

Add a Silicone baking mat to your baking accessories for a better baking experience. Silicone baking mats will completely change the baking game for you. It eliminates the need for parchment papers, aluminum foil and cooking sprays.

The best baking mats are made from food-grade, sustainable and non-stick silicone that keeps the baking pan clean or very easy to wash. Let’s see what a silicone mat is and why it is better than other baking surfaces. Read on to find more, including where you can buy the best silicone baking mat!

Silicone Baking Mat

A non-stick baking mat, made of high-quality, fiberglass or food-grade silicone provides a non-stick baking surface to the baking surface to prevent sticking. The silicone mat is best for sticky or messy mixtures because of its non-stick properties. Silicone mats are available in different sizes and shapes so that they can fit properly in your baking pans. 

If you have to do a lot of cooking with sugar or caramel, you need a food-grade silicone baking mat. You can also make savory foods like chicken or fish using a silicone mat. These mats are easy to clean as compared to cleaning a baking sheet with hard-set residue. 

How to use a silicone baking mat?

This baking mat is really easy to use.  Whether you are kneading dough, baking a cake or baking cookies, you can use them. While baking cookies, lay the silicone mat flat on the cookie sheet and use a non-stick spray before placing the cookies over the mat. The cookies will fit properly over the silicone mat, giving them a delicate non-stick crust. 

You can also use a silicone mat on your work surface. If you plan to roll cookie dough or kneading bread, place the silicone baking mat on a countertop. In this way, you can prevent the countertop from being messy and save flavor for your mixture. 

Why Is Silicone Baking Mat Better?

You can reuse your Silicone baking mat for an unlimited number of times as compared to parchment papers. They will easily fit into your baking sheets without any wear and tear. The flat surface will give your cookies a perfect appearance compared to parchment papers containing curled or creased surface. The silicone mat is ideal when you are working with caramel or melted chocolate or sticky dough.

Here are some other reasons that make silicon mat better than other cooking sheets.

1. The silicone mat is Easy to Clean.

Since a silicone baking mat doesn't let the dough stick over it, it is easy to wash. No soaking, scrubbing or other cleaning hassles required.  All you need is water and soap.  You do not have to hang them or lay them to dry. You will love them when  baking something messy like buttery or sugary.

1. Less browning and burning:

There will be less browning and burning on the bottom of goods if you use a silicone mat. Silicone baking mat is suitable for baking fish because you don't have to worry about the fish tearing or sticking to the bottom while flipping it.   

1. Fewer Cookie Sheets

When you are cooking batches of cookies, you need more baking sheets like 4 to 6. But with Silicone baking mat, two silicone sheets are enough for one oven. You will be laying out the cookies on one mat while your other baking mat will be in the range. It will take less space in your counter, roll them up to store anywhere.

Silicone Baking Mat vs. Parchment Paper:

Let's compare the silicone mat with parchment paper to understand better.

Best Silicone Baking Mat:

Now you might be wondering from where to buy top-notch silicone baking mat. Let us help you buy the best silicone baking mat that you can order online. That is none other than husMait’s Silicone Baking Mat. You can use it not only for a baking purpose but also for rolling dough, pizza dough, pastry dough and much more.

Why should you prefer this baking mat?

• husMait’s Silicone Baking Mat is designed to handle cold and hot food before and after the baking.
• Heat resistance up to 210 degrees Celsius.
• It comes with a rolling design that allows easy storage.
• Non-stick and easily washable.
• Fits perfectly in 17” x 12” baking sheet.

Conclusion:

You will love this silicone baking mat, especially if you are working with any sticky glaze. The silicone mat is slightly heavy and sticky which enables them to adhere to your baking sheets much better than parchment papers.  Always choose the best silicone baking mat and be aware of the silicone baking mat made out of ordinary silica gel. So what else are you waiting for? Check our site for incredible offers and discounts.

We lived in Hong Kong for 30 years, longer than I lived in the United States!         In that time Chinese New Year became a traditional holiday for our family, rivaling the festivities of Christmas. This year Chinese New Year falls on Feb 12, 2021, and it begins on the evening before is celebrated for at least 3 days and often longer. It is a time of elaborate dinners, gift-giving, trips to the Victoria Park Flower Market, Dim Sum, and Lion Dances. 

Food is central to Chinese New Year traditions in the way it is created, gifted, and consumed.  There are customs and traditions going back generations in regards to the variety, shape, and color of the food. So when I saw Helen Au’s Vegan Chinese Almond Cookies I knew I had to make them. 

Unfortunately, I do not have traditional wooden almond cookie molds. A quick google search will show you what I am talking about. However, as I was contemplating this challenge I came up with an amazing cheat! The basic premise of a cookie mold is to compress the sandy texture dough into a solid shape that can be turned out onto a baking surface. While living in HK for 30 years I became very adept at substitution and ingenuity- So I just reverse-engineered, and used what I have to create a mold - the base of the 1/3 cup Stainless Steel Measuring Cup fits perfectly into the second smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters and the 1/8 Stainless Steel Cup can be used in the smallest Stainless Steel Cookie Cutter. 

  

   

A great English Scone starts with a great recipe- I used Nigella Lawson’s, Lily Scone recipe. I love that her website translates British to US measure with the click of a button - Thank you! There are two reasons I choose this recipe - one is the leavening agent and the second is the cold butter method. 

Assemble everything you need first, equipment and ingredients. 

Turn on the oven and prepare baking pans. I find it very helpful to read the directions thoroughly before beginning to assemble the ingredients. 

I used a scale to weigh my ingredients. As directed I cut the butter, then returned it to the refrigerator until it went into the bowl. I think cold butter creates less gluten and allows the flour to stay loose and airy, which helps with the rise during baking.

The recipe calls for two leavening agents Baking Powder and Cream of Tartar. Did you know that Baking Powder is simply 1 part Baking Soda plus 2 parts Cream of Tartar? When you use a part Cream of Tartar you create a better flavor in your Scone.  

A few technical tips I have learned across the years, first do not over mix or over handle the dough, mix it just until the flour is incorporated. Second, after turning the dough out, knead it by folding and turning to allow the lamination to remain intact and only a few turns. Third, when cutting, push straight down and lift straight up with a lightly floured cutter, this allows for that puffy rise in the oven.

This cookie cutter set will be a go to set for my kitchen with it’s versatility in sizing, easy clean up, and ease of use.  They are well weighted and comfortable in my hand.  

An Instagram video of this recipe will be posted on Saturday Jan 30, 2021 come have a look at the process. 

husMait products used: