Two questions I'm just going to suck up my shame and ask:

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Q #1: When I flip out a Daisy Martinez flan, how do I keep it from sticking to the plate when I try to slice and serve? Because the last one I made did exactly that. Looked perfect, but then the surface touching the plate (the original top) resolutely stuck. I mean STUCK. It wasn't pretty and my creds as a baker went steadily downhill as I tried to cut and serve each cracked piece.

On the other hand, once they started eating it, no one cared how it looked. But I do.

So...another flan is chilling in the refrigerator. Any suggestions?

Q #2: I'm going to try a cookie that requires Ammonium Carbonate (Baker's Ammonia). It is NOT for a Springerle cookie, which was the last time I used this stuff. I want the crispness this product promises and have read to disperse by whisking through the flour OR to dissolve in water (hot? cold?) and add with butter.

I don't remember which method I used back then, but I disliked the Springerle cookie, so never thought again about using the Ammonium Carbonate. Now I want to.

So...any suggestions? T&T methods?

PS: My product is from Lorann Oils Gourmet.

 
ammonium carbonate

I know it as "Harshornsalz" in German baking, and indeed, it originally was ground up stag horn.

The recipes that I know dissolves it first for even distribution.

Also, it should be used for thin flat cookies, never cakes, as the thickness of the cake will not allow to dissipate during the baking time. Typical cookies are Lebkuchen, Speculatius, Basler Lecker--thin crisp cookie types. There are many recipes using it it Olli Leeb's Cookies book, available in the original German and in English translation.

 
how about a light dusting of powdered sugar on the plate before you flip the flan onto it?

 
Could you warm the bottom of the vessel, your ramekin, in warm water for 5-10 min to loosen the

caramel. Then just coax it with some encouraging words and a little thumping around before flipping it? Then sprinkle some coarse sugar onto the serving plate.

Seems to me that if it falls out smoothly and doesn't move once it hits the sugar, it should be tidy to lift at serving.

I'll be interested to see how you solve this.

 
Success with Q#1: Curse of the Sticking Flan. I used Cathy's idea to wipe

a dab of oil (used the sunflower/coconut oil I had bought for Richard's sugar cookies) and barely left a sheen on the plate. Inverted and the flan dropped right out as usual. But this time, each and every slice lifted off the platter easily.

Huzzah! (as I would say if I were on a British military frigate and acting in a pirate movie)

Thanks for the suggestions. You guys are the best!

PS: Using Theo Chocolate's method of portioning out and melting the sugar 1/3 at a time results in a perfect deep-golden liquid caramel without any crystallization. Every time. I also employ a non-stick pan, Silicon stirrer and prayers to Daisy while melting it.

 
Note: I tried this ONCE in a regular stainless steel pan. Didn't work nearly as well. Never again.

I'll stick (ha!) with my 3.5 QT Calphalon non-stick sauce pan and skip the All-Clad stainless steel for this use.

 
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