Preheated listeners span the globe and Stefin’s got the stats to prove it! This episode starts off with a fun recap of the listeners’ geographic locations. From North America to Sweden to Paraguay, we’ve got people tuning in all around the world. Thanks to everyone who is sharing the show with their friends and family in your corner of the globe. If you’re one of those folks who is currently the sole listener in your country (Japan, Mexico, and Netherlands … we’re looking at you!) you could have a 100% impact on Preheated, just by getting one more friend to listen!
Recipe Review: Soft Pumpkin Pretzels
Today, we’re reviewing the Soft Pumpkin Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar from food blogger and cookbook author Maya Wilson at Alaska From Scratch. (You might recall that Julia O’Malley gave Maya a shout out when we interviewed her in Episode 96). Andrea loved this recipe, especially how quickly it came together (only two hours, even with a dough rise), and Stefin liked that it was a smaller yield recipe, turning out just six to eight pretzels (two of which she devoured straight out of the oven!). Andrea found the recipe needed almost three cups of flour, while Stefin used exactly two cups as the recipe called for. Both hosts weighed their final product, with Andrea making six 100 gram pretzels, while Stefin made eight 63 gram pretzels. Andrea needs some more work on her twisting technique, as she ended up with more of a “pumpkin knot” than a twist. They do brown quickly and dramatically in the last minute so watch them carefully! Andrea used Demerera sugar for the topping to try and replicate the look of salt on top of the pretzels, which may have fooled her husband into thinking he was getting a savory treat. Andrea loved the flavor and found these disappeared quickly. Stefin halved the final topping (butter and cinnamon sugar) and still had ample topping on each pretzel. She also incorporated some of the resting times (from Episode 68: Hot Buttered Yum!) with success, although it does not appear to be necessary.
Bakealong: Pumpkin Cookie with Caramel Frosting
Rounding out Pumpkin-Palooza month is a Pumpkin Cookie with Caramel Frosting from food blogger Lauren at Tastes Better from Scratch. Lauren addressed a “clamminess” conundrum our hosts have previously had with pumpkin baked goods (most infamously the Pumpkin Donuts in Episode 47) by suggesting that bakers store these cookies in the freezer, thereby reducing the “sweat” that happens when pumpkin and oil are combined in baked goods! Both hosts are very excited about adding a frosted cookie to their repertoire.
Language Lab: Toponyms, or Foods Named After Cities
Stefin’s taking us around the globe as she explores desserts named after the cities in which they were created. How do English Bakewell Tarts, Indian Allahabadi Cakes, Italian Nocciolini di Chivassos, or South Korean Gyeongju Breads sound to you? Our hosts delighted in the wide variety of desserts and started fantasizing about a global Preheated road trip, tasting all of the local specialties, or, at the very least, a month of bakes dedicated to some terrific toponyms!
Listeners, what’s the dessert specialty of your city or region?
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