davidinthewilderness
Inactive
This will be difficult to describe. Over a year we moved to the top of a mountain. I am an old from scratch baker and cook. I have been cooking since I was knee high to a grasshopper and never had this consistent situation. When I make something with chocolate, any kind of chocolate (bar, cocoa, shaved), any recipe, the same thing happens. I set the temperature in the oven for what the directions call for (some of these recipes I have used for years). Then I make the whatever: pie, cake, muffins. Next thing I smell is smoke and look in the oven and the whatever looks like a rolling, boiling, liquid mess, that is definitely burnt and never does act normal or make the product I am trying to make. I ensure that the recipe looks normal when I put it in the oven, like muffin dough looks like muffin dough and cake dough looks like cake dough and so forth.
Here is what I have tried: changing the flour, changing the sugar, changing the type of chocolate, changing to baking soda, changing to baking powder, changing the season I make it, and changing the oven temperature. The strange thing is that this only happens when I use chocolate. I can make anything else and it turns out perfect. The reason I am writing this is that I just made a special cake for my sister's recent visit. I totally forgot about the problem, threw in the chocolate, and I was brought back to a sudden reality check when I smelled the smoke.
The only other thing that I have had difficulty making since we came to the mountain are lotions which separate no matter what recipe (even long time ones) or process.
Does anyone have any ideas? It is just so strange. Altitude shouldn't make a difference as long as one compensates for it, so I am stumped.
Any help or ideas would be appreciated. The old adage is two: many heads are better than one in problem solving.
Thanks ahead of time!
Celeste
Here is what I have tried: changing the flour, changing the sugar, changing the type of chocolate, changing to baking soda, changing to baking powder, changing the season I make it, and changing the oven temperature. The strange thing is that this only happens when I use chocolate. I can make anything else and it turns out perfect. The reason I am writing this is that I just made a special cake for my sister's recent visit. I totally forgot about the problem, threw in the chocolate, and I was brought back to a sudden reality check when I smelled the smoke.
The only other thing that I have had difficulty making since we came to the mountain are lotions which separate no matter what recipe (even long time ones) or process.
Does anyone have any ideas? It is just so strange. Altitude shouldn't make a difference as long as one compensates for it, so I am stumped.
Any help or ideas would be appreciated. The old adage is two: many heads are better than one in problem solving.
Thanks ahead of time!
Celeste