So often we're afraid to experiment in the kitchen to learn what might work best. I guess it is a good thing Edison didn't feel that way...
Last week I made some potato rolls based on a recipe I found on the Food Network website. They weren't too bad - I mean, you could eat them. But they were too small, too sweet, and frankly, they gave me indigestion. (Other than that, they were fine...!).
Today, I tried again with another batch. Rather than using Idaho potatoes, I used Yukon Gold. I also used a potato ricer to mush up the potatoes (from OXO - and it works great). The only change I had intended to make was to scale them 50% larger. Rather than using 2 oz dough balls, I decided to use 3 oz.
The ingredients called for were:
- Flour
- Some kind of milk (cow, soy, rice, or almond)
- Some kind of fat (butter, vegetable oil, or Earth Balance)
- Cooked and riced potatoes
- Eggs or Egg replacer as a binder
- Salt
- Sugar
So I whipped up a batch of dough and as I was scaling it into 3 oz balls, I suddenly remembered I left out the sugar. Oops. Too late now. So, into the oven they went.
When I took them out, I remembered that I also forgot the egg/replacer. Phooey.
But they came out great!
So! Yes, I could have added a little sugar, but really, they were fine without it. I can't imagine what the egg would have done to make them any better.
In two identical pans, I baked 9 in one, and 16 in another. The 16 rolls went in first, and the 9 - with additional time to proof - came out even larger and much lighter. But, they're both good.
Lesson learned: Venture forth! Try it out! See what happens!
