Summer is in full swing! Which means busier than normal kitchens and, let’s face it, higher energy bills. There are articles everywhere about how to keep your home energy costs lower this season. Sure, you can wait to run your dryer until late in the evening when the summer heat has subsided. But what about in your kitchen? What about when you are jones’n for a fresh batch of brownies (or blondes)… now!
One of my favorite features of 360 Cookware and the Vapor® cooking method is the ability to bake delicious treats on the stovetop. That’s right! You can bake on gas, electric, or induction ranges with your 360 Cookware! This feature is especially helpful in the summer when an hour with the oven on can mean a smoldering hot kitchen. Baking on the stove uses less energy than powering your oven, and it puts off much less heat into the household. After all, low heat is all that’s required.
But stovetop baking must be pretty complicated, right?
I used the think it was complicated and unnecessary until I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner and burnt the cornbread… in the oven… while following a recipe!
While my pride was taking a hit, I remembered my 360 Vapor® Cooks Better cookbook had a cornbread recipe that cooks right on the stove. I gave it a try and produced the most moist and tasty cornbread I’ve ever had. I got complements all evening from the matriarchs of the family and extended family. Needless to say, I am a sold-out believer in stovetop baking in my 360 Cookware!
On a recent trip, I used my 2 Quart saucepan and threw together two very simple baked desserts for a house full of family and friends. (And we have photos to prove it!)
Using two unique mixes from our local Trader Joe’s – a blondie mix and a gluten-free brownie mix – we made desserts perfect for the whole family. I followed the simple instructions on the box, used butter for one recipe and coconut oil for the other to grease my pan, poured the mix into the pan, added a tiny splash of water (as the mix was very thick), and placed the pan with the cover on on the stovetop. I cooked the brownies and blondes on LOW for about 40 minutes each.
TIP: Do NOT lift the cover while baking.
The key to stovetop baking is LOW heat and simply leaving it alone. The low, even heat conducted by your 360 Cookware will deliver a delicious, moist baked treat. The only problem you will have is resisting the temptation to lift the lid and take a peak (or sneak a bite) when you start to smell the chocolate…
Our first pan was a huge hit! Look how moist this gluten-free mix came out…
The second mix was a delicious blondie mix. I followed the same technique as before:
- Grease the pan with butter, coconut oil, or your favorite natural cooking spray.
- Mix the box contents with required ingredients.
- Pour batter into the pan of your choice. (The 2 Quart was perfect for this mix, however, a larger cake mix or cornbread mix might be better in the 3.5 Quart Sauté pan)
- Heat on LOW for 40-60 minutes, only lifting the lid at the end of baking to check the center of your mix with a toothpick.
It’s so simple & the results are worth trying something new!
If you need a little more direction, check out the following video:
Here’s to trying something new & saving a little energy in the kitchen this summer!
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