February27-28, 2024 Frank Jackson State Park, Opp, Alabama
Our days here have been very restful and enjoyable. We have definitely worked out every morning and getting our 10,000 steps has not been difficult. We snuck out of the park through their Primitive Area gates and walked atop the dam holding the water back. This is one long wall!
But not as windy as today has been!
Someone left the light on for us in our camper!
February 28…An organization called the Trail Masters has definitely left a positive mark on this park. They have placed bridges, benches, birdhouses and done a lot of up keep. In the fall they have a scarecrow walk where different organizations decorate scarecrows for them. We came across these strange little guys on our walk today in the middle of the woods with no explanation. I don’t know if they are scarecrows but someone thought they were cool!
And now for the Tangzhong…I have cooked for many years now and not one recipe called for me to mix up a Tangzhong. Anyone following heard of one?
Harry rarely asks me to make something new but lately he has found a few recipes he thought he would like to taste. I love that so I try to oblige by trying to surprise him.
What is a Tangzhong you might ask? And what was the dish? Surprisingly, it was the 2024 recipe of the year for King Arthur Flour. Chocolate chip cookies. How could anyone come up with something to improve the chocolate chip cookie? A Tangzhong is an Asian yeast bread technique and is supposed to be the secret to softer “bread”. You cook a flour and water concoction on the range-top until you have the consistency of “Bartholomew’s Oobleck” if you are familiar with the children’s book by Dr.Suess. Once it reaches that goopy consistency, you mix it into your other ingredients and…wait and wait. The dough must be refrigerated 24-72 hours before baking. The longer the better.👀
hkdorr 
The Tangzhong cookies look interesting. I like a soft, chewy chocolate chip 🍪. Were these that consistency?
Yes…to soft…but reads like a cake consistency to my pallet. Harry loved them. I think he likes these better than my regular recipe and everyone asks me for that recipe. We will see. We are meeting friends at our next campground and I’ll get a vote from them. I have put them in the freezer.
It’s been windy everywhere last couple days. You’re lucky nothing blew over. Ask Harry about Grandma Jay’s cookies. That’s what he was thinking of, I’ll bet. They were big and fluffy (but not chocolate) and she dusted them with flour. She kept them on top of the refrigerator in the Cookie Jar. We all LOVED them. Hugs. M.E.
Were those cookies, lemon? We have a recipe from Harry’s Mom that seemed a bit more floury? These chocolate chips get a shine on them from the Tangzhong that I have never gotten from a cookie before. But they are big and pillowy like Harry remembers about Grandma Jays. He can’t remember the flavor…can you?
It was not lemon. It was just a basic sugar cookie but you didn’t taste any sugar. Hard to desribe. It was kind of a cross between cokkie and bread actually! But a little sweet. Sure wish I had her recipe.
I will check Marty’s cookbook when I get home and will share if I find it. Harry says he remembers the sugar cookies now that you reminded him! He had the lemon ones his mom made on his mind. Guess I will have to make those when we get home.