What can I do with ZANDA PANDA Molds?
| Traditional Baking |
No-Bake Backwards Cake | Party Time! |
Appliqués | Pie & Tart Toppers |
Cookies|
We feel confident that Zanda Panda molds will be the most versatile bakeware you'll ever own.
They can be used for traditional baking, cold molded desserts (such as gelatin and ice cream), and also for
many arts, crafts and children's projects.
TRADITIONAL BAKING
Heavier textured cakes are great for Zanda Panda molds, however, boxed cake mixes or your favorite ‘scratch’ recipe will work beautifully as well. If your cake is very light-textured and fluffy, freeze before demolding.
For the Unicorn Mold, use two boxes of your favorite cake mix. Use one box for the Heart Mold. For best results, lightly oil interior of mold and dust with flour or cocoa, then prepare batter as usual (we do not recommend baking sprays that contain flour). Place mold on cookie sheet and use during baking and to transport to and from oven. Bake at 345 degrees fahrenheit
for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until toothpick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Tip: Cake is delicate until it settles and cools, so although it's tempting with a silicone pan - please don't squeeze the mold!
Allow cake to cool completely. For very light, fluffy cakes, you may wish to freeze the cake before removing from the
mold.
Carefully trim cake level with (open) top of mold, using floss or
a plastic utensil.
Demold:
To remove cake from mold, place serving plate over open mold. Invert mold and plate together. Starting at rim, gently loosen the mold from the detailed areas of the cake, with a slight outward, then upward motion, then gently demold.
For bundt cakes or 'from-scratch' recipes, follow recipe directions.
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'NO-BAKE BACKWARDS CAKES'
For a memorable and truly impressive dessert, give one of these spetacular, yet surprisingly easy
cakes a try. These cakes utilize a chocolate or
confectionary coating that picks up even the
most intricate details of the molds and can be gilded with edible ‘metallic’
powders. Recipes are also included for a version that kids can make all by
themselves using edible clays. You'll find complete
directions on the 'NO-BAKE BACKWARDS CAKES' page!
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PARTY TIME!
Party activities are fun and easy with Zanda Panda. Kids love decorating their
own cupcakes with tubed icing, sprinkles and shot. Or try decorate-your-own
cast paper party favor boxes with glitter,
'jewels' and acrylic paints. Lollipops are also a perennial favorite.
For lollipops, paint chocolate or confectionary coating into a round container or onto
wax paper to desired thickness. Attach decorative appliqué and a lollipop stick
with additional chocolate or confectionary coating. For cupcakes or other baked goods,
attach appliqués with icing. Add sprinkles, shot or edible glitter if you want
to add a little more pizzazz. Simple appliqué instructions below.
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Appliqués
Make cast paper appliqués and attach to papercrafts for notecards,
bookmarks, scrapbooking, etc. Please see the
Cast Paper page for more info.
Make appliqués of chocolate or confectionary coating to decorate treats such as cakes,
cupcakes, lollipops and cheesecake. Use chocolate,
confectionary coating or edible clay
to fill decorative areas of the mold. Pop appliqué out of the mold and apply to the baked
goods or other treats that you wish to embellish.
For adding decorative appliqués to pies and tarts, please see the next section,
"Pie and Tart Toppers".
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Pie and Tart Toppers
To make decorative crusts on pies and tarts: Press some of the crust dough into a decorative
area of the mold. Place it on the pie or tart crust and gently press edges to adhere.
If needed, moisten slightly with water.
You can paint the designs with a mixture of cream or egg yolks and food coloring
before baking if desired.
Use pre-made (unbaked) crusts or make your own:
Basic Pie Crust Recipe
1 cup vegtable shortening
2 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
7-8 tablespoon ice cold water
Mix flour and salt thoroughly in bowl, cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or fork
until dough is the size of small peas. Sprinkle water on a tablespoon at a time, gently
mixing with a fork until moistened.
Gather crust into a ball, divide in half and lightly shape into two flattened balls.
Roll bottom crust about two inches wider than the size of the top of the pie plate
(turn it upside down to determine size). Fill with favorite fruit filling. Roll out
second half of crust. Place top crust on, roll top edges over edges of bottom crust
and crimp.
Bake at 425° for 40 to 50 minutes, until crust browns and filling begins to bubble out.
Yield: enough for one 9-10", two crust pie.
TIP: The two most important tips for a great pie crust are to use ice
water and to mix and handle the dough as little as possible after the water has been added.
Tart Dough
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup chilled butter, cut into small chunks
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Thoroughly mix salt, sugar and flour. Cut chilled butter into flour mixture. Add ice
water a tablespoon at a time. Roll into a ball and chill for 2 hours.
To bake an unfilled crust, line tart pan with dough, prick bottom with fork,
line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans to keep crust shape.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, remove foil and pie weights. Bake for an additional
10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
Yield: enough for two 9-10", one crust tarts (or lots of small tarts).
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Cookie Mold
Zanda Panda Molds can also be used for making decorative cookies. Use your favorite
low-rising cookie recipe (sugar or shortbread work very well). Lightly dust interior
of mold with flour. Roll a portion of the dough into a ball and press into a decorative
area of the mold. Drop dough out of mold, trim edges with a toothpick.
Dough can be painted with Egg Yolk Paint before baking
by mixing one beaten egg yolk with 1/4 tsp Water and food coloring. Alternatively,
colored glazes can be used after baking by mixing confectionary (powdered) sugar
and flavoring with milk, water or juice.
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