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Full-size Cooking for Today’s Kitchens

by: ARA

(ARA) - From the automobiles we drive to the houses we live in, everything in America seems to be getting bigger these days. While we may debate over the desirability of this trend towards “bigger is better,” it’s unlikely that we’ll ever hear someone say, “Gosh, I wish my kitchen oven were smaller.”

Holidays undoubtedly pose the biggest challenge for finding enough room in the oven. From appetizers to the main course to side dishes to desserts, it seems like everything needs to be in the oven at the same time -- and sometimes at different temperatures.

In performances worthy of the center ring at the Cirque du Soleil, some cooks have perfected the art of stacking dishes on top of each other in the oven. However, for safety reasons and cooking performance, this may not be the best solution. Now there are ranges available that can solve those oven capacity problems -- without the clowns and trapeze artists.

Ranges Built for Today’s Kitchens

Research indicates that the demand for free-standing ranges with more capacity and convenient features continues to grow. “Consumers are looking for cooking appliances with greater capacity to meet the needs of their families,” says Rusty Zay, director of cooking products for Maytag. “Our full line of Maytag ranges offers extra-large capacity, a wide variety of convenient features and dependable performance with even cooking results.”

Now available nationwide, the new Maytag range with 5.22 cubic feet of cooking space offers the largest oven capacity available to consumers in a 30-inch, single-oven range. The range is so big that it fits a 24-pound turkey and four side dishes all at once, putting an end to those holiday juggling acts. The gas model includes a fifth burner -- gone are worries of not having enough room on the cooktop -- while the electric range offers an exclusive 12-inch heating element that offers the perfect solution for oversized cookware like stockpots. For families that want the convenience of convection, two-speed convection cooking technology is available in both electric and gas models.

In addition to lots of capacity, the oven in the new Maytag range offers even baking performance that simply can’t be beat. The range’s PreciseBake heat distribution system delivers consistent temperatures throughout the oven cavity. The result is evenly cooked food -- which is especially important for holiday treats like Autumn Spice Cookies that require even baking. The recipe can be found below. Give it a try -- it just may become a holiday favorite at your house!

Maytag cooking products also offer flexibility. Introduced in 1999, the double-oven Maytag Gemini range revolutionized the free-standing range market by making it possible to cook different foods at two different temperatures at the same time -- a common need among today’s families. With a 1.2-cubic-foot upper oven and a full-size 4.0-cubic-foot lower oven, the Maytag Gemini range gives consumers not only superior capacity but also flexibility. For example, it’s possible to cook a pizza for the kids in the upper oven while at the same time cooking a pot roast for guests in the full-size lower oven. The Maytag Gemini is available in gas and electric models with a wide variety of convenient features.

Best of all, both the new 5.22-cubic-foot Maytag range and the double-oven Maytag Gemini range fit in a standard 30-inch-wide range opening. There’s no need to remodel the kitchen to get lots of extra oven capacity.

So this holiday season, leave the juggling act to the professionals. Try out one of the Maytag extra-large capacity ranges and see how easy holiday entertaining and everyday cooking really can be.

Autumn Spice Cookies

Makes about 6 1/2 dozen cookies

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup molasses

Cider Glaze (optional):

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Apple cider (enough to make the consistency of cream)

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a large bowl; sift, and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar. Beat, starting on low speed and increasing to high, until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes; scrape the sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time; beat on medium speed until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

3. Turn off mixer. Add molasses, and mix on medium speed until just combined. Scrape sides of the bowl, and add dry ingredients. Mix, starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high, until ingredients are just combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

5. Heat oven to 350 F. Unwrap dough and roll out on lightly floured work surface; roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using an autumn cookie cutter cut cookies and place ½ inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies crack slightly on the surface, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

6. Dip cookies in Cider Glaze and dry on a cooling rack.

For more information on any Maytag appliance or to purchase an appliance online, visit www.maytag.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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