The Great Bundt Pan Debate (feel free to chime in)

It all started last week.

It all started when Kim Ode and I went on a date to the Nordic Ware factory outlet.

The state I live in....Minnesota, well it often likes to give off this vibe that it's progressive.

But when you think about it, and I mean think really hard....

The only 2 things worth a rats a** that have come out of this state are Bob Dylan and the Bundt Pan.

Now when your city or state is the mecca or HQ for an important idea, don't you usually assume that the envirement that surrounds it will be impressive?

As I steered the bread truck into the Nordic Ware parking lot, Kim started pointing to a cluster of signs.

"The Geese can't read these signs...so stay off the grass."

And yes, sure enough....a gaggle of geese were waddling to and fro, as we did our best to stay on the narrow side walk that lead us into the show room.

Let's face it, Klecko's a guy, maybe even a "Guy's guy", but you would think that by definition that he'd have to be a little underwhelmed, or reserved entering a space filled with kitchen trinkets.

But alas...it was like the scene in Wizard of Oz when everything switched from black & white to color.

Everything was all metallic and new looking.

Ode looks at me, and the both of us chuckled as we started off by looking at the pans we'd never buy.....

Battle Ship Pan

Butterfly Pan

Caterpillar Pan

Ice Cream Cone Pan

Etc....

But then we headed over to the standard fare, and Klecko is wearing his baking uniform, while Ode is talking "industry gossip", so the rooms soul employee started stalking us to catch an inside scoop.

There was a 1/2 dozen wealthy looking old people, but the lady left them alone. I think she wanted dirt LOL, as you can imagine....this made me like her all the more.

Anyways, I bought the "Anniversary and Bavarian" pans, and Ode got the Bavarian as well.

A couple days later, when I opened my Bundt bag, the people from Nordic Ware were kind enough to give me a "Helpful Hints For Using Your Bundt Pan" handout.

So as I started reading this, one paragraph is written in bold letters.....

PLEASE DO NOT USE A REGULAR COOKING SPRAY BECAUSE IT TENDS TO LEAVE A STICKY RESIDUE ON THE PAN,AND THE CAKE MAY STICK; ALSO, THE RESIDUE LEFT ON THE PAN MAY BE VERY DIFFICULT TO CLEAN COMEPLETELY, MAKING IT MORE LIKELY THAT FUTURE CAKES WILL STICK.

Really?

Klecko's not buying it.

The handout goes on telling us to use "Wondra" or any cooking spray that also contains flour in it as well. I guess this is the modern version of hand greasing, or painting and then splashing some flour inside the pan.

I have never had problems using regular baking spray.

It works perfect if you know how to use it, but who am I to argue with the Bundt Pan moguls.

So I called Ode and told her of what the hand out was saying, and she sat in silence for a second before replying....

"Oh....I don't think I agree with that at all. Every time I use that flour/spray my can seizes."

I chimed in by agreeing, and noting that I have thrown away a dozen cans of "Wondra" for the same reason. In fact.....I'm not sure I've ever drained more than 1/2 the can before pitching it.

Well then a couple days pass, Klecko is sitting at home and Googles some combination of words like "Baking Spray / Flour", or some such thing and Sweet Lord of Warsaw.........

You would have thought I Googled how to dissolve the national debt, or asked if there was a God.

Dude.....people were getting all crazy defending how to prep their Bundt Pans, and it was like there simply couldn't be more than one way...you had to do it "Exactly" like the woman on the thread told you, or your cake would die...or at least taste like crap.

Some people swore by buttering by hand and splashing with flour (as is Hennessy's fave method), while others splashed sugar or....get this, semolina flour.

Really, chocolate cake with semolina?

Ewwwwww.

Then there was people who used paint brushes, people who used shortening, people that used cocoa....

I started to lament that Dr. Suess was dead, he could of so made a sequel to "Green Eggs and Ham" from this Bundt Cake controversy.

At first I considered that these Bundt Pan Prep Wars would just surface on the front Google pages, but that wasn't the case.

There was like a billion opinions, but a lot of those people were nimrods, you are not though, so if you would be so kind...

How do you L.A.B. Rats prep your Bundt Pans?

Oh yeah....if you want to tell us about what Nordic Ware products you use, shout at me.

*Don't forget, Klecko has another Blog hosted on Blogger entitled....POETS ARE LAME (and other things Mike Finley has taught me), if you have a moment....check it out.