What are you baking the week of April 22, 2018?

[Mike Nolan]

Didn't do any baking last week, will be doing some later this week, but here's a thread for everyone.

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[Joan Simpson]

I made cinnamon rolls today.

[skeptic7]

I did apricot scones/muffins yesterday with chopped dried apricots and apricot jam. Very tasty. Also did medium dish pizza with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. I wish I could make an apricot yeast bread or a chocolate yeast bread but that takes so much more time to mix and knead.

[BakerAunt]

It's an overcast Tuesday, not too cold, as with a high of 60F earlier this afternoon. I baked Walnut (or Pecan) Pumpkin Squares, a recipe I adapted from one in the L.A. Times years ago, and that I've posted on this site. We will have it for dessert tonight and the next couple of days.

I also have Wheat-Oat Flax Buns (from the KAF site) on their second rise. As usual, I substituted in 3/4 cup of buttermilk for the water and soak the oats in it first, and I and used 1/4 cup of water rather than orange juice. I always use a whole egg, rather than using the yolk in the bread and brushing the buns with egg white, as I don't use a topping. I added 2 Tbs. of special dried milk, which I'm trying to use up. I reduce the yeast to 2 tsp. I decided to reduce the salt from 1 1/2 to 1 tsp. I've previously reduced it to 1 1/4 tsp. We will use these for dinner sandwiches with the leftover salmon patties, and then use them for lunches. This recipe is a favorite because it makes small, light-textured buns, and we like the wholegrain taste.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

This afternoon, I baked Gingerbread Biscotti, using the recipe from The Smitten Kitchen blog. I had baked it once before, back in November or December. I felt that the ginger did not come through strongly enough, so this time I tweaked the recipe by reducing the vanilla from 2 tsp. to 1 tsp. and adding a dash of cayenne pepper (the key to a great molded gingerbread recipe that I have). I again used light brown rather than dark brown sugar, and I used 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt rather than 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt.

I also changed how I mixed the wet ingredients. I first whisked the two eggs, then whisked in the brown and white sugar. I then gradually whisked in the melted butter, and finally the vanilla. That made it easier to combine.

As usual, I stood the biscotti up on the second bake, rather than doing them flat and turning them over. I let them bake for 16 minutes. My husband does not like them too crispy. They definitely smell more gingery this time, and the bit I tasted before the second bake had more ginger flavor.

[Joan Simpson]

Today I baked KA Classic White Sandwich Bread.I used potato water from boiled potatoes that I had saved from a couple days ago and used one cup of whole wheat in place of all white flour.It was so good and the crumb was nice.The recipe says to tent after 20 min. I never do this and it's just right in color.The bread held up well when I turned it out not squishing at all.I had some tonight with supper and was very happy!That'll be mine for the next few days.

BA I never use more than a tsp.of vanilla in most things unless I'm making vanilla ice cream and use 1 Tbsp.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Joan Simpson.

[RiversideLen]

I've had my eye on the Maple Cookies that Chocomouse made last week (thank you Chocomouse) so I made them today. I cut the brown sugar in half and added a half cup of white chocolate chips. When the dough was mixed I thought it was a little too thin so I added a quarter cup of hazelnut flour (from KAF) (and thank you BakerAunt for the link). I used a number 40 disher to portion them and got 25 cookies. I only baked 6 tonight with the rest residing in the freezer for later. Even after reducing the brown sugar in half I find they are plenty sweet for my taste. Overall, the cookie is pretty good, will make them again.

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[Mike Nolan]

Tonight I made two Texas Chocolate Sheet Cakes, a full sized one (13x17) and a smaller one (10x10) using gluten-free flour, both for my wife's office's end-of-the-school year pot luck.

The GF one looks like it came out OK, but I won't know for sure until my wife brings a piece home with her tomorrow.

[Joan Simpson]

Cookies look good RiversideLen.

[BakerAunt]

Wednesday evening, I baked bran scones, using as my base recipe Deb Perelman's recipe for Jam-Bellied Scones, which appears in KAF's Sift Magazine (Spring 2018), p. 52. She did cute ones, with half the dough cut into 8 circles, with jam put into a center depression, then another 8 circles from the remaining dough put on top and sealed with egg wash. Someday, I may try them that way, but I decided to make plain ones that I could do more quickly. So, I calculated the area of eight 2 1/2-inch circles, then worked out that I could make two 5-inch circles with the same area. I cut each into four wedges, then spread the wedges out on the baking sheet and baked for about 22 minutes, a little longer than the recipe specified.

I had one this morning, and they are delicious, in spite of being a bit plain, with a nice light texture. If I want jam, I can always split them and add it. My other change was to use 1/3 Cup light brown sugar rather than the specified 1/2 cup dark brown sugar. I will definitely add these to my scone repertoire.

[Joan Simpson]

BakerAunt those scones sound good.I quit buying dark brown sugar only buy light brown sugar and use it for any recipe.If I think it needs I'll put a tad of molasses.

[chocomouse]

Baker Aunt, I'm planning to make the Jam Bellies from Sift soon, and am debating whether to make the small circles as she describes, or to make two larger circles and put one on top of the other with the jam in between.

I just took 12 Wheat-Oat-Flax buns out of the oven. My goodness, what lovely dough to work with. And the smell! And so colorful with the speckles of flax meal. I too skipped the oj and I used the whole wheat option. I think I'll serve them as dinner rolls tonight, with a seafood salad, macaroni-veggie salad, and green salad. I'm pushing spring pretty hard, but today and yesterday are cold and rainy.

[chocomouse]

We ate two of the Wheat-Oat-Flax buns with dinner -- delicious! And very "sturdy". I think they'll hold up well with a burger and all the fixings, or any kind of a sandwich with wet ingredients such as lettuce and tomato. These may even replace my usual hamburger buns. Thanks, Baker Aunt!

[Mike Nolan]

The GF Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake was pretty good, I think if someone wasn't told it was gluten-free, they might not figure that out from the taste.

Both sheet cakes went over pretty good at the pot luck, less than a quarter of each one came back home.

[BakerAunt]

If any of you are interested in those Jam-Bellied Scones, KAF has posted the recipe on its site:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/jam-bellied-scones-recipe

Chocomouse--I'm glad that you enjoyed the Wheat-Oat Flax buns! Who knew that healthy could taste so good? 🙂

Mike--What did you change to make the Texas Sheet Cake Gluten free?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

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