What are you Baking the Week of April 24, 2022?

[Mike Nolan]

Baking plans?

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[chocomouse]

I made Maple Pecan Scones. Brushing the tops with syrup after they come out of the oven adds another layer of good maple flavor.

[aaronatthedoublef]

I made coconut macaroons. I baked for the first time in a VERY long time. Kate keeps making things with Violet and then telling me not to bake stuff. She told me not to make the macaroons and I did anyway. Now that Passover is done I'll start up bread production again.

Hawaii was fun. It's interesting. We tried several different bakeries - two of them we knew and the others were recommended on the BBGA - and while they had decent pastries none of them had good, crusty bread. And baguettes were EXTREMELY hard to find. The one I did see were baguettes in name only. Maybe if we get to go back for a longer time I'll ask if I can watch them make bread to see what is missing.

I am now, more determined then ever, to put together a traveling kitchen kit. It has to include some sharp knives, some wet and dry measuring cups, and measuring spoons.

I would like to include so pots/pans and bowls but not if we are flying.

[skeptic7]

Aaron;
I think the traveling kit should include a good spatula or two, and your favorite whisk. I was lucky enough to find an identical whisk to my favorite at a thrift store. Also a cutting board so you don't risk your good knives. Get the address of the nearest Kitchen supply store too, in case you absolutely have to buy something to use in your baking.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I decided to take advantage of the great oranges I have and use some of the zest to bake Easy Italian Whole Wheat Breakfast Cookies, a recipe that I have not baked in a while. I made a mistake and used whole wheat pastry flour instead of white whole wheat, which caused problems with the dough being too sticky, since I also substitute in barley flour. I also think that the honey I am using is not as thick. I managed to get it rolled out and cut, but it was not pretty. I may bake the recipe again in a few days, with the right kind of flour and see if I need to cut back the honey or increase the flour slightly.

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I have a dedicated plastic tub that has traveling kitchen items. I take out what I need, based on where we are going and for how long. One item is a small case with several different knives because the knives in every place we've rented with a kitchen are dull. The alternative is to do as my husband's cousin does and always bring a sharpening stone.

[Mike Nolan]

I wonder if a sharpening stone could be part of carry-on luggage?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks BA & Skeptic. I am thinking of buying a second set of less expensive knives to take with me. The set I have now was a housewarming gift from my dad when I bought my first house and so is more precious to me than the actual cost of the set. I wouldn't want to leave one behind.

A whisk is a great addition and I like the idea of a tub for it although if I fly somewhere I'll take a subset of the tub and pack it. When I used my friend's restaurant kitchen pre-covid I had a with everything I needed that I would haul back and forth. In the fall and winter it was cold enough I could usually just leave it in the garage.

Mike, I, too, wonder if a sharpening stone could be checked. Probably depends on who scans your luggage. But while I am proficient at honing with a steel I have never used a stone.

[Mike Nolan]

I have two Sharp Pebble dual-surface water stones so I have grits of 400/1000 and 3000/8000. I also have a Lansky kit that has a guide to hold the knife at the right angle, it has oil grits of 70, 120, 280, 600 and 1000. I use it on knives that need a whole new edge.

I don't use a steel much any more, I got a leather stropper and I use it to touch up the edges on my knives before using them, much like a barber does.

I'm convinced that most of the instructions out on the Internet for using a steel are wrong, anyway, and one of these days I'll run some microscope tests to demonstrate that.

[skeptic7]

I have a very cheap Chinese waterstone probably from a Chinese grocery store at my father's house, also a pull through Lansky hand sharpener. I wouldn't take my good waterstones on a trip. They could break. I would take one medium grit stone for emergencies, or dual grit stone for emergencies but something I wouldn't miss if it broke or got left behind.

[BakerAunt]

I found a cup of Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal in the pantry and wanted to use it up, so on Tuesday morning, I did a riff on the Bob's Favorite Scottish Oatcakes (recipe from the package not the website, which had too much water). I made about a 2/3 recipe, estimating proportions rather than trying to figure out straight percentages. I increased the cane sugar to 1 tsp., as when I last baked them, I thought them too plain. I replaced the 4 Tbs of butter with 2 Tbs. avocado oil, mixed with 1 Tbs. buttermilk. I went ahead and mixed in 2 Tbs. of water (might have used another tsp.). I rolled out the somewhat dry dough 1/4-inch thick and cut with a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. That made 15. I baked for 25 minutes on the slightly above center rack at 325F. I had one with tea in the afternoon, and I have improved on the original recipe. They are a cracker, with just a slight sweetness.

On Tuesday evening, I baked the Blood Orange Loaf Cake recipe from the Nordic Ware site. I followed the recipe, except that I reduced the sugar in the cake from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup, as the warm cake gets brushed with a blood orange juice combined with 1/3 cup sugar, and tomorrow I will glaze it. However, I will only make a half recipe of the glaze.

[Joan Simpson]

I made a loaf of banana bread today added two heaping tablespoons of chocolate and I got my chocolate fix,very good.

[BakerAunt]

Chocolate and Banana--the major food groups, Joan!

On Thursday, I baked three loaves of my Whole Wheat Oat Bran bread. It is a major adaptation of one by Peter Reinhart, so much so, that I can now claim it as my own. I'm thinking of posting it here at Nebraska Kitchen.

[Mike Nolan]

I've made Peter's 'broom bread' from his whole grains book a few times, but we find it kind of heavy, best in small slices, and it usually goes bad before we finish it all. But it is good toasted with a little butter and maybe some peanut butter.

[chocomouse]

I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

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