What are you Baking the Week of January 2, 2022?

[Mike Nolan]

I think I'll make banana nut muffins today, I've got several bananas that are beyond optimal eating state.

My older son gave me a new bread knife for Christmas. It's Japanese, so it is is ground on one side only. Left handed people might find it less convenient to use because the ground edge is on the right side of the blade. It is heavier than the bread knife we've been using, and it just glides through even several day old bread. It does a good job making really thin slices of bread; I should make bagels and see how it handles them, my wife likes her bagels sliced into 3 slices and that can be a bit challenging.

Unfortunately, I don't see anything in English to identify the maker.

It is so sharp I'm reluctant to leave it on the counter, so it is for now staying in the box in the drawer just below where the bread board is. I may look for some kind of small knife block to store it in, but finding space for one on the countertop might be challenging.

 

 

Spread the word

      

  

  

[BakerAunt]

We ate the last of the bread at lunch, so on Sunday I baked two loaves of my Buttermilk Whole Wheat Grape Nuts bread, which is my husband's favorite.

[skeptic7]

I use the plastic knife guards on all my knives from paring the long ham carving knife.    I really like them but they can scratch up a knife -- I think this is caused by a grain of salt or sugar getting next to the knife and  not the plastic it self.    Here is a picture.   Does your bread knife have scalloped edge?

https://chefdepot.net/knifeguards.htm

 

I use the 1 inch for narrow knives, and the 2 inch for Chef's knives and Chinese Cleavers.

[Mike Nolan]

Yes, it has the usual serrated edge for a bread knife.

You can search for it online by typing 'F687 bread knife'. The online pictures don't do a good job showing how it is sharpened just on one edge, though.

It has a plastic keep, but I'm more concerned with cutting off someone's toe if it falls off the counter. So unless I can find some kind of knife block that won't get easily knocked off, it is staying in the box in the drawer.

[chocomouse]

Today I made a chocolate layer cake for my husband's 78th birthday. I spread raspberry jam (made from the raspberries he cultivates and freezes every summer) between the layers, and made a buttercream frosting. It's the first time I 've made a birthday cake in quite a few years.

[Italiancook]

The cake sounds delicious, chocomouse.

Cass, my husband had your mother's bread with olive oil & pepper today. He says he liked it. I've never liked black pepper, so I didn't try it. Thanks for sending along your mother's recipe.

I made a batch of raisin oatmeal cookies, an internet recipe. I used half butter and half light olive oil. They were soft but had too much sugar. In the future, I'll stick with the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Less sugar; better flavor.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday evening, I baked my lime-pecan biscotti recipe, using some of the limes we harvested from my lime tree and have in the refrigerator. I now make them with two-thirds white whole wheat flour.

[BakerAunt]

Chocomouse--that cake sounds divine. What a special gift for your husband!

[Joan Simpson]

Happy Birthday to your husband Chocomouse sounds like a good Birthday cake!

Nice looking knife Mike,I read the reviews.

[RiversideLen]

Happy Birthday to your husband, Chocomouse!

Italiancook, my fav oatmeal cookie is also the Quaker Oats vanishing recipe. However, I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart site, https://www.marthastewart.com/315977/healthy-oatmeal-cookies which uses part whole wheat and oil, no butter.  I've made it a few times and it's decent is you are looking to cut down on butter.

On Sunday I made a batch of my usual semolina/rye/wheat rolls dough and let it do an overnight rise in the fridge.  Yesterday I baked 6 rolls and held out enough dough to make a pizza for dinner (2 rolls worth of dough).

[Mike Nolan]

I made a round of bagels today, including my first try at a bagel cup for a deep dish pizza bagel:

I'll try making a deep dish pizza bagel with it tomorrow, but I think it needed to be stretched more, the hole closed up more than I wanted. But the good news is that making a cup from bagel dough isn't that difficult. This used about 3 ounces of dough, which is what I normally use for a bagel (we like them small), it might need to be a bit heavier.

 

 

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Italiancook]

Thanks, Len, for the Martha Stewart oatmeal cookie recipe. I am trying to reduce butter. Martha's recipe won't work; I can't eat whole wheat flour for medical reasons. I appreciate you sending the recipe to us, however. Maybe someone else can use it.

[Mike Nolan]

I had the pizza bagel for lunch today. I started out by enlarging the hole a little, then I added some marinara and cheese. 5 minutes at 350 and then a minute or two under the broiler.

It was pretty good, I'll try making these again, but next time I want them larger in diameter so there's more room for toppings.

 

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[RiversideLen]

Looks good, Mike, and I agree, it should be a larger diameter.

I'm making cinnamon rolls right now.  I had some fruitcake dried fruit mix that needed to be used so I took it (about 1/3 cup) and added raisins to make a cup, added a shot of rum to it, covered it and microwaved it on half power for a couple of minutes.  By the time I added it to the dough it had absorbed all the rum.  The rolls have been formed and are rising right now in the baking pan.  I haven't made these in a while and am looking forward to them.

ItalianCook, I'm pretty sure you could sub out the whole wheat for whatever flour you prefer.

[Mike Nolan]

I froze two of the tangzhong cinnamon rolls, I'm going to get one or both out over the weekend and see how they are. Next time I make them I might put some chopped pecans and/or raisins in them, but not for dipping in chili.

[Author]

Posts