What are You Baking the Week of January 6, 2019?

[BakerAunt]

I did not do any baking today, but I'm looking forward to baking later this week.

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[BakerAunt]

On Monday afternoon, I used the KAF Toasting Bread recipe as my base but continued to make some changes. At some point, I will post the recipe here as [Rolled Grain of Your Choice] Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread, but I’m still adjusting the liquid. Because we are down to a single refrigerator-freezer, I’m only baking one loaf of bread at a time. I used the bread machine to do the kneading. Today’s rolled grain was barley, which I baked a few weeks ago, and which my husband really likes, as do I.

[BakerAunt]

On Tuesday evening, I baked Skeptic’s Pumpkin Biscotti. I used white whole wheat flour, added 3 Tbs. Bob’s Red Mill nonfat powdered milk, and deleted the vanilla. I also reduce the cloves to 1/8 tsp. Like Skeptic, I use 2/3 C. sugar. The recipe really worked well this time; perhaps it was the consistency of the homemade pumpkin puree. I initially stirred it together with a dough whisk, then used a bowl scraper and my hands to knead it into a mass, before forming it into a 16-inch log. As always. I spritzed with water and demerara sugar before the first bake.

[BakerAunt]

On Friday, I again baked the graham cracker recipe from Recipes from the Old Mill. As I did last time, I used graham flour, but I cut it from 3 ½ cups to 3 ¼ cups. That did make the dough somewhat easier to work, but it was still a bit crumbly, and I still needed to spray some water on it as I was rolling it out. I tasted one the next morning, and the taste and texture is improved. I may reduce the flour by another 2 Tbs. the next time I bake the recipe. I have hidden the container from my husband, because these are for our trip next week.

I tried a new recipe for Italian Breakfast Cookies, which I found on the internet at:
https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/easy-italian-whole-wheat-honey-breakfast-cookies/

I followed the recipe, except that I used ½ tsp. vanilla rather than 1 tsp, and added 1/8 tsp. Fiori di Sicilia, in part because I did not have orange zest, and in part because I’ve only used my 4 oz. bottle of Fiori di Sicilia twice since I bought it a long time ago (yes, it is refrigerated). These are whole wheat and use honey and oil. I rolled the dough to an 8x8-inch square, then used a pizza cutter to make 16 (about 2x2-inches each). The next day, I found that they are a pleasantly soft cookie, with only .25g sat. fat. I had one with coffee at breakfast, after dutifully eating my usual steel-cut oats, but they would go well as a dessert or with tea. The Fiori di Sicilia is a wee bit strong. I’d likely cut it to a couple of drops next time, but they are still delicious.

I finished my Friday in the kitchen by mixing up dough for my Lower-Saturated Fat version of Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers (posted at Nebraska Kitchen) and feeding my starter. I’ll let the dough rest in the refrigerator for a couple of days, then bake crackers for our trip that I will need to hide from my husband until we travel.

[skeptic7]

I did chicken pot pies on Wednesday. I thought it would be a quick hot supper, since I was going to use some already roast chicken but forgot how long it took to cut up onions, carrot and celery.

Today I did anise biscotti with almond flour. This is basically the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion American Biscotti but I used 1 cup almond flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour. I had previously scaled up the recipe to basically use 3 cups whole wheat flour, 3 eggs and 1/2 cup butter so it was as much as I can comfortably bake on on pan.
I finally got around to baking this, I had thinking about it since before Xmas. Its tasty, a little crumbly -- I am going to try variations on this until I use up most of the almond flour. I am a little worried how this is going to turn out when I add coconut flakes, its holding together all right but I wonder if adding any more add ons will be too much.
I do want to get rid of the almond flour so I plan to experiment away especially if I get snow bound tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

I had to giggle, Skeptic, as I, too, often forget to include the prepping when tackling a recipe. We must remind ourselves that we have no sous chef!

Thanks for posting the result of your substitution of almond flour in the biscotti recipe. You might consider reducing it to 3/4 cups if it seems too crumbly.

[KIDPIZZA]

BakerAunt wrote:

I had to giggle, Skeptic, as I, too, often forget to include the prepping when tackling a recipe. We must remind ourselves that we have no sous chef!

Thanks for posting the result of your substitution of almond flour in the biscotti recipe. You might consider reducing it to 3/4 cups if it seems too crumbly.

BAKER AUNT:
Good evening my friend. Very good suggestion to employ less ALMOND FLOUR...why because this flour has no gluten in it. 25% max of the total flour weight is appropriate. It is now close to 1/3rd of the total.

Enjoy the rest of the day.

~KIDPIZZA / CASS

[skeptic7]

Actually so far the biscotti are holding up with only a few more crumbs when cut. I have done almond-anise, almond-coconut and chocolate almond. I did cut with a very good serrated knife
These are based on KAF cookie companion American Biscotti and I think the eggs are holding everything together.
Here is the basic ingredients with 1 cup of almond flour subsituting for 1 cup whole wheat in the original recipe

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour -- sift before measuring
1 cup almond flour ( Bob's Red Mill, its slightly coarse like cornmeal )
2 tablespoons anise seed
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

The coconut- almond biscotti
1 teaspoon coconut extract instead of the almond
1 cup coconut flakes -- toasted slightly

The chocolate almond biscotti
1 teaspoon vanilla instead of almond extract
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 10 tablespoons whole wheat flour instead of 2 cups whole wheat flour
( I put 6 tablespoons of cocoa into a 2 cup measuring cup and filled the rest with ww flour )
This is very good raw. I know its a health hazard but it is ...

[skeptic7]

BakerAunt;
I love all your crackers. I can see why you have to hide them after baking them.
Do you count the breakfast cookie as a cookie or a cracker? It looks much like a graham cracker.
I like the recipe and it looks like a nice snack or when there is no time for breakfast.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by skeptic7.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--it is a cookie rather than a cracker, as it is soft on the interior. If you use the Fiori di Sicilia, you might want to use only 3 drops or so.

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