What are You Baking the Week of July 15, 2018?

[BakerAunt]

For breakfast on Sunday morning, I baked “Very Blueberry Scones,” a recipe from the Smitten Kitchen blog (July 9, 2015) that was featured in her latest email. My only change was to replace the whole wheat flour with whole wheat pastry flour. I did not have whole milk, so I used up ¼ Cup evaporated milk to which I added ¼ Cup water. I am very pleased with the texture of these scones and the taste. I chilled the dry ingredients in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight, along with my pastry fork and pastry cutter. That gives me a faster start in the morning and also helps by keeping all the ingredients cold.

very blueberry scones

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• This topic was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: added link to recipe

[Joan Simpson]

BakerAunt those scones in the picture look very good!

[BakerAunt]

We ate the last of the bread today, but no break has occurred in the weather since I baked bread two weeks ago. Usually, there is a cooler day when I can seize the opportunity. Although we did get a nice, albeit all too short rain shower late this morning, it has been an oppressively hot, humid day. As I mulled the prospect of not having bread for sandwiches tomorrow, I remembered the KAF "Blitz Bread: No Fuss Focaccio" that I once baked when I needed bread fast. It bakes in a 13x9-inch pan. We can cut pieces, then slice them lengthwise, and voila—the bread for sandwiches this week in about 1-1/2 hours.

I substituted 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour for that much of the AP, and I reduced the salt to 1 tsp. I also added 1 tsp. of honey for proofing the yeast. (Yes, I know, but I LIKE proofing yeast and seeing it bubble.) I also added 2 Tbs. flax meal.

Here's the link:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/blitz-bread-no-fuss-focaccia-recipe

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

When it get really hot, I do my baking late in the evening, usually going into the oven after 10PM.

[BakerAunt]

I had a cup of shredded zucchini left over from when I made the zucchini-turkey loaf, so this morning I made a new recipe, Zucchini Bread Pancakes (a half recipe of it) from Smitten Kitchen blog (July 27, 2012). My changes were to use canola rather than olive oil, to use all whole wheat flour, and not to use any vanilla. (I'm saving my precious stock for recipes in which it can truly shine.)

I made up the pastry for my buttermilk pie crust this morning. I'm baking a blueberry pie this afternoon--details to follow in another post.

[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday afternoon, I baked my first blueberry pie of the season. I nailed the crust! I used my buttermilk pie crust recipe, with the addition of 3 Tbs. sugar, and I used pastry flour rather than AP flour. I made it with all butter. Instead of an egg wash, I brushed the crust with heavy cream before sprinkling it lightly with sugar. The result is a golden, flakey crust.

As for the filling, I again followed the Cooks Baking Illustrated recipe, but instead of lemon zest, I used the zest of one small lime and also added an additional tsp. lime juice. [See discussion thread on Blueberries and Science on this experiment with adding lime.] The pie calls for ¾ to 1 cup sugar, but I always use the lesser amount, and the blueberries from this farm tend to be sweet enough on their own. The pie came out rather tart, and I think that is because of the lime zest, although it could be that the blueberries were tarter than usual, which we noted when tasting some while picking. (A bit of vanilla ice cream on the side should mellow it out.) When I make my next pie, I will skip the lime zest. It may also be because I’m using those small hard limes, which is all that is available in the store. Unfortunately, the ones on my lime tree will not be ripe until after blueberry season.

[BakerAunt]

Our weather was cooler today and not as humid, so I baked two loaves of Bernard Clayton's Dark Grains Bread. I'm still experimenting with adapting it. This time I cut the yeast from 4 tsp. to 3 1/2 tsp. and the salt from 1 Tbs. to 2 1/4 tsp. I had hoped to slow down how fast it rises, but it still had a very quick rise, and the final loaves still had some sinking along the top. The dough seemed wetter than usual, so it might have needed a bit more flour. I look forward to sampling it tomorrow and will add a note to this post when I do on taste and texture.

Promised Note: The bread still has great taste. It has an open crumb rather than the somewhat tighter texture at which I was aiming. They also look like my beginner bread loaves, with a bit of slopping over the side.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Finally, our area is getting some good rain. On Saturday afternoon, I baked our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It started out as “Nutritious Poppin’ Fresh Cookies,” from Pillsbury cookbooklet #30 (published over 25 years ago). The “nutritious” is because the recipe includes 2 cups of old-fashioned oats. I’ve varied it over the years to increase the nutritious component, although I’m well aware that in the end, they remain cookies. I now substitute some white whole wheat flour for some of the AP and add ¼ Cup flax meal. I used some of our supply of pecans from Texas. I baked the cookies as a treat for my husband. He developed a rash last week from some kind of bite, and since he works in the woodlands, where there are plenty of deer, he is being treated for Lyme disease as a precaution.

[Joan Simpson]

Today I baked from a box....brownie chocolate chip cookie bars,they are ok.They had a brownie base and teaspoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough all over the top.
We've gotten lots of rain and very strong winds.
BakerAunt sure wishing your husband well and hope it's not Lyme disease.

[chocomouse]

I made blueberry muffins and added a tablespoon of lemon juice powder and sprinkled the tops with crystalized sugar before baking.

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