BakerAunt

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  • in reply to: Egg Prices #45612
    BakerAunt
    Participant

      I don't think that bird flu will end any time soon, especially since the staff working on investigating and tracking infectious diseases has been cut.

      in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45611
      BakerAunt
      Participant

        Thanks, Joan. Your picture posting inspired me to give it a try. The new computer we got 18 months ago also helps, as I can send the pictures from my phone to it, which I cannot do with the older computer. It does mean running upstairs to do the post, but that's a small price to pay.

        Thanks, Len. I think that cookbook authors should give us a list of sources for ingredients that are not readily available.

        in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of February 16, 2025? #45610
        BakerAunt
        Participant

          I had more of the black-eyed peas with brown rice and ham that I made last week. My husband did not eat dinner, as he had a very bad vertigo attack. There have been too many fluctuations in the barometer.

          in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of February 16, 2025? #45603
          BakerAunt
          Participant

            On Sunday, I tackled the remaining limes in the refrigerator and juiced them. I froze 1/3 cup. Little of the zest was useable. I decided to take the King Arthur recipe for Lemon Crinkle Cookies and see if I could use the rest of the lime juice. I substituted white whole wheat for the AP flour and added 1 Tbs. milk powder. I replaced the 2 Tbs. of melted butter with an additional tablespoon of avocado oil (my oil choice) and increased the lime juice from 3 to 4 Tbs. It is a soft dough and would likely be so even without my substitutions. The cookies baked for 11 minutes. I might increase the time by 30 seconds if I bake this recipe again. They would be better with the zest, but they are good enough to accompany a mug of tea.

            in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45599
            BakerAunt
            Participant

              We sliced some bread last night, and we really like it. I did not know that a whole wheat bread could be so light and soft. I'll be baking this recipe again and trying some of the suggested substitutions of oats, mixed grains, or other wholegrain flours.

              I'm going to try to post pictures--my first time to do so.

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              in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45594
              BakerAunt
              Participant

                I made Spaghetti Squash Casserole for dinner on Saturday. As my husband's digestive system does not agree with Italian spices, I used 2 tsp. of Penzey's Bouquet Garni and some freshly ground black pepper. The tomato sauce, from our tomatoes, came from the freezer. My husband liked it, so I will use that spice combination in the future when I make it for both of us.

                in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45590
                BakerAunt
                Participant

                  On Saturday, I took the dough out of the refrigerator at around 11:30 a.m., as the recipe says to remove it about three hours before planning to bake. My dough was actually pushing at the lid of the 4-quart container. I may use a 6-quart one next time. From what I can tell, the dough is shaped cold after removing it. I found it easy to shape the cold dough, although I used a different shaping method from Reinhart. (The description and pictures on how to shape loaves for pans did not seem to align.) I flatten the dough to a rectangle, then fold in the long sides, then the short ends, before rolling it from the long side.

                  The dough needs 2-3 hours to rise. I checked it after two hours, but it was ready at 2 hours and 35 minutes. The house temperature is about 67 F. The loaves required 40 minutes to bake. I followed the directions to rotate the pans after 20 minutes, which is not something I usually do. Both my husband and I noticed the wonderful aroma, which differed from the usual wonderful aroma of baking bread.

                  in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45584
                  BakerAunt
                  Participant

                    Mike--The recipe is for two loaves.

                    in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45583
                    BakerAunt
                    Participant

                      We had more of the black-eyed peas with brown rice and ham.

                      in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45579
                      BakerAunt
                      Participant

                        I started my chosen recipe today, "Everyday 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread," from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day (pp. 83-85). He says it is a simplified version of a recipe in his Whole Grains Book.

                        I was surprised that the recipe called for mixing the dry ingredients and putting them into the mixing bowl first, but the ingredients combined easily, and the bowl did not have dough stuck all over it. The vegetable oil (I used canola) is whisked into the egg. I chose the honey option, and I have active rather than instant yeast, so I proofed the yeast in the water to which I added the honey before adding the buttermilk. (The recipe says milk of any kind.) I followed the stand mixer directions and was amazed at how well the dough came together. With my Cuisinart 7-qt mixer, I used the second speed for the low, and the third speed for the medium low. I used speed 5 for the last 20 seconds. The recipe requires three stretch-folds. I did them on a small Silpat mat, dusted with about 1 Tbs. of whole wheat flour, covering the dough with a large, inverted metal bowl between folds. I put it into a 4-qt. lightly oiled dough bucket and stuck it in the refrigerator. I plan to bake it tomorrow. When I last checked, the dough had more than doubled and was at the top.

                        in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45578
                        BakerAunt
                        Participant

                          Today, Friday, is Valentine's Day. I baked a Blueberry Coffee Cake with streusel topping in a red heart-shaped pan that I bought some years ago from King Arthur. I used a doubled recipe from Recipes from the Old Mill (p. 143) that we like. I used three cups of blueberries that we picked in the summer of 2023 that had gotten lost amid the 2024 berries in the freezer. I followed the recipe, other than cutting the salt a bit and adding 2 Tbs. each o milk powder and flax meal. I also used buttermilk. For the topping, I replaced 4 Tbs. melted butter with 1 Tbs plus 3 Tbs. avocado oil, and I used ½ cup pecan meal in place of the 2/3 cup nuts. This pecan meal is of a finer consistency than what King Arthur used to sell, so next time, I would cut it to ¼ cup. My husband was very pleased with this edible valentine.

                          My other baking project was making the dough for my February 2025 challenge recipe. See the details there!

                          in reply to: February 2025 Cookbook Challenge #45568
                          BakerAunt
                          Participant

                            I've chosen Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Every Day as my cookbook. The recipe is "Everyday 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread" (83--85). I will follow it without making any changes, but I will use the honey rather than the sugar option.

                            in reply to: What are you Cooking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45567
                            BakerAunt
                            Participant

                              Joan--We only had 2 inches of snow overnight, which is not bad. We've been dealing with ice the past couple of days, and with temperatures dropping--this evening it is 12 F at 8:23 p.m., it will be even more of an issue.

                              For dinner tonight, I made black-eyed peas with sauteed yellow bell pepper, celery, and kale, with ham from the freezer and brown rice cooked in the rice cooker. I season with 1/4 tsp. thyme and some freshly ground black pepper.

                              in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45564
                              BakerAunt
                              Participant

                                That's a great idea, Chocomouse. I'm going to set up a thread where we can post what cookbook and recipe we pick and then write about it. February 21 works for me, but maybe we could call it the February 2025 Cookbook Challenge.

                                Len, having foresight has already completed his February recipe!

                                .

                                in reply to: What are you Baking the Week of February 9, 2025? #45558
                                BakerAunt
                                Participant

                                  As it turns out, a survey of my cookbooks reveals that I do not own BBA. Instead, I have Whole Grain Bread, Artisan Breads Every Day, and Bread Revolution. I've tried exactly one recipe from the three: Crispy Rye and Seed Crackers from ABED and was not impressed with the so-so taste. I regretted buying Bread Revolution, sight unseen, as it mostly called for sprouted flours, which would be hard for me to obtain. I have a hazy memory of trying a graham cracker recipe and being disappointed, although I'm not sure from what book. I also have two pizza books by Reinhart that I have never used.

                                  I have Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread and have not baked from it

                                  Sigh. I recall that we were going to challenge ourselves to try recipes out of the cookbooks on our shelves. I should start doing so.

                                Viewing 15 posts - 256 through 270 (of 7,933 total)