[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I roasted one of the hybrid pumpkins (spaghetti squash-pumpkin) from our garden. In the spring, Scott had planted seed from a spaghetti squash I bought at the farmer’s market last year, but as they grew, we knew we did not have a spaghetti squash on our hands but what looked like a tall, narrow pumpkin. When I cut it open, the inside texture was definitely pumpkin. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to roast and soften. I pureed it in the food processor and ended up with a scant 4 cups. It reminds me of the pumpkin I used to cook before I knew about pie pumpkins. I froze half of it and plan to use the other two cups in a Jane Brody recipe for Pumpkin Rye Bread that I will adapt to make more whole grain. That will be a project for tomorrow

For dinner, I roasted cubed sweet potatoes and used toasted panko to coat chicken cutlets that I roasted as well. We had microwaved fresh broccoli—the last of the organic broccoli that I got at the farmer’s market over a week ago.

[BakerAunt]

On this Monday afternoon, I am experimenting by roasting one of the two spaghetti squash-pumpkin hybrids from our garden (see this year's gardening thread). The final fruit looked like a narrower than tall, small pumpkin. I cut it in half, and the interior, my husband agrees, certainly looks more like pumpkin than the spaghetti squash interior. Thus, I am roasting it cut side down, as I do with pumpkins. After it bakes, I will see if it is worth pureeing for baking use. Stay tuned.

[BakerAunt]

Sorry, I mistyped. It should be that baking soda has 4x the rising power of baking powder. I have corrected the original post. Baking soda, however, does not have the lasting power of baking powder, so once it is wet, the item needs to get to the oven and not sit around. I also meant to write that replacing baking soda with baking powder would NOT make much difference in the rise. I've corrected that error as well. (I hate doing my typing in an open concept room with a dog and a husband asking for attention.)

I have substituted dutch process cocoa for natural and I follow the directions from Cass and replace the baking soda with 4x the baking powder. I'm not sure if dutched cocoa needs to be treated differently.

[BakerAunt]

CWCdesign--sometimes I find that a sheet of saran wrap--put over the dough I am trying to shape--lets me shape the log from the sides, then move to the end to shape the ends.

Baking soda, as Cass would remind us, has 4x the rising power of baking powder. So, 1/4 tsp. baking soda would be replaced with 1 tsp. baking powder.

My thought is that baking soda or baking powder would NOT make a difference in the spread. More flour might help.

I would definitely add the espresso powder--probably at least a teaspoon.

I just looked at the recipe: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/malted-brownie-biscotti-recipe

I might see if I can engineer an oil version.

[BakerAunt]

I'm glad you found a way to save your soup, Navlys!

I had half a cup of spaghetti squash that I needed to use up, as well as 1 cup of broth, and a few mushrooms—not to mention two small tomatoes that ripened in the house and were unlikely to be good in a salad. I sauteed the vegetables, along with a chopped carrot and some green onion, in olive oil, then added the spaghetti squash and a can of light chicken meat. In the meantime, I cooked ½ cup bulgur in the broth, then added that to the vegetables. It made a satisfying lunch for Sunday with enough left for another lunch later in the week.

Sunday dinner was salmon and couscous with Penzey’s Mural of Flavor as the seasoning. We also had microwaved frozen peas.

[BakerAunt]

Follow-up on the Soft Ginger and Molasses Cookies: I taste the spice more the day after the cookies were baked. It is, however, still a mild taste, so my husband will be happy too.

[BakerAunt]

A while ago, I bought some ginger syrup from King Arthur but was unsure how I would use it. (Hey, I like ginger.) KABC had a recipe for Soft Ginger-Molasses Cookies, but of course it used butter. On Saturday, I used that recipe as a starting point to develop my own oil-based cookie. I made a half recipe just in case it did not work out. I used white whole wheat flour and added 2 Tbs. milk powder (BRM). I used ¼ cup avocado oil plus 2 Tbs. water in place of a stick of butter. As oil cookies tend not to flatten out, I used a drinking glass to flatten the dough slightly after scooping them out with a # 30 scoop and rolling each ball in coarse white sugar. My cookies baked well, and the texture is soft although not quite as light as a butter cookie would be. They are about the same size as the original recipe’s cookies, and I ended up with 15 (half of original recipe claims that would be 21). The spice flavor is mild, which my husband likes, and I like that they go well with a cup of tea. It’s possible that the spice may become more pronounced after a day.

[BakerAunt]

I have not tried the self-cleaning on my Wolf oven of 1 1/2 years ownership. It has the high-heat oven self-clean, so I am wary. I will have to try that vinegar trick. I also recall using a baking soda paste (with water) to clean my Thermador after getting the control panel repaired, although I was cautious with the self-clean before that, perhaps using it once a year, and not doing it for the recommended three hours, which was not needed.

We had some turkey liquid drip off the foil onto the oven bottom, but after I later made pizza, I was able to wipe it off.

One of the busiest times of the holiday season for oven repair is the Thanksgiving-Christmas period. According to a salesperson at the appliance store, she saw many ovens, of various brands, where the locking mechanism, which kicks in when the self-clean is on, would then not unlock.

[BakerAunt]

For lunch on Friday, and for the next three days, I baked the Spaghetti Squash and Parmesan Cheese Quiche from Ken Haedrich’s Harvest Baker (188-189). I make some changes to reduce the saturated fat. First, I used my buttermilk oil crust. As it is a savory pie, I delete the sugar from my recipe, use olive oil rather than canola, and replaced the whole wheat pastry flour with barley flour, as well as using white pastry flour for the rest. I got the crust too thin on the Emile Henry 14x4 ¾-inch ceramic long tart pan, so it stuck on the bottom during the par-baking, and I ended up sticking the wet dough back and putting the dish back in the oven for another 5 minutes. I also sprinkled panko across the bottom to try to absorb any excess moisture from the filling. For the quiche itself, I used a gold spaghetti squash I bought in October at the farmer’s market that had developed a spot and needed to be used. I replace the 1 cup half and half and 1/3 cup heavy cream with 1 1/3 cup low-fat evaporated milk. For the topping cheese, I used some pre-grated low-fat mozzarella. As always, it comes out delicious, which makes it worth the four hours from start (making the crust and baking the spaghetti squash) to finish (pulling it out of the oven).

Haedrich’s recipe calls for a 9 1/2x1-inch tart pan, but I do not have that size. The rectangular Emile Henry tart dish is 2 inches deep, and I think the higher sides prevent disaster, although I still bake the tart on a rimmed baking sheet. I have my eye on a deep, round Emile Henry ceramic tart pan at Williams-Sonoma, but the company has gotten chintzy on free shipping offers, so I am undecided about buying it. The company wants people to buy a $90 yearly membership to receive free shipping, but I only buy from them perhaps once a year.

[BakerAunt]

I made yogurt on Thursday. Dinner was delicious leftovers from last night.

[BakerAunt]

We are having cold weather—in the 20s and 30s—so for dinner on Wednesday, I made Pork Loin Roast with Barley, Butternut Squash, and Kale, based on a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. I replace the Swiss Chard with kale, and I had organic kale from a farmer’s market vendor from last Saturday, which is delicious. The butternut squash, a commercial grocery purchase, was not particularly sweet, which was disappointing, but the meal still came out well, which my changes to the directions. We have enough for two more meals—just in time for the expected 50F temperatures on Friday.

[BakerAunt]

Those buns look great, Len.

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on Monday, I made that skillet Chicken Thighs with Broccoli and Orzo (based on a NYT recipe and readers’ suggestions for improvement). It was all the better for the organic broccoli I found at the farmers’ market last Saturday. We have enough left for dinner tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

I baked my Wholegrain Fresh Apple sheet cake today, using some of the Winesaps we bought last month. I used a 13x9” Pyrex baking dish since apples can take the finish off of the USA pans when the cake is left in the pan. Instead of buttermilk, I used some kefir that has been sitting in the refrigerator (bought back when I could not find buttermilk). I have also revised my technique by whisking in the sugar with the wet ingredients.

I made dough for my Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers on Monday. I will bake the crackers either at the end of this week or start of next week.

[BakerAunt]

When we went to Walmart last Thursday, I was looking for matches--which I never found--and in the canning section found a display on an upper shelf that had regular Ball canning lids! I bought two packages.

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