[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday evening, I made the overnight starter for my version of Marilyn’s Sourdough Oatmeal Bread. I made the bread on Thursday. My challenge with this recipe is that it calls for ½ cup butter. I replaced it last time with 1/3 cup canola oil, but that changes the texture. This time, I used 1/3 cup avocado oil in place of the butter. I again substituted in 4 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups bread flour. I also added 6 Tbs. flax meal. I increased the starter from 1 cup to 1 ½ cups. The dough needed another ¼ cup of bread flour. I kneaded for 6 minutes on speed 3 of my Cuisinart stand mixer. The first rise took 50 minutes, and the second rise took 45. I baked for 35 minutes, to a temperature of 190F. This recipe makes three loaves, so we will start slicing one tomorrow and the other two will be wrapped and frozen.

I have been sorting through a stack of Bon Appetit recipes torn from issues of the late 1990s and early 2000s. I am throwing most away due to the butter, cream cheese, and whipping cream (sometimes all three) in a recipe. However, I came upon a recipe for Chocolate, Hazelnut and Ginger Biscotti (December 1999, p. 210) that calls for three eggs and no butter or oil. It does have semisweet chocolate chips, but I can reduce that amount. With no desserts in the house on Thursday, I baked this recipe.

I substituted 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour for that much AP, I cut the amount of semisweet chocolate chips from 8 oz. to 4 oz., and I did not brush the log with beaten egg because I did not want to deal with the leftover egg, having just used up the last leftover egg in the bread. The dough was sticky, so I used a piece of saran to shape it into logs. I did the first bake for 33 minutes, judging by central dryness rather than the recipe’s stated “golden.” (The recipe uses cocoa, so how can chocolate be golden?) I let the logs rest for the stated 15 minutes, then sliced ½-inch thick. I stood them up for the second bake of 15 minutes. I did not do the decorative white chocolate drizzle; While it would make a fancy presentation, it is not needed. As my husband ate his fourth biscotti, I knew this recipe is a keeper. (Each biscotti is a little more than o.5 g saturated fat.)

These are delicious. I know that chocolate and hazelnut go together, and I know that hazelnut and ginger go together, but I would not have thought to put all three into a cookie. I am glad, however, that I only used half of the chocolate chips; the full amount would have overwhelmed the other flavors.

Here's the recipe: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-hazelnut-and-ginger-biscotti-102709

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I am sorry to hear that your sister is not doing well, Joan. I'm sure your visit comforted her.

On Wednesday, I roasted red potatoes tossed in olive oil and Penzey’s Mural Seasoning to go with pan cooked pork my husband made. We paired it with leftover coleslaw.

[BakerAunt]

I have heard of black bean brownies on some TV show ages ago.

I have also heard of beet brownies.

[BakerAunt]

I took advantage of some cooler weather (with rain!) to bake a sourdough pan pizza—with the usual toppings—for dinner on Tuesday. We had it with coleslaw, which is a surprisingly (to me) good combination.

[BakerAunt]

I started with the shredding blades--first the fine, then the regular--but it was not the right size for coleslaw. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have worked out that the slicing blade would work for the vertical pieces of cabbage.

[BakerAunt]

I was able to buy a lovely cabbage from one of my favored farmer’s market vendors on Saturday. On Tuesday morning, I made J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s “Super-Simple Tangy Buttermilk Coleslaw.” My only change was to exclude the red onion in deference to my husband and instead use 2 tsp. Penzey’s dried onion that I rehydrated in the dressing mixture before adding. I made a note to myself this time that when I shred cabbage in the food processor, I need to use the regular slicing disc, not the shredding disc. I used the regular shredding disk for the carrot.

My next project will be making pizza sauce, using a can of Muir Glen organic diced, fire-roasted tomatoes.

[BakerAunt]

My pan was made by Chicago Metallic. I may have picked it up at T.J. Maxx once upon a time.

I also have some pans that have small rectangular squares with removeable bottoms that can be used for sweet or savory pastry. I know that I used them to make goodies for a party tray, but I do not recall exactly what I baked. I think it was a King Arthur recipe that was promoted along with the pan, and these pans, also Chicago Metallic, did come from the former KAF. I'm sure I have those recipes somewhere. If I find them, I'll post them, as they would work in the cheesecake pan as well.

It might be worthwhile going to the Chicago Metallic website to see what recipes are there.

[BakerAunt]

Sounds delicious, Mike!

I made and canned four more 8 oz. jars of Black Raspberry Jam on Monday. I waited until evening, having decided that it was not going to rain--we have had three days of rain forecast and never received more than a smattering—and of course it rained after I started. (My husband and I have decided that the internet forecasts are not worth the paper they are not printed on.) I am hoping it will not make a difference. I still have a few black raspberries in the refrigerator, but there will not be enough for another batch of my favorite jam. The blackberries are beginning to ripen, however, so there will be a mixed berry jam. I may have to freeze the remaining black raspberries until then.

[BakerAunt]

I have this pan, but I have not yet used it. I have been thinking of trying mini-cheesecakes--and freezing most of them. That way I could have a special treat with far less guilt than if I baked a regular cheese cake.

[BakerAunt]

We had enough green beans from the garden to add to dinner tonight.

The black raspberries are ending, but yesterday I picked the first two blackberries from the plants on the terrace. It looks like we may have a lot, and these are larger than those from other years, which I attribute to the good rains we received. We were hoping for some light rain yesterday and today, but we have only had misting so far.

The two kinds of squash plants (small spaghetti and honeynut butternut squash) have some flowers.

[BakerAunt]

Sunday dinner was leftover Tarragon Chicken, Mushrooms, and Rice, with microwaved fresh green beans—the first--from our garden.

[BakerAunt]

On Sunday, I made the dough for Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers.

[BakerAunt]

I made a batch of yogurt on Sunday.

[BakerAunt]

I did a google search on the chicken skin and was not satisfied with the stories I found. Nutrition is a moving target, and I'm going to wait for more information before eating the skin, although every now and then, when I have a particularly crispy skin, I will eat a bit of it.

[BakerAunt]

Chocomouse--no, I do not remove the skin before cooking. I tried doing that and the chicken just does not cook right and is not worth eating. I take the skin off before I eat the cooked chicken. Usually, I roast chicken pieces on a rack, so that the grease drains away. Otherwise, I try not to overdo recipes like this one where the fat is going to mingle with the rest of the ingredients.

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