[BakerAunt]

Happy Birthday to Mike's wife. Continue to enjoy your cherry pie!

On Wednesday, I made mashed potatoes and used the drippings from the roast chicken to make gravy. We had it with leftover roast chicken and microwaved frozen peas. I had some of Cranberry-Cherry-Cardamom sauce as well.

[BakerAunt]

North central Indiana, where we live got about an inch and a half of snow overnight and into this morning. The grass is still peaking about it. Our dog was quite surprised by it this morning.

[BakerAunt]

I didn't see a specific video for using the sourdough starter as a coating for chicken, but I saw recipes that used it in waffles that are served with the chicken.

I've never fried chicken. My Mom used to coat chicken with flour and some seasoning, then fry it in bacon grease. We loved it, but we now know that is not the healthiest combination, and it took her a long time, as there were eventually eight of us kids. She embraced Shake 'n Bake when it came out, and who can blame her?

I've never made pasta, so I will probably start with a non-sourdough pasta recipe. I hope to make it some time in the New Year, while still riding out the pandemic.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I've noticed with other breads that the oil tends to keep the bread softer. High sugar breads with butter, may be more accurate in terms of breads that stale faster.

I also use buttermilk in place of regular milk or sometimes part of the water, so that may make a difference as well.

The sugar reminds me of another reason that the famous pastries of Scandinavia are a later development.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for posting the link, Aaron. Lucia was considered a patron saint of Sweden, who supposedly brought food during a famine when the people were starving. Even though Sweden became a Lutheran country in the sixteenth century and saints were no longer considered intercessors, St. Lucia retained her special day. I'm not surprised that there was also a merging with pagan tradition, as that was common among the early Christian missionaries. I'd not heard about the devil connection before.

I read once that a lot of the butter rich, white flour pastries with almond fillings, citrus, and spices for which Sweden and the Scandinavian countries are known are actually nineteenth-century imports from European countries. That makes sense, since the growing period for grain favors heartier ones. I was very tempted to buy a recent book on Scandinavian baking that was said to explore the older tradition.

I've never used saffron (expensive).

One final note: the oil-based Lucia Buns I baked this year have grown on me, and they stay softer than the butter ones did.

[BakerAunt]

We had leftover roast chicken, microwaved fresh broccoli, and I roasted more potato wedges. I was going to make mashed potatoes, but my husband preferred the wedges, and as they are faster, with less hands-on time, I was happy to accommodate him.

[BakerAunt]

The weather people are teasing the possibility of snow tomorrow, but not the amount that is supposed to be headed for Kimbob. I hope that Kimbob and family stay cozy--and do not lose power.

[BakerAunt]

Best Wishes for an uneventful quarantine period, Aaron. I hope that all of you stay well.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I baked a new recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies that was in a Lehman’s email. These use oil and not butter. The dough had to be refrigerated for a minimum of six hours. I substituted a third white whole wheat flour but otherwise followed the recipe. As the kind of cocoa was not specified, I used up some Penzey’s cocoa, the rest of some Dutch cocoa and finished the 1/3 cup with some double Dutch cocoa. Next time, I’d probably use the double Dutch and put in a bit of espresso powder. We ate some warm, and they are good. I am happy whenever I can find a cookie that keeps the saturated fat low. At this time of year, I really miss all my special cookies.

[BakerAunt]

I roasted a large chicken for dinner on Monday. I also roasted potato wedges that I had tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with Penzey’s Bavarian seasoning and a little salt. Microwaved frozen vegetables completed dinner.

[BakerAunt]

Cost Plus World Market carries not just foods but other items--housewares, pillows, etc,--from around the world.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook: I remember seeing recipes for "homemade maple syrup." Yuk.

I bought maple sugar from Vermont Country Store earlier this year when King Arthur announced being sold out for the season.

CWCdesign--The only thing I miss about where we lived in Texas was that we had our own pecan tree.

[BakerAunt]

Italian Cook--I read that oil cakes should be mixed gently, or the cake texture may become tough. I will often beat the oil in with the sugar and butter, and the eggs. However, I mix in the dry ingredients gently by hand. That seems to help keep my cakes more tender.

[BakerAunt]

I had made some room in the freezer with what I used last week, so on Sunday I was able to bake two loaves of my Buttermilk Whole Wheat Grape-Nuts Bread—one to eat and one to freeze. The house is cooler, and my husband started the fire later, so the two rises took longer than usual.

[BakerAunt]

Gee, someone in Georgia usually has pecans on hand? 🙂

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