[BakerAunt]

I baked a half recipe of Toffee-Pumpkin Snack Cake, a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Fall Baking (p. 28), a seasonal magazine issue that I bought a couple years ago. I made it about a month ago as well, and that time I substituted half buttermilk for half the oil but did not like the result that much, so this time I just used 1/3 rather than ½ cup of oil. I added 2 Tbs. of Bob’s Red Mill milk powder, and I made my own “pumpkin pie spice” blend. I did use half of the “toffee pieces” in the batter. What I used was milk-chocolate toffee pieces, since I’m still in the process of using that kind of ingredient up. I did not, however, sprinkle them on top. Instead I used a sugar cookie decorating mix of brown, yellow, and orange elongated sprinkles. (It’s going to take me a long time to work my way through my special sugars now that I’ve had to forgo sugar cookies.) I don’t use the cream cheese frosting drizzle, although I’m sure it’s lovely, as the cake is delicious without it.

Addition: I like this version of the cake better than any of my previous versions in terms of taste and texture.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Leftover stir fry is on the menu at my house.

[BakerAunt]

I subscribe to a public radio newsletter (Marketplace). It mentioned the Land o' Lakes bankruptcy. I thought the following "By the Numbers" facts were interesting:

26%--how much milk consumption has declined

1.6 billion: money brought in by "alternative milk" products.

While some people have milk allergies or are lactose intolerant, and some may be vegan, I wonder if this is the equivalent of the carbohydrate scare that that shook up the bakery industry a few years ago. I've been surprised at the number of alternative "milks" at Aldi's and Kroger, even as I have to scrounge to find buttermilk. Most of the alternative "milks" don't have the calcium content of regular milk.

I'm wondering why butter is having such a hard time. I had to give it up, almost completely, due to high cholesterol, but most of the dessert recipes out there are rolling in butter.

I hope Land o' Lakes light butter-canola spread continues to be available because I don't see another option for me.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I answered correctly.

[BakerAunt]

We used up the rest of the bread on Thursday, so it was time to head to the kitchen. I baked two loaves of my Buttermilk Grape Nuts bread (an adaptation of the Grape Nuts Bread by Dachshundlady ). I’ve subbed in a cup of barley flour and a cup of whole wheat in the past, but this time I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and used bread flour for the rest. I tried letting it rise in a dough bucket on the dining room table, but ended up putting it on a tray table in the front room where the wood stove keeps the area warmer. I did the same for the second rise. The loaves came out well. I’ll freeze one, and we will cut the other one for lunch tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

I made our favorite quinoa salad (Ensalada de Quinoa—on Bob’s Red Mill site with a few personal adaptations) this afternoon. We will have it at dinner with a rotisserie chicken.

[BakerAunt]

I came, I guessed, I missed.

[BakerAunt]

That Seattle kitchen sounds lovely, Aaron. We went with an ash floor in our kitchen--the last the local place had. There will not be more in Indiana for a long time, thanks to the Emerald Ash Bore.

[BakerAunt]

Wednesday night’s dinner was a stir-fry with leftover pork, soba noodles, onion, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, and kale. I deglazed the pan when my husband cooked the pork chops earlier in the week, and I used that as a sauce.

Our high today was in the mid-20s, and the 4 inches of snow is still here. I could do without the ice on the sidewalk.

[BakerAunt]

I managed to guess the correct answer.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic: Here's the link on this site:

Moomie's Famous Burger Buns by Used2BMoomie

People know the recipe as Moomie's Buns, but my understanding is that the recipe creator now prefers to go by Ellen, so I try to respect that, but it does make it confusing to locate. You can also find it on her site as "Ellen's Famous Burger Buns."

I make these changes:
replace 3/4 cup water with buttermilk
use 2 Tbs. oil in place of 2 Tbs. butter
use 1 3/4 cups AP flour, 1 cup whole wheat; 1/2 cup white whole wheat
I add 2 Tbs. flax meal
I add 2 Tbs. dried milk

I reduce the yeast to 2 tsp.
I replace 1/4 cup sugar with 2 Tbs. honey
I reduce the salt to 3/4 tsp.

I've tried them with more regular whole wheat flour, but I prefer the taste a bit lighter, so I use some white whole wheat to up the whole grain.

[BakerAunt]

Great Experimentation, Len. I will definitely do the turn over when I try the Kaiser stamp.

I like those braided rolls.

[BakerAunt]

Great minds think alike, Joan!

Tuesday temperatures never rose above 20F, and they are on their way down. I made soup, using the broth I made from that rotisserie chicken last week. I started by sauteeing the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil, then added the broth and a combination of brown and red lentils. I cooked it for 40 minutes, then added some small torn pieces of kale, a 6 oz. can of white chicken meat, and 1 heaping cup of “autumn pasta” (pumpkins and leaves) and low boiled for 6 minutes. We had it with some of the rolls I baked yesterday.

[BakerAunt]

Knowing our first contractor, who has three sons, I suspect that someone put a hot pan down on it. We never got the details.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I like the Deans brand of milk, so I hope that they can reorganize.

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