[BakerAunt]

The original article was on The Atlantic website, which is where the Colbert staff found it. I did not find the article itself convincing, and there did not seem to be much else on the topic in my Google search, although I was in a hurry. The author may be observing this phenomenon among friends, but that does not rise to enough evidence for a trend. My thought is that there may be more "entry-level" baking--cookies and the occasional cake--occurring among millennials, although how often they do it would need to be assessed.

I do bake when anxious. After Sept. 11, I needed to bake bread, and I've also done so at other stressful times in my life. When I was younger, after issues with a senior faculty member, I baked buns and shared them with a friend and said this was Name Withheld's Head rolls. That was back when I kneaded by hand. However, I have constantly baked since moving into my own apt. in college, and I bake when I am happy, and I bake when I need bread. I'd say it is integrated into my life. I did like the point that people who work in fields that can be more abstract, or where it takes a while to see results, tend to enjoy working on something with their hands where the results are seen more quickly. It is also a way of balancing all areas of the brain.

I've always said that the world would be a better place if more people baked. It teaches process and patience.

[BakerAunt]

Merry Christmas to all, and to all good cooking and luscious baking!

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I think that your substitution should work. The biscotti may be more tender or crumbly with the almond flour.

Chocomouse--My Bake from Scratch bread collection has a star coffee cake that uses jam in the layers. It's on my list to try with my black raspberry jam, since I made a lot of it and peach jam, expecting to use the jams in recipes that on my forbidden list for the time being.

On Christmas Eve, I baked a pumpkin pie, which for my husband is a Christmas tradition, so I've adopted it as well. I used the same oil crust recipe I used for the two previous crumb apple pies, but I made the larger amount so that I could build up the sides in my Emile Henry deep pie dish. My only changes were to reduce the salt, use buttermilk, and use 25% white whole wheat flour. After blind baking the crust for 15 minutes, I removed the liner with the beans and put it back for another 5 minutes to crisp the bottom crust. I made the pumpkin pie in my usual way—pre-cooking all the filling ingredients except for the eggs, then whisking one egg into a little bit of the filling before returning it to the rest, then whisking in each additional egg. I did cut the butter in the pie from 2 ½ Tbs. to 1 Tbs. I baked it starting at the higher temperature for 10 minutes, then reducing it. The pie did not puff up as it usually does, and I had to bake it an additional 10 minutes before I decided it was set. It does not look quite like my previous pies, so I was not quite sure about doneness.

The mystery was on its way to being solved on Christmas day, when I realized why this oven in the apt.—a “Galaxy” (brand of which I have never heard)—has been performing differently from the old Frigidare I had in the house. I’d put it down to different ovens of different vintage. I was pleased that the oven temperature on the thermometer was identical to the stove’s temperature setting, although I’d also noted that this stove takes a lot longer to pre-heat than the other, and sometimes slips slightly below the temperature. I was also having to bake items at least 10 minutes longer. Today, when we put in the turkey, I noted it was close to the top, so the rack needed to be lowered. My husband said, “Is there a top element?” I looked (this oven has no light in it, which is irksome) and noted the top element, which was not lit up. The light bulb in my brain came on: I don’t think that the top element is working, which would explain the long preheat and the longer baking times. After the turkey cooks, and the oven is cool, I’ll try turning on the broiler. It may be that the top element needs to be replaced. I don’t have a manual for this range, as it was in the apt. when we bought the place.

[BakerAunt]

Our Christmas Eve dinner will be Salmon and Couscous with Greek Seasoning and microwaved peas.

[BakerAunt]

I usually make a Swedish Coffee Ring with almond filling for Christmas, but it did not fit into the low-saturated fat parameters (less than 11 g per day), given the other food, such as stuffing and pumpkin pie, that I’d be consuming per day in this holiday week. (I’ll save it for another time.) I happened upon KAF’s Cinnamon Star Bread recipe, and I baked it Sunday evening.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-star-bread-recipe

I used half white whole wheat flour, and I replaced the ¼ cup butter with 3 Tbs. canola oil. (That means the whole coffee cake has about 4 g. sat. fat, instead of 29g.) I also added a Tbs. of flax meal. I slipped up and only used 1 tsp. cinnamon in the filling. It’s still good, and next time, I will grab the correct spoon (oh, yeah, it’s the BIG ONE). I used all the water, since I had subbed in the white whole wheat flour. It is a soft, slightly sticky dough, which I mixed and kneaded in the bread machine.

I found it easiest to roll each round on parchment, with saran over the top. After I did the bottom one, I left it on the parchment on which I would be baking it, and I rolled out the others on another piece, one at a time. I then flipped that piece over, peeled off the parchment, and used the saran to position the dough onto the stack of circles. I peeled it off and proceeded to the next one. I discovered that after marking the center circle with a cookie cutter, it should be removed, or its weight will cause it to cut the dough, which will make the twists more difficult (you want them attached to the center at the top). When using the bench knife to make the 16 cuts, it is best to wet the blade slightly, or it will stick.

There is a blog with the KAF recipe that helps show how to make the twists. Although the recipe said to bake for 12-15 minutes, I use a heavy baking sheet, and I needed to bake it 25 minutes before the center tested at 195F. We had some for breakfast this morning, after our oatmeal, and it goes very nicely with coffee and it looks nice, even if all the twists didn’t quite come out correctly. I will bake it again.

[BakerAunt]

We were out of bread, so on Friday evening I baked a loaf of what I’ve named Buttermilk Barley-Whole Wheat Bread, using the bread machine to do the kneading. My starting point was the KAF Oatmeal Toasting bread, the same recipe I used last week, except that this time, in addition to making it half whole wheat and half bread flour, I used barley flakes in place of the oats. (I’ve discovered that I have a LOT of barley flakes). I used buttermilk again but increased it to 1 cup because the dough was dry. I also needed to add another tablespoon of water. I cut the salt to 1 tsp. and used about 1 ½ Tbs. canola oil. I needed to add 7 minutes to the baking time to get it to 200F. It’s a heavier bread but it rose nicely and baked well. My husband really liked it for his sandwich, and I enjoyed a slice with soup for lunch on Saturday. We clearly like barley! I think this recipe is a good base for a variety of grains.

We went hiking at a reservoir on Wednesday, then stopped off at Countryside Orchards and bought more apples: traditional Winesaps (the little ones!) and another, larger variety of Winesaps. We also bought Melrose and Ever Crisp for eating, and a jug of fresh cider for drinking. As I’m still using up the apples we picked in November, on Saturday morning, I again baked my Barley-Buttermilk Apple Cinnamon bread that began its life at Bob’s Red Mill as a gluten-free one. I again used AP and barley flour in the same proportion as the second time and buttermilk and boiled apple cider. I reduced the sugar in the bread further (originally ¾ cup; I’d used 2/3 but this time cut it to ½). I also added 2 tsp. chia seeds. This bread became a favorite of my husband’s the first time I baked it, so I’m curious to see if the changes work for him. When I stop fussing with it, I’ll post it at Nebraska Kitchen.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I made Spaghetti Squash-Turkey “Lasagna" because I inadvertently thawed tomato sauce earlier in the week instead of turkey broth. The tomato sauce is what I made and froze in September. I also made chicken broth this afternoon from the bones of a rotisserie chicken. Other than making the broth into soup, I shouldn't have to cook again until Christmas day.

[BakerAunt]

I baked another apple pie, with crumb topping (Bernard Clayton's French Apple Pie) on Tuesday evening, using a combination of Winesap and Jonathan apples. I reduced the topping by 25%, and I used that oil-based pie crust recipe again. I like it with buttermilk rather than milk, and I substituted in ¼ cup of white whole wheat flour.

[BakerAunt]

Skeptic--I'm not familiar with Chinese Scallion pancakes, so I cannot compare. I rolled these out to a little more than 6 inches, using a small wooden rolling pin that came with a ravioli pan. These did puff up. Once cooled, they are a little flatter but they were still good when I warmed them in the microwave wrapped in waxed paper. I could see cutting these in quarters as part of a bread tray and being eaten cold, perhaps with a dip or cheese.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I had a yearning for biscotti. I have a cinnamon biscotti recipe from KAF. Its biggest problem is the 1 cup of cinnamon chips. These are not a problem because KAF no longer sells them; I had a lot of them tucked away in the refrigerator where they are taking up space. They are a problem because like all chips, they are loaded with saturated fat. I reduced the amount to 1/3 cup, which is still 14 g., but for about 34 biscotti, even accounting for oil and the eggs, it is ok as long as I confine myself to one or two per day. I also substituted in white whole wheat flour. The biscotti came out well. They are not quite as sweet, but that is fine.

Part of the low-saturated fat food plan is that biscuits do not fit into it. To go with soup for Monday’s dinner, I made a new recipe, “Buttermilk Scallion Flatbreads,” a recipe from Jennifer Beckman of Falls Church, Virginia, who won best recipe in whole wheat for a competition. It was printed in Sift (Fall 2017), p. 13, and is on the KAF website.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/buttermilk-scallion-flatbreads-recipe

I made just one change: I replaced the 3 Tbs. melted butter with slightly more than 2 Tbs. canola oil to accommodate my low-saturated fat requirement. My version meant that each flatbread had about .25 g sat fat as opposed to 5g in the original recipe. These are fantastic! My husband said, “You have to make these again!” They are easy and fast. They would also make good bread wraps.

[BakerAunt]

For Monday night’s dinner, I made a very big pot of soup, using the lentil/split pea/barley blend that Bob’s Red Mill sells as Vegi-Soup mix. I added some pearl barley, as well as onion, carrots from our garden (my husband has been harvesting them as we go and keeping them covered), sliced mushrooms, cooked ground turkey, and broth from the freezer that did not fit when we had to go from two refrigerator/freezers to one. We have plenty of leftovers for during the week.

[BakerAunt]

Joan--thanks for providing details about your soup. It gives me ideas for what I might cook.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Joan. I think that I will start a thread on "Member News" so that people can follow the renovation.

On Saturday, I again baked the lime cake that I developed on November 18. This time, I halved the recipe, incorporating my previous changes. I had an issue, since the recipe calls for three eggs. I decided to use two and delete 2 Tbs. of the oil. I also cut the salt to ¼ tsp., and I used ¼ tsp nutmeg, because I didn’t think there was enough last time. I baked it in a Nordic Ware snowflake pan, which is a 6-cup pan, so it fit perfectly and was done after 40 minutes. I will glaze it using the glaze recipe from the lime cake I baked on December 2. I thought that the Nov. 18 cake was superior, but the glaze for the Dec. 2 had superior taste, so I will have the best of both worlds. I used THE grease, and the cake released beautifully with perfect design detail. Now, if there were just a way to get the bits of residue out of the little nooks and crannies of the pan--maybe a toothbrush? I tried the brush tool that Nordic Ware makes and was very unimpressed.

[BakerAunt]

I made a stir-fry for Friday night’s dinner, using leftover pork chops, frozen broccoli (have you seen the high prices on fresh broccoli?!), mushrooms, green onions, drippings from when my husband cooked the pork, and soba noodles. We have enough to repeat the meal on Saturday

[BakerAunt]

I’m adjusting to baking in my very small kitchen space in our garage apt. It is a tiny space, so I do a lot of clean as I go. On Wednesday, I again made my adaptation of the Harvest Bread from an originally gluten-free one that Bob’s Red Mill posted. This time, I substituted additional barley flour, along with the AP flour. When I get the chance, I will post the recipe at Nebraska Kitchen.

I also baked an adaptation of KAF’s Oatmeal Toasting Bread that is different enough that I can call it my own. I used half bread flour and half whole wheat. Instead of oats, I used Harvest Grains, which I soaked in ¾ cup plus 2 Tbs. buttermilk. I used 2 Tbs. oil instead of butter, and I cut the salt to 1 ¼ tsp. I baked it in an 8x4 pan, which gave it good height. I’ll report tomorrow on taste and texture.

Because we are going to have just one refrigerator with freezer as of tomorrow, I only baked a single loaf, and used the bread machine to knead the dough.

[Author]

Posts