[BakerAunt]

On Wednesday evening, I made up another double recipe of my lower saturated fat version of Whole Wheat Sourdough Cheese Crackers. I’ll bake the crackers in a few days.

I also am experimenting with another cinnamon roll recipe to see if it will work for my husband’s family reunion. My plan is to take along my bread machine. I modified his aunt’s Snails recipe, which was, from what I can tell, a recipe that she herself often varied. I substituted 1 cup of white whole wheat flour and added 2 tbs. flax meal and ¼ cup special dry milk. I replaced ¼ cup of shortening with 3 1/3 Tbs. canola oil. I used 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup water in place of 1 cup milk. I also used the special gold yeast. It had no filling but was often used with one by her daughters, so I combined 1 cup light brown sugar and 1 ½ Tbs. cinnamon. I spritzed the dough before covering it with the mixture (except for about ½ inch at the end), then spritzed it again and used the back of a spoon to push it down into the dough. I’ll let it rise overnight and bake it in the morning.

[BakerAunt]

I put my post in the wrong week, so I've deleted it.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

For dinner on Tuesday, I roasted some cut-up chicken pieces we found on sale. As is now my custom, I roasted them on a rack in the roaster pan. I miss the ease of sheet-pan chicken meals, but the rack keeps the chicken our of fat drippings. I still line the roaster with parchment, however, so the rack is the messy part of the clean-up, even though I try to spray it with olive oil cooking spray before using.

On Wednesday, I made the Cooks’ Illustrated All-American Potato Salad that is our favorite. My husband cooked boneless pork chops, and we had microwaved peas.

[BakerAunt]

I also worked out the correct answer.

[BakerAunt]

Hi, Skeptic--I'm doing it for health reasons. I have been told by the doctor that I need 1200 mg of calcium per day. While I agreed to take 300mg as a supplement, along with 2000mg of Vitamin D, current guidelines state that it is best to get as much calcium as possible from food rather than supplements. I said no to an additional 300 in supplements and said I would make sure that I got it in my diet.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I was able to work out the correct answer.

It is helpful that Mike included the explanation. I find that helps me remember what I learn.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

For lunch on Monday, I made a mostly vegetable frittata, based on reading about it in a Mark Bittman email. I sautéed some onion in olive oil, added ½ cup leftover shredded zucchini, then a sliced mushroom. We had about five snow peas from the garden, so I added those. I whisked an egg, added some Penzey’s Mural seasoning, then dumped the egg over the vegetables. (I used my smallest frying pan.) I tipped the pan to make sure the egg was evenly distributed. When it had set, I flipped it over for a bit, and sprinkled cheese on the top, which I pushed into the frittata. I ate it as the filling on a sandwich made with the bread that I baked last night. It was yummy.

[BakerAunt]

Got it!

[BakerAunt]

Welcome back, Joan. I'm glad you had a good visit--with the exception of that 24 hour bug--and that you are now recovered.

[BakerAunt]

I'm making Salmon and Couscous with Penzey's Greek seasoning. We will have it with green beans from our now slowing garden. It has been warm here, and the plants continue to flower and produce beans.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

It’s been a while since I baked “Grandma A’s Ranch Hand Bread,” which was a favorite on the former Baking Circle and is posted at Nebraska Kitchen. We are almost out of bread, and it’s a cloudy day that is struggling to rain, so a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen is welcomed, as would be three loaves of bread. I’ve played a bit with the mixing directions in that I prefer to start with the bread flour and whole wheat flour. I also add ½ cup flax meal and this time substituted in ½ cup dark rye flour for part of the wheat and AP flour, as well as ½ cup special dry milk. I replace the sugar with honey and 3 cups of the water with buttermilk. I use 4 Tbs. canola oil instead of butter, which I mix in after the first rest period. I’ve reduced the salt to 1 Tbs. I kneaded by machine for 4 minutes. [Note: this is a lot of dough, so know your mixer’s capabilities. There is also a scaled down recipe at Nebraska Kitchen that makes a single loaf and can be done in a bread machine, posted originally at the baking circle, by Zen, who now goes by the name Pyewacket.]

Added Note: The first rise was 1 hour, and the second was 40 minutes. I baked for 40 minutes, the minimum time, but they got a bit dark on top, so next time I’ll check them at 35 minutes.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

Len--I make my version of my mother's pumpkin pie by pre-cooking the filling ingredients--except for the eggs. Once the mixture is starting to bubble, I take it off the heat. I put a little in a small bowl, then whisk in the first egg. I return that mixture to the main pot, then whisk in the rest of the eggs. I found this technique in a Cooks' Illustrated, and the result is a pumpkin pie that bakes evenly and faster.

[BakerAunt]

I agree--Len's pie is lovely, and from what he says, tasty!

Since I started using oil crusts, I've had to prebake the bottom crust, and I also have found that the crust stays crisp. Pre-cooking the fruit a bit also helps.

[BakerAunt]

The Level 2 baker in the video could have become a level 1 baker if she had had these instructions for making her own Chocolate Hazelnut Spread:

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/preparation/homemade-nutella?cid=433697&did=433697-20190921&mid=24719509428&utm_campaign=rs-daily-recipe_newsletter&utm_content=092119&utm_medium=email&utm_source=realsimple.com

[BakerAunt]

I got it right also!

[Author]

Posts