[BakerAunt]

Got it.

[BakerAunt]

I baked a new recipe Friday afternoon: “Mini Apple Bundt Cakes [with Mascarpone Bourbon Cream]” attributed to Brook Jackson in 2015. I had printed it, but did not write down the source, and I have been unable to locate the recipe online. My printed version has the misspelling “Marscapone,” but the recipe does not come up either way. I put the last part of the title in brackets because I am not going to make the Mascarpone Bourbon Cream.

It was supposed to make six mini-Bundt cakes and two cupcakes, but there was at least another two cups of batter, so after filling my 6-cup mini-Bundt pan (after rooting through the storage shed and finding it), I also prepared two freestanding little Bundt pans I picked up once upon a time at T.J. Maxx. I still had batter left, so I grabbed a mini-loaf pan and put the rest in it.

I think this recipe would work for a 9-10 cup Bundt pan. I made some changes: I replaced olive oil with canola and reduced the amount from ¾ to ½ cup, then added ¼ cup buttermilk. I reduced the sugar from 2 to 1 ¾ cups. I replaced half the AP flour with a cup of white whole wheat flour, and I added 2 Tbs. BRM powdered milk and 1 Tbs. flax meal. I probably used closer to 3 ½ cups grated apple (Jonathans) rather than 3 cups. I used THE Grease to prepare the pans.

The little cakes are cooling, and we will have some for dessert. With my changes, I can claim the recipe as my own, but I will wait to post it until I’ve made it again and have a better sense of which pan would work best.

Note: The cake has great texture and taste. It's a keeper for next apple season--or maybe to use up the remaining four or five in the refrigerator.

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

[BakerAunt]

My husband says that would be true of ocean salt water, but he is not certain it is true of water to which we add salt. (OK, I tried to "cheat" by asking him, and when the answer came up as wrong, he was puzzled.)

[BakerAunt]

I Thursday afternoon, I baked Maple Granola. I had seen the recipe in the KAF Whole Grain baking book, but I also checked online, and I prefer that variation of the recipe, which reduces the oil to 1/2 cup and adds 1/2 cup of powdered milk:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/vermont-maple-granola-recipe

My changes were to use Bob's Red Mill powdered milk rather than KAF's special dried milk, which I will save for baking where it is needed. I used the BRM powdered milk because it is a fine powder. Probably it would be ok to grind one of the granular powdered milks, then measure, if that is what is on hand. I deleted the salt, since I was using coconut which has plenty. Although I've been cutting the coconut in most of my granola recipes due to the saturated fat, since this is a large recipe, and I have large flaked coconut to use up, I added the full amount. I also deleted the vanilla because if I'm using my precious dark maple syrup, I'm not about to confuse the taste with vanilla! I chose to add 1 1/2 cups of raisins.

I may have baked it slightly long. My pans did not allow it to spread out as much as I would have liked, but they fit into the oven I'm currently using. Somewhere I have a large pan and next time will likely use it. I had some for breakfast this morning, and the granola has a good taste. I think that it would be a good breakfast food for traveling when we don't want to resort to instant oatmeal packets (which even unsweetened don't have what I consider a pleasant consistency). Lately my husband has been eating the granola for snacks, so I hope the 15 cups I made will last for a couple weeks.

[BakerAunt]

I'm glad you posted the recipe, Italian Cook! Thank you also for giving us its history for your family.

[BakerAunt]

I did not know that about employee owned companies, Aaron. Thanks for the insight. It will be sad when/if KAF is acquired by another brand.

I understand the need to focus on the bottom line for both KAF and BRM. However, KAF seems much less focused now on serious home bakers--a change that started when they removed the Baking Circle site. The focus is on the professional (understandable) and the occasional baker. I am part of their Bakers Rewards Plus, but these days, I only buy certain items from them that I cannot get anywhere else. The one advantage of the Bakers Plus membership is that I don't have to wait for a special--then try to buy enough at that time--to make free shipping work.

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

[BakerAunt]

To go with leftover rotisserie chicken, I made a noodles and broccoli dish. I used the rest of a package of spinach noodles. After the water boiled and I added them, I waited for the water to boil again, then dumped in a package of frozen broccoli. Meanwhile, I sautéed some onion and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, then added the drippings from the chicken (almost no fat) and 3 “Mini-Moos” I had left over from a trip and need to use up. They are nice when there is no half and half around, and these days there rarely is in our refrigerator. I added freshly ground pepper, then mixed with the drained noodles and broccoli, with a bit of the pasta water. After tossing with grated Parmesan cheese, we had a nice accompaniment to the chicken.

[BakerAunt]

That's disappointing, Aaron.

Bob's Red Mill was sold by Bob to the employees about a year or so ago, and it is undergoing some changes. I suspect that is a reason some products are being dropped; another maybe that the business needs to change to survive and grow.

KAF went through this transition to employee owned, and I suspect it has had some additional transitions as it changes its business plan.

[BakerAunt]

We've been having a lot of rain as well, and Monday had severe weather, mostly to our southeast.

[BakerAunt]

I wonder if the filling for Sarah H's recipe would work with an oil crust for larger small pies. I may try it at some point.

[BakerAunt]

Tuesday's dinner was a salad using mixed greens and radishes from the farmers' market--along with celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and green onions from the store. We had it with rotisserie chicken.

[BakerAunt]

I wondered about that the sourdough gluten claim also.

[BakerAunt]

This recipe makes scrumptious bars. I replaced the AP flour with white whole wheat flour, and I used my homemade black raspberry, reduced sugar jam instead of the apricot. This recipe should work with almost any jam.

[BakerAunt]

I missed it, but with a low-saturated fat diet, the 93% is what I buy for our occasional use of ground beef in a recipe--usually my mother's hamburger stroganoff. However, for grilling, which my husband does maybe a couple of times in the summer, hamburger with more fat works better, and I hope that the fat drips away. I buy that at our farmers' market from a local producer.

We do use a lot of lean ground turkey.

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

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I'm sure your boys are equal to the task!

On Monday afternoon, I baked my version of Ellen’s buns. I always think of Mrs. Cindy when I bake this recipe, as she encouraged me to try it. I am working to bake buns that are at least 50% whole grain, but I know from experience that too much whole wheat takes over the flavor. So, this time I used 1 ¾ C. KAF AP flour; 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat, and ½ cup white whole wheat flour. I also added 3 Tbs. flax meal and 2 Tbs. special dried milk. As usual, I used just 2 tsp. yeast, replaced the sugar with 2 Tbs. honey, and replaced ¾ cup of the liquid with buttermilk. I replaced the butter with not quite 2 Tbs. of canola oil, and I cut the salt to ¾ tsp.

While the bun dough was rising, I baked the Apricot Oatmeal Bar recipe to which S. Wirth called our attention a few days ago. However, I substituted white whole wheat flour for the AP flour, and I used 10 oz. of the black raspberry jam I made last summer. My husband and I loved them, and this recipe will go into my permanent repertoire, especially as it is low in saturated fat.

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