[BakerAunt]

Len--as it turns out, I posted it on January 8, then forgot that I did it. You can find it in the recipes.

Although I have a mountain of work to trudge through, I seized time on Thursday and baked the KAF Barista Biscotti Bites in order to use up part of a bag of cappuccino chips. (I noticed that I have another full bag in the refrigerator that I will need to use up before we move at the end of June.) As soon as these cool, I will dip a third of each in chocolate ganache then let them sit until it hardens. I substituted 2 oz. of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet chips and used 4 oz. of their semisweet ones.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: Added information

[BakerAunt]

Len--If you subscribed to the now defunct The Baking Sheet, issue 13.1 (Holiday 2001), pp. 18-19, has a great recipe for Rye Crisps. I particularly liked them with a thin slice of cheese, but other options are possible. Even my husband, who is not keen on rye, liked them. I played with the recipe a bit, so if you are interested, and do not have it, I can post it.

[BakerAunt]

Hi, Molly, and welcome to Nebraska Kitchen! I'm glad that you enjoyed the recipe.

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I pulled out some frozen brown rice, some frozen turkey, and a cup of frozen stock. I sautéed vegetables in the fat from the stock. Then I added the rice and the turkey, as well as 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning. It is good to have options after returning from a trip.

On Tuesday, I made Dilled Salmon and Couscous.

[BakerAunt]

I, too, stay logged in as long as allowed.

[BakerAunt]

I baked yet another recipe of my Scottish Cinnamon Scones because I realized that I left the brown sugar out of the double batch I made! Aurgh! I'll give the batch that is done correctly to my sister and family, and my husband and I will eat the others, which will probably be like biscuits with cinnamon chips in them.

[BakerAunt]

Congratulations on getting your garden started, Bronx. I look forward to having one, probably not this year but next year when we live in Indiana permanently. My husband did do a winter garden in Texas. He harvested some small but sweet tasting carrots, and the lettuce and the spinach has been nice as well.

[BakerAunt]

On Friday, I made Oatmeal Fruit Spice Cookies by combining two recipes. The basic recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book, p. 190, where it was titled Apricot-Oatmeal Cookies. The other recipe was on the back of a bag of Bob's Red Mill Old-Fashioned Oats. I wanted more oats than the Bob's recipe, and some wholegrain and more spices and less sugar than the BH&G one. Here is what I did:

3/4 cups unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup AP flour (used Gold Medal)
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cups dried fruit
2/3 cups coarsely chopped pecans.

The dough was so thick that I ended up rolling it in balls about 1-inch thick (my scoop is back in Texas) and slightly flattening them with my hand. I put 20 per parchment-lined cookie sheet (recipe made 60) and baked at 375 for 10 minutes. They are small nugget-like cookies with a great taste. If I decide that I want them flatter, I think that I will need either to add another egg, or maybe a couple of Tablespoons of buttermilk.

I also baked a double recipe of my Scottish Cinnamon-Oat Scones. These, along with some of the cookies, will be for my sister and her twin girls when we visit then for breakfast on Sunday morning.

[BakerAunt]

I tried the convection feature on mine for doing two pizzas--years ago when I was still using pizza pans. The two were on different racks and did not cook evenly. I decided at that point to stick with the regular oven mode.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday, I baked my Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread, only I shaped it as 12 rolls in a 10x10 inch pan, instead of a loaf in a 8 1/2x 4 1/2 pan, and I baked the rolls for 30 minutes rather than the loaf's 45 minutes. I forgot to bring malted milk powder with me, so I had to omit it. I also did not have enough honey, so I used 3 Tbs. of maple syrup. I'm getting ahead for Saturday when we begin the trek back to Texas.

[BakerAunt]

I have a dual fuel stove in our current home. It's a Thermador that I bought in 2001. However, when it developed a stuck relay four years ago, the central panel could not be replaced because Thermador only supports its ovens for ten years. I would have been out of luck if my repair guy had not known about a place in Illinois that repairs central panels. He pulled it out, I shipped it to them, and they repaired it and shipped it back. I love my stove, but at the price Thermador charges, I expect more durability and product support.

My husband and I both like cooking on gas burners, so I could just get a gas stove. Sigh. Dual fuels are very expensive, and the oven is what would likely fail first, especially with the volume of baking that I do.

[BakerAunt]

This recipe is quite versatile, so the cook can change it up, depending on what ingredients are on hand. I used 8 cups of homemade turkey stock and 1 1/2 cups green lentils. I fried some bacon, then sautéed the onion and garlic in a bit of the grease. I used 2 tsp. of sage for the seasoning. The carrots look lovely with the spinach. I crumpled in the bacon.

Thank you, Cass, for a great recipe, and I will be making it again!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

According to Aaron's list, March is, among other things, National Flour Month. On this site, it is safe to say that we are observing it!

[BakerAunt]

Hello, Pyewacket, aka Zen, aka Kitchen Barbarian,

It is good to see you posting again.

I will be outfitting the kitchen in our new home once we move here this summer. I'll be replacing the 1970s' avocado green electric stove, so I am interested in hearing about what stoves and ovens people like best. What brand was this stove that clearly was not user tested by anyone who cooks and bakes? After reading about your experiences, I will pay close attention to how the controls are set up and how well they work.

I had already decided that I do not want any kind of grill on top because I would not use it. I know that I want gas burners, but I want an electric oven. I do not want to buy a dual fuel stove, however, because I figure that the oven will go out first, and then I'd be stuck with half an appliance. I'm thinking that I want a separate gas cooktop, and then we can install the oven below it. I'm working with a very small space, so I don't think that a separate wall oven is a possibility.

[BakerAunt]

Today I made scrambled eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast to send my younger stepson and his friend off on their trip to Mammoth National Park. I used 1 tsp. of Penzey's Mural Seasoning in the eggs and cooked them in a bit of bacon grease. The guys were impressed. I had four slices of bacon left over, so I made Kid Pizza's Mother's Spinach and Lentil Soup. As it is still cold here, I cooked it on top of the wood stove. I sautéed the onion and the garlic in a bit of bacon grease before adding them. For seasoning, I used 2 tsp. sage. I used green French lentils, and I did include sliced carrots. I had a little taste, and it is very good. It is a versatile recipe that lets the cook make use of whatever is on hand. I will freeze what we do not eat before we leave.

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