[chocomouse]

I've cut back, and no longer use any vanilla in chocolate flavored goods. I do use espresso powder, which enhances the taste. I didn't put any vanilla in the peanut butter cookies I made the other day, and they were fine. I can't remember off-hand what other recipes I omit the vanilla. But basically, I think about the other ingredients - are there flavors that would overpower the vanilla? Or is the vanilla necessary for developing the flavor? So far, it seems like my choices have been OK, and we haven't missed the vanilla.

[chocomouse]

Joan, I'd love to know what you put in your Mexican casserole! It sounds like something we would eat.

I made mango gelato today, and it is really tasty. It's a KAF recipe, and also uses lime juice. I used frozen mango chunks, since I don't trust myself selecting really ripe sweet mangoes. I add about half a bottle of brandy, the little "airplane" size bottle to help prevent it from freezing too hard, but it still hard as a rock!

[chocomouse]

The Chewy Maple Cookie is from Taste of Home. I add about 1/4 cup of flour and get the perfect chewiness. I also use only pure Vermont (ours) maple syrup, the "robust" version, what used to be labeled "dark" or Grade B - no extract or flavoring. I've added pecans once, but we like them best without nuts. Be warned -- the recipe makes only about 30 two-inch cookies!

[chocomouse]

I have Harvest Grain (KAF) bread rising now. Yesterday I made the Chewy Maple Cookies again. Love that recipe, so tasty, and the cookies come out exactly the same consistency even when I double the recipe.

[chocomouse]

For our dinner tonight, I mixed Penzey's Mural of Flavor into ground turkey and cooked turkey burgers on the grill. With it, we had baked potatoes and asparagus. It was so nice to be outside, no snow on the ground, warm, 57*, and beautiful sunshine -- the first nice day in ages. Earlier today I went to a local nursery and bought yellow pansies, a rosemary, and lemon thyme for my herb garden. And then to the summer only ice cream place for a black raspberry soft serve! Spring had finally sprung! I hope the rest of you are also now enjoying good weather!

[chocomouse]

We had liver with sauteed onions, pan fries, and cole slaw.

[chocomouse]

I didn't cook tonight! My husband made omelets and I just toasted the English muffins!

[chocomouse]

We have about 2 inches of mixed freezing rain, sleet, and snow that's been collecting on the ground for 2 days now. Since great minds think alike, I also made soup today. I tried a new recipe, Ham and Potato Corn Chowder, from Kevin's Closet Cooking. I felt I was in a rut always making split pea soup whenever I had a ham bone, and I really don't care for split pea. I was doubtful about using the broth from cooking the bone and mixing it with milk, and was also afraid the garlic and thyme might not be enough seasoning for this. But after it sat for an hour for the flavors to develop, it's really good and I would make it again.

[chocomouse]

I made maple-pecan scones. I used my usual 1/4 cup of dark maple syrup, and then added about 1/2 cup of bits of maple candy, pieces leftover from when my husband made candy from our latest batch of maple syrup. I was curious to see if they would melt and just disappear into the batter, or if they would remain, sort of like maple chips. They melted into the batter. But they did add flavor and sweetness. I also brushed the tops of each scone with maple syrup as soon as they come out of the oven. We've stopped our sugaring operation for the season, but have plenty of syrup to last us the rest of the year.

[chocomouse]

Tonight I made something completely new to me: chicken fingers. I've never eaten or cooked them. I cut the breasts into inch thick slices, dipped in beaten egg, and then into breadcrumbs mixed with Penzey's Sunny Paris, lemon-pepper, and Parmesan. Baked at 400* for 25 minutes. They were really good - flavorful, tender, very easy and quick to do. I served them with leftover potato salad and broccoli. We'll be having these again.

[chocomouse]

Thank you for all the well-wishes. Surgery was successful and I am home, although not quite up to par yet. This is my sixth surgery in one and a half years, and I think, I hope, it is the last. I'm anxious to get back in the kitchen!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by chocomouse.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by chocomouse.

[chocomouse]

Thanks for doing some research, Mike. I am using Moomie's bun recipe, and I've tried substituting whole grain flours, and also adding potato flakes. I've not kept good records, but have not been completely satisfied with any of the results.

It may be a while before I try any suggestions. I'm having surgery tomorrow, and am not sure when I'll get back into the kitchen.

[chocomouse]

Good looking buns, nice crumb. I always use semolina in pizza dough, but haven't tried it in the burger bun recipe, where I generally use half AP (KAF) or bread flour and half white or regular whole wheat. I'm finding the buns tend to get soggy and fall apart if wetter sandwich ingredients are used, say tomatoes and spring greens.

[chocomouse]

Interesting combination for the buns, Len. I've started adding a little rye flour to many of my breads, just for a more complex flavor. What amounts of each flour did you use? And what did the semolina do for the texture? I'm thinking these would be fairly sturdy buns?

I'm raising buttermilk bread in the abm right now, which I'll bake in the oven, and will start maple cinnamon scones in a few minutes.

[chocomouse]

Last night we had grilled chicken thighs, sliced potatoes drizzled with garlic infused olive oil and sprinkled with Boursin, and cole slaw. Tonight we are pretending it is summer (ha! we got about 2 inches of snow yesterday! some areas near us got over 5 inches) so I'm planning southern style ribs, potato salad, and a green salad from under the gro-lights.

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