bagels

I love bagels and have been wanting to make my own for a while. In keeping with my resolution to try to bake more bread, I went for it yesterday! I tried it with some heartier flours and as a result, I think I should have been more patient with the rising time {winter day + denser flours} and done a bit more research as to how the dough is supposed to feel after kneading. I let them start their rising without getting the dough to a supple stretchiness. Adding a bit more water during the kneading process would have fixed this easily, but I wasn't sure how the dough was supposed to compare to the feeling of pizza dough that I'm used to. I'm thinking it should feel as supple as pizza dough because mine were still pretty dense after rising, which then affected how well they baked.

Homemade Bagels
Adapted from Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart and BGSK
Makes 6-8 bagels

You can find barley malt syrup at a specialty foods store or Whole Foods.

Ingredients
For the dough:
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt, or 2 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3 ½ cups (16oz) unbleached bread flour (or other flour by weight. I did about 4oz rye and 8oz bread flour and 4oz whole wheat flour

For the poaching liquid:
1 ½ tablespoons barley malt syrup, honey, or rice syrup
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt, or 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt

Stir the malt syrup, yeast, and salt into 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water. Place the flour into a mixing bowl and pour in the malt syrup mixture. Use a large, sturdy spoon and stir for about 3 minutes, until well blended. The dough should form a stiff, coarse ball, and the flour should be fully hydrated; if it isn’t, stir in a little more water. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a very lightly floured work surface and knead. The dough should be stiff yet supple, with a satiny, barely tacky feel. If the dough seems too soft or overly tacky, mix or knead in a little more flour.

I did this all in a stand mixer with the dough hook, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Patience is key.

Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper, then misting it with spray oil or lightly coating it with oil. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces.

Form each piece into a loose ball by rolling it on a clean, dry work surface with a cupped hand. Holding the dough with both thumbs in the hole, rotate the dough with your hands, gradually stretching it to create a hole about 2 inches in diameter.

Place each shaped bagel on the prepared sheet pan, then mist with spray oil or brush with a light coating of oil. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes

Fill a pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water, making sure the water is at least 4 inches deep. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain at a simmer. Stir in the malt syrup, baking soda, and salt.

Gently lower each bagel into the simmering poaching liquid, adding as many as will comfortably fit in the pot. They should all float to the surface within 15 seconds. After 1 minute, use a spoon to turn each bagel over. Poach for another 30 to 60 seconds, then use the spoon to transfer it back to the pan. 

Transfer the pan of bagels to the oven, then lower the oven heat to 450°F.

Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and check the underside of the bagels.  Bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, until the bagels are a golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

Image belongs to Smitten Kitchen who has a similar albeit more complicated version of Peter R's bagels. There was no way I was going to attempt bagels for the first time with all that business. Too daunting to attempt. This was simple and I was quite happy with the result and what I learned. I plan to keep working on them and will keep you posted.

By the way, this is helpful baking advice. ... because I freeze butter too and yet am also an impulsive baker.

french baguettes

I made bread and it was heavenly. It made my house smell great. It was killer straight out of the oven, with butter and honey, and now I'm hooked. I can't figure out what website this recipe came from, but I just printed nearly every bread recipe over at pete bakes and can't wait to try them all. I've come a long way and so can you! Do not be scurred.



{french baguettes}
adapted from artisan breads every day by peter reinhart
INGREDIENTS
5 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
2 tsp salt or 1 tbsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 c. lukewarm water {about 95 degrees. Tap water that feels just warm to the touch is fine}
DIRECTIONS
{prep day} combine all ingredients in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment and mix on lowest speed for 1 minute until well blended and smooth. Dough should form a coarse, shaggy ball. Let rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Switch to dough hook and mix on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Dough should be smooth, supple and tacky but not sticky.

Knead dough by hand on lightly floured work surface for 1 minute, then transfer to a large, clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

{baking day} remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking. Gently transfer to lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 10 ounce pieces for baguettes. Just divide the dough in fourths if you don't have one but Yes! I bought a $7 kitchen scale for this. I had four 10 ounce balls and then a little 5 ounce one leftover.

Form baguettes: by batting each piece of divided dough into a thick rectangle. With the long end facing you, fold the bottom half to the center and seal the seam. Fold the top half to the center and once again seal the seam. Roll the top half of the dough over the seam to create a new seam on the bottom of the loaf. Rock loaf back and forth with hands moving out toward and increasing pressure at the ends, to slightly taper the loaf until baguette is length of your baking sheet (or baguette pan if you have one).

Mist top of dough with spray oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap and proof and room temperature. Make a "couche" by placing baguettes on a clean towel dusted with flour, bunching up fabric between each loaf to create walls for support. Proof for about 1 1/2 hours or until they have increased to  1 1/2 times their original size.

Prep for baking: About 45 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a rimmed sheet pan which will serve  as the steam pan on the shelf under which the baguettes will be baked. Remove plastic wrap from the dough 15 minutes prior to baking. Gently roll dough onto baguette pan or baking sheet. Just prior to baking score the dough 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife. Transfer loaves to oven, pour 1 cup hot water into steam pan. Wear an oven mitt & be careful, the steam will be steamy in the hot pan. Warmed the water in my stovetop kettle and poured it in so there was some distance.

Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate pan and bake for another 15-25 minutes until the crust is rich golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when thumped, and the internal temperature is about 200 degrees. Coll on a wire rack for at least 35 minutes before slicing or serving. good luck with that. Store wrapped in a dish towel to maintain crust's crispiness.

banana bunchaheartysoundingstuff pancakes

This is what I made for breakfast this morning. If you're a light, fluffy buttermilk pancake person, sorry. These were fluffy for sure, but they're more on the hearty side. By now you surely know about the seriousness with which I approach my breakfasts. In my opinion frozen bananas, frozen right when they're turning brown and would be just a bit too overripe to eat, are best for baking. I set these out to thaw for about an hour and a half then peeled them into the bowl. Trying not to think about how slimynasty they looked...They're so easy to mash and provide a bit more moisture to a recipe like this with a bunch of dense stuff. Anyway, these are filled with protein and fiber. Check out how good for you wheat germ is. But the banana and agave nectar I tried out as syrup provide ample sweetness and flavor, in my book at least.

 

And you must sing the song of course.

Erin's Banana flaxbranoatwheatandbunchaheartysoundingstuff Pancakes

adapted from here and here.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3 T. wheat germ

1 c. milk I used almond milk bc that's what I had.

3 t. flax seeds

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla extract

1 egg beaten

2 very large, very ripe bananas, mashed well (or thawed from frozen is better)

2 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a cup or small bowl, pour 1/3 cup of your milk over the wheat germ and let sit. Process the oats in a blender or food processor until they resemble a coarsish flour. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda & salt in to a large mixing bowl. Add oat flour. Sifting the w.w. flour helps it get fluffy and whole wheat tends to be more coarse anyway. (Once I run out, I'm getting whole wheat cake flour) supposedly that's the way to go to get your whole wheat flour baked goods to stay fluffy, less coarse, more similar to white flour. Whisk together beaten egg, banana, oil and vanilla until well combined. I beat my egg into my mushed banana, shhh don't tell, bowl minimization. Whisk in the soaking milk with wheat germ. Add dry mix, combine, and let sit for five minutes. Heat griddle or cast iron skillet to medium or medium low. It's ready when droplets of water bounce on it. Cook pancakes. They'll cook slower than regular pancakes. I kept my skillet on medium low, otherwise the outsides get to crisp before the middle is cooked. Add more milk or water if the batter gets too thick. Serve topped with peanut butter and agave nectar as syrup. yum.

steel cut oats

It has been unseasonably cold (at least in my opinion) the last couple days. Monday's high was only about 58 and it's been in the 40s in the mornings. I wore gloves at my workout this morning! 

Feeling cold and also a little blah with my typical breakfast, I thought something warm sounded lovely alongside my eggs, rather than cold cereal. Perfect time to try steel cut oats. I found that a little bit goes a long way; they are hearty, and they can be creamier yet still have a crunch to them --I like that texture --unlike regular oatmeal.

They do take longer to cook; many recipes call for soaking them first. I found a recipe where it can be done in a larger batch and cooked more quickly in smaller quantities in the morning. You make the amount you want each morning and store the remainder in the refrigerator.

steel cut oats breakfast

adapted from the bitten word and the ny times. pic belongs to the bitten word 

{Ingredients}

water

milk or almond milk

1 cup steel cut oats

wheat bran

flax seeds

honey, agave nectar or sugar

fruit

{Directions}

bring 2 cups water to a boil. pour boiling water over 1 cup steel cut oats into a heat safe (such as glass) storage container. stir and let sit covered overnight. 

In the morning, stir the mixture. Into a large microwave safe bowl, {or you can do this over the stove, but I prefer to get less vessels dirty}  combine 1/3 cup soaked oats, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup milk or almond milk. I also add 2 teaspoons wheat bran and 2 teaspoons flax seeds.

Microwave a total of about 4 minutes, stirring once or twice.

You want it to come to a boil and ideally simmer for most of this time, but I typically have to stop and stir it initially once or twice to keep it from boiling out of my bowl. {Which is why simmering the mixture stovetop would be better. Especially if you don't have my ridiculously oversized Pottery Barn cereal bowls. But also more effort.}

Once the liquid has lessened and it's looking like oatmeal, you're good. Add more milk for desired creaminess, or to help it cool faster.

As for toppings, I like about a teaspoon of agave nectar, half a banana and some raisins. Though the pic below via here, looks like a great variation I may need to try!

By the way, thanks Liz! I think "Bird's Nests" is a much cuter name than Egg In a Hole!

egg in hole

I love breakfast.

True story. I eat an egg every morning. I usually scramble it in a mug {one egg. one mug. pam spray. scramble with little whisk. 19 seconds zap. more scramble. 15 seconds zap.} but I love ordering eggs over easy with toast when I eat out for breakfast, loving soaking up that runny oak with some good bread, but resigning myself to my inability to make a fried egg well.

Well.
Enter Egg in A Hole.
INGREDIENTS
one egg
one good piece of toasted bread. like 9 grain.
olive oil cooking spray
biscuit cutter
DIRECTIONS
Heat skillet to medium high. Cut a hole in your toast with the biscuit cutter and ready the leftover circle on plate. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Add holed toast and crack egg into hole. Wait 2 minutes and swiftly flip entire unit. After 2-3 minutes, remove to plate. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cracked pepper and enjoy making perfect bites of cooked egg white, runny oak and nutty bread.

blackberry fage

Operation Clean Out Freezer and Pantry is in full force.

After the pasta frozen fruit is next on the hit list. I have frozen cranberries, peaches, blackberries and strawberries. Since this stuff isn't in season anyway, now is a great time to start using it!

{blackberry yogurt}
heaping 1/2 c. frozen blackberries
1 c. greek yogurt
2 T. granola (or Grape Nuts - if you're in OCOF&P)
2 t. honey

Heat blackberries in a coffee mug for 1-2 minutes in the microwave until thawed. To thawed berries (and resulting liquid that I kept for sweetness) mix yogurt, granola & honey.

banana gingerbread muffins

These turned out great! So seasonal! Taylor liked them and according to my calculations, right under 200 calories each. These are my kind of muffin, more dense and quickbreadish, rather than a cake.

I think you could also substitute a cup of pumpkin for the cup of mashed banana, but the banana is sweeter than pure pumpkin so you may be missing out on some sweetness, if that's what you expect from your muffins.

Banana Gingerbread Muffins

makes 1 loaf of bread or 12 muffins

{ingredients}
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 large)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk*
4 tbsp oil

{directions}

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 12 cup muffin pan or place paper liners in muffin pan. (as you can see I had to use fall liners)

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, banana, molasses, buttermilk and vegetable oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake muffins for about 20-25 min and loaf about 45 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*make your own buttermilk by adding 1/2 t. vinegar to 1/2 c. skim milk and letting it sit about 3 minutes.

overnight cinnamon rolls.

well, i finally tried these! i adapted my friend megan's recipe using one that i also had from alton brown (my idol) to come up with something that i could make the night before and have minimal work in the morning. i used AB's dough but meg's filling and icing. these were definitely a task but were SO good. taylor said they tasted exactly like the ones he likes from The Kitchen Door...that i used to get him (too) often the first summer we were married until they cruelly closed their lake austin blvd location. but alas! i can make them at home and they're SO good! these will definitely become a staple of special mornings @ our house.

{overnight cinnamon rolls}

adapted from here and here

yields 12-15 rolls

time the night before: 2 hours

time the morning: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

{dough}

4 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 large whole egg, room temperature

2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 (I did 1/3 cup)

3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons

6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature

20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting

1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons

 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Vegetable oil or cooking spray

{filling}

6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar packed

2 tbsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

{icing}

6-8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. (I ended up using a little more than 3 and 2/3 total) Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss to coat in oil, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. For faster rise, Cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a 150 degree oven for an hour until doubled in size.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with two knives or a pastry cutter until it resembles crumbs. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 - 15 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours. {I put the odd end pieces of the roll in baking dish too to fill up the pan and it worked perfectly. I had 14 rolls and 3 little odd end twists.}

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, uncover, and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 25 - 30 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing. In a mixer with the whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla on low until incorporated, occasionally scraping down sides when necessary. Then beat at medium-low until fluffy. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

yay!

{home fries}

are you imagining things?? has vittles just posted two recipes within days of each other? has the dead come back to life!? 

home fries are essentially pan fried potatoes. i like them with skins and think red potatoes are best, but any of them work. i had been wanting to duplicate magnolia cafe's home fries. i think these were quite good and pretty darn close. next time I want to try rosemary.

Home Fries

from CHOW

INGREDIENTS

5 lb red potatoes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

2 tablespoons canola oil (i may try olive oil next, but supposedly canola oil heats at a higher temp, according to something i read, something to make it more conducive to frying than olive oil)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium shallots peeled and minced (i thought i had a shallot but alas, i did not)

1/2 T. paprika

coarse salt

fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375°F. Halve potatoes lengthwise and place, cut side up, directly on the oven rack. Roast until entire cut surface of potatoes about 20. Until outsides are cooked but insides are not. About 1/2 way cooked. Let potatoes cool until they are easy to handle, then cut into large dice (you should have about 8 cups).

Melt butter with oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. When mixture foams, add shallots. Cook until vegetables are softened and edges are beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Halfway through, add garlic.

Add potatoes and spices, tossing to coat. Allow to cook undisturbed about 5 minutes. Toss and cook again. Avoid much stirring so that they have a chance to get crisp. Total crisping time about 15-25 minutes. Remove them as they look done and crispy to give others a fair shot :) Cover pan if they’re not cooking all the way but are getting crispy. Liberally season with more salt and pepper. 

I actually did this in two skillets because I didn't have one that was big enough. While it did not facilitate clean up, it did probably facilitate the browning, crisping action.

try with scrambled eggs or in breakfast tacos.

{almond spice scones}

I tried a new scone for Easter! I added it to an old post on scone variations but thought you'd like the update brought to your attention... Sometimes when I make these, I cut them into smaller triangles, making about 14 or 15, rather than 8 triangles. Portion control. Sort of. 

almond spice scones. and other recommended variations on this recipe.
::almond spice::
{add to dry}
1/3 c. crushed or sliced almonds
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. all spice
1/4 t. nutmeg
{add to wet ingredients}
1/2 t. almond extract


::cranberry orange::
{add to wet ingredients}
1 cup, well drained, frozen or fresh cranberries chopped, food processor recommended
2 T orange zest
2 T fresh squeezed o.j.
use at least 1/3 cup sugar, see recipe
sprinkle extra sugar on top before baking, coarse sugar would be ideal

::rosemary brie and parmesan::
{add to dry ingredients}
1/2 cup grated brie and parmesan {reduced fat brie is very easy to grate}
1 - 2 tsp. chopped rosemary

::sweet citrus::
{add to wet ingredients}
1 T. orange zest
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice
use at least 1/3 cup sugar, see recipe
sprinkle extra sugar on top before baking, coarse sugar would be ideal

::overnight yeast pancakes::

this was such a fun experiment. but mostly because i'm a nerd. i mixed these up on friday night. took them out of the 'fridge on saturday morning and only had to clean the bowl in the morning. no flour or other pantry items strewn about. taylor liked the little bit of cinnamon in them, but would probably have preferred that i not have substituted a cup of white flour for wheat. we have to alternate our hearty with our less-than-hearty pancakes.

{ Overnight Yeast Pancakes }
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (i substituted a cup of wheat)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups warm milk (due to the wheat flour, i added 1/4 cup milk)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine flour, white sugar, salt, cinnamon and yeast; mix well. Add vanilla, milk, butter, and egg until well blended. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Allow to reach room temperature before making.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. {oiling with butter before each new batch, is yummiest} Stir the batter with a whisk.* Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to form throughout. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*try to make a few just scooping out the batter with a 1/4 measuring cup BEFORE whisking. most of the reviews said they had better results when they DIDN'T stir. They were definitely thicker before I stirred the batter, but it depends on if you like spread out, flat pancakes or less spread out, more fluffy ones...

::wheat scones::

here's a good scone recipe to use when you don't have sour cream. make buttermilk by adding 1 T. white vinegar to 1 cup milk and letting it sit for 5 - 10 minutes. it can also be made with all white flour.

wheat scones
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Grate in the butter with a cheese grater. Add sugar. Then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in enough milk to mix to a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly but allow mixture to stay flaky, and press in to a circle about 3/4-inch in thickness. Cut into 8 or 9 triangles and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

::peppermint mocha with starbucks via::

an at home use for starbuck's instant coffee using microbrewed beans. omit coffee for peppermint hot chocolate and substitute peppermint extract for vanilla extract for simple hot chocolate.

{peppermint mocha}
INGREDIENTS
8oz milk
1 packet starbucks via instant coffee
1 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar or other sweetener
1/4 tablespoon peppermint extract
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
{stovetop}
in very small pot, heat milk slowly, stirring often, over low heat. when just warm add all ingredients and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until dissolved. pour into mug.
{microwave}
heat mug filled with milk until just warm, about a minute. stir in all ingredients and mix well. heat about 45 seconds more, stirring briskly once in between and again at the end.

top with whipped cream or marshmallows!

cheater pancakes

A similar sentiment to crumblies I feel for these, being, at heart, fundamentally opposed to baked good mixes. Baked good mixes truly epitomize the "what is it worth to you?" question because real, homemade, from scratch baked goods are so cheap and so yummy to make yourself. However, said homemade baked goods require energy for me to not only actually bake but clean up after as well.

I mean, besides when the clean up fairies sweep in.

So this mix is really useful for when I let the clean up fairies go on vacation.

It's also really useful for when I'm interested purchasing a boxed Make-Your-Husband's-Week mix for about $6 at Central Market. But I imagine if I put Bisquick in this tub when we're done with it he may never know...

When we stayed at a friend's parent's house in Houston, Taylor was introduced to this Stonewall Kitchen Pancake & Waffle Mix. My understanding of Mr. Reeve's love affair with this brand is that he orders essentially their entire line of fruit preserves spreads and this pancake mix by the case load. The secret that he passed on to Taylor is to add a bit of sugar to the mix. When I made this for Taylor he reminded me about seventeen times, from the time we stood in line at Central Market and saw the light from heaven shining on this mix in the fourth isle to the minute I poured the batter on the griddle, that the secret was to add a bit of sugar.

make-tay's-week pancakes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Pancake & Waffle Mix
1 tablespoon sugar
DIRECTIONS
Follow directions on package. Add sugar. Don't forget the sugar. Continue to follow directions on package. Read clean up fairies' postcard sent from their vacation.

rosemary brie parmesan scones & friends

Wow I can't believe I left those ugly chicken bags on the top for over a week! Ick! Forgive my blog neglect. School and volleyball coaching have both started, and I have hundreds {literally} of papers I should currently be grading. Rather, I blog.
Here are some variations of my basic {and still favorite scone}. When adding juices and zest, add them to the liquid part --the sour cream and egg mixture. Basically mix wet and dry separately. I'm fairly certain this is basic tenet in cooking. I, however, did this incorrectly and so my cranberry orange scones were less than ideal, pictured here in this first attempt. Just not as crispy. Dough was very gooey.

Aren't you thankful I mess up basic tenets so I can pass on wisdom to you? The explanation for my error, that I won't burden you with, involves a long saga of double and a halving a recipe, yes, "double and a half," and then thirding it.

Regardless, do these right and you'll be obsessed. Add more or less of anything according to your preferences.

recommended variations on this recipe
::cranberry orange::
{add to wet ingredients}
1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries chopped, food processor recommended
2 T orange zest
2 T fresh squeezed o.j.

::rosemary brie and parmesan::
{add to dry ingredients}
1/2 cup grated brie and parmesan {reduced fat brie is very easy to grate}
1 - 2 tsp. chopped rosemary

::sweet citrus::
{add to wet ingredients}
2 T. orange zest
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice
use at least 1/3 cup sugar, see recipe
sprinkle extra sugar on top before baking.

::almond spice::
{add to dry}
1/3 c. crushed or sliced almonds
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. all spice
1/4 t. nutmeg
{add to wet ingredients}
1/2 t. almond extract

I make no promises about vittles' fall prospects. Sadly, vittles may be sparse until mid-October.

Taylor accepts sympathy in the form of Mr. Gatti's and Chipotle gift cards.

banana nut bran muffins

So sometimes my cooking tends to be a little haphazard.

frozen banana vs. knife: knife - 0 banana - 1

Oh! there's a glimpse of the oft maimed Vittles herself! My friend Kristen came to visit and play and brought her out-of-this-word camera. Don't get used to these pictures, friends. Because the Elph is loyal and has no hope of being replaced anytime in this decade.
... keep sifting. Savor the image quality.I added some banana and nuts to a basic bran recipe, I think next time I'll do a whole banana and cut the sugar to about a fourth of a cup.

banana bran muffins
yields 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons dark molasses {I substituted brown sugar... but will do molasses next time}
1/2 ripe banana
1/3 cup crushed almonds, walnuts or pecans
DIRECTIONS
Oven to 400. Prep a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or lining with cups. Sift flour, bran, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until. smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Whisk milk, egg, molasses. Gradually add egg mixture while mixing and continue mixing until smooth. Stir flour mixture, banana and nuts into creamed butter mixture until batter is evenly blended, but do not overmix.

Fill muffin tin. Bake 16 - 18 minutes.

Great shots. Don't you think? Check her out on my side bar under "kwwisten's pics."

pumpkin spice summer scones

I had some canned pumpkin leftover from an overambitious holiday grocery trip and wanted to bake something on Saturday morning.
This is a healthier scone than my favorite plain one but is still really good. I was pleasantly surprised that it actually got a little crispy, despite having significantly less butter. I think the use of parchment paper or a Silpat mat, gave these a nice crispy bottom. And pumpkin is a good source of fiber, basically fat free and low in calories. So feel free to feast! You could do a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour to make these even healthier, and I think the pumpkin puree is moist enough that you wouldn't have to make any accomodations for the wheat flour.
Maybe a little out of season? Regardless. These were good and made my kitchen smell like Thanksgiving!

pumpkin spice scones
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
 In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and salt with a whisk. Beat in egg, then pumpkin. Stir until smooth.
 Sift in flour, baking powder and spices. Stir until flour is completely mixed in. Dough should be slightly sticky. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape the dough, with floured hands, into a circle and press into a 3/4 inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into about 8 triangles and place all on prepared baking sheet.
 I used a metal spatula to transfer them. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden.
 Cool on a wire rack, or eat warm.
I decided I wanted pecans in them once they were already shaped into triangles. I recommend mixing in about 1/4 cup chopped pecans before adding the dry ingredients. They just fell off the top once baked....

crepes just crepes

I made crepes on Thursday with my friend Ellen! Having only had them in France with Nutella, but aware that they are beginning to have a cult following in Austin with a few crepe trailers popping up about town, I was eager to try my hand at them. The sno cone trailer trend was followed by the cupcake trailer trend and now, evidently, we have mobile crepes.

Crepes are similar to pancakes but flatter and often sweeter. They're typically consumed as a dessert but people are packing all kinds of things into them. I had a chicken avocado crepe at Sweet Eugene's once. It was surprisingly good. So feel free to stuff it with anything that delights your heart.

Ellen did not know that she'd be subjected to my food photography when she agreed to hang out and bake with me. She was a good sport about that and about the cast iron pan with a burning handle that she had to swirl and twirl.

crepes
from The Culinary Institue's Breakfasts and Brunches
{serves 8}
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
melted butter or vegetable oil to coat pan as needed
DIRECTIONS
Sift the flour, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, blend the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth. I strained the mixture through a mesh colander to be sure it was as smooth as possible, whisking the lumps in the colander. Heat small non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush with butter or oil. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook until the first side is set and has a little color, slightly golden with specks of light brown, about 2 minutes. Lift the crepe and turn it over {the C.I.A. recommends using a rubber spatula for this step} Cook the other side about 1 minute more.

{serving suggestions}
avocado and spicy ranch dressing
bananas and peanut butter
strawberris and chocolate syrup
powdered sugar and bluberry syrup
and Nutella...of course

Aaaaand mine's the messy one. So precious. Don't worry, I added bananas and peanut butter as well. And ate about ten.
But they're thin. And made with healthy things like milk, flour and eggs.
So it's ok.