Bread Enhancer?

Enhancer for bread? I was surprised when I found the concoction's recipe at the back of my favorite mystery writer's recent culinary who-dun-it. Not that recipes are any more unusual than dead bodies in Diane Mott Davidson's entertaining books, but I'd never encountered a "bread enhancer" before. Of course I had to try it, but I felt like caterer-crime-fighter Goldie Schultz herself as I chased down the elusive gluten, protein powder and lecithin required for the stuff.

But the affect on the bread was remarkable and well worth the effort if that's the sort of bread you like. I've named one version "Knuckle Bread," because it is a flat bread somewhat like a fluffy pita with lots of depressions left by the cook's knuckles as the individual loaves are shaped into circles. Another batch was folded over a fruit filling like a turnover for breakfast. Halfway through baking, those half-moons rolled over and stood up at attention! The enhanced dough had risen and blossomed like cactus flowers. Pretty impressive enhancement.

My husband is thrilled. He grew up on Wonder Bread from the polka-dot plastic bag. His idea of home-baked bread comes in a tube that you whack on the edge of the counter. The freshly baked crust might be crisp and brown, but the interior should have the consistency of a cotton ball or he isn't happy. Over the years he has accepted, intellectually, the concept of loaves with texture and taste, but deep within his heart he longs for those soft supermarket slices.

When he tore open one of yesterday's crusty loaves and found a cloud-like interior without a bit of character, he was delighted. Today I'll see what happens when I add the enhancer to a batch of whole grain bread. Maybe I'll finally bake a 100% whole grain loaf that isn't as heavy as a brick.

Sweet Ties for Father's Day

How Sweet, a tie for Father's Day! How . . .  um . . . trite and mundane ... no, wait. Check out this site by Matt S., tie enthusiast and innovative blogger.

You might change your mind about how sweet a Father's Day Tie could be.

Matt's Father's Day Ideas

Cookies with that Ice Cream?

How about a good basic cookie recipe that goes really well with home-made ice cream?

This is one of my go-to recipes that kept the cookie jar filled when my kids were young. It's full of good stuff like oats and whole grain flour, and welcomes just about any nutritious / delicious add-in from chocolate chips to sunflower seeds.

One trick I've learned that I didn't know back then: chill the dough overnight or longer before baking the cookies. The oatmeal absorbs the liquid, the sugar melts and everything just tastes better. You can bake just a few cookies at a time and keep the rest of the dough until you need it. I like to double the recipe then divide the dough and freeze half. I bake a few cookies at a time in the toaster oven and keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator for a fresh treat when friends drop by.

Recipe: Basic Oatmeal Cookies

Choose your favorite "optionals" for these cookies: chocolate chips, raisins or other chopped dried fruit; chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, etc. 


Cream together:
1 c. butter or lard
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. raw sugar (coarse or fine)
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. water or milk

Add:
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. spelt or whole wheat flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. rolled oats
1 - 2 c. "optionals"

Mix well, then chill at least 24 hours.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until edges are crisp.

It's Ice Cream Time!

It's high summer and high time for ice cream! Trust me, here in Arizona where temperatures regularly soar over 110 degrees, ice cream is the staff of life.

But where can one find wonderful, creamy, satisfying ice cream that isn't packed with saturated fat, high fructose corn syrup, and a kabillion empty calories? Did I mention affordable? When it's 115 on our patio, I want to eat ice cream every evening as my reward and consolation for surviving one more blazing day. My solution: buy the biggest electric ice cream maker on the market, and concoct my own frozen delights.

The recipe presented here is made with chocolate soy milk. Dairy milk will work just as well, if your family can digest it. I cut the cost of coconut milk by blending unsweetened coconut with hot water - but purchased coconut milk works nicely, too. The basic formula just begs for endless variations, but I'll save those for later. For now, this chocolate "ice cream" is all I can think about.

Recipe: Chocolate "Ice Cream"

2 c. chocolate milk (soy or almond or dairy)
1 c. coconut milk (see note)
2 large eggs
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/3 c. sugar (see note)
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine chocolate milk and coconut milk in a heavy saucepan. Over low heat, bring slowly to 160 degrees, stirring often.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk very well. Slowly add 1 c. of the hot mixture to the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the milk in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and pour mixture into a glass or plastic bowl set in a larger bowl of ice. Add vanilla. Chill at least 4 hours. Freeze in ice cream maker.

Notes: I make my own coconut milk by combining 1 cup unsweetened coconut with 1 cup hot water and blending for about 20 seconds. Let stand until cool, then strain or use directly in the ice cream with coconut included.
     The recipe on which I based this concoction used 3/4 cup sugar. I find that I enjoy less sweetness, but you should use enough sugar to suit your own taste.