Verdict on Walnut Bread

The bread is really good. The oatmeal added gives a sweet taste to the bread. It is very moist. I didn't get much rise out of the loaves as they were baking. I think next time I will only make one loaf instead of two. There are two versions to this recipe. The one I used today started with a basic sponge recipe - all purprose white flour, water and yeast. The other version calls for rye sourdough starter. I think next time I will use the rye starter and see if that makes a difference. All in all, I was very pleased with the results.

New Recipe - Walnut Bread

I am trying a new recipe today, Walnut Bread. This is a recipe I got from Mark Sinclair, Back Home Bakery in Montana. If interested, you can get this recipe also. Mark has produced two separate DVD's on baking bread - excellent videos! And he includes 3 different recipes. Today I am trying his Walnut Bread recipe.

You have to make a sponge and a "soaker" the night before. The sponge is basically all-purpose flour, yeast and salt mixed with water. I usually let the sponge set over night to be used in the morning. The "soaker" is some grains soaked in boiling water. In this recipe, it is rolled oats and cornmeal.

If this bread is anything like the other breads I have tried, it should be good!

To order the DVDs, do a search of Back Home Bakery in Montana.

More Christmas Cookies!

The Swedish Almond Bars turned out really good. I think next time I am going to roll the dough and use cookie cutters. The recipe calls for you to roll the dough in strips.

Bob Packer (Old Camp Cook) gave me another good cookie recipe - Vienna Vanilla Cookies. This were really good, also. I am not sure which was better the Swedish Almond Bars or the Vanilla Cookies.

Here is the recipe for the Vienna Vanilla Cookies. I used my Christmas Cookie cutters.

VIENNESE VANILLA COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 1/4 cup shaved Almonds (not slivered)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar for decoration

PROCEDURES:

Preheat oven to 350ºF (176.7ºC –
Gas Mark 4)
Cream butter and add the
sugar. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time,
mixing after each addition.
Add remaining ingredients.
Shape into a disk and chill for 30
minutes. (can also be frozen)

Begin to roll the dough about 1/4
inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters.
Place dough on parchment paper or a
greased cookie/sheet pan.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until
the edges are a bit brown. You may need
to lower the oven to 325ºF (169ºC – Gas Mark 3).

You can also shape the dough into a log rather than a
disc. When you do this, simply cut the
log in 1/4 inch thick rounds. These
bake for about 15 minutes

Once the cookies are baked, either cool them on the cookie
sheet or move the parchment paper to a cooling rack.

As the cookies cool, but before they are fully cooled, dust
with confectioner’s sugar.

Swedish Almond bars

Since all my craft shows and farmer's markets are done for the year, I have more free time to bake.

Today I am making the Rustic White Bread (which I love) and Swedish Almond Bars which Old Camp Cook was kind enough to give me the recipe. I started the sponge for the Rustic White Bread last night. Looked good this morning! So I added the rest of the ingredients and kneaded it for 10 minutes. The dough is doing its first rise as I write. This afternoon, after I bake the bread, I am going to try the Swedish Almond Bars - they sound really good and, fortunately, I have all the ingredients!

Christmas Cookies!

I am taking a break from bread baking and getting into the holiday spirit with Christmas cookies (of course, I am not going anywhere the bathroom scale until January 1!).

I got out my Mom's old cookbook. You can tell it has been used many times - the edges are worn, a lot of the pages are stained. I haven't brought out that cookbook for awhile. A cousin (from my Mother's side) got in touch with me through Facebook. The last time I saw her, I was in my teens (wish I could say that was only a couple of years ago!), but it has probably been 35 to 40 years ago. Anyway, I have been corresponding with my Aunt (my Mom's only sister) through my cousin. There have been a lot of memories this correspondence has brought up and made me think of the cookbook. There is a Swedish Christmas Cookie recipe in there that, according to my Mom, was very similar to her Grandma Lundgren's cookie recipe (she would be my Great Grandmother). The recipe is sort of a fruit-cake cookie - it uses Citron and a bunch of spices (Cinnamon, Cloves, and Allspice) and you have to let the cookies "ripen" in a cookie tin. I made the cookies yesterday and they are now safely tucked in a cookie tin - though I've had stolen one or two to make sure they tasted alright.

I mentioned the cookie recipe to my good friend Old Camp Cook (someday I have to meet this incredible man!!!). He sent me a link to a website with International Christmas Cookies - what fun is that!!! Today, I made a Norwegian Christmas Cookie. As I said I am not going anywhere near the bathroom scale until after the Holidays!

If anyone is interested in any of the recipes, drop me a line at Diane@b-dgoats.com and I will send you a copy.