We have bread!

We have bread!  This picture was taken from my camera phone so it is not the best.  The hardest part is waiting for it too cool.  And, boy, does my house smell good!  This recipe is so easy.  If you can't find it in the archives, send me an email (diane@b-dgoats.com) and I will send you a copy of the recipe for the bread and for making the pineapple starter.

Pineapple Sourdough Starter

I don't know if you remember back in June I experimented with creating a sourdough starter using pineapple juice.  I have been feeding the starter on and off during the summer (when I haven't feed it, it has been living in my refrigerator - be sure to label it as sourdough starter because someone might think it is a nasty "science experiment" and throw it out - trust me - I know!). 

For some reason, Fall makes me feel like baking bread, so I brought the pineapple starter out of hibernation and started feeding it.  Usually it takes a day or two to get the starter active again.  When you take the starter out, there is usually a brown/grayish liquid on top, this is call hooch.  Don't pour it off - just stir it back in.  The starter will also be very thick.  Don't worry - that is normal.  Below is a picture of the starter after it has been feed a few times.  Feeding a starter consists of 4 T flour and 3 T water.

See all the bubbles!  This starter is alive and kicking!  And it should have a strong yeasty or beer smell.  So today I am making Bob's Basic Sourdough Bread.  I believe that recipe is in the archives.  I will take pictures of the finished product.

"Award-winning" Apple Pie recipe

On the weekends, I sell at Farmer's Markets.  A couple of weeks ago, one of the farmer's markets decided to have an Apple Pie baking contest.  The market manager said I "HAD" to sign up for it.  So I reluctantly did and completely forgot.  Friday night rolled around and my husband came home from work.   He walked into the kitchen asking where was my pie for the contest.  HUH?  Guess who forgot?  And guess who spent Friday night baking an apple pie???  And guess who ate pizza for dinner that night?

I almost didn't take the pie to the Farmer's Market the next day.  I thought for sure there is no way this silly pie is going to win.  I threw this thing together at the last moment.  But, I promised the Market Manager that I would enter the contest, so I did.

Later on at the market I was told that I needed to go the tables at the top of the market because I won "something".  I figured 3rd place, maybe 2nd.  So up I went.  They didn't call my name for third place.  They didn't call my name for second place.  I thought - NO WAY, there is NO WAY I won first place.  Then they called my name for First Place.  I was completely blown away.  I won a trophy with an apple on it and $100.  The trophy is now sitting on my mantel next to the Grand Champion award one of our Alpine Goats won at the County Fair.

So . . . here is the "award-winning" apple pie recipe

Deep Dish Apple Pie Recipe


1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 large egg yolk beaten

brush egg yolk on crust
Bake in oven at 375 for 5 minutes

Pie
8 cups sliced, cored and peeled apples (I used Granny Smith apples - but any baking apple will do)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

put sliced apples in large bowl
mix dry ingredients and pour over apples
stir apples making sure all slices are evenly coated (if this gets "too juicy", pour some of the "juice" off)
place slices into baked pie crust and evenly distribute around pie crust

Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter at room temperature (I use unsalted butter)

mix together - I use a fork to mash the butter into the dry ingredients
completely cover the apples with the topping
Bake in 350 oven for 55 minutes

Enjoy!

This is really good with ice cream (of course, anything is good with ice cream!)

Purple Hands

I live out in the country.  One of the advantages of living in the country is that country folk don't pay with cash, we swap.  I raise dairy goats and you would be amazed what I can "buy" with the products that my dairy goats produce.

Last week one of our neighbors called to let us know that his berry bushes were loaded and we should come pick "us some berries".  So for a couple bars of goat's milk soap and a bottle or two goat's milk lotion, we "picked us some berries."  If you ever pick blackberries, wear gloves, otherwise, you will have purple hands.  BUT, you will have the best berries you ever tasted.  (Just in case you forget the gloves, the purple stain does go away after a day or two - don't worry - you won't have smurf hands forever!)

I froze a lot of the berries, also made some blackberry jam.  And I found this recipe on the Internet for Blackberry Cobbler.  This is an adaptation of a Betty Crocker recipe.  I had to make two because the first one didn't last very long. 

Mix the batter gently - helps make the cobbler moister.  Also, you can use half blackberries and half raspberries for a different taste.  The recipe says not to use blueberries - not sure why - can't see why that would make any difference.

Blackberry Cobbler

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blackberries (do not use blueberries)

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 T sugar
1/4 t vanilla or 1/4 t cinnamon (depends on your taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omit the salt - didn't seem to make a difference)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (I always use un-salted butter)

1. In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.

3. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with ice cream. - YUM!

Glazed Lavender Tea Cakes

Oh, these are so good!  I use the small mini loaves pans and they are perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning - my teenage son even loves these (and this is the child that gives out our local McDonalds as his second address!).  The recipe uses the lavender leaves which gives a slight lavender taste.  If you want a stronger lavender flavor, use fresh lavender buds.  If you are using dried buds, usually only half the required amount - dried herbs are much stronger than fresh.

Glazed Lavender Tea Cake
Cake:
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened  (I use only unsalted butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender leaves (see note above)
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°

To prepare cake, beat granulated sugar, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg and egg white, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lavender.

Pour the batter into an 8-inch loaf pan **coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour *** or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
** I use the mini loaf pans
*** I adjust the baking time for the mini loaf pans

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. Spread over hot cake. Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Enjoy!

If you don't have lavender available, do a search on the Internet for Culinary lavender.  There are several lavender farms that sell lavender buds.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Baking is only as good as the ingredients as you use.  A lot of time our budgets just don't allow us to buy the best so we have to compromise.  I hate buying imitiation vanilla extract - it just isn't quite the same as the "real" stuff.  A fellow bread baker shared this recipe for true vanilla extract and I haven't looked back since.  Who would have known it was so easy to make!  Of course, I have to explain to my husband why he comes home to find a half empty bottle of vodka on the kitchen counter!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2 cups Vodka (I buy the cheap stuff from Walmart)
5 to 6 vanilla beans

Split the vanilla beans in half and cut in 1 inch lengths.
Put vanilla beans and Vodka into a glass container (I use a quart mason jar with a secure lid) that will hold 2 cups.

Put the container into a dark location.
Shake the container periodically, every day or so.
Mark a calendar or label the jar with the date it was prepared.
The vanilla flavoring should be ready in 6 (six) weeks from the day it is started.

After the first batch is finished, pour it into smaller bottles, as desired, and pour 2 cups of Vodka in the
original container and let it set 6 (six) weeks. This will make a second batch of flavoring.

When you reach the point where the beans will not color the Vodka in the prescribed time, start over with new beans.

I get my vanilla beans from a seller on eBay called VanillaProducts. I am not affiliated with this individual - they have a great product and offer great services.

You can do the same with Cinnamon sticks and get a cinnamon extract.

Remember me?

Life kind of got in the way and I haven't had much chance to do any baking in quite a while.  I miss it terribly.  It is sort of my therapy.  So I decided it is time to dust off the ole mixing bowl and get back to baking. 

Do you have a folder of printed recipes that you have no idea WHY you printed them off and put them in a folder?  Well, I found THAT folder the other day and started looking through it.  I came upon a recipe for a sourdough starter using pineapple juice.  As luck would have it, I have pineapple juice in my refrigerator!  Obviously the Baking Gods have a plan in mind!  What the heck, I have nothing better to do with my time.  Besides, I thought it might be an interesting experiment on a rainy, stormy day. 

The "recipe" calls for 3 T pineapple juice and 4 T flour (easy enough!) - I use unbleached all purpose flour but I would imagine bleached all purpose flour would work as well.  I am using a quart mason jar (cleaned, of course).  Once I mixed the pineapple juice and flour, I covered the top with a couple layers of cheesecloth secured with a rubber band.  According to the recipe, repeat this for a total of 3 days.  So tomorrow, I will add 3 T pineapple juice and 4 T flour to the mixture and the following day, I will add 3 T juice and 4 T flour.   We will then switch from the pineapple juice to water.  Life just can't get any more exciting!

If this does work out and we do get an actual active sourdough starter, I have a ton of sourdough recipes to try!