What are you baking this week?

[Earthmaiden]

I've seen a few recipes lately where oats were blitzed to make 'flour'. I think that if followed correctly, this recipe would be OK bit that leaving some of the oats whole would provide a more interesting texture.

[KeenCook]

Yes, EM, you're probably right.
I'll see if I'm tempted to try them again! I probably ought to have non-bread wholemeal flour as well!

[aero280]

This afternoon I made another focaccia. OH liked the last one and asked for another. I got started and realised that we had eaten all the olives, so I used some chunks of cheddar instead. It's OK but olives would have worked better, I think.

[halfateabag]

We had a couple over for lunch last week and he adores lemon drizzle cake so I decided to try a coconut and lemon cake/gateaux which worked brilliantly with sharp lemon marmalade (HM) in the middle of the cake mixture and on the top then baked it. The whole thing was gone by 9pm that evening ! Everyone loved it. Served it with some single cream for extra moisture. I shall be doing that again.

[herbidacious]

Aero your things always look delicious!

I made cornbread. Bottom line is it's nice. But...
Criticisms: a bit crumbly, quite rich - I will compare recipes to see if there are any with less fat. I didn't like the idea of sugar, and did reasearch to see if this was necessary. I was using stoneground cornmeal so in theory I shouldn't have needed as much so I reduced the amount in the recipe, but I think I should have left it as it was.
I meant to put chipotle flakes in and had I remembered, I think these would have counteracted the fattiness a bit.

[PatsyMFagan]

We had a couple over for lunch last week and he adores lemon drizzle cake so I decided to try a coconut and lemon cake/gateaux which worked brilliantly with sharp lemon marmalade (HM) in the middle of the cake mixture and on the top then baked it. The whole thing was gone by 9pm that evening ! Everyone loved it. Served it with some single cream for extra moisture. I shall be doing that again.

That sounds delicious Zosh

[halfateabag]

Thanks Patsy I liked the little pockets of sharpness. I think you could do it with jam or anything similar

[Gruney]

Aero your things always look delicious!

I made cornbread. Bottom line is it's nice. But...
Criticisms: a bit crumbly, quite rich - I will compare recipes to see if there are any with less fat. I didn't like the idea of sugar, and did reasearch to see if this was necessary. I was using stoneground cornmeal so in theory I shouldn't have needed as much so I reduced the amount in the recipe, but I think I should have left it as it was.
I meant to put chipotle flakes in and had I remembered, I think these would have counteracted the fattiness a bit.

Re sugar. I have a book of recipes designed for cast iron pans - it's American. A quote against a cornbread recipe by a lady from the deep South - "If it contains sugar, it aint cornbread - it's cake." I've always found the recipes a bit heavy on salt, and tend to use half the prescribed amount. I've always wondered if they use salt crystals - Kosher salt is commonly mentioned - is this crystallised?

[herbidacious]

I think Kosher salt is in large crystal form. I used to have some.

I gather sugar v non sugar is as controversial as jam or cream first. And it's not just a question of American tastes leaning towards high sugar content. (I gather American Heinz baked beans have a lot more sugar in them than the British equivalent.)

As I mentioned in the chat thread, the sugar seems to have crept into recipes when corn meal production was industrialized and the milling method changed, and they started using different varieties of corn, leading to less flavour (and protein), so the sugar is a flavour enhancer. I used stone ground but I think it needed something to boost the flavour.

The texture was just the right side of slightly gritty.

The main issue for me was the amount of fat - it required oil as well as melted butter. I don't think that one was a partial substitute for the other. This made it a bit too fatty for me. Fatty stuff makes me feel a bit sick.

[Stokey Sue]

Kosher salt tends to be fairly large crystals, the point of using it though is mainly that it isn't iodised

I find American cook's (as opposed to chef's) recipes usually add too much salt to sweet and savoury things, and too much sugar to savoury things, salad dressings for example

[aero280]

I made two dozen bread rolls for the freezer. No pictures, they look just like the last ones! At least I seem to have found some consistency...

[scullion]

yesterday - 8 sourdough rolls and a loaf.
tomorrow will be lemon and sultana (scotch) pancakes with the discard. not strictly baking but never mind.

[herbidacious]

I finally got round to making the rhubarb and custard tray bake.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/m ... vneet-gill

It seems very nice. (Only had a little taste so far.)

[Uschi]

I went to town on puff-pastry parcels with three stuffings yesterday. Spinach-feta, peppers and tomato, mushrooms and ham.
I thought there might be filling left, so made some Börek as well with a yeast dough. No picture of those, though.

[Stokey Sue]

Nice Uschi
I made my usual 2 loaves earlier in the week, but the second just crumbled when I tried to cut slices for freezing, I think the express rising and proving in the heat may have affected the texture, I reduced the yeast and the water temperature but not enough.

I have a bad of crumbs in the freezer, gratins ahoy!

[scullion]

my stomach is rumbling, uschi!

[Uschi]

Thank you! They turned out fine. Well, I had problems with the first two, as you do but then got into it. I tried out my minature cookie cutters so they could be kept apart, too.

I am glad i need not cook tonight and tomorrow after that battle of the Börek and pies.

Sue, the heat is a problem for yeast doughs, but as a base for the Börek it was OK.

[aero280]

Lots of nice food on show!

On Sunday, OH reminded me that we were having lunch at the church hall. We had to bring something!! So we took all the focaccia from the freezer. So I had to make some more this evening

[Uschi]

Lecker!!!

[Suffs]

Celebratory cheese scones