AND THE WINNER IS…

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Announcement, Giveaway, winners

Thanks to some help from a little elf, we acfually have two winners! The first winner receives the Holiday Sift magazine and a $25 King Arthur Flour gift certificate and the second winner will receive a copy of the magazine.

And those winners are:

#1 Sift Magazine abd Gift Certificate – anniecatb

#2 Sift Magazine – Jonella59

To claim your prizes, please send your mailing address to:

techsupport@siftedtogether.com

We will get your goodies in the mail ASAP!

Thank you to everyone who entered and who continues to read about our antics here at Sifted Together.

Pssst…Heads Up. We have a “birthday” coming up in January and we like to celebrate by giving gifts. Stay tuned after the first of the year for how to be a part of our birthday giveaway!

Food Friday – Let’s Hit the Bars!

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by Tracey Somos-Gehring in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

baking, bar cookies, bars, Chocolate, cinnamon, cookies, dessert, easy, Hermits, King Arthur Flour, molasses, peanute butter, pretzels, raisins, snack

from Tracey G.

I have no idea how I have survived this long without these things!! I am so glad I chose the Good ‘n Chewy Hermits recipe from King Arthur Flour, in this our first week of cookies for the month of December! They were so darn easy, and turned out so well, that they have earned a permanent place in my recipe repertoire!

I really started my cookie recipe search with nothing in particular in mind. I knew I wanted something yummy (a given), easy to put together AND made with stuff I had on hand. That was my only criteria. In my perusing, I ran across this recipe, and as I read it, I mentally checked off the ingredients – and I had everything needed! Add to that my love of molasses, and I was all in.

I will also say right now, again for the record – I do not like raisins in baked goods. I like raisins, but not in any kind of chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie, etc. It was after eating these Good ‘n Chewy Hermits that it dawned on me, I like them in certain baked goods, along with a certain spice profile – cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger etc. (first noticed this with the Rugelach filling!). I was skeptical about them in this recipe, since it qualifies as a baked good, and sort of cookie thing, lol, but I absolutely love them and can not imagine these bars without them!!!

The history behind them is rather fun, that they’re a New England favorite that have been around for a VERY long time. I can see why – they are fantastic! They mention that due to their excellent keeping qualities, back in the days of clipper ships, many a tin of these accompanied sailors on their way around the world!

This recipe calls for basic ingredients: sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, flour (they also state that you can use their White Whole Wheat Flour instead of all-purpose), salt, baking soda, molasses and raisins. The spices used are: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ground ginger. It’s put together the way any cookie/bar recipe is, starting with creaming the butter and sugar etc. After you get all the ingredients combined, you pat the dough into a greased 9×13 baking pan (they do give you other pan size ideas/options in their Baker’s Tips after the recipe).

Bake the bars in a 350° F oven, for about 25-30 minutes in a light colored pan or 20-25 minutes for a darker pan – just until the edges start to pull away from the sides. I baked mine exactly 25 minutes, in a light colored pan, and while they were still so yummy that they were eaten up quickly and they had a fabulous chewy-goodness, I think I would back down to maybe 20 minutes in my oven next time so they are a bit softer. They do warn about over-baking and I can see how easily it can happen and ruin the texture you’re looking for. Jeremy said they reminded him of gingerbread, and of course they do, they have that same flavor profile.

I had wanted to add KAF Sparkling Sugar to them before I baked them, and I forgot. So I sprinkled some on them as soon as they came out of the oven (only half because the boys in my house don’t care for the crunchy sugar), and it didn’t stick very well, lol. Oh well, next time I’ll remember. Or maybe not. Either way, they won’t last long – they’ll be gobbled up fast.

I am heading into the final stretch of the semester (next week is final exams) so I needed a SUPER simple recipe for this week, one that would keep from hitting the other kind of bars! It doesn’t get much easier than the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Bars! There is nothing about these cookie bars that requires any kind of talent or even culinary skill to make. All you need is a few ingredients, most of which are kitchen staples at my house, and about an hour to mix things up, bake the cookie crust and allow the whole thing to chill and set. And you are done!

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookie Bars consist of a bottom “cookie” layer, a middle layer of chocolate and peanut butter, and then a top layer of pretzel pieces. The cookie layer is a mixture of all-purpose flour, crushed pretzels, a touch of confectioners sugar, and a stick of butter. All of these ingredients are mixed together and pressed into the bottom of a parchment lined 9×13 baking dish. It is then baked in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a cup of peanut butter are melted together in a double boiler. Once the chips are completely melted, this mixture is spread evenly on top of the cookie base. This is then topped with pretzel pieces.

The cookie bars need about 30 minutes or so in the freezer to set and then can be cut into individual servings. The recipe makes approximately 40 pieces.

These Chocolate Peanut Butter and Pretzel Cookie Bars are a tasty mixture of salty and sweet, but not too sweet. Because they are made with basic ingredients, they can be put together quickly to take to an impromptu holiday gathering or to fill a last minute gift need. And how wrong can you go with chocolate and peanut butter?

Happy holiday baking to you all!

Tuesday In Texas- Thanksgiving Follow-up

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Tuesday In Texas

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

family, holiday, pie, Thanksgiving

“Do you want to know a secret? They are not having turkey this year!?

I have to say that our minimalist Thanksgiving was a big hit with the entire family. We certainly had plenty of food. Everyone made a little something; and, no one spent their entire day (or week) cooking only to find themselves too tired to enjoy the fruits of their labor and our time together. I think we may have begun a new Thanksgiving tradition at our house!Even the table settings were simple…

…and perfect for our day. Fewer dishes, and smaller dishes, made for a quick and easy clean up so that we could get on to playing games and eating dessert!

So what did we end up eating?

Spinach and artichoke dip. It was a huge hit with everyone! I’ll spare you the photos of everyone shoving their faces full of this addicting stuff!
Artisan cheese, from a family farm in Vermont, and crackers.
Chili Bolognese over shells
Broccoli, Potato, and Cheddar Soup
Broccoli slaw and apple salad
Homemade Bread
Homemade popovers
Cinnamon apples
Pretzel Jello salad (Don’t judge!)
And of course the requisite pumpkin pie.

Let’s face it. As long as there is pie, any kind of pie, people are willing to call it a Thanksgiving meal. The pie is the most important ingredient!

There were “pie wars” at our house. Both my daughter and her dad had to make pumpkin pie because each of them makes “the best” pie. The rest of us took a slice of each, enjoyed them, and avoided taking sides!

Because I wasn’t held hostage in the kitchen, I was able to fully participate and take photos of the day’s happenings. You can thank me later for not sharing more of them here. 🙂 In all seriousness, the holidays are for you and those you love. The silly faces, your special traditions, even the holiday mishaps are your stories, your memories. They are the photos that will be treasured by your family, but perhaps not by everyone on social media.

As we continue into the holiday season, write the next chapter in your story. Write it just the way you want tit to be. Build on old traditions. Create new ones. Do a little of both. Cook the food your family enjoys, take the photos even if they aren’t perfect, savor the moments in your heart. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or even says. In this instance, it is only you and your loved ones that matter.

May all of your stories have happy endings.

XOXO

Mix It Up Friday – Holiday Flavors

25 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Food Friday, Mix It Up Friday

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cookies, cranberry, easy, Gingerbread, Holiday baking, King Arthur Flour, King Arthur Flour baking mix, molasses, orange, scones

As we approach the hectic holiday season, mix it up takes on a whole new meaning! Decorating, holiday events, shopping, on top of all of the “regular” life’s stuff make for crazy times. Though we enjoy holiday baking from scratch, sometimes you need a “lifeline” in the form of a mix when it comes to an unexpected gift or a need for a last minute gift. With King Arthur Flour mixes, we are here to help!

This week, I am baking with King Arthur Flour’s Traditional Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix. What a versatile mix! Notice the cake or cookies in the name. It can be used to make either, or both. And, as an added bonus, if you choose to make cookies, you have a choice between rolled and cut shapes, or drop cookies. This is almost certainly a “must have” mix to keep in your pantry just in case!

I probably should have ordered two boxes and tried both the cake and the cookies, but at the time I was ordering, I was in a cookie mood. Based on their delicious taste though, I do feel confident in saying that the cake would not disappoint!

It doesn’t get any easier than dumping butter, egg, water, and the package of mix in the mixer bowl and turning it on! If you make the cake, the recipe uses vegetable oil instead of butter.

As I said, I made the sugar topped drop cookies. I used a cookie scoop (approximately 2 TBS…it didn’t have a measure on it) and dipped the balls in King Arthur Flour Sparkling White Sugar. They are then placed on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet, flattened a bit, and baked for 12-14 minutes. I got two dozen cookies. Mine were bigger than the box suggests.

Really, it doesn’t get any easier!

King Arthur Flour’s Traditional Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix

King Arthur Flour’s Traditional Gingerbread Cake and Cookie Mix – 6 pack

from Tracey G

I had bought this King Arthur Flour Cranberry Orange Scone Mix so I could compare it with the homemade version of Cranberry Orange Scones I’d made back in September. I wanted to see if a mix could be as yummy as a homemade version of the same item, and I am happy to report that yes, this mix performs admirably! It’s every bit as good as the homemade version – I have been thoroughly enjoying them! And, as per suggestion on the box, I made up a quick icing/glaze to gild the lily with and it just ups the “yum” factor in my opinion!

It’s a very, and I mean VERY simple mix to make. It requires a few ingredients from you, such as salt, butter, milk and an egg. The salt gets mixed into the mix, the butter then gets cut into it (I used my pastry cutter for that) and then you combine the 1/2 cup of milk with the egg, and add it to the dry ingredients in the bowl, and mix until just combined. At this point, you have two options, you can either use a scoop/spoon/measuring cup and make “drop” scones, or you can pat into an 8-inch circle and cut into wedges, 8 to be exact. I chose to pat mine into a circle, purely for the aesthetic reason – I like my scones shaped into triangles!

Now, you bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool for at least 5 before eating or glazing then eating. I chose to mix up some glaze, and, I then “glazed as needed”. Their glaze recipe on the box calls for powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest. I chose to just go with simple glaze from powdered sugar, milk and a smidge of vanilla extract. And let me say it was pretty darn yummy with that, lol.

That about sums up my experience with the KAF mix for Cranberry Orange Scones. There’s really not much to report on the taste/texture other than they are easy to make, quick to bake and delicious to eat – I don’t think any more needs to be said!

King Arthur Flour Cranberry Orange Scone Mix

You can also check out the page they have for using any scone mix of your choosing to make some other yummy treats as well! Soc check out: “Scone Mix Magic”

I’d also like to add a little note here that in honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Kris and I have decided to add an extra little “goody” to our Sift Magazine Giveaway – have a peek at the post to find out!! We think you’ll like it! 😉

SIFT With Us! – A Giveaway

22 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on SIFT With Us! – A Giveaway

It’s time to start thinking about holiday baking. To provide a bit of inspiration, we are giving away a copy of the 2017 Holiday Edition of Sift Magazine, published by King Arthur Flour. Leave a comment on this post and let us know what you hope to bake for the coming holidays.

We will choose a random winner at 11pm Central Time on Thursday November 30th.

The good news is that you can enter every day between now and then. Just stop by and leave us a comment each day.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

We are sweetening the deal and adding a $25 King Arthur Flour Gift Card! Keep Commenting! You may enter one time every day between now and November 30th!

Tuesday In Texas – Giving Thanks

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

I am going to address the elephant in the room immediately…Thanksgiving IS NOT my favorite holiday. In fact, I loathe the “traditional” Thanksgiving celebration. There. I said it. Think what you will about me. That’s OK.

The only thing I remember about Thanksgivings as a child is that my mom always pulled out the china and polished the silver and I had to be dressed up when I sat down at the table. I hated that! It all seemed about show and not the meaning of the day. As an adult, I now totally understand my visceral dislike of the way things were way back then. I don’t like anything that lacks substance, that is purely for show. That’s the way I now remember the Thanksgivings of my youth. I don’t remember any people. No year stands out. It is somewhat disconcerting to me that I have zero positive memories of traditional family Thanksgiving celebrations.

And a second confession…I don’t really care for roasted turkey.

The memories that I do have around Thanksgiving begin when I was a young adult.

I was a newlywed and a graduate student as was my best friend at the time. We decided that we were going to be grown up and prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal together for our husbands. Let me say up front that neither one of us had any idea what we were doing. We yanked out the cookbooks (we each had gotten the obligatory red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook as a wedding present) and began planning our menu. We went the traditional route of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, and rolls. We did that because that was what you were supposed to do as an adult. I am happy to report that we did OK for two music theorists who had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

Then came the gravy. We made it and then realized neither of us had a gray boat. The horror! Did you know that you can serve gravy out of a soup bowl and it tastes just as good, or as bad, as it does from a gray boat?

The four of us continued to celebrate Thanksgivings together throughout our several years in graduate school. The gravy boat, or lack thereof, continued to be a running joke. And, our cooking got better. By the time we each graduated and went our separate ways, we had nearly perfected the traditional Thanksgiving meal.

As an aside, this friend and I lost contact with each other for about twenty years. During that time, we both divorced. Last year we reconnected when she was back in Dallas for a conference. Despite all that had gone on in our lives since our first Thanksgiving together, we still remembered and laughed about the whole gravy boat issue.

Once I had children of my own, I thought that I had to do the Thanksgiving thing “right.” I wanted my kids to have better (any?) memories of family Thanksgivings than I did. This was great until at age 3 my oldest proclaimed that she was a vegetarian. She is about to be twenty-eight and is still a vegetarian.

As my girls got older, they began to cook. In our family, everyone had their favorite My oldest always made the pies, the youngest was in it for the green bean casserole. My ex-husband made the turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes. My job was mashed potatoes, fruit salad, and homemade bread. It worked out. And it was all OK. But, I still never really developed a liking for turkey.

To this day, the preparation of the Thanksgiving meal always feels like way too much time and effort both in the preparation and the clean up. And, once you include everyone’s favorite dishes, There is always way too much food. As my daughter says, you miss the rest of the long weekend because you are in a food coma.

Add to all of that, Thanksgiving comes at the end of the semester for me. I’m tired. I have lots of grading to do. I have final exams to write. All I really want to do is sleep late and stay in my pajamas for three days. I know. This is not the right attitude, but it’s the one I have. 🙂

And then there are those who are ready to put up the Christmas decorations as soon as the last plates from their Thanksgiving feast are in the dishwasher. I can’t even…

I want to celebrate Thanksgiving by being thankful for time spent with my family. I don’t want to be too tired to enjoy their company because I obsessed about preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal. so this year, we are trying something new, a more casual meal.

I am making a vegetarian soup, either potato or broccoli and cheese. My ex-husband’s partner is making chili for the meat eaters among us. My youngest daughter is making cinnamon apples. I am making salad and some kind of dessert other than pumpkin pie because my oldest daughter and her dad are having pumpkin pie wars. They are both making one because each is convinced that theirs is the best.

We’ll eat and play games together. We’ll enjoy spending some quality time together now that all of us are busy with work…except my husband who is retired. And notice who is not cooking! Lol! In his defense, the past few years when we have had turkey, he has smoked it, which, if I have to eat turkey, is how I prefer it. We’ll see how this year goes. Hopefully we can focus on truly giving thanks for each other, for our time together, and for all of our many blessings.

The only one who has not bought in to this plan is my youngest daughter. She still wants turkey. But, she is a newlywed and her husband has agreed to make a turkey for her. Do you think I should buy her a gravy boat? Thirty five years later, I still don’t have one. 🙂

However you and your family choose to celebrate this holiday, remember to treasure each other and your time together. Giving thanks is more important than someone else’s definition of Thanksgiving.

Blessings to you and those you love,

Kris

Monday In Michigan – Happy Friendsgiving, It’s A Thing!!

20 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by Tracey Somos-Gehring in Monday in Michigan

≈ Comments Off on Monday In Michigan – Happy Friendsgiving, It’s A Thing!!

Growing up, Thanksgiving was one of those Holidays we always spent with friends. My immediate family was small, so long-time family friends WERE my family. And we always celebrated with them. Usually a pretty good-sized group, and always fun. Best part was that even though it would be at one person’s home, because they had the space for the gang, everyone pitched in – it was a group effort. Everyone was in charge of a dish, and then we kids were in charge of the washing dishes, lol. Which, I think we played around in the water more than we washed anything and we got booted out of that job usually – smart kids, lol!!

But this is where my thoughts on Thanksgiving came into play – it was a holiday to be celebrated with friends, family too – but mostly it was friends. As I got older, it was just mom and I, and we’d spend it generally going in two different directions, I was headed out to make and have dinner with my group of friends, and she was headed out to her group for much of the same. I imagine I go against a lot of the norm (I always do!), but it’s how myself, and of course a lot of my friends, celebrated the holiday – to me it made so much sense when I recently saw the term, “Friendsgiving”, my first thought was “Yes! Someone gets it!”

So, with that said, that’s why for me, Thanksgiving has always been about a potluck dinner. One person made the meat of choice, and the rest of us either brought a dish, or even more fun, we made it there as part of the festivities. I feel awkward when I go to a dinner where I didn’t participate somehow. It makes me feel like a child, and that’s the only way I can think of to describe it. I’m an adult, and I can cook, and more importantly, I like to cook! Therefore, I like to contribute! Plus, I have so many good and fun memories of either helping or just being involved somehow. I need to help! I need to be a part of it because that’s what my best memories of Thanksgiving involve – the most fun was had by all of us creating the meal! The poor mashed potatoes we laughed about for years because it was decided to use the electric hand-held mixer to make them and they turned into paste, or the year my mom put too much sage into the dressing – things like that are what I remember, plus the laughing and the fun we all had because of these things.

So, please, if you ever invite me to Thanksgiving, don’t let me just sit there waiting to be served! I want to help, I want to cook and I want to create some fun memories of all of us having a great time creating the meal that I know I won’t remember anyway – it’s the journey to that meal I remember!!!!

Happy Friendsgiving to you all, and Happy Thanksgiving too!!

Tracey

xoxo

Food Friday – November 2017 King Arthur Bakealong Challenge: Cinnamon Star Bread

17 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Food Friday, King Arthur Flour Bakealong

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

baking, bread, cinnamon, dessert, easy, King Arthur Flour, King Arthur Flour Bakealong Challenge, snack

The Final Product – TG

Shoot for the stars and end up with a lot of cinnamon pastry!”

– Sifted Together

It’s Bakealong Week!

In the words of King Arthur, “The holidays are coming, and it’s time to bake something that’s as striking as it is delicious — like this Cinnamon Star Bread. While it may look difficult, this pretty star is actually quite easy: some simple cuts and twists, a short rise, into the oven, and 20 minutes later you’ve got a spectacular centerpiece.”

Well, yes and no. LOL!

The dough for the Cinnamon Start bread is both simple to make and simple to work with, which is a good thing since the building of the bread requires a great deal of rolling. And the process for creating the beautiful star shape is easy enough. It’s the in and out of the oven that makes all the difference. How does the dough rise and reshape itself during the baking process? For two perfectionist, losing control during these fifteen minutes in the oven proved frustrating, annoying, and, yes, hilarious at times.

We probably had more back and forth communication about this recipe than any other that we have worked on for the blog. So this week we share with you:

“A Tale of 2, 3, 4…Stars”

The saga begins on Saturday November 11, 2017.

Tracey: Star bread dough is on the rise…

(An hour later) First star bread being built now.

First Star Bread in shaping process – TG

(About an hour so later….)

Not thrilled with the outcome. Will make one more either today or tomorrow. My dough was weird – not sure if it was due to doubling or not. I don’t like the way mine look at all. Good thing they are easy.

Kris: Sorry about your bread. That is not encouraging for me.

Tracey: I’m building Apple Braids now, saving my ego a bit, lol! But, I will make another one and see how that goes – and I’ll report.

(Report…)

Edges dark, can’t see the cinnamon lines, etc…just weird.

Oh well, at least fails in the looks department will taste good…I hope. LOL

OK, as for taste testing – wow! Major yum!

Batch 3 of dough mixing now.

Kris: I guess I should try mine this afternoon in case I need multiple attempts.

Tracey: Looks aside, this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.

I got the dough mixed and it still had that weird texture. It could be potato flakes rather than potato flour. I used the lower end of the water the first go around, so I added the extra this time. We’ll see how it turns out when ready to roll, build, etc. A positive thought is that it is fairly quick and easy.

Kris: I’ll give it a go today, then.

Tracey: It’s not a “chore-type” feeling. Usually by this point I’d be bored and want to quit, but I’m still fairly gung-ho! The filling is only sugar and cinnamon. Each layer is brushed with beaten egg and sprinkled with the cinnamon and sugar. After it’s stacked, you cut and twist. That’s it.

Kris: What happened with your first one?

Tracey: The dough was just weird. I have no idea how to describe it. It just didn’t feel right. It was tearing a bit, too. It looked OK when first twisted, but the shape blobbed out more than did the one they show in the recipe. Then it blobbed more as it baked – lost the star shape and stripes of cinnamon sugar. I’m hoping that the next one is more “structured” looking.

First Baked Cinnamon Star Bread – TG

Kris: It doesn’t look that bad.

Ingredients collected and I’m ready to start.

My dough is now rising.

Tracey: My dough is just about done rising…

Kris: I need some of your energy and enthusiasm right now!

Tracey: #3 twisted and rising. Dough looks better this time.

#3 Twisted and Rising – TG

Kris: That one looks beautiful!

Tracey: Let’s see how it holds up to baking. I didn’t let it rise as long. I just popped it into the oven…lowered the temp to 375 instead of 400…and I can’t stop eating this stuff!!!

Just peeked and its spreading again, just like the others. And, I forgot to brush with the egg before baking.

I may make one more tomorrow…I have one more idea to try – backing down the potato flakes. Good thing this stuff freezes. I’ll have bread for days!

I’m definitely doing one more tomorrow. Just pulled it out of the oven and it looks the same, maybe a smidge better, but not what I want…

Kris: Yikes! You are seriously making me doubt my abilities here!

Tracey: Don’t let me worry you. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with my dough. It never gets fully smooth. Let me know how your potato flour version goes. You have actually potato flour, right?

Kris: Nope. I’m using flakes, too.

FAIL #1!!! I set the biscuit cutter in the center to mark my circle and darn if it didn’t cut through two layers. So, I’ll definitely be doing it again!

Attempt #1 Fail – KB

Tracey: ROTFLMAO! What a pair we are! Maybe it won’t affect the final outcome. Honestly, I’m interested to see how it bakes up with the “extra” circle lines.

Kris: I think the ends closest to the center are going to puff up and come apart. If I had any extra dough I would just make a “cover” for my messy middle. 🙂

Tracey: I do want to see how it turns out. It looks cool raw.

I just keep looking at my “cut” ends and how they puff out. Theirs don’t do that. I do use the gold yeast for sweet dough. I wonder if that could affect the puffiness?

Maybe my twists aren’t tight enough. I have no idea why this is making me crazy, LOL! It’s becoming a freaking obsession!

Kris: I don’t know if I can be friends with someone who has saggy twists.

Tracey: LMFAO! Oh my! I’m so glad I’d not just taken a drink of tea or it would have ended up all over my laptop!!!

Kris: I did my first point one piece at a time. On the others, I twisted them at the same time.

Tracey: Yep. That’s what I did too.

Kris: It is about to go in the oven. The truth will soon reveal itself.

Tracey: I can’t wait. 🙂

Kris: I suspect that I will have you beat on the blob factor. The tips are getting super puffy.

Tracey: This is becoming like the Focaccia Challenge…if at first you don’t succeed…

Kris: For me, it’s more like WHEN at first you don’t succeed. Lol!

Mine looks more like a daisy at the moment, with two more minutes in the oven.

Tracey: Lol! but it still has petals, I bet.

Kris: I will definitely be making another tomorrow.

Tracey: I’m like a dog and bone with this one. Jeremy ended up taking Harry out for dinner because there is no cooking of dinner happening here tonight.

Kris: Flower Power!

Attempt #1 Flower Power – KB

Tracey: Oh my gosh though, that looks lovely. I can see the individual petals!

Kris: I must have done my ends wrong. They look too rounded.

Tracey: They look good to me and I’ve been studying these things all day!

Kris: OMG! This stuff is delicious!

Tracey: Good stuff, isn’t it!? Yours look so pretty, lol. I’m green with envy. I have star envy.

Kris: That would be daisy envy. 🙂

Tracey: Ha. Flour envy.

Kris: You win! 🙂

There seem to be no issues around here with me having to make another batch of bread. Glad it at least tastes good!

SUNDAY November 12

Kris: Are you up and baking again?

Tracey: I was lazy and dumped all of my baking tools in the dishwasher last night with the intention of running it on delay start and forgot…I was going to jump right in, but now I’m drinking coffee and waiting for it to do its thing. And, reading reviews on the Bakealong page to see if there are any hints. Plus, I changed the batteries in my scale since it started acting up yesterday as well…maybe that’s part of the issue, inaccuracy from the start. That, and bad twists. 🙂

Batch #3 is mixing. I messed with it and let it knead in the mixer for quite awhile. I didn’t adjust potato flakes. It still has that slightly gritty, not elastic, feel when I stretched it a bit. In my hand it would break. I’m hoping it will be a better dough.

There was nothing in the KA reviews or blog post to help me.

Kris: Our first one is gone! I gave away a quarter of it, but the three of us have eaten the rest. 🙁

Tracey: Jeremy, Harry, and I have finished one and are working on another.

I bumped my Vietnamese cinnamon up in this one, to a full TBS.

12:56pm

Tracey: Attempt 944.2 is in the oven.

Attempt #944.2 – TG

Kris: Pretty!

Tracey: And I remembered to brush with the egg!

Still not what I’m trying to achieve Even though I totally lost the star in the middle, it looks better…not so blobby.

Not So Blobby #944.2 -TG

And crazy as this sounds, I’m in a mental debate with myself over trying one…more…time. I just told Jeremy that now I feel like I’m playing the slots. Just one more pull…just one more!

I’m trying one more. I must be insane!

Kris: Your perfectionism has gotten the best of you. Or, it’s a good excuse to eat more! 🙂

Tracey: I never get this crazed! I mean, yeah, the perfectionism is always there, but this is almost out of control. Lol! Maybe in the midst of busy December I might appreciate a “coffee cake” or ten in the freezer. 🙂

The VERY LAST batch is mixing and kneading now. This is it! I have a few shaping thoughts, and that’s it. And of course, Jeremy is teasing me about some of the ends not being perfect – just to get my goat.

Kris: VERY LAST?! I’m holding you to that.

Tracey: I just don’t think I have another attempt in me.

Kris: Just so you know, we are not friends anymore because you have led me astray. Attempt #2 is rising. I succumbed to peer pressure.

Tracey: Oh no! I guess you’ll have to pay your therapy bill now so you’ll stay my friend! Lol!

Kris: And buy me new pants. Lol!

Tracey: This explains it…

Yep, it’s not me, it’s Evil Dough – TG

Kris: Just say “no” to grams.

Tracey: Considering all of the hassles I’ve been through, that confirms it. This is an evil recipe!

Shaping done.

Shaping Complete! – TG

Kris: They always look fantastic at this point.

Tracey: It’s after this point that it has all the issues.

Final attempt in the oven.

I just checked and my ends are coming apart again.

I’m giving up. How many times can I do the same thing and get the same or close to the same results no matter what I do. It’s kind of a big puffy flower this time.

Kris: In the words of Einstein, ““The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”

Assembling now.

Tracey: Fresh out of the oven.

Last One Out – TG

Kris: This one feels sloppier than the last.

Attempt #2 Looking Sloppy – KB

At least I learn from my mistakes. I did not cut through the center this time. 🙂

Tracey: Why do the simplest recipes cause us the most trouble?

Kris: I think it is our perfectionist nature, not the recipes. I suspect that most people would have been content with our first attempts. Well…yours. My “flour power” attempt was a definite fail!

In the oven.

Are you happy with your last one?

I’m not happy with this one. 🙁 I’m going to have to photograph it somehow though because I don’t think I have another attempt in me.

Attempt #2 Out of the Oven -KB

MONDAY November 13

Kris: I’m going to try to photograph mine from yesterday, but I may end up trying again.

Tracey: Oh no! Don’t go down that road. You saw what happened to me. It’s a slippery slope for sure!

Kris: I got home from school and took pictures of last night’s bread. I’m going to hope that something works just in case I don’t get another batch made. I wish I was good with PS and could put the points from my first attempt on the center of my second. But, that is so far beyond my editing skills thus it would take way less time to just make another. Lol!

TUESDAY November 14

Kris: Third time is a charm, right? It’s rising.

Tracey: It should be, but I made the dough four times. 🙂

Kris: It’s in the oven…deja vous??? Lol! I got distracted and it rose a little too long.

Tracey: That may be the key.

Kris: Not sure it’s any different. My middle doesn’t have the star shape. 🙁

Attempt #3 – KB

Tracey: LOL! It’s pretty though. It looks really nice. I’ve come to the conclusion this is the only way they are ever going to look. Mine doesn’t have a star middle either. None of them did! They are all skewed.

The Final Product Dusted With Powdered Sugar – KB

***

And this is how the newest constellation, Cinnamon Star Bread, came into being. Exactly how many starts it may grow to be is still yet to be determined.

Have fun with this recipe. And, if your stars come out perfectly on the first try, please don’t tell us about it! Our egos are fragile at the moment.

Just kidding! Feel free to add all of your wacky and beautiful stars to our constellation of Cinnamon Star Bread Tag your photos with #siftedtogether on Instagram.

King Arthur Flour November 2017 Bakealong – Cinnamon Star Bread

Tuesday In Texas – A Trip Through Slumpsville

14 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

I’ve known for weeks that this was my week to write our early week post. I often wait until the eleventh hour to physically write, but most of the time, my rough draft has been written and rewritten in my mind for days or weeks before I actually sit down with pen and paper. I compare my process to that of making soup. All of the ingredients are there in the making, but the soup itself is much better after a day or two. All of my thoughts are in my head; they too are much better if they mull around there together for awhile before they are served up on paper. Unfortunately, that it is not the case this week. The ingredients were not there for the making. My head was more like clear broth.

Right now, I am in the midst of a full-fledged creative slump. Not just with my writing, but with everything that requires even the slightest bit of creativity – writing, photography, cooking, even choosing my clothes in the morning. Everything I do feels mediocre and uninspired. I haven’t written much at all in the last couple of weeks; my recent photos all seem to be of coffee and yarn; and, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or nachos are as far as my culinary creativity extends. I’m not even creative with the types of bread or flavors of jam on my PB&Js. It’s oatmeal bread and red plum jam. As I write this, I realize just how deep down my slump goes.

I do know that no one lives perpetually on a creative high, that the peaks and valleys are a natural part of the process. I also know that for me personally, the final lap towards the end of the semester always zaps my energy, both creative and physical, so I really shouldn’t be surprised to find myself in the midst of a creative void at that moment. That said, I still don’t like the way it feels.

In the words of Ichiro Suzuki

If I’m in a slump, I ask myself for advice.

I’ve done some thinking and searching about this predicament and how I might face it, endure it, and ultimately get through it. Perhaps some of these thoughts might speak to you should you ever find yourself in a similar place. If not, at least the process of writing has been cathartic for me.

I am a creature of habit. In terms of getting things done, like work responsibilities and daily chores, that’s a good thing. In terms of eating only peanut butter and red plum jelly sandwiches on oatmeal bread…and for my creative spirit…it probably is not such a good thing. For the creative spirit, with routine often comes monotony and boredom, the very things I am feeling about my creative process at the moment. Maybe making changes, small changes, will help my slump. Perhaps getting up fifteen minutes earlier and noticing the slightly different morning light, or the early birdsong, or the fresh dew on the grass will make a difference. What if I didn’t eat lunch at my desk while I catch up emails, but instead ate outside? And to really break my routine, what if I have creamy peanut butter and apple butter on whole wheat bread!

In all seriousness, it seems to me that routine is a good thing for productivity, but not so much for creativity. Productivity, to me, is a measure of quantity. I got all the things done. Creativity is a measure of quality. What I did is imaginative, is original, is inspired. Yes, I realize that there can be an intersection of productivity and creativity, but there isn’t for me at that moment. I am being productive. I am not being creative.

As I said, this is a tough time of the semester and I know that I am not doing a good job of taking care of myself, particularly with regard to getting enough sleep. A tired body and an equally tired mind don’t create very well. A body that is not well fed and exercised can not create very well. I could probably stop right here with these three strikes against me. Not enough sleep, not enough exercise, and not enough healthy food…no wonder I can’t create anything!

Now, at the risk of sounding contradictory, I also believe that being still may be another key to moving beyond a creative slump. With stillness comes peace, calm, quiet, and freedom. In such moments of stillness, we make time and room for the muse to speak and, more importantly, time for the muse to be heard.

My final realization about living through a creative slump is that I need to try to stay positive and gracefully embrace where I am in the moment. My intellectual self knows that there is something to be taught by every experience, especially when the experience is a tough one. My artistic self, however, still finds this hard to accept and even harder about which to remain positive. When it comes right down to it though, do I really have a choice? There is no doubt that slipping into the realm of negativity is a sure road to disaster.

So for now, I’ll endure my position in the slump, try to keep my chin up, take care of my body and spirit as best I can, and attempt to move beyond peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

And I’ll believe wholeheartedly that this too shall pass.

Food Friday – You Say Potato, We Say Bread

10 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by Kris Baker in Food Friday

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Tags

baking, bread, easy, flat bread, King Arthur Flour, potato, rolls, soft wrap bread, wrap bread

I love it when bread recipes roll around in the Food Friday rotation. When it comes to my own weekly bread baking, I tend to stick with my tried and true recipes, the ones that I know won’t disappoint me and that I’ve made so many times that I don’t have to think too much when I make them. Week’s like this, however, force me out of my comfort zone and demand that I try something new. With this week’s recipe for King Arthur Flour’s Amish Dinner Rolls, I am most grateful for the nudge to make something new. These are by far the best dinner rolls that I have ever made!

What’s their secret? Mashed potatoes. Yep. The recipe calls for a cup of unseasoned mashed potatoes. A good-sized russet potato yields about a cup of mashed potatoes. I used a bit of whipping cream and hand mashed the potatoes. The potato starch makes for a tender bread with a light crumb. Using potato also extends the “shelf life” of your bread, keeping it soft for several days.

The process of making the Amish Dinner Rolls takes several hours; that is due to two longish rise times, ninety minutes to two hours, rather than many and/or difficult steps. In fact, these rolls couldn’t be any easier to make. All of the ingredients – flour, mashed potatoes, salt, sugar, yeast, eggs, butter, and water – are all mixed together and left for their first rise. The dough is then gently punched down and the individual rolls are formed, 16 large or 24 small. I made fifteen because they fit in my pan better. 🙂 Once shaped and placed in the pan, the rolls rise again. They then bake for 20-25 minutes.

If baked in a 9×13 pan, the rolls rise together and touch, making them almost like a pull-a-part bread. They can also be placed on a larger pan so that they bake as individual rolls. When baked such that they are touching, the sides of the rolls remain soft and unbronwned. My preference is to bake them this way, but to each her/his own. 🙂

Despite having made hundreds of loaves of bread in my lifetime, I did learn something new today. The recipe calls for these rolls to be baked in a 9×13 pan. I don’t have a metal 9×13 pan; I only have glass. I always bake my loaves in metal pans. I had to stop and look up to see what impact baking in glass would have on my rolls. As it turns out, glass pans cook hotter than do metal pans. I read several discussion on this issue. Most agree that when baking bread in a glass pan, the cooking temperature should be adjusted downward, some say 25 degrees and others say ten percent. This left me in a quandary because I know that my oven is cooler than the temperature reads. The recipe calls for the Amish Dinner Rolls to bake at 350 degrees. Because of the “character” of my oven, I went ahead and used that setting. I ended up baking the rolls for the full 25 minutes. The good thing about baking in glass is that you can monitor the browning of your bread on both the tops and the sides. I am always grateful for a day when I learn something new!

When all was said and done, the Amish Dinner Rolls received two thumbs-up from everyone at my house and a request that we have them with our Thanksgiving meal followed. Easy enough!

If you are looking for a nice roll to offer with your Thanksgiving meal, I strongly recommend these! Just remember to save a cup of mashed potatoes before you add all the delicious seasonings!

Who knew that the secret ingredient in fantastic homemade bread would be potatoes! We promise not to give away your secret! 🙂

King Arthur Flour Amish Dinner Rolls

from Tracey G.

This recipe intrigued me right from the get-go, there was just something that sounded seriously fun about making flat bread, especially SOFT wrap flat bread! I’d never attempted it, and it sounded pretty darn easy to do. So, I took on the task of making King Arthur Flour’s Soft Wrap Bread.

It’s a little different, in the way it’s done – part of the flour is “cooked” with boiling water, then allowed to cool a bit before you add the rest of the flour and ingredients. This does take a little extra time, so I had to plan ahead a wee bit. Not a lot of extra time, but there’s this cool-down, then a rise, then a rest to factor in.

Basically, what you do is add boiling water to the majority of the flour and mix it up until it’s smooth. I stopped the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides, just to make sure it was mixing as it should. Once you’ve done that, and it’s combined well, it gets covered and allowed to cool for about 30 minutes or so. While that’s doing it’s thing, you combine the rest of the ingredients, which includes: the remaining flour, potato flour or potato flakes (I still haven’t purchased any potato flour, so I used my instant mashed potato flakes), salt, yeast and vegetable oil.

Add this to your flour/boiling water mixture and it gets kneaded now into a soft dough. I used my stand mixer for this and it’s stated that you can use your hands, bread machine’s knead setting/cycle or a stand mixer. It took a little bit of time, but it all came together just as it was stated it would. Now comes the rising time. I just covered my mixer bowl and set it in my oven for the hour it called for.

Once it’s risen, you divide it into 8 pieces, approximately 3 ounces each, and let them rest for 15-30 minutes. I allowed them to rest for the full 30 minutes. After they’ve had their little break, you roll each piece out into a 7 or 8 inch circle. I had no troubles rolling them out at all, the dough was so nice to work with! I did use my KAF silicone rolling mat, and only had to use the lightest dusting of flour while rolling. I found they rolled better with very little extra “rolling” flour. But regardless, the dough was smooth and easy to shape and roll, it was actually quite a bit of fun! And the key is the potato flour/potato flakes and the “cooking” of the flour with the boiling water – that really helps the dough be one that’s easy to work with and roll out.

Once you get a few rolled out, you start dry-frying them in a skillet. It’s mentioned that you may have to adjust the heat to get the right balance for cooking them – not too hot to burn outside, but leave a raw center or alternatively, too cool to where you have to cook them for too long and they dry out. I was lucky, for some reason I hit the right temperature from the start and they cooked up easily into the wonderful little soft wrap flat breads they’re meant to be! You cook them until they puffed and flecked with brown spots. The Flourish blog article on them and the recipe they use them for, states that if they develop large bubbles, you can just flatten them out or allow the steam to escape via a small puncture, as they are supposed to be flat breads and not pitas.

Dry Frying the Soft Wrap Bread

When all was said and done, I had some that stayed liked a pita, and some that were solid, but it didn’t matter, they were still deliciou, soft and “wrappable” around any filling! They are good plain on their own or filled/wrapped around something. I am once again of the opinion that I can’t believe I made these in my own home – they are easy, and freezable so I can have them ready and waiting in my freezer! I did make a double batch and it was really easy to pull off, it made 16, and they’ve been so good with anything, that I have a feeling none of them will actually make it to the freezer this go around!! I know I will be making them as often as I need them and will keep a supply in the freezer – there is no reason to buy this sort of thing ever again, with just a bit of my time, I created something I like much better than any of the store-bought versions!!

This recipe for Soft Wrap Bread falls under the “you’ve gotta try this!” category for me!! They’re crazy easy and yummy. Seriously, you’ve got to try this!