Christmas dreams for the baker in your circle

Do you have a friend, co-worker or relative who just lives to bake? They are always delivering joy in the form of cookies, pies, breads and more? Their Christmas gift is now a no-brainer - just deliver some shopping joy at King Arthur Flour.

King Arthur Flour is so much more than flour! It’s a baker’s nirvana. They have every type of speciality flour imaginable, plus all the professional baking additives that will ramp up your homemade yummies!

It doesn’t stop there. At KAF, your recipient can get all the best, tested equipment for baking - and even cooking. Plus they have signature flavorings, mixes, spices, nuts and so much more. The only conundrum that comes with a KAF gift certificate would be how to spend it.

I’ve been using KAF products for years, and I really, really recommend them.

Angel Food with a heart healthy whole grain flair

Updated on Friday, March 26, 2010 at 12:32 by mavenandmeddler

I’ve been a big fan of angel food cake since my Swiss great grandmother used to make it. It was light, tender and meltingly wonderful. As I grew up, it was great to know that angel food cake was one of those seemingly sinful desserts that I could have instead of something truly calorie laden.

However, since my conversion to the whole grain model, I’ve had to leave out my angel food cake - until now.

Yes, it is possible to bake an angel food cake with the newer ‘white’ whole wheat flour that’s become available in recent years from places like King Arthur Flour in Vermont, or Hodgson Mill. The resulting cake will be a little bit more dense and not as high (the rise) than one made with refined white cake flour, but we all find the results perfectly acceptable. In fact, guests have said they wouldn’t have known the difference had I not made mention of the whole grain difference.

Here is the Hodgson Mill recipe:

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Healthy 12 grain and boiled apple cider cake

Again, this cake is a breeze to whip up, and it’s so delicious that you’d swear it couldn’t possibly be healthy, too.

The secret to the nutrition is King Arthur Flour 12-Grain Flour. The secret to the taste is the Wood’s Cider Mill boiled cider syrup. Maple or cane sorghum syrup would be good choices, too.

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Carrot Ginger Nine Grain Muffins

We’ve been on a muffin kick of late at the workplace, so I had to see if I could up the bar just a little bit with something along the multi-whole grains line.

These turned out quite good in fact, and I hope you’ll try them.

I used the 9-Grain flour blend from King Arthur Flour. I love working with some of these really intriguing whole grain blends offered by King Arthur, as I’m also looking to up the flavor in addition to banning the plain, the white, the refined, the blah from my diet for something nutritionally richer.

These were ever so light, with a really nice rise, and were very tender crumb and even texture. The flavor was balanced and wonderful, especially the day after - I baked Sunday and took them to work on Monday.

The recipe follows:

Carrot Ginger Nine Grain Muffins

1-3/4 cups King Arthur Nine-Grain Flour, or a combination of Whole Wheat, White Whole Wheat

1/2 cup Barley Flour

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Boiled apple cider: Hard to find but worth it

I finally found a good source of boiled apple cider, Wood’s Cider Mill Products in Springfield, Vermont. They appear to be the same supplier used when you buy the pint bottle of boiled cider from King Arthur Flour, also of Vermont. Kinda makes sense.

As I said, boiled cider can be hard to find, particularly out in the West, but the flavor is worthy of the search and the shipping price.

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Barley Butterscotch Cookie recipe

I don’t like butterscotch much. Yes, that’s totally from the fringes of the known universe - being almost as nuts as not liking chocolate. Butterscotch is one of those too sweet things that just don’t make it for me, though. That aside, I’ve got to try this recipe as soon as things settle down around here.

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Home-made pizza in one hour

Warm, zesty home-made pizza doesn’t need to be just a weekend idea. You can whip up a pizza on a work night, quickly and easily, and use up leftover meats and whatever cheese you have.

This is really a start to finish pizza meal in one hour. Make the salad while the pizza is baking.

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Simple Mustard Sauce for Vegetables or Meat

Sorry that I don’t hve a photo for this, as it’s something I just remembered that my family likes.

Take you pan drippings from a beef or pork roast and add to that:

1/2 cup bourbon to loosen the pan drippings.

Then add:

1/2 cup dijon style mustard

3/4 cup of half n half or fat free ‘creamer’

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried parsley

sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Bring it to a simmer while stirring, and let it thicken for about 5 minutes.

If you like a thicker gravy I always use a modified Corn Starch …. my favorite is from King Arthur Flour and is called Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener.

My nephew, Robert, graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of American (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. He told me that when he thickens any gravy or sauce this ingredient is the first thing he reaches for and gives much better results than say, corn starch.

Here are the benefits of the product from the King Arthur website:

Signature Secrets® Culinary Thickener $5.95

• Dissolves instantly in hot or cold liquid.
• Thicken soup, stew, pudding, and fillings.
• This all-purpose starch also keeps cookies soft, cakes moist, and keeps the fruit or chips in cakes and muffins from sinking to the bottom.
• 8 ounce package.