whole wheat biscuits

Before the flurry of holiday activity begins (or if you are just more organized than I am and have everything all sewn up), take a breather and relax. I made these whole wheat biscuits yesterday morning and they were perfect with coffee and a slather of butter and a dollop of cherry jam. However, they'd be equally wonderful served alongside soup or topped with sausage gravy and a poached egg.

Made with whole wheat flour and wheat germ, they are wholesome and nutty, light even. The rise on these however is not high, but these are not leaden lumps of dough by any means. I found the recipe on The Oyster Evangelist and Joy calls for them to be made in a cast iron skillet. Most of the biscuits managed to fit into the pan, but the leftovers I just baked on a cookie sheet and I couldn't tell the difference between the two.

whole wheat biscuits
(recipe adapted from The Oyster Evangelist)
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c wheat germ
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
6 T unsalted butter, cold
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 450F with a cast iron skillet inside the oven.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add in small cubes of cold butter and use your fingers to work through the mixture until you have pea-sized lumps of dough. In a measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt and milk and add it to the flour mixture, using a wooden spoon to stir it all up into a sticky mass of dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface, dusting additional flour over top and flatten with your hands until it's about an inch thick. Use biscuit cutters to cut out rounds, shaping out any leftover dough into discs and placing them on the hot cast iron skillet (or use a regular old cookie sheet). Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are dark.

irish soda bread with fennel & cinnamon

Heavy, dense, tasteless, dry. Often these are words used to describe the brick-of-a-loaf also known as Irish soda bread. Its bad rap had me wary but I overcame it when I saw Buff Chickpea's lovely looking loaf. The fact that it looked like a perfect vehicle for butter had me sold.

This bread is a quick bread, meaning there's no yeast to bother with. It's a snap to put together...if you can make a biscuit or a scone, this is no different. Plus, there are no eggs, so if you sub in the required non-dairies, you've got a great vegan bread. Normally, Irish soda bread is made with caraway seeds, but I didn't have any on hand and decided to try fennel seeds instead. Definitely, a great choice. Along with the cinnamon, it made the bread super flavourful and definitely not bland or boring.

It is a dense bread, but I didn't mind that one bit, and I definitely did not find this bread too dry. It was great smeared with cold butter the same day and it was even more wonderful toasted the following day. A dab of blackberry jam and a strong cup of coffee, this bread made for a filling breakfast. I don't think I'll have to wait for next St. Patrick's day to make this again.

irish soda bread with fennel & cinnamon

(adapted from Buff Chickpea)
1 c vanilla yogurt
1/3 c skim milk
1/3 c apple-cider vinegar
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
2 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
4 T cold butter, cut into bits
1 c wheat bran
2 T fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c raisins

1/2 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, milk, vanilla and apple cider and set aside to thicken. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add cold butter into the flour and use your hands to break it up until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With a wooden spoon, stir in wheat bran, fennel, cinnamon, and dried fruit.

Pour in milk/yogurt mixture and stir until the mixture starts to hold together into a ball. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Pat into a dome-shaped lump and place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silpat. Sprinkle some flour on top and cut a cross into the loaf. Bake for about 1 hour or so, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. This is best eaten the same day...or toasted the next day.

lookie lookie: chocolate chip banana bread with ginger

Delivered as promised. Banana bread. Chocolate chips? Check. Soft ginger melty bits? Check. Deliciousness? Oh yes! I found this recipe over at Molly's and it figures that if she could venture to try my recipe for a chocolate chip banana bread then I could try out one of hers. And, whoa Nelly, it's a good one!

I made this for a New Years Eve feast, but we were too stuffed from eating mussels and carelessly imbibing way too many different types of cocktails, that the banana bread got lost in the shuffle. A true shame. However, the next day we gladly cut into the loaf and loved each and every slice. The banana bread brimmed with chocolate chips, pecans and caramelized ginger bits...and the gingery bits were the best part. When making the loaf, I realized that I was out of candied ginger, but I did find a tiny box of ginger chewy candy, so I subbed that instead. Instead of remaining a solid chunk, like normal candied ginger, it melted and bubbled and turned into a hidden golden lump of gingery caramel. It was wonderful and made the loaf extra special.

Oh, and if you'd be so obliged, I'd love to be nominated for the Bloggies (which is some big deal blog award thingy) as Best Food Blog. Normally, I'm not one for asking for votes but lately, I feel the need to win something, anything! Or at least get nominated. Nominations close tomorrow, Monday January 12th at 10pm Eastern time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance.

chocolate chip banana bread with ginger
(recipe adapted from Orangette)
1 c sugar
1 large egg
½ c unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ripe medium-size bananas
3 T milk
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 c chocolate chips
Small chunks of candied ginger or soft ginger candies, to taste
½ c chopped roasted pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a loaf tin.

2. In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg and butter until fluffy. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a small bowl, mash together the bananas and milk and set aside.

3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with banana mixture in two parts, stirring until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, ginger, and pecans.

4. Pour batter into prepared tin, smoothing the batter with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes and then turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

healthy & wise: ginger-studded molasses bread

By Sunday evening, I felt my mojo returning. I was feeling healthy again, but I didn't want to bust up the joint by letting all hell break loose, so I started off with some wholesome baking. And I mean wholesome. Don't fool yourself that you are making gingerbread. This isn't very sweet and the ginger and molasses pack a powerful one-two punch. But it's also delicious and makes a very nice breakfast with strong coffee and a slice eaten late at night with a pot of tea still seems a little sinful.

When I first tasted this bread, I though that maybe I should have increased the candied ginger instead of adding in raisins. The ginger flavour was there but not as gingery as I was hoping. The next day however, the flavours had really intensified and I'm glad I didn't up the ginger ante. I decided to divide the batter into 2 loaf pans rather than make just one loaf. So I tightly wrapped the one destined for the freezer in plastic wrap to be enjoyed at a later date.


ginger-studded molasses bread
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c blackstrap molasses
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c candied ginger, diced
1/4 c raisins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Set aside.

2. In another large bowl, mix the brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, molasses and oil together. Beat in the flour mixture and then fold in the ginger and raisins.

3. Pour batter into a greased and floured bread tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

a great side: cheesy cornbread

I'm not a huge fan of cornbread. It can be dry or too moist or even greasy. But sometimes cornbread can be perfect, especially when served with a really spicy vegetarian chili or a colourful black bean salad. For me, it's something that doesn't stand up too well on its own, but it sure makes a great accompaniment.

This cornbread isn't too sweet or heavy. Its got a nice bit of texture from the frozen corn and the cheese is always a nice touch! Plus, it's super quick to whip up a batch in time for dinner. Don't have buttermilk, just use milk plus a teaspoon of vinegar for the same effect (or mix a little plain yogurt into the milk). Leftovers can be eaten cold from the fridge, but I like it best heated up in the oven for a bit just so the sides can get nice and crisp.

cheesy cornbread
1 c all purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 c + 1/4 c grated cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c frozen corn
1/4 c maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c canola oil

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together the first 6 ingredients, flour to 3/4 cup of cheese, reserving the rest of the cheese as a topping. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients, buttermilk to oil and pour into dry mixture, careful not to over mix. Pour batter into a greased 9x12 pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

i have reached biscuit nirvana: feather-light drop biscuits

I'm back from my bike travels and it was a good trip. No disasters, no road rash, just calm country island roads. There wasn't as much bike-riding as in our past rides, but it was leisurely and it was nice to be camping and enjoy time away from the computer. We went only on 2 of the Islands, Lopez and San Juan, which were very bike-friendly with lots of rolling hills and wide shoulders to ride on. All in all, I wasn't too keen on the small bit of the San Juans that we saw, I much prefer the hippy/laid-back vibes of the Canadian Gulf Islands. Oh well, I got to try Hawaiian shaved ice for the first time and now I've got to find some of that icy magic here in Vancouver.

I've been dreaming about the perfect biscuit for a long time. My very first try was a disaster and the results ended up in the trash bin. I then tried this recipe which worked well for me...easy to whip up, vegan-friendly and tasty. And while my biscuit making chops were satisfied at the time, I decided to venture out and try a new kind of biscuit: the winsome drop biscuit. Oh. My. What took me so long?

This recipe comes via Yum Sugar who used a Cooks Illustrated recipe and it does not disappoint. These are even easier to make since they don't require any fussy rolling or cutting. Just drop that slovenly blob of dough onto the cookie sheet and you are gravy (oh, gravy!). Enjoy.

feather-light drop biscuits
(Cooks Illustrated recipe)
2 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t sugar
3/4 t kosher salt
1 c cold buttermilk
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. Preheat oven to 475. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the buttermilk and melted butter. Apparently it should look like this (scroll down to #4), but mine never got to that stage. No worries if you don't get lumps, because my biscuits rocked and so will yours. Using a rubber spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until the mixture begins to pull away from the bowl. Don't over mix!

3. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a silpat (or parchment covered) cookie sheet, about 1.5 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tops are golden. Serve fresh from the oven. Lovely smeared with butter or jam.

the big bad banana: jacked-up banana bread

You should know by now that I do not like bananas. However, my one banana exception is for banana bread and it's funny that my most popular recipe is for banana bread. But I think I've found a match for the ever-delicious chocolate-chip laden and cinnamon-sugared crunch of the UBC cake. This one doesn't have chocolate or a heavy hand when it comes to spices, but that's not to say it is without kick. A nice glug of rum makes this bread even tempered but with a little bit of the crazy-eye. And every good cake needs a bit of crazy.


I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen particularly appealing since I had 3 very brown bananas tucked into the freezer. She adapted her recipe from another food blogger and I have adapted hers based on what I had around the kitchen. I didn't have a bottle of Wild Turkey laying about, so I subbed in some Jamaican amber rum and pecans for crunch. It's easy, delicious and I can't wait until I have a few more big bad bananas around so that I can mash them into submission for this cake. Scrumptious with fresh berries sprinkled about, or as my husband prefers, smeared with unsalted butter. It's good for an evening snack and even better for breakfast.

You better believe me that I was very sad to see this last slice go. One more thing...head over to the Food Network Canada blog to read my post on the Alibi Room. Finally, beer lovers in Vancouver have a place to revel that is not my living room. Hooray!


jacked-up banana bread
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 c melted Earth Balance margarine (but any light flavored oil or butter should do)
3/4 c lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 T rum
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 t baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 c of flour
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mash up your bananas and then add in the melted margarine and brown sugar. Mix about with a wooden spoon until well combined and then toss in the egg, rum and the rest of the spices. Add the baking powder and a pinch of salt and combine. Add the flour and then finally the pecans and pour batter into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven. When cooled slightly, remove from pan and put on rack to cool completely. Or just dive in when ready.

smitten with apples

There is nothing like a tart, crisp apple. I love apples and autumn and all the comforts that come along with it: hot apple cider, apple pies and those rare days of crisp autumn weather. Thankfully, this past weekend was all about the blue skies, sunshine and that crisp autumm air...and it was also the UBC Apple Festival! I've written about my apple extravaganza weekend for the Food Network blog (which should appear next week or so), but needless to say an apple festival is a pretty wonderful thing. Besides a whole lot of apple tasting and a bit of candy apple eating, I also came home with some BC-grown goodness: one bag of Jonamacs and one bag of organic Newtown Pippins. While the pippins are pretty good eating as is, I'm not too fond of the Jonamac's not-so-crisp texture. In my eyes, it's an apple destined for something more.

Yesterday I was in a baking mood. I was leaning towards a crumble or a cake, but as it was still morning, I figured something more wholesome and breakfast-friendly would be more suitable.


This quick bread is really easy to make even when you haven't filled your coffee quota for the day. I shared a slice with Cornelius shortly after it came out of the oven and I wasn't swayed...the bread was very apple-y, very dense and a bit too moist for my liking. So once it fully cooled (and after Cornelius grabbed a second slice of his very own), I put it in the fridge and promptly forgot about it. Until this morning, that is. After I poured myself a cup of coffee, I started rooting around the fridge for breakfast and stumbled upon yesterday's baking experiment. I gave it another shot and was glad that I did. Yes, it's still very dense and apple-y, but it really works for breakfast. It's hearty and filling and has a very lovely chai flavour that compliments that apple goodness. It may not be something you want to share with company, but who wants to share anyway.

chai-spiced apple oatmeal bread
1 c oats (not instant)
1 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cardamom
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/3 c canola oil
1/3 c skim milk
1/3 c honey
1 egg
2 jonamac apples, diced (or sub in another tart apple)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the first 7 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, honey, oil and egg until well blended. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the diced apples.

2. Dump the batter into a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top gets golden and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool.

quick bread

My husband isn't known for his cooking skills. In fact, he barely cooks at all. He can make toast, and eggs and can boil up some hot dogs, but really, that's about it. Oh, once he made me a birthday cake that was perfection but that was out of the ordinary. Sure, he knows he needs nourishment to survive but he could probably go all day without eating if he was distracted enough with work. Clearly, we're different breeds.

So I was quite surprised when the other afternoon when I suggested he make some bannock flat bread that a friend had just given us a recipe for. He didn't hesitate, he just went into the kitchen and did it. He did ask where the flour was kept and if we had any flax seeds, but he went at it like a pro. Like all bannock, this recipe is simple. I remember making bannock in our grade two class and happily eating the results with honey. But this recipe is probably the best I've tried. It's baked rather than fried and it's versatile enough that you can make it sweet or savory. Our friend, Ryan, brought it to our picnic last weekend and he made a double batch so the results were extra thick and delicious. Cornelius made it as a single batch and it was about half an inch thick in the centre and thinner and crispier around the edges. It was amazing and buttery and delicious. Bonus points for being vegan too!

Want a sweet bannock? Add raisins or chopped strawberries and then sprinkle the top with sugar before baking. Want it savory? Add fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, or caramelized onions. Don't have vegan margarine or almond milk? Use what you've got!

bannock
2 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
4 T vegan margarine, melted
1 c almond milk
1 c water
2 T chives, chopped
2 T flax seeds

In a large bowl, mix together everything from the flour to the chives. Pour mixture onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with flax seeds. Bake in oven at 450°F for 20 minutes. Cut right away into squares.

i had a beer and now i have bread!

You may have read that I'm a bit antsy about yeast. I don't know where the fear comes from since my mom used yeast to make breads and cinnamon buns and even pancakes with amazing results! It's a totally unfounded fear yet it exists in my subconscious and it prevents me from going ahead and trying new things. Last year, I bought one of those dry yeast 3-packs with the full intention of baking bread. Cornelius said he was totally going to help me out and yet those 3 little packages of yeast are still unopened. They exist in my cupboard to taunt me. I will conquer my fear....just not yet. Right now, I've found a solution. I can have my bread and eat it too without even using yeast. Just crack open a can of beer, refrain from shot-gunning it and make a loaf of pretty tasty bread. Really! This certainly isn't my idea, this easy bread from beer. It comes by way of Farmgirl Fare and it's simple to make and goes perfectly with a nice hot bowlful of baked beans. It's okay, I can be a bit antsy a little bit longer. Right now, I've got some freshly baked bread to eat!

beer bread
(Recipe based from Farmgirl Fare)
3 c all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
1 t dried rosemary
2 T parmesan cheese
1/2 c old cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can of beer

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, rosemary, parmesan and cheddar. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

now, that's an order!

Ever since returning from my trip last week, it's been slow going in the blog-reading department. However, I made sure I got all caught up on my blogroll this morning. So many impressive recipes caught my eye, including Honey Roasted Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies from Joe at Culinary in the Desert, Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies at Kaji's Mom, and this not-so-humble Tuna Salad at Cumin & Coriander. Yummy!! But drooling onto my keyboard is one thing, getting breakfast ready was another. When lo and behold, I spotted this lovely Chai Pumpkin Bread at the always wonderful 28 Cooks. I whipped up this simple recipe and in no time my kitchen was smelling like the holidays. Now, not only do I have some delicious pumpkin bread to keep me company this afternoon, but I've got a feeling I'll be making some soup for dinner with the leftover canned pumpkin. Stay tuned!

breakfast cake!

Who loves cake for breakfast? I do! I do!! I saw One Whole Clove had Maple Syrup Tea Loaves on her site and I decided that I had to try out this loaf recipe. It didn't have any eggs to fuss with and it would be a very simple recipe to make vegan -- just substitute the milk for soy and the butter for vegetable oil or Earth Balance. I didn't have any soy milk and I only had half the amount of milk, so I added some plain yogurt to make up most of the milk portion. The cake turned out lovely and I could definitely eat this cake for breakfast, lunch or supper!

maple breakfast cake
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T butter, melted (or vegetable oil or Earth Balance)
3/4 c maple syrup
1 c milk (soy or dairy or part yogurt!)
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 c walnuts

1. Mix together flour, soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

2. In a smaller bowl combine and blend remaining ingredients, except nuts. Stir in liquid ingredients into dry. Fold in nuts.

3. Spread batter in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. (It took longer for my old-time oven -- I had it baking at 400 degrees for about 1 hr.)

the personal is political

I have a great many cookbooks and I peruse them constantly when I'm at odds on what to cook or bake. But sometimes, I can't find exactly what I'm looking for and let's just face it, sometimes it's easier to look online. The joys of the intermanet is the huge amount of recipes available at your fingertips. It's so easy to plug into Google a few ingredients and have it return a million and four recipes back for your choosing. I love technology, especially since it makes my dinner options so vast. Food blogs are another matter altogether. They can be flippant, friendly, all-business or have something important to say. With a food blog, you not only get a recipe, but you get a backstory or a bit of history or a personal connection with the author. In a world where people are less involved in civic and community life, where we more often than not "bowl alone", it's nice to be able to create and participate in an active online community. Yes, I am talking about you, food blog. I read a whole whack of food blogs and I feel connected to how others live and eat and write about something so common to us all.

Enough with the jibbery-jab and on with the recipes. All this long long winded introduction brings me to 2 new recipes this week, both found on food blogs. The first comes from Baking Sheet and a recipe I had bookmarked for quite a while now. The other day, I went to visit with my friends who had a baby and figured that along with a few presents I should bring something edible and just a bit sweet. After all, a couple with a new baby need all the sustinence and treats that they can handle. I thought this recipe for coconut bread fit the bill and it's most perfect for breakfast toasted with a bit of butter. Yum!

bill's coconut bread (from Baking Sheet)
2 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 c and a bit caster sugar
2 c shredded coconut
1/3 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla in one bowl.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Stir in sugar and coconut. Make a well in the center and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just combined. Add butter and stir until just smooth, being careful not to overmix.

3. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

+++

My second recipe for this post comes from one of my favorite blogs, Bunny Pie. I originally found this blog from an art site and then clicked along to find this. Updates are seem too few and far between for my tastes, but I'm sure it's just cuz I'm being greedy and I want more of the beautifully photographed pictures and vintage dishes. When Debs recently posted a recipe for a Norwegian Apple Cake, I thought it would be a perfect no-fail recipe for my mother-in-law's birthday cake. The recipe is simplicity itself with no need for oil or butter. It's got a lovely crusty exterior and a sublimely chewy interior and is perfect served with vanilla ice cream. If you want to eat cake everyday, this is the cake for you!

norwegian apple cake (from Bunny Pie)
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 egg
1 rounded cup diced apples
1/2 c chopped walnuts
*I also added 1 t of cinnamon & a t of vanilla to great effect

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. Break an egg into the center of the mixture and stir together to mix well.
3. Mix in the apples and nuts and pour into a greased 8" pie pan. I used a small floured and buttered cake tin with removable sides.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.