Salisbury.Fake baking, food

Rye Bread

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If you’re after a hearty brown bread, this is it.  I’ve made a lot of bread in my life, and this is by far my favorite in terms of flavor.  I admittedly underbaked mine, so I recommend going to 40-45 minutes when baking, but the result is a chewy, delicious bread.

Another note: the coarseness of the rye will rip the gluten strands during kneading, but that’s why we add extra all purpose flour.  You could do this with bread flour, but I’d test the dough after the 3 cups are added.  You could also add in 2 tbsps of vital wheat gluten if you don’t have bread flour, but I didn’t use it in this recipe because I don’t know who all has such an ingredient.

The coarser flour tends to hydrate faster since there’s not as much gluten in it, so combining the white and the rye flour helps balance.  Test your dough after adding three cups and add in the fourth cup during the kneading process if you notice it’s still too wet.  I think in total I had 4 and 1/3 cups flour.  It might be different for you, though.  The dough should be slightly tacky, but not sticky.

Ingredients and Method:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp yeast (active dry)
2 cups warm water
2 scant tsps sugar

Combine these into a large bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar and yeast.  Let sit for 10 minutes–really do let it sit for ten minutes.  The yeast needs time with this type of bread.

2 tbsp melted butter (I used plant based)
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 cups rye flour
3-4 cups all purpose flour

Stir in flours, salt, and butter, and mix until a dough forms.  Once dough forms into a ball, move to a well floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to the surface.  This part could also be done in a stand mixer, but as I make bread by hand, I don’t have time measurements for how long to let it go in a mixer.  The dough should spring back when gently pressed.

Set dough in a bowl in a warm place, loosely covered, until doubled in size.  Since it’s a heavier bread, it’ll take longer than an hour.  Mine took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Gently fold dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface, floured if dough is tacky, and divide into loaves.  Grease loaf pans and let rise again for 45 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400* F in the last fifteen minutes of the rise time.  Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 375 to finish baking.  This bread will take a bit to bake.  I recommend checking it at the half hour mark, but it’ll probably take closer to 45 minutes.

Remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.  Makes 2 loaves.

Salisbury.Fake baking, dessert, food

Cherry Bars

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These are pretty straightforward.  Cherries are delicious and good for you.  Here we go:

For the base:

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 scant cup oat flour
1/2 stick vegan butter (4-5 tbsp)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk (or other plant based milk)
1 tsp each vanilla and almond extract
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the flours, butter, salt, and sugar till mixture is sandy and holds together when you press it.  Add in the soy milk and extracts and stir till a dough forms.  It should be slightly tacky, but not wet.  Set in the fridge to rest for about half an hour while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

3 cups cherries, pitted and halved
1 cup blackberries + 1 tbsp sugar, pressed for juice
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

In a saucepan, add the cherries, blackberry juice, orange zest and juice, and water.  Cook till the cherries are tender and easy to mash.  Mash a few times, but leave enough whole for texture if you’d prefer.  Make a slurry with some of the juice and the cornstarch.  Add in the slurry and cook till thick.  If it’s too thick, add in a little more water, or orange juice if you’d prefer that.

To assemble the bars:

Cut the dough in half and roll into either 8×8 squares or 9×9, depending on the size baking dish you have.  Place one square on the bottom of the baking dish, and then layer the filling on top.  Place the other square on top and gently press it down to make sure it’s covering the filling.  Don’t apply too much pressure, though, so it doesn’t make the filling come up over the sides.

Bake in a 325* F oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  It won’t get too much color on it, so be careful not to over cook.

Cut into bars and serve.  These will last in the fridge for a week after baking, stored in an airtight container.

Salisbury.Fake baking, dessert

Vegan Brownies

A couple of notes with this recipe, and then I’ll let you get right into it.

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photo by c.m.k.

This has a couple of add-ins, and while I know not everyone is fond of add-ins, I recommend you include them.  These brownies are super rich and need something to balance that out.

The main fat source is vegan butter.  I don’t recommend substituting anything for it.  Coconut oil will not have the same consistency required for this recipe.

And with that? I give you brownies.

 

Ingredients:

10 tbsp butter (used earth balance)
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 cup flour
3 flax eggs
3 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup chocolate chips/chunks

Method:

Melt butter with cocoa powder, white and brown sugar till grainy. Add in the flax eggs and mix till gloopy. Add milk and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix till combined. Pour into greased baking dish, or parchment lined dish, and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

These will be gooey, but 100% worth the wait.  The cinnamon balances out the super sweetness of the rest of the ingredients, so I strongly suggest using it.  A little goes a long way.

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photo by c.m.k.
Salisbury.Fake baking, cookies, dessert

Ginger Almond Chocolate Cookies

I bought some candied ginger recently and while I do enjoy eating it as is, I wanted to see what I could do with it, so I made some cookies!  These are pretty good, if I do say so myself, and since I couldn’t find a recipe for what I wanted, I decided to wing it.  I hope you are all doing well!

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/4 sticks butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup candied ginger, finely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet, but dark chocolate would be super)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (you could also chop the almonds if you wanted)

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and pepper together and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugars till the mixture is light and fluffy.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla and almond extracts.  Add the dry ingredients in thirds until combined, and then fold in the ginger, chocolate chips, and almonds to finish mixing it all together.

Scoop about a tablespoon and a half of the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake at 350* F for 7-11 minutes.  7 minutes will get you a gooey cookie, much like a fudge brownie consistency, and 11 will give you a slightly crispier cookie with a soft center.

Salisbury.Fake baking, cookies, dessert

Baked Meringues with Strawberry Sauce

3 egg whites
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to medium peaks, then stream in the sugar till stiff peaks form and the egg whites are glossy.  Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet (NO GREASING!) and bake in a 200 F oven for about an hour to an hour and a half.  I know it sounds like a long time to bake something, but slow baking is what keeps them from becoming dark brown blobs of nope.  They might turn a little toasted marshmallow brown, but that’s okay.  They’ll be done when you can pull one off of the parchment without it sticking, and they’ll be crisp.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

1 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

In a medium saucepan, heat the ingredients till the water boils, then mash the berries to the desired consistency, and reduce the heat so the sauce can simmer for about 30 minutes.  Store in the refrigerator till ready to use.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food, snacks

Corn Crackers

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(***This was originally meant to be an imitation Fritos recipe because I was craving them and didn’t want to buy them, but I have a ton of cornmeal I should use more than I do)

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 stick of butter, melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, pepper, and salt.  Melt the butter and cool slightly.  Beat the egg and add in the butter in a slow stream so you don’t cook the egg.  Begin to mix together the wet and dry ingredients, adding a tablespoon of water at a time till you have a dough that is soft and somewhat crumbly  (It’ll stick together when you roll it out).

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet (I used one that’s a bit bigger than 9×13).  Place the dough in the center, and use a piece of waxed paper to push the dough onto the sheet.  Use a rolling pin to get a smooth, even surface (over the waxed paper, of course).  Once the dough is smooth, score the surface for the shape you’d like your crackers to be, and then bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

These are really good with taco toppings, as well as with chili.  They are somewhat dry, but it’s a cracker.

Salisbury.Fake baking, food

Whole Wheat Bread with Quinoa and Oats

2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked quinoa (I mixed 1/4 cup red and 1/4 cup white)
1/2 cup oats soaked in 3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Mix the yeast, honey, water, and salt.  Let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes until it looks foamy and creamy.  Add in the quinoa, oats (with the water), applesauce.  Mix in the wheat flour, and then add in the all purpose flour 1/2 a cup at a time.  The dough will be sticky and look wet like a quick bread dough, but that’s fine.  Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for about an hour, until doubled in size.  Once the dough is doubled in size, turn it onto a well floured surface and knead about 10 turns.  You don’t want to overwork this dough, even though it’s very dense.  Separate the dough into two equal pieces, and place into two greased bread pans.  Cover the pans loosely and let the dough rise for another hour.  In the last ten minutes or so of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Let bread cool completely before cutting.