nut butter cookies

There are days, weeks where my life gets turned on its ear.  I have a lot of unplanned paths taken.  This morning has been all of that as I try to get things I screwed up not so screwed up.  As I get ready for a family memorial/reunion.  This cookie recipe is actually that as well.

Koda Bear was helping me make bread.  I always make sourdough.  He was laughing because we always talk about the yeastie beasties farting, and peeing, and dancing.  To a tune, that is exactly how it is said.  This particular morning, I was asked if we could make cookies with the yeastie beasties instead of bread.  Realizing that bread still needed to be made because it always does.

I said yes.  I have enough cookbooks and read enough cookbooks that I had a plan.  I followed Sarah Owens nut butter cookie recipe the closest.  But remember, I cannot follow a recipe.  I even cannot follow my own and never write down all the variations for all the recipes on here.  The boyos thought these were pretty fabulous and the tin I sent with Koda Bear to his other grandparents came back empty.

I have even gotten asked for them again which is always a good sign.  They are similar to a peanut butter cookie but much moister.  I would say like a breakfast bar and the keeping quality was exceptional.  

sourdough nut butter cookies

140 grams sourdough (I freshen it for bread and make extra so I have 140 grams for cookies)

2 eggs

60 grams maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

400 grams peanut butter

180 grams organic cane sugar or turbindo (something not completely processed and white)

300 grams quick rolled oats

70 grams rye flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the sourdough, egg, and maple syrup together.  Mix in the nut butter and sugar.  Mix in the vanilla.  Mix in the rye flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Drop by teaspoons on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake about 8 minutes or until the edges are firm.  The batter is already brown so it will be difficult to see the browning of the edges.  Do not over bake.

You can roll into a ball and press a sugared fork into them if you prefer.  That way they look more like a peanut butter cookie.

All I know is that the boyos were happy.  And I have been asked for them again.  I would not be surprised if I get asked for the yeastie beasties to be in a cake sometime!  It is doable.

Tres Leches

I had friends who had a Cinco De Mayo party.  I asked if I could bring anything and desert was suggested.  I misread the text and brought the wrong desert but oh well.  We laughed and had two Tres Leches.  

What was interesting was that our recipes were very different.  I used one from Pioneer Woman.  I will just point you there if you want the recipe.  

I did tweak it a little bit.  "Dirty" sugar is now the in thing but it has actually been the sugar of choice lately in our house.  When we went to the Boucherie last autumn, we met sugar producers in Louisiana and have been purchasing their sugar when they have some in stock.  Basically, it is a non-bleached granulated cane sugar.  It has just a bit of molasses note.

The other thing I changed was that the recipe calls for baking powder.  I can always taste baking powder and I do not like the flavor so I changed it to a teaspoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of cream of tartar.  It worked well.

And it was a very yummy cake.  I only had one bite but it was good.  But remember, I do not particularly care for cake so why would I have a whole piece?  I put strawberries on top instead of cherries.

I was told the two Tres Leches were very different but we had people eating two slices, alternating bites.  I would say that was a win.

instant oatmeal

When I am traveling, I eat almost all my own food.  There is a random meal or ice cream cone that is not something I have fixed but otherwise it is mine.  When we are camping and Koda Bear likes oatmeal when it is cold, that can be difficult.  

In comes Carmella Rayone's blog Assortment.  She posted a recipe for making your own instant oatmeal.  Something I hate buying but do for boyos who want a quick bowl of oats.  A bowl of oats that takes as long to make as to brew the tea.  I figured I would give it a try at home.

I roasted 2 cups of rolled oats as a test.  325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.  I put them in a blender with a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  I upped the salt a bit from the original recipe to make dividing by three easier.  I also add cinnamon because I did not wish to have to carry cinnamon in the camping gear.  Powdered ginger would be good too.

It looked like coarse flour or cornmeal.  I then covered the oats with about twice as much boiling water as oats.  I gave it a good stir and covered the small bowl with a saucer.  Let sit about four minutes

All the oats needed was the additions of brown sugar, butter, and a spoon.  

Koda Bear was very pleased with the oatmeal.  Now, camping we did eat pan toast of the cinnamon swirl bread I had made for most of our travels.  But that has to do more with pan toast and cinnamon swirl bread being favorites.  We also really only had one cold morning.

But now I have a jar of homemade instant oatmeal.  From groceries that are always in my house.  Less trash.  More options of what to put in it except eggs that become dinosaurs or gummy bears  It pleases me.

baked fish and chips (really veg)

We eat a lot of fish and chips.  The Bear likes it a lot.  But he actually likes baked fish and roasted veg.  Sometimes he wants chips and then I roast a few potatoes as well.  The question was asked if I could try making the fish instead of buying packaged fish.  There was a nytimes.com recipe I wished to try for fish and chips.  The Bear said sure!

Except for convenience, I do not believe I will be purchasing breaded fish in the future.  I have made these twice so far and both times were good.  I tweaked the recipe a bit for what was in my kitchen and to our tastes, but no one seemed upset.  The Bear likes white fish best.  He is not too picky whether it is halibut or cod.  I like the salmon but he did not.  

Oh well.

I start the dinner with getting the veg in the oven.  By the time the veg is done, the fish is done.  I do a bit of preplanning though with the bread crumbs.  I do not buy store bought bread crumbs so I need four slices of sourdough bread to go stale or make it stale before I start this process.  And defrosted fish is a plus but not necessary.  I would take the fish out before I start the veg.

baked fish (and chips or veg)

Note:  I tweaked a nytimes.com recipe.  The link is above.

3 filets of white fish, skin removed.  Cut into strips

4 slices of stale, dry sourdough bread, made into bread crumbs

2 teaspoons basil

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

3 tablespoons mustard

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons olive oil plus a bit more for oiling the oven rack

salt and pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (This is what I roast veg and potatoes at.  I just add in the fish).

Oil the oven rack you are going to put the fish on.  Put the rack over a sheet pan.

In a skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the bread crumbs, basil, salt, and pepper.  Stir occasionally until brown.

While the bread crumbs are browning, cut the fish filets into strips.  Salt and pepper if you wish.

In one bow, put a cup of flour.  In another bowl, mix the mustard and eggs together.

Dredge the fish in the flour.

The dredge it in the egg mixture.

Dredge it in the bread crumb mixture.  This was still warm in my kitchen, so be careful!

Put is on the oven rack.  Continue until all the fish are coated.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish is tender.

I have a happy Koda Bear.  He will eat that whole plate in the first picture.  I swear he is growing!

I am going to be off adventuring for the next couple of weeks.  The Bear and I have places to go.  I may post on Instagram.  I may not.

started bitters

I received the Issue 21 of Taproot.  My thoughts about this magazine are always a bit divided.  There are just enough good ideas for me to keep subscribing.  Part of my divided thoughts are that there is a counter culture type vibe going on with it and I just feel they try a bit hard.  Maybe because I have already lived through it before.  But I guess it says something when I pull out my flour mill to make fresh flour for soy sauce.  Been there, done that.  Just relax.

This issue had an article on making your own bitters which I have been thinking about doing.  To add another steeping jar of bits on the counter.  Why not?  I saved the peels from the mandarin oranges Koda Bear eats by the dozen.  I went through my spice shelf and pulled a few things.  I added a bit of honey.

Brandy, mandarin orange, mandarin orange peel, four vanilla beans, a knob of peeled ginger, six cardamon pods, ten whole cloves, six whole allspice, and a tablespoon of honey or so into a jar.  I shake it occassionally but it is supposed to sit until next month.  Then we will see.  To add to drinks.  To settle tummies.  To help with digestion.  I like the idea of making my own.

I will just have to see how it all turns out in about a month.