Cooking for Seven

{Grandma’s Cooking School is my chronicles of the informal cooking lessons that my Grandma graciously decided to give us girls. I have compiled a list of all the lessons so far. Enjoy!}

I am at a loss for words to describe these delicious creations, so I’ll let the photos do (most of) the talking.

Grandma’s homemade bread. Light, flavorful, delicious.

I love Grandma’s flour/baking drawer.

And her cupboards.

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Are you looking for a light, airy bread recipe? This one is not for you. Are you looking for a hearty, whole-grain bread filled with complex flavors? Keep reading.

I must admit that I had my doubts about this recipe. I threw all of the ingredients into the bread machine, set it to the dough cycle, and left it for hours. When I returned, it hadn’t risen very far and the dough smelled strongly of yeast. Being an optimist at heart, I scraped it out of the pan, formed it into a ball, and set the oven.

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Here is my current favorite whole wheat biscuit recipe. We love to use them for biscuits and gravy. Delicious!

Note: I usually significantly reduce the amount of buttermilk. I’m not sure why, but these always turn out very wet for me. I recommend that you start with less buttermilk and add more as needed.

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Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

From Relish Magazine

Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 oz) whole-wheat pastry flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, plus more if needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F.

To mix using a food processor:

1) Place 1 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor fitted with the metal blade and process briefly to combine. Add the butter and toss lightly with a fork to coat the butter with flour. Using 1 second pulses, mix the butter until it resembles course meal. Do not over-mix.

2) Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir with a fork until the dough gathers into one large lump. Add more buttermilk if necessary.

To mix by hand:

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and toss lightly with a fork to coat the butter with flour. Using a pastry cutter, a fork, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour. Work quickly to keep the butter firm.

2) Add 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir with a fork until the dough gathers into one large lump. Add more buttermilk if necessary.

Continue for either version:

3) Transfer dough to a flat surface sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup flour. Roll the dough to coat with flour then pat out into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick and fold into thirds. Repeat the patting and rolling. Pat the dough out to a thickness of about 1 inch. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits and place onto an ungreased baking sheet, placing the biscuits 1 inch apart as they will spread.

4) Bake 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Makes about 12 biscuits

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I have always loved Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. However, when I became more aware of the detrimental effects of MSG, I promptly shunned Jimmy Dean.

Then, I found this recipe to make your own breakfast sausage from scratch! Perhaps it is not a perfect substitute for store-bought breakfast sausage, but I much prefer to know exactly what goes into my sausage.

I have found it handy to double or triple the spice recipe and store the leftovers in a spice jar. Just add 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon to every pound of pork. Also, if you do not wish to use ground pork, you could substitute ground beef. Just remember that the taste and texture will not be the same!

Breakfast Sausage Spice Blend

Printable Page

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed summer savory
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.

To make sausage: Mix the spice blend thoroughly with 1 lb of ground pork.

Makes about 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon, or enough for 1 lb of sausage.

I am  definitely a Minnesota girl. When the weather turns cold, I rejoice! And I get an itch to bake delicious, sweet things. Like these muffins. And this pie.

Our apples didn’t do so well this year. There were quite a few deformed apples, but I am thankful for what we did get! It is so nice to be able to munch on an apple whenever I wish.

These muffins have a lovely blend of flavors. Chunky apple pieces, nutty whole wheat flour, LOTS of cinnamon (1 whole tablespoon), and crunchy sugar granules on top.

“Do these have the same ingredients as apple crisp?” my brother asked.

They do resemble that delicious dessert.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Printable Page

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup demerara sugar, sucanat, or rapadura, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

1) Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour or line with paper muffin cups 14 muffin cups and set aside.

2) Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add 3/4 cup of the sweetener of choice. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

2) Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm with butter.

Yield: 12-14 muffins