Snickerdoodles & Bread with Bean Flour

I have taken a couple of recipes and tweaked them to incorporate bean flour without much sacrifice of taste or texture.
Disclaimer: I don't think there's anything wrong with wheat flour, I'm just trying to incorporate more fiber and beans into my family's diet.
I took my Better Homes & Garden's book to look up some cookie recipes hoping to find one I could switch out some bean flour and white flour. I landed on Snickerdoodles, partly because I hadn't made them in awhile, but also because I thought with the cream of tarter, it might cover up the bean flour twang. I ground up what I had handy- red and pinto beans. I'm sure a great northern white bean would be more suitable. I may try that next time.

Snickerdoodles (in BHG cookbook: p. 117)

½ c marg

½ c olive oil

2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

½ c bean flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cream of tartar

4 T sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon (*)

Directions: In mixing bowl, mix oils, sugar, eggs & vanilla. Beat on high speed for 30-45 seconds. Add whole wheat and bean flours, cream of tartar and baking soda. Mix well. Add white flour and beat until smooth.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Then roll dough into 1” balls and roll these balls into cinnamon/sugar mixture (*). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 min or til edges are golden. Cool cookies on wire rack. Makes 5-6 dozen.

Note: My changes were to double the recipe and then changed oil to ½ olive oil, ½ c marg + flour (not only white)

Although I have quite a few good bread recipes, I looked up an easy bread recipe that I could tweak a little.  I came up with this:

Amish White Bread (makes 2  9x5 loaves)

2 c warm water (110 F)                         

2/3 c white sugar

1 ½ T active dry yeast                          

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ c veg oil       (4T)

6 c bread flour

Directions

1.     In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2.     Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3.     Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4.     Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

My tweaks - did ingredients for 3 loaves using 3 ¾ c whole wheat flour, ¾ c bean flour + 4 ½ c white flour. Needed to rise a little longer to get to double (although the cold day probably caused that). Very fluffy and tasty. Might need a little more salt.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amish-white-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bean%20flour&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Using beans

I am trying to use more beans in our diet. It has been challenging since many in my family do not like any kind of tomato based product. I've gone to a class to learn about sprouting beans and have done that a few times, just adding the sprouted beans (1/2 c or so) to the regular bean recipe. The family has not noticed a change.
Today, I'm trying to substitute bean flour in a recipe.
I went to http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=70 for some background info on how to use bean flour. Then I found a couple recipes I thought I could try.
I went to Allrecipes.com and am doing the Amish White Bread - substituting 1/2 c. of bean flour for 1/2 c. of the white (there's 6 c. of flour all together).
Then I'm going to try a non-tomato based chili found on the same website. It's called White Bean Chicken Breast Chili. I'll let you know how it goes.

Easy and Beautiful Christmas treat

Yesterday, I was in a rush and trying to come up with a quick yet beautiful "back up" treat for an event I went to. I thought brownies would be good, but wanted it to look great. I made brownies from a mix in a 13x9 pan (I've vowed not to do this often, but have a couple of boxes on hand) and 4 c. of cream cheese frosting (my favorite is in the Betty Crocker Cookbook, pg. 88). Then I asked for design help from my most artistic child. I had just gone grocery shopping and purchased all sorts of candies for a homemade gingerbread house. After looking through a wide assortment (not usually available in our home), we came up with something simple and (dare I say) elegant. See photo.
The Boston Baked beans look exactly like raspberries and hold up so much better. The brownish looking leaves are honey roasted sunflower seeds.  Have a wonderful and stress free Christmas season!

For more recipes, check out the breakfast casseroles, Christmas treats (posted March 2012) and sauces for homemade fun. Some are simple and some are time consuming - whatever fits your schedule and talent level.

Welcome new viewers

Welcome to all the new viewers that may be looking at my blog. Just a quick tip. If you haven't been to a blog before and are looking for something specific, there is a site only search engine. Just type in a word that matches the post or recipe you're looking for in the top left box. You'll get there a lot faster than scrolling through things. Enjoy!

Recently,  I showed a bunch or varieties for the Easy Fantasy Fudge and got a whole new group of people addicted to my unique version of Special K bars. A couple of other favorites of mine are the Easy Rolls (the first time it rises, it does so in your fridge overnight) and my Quick Cinnamon Rolls (1 hr start to eating).

Breakfast Casseroles

Every once in awhile, I have guests overnight and it's nice to have an easy hot breakfast that's done ahead of time to quickly cook and serve the next day. These are some options for that or for your own family - it they eat a lot. Not as good as leftovers, though.

Sausage and Egg Casserole
Ingredients:
• 1 pound mild bulk sausage, browned, drained
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 6 slices bread, crusts removed, toasted
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation: Cut each slice of toast into 4 pieces. Beat eggs, milk, and seasonings together. In buttered casserole, layer half the toast, half of the sausage, and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour half of the egg mixture over the layer. Repeat for second layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake, covered, at 325° for 45 to 60 minutes, or until puffed up. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 3 to 4. http://southernfood.about.com/od/breakfastcasserolerecipes/r/bl90911r.htm


Breakfast Casserole With Sausage, Eggs, and Biscuits
(Cheese choice determines flavor – cheddar or Mexican blend)

Ingredients:
• 8 frozen or refrigerated biscuits, baked according to package directions
• 1 pound sausage
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chile
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend, such as Cheddar Jack or a similar combination
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups milk

Preparation: Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Heat Split the biscuits and line the baking dish with the biscuit halves, cut side up. Brown sausage in a large skillet with onions, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Add the chile peppers and seasonings. Sprinkle the sausage mixture evenly over the biscuit layer. Top with the cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with salt and pepper. Pour over the cheese layer. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until set. A knife should come out clean when inserted in the center. Serve with sliced tomatoes or fresh salsa on the side. Serves 6 to 8.


Easy Microwave Breakfast Casserole

You can prepare this the night before, refrigerate for the night, then pop it in the microwave in the morning.

Ingredients:
• 1 slice bread, cubed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup cooked diced ham
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a 6-inch microwave-safe serving bowl. Blend well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then poke a few small perforations in the top to vent. Cook on MEDIUM HIGH, or 80% power, for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, turn dish a half-turn. Let stand, covered, for 30 seconds to finish cooking. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit juice. You can prepare this the night before, refrigerate for the night, then pop it in the microwave in the morning. Cook for a little longer if it has been refrigerated. Makes 1 serving.

Pesto

Here's the long awaited Pesto recipe. I made some today.
And no, you can't have any. Make you own. ;)

Approximately 2 cups fresh basil leaves (or 1 c. parsley, 1 c. oregano)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic crushed (or 1 T garlic pwd)

Process washed, fresh leaves with one of the following methods-
1: a food processor or
2: crush them with a mortar and pestle or
3: blend on a coarse setting of your blender  
Do one of the above until leaves are fairly smooth.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Other variations-
A- Include 1-2 Tablespoon of pine nuts or walnuts
B- Follow recipe above but use 1/2 of oil and ten mash several T each of butter and cream cheese.

Options for use:
Put the puree in a bowl and cover with film of olive oil to dip bread in.
Serve pesto on ravioli or tortellini.
Serve with 1/2 Alfredo, 1/2 pesto on fettuccine
Toss into a salad (1 tsp mixed with your favorite vinaigrette)
Float on top of minestrone soup

Good appetizer: Place 1 tsp on 1/2 of ripe tomato with Parmesan cheese.
Place under broiler for a moment.

Note: Pesto keeps for months in the freezer, though fresh is best.

No Canadian Account

After further research, I'm not getting a Canadian Bank account, although I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea. Just not right for me right now.