Make Your Own Hamburger Buns

This recipe is from Heather's friend Cherie. Heather says, "I shape the buns by hand. Just pinch off a golf ball-size to racquetball-size and stretch and pull it until it looks like a flat bun. You can also use this recipe for hot dog buns."

Ingredients:

4-5 cups flour (white, wheat, or a combo of both)
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt

Mix 2 cups flour with yeast. Heat milk, water, oil, honey and salt on the stove until very warm. Pour liquid mixture into the flour and beat well. Start adding the rest of the flour until dough is soft. Knead briefly, then let set for 10 minutes.

Next, roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut out buns (or use Heather's method above). You can use the mouth of a large drinking glass or a biscuit cutter too. Let the buns rise for half an hour on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise and Cherie

Bread Dough Enhancer

Ingredients:

4 cups powdered milk
3/4 cup lecithin granules
3 heaping Tbsp. Vitamin C powder
2 Tbsp. ground ginger
3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Combine well and store in an airtight container. For each loaf of
bread, add 2 tsp of enhancer to dough with flour (1/4 cup for 6-loaf
bread recipe).

An alternative to lighten up your loaves is to add 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp.
vinegar for every 4 loaves. Add it in with the water to complete the
liquid measurement as defined in the recipe.


Submitted by Gaeleen

G-free, Grain-Free Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt three times. Set aside.  

Cream margarine or butter, then add sugar and vanilla. Cream again. Beat egg yolks and blend into creamed mixture. Mix well. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth each time. Fold in well beaten egg whites. Spoon into greased or lined muffin pans to 2/3 full. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Streusel:1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. rice, potato or corn flour
1 Tbsp. margarine, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix until crumbly.

Recipe from Eat More Whole Grains by Winnie's Winning Ways

Dairy-free Adaptations:

Replace butter or margarine with Earth's Balance.

Replace milk with rice or almond milk.

Submitted by Gaeleen

Apple-Cheese Muffins

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt, if desired
3/4 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup sharp cheese, grated
1/4 cup milk
1 cup apple pie filling, chopped apple, or applesauce,
1/2 cup nuts

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Grease or line muffin tins.

In a large bow,l cream the margarine and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. In another bowl sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Then stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the oats, apple, cheese and nuts, and mix well. Add the
milk last and mix in well. Spoon the batter into prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

Makes approximately18 muffins.

Submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

G-free Pizza Crust & A Cookbook Review

Learning to cook and bake gluten-free has been a bit challenging. I am sure it's that way for anyone who's used to doing something a certain way all her life, only to have to abruptly change it. Thankfully, the learning curve is generous, and I've had some great friends give me a good handful of g-free resources and recipes.

My sweet friend Linda, who helps tremendously behind the scenes here at Penny-wise, sent me a wonderful cookbook: The Gluten-Free Kitchen. This cookbook, written by Roben Ryberg, doesn't have any recipes in it that might seem daunting or weird. It's just plain ol', simple, cooking...my kind of cooking. I have already made the pizza crust (recipe posted below) and the traditional pie crust; and both were easy and tasty. In fact, I made two pizzas, and there were no leftovers! A few of the recipes contained in this cookbook are:

• Fried Chicken (YUM!)
• Hot Cross Buns
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Pancakes
• Gravy
• and of course, pies, cakes, and even streusel!

I plan on trying many more recipes. Linda, thank you AGAIN for this invaluable resource!

And now, The GF Pizza Crust (which is, by the way, much less expensive than buying a mix or a pre-made, frozen crust...very penny-wise!):

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast (about 1 Tbsp.)

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)

3/4 cup cornstarch*

1 Tbsp. xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup shortening

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, combine yeast and milk. Stir to dissolve yeast and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix well. (I used my KitchenAid mixer, and it worked very well.) To these ingredients, slowly add the yeast/milk mixture and mix well. Dough will look wet, thick, and pasty but is quite workable if you spray your hands with nonstick spray or keep your hands damp with water. This is a soft dough.

Roll or pat out dough onto a lightly greased baking tin or pizza pan. For a thick crust, pat out to 1/4 inch thickness. For thin crust, pat out to 1/8 inch thick. A 12-inch circle will produce "hand-tossed" thickness.

Top as desired.

Bake 15-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to check for light browning on the bottom of the crust the first time you make it.

This crust is freezable! Bake the crust and freeze it without toppings. Then you only have to thaw, top, and bake briefly.

*Lindsey's Note: I made this crust exactly according to the recipe the first time. Then, I wanted to see if I could add more nutritional value by using other flours in combination with the cornstarch. For my second crust in place of 3/4 cup of cornstarch, I used 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, and 1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour. The taste and consistency were not noticeably different from the original recipe, so I will probably use this method in the future.

Written & submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Morning Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt, if desired
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups grated carrots
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 grated apple
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together.

Fill paper lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 35 minutes. These freeze well.

I like to have these muffins for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They are delicious and healthy!

Submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Gluten-free Flour Mixes

Here is a basic Gluten Free Flour Mix that I like to use. This works well for using when a recipe calls for flour. You can mix this up ahead of time and store. You can double or triple it. Then when a recipe calls for flour, just sub in the same amount of your GF flour mix!

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch

1/3 to 1/2 cup almond meal, buckwheat flour, millet flour or quinoa flour (whichever I have on hand)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

If you want a self-rising GF flour mix use this one below! Again, make extra ahead of time and store.

1 cup of the GF flour mix (from above recipe)

1 1/2 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP salt

Written and submitted by Carrie

G-free, Granny-style Cornbread

Our friend Gem has sent us yet another gluten-free recipe. 

She apologizes in advance for the "haphazardness" of this recipe. "That is how they get after you have made them a million times," she writes.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal (Gem prefers stoneground cornmeal.)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

(Note: I usually crack an egg into my measuring cup, then add milk to make 1 cup--1 cup dry to 1 cup wet ingredients)

1/4 cup hot melted butter or oil

Now, I have a certain enameled cast iron skillet that I use to make cornbread; I think it is a 9" skillet. This quantity fits well in that skillet. You could use an 8x8 square pan, I am sure. You can also double the recipe for a larger skillet-maybe not quite double the salt, though (3/4 tsp. perhaps).

I mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the egg/milk in the measuring cup. I heat the butter in the skillet till very hot and foamy. Add the wet to the dry and stir just to combine, then add the hot butter (you can swirl it around in the skillet first to grease the pan). Stir in the hot butter, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. This is what forms the crust on the bottom of good southern cornbread.  

Bake in a hot oven, around 425 degrees, for about 15-20 mins. If you like sweet cornbread, add a bit of sugar.

Submitted by Gem

Applesauce Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup All Bran cereal

1/4 cup milk

1 cup applesauce

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 12-cup muffin tins or line with paper liners.

Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Next, combine bran cereal, applesauce, oil and egg; mix well. Add the bran mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fold in nuts and raisins, if desired. 

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Makes a great addition to breakfast or a wonderful any-time snack!

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

Butterfly Cakes and Two Yummy Icings

This is the recipe I like to make most often from scratch for little cakes to go with tea or at any time. This is a recipe my mother and I used to make all the time–it is British so the measurements are in ounces. You will need a measuring scale or convert to US measurements. 

Butterfly Cakes

Ingredients:

6 oz. self-rising flour

1 rounded tsp. baking powder

3 large eggs, room temperature

6 oz. caster sugar (fine baking sugar)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Strawberry preserves, if desired 

Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy and light in your mixer or beat thoroughly by hand. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding a little flour with each. Baking powder should be mixed with the flour. Mix until well blended.

Use paper cases and half fill with the mixture.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool.

When completely cooled, cut a slice from the top of the cake and cut this piece in half.  Place a small amount of preserves  and a little butter cream, or fresh cream in the hollow and arrange “wings” on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

NOTE:  This recipe also make a great sponge cake, known in England as a Victoria Sandwich Cake.

I prefer to use fresh whipped cream in my cakes, and I only assemble what I know we will eat. The rest of the cakes I freeze intact and assemble when I need them. This recipe freezes well. In case you don’t wish to use fresh cream here are two recipes for filling.  I am not overly fond of super-sweet, rich fillings, but it you enjoy them for a treat, then these should do the trick.

Butter Cream

1 oz. butter

2 oz. icing sugar

Mix together until creamy, adjust sugar to your own personal taste. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature

¾ lb. butter, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ lbs confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Blend together cream cheese, butter and vanilla, add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies

Gem says, "You won't believe how these turn out! So good--you won't miss the flour a bit!"

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup peanut butter

Cream egg and sugar, stir in baking soda, fold in peanut butter.

Divide into 36 balls (OK - here is how I do this, form dough into a log, divide into thirds, divide each third in half, pat out each half into rectangle and cut into six pieces.  You get evenly sized cookies which cook evenly and look nice.)

Place on cookie sheet and press down with a fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Submitted by Gem

G-free Cake Donuts

We have been happily inundated with gluten-free recipes! Apparently many of our readers have this dietary restriction, so we are happy to share with our online community. Making your own gluten-free meals and baked goods is penny-wise in itself because the packaged stuff is generally very expensive.

Gluten-free Cake Donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)

2 Tbsp. hazelnut or almond flour (or sub more sorghum flour)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder (make sure it's gluten free)

1/2 tsp. baking soda (make sure it's gluten free)

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Additional Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt) 

1/4 cup milk (rice, soy or nut)

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add shortening, by spoonfuls. Use whisk attachment (if using a KitchenAid-type mixer) or cut in with a pastry cutter. Add sour cream, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix until dough forms a smooth and pliable ball. It should be slightly sticky.

Divide dough into 12 sections and roll each into a golfball-sized ball. Using your palms, gently roll the dough into a log shape and carefully continue rolling into a cigar shape, about 4-5 inches long.

Drape dough into the well of donut pan and slightly overlap the ends. Using oily fingers, smooth out the donut dough evenly.

Bake 15 minutes. Add confectioner's sugar to top when cooled.

Carrie says, "These donuts were a HUGE hit in our home. Easy to make and very very yummy! I hope you all enjoy them!"

Submitted by Carrie

Another Tea Party Favourite

This is another of our favourite tea time recipes.  Even though our tea time recipes are not always totally frugal, they are certainly cheaper than the store bought variety and tea parties are one of our favourite things to do.

Lavender Shortbread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped dried lavender buds
2 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cover bottoms of two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and lavender with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and beat until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Flatten into squares and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm.

On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 -inch squares or rounds. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with a fork. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pale golden (do not brown). Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack.

Garnish with lavender powdered sugar: put some lavender buds in a sealed jar with the powdered sugar for a day before using the sugar.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

A Tea Time Favorite

I like to make scones from time to time as a little luxury to have with our afternoon tea. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Buttermilk Scones

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. buttermilk - plus a little for brushing tops

8 oz. self-rising flour

pinch of salt

3 oz. butter at room temperature

1 1/2 oz. caster sugar

1 large egg

Sift flour and salt into a bowl.

Rub butter lightly into the mix until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then add the sugar. In a jug beat the egg and 2 Tbsp. of buttermilk together, then add to the mixture with a palette knife.

When it begins to come together, finish off with your hands. It should be soft but not sticky. If dough is too dry add a little buttermilk a teaspoon at a time.

Form the dough into a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle about an inch thick. Use a circle cutter to cut out the scones and carry on until you have used all the dough.

Place scones on a baking tray, brush the tops lightly with buttermilk. Bake on top shelf of oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are well risen and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Serve with clotted cream (or whipped cream if clotted unavailable) and raspberry butter (recipe below) or preserves of your choice.

Scones should be eaten fresh as they do not keep well; however they can be frozen.

Raspberry Butter 

Ingredients:

1 lb. raspberries

6 oz. sugar

Puree raspberries in food processor, then pass through a nylon sieve and press with a spoon until all the juice possible strains through (about 15 fl. oz.). Place puree in a medium saucepan with the sugar and heat very gently until all the sugar has dissolved stirring all the time. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes and keep stirring. When it is done, it should be reduced by a third. Do not overcook.

Pour into a serving dish and let it cool at least an hour. Butter can be kept in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

It is delicious with the scones and fresh butter.

Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Cranberry Lemon Muffins

Right after Thanksgiving I found bags of fresh cranberries on sale, two for $1. This was too good a deal to pass up, so I snagged a couple bags. Then I got home and realized I had never made anything with fresh cranberries before! I searched and searched for a recipe to help me use up all those cranberries. Well, I found a yummy (and quite healthy) recipe on AllRecipes.com. I tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes and our nutritional needs, and what resulted was a fabulous muffin recipe! Hope you enjoy!

Dry ingredients:

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar (feel free to experiment with honey, xylitol, or stevia)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1 cup milk
2 eggs (or 4 Tbsp. water)
1/4 cup applesauce (or vegetable or canola oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped or run quickly through the food processor
zest of 1/2 a lemon

Mix the wet ingredients together. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Line your muffin pan, if you hate washing muffin tins as much as I do. Bake in a 400-degree oven 15-18 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack or wax paper.

These kept fresh in our unheated pantry for 7-8 days and were eaten with breakfast and as afternoon snacks.

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Universal Muffin Recipe

I've found that one of the best ways to save money on baking and cooking is by using "universal" recipes. These allow me to use whatever I have on hand or can buy cheaply. There are no expensive or odd ingredients (unless you want them).

 

This is the one I use for muffins:

 

For 1 dozen muffins, combine:

 

2 cups grain (oats, wheat, rye or other flour, cornmeal or combination)

2 Tbsp. - 1/2 cup sweetner (sugar, brown sugar, succanet)-you can use honey or molasses at 1/2 cup while decreasing liquid to 3/4 cup

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Mix these. Then add:

 

1 cup liquid (milk-cow, rice or soy- juice, part milk/part water)

1/4 cup oil or 4 Tbsp. melted butter (we like coconut oil)

1 egg (or 2 Tbsp. water)

 

Mix all.

 

Add additions as desired:

 

Chopped, shredded or pureed fruits or veggies

Nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, raisins

Spices

Fill with jam (put part of batter in bottom, top with 1 tsp. jam, fill with batter)

 

Some of our favorites are:

 

Oatmeal Raisin

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam Filled

Zucchini Chocolate Chip

Pumpkin, Plain or with Chocolate Chips

Banana with Cinnamon

Blueberry or Strawberry (we use frozen, partly thawed)

 

This recipe was taken from The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.

Written and submitted by Rebecca

Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

This is Heather's favorite whole wheat bread recipe from The Urban Homemaker. Enjoy!

(instructions are given for using a Bosch/large mixer and by hand)

Add 6 cups warm water to your Bosch mixer
Melt coconut oil to make 2/3 cup - add to the mixer
Add 2/3 cup honey
then 3 Tbsp. yeast (I recommend SAF)

Then start grinding. You'll need between 16 and 18 cups of flour, depending on which flours you use and the humidity.  You can also use pre-ground flour from the store.  It's your bread.  Do it how you want!

Add 2 Tbsp. sea salt
1/3 to 1/2 c. vital gluten*

Jog it on "M" for a few seconds to get it slightly mixed, then go to Speed 2 for 6 to 10 minutes.  Kiss your mixer then go read a book while it does all the hard work for you.

At this point you can bake it, but I like to let it rise once, then punch it down, put it in pans and let it rise again.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This makes 4 to 6 loaves, depending on the size of pans you use.  You can also make rolls, hamburger buns, etc with the dough.

To grind I follow this crazy method: I add in a bunch of white hard wheat (I use a Whisper Mill). Once it's ground I measure 8 cups into the Bosch. Whatever is left over I put in a gallon size baggie to freeze. Then I grind some kamut (I just throw a bunch in). I measure out a few cups into the Bosch and throw the rest in the SAME baggie as the wheat. I grind something else, use some for the bread then put the rest in the SAME baggie as the wheat and kamut. I use this "mystery flour" for making pancakes, muffins, waffles, whatever. Or bread. Sometimes I have no idea what kind of flour is in my baked goods, but I know it's whole grain and I know it's fresh. (If you don't use the flour right away, it should be stored in the fridge or freezer). 

I love to mix and match flours. I regularly use white hard wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, amaranth, millet, flax, brown rice and quinoa for bread. It's a tricky balance since some of those are non-gluten flours. Sometimes you can use them as an "extra", like yesterday I made bread using the normal amount of flour but added a cup of amaranth (not ground into flour) to give it a "crunch". I have found that I can add about 2 cups of non-gluten flour and have the bread turn out just fine.

I grind the quinoa, flax, millet, and amaranth in my Blendtec. They are too small to grind in my Whisper Mill. 

To make this without a Bosch....

First of all, you probably want to halve the recipe unless you have big strong muscles, or a husband who will knead for you, or a bunch of kids you can recruit for cheap labor.

Add the yeast and honey to the water and let sit for a few minutes. When it's all foamy, add the oil and a few cups of flour at a time. Keep stirring and adding flour until you've added it all. Add the salt and gluten with the last of the flour. Feel free to dump the bread onto a floured counter at this point and knead it like crazy (you can use oil, water or flour to keep your hands from getting super sticky). There are many wonderful ways to knead bread, but I just push it around, smack it a few times, pick it up and drop it, let my kids smoosh it, all sorts of things. You just want to keep it moving for about 10 minutes, until it's smooth and shiny with little bubbles near the surface. You can either 'pan' it at this point and bake it, or put it in a large bowl and let it rise for about 30 minutes. Then punch it down, form it into loaves and let it rise again. Bake as directed above.

Here's the recipe without all my commentary.
6 cups warm water
2/3 cup oil (I prefer coconut)
2/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp. yeast
16-18 cups whole wheat flour (or a mixture of flours)
2 Tbsp. sea salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup gluten*

*I have had great success using 3 Tbsp. of lemon juice instead of gluten.  I have also used only 3 Tbsp. of gluten and had the bread turn out just fine.

Written by Heather @ Penny-wise

Sprouting Grain

Our farming ancestors consumed grains in either a fermented, soaked or in sourdough form or a semi-germinated form. Grains were kept in sheaves and stacks in the fields before being brought into storage. The fast modern farming techniques prevent grains from partially germinating before being ground up and denatured.

Sprouting grain seed produces more Vit. C, increases the Vit. B content, and Carotene. Most importantly, it neutralizes phytic acid, which interferes with the absorption of iodine and other minerals as well. Sprouting also breaks down complex sugars that are difficult to digest (like pre-digesting) and enzyme inhibitors.

What I like is that when I sprout my grain, I can make items which are not as tasty or successful after soaking, like pastries and muffins. I add it to my soaked granola and yeast bread during kneading and I don't have to think ahead the night before to soak it. I can make it in bulk with little active participation on my part.  Even though cooking with it reduces it's vitamin profile and it lacks the enzymes as is usual in baking, it is still more nutritious and more digestible than a non-prepared whole grain.


So far, I sprout only the high-phytate and high gluten grains like the red and white hard wheat and soft white wheat for bulgur. You can sprout most grains, legumes and seeds; though I've only just soaked and dehydrated seeds for the same reasons and have no urge to sprout them. The Nourishing Gourmet has a great article on soaking seeds and nuts.


Difficult seeds to sprout are flax and oat seeds. You shouldn't sprout alfalfa, as tests have shown that they inhibit the immune system and can contribute to inflammatory conditions.

I let my grain soak in water over night in a half-gallon ball jar with plastic sprouting lids. I drain the next morning, rinse and prop-up to drain into a bowl until the sprouts (they're tendril like) that are coming from the end of the seed are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long after about 2 days (I've  not gone longer than that). Then I dry them for a couple of hours in the dehydrator between 95 and 105 degrees. It's recommended to store in the fridge, but I usually use it very quickly, so it goes into a tight-fitting jar on the counter.

More detailed information can be found in Nourishing Traditions, and recipes using sprouted ingredients at various Nourishing/Nourished Blogs (including GNOWFGLINS) promoting traditional foods and traditional preparation, given to us by God's Design.

Sprouted grain is higher in vitamins and more easily digested than its unsprouted counterpart. Sprouting neutralizes grain’s naturally present antinutrients which bind up minerals, preventing their full absorption.   The grain does not need to undergo further soaking or souring and is therefore suitable for quick breads, cookies and cakes in a way that sourdoughs and soaked flours are not.

If you don't have sprouting lids for your Mason jars, here's an easy way to sprout your grains:

1. Start with clean grain, I used organic hard white wheat; take care in sorting through it to make sure all pebbles and grains with poor appearance are adequately removed.
2. Rinse grains thoroughly.
3. Add grain to a ceramic or stainless steel crock, pouring filtered water over the grain until the grain is completely submersed under several inches of water.
4. Soak the grains overnight in warm water.
5. In the morning, pour the grains into a fine mesh sieve and rinse them well. Cover with cloth.
6. Throughout the day, rinse the grains multiple times (I repeated 3x)  taking care to stir them so all grains are rinsed evenly.
7. Continue rinsing the grains for two to three days until the grains have sprouted to your liking.
8. Rinse the grains one last time, drain them and dehydrate them to grind into flour.

This is not a labor intensive process; just requires thinking ahead. Only a few minutes of your time is required a day.

Written and submitted by Rachel

Star of Bethlehem Cookies

These cookies are simple to make and quite delicious--a great family activity to prepare for Christmas.


Ingredients:


4-5 oz. all-purpose flour
2 oz. superfine sugar
4 oz. butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
vegetable oil or cooking spray for greasing
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Place 2 oz of flour, half the sugar, and half the butter in a bowl and mix until the mixture is crumb-like. Add the vanilla and half of the egg yolk and mix again until the mixture comes together. Form into a ball, wrap in cling-wrap, and refrigerate for an hour.

Make a second batch of dough with the remaining flour, sugar, butter, and egg in the same way, adding the cocoa with the flour and omitting the vanilla. Chill as before.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a couple of baking trays. Thinly roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling pin with flour to prevent sticking. Use three different-sized star cookie cutters. Place the biscuits on the trays. Gather and reroll the scraps to use all of the dough.

Bake for around 10 minutes, or until lightly colored, then remove and immediately loosen with a metal spatula. (Biscuits will break when moved if left even for a few minutes.) Leave to cool and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Family Night Idea: Make up a batch of these cookies along with your favorite hot holiday beverage. Sit around the fireplace or just around each other and read a heart-warming Christmas book. We'd like to suggest An Amish Christmas, The Polar Express, or The Jesse Tree Devotional Book. 

Submitted by Nicci

Baking with Whole Wheat

There are three categories of wheat flour: soft, hard, and durum flour. Knowing which of your baked goods to add them to is important. Today, we will focus on soft and hard wheat flours.

Soft Wheat: This flour, sometimes called 'pastry wheat' is used mainly for bakery-type products such as pastries, cookies, muffins, cakes, and pie crusts, because of its slightly sweet taste. Soft wheat flour can also be used to make gravies and crackers.

Hard Wheat: This flour contains more gluten than soft wheat flour, therefore it is better suited for bread and rolls.

A combination of these flours can be used for waffles, pizza dough, and biscuits, if desired.

When baking with whole wheat flour, a few adjustments are necessary. Products made with white wheat usually end up "fluffier" than those made with hard, red wheat. Red wheat is heavier, and will make your baked goods taste more like wheat than the sweeter white wheat. It is best to turn your oven down 25 degrees when baking with hard wheat.

Try substituting whole wheat flour for white flour in your baked goods. It will "bulk up" your foods, add fiber, and cut down on those empty carb calories.