Harvest Treats

I took a break from trying bread recipes this afternoon to bake cookies and take treats to the harvest field. This year's wheat crop is better than most years, and after a cool spring and hot windy June, its turning out to be great harvest weather. Our crew is hoping to finish today (no breakdowns, please) and there's a severe thunderstorm warning for tonight. Perfect timing.  I'm not much of a 'farm wife', usually describing myself as 'married to a farmer/rancher' instead. But thought I should be somewhat useful, thus the afternoon trip to the field.
Everything Cookies is a new recipe for me, but old to a church friend who added it to the church cookbook last year. Thanks, Mary Lou! It's chewy but crispy, a good combination. The lemonade I mixed up was from a can of concentrate (12 oz), 4 cans of water (directions say to use 4 1/2 cans water, but I knew I would add lots of ice), 1 cup frozen raspberries (puree in blender with some of the juice), and 1 tablespoon of honey for sweetener. Strain to remove seeds. I carried and served it in canning jars with lids.

EVERYTHING COOKIES
1 cup margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup rice cereal
12 oz. chocolate chips (must have been an older recipe, cho chip bags are now 11.5 oz)

Mix ingredients in order given - cream margarine or butter with sugars, add egg. Combine cream of tartar, oatmeal and coconut; add and blend in. Mix in vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Combine salt, baking soda, rice cereal and flour. Add to dough and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12-13 minutes. cool on racks.
This recipe makes lots. It made a trip to the field, a full cookie jar, and 2 dozen cookies in the freezer!

Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzel Slider Buns

Gloria Piantek from West Lefayette, Indiana
was the contestant I assisted. 

 The National Festival of Breads was inspiration for several baking days. On Monday I made the recipe submitted by Gloria - the contestant I assisted during the contest. Gloria was a delight to work with, and a creative baker. Having been an educational consultant, she found ways to use baking to help students overcome learning difficulties.
 I liked the bread she made, and found the recipe to be not hard at all, even with the extra step of a soda water dip for the rolls. Tofu is the unusual ingredient, its a soybean product so a good Kansas food as well. Gloria's recipe calls for "soft silken tofu", all I could find in our local store was "soft tofu", so I used that. The tofu should be well drained, first in a sieve, then by pressing the water out between paper towels. Mine didn't get as smooth as Gloria's did in the contest preparations. I do think its important to have all ingredients at room temperature, especially the tofu. Room temperature is recommended for ingredients in most recipes and especially for bread products. If you keep yeast in the refrigerator, set it out earlier in the day; if you keep flour in the freezer, spread it out on a cookie sheet in a thin layer to warm to room temperature. I expected this roll to be shaped like a pretzel, so it was a pleasant surprise to see it made into a round roll and the edges clipped for shaping, much easier than making a pretzel knot! Also, King Arthur Flour and Fleischmann's Yeast were sponsors of the contest, so their products are used. King Arthur Flour is definitely worth looking for!

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH PRETZEL SLIDER BUNS








Ingredients:
1 (1/4 oz) package Fleischmanns's Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100 - 110 degrees)

1/2 cup soft silken tofu, well drained, room temperature
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour
1  1/2 - 1  3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ready-to-serve minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry minced onion
3 cups water
3 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt or pretzel salt, optional

Directions:
1. In measuring cup, sprinkle yeast in warm water; stir until dissolved. Set aside 10 minutes.
2. In large mixer bowl, beat tofu until smooth; beat in corn syrup. Mix in yeast mixture; beat in egg and cheese. Stir in whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup bread flour; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Beat in dry mustard, garlic, salt and onion. Gradually mix in enough remaining bread flour to make soft dough. Knead 4 to 5 minutes with dough hook. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, Shape each piece into a smooth ball; lightly flatten tops until about 2 inches wide.
4. Place on greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. With scissors, make about six 1/2-inch deep cuts around the edge of each bun. Cover; let rise in warm place about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. In large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and baking soda to a boil. Using a slotted spoon or two spatulas, gently place one bun at a time in water. Spoon water over the top of buns. Drain buns well; return to greased baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle with poppy seeds and salt.
6, Bake 13 to 16 minutes until rich golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack. Slice buns and use for mini slider sandwiches.
Makes 12 buns.

The rolls are shaped and being clipped.

After rising they get a hot soda-water dip.

Gloria had a sunny yellow kitchen to work in. 

My rolls were a winner at home! 

National Festival of Breads

Decor reflected Kansas products

   

  "How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" If this quote by Julia Childs is true, the National Festival of Breads last week proved we are a great nation! This contest, the nation's only amateur bread-baking competition, was sponsored by Kansas Wheat Commission, Fleischmann's Yeast, and King Arthur Flour Company and held in Manhattan. Eight finalists selected from over 500 entries came to the Little Apple from kitchens across the U.S.
   

Many thanks to the sponsors

The wheat field south of Salina was producing well

 Besides bringing bakers together to show their talents, the contest also shows bakers where the ingredients for their products come from. Activities included a wheat field tour with the opportunity to ride a combine, lunch on the farm in the implement shed, visit to a flour mill and a drive through of a grain elevator.
   

Lunch and talk with the wheat farmer

Brookville chicken!

a close look at wheat 

As a Kansas Wheat Commission Spokesperson, I got to assist a contestant and see up close what the contest is about. It was a wonderful experience! I came home with inspiration and recipes for several baking days and blogs to share.










The whole event was very well organized and showcased our state and agriculture products to the utmost.

A bake sale and auction of some of the finalists' baked products was held to benefit No Kid Hungry, an effort to eradicate childhood hunger. Over $2300 was raised.

Mr. & Mrs. Slice were visitors

 Besides eight finalists baking, exhibits, and baking demonstrations, I got to meet many new baking friends and visit with many friends from Extension days! One of the contestants summed up the spirit of baking in a few words - "it is meant to be shared". This year's Festival of Breads was a wonderful sharing experience.

Lovin' from the Oven

Somehow the week went quickly and I was ready to go visit my son in Iowa without having a batch of freshly made cookies to take. This is completely un-mother-like. Visiting Son is tech-update time so while checking out the new features he'd added to my devices I browsed for recipes. Ah-haa - a bar cookie snicker doodle - perfect. Easy to make, simple ingredients that he had on hand, and his favorite cookie in another form.
I found that he only had the 'reduced fat' stick margarine, and I knew it usually didn't do well in baking since it has more liquid added to reduce the fat calories. Instead of a trip to the store, I decided to try it anyway, I used the same amount (2 sticks) and increased the flour to 3 cups. This worked well for a bar cookie.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.

4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon

6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan

7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack. While still warm, cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Ready to bake

fresh from the oven