What’s hiding under your floorboards? We bet it’s not as exciting as a recent discovery in England … Mince Pies found under the floorboards of a hotel in the Isle of Man. Accompanied by a sweet note from Mum, this reminds Andrea of the origin of the CARE package, which she learned from reading The Flying Brownie (thanks to Listener Kim for the book recommendation!).
National Buttercrunch Day has just passed and National Blond Brownie Day and National Peanut Brittle Day are fast upon us …. what’s a baker to do but celebrate? Andrea’s going to try making Blondies and Salted Pistachio Brittle to honor these special occasions. Thanks to Listener Jennifer for recommending the brittle, which she’s added a spicy kick of green chili powder to make them extra special!
Recipe Review: Lemon Spinach Baked Doughnuts from Veggie Desserts
Both Stefin and Andrea were absolutely charmed by these delightful “little green goddesses,” aka Lemon Spinach Baked Doughnuts from Veggie Desserts. Both our hosts struggled when pureeing the spinach, Andrea with her immersion blender, and Stefin with her food processor, prompting Stefin to suggest using a spinach food pouch next time. Andrea skipped sifting the flour (and thought everything still turned out fine) but thank goodness remembered to add the baking powder to the flour, even though it wasn’t listed in the instructions (a good reason to practice mise en place). Andrea struggled to wait until the donuts cooled, thinking hot donuts are better than cooled donuts! But the glaze sets up better if you let the donuts cool first. Stefin loved these vibrant, bright green donuts and thinks they’d be perfect for a cheerful St. Patrick’s Day or April Fool’s breakfast.
Bake Along: Deep Dish Cookie Pie
This week’s bake along is a Deep Dish Cookie Pie from Chocolate Covered Katie with a secret ingredient: garbanzo beans. This recipe comes from a website with a strong recommendation from a vegan friend, and both hosts have their fingers crossed this turns out well. Stefin reminds listeners to check their chocolate chips and make sure they are vegan.
Globetrotting Gourmet: Spain and The Canary Islands
Stefin and her family spent some fun-filled days visiting the Canary Islands and mainland Spain over New Year’s. They stayed on the northernmost island, called Fuertaventura, and sampled savory and sweet treats alike. Some highlights included a custard called sabores de mi tierra, which translates to English as A Taste of My Land. It was an lightly almond-flavored custard with a crunchy topping that looked like spun sugar, but upon eating it, Stefin discovered it was more like shredded wheat! Stefin also participated in a customary New Year’s Eve tradition in Spain, eating 12 grapes in the seconds before midnight to ensure sweetness in the new year. In Madrid, she enjoyed churros served with “hot chocolate” which was more like hot, thick chocolate pudding. You dip the churro dough into the chocolate and, as one of the guide books said, “Go to heaven for about four Euros.”
In a family cooking class with chef Gabriela Llamas, they made a classic Santiago Almond Cake, which is an unleavened cake with just four ingredients: Almond meal, eggs, sugar and citrus zest (They used lemon and orange from Gabriela’s own orange tree!) Andrea is intrigued by this ultimate one-bowl cake that’s naturally gluten and dairy-free, and looks beautiful.
Previously on Preheated …
Two Years Ago: Episode 12: Old-Fashioned Baking
One Year Ago: Episode 61: London Fog Shortbread
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