Andrea and Stefin kick off the show with a “Previously on Preheated” run down of some Listeners’ favorite St. Patrick’s Day desserts. Listener Maggie loves Nigella’s Chocolate Guinness Cake as much as the hosts (check out Episode 151 for all the raves), and Listener Renee makes a friend with a St. Pat’s birthday a green-themed Key lime pie.
And speaking of holidays, Mothering Sunday is Sunday, 22 March in the UK. Stefin is preparing for the first of her two maternal celebrations, and may ask her family to make the Peanut Butter & Jelly Poke Cake from Episode 142.
Speaking of favorite desserts, be sure to check out our handy new Perfect Pies PDF for pastry inspiration from the past 168+ episodes!
Review: Einkorn Apple Hand Pies (with Variations!)
The hosts used the crust from Jovial’s Einkorn Apple Hands Pie recipe as a jumping off point this week. Stefin made a full-size rhubarb pie using wholemeal organic einkorn flour, while Andrea made the hand pie version with an all-purpose einkorn flour, but subbed pear for apples in the filling (and, of course, ignored the raisins).
Andrea and Stefin agreed that the addition of eggs, lemon zest, and sugar in the crust made for a rich and delicious, easy-to-work-with dough that was tasty nibbled straight off the rolling pin, and advised not to skimp on chilling time, or you may find the dough too sticky to work with (both chilled for 2-3 hours).
Andrea’s pears were too juicy without the addition of an extra two tablespoons of flour (remember that einkorn flour absorbs liquid much less readily than regular whole wheat flour). Her family enjoyed the cute little single-serving pies, and though she will experiment with this crust again, she prefers the filling in her Third Season Blue Ribbon winner, Fresh Pear Pie from Episode 112.
Stefin thought wholemeal einkorn flour was much too heavy for pastry, but reports much better luck adding it to banana bread and pancakes.
This Week’s Bake Along: Emmer Soda Bread from Dove’s Farm
Dove’s Farm CEO Clare Marriage presents this easy soda bread recipe featuring yet another ancient grain, emmer — which is nearly 17,000 years old! Andrea reports emmer is known as the “mother grain” of modern wheat, and provides a (semi) dramatic reading from the back of her Bluebird Grain Farms bag when introducing this week’s alt flour. Like Dove’s Farm, Bluebird is a “plow to package” operation — growing, processing, milling, and selling their flours.
Is emmer new to you? Bake along with us this week and let us know how you feel about this slightly sweet, slightly nutty flour.
Flours Around the World
From Italian 00 to German 550, to African cassava or Indian chapati, the classifications and types of flours are as varied as the countries in which they’re grown, milled, and baked with.
Want even more Flour Power? Consider a stop at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN, or Wittenberg, Germany’s FlourWorld Museum!
Previously on Preheated …
Three Years Ago: Episode 19: Irish Eyes are Smilin’
Two Years Ago: Episode 68: Hot-Buttered Yum!
One Year Ago: Episode 116: London Sweetness
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