Whole Grain Fudge Brownies

The power of suggestion is great!  After talking about these to a couple of ladies over the past week - one of whom had sampled them - the request was made.  Can we have the recipe??  But, of course . . .

Whole Grain Fudge Brownies ~

1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of cocoa powder (or two squares unsweetened chocolate-2 oz)
1 cup Sucanat - can substitute cane juice or sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup freshly ground soft white wheat - can substitute all-purpose flour
Dash of salt (1/8 teaspoon)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8x2 inch baking pan.  Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan.  Add cocoa and Sucanat mixing well.  Remove from heat.  Add eggs and vanilla until just combined.  Stir in flour, salt, and nuts (if using).  Spread batter in pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

You don't want to overbake these, so watch them carefully.  They will be moist and chewy.  I have been known to top these with mint chips, toffee chips, or whatever else sounded yummy at the time.  Just pour the batter and sprinkle the chips on top without disturbing or stirring and bake as usual.

ENJOY!!

Sucanat vs Evaporated Cane Juice

I thought this might be a good time for this comparision.  Thanks, Amy, for the nudge!!

What is the difference between Sucanat and Evaporated Cane Juice?  And how do they differ in cooking?  First off let me say, that these are only two of the MANY sweetener choices out there.  If you want your mind boggled about it, go to Wholesome Sweeteners and read to your heart's content.  For the discussion today, I think I'll keep it simple.

The picture on the left is Evaporated Cane Juice - a light brown, granulated "very much like" sugar.  According to Wholesome Sweeteners this is extracted, evaporated, and crystallized.  Basically you have skipped the refining or bleaching process that takes place with "white" sugar.  Nutritionally speaking, too much of this sugar is just as bad for you as too much white sugar!!  Not even Wholesome Sweeteners has a very good comparision on nutritional values for their sugars.

The picture on the right is SUCANAT - darker, uncrystallized, and larger granules with a more molasses flavor.  According to Wholesome Sweeteners this is whole cane sugar. "It's made by simply crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. Once the juice is reduced to a rich, dark syrup, it is hand-paddled. Hand paddling cools and dries the syrup, creating the dry porous granules we call Sucanat. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out!"  Again I think Wholesome Sweeteners doesn't do a very good comparision of nutritional value.  With nothing added or taken out, it seems there should be some more fiber value to this one.

I really like having my facts straight about something and as is common with the internet there are many conflicting articles, BUT I found this really great article about Sucanat and its nutritional value on another site called, LiveStrong.com.  It has references for its information which I always like.  Maybe it will be helpful.

At any rate, I have found that I can use Sucanat cup for cup in most of my baking recipes.  I DO NOT use Sucanat in my sweet tea - it affects the taste TOO much.  And I DO NOT use it in my canning of preserves and pickles, for the same reason.  I will issue a warning here though that if you have never used Sucanat before, you need to introduce it to your family slowly.  I suggest using a half Cane Juice and half Sucanat mixture where you are wanting to make changes.  It may take getting used to, although, I have baked brownies before using all Sucanat and had folks rave, never suspecting!!!

One more note . . . I am repeating myself here, using too much Sucanat or Cane Juice is just as bad for you as using too much white sugar!!  All things in moderation!

Beyond the Basics ~ Beans and Rice

Once you feel like you have gotten started on this journey, it won't be long before you begin to wonder - okay, what else should I be storing?  Some of the easiest staples to store in bulk are beans and rice, and with these come a wide variety.  What kind of beans does your family like?  For us it would be black turtle beans, pinto beans, and small red beans.  I also have on hand some kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and lentils.  While we are here let me just tell you that you want to be sure and store beans that your family will EAT.  Frankly, my gang does not care much for kidney beans, for that matter neither do I.  We may store those kidney beans for a long time yet :).  You get the point!!

This is a good place to tell you also that brown rice does not store as long as white rice.  Brown rice has more nutritional value because all that has been removed from it is the outer hull.  Brown rice still has the germ and bran, so consequently it can spoil faster.  We try not to store brown rice in our home for more than 6 months.  After that time it has a tendency to take on a rancid smell.  White rice, on the other hand, can be stored for a LONG time.  White rice usually has the bran and germ removed as well as being polished, so that its nutritional value plummets.  Although white rice has little nutritional value, I do store it in case of emergency.  I prefer to use brown rice, but I have been known to use white rice when I am pinched for time ;D !

For a great article on the benefits of brown rice visit World's Healthiest Foods.

For a great article on the many different varieties of rice visit The Rice Gourmet.

I would also like to mention a few of the books that I have on cooking with beans and bulk storage:














Have fun exploring all your options!!!

Baking Bread with your Basics

If you have started buying your basics in bulk - and even if you haven't - it is time to start some practical applications.  Let's bake some bread!!

The following recipe is one that I got from my daughter.  It is almost like eating cake, so it is a great recipe to introduce to your family, especially if you are used to eating white, store-bought bread.  It is also very versatile in that you can incorporate 1/2 whole wheat flour and still end up with a wonderful bread.  I usually divide the dough in half and make 2 loaves, but I have also divided the dough into thirds and made a braid out of it.  Beautiful and tasty!!!

BASIC WHITE BREAD -

1/3 cup milk (can you guess by now that I use my powdered milk mixture?)
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbl. oil
1 Tbl. butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sugar (I use Sucanat)
4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use half unbleached bread flour and half fresh ground spelt)
2 teaspoons yeast

I have to admit that my daughter and I both cheat, in that she uses her Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker to do the mixing of this and then pulls it out before the baking cycle and does what she will with the dough and I use my Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer, 800 watt, 6.5-Quarts to mix the dough together and then let it rise in an oiled bowl before dividing it into loaves.  There was a time when I did all my dough by hand - and it can be done - but now I suppose I am ruined!  I haven't wanted to get into much detail about bread making itself because there are so many different approaches.  So as simply as possible, all the ingredients go into a bowl as listed.  The best way to mix the batter is with your hands, although you can start it with a wooden spoon.  Once you have your wet mass, you can turn it out onto a floured surface to knead it.  I do add an additional 1/2 cup or so of flour even when I am using my Bosch.  I knead this dough for about 12 minutes in my Bosch and I think most bread machines have an initial dough knead of about 15 minutes.  You can count on a sticky mess if you are kneading by hand, but if you can keep your mass from sticking to the surface and can keep at it, the gluten will eventually activate and become a smooth, round ball of dough.  Be careful of adding too much additional flour or your dough will be too heavy.  Place your round mound of dough in an oiled bowl to rise and double in size, preferably in a warm place.  This can take an hour or two.  When it has doubled, punch down the dough and divide it into two parts and place each in an oiled bread pan.  Let rise until doubled again, about an hour.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes.

For more specific information on bread making check out:

 The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking - don't get too hung up in all the technique, I have hardly ever done it "by the book," and we have enjoyed home made bread for years!!!

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking - this is a relatively new method that seems to be taking home bakers by storm.  I have tried it and it is VERY EASY!!