by on June 25, 2010   •   48 Comments Bakeshop

Cooking with Kids: Pita Bread

Baking can be intimidating even for adults, but I believe that fears and doubts should be checked at the door and the kitchen entered with abandon – and ideally with a child or two in tow.

Children are baking with their parents less and less often; with our busy lives, plus the easy accessibility of baked goods at supermarkets, youngsters are missing out on opportunities to learn. I say let yeast and fly, (let’s face it, things may get may be messy), just get in the kitchen together and have some fun.

Pita bread is something my family has been making for as long as I can remember, and is one recipe I continue to make with my children. Our family’s simple recipe is ideal for making with children because it comes together quickly, requires only one brief (30 minute) resting time, and produces almost instant puffing results in the oven. I promise you will be as excited as your children to see these flat rounds of dough balloon to three times their size. [Read more…]

by on June 16, 2010   •   18 Comments Bakeshop

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

Written by Elizabeth of Guilty Kitchen.

I‘ve been challenged before by people to create foods or meals that are unique and intriguing, being not the norm but having the same or similar appeal. It’s not a challenge I take lightly. I was once challenged by a pregnant women (while also being pregnant) to create a vegan brownie that you could not tell was vegan. After only one try, I had it in the bag and it is definitely one of my proudest achievements in the kitchen.

So when Aimée, my editor for Simple Bites, asked me what I thought of whole wheat pie crust, I didn’t skip a beat in replying. “Challenge accepted!” What could be so difficult about it? I use whole wheat flour in just about everything from baked goods to breading for chicken and fish. I grew up with nothing but brown bread and never knew any better, so it doesn’t phase me one bit to rule out white flour.

The challenge of working with whole wheat

Everyone knows that whole grain whole wheat flour is better for you because it contains the germ and the bran, retaining all the vital nutrients (like protein, fibre, calcium, iron, etc.) of the original plant.

The biggest problem when using whole wheat flour in baked goods is the way it rises. It is denser and therefore requires the use of more liquid and longer rising times when using it in breads, muffins, etc. [Read more…]

Rising Dough
by on April 1, 2010   •   34 Comments Bakeshop

Taming The Yeast: Easter Egg Bread

Babies are born with 3 fears – heights, loud noises, and falling. It’s not until much later that we add the fear of yeast.

For many people, one of the most intimidating kitchen skills is working with yeast. It’s a mysterious beast. Too cold and it won’t wake up; too hot and it’ll wither and die. Either way and you end up with a flat, brick of a loaf.

Keep a few simple rules in mind and you’ll find you can be confident when working with yeast. [Read more…]

by on March 30, 2010   •   32 Comments Bakeshop

A Simple Easter Cupcake

It’s fair to say I’ve done some research in the area of cupcakes. Besides baking for my own enjoyment, I’ve organized city-wide tours to search for the perfect cupcake, and created hundreds of versions for wedding showers, birthdays and other events.

I’m shocked at how many cupcakes sold from fancy boutiques come up short. It only takes a few dry mouthfuls of cake and a heavy frosting-induced belly ache to realize that you have just wasted $3.25 and …

it’s hard to beat a homemade cupcake.

That is not to say that every homemade cupcake is delicious and perfect in every way, or that all boutique creations are dry and crumbly, but great homemade cupcakes are definitely attainable, even for the novice baker. And for much less cost than a dozen from the local bakery.

Without disclosing just how many of these sweet treats I’ve consumed in one day (how many are in a baker’s dozen again?), I’ll pass along a winning cupcake recipe that has served me well!

With the baking tips I’ll share, the recipe you’ll find below, and a bag of Cadbury mini eggs, you will be well on your way to the perfect cupcake and a simple Easter dessert everyone will love. [Read more…]

by on February 23, 2010   •   314 Comments Bakeshop

How to Make the Best Muffins Ever

“A bad muffin is as memorable as a good muffin is unforgettable.” Br. Peter Reinhart

The true sign of a good muffin is that it elicits a reaction.

It can be a sigh, a pause, or maybe a closer inspection followed by a question or comment–usually made with a full mouth. Every time I serve these Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Muffins, still warm from the oven, I watch out of the corner of my eye for the reaction.

No matter how chatty a group of girlfriends get over their coffees, one bite into these muffins and the conversation slows to a crawl; for the moment, attention is diverted from boy talk and baby names to a perfectly moist, flavorful muffin.

Occasionally, I’ll get a “I usually hate muffins, but…”

And oh, I have been there. I don’t think I ate a decent muffin for the first twenty years of my life, and I had resigned myself to a reality where muffins were dry, tasteless (or overly sweet), and no match for a good scone or sticky bun.

The summer I was twenty, I worked a job in a kitchen where muffin-making was mandatory, and I faced a challenge: the dry muffin. Many hockey pucks, exploding volcanoes, and moon craters later, I had a few recipes worked out that actually brightened up my mornings.

Here are a few things I learned along the way… [Read more…]