BfloGirlBakes: Baking fun with Sift and Bake From Scratch

**Check out the new section of BfloGirlWorld - BfloGirlBakes!


The older I get, the magazines I like – especially the food ones – get prettier. Two of my favorites right now are Sift from King Arthur Flour and Hoffman Media’s Bake From Scratch – pretty pictures, great tips and delish recipes.

Sift’s holiday issue is the third edition of the new magazine, and if there’s one drawback, it’s that the recipes eventually end up on the KAF website (which is one of my favorites for baking). There is, however, so much more to the magazine – articles on bakers and bakeries around the country, tips, gift ideas…oh yeah, and pretty pictures. I’m really a sucker for the photographs, and wish I could master that end of photography like I have flowers and auto racing.

While I was looking for the holiday issue of Sift (available at local supermarkets and the KAF website) in one of the local supermarkets, I came upon the premiere issue of Bake From Scratch, which is actually a very similar style of magazine to Sift – pretty pictures, limited ads (which is nice, but drives up the price of both mags – around $13 each), lots of recipes that you will want to start making immediately, tips, tricks, baking-related articles. The upside – haven’t found these recipes online yet.

If you’re looking for a new magazine and don’t mind spending a little extra, I would recommend either of these. And once the holidays are done, I’m definitely trying something from these mags – I’ll let you know how things turn out!

photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com

BfloGirlBake: Holiday baking and cooking hotlines

Need help with your pumpkin pie?
credit: freedigitalphotos.net/Apolonia

It’s that time of year again – food being purchase, food being made, food being consumed…let’s face it, the holidays are all about food! Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving on your own for the first time or need a great recipe – or a tip – for the perfect apple or pumpkin pie, there is all kinds of help out there for you. Here are a few “holiday hotlines” that will give you the tips you need.

• King Arthur Flour’s Thanksgiving Guide has all you need to know about great holiday baking – survival tips, a “head start” list, ideas for making ahead and freezing, and of course tons of recipes – there are even some gluten-free options for the guests on your list.
• The Cirsco Pie and Baking Hotline – 1-877-367-7438 – is back for its 10^th year of on-call support to help people master their desserts. In a recent survey conducted by the company, pie bakers revealed that their biggest challenge is making a crust from scratch (52%), followed by knowing how long to bak it (20%) and perfecting the filling (18%).
• The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is open through December with Butterball experts available by phone (1-800-288-8372), online chat or email. The website also features several how-to articles and videos and recipes.

BfloGirlBake: Amish Cinnamon Bread

I looooooove cinnamon, so when I saw a recipe one of my friends posted on Facebook for Amish cinnamon bread, it was a must-try – especially since it made two loaves! I did make one adjustment for my personal tastes – I added vanilla, because it’s sweet bread and it needs vanilla…it just does!

Amish Cinnamon Bread (adapted from Recipes, DIY & Cool Stuffs on Facebook)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk (make your own – 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, add milk to make 2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Grease two loaf pans (or line with parchment paper). Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. 

Cream together butter, 2 cups sugar and eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla, stir. Add flour and baking soda, mix well. In a separate bowl mix remaining sugar and cinnamon. 

Fill each loaf pan half-way (1/4 of the batter in each pan), then sprinkle 1/2 to 3/4 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top. Add remaining batter evenly to each pan, then sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture; swirl top with a knife or spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 20-30 minutes before removing.

photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com