sweet miscellany

I’m not sure where this year went. I feel like I was just battling the 100 degree Texas draught the other day. Thank goodness that is over. Today, it’s a lovely, blustery day with temps only rising to the low 40s. I’ve got a comfy sweater on and have already had 3 cups of tea.

Despite this lovely wintry weather, I’ve been in a bit of a frenzy the past few days about the presence of the holiday season. A frenzy, you ask? Yes, a frenzy. I have been so busy at work that I didn’t really have time to plan out some seasonal treats for my etsy shop. I had many visions dancing in my head, but time just won’t allow them to be put into action. This year, there will only be 1 true holiday cookie in the form of a whole grain cranberry orange shortbread. There is also a vegan & gluten free chocolate ginger cookie that I have added. Though it is perfect for the holiday season, it will be offered year round. Yay! Head on over to my shop to check them out!

…and here’s some photos to make you drool:

cranberry orange shortbread trees

gluten free & vegan chocolate ginger buttons

I discovered something about myself in the past year: I get a lot of enjoyment, fulfillment, and satisfaction out of making things with my own two hands. This applies not only to food, but to anything else I can put my mind to. I have developed a mind set that I would rather make something myself instead of buying it at the store. In fact, my goal this weekend is to make christmas ornaments for my little tree. If it goes well, and I remember to take photos, I’ll share it in the next post.

In terms of food, there is an increasing number of things I make myself instead of buying pre-made. For example, I now exclusively make my own salad dressing, almond meal, nut butters, and crackers, among other things. This week while making my grocery list, I had a mini-revelation. Why on earth haven’t I been making my own whole grain bread as well?

In the past, my tendency has been to stray from yeasted breads. I think it is becuase I usually don’t have the patience to wait for something to rise before baking it. I usually go the quick bread route because they go directly from my mixing bowl into the oven. In considering what sort of bread to make, I remembered how I had made an oat soda bread earlier in the year, and it turned out beautifully. It was a lovely and rustic looking loaf of bread (without yeast), not to mention it tasted delicious and was quite healthy. I decided to do a rye soda bread simply because I had a bag of organic dark rye flour lying around that I had not used yet. If the word “rye” scares you, it shouldn’t. I used to not be a fan until I found out the reason why I disliked rye bread was because of the carraway seeds that most rye breads contain. Rye is similar to wheat and has a lovely, hearty, and slighty sweet flavor that really shines in this bread.

Rye Soda Bread
if you don’t have rye flour, you can make a whole wheat, oat, spelt, or barley version with the same results, just make sure to sub any of these in for the amount of rye flour called for

2 1/3 cups dark rye flour (plus 1 tbsp to dust on top)
1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (plus more for your work surface)
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine grain sea salt
2 cups lowfat buttermilk (plus 1 tbsp to brush on top)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and put the rack in the middle.

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough just starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a liberally floured surface and knead just until the dough comes together into a smooth ball without many cracks. Line a baking sheet with parchment, then dust the parchment with more flour. Place the rounded ball of dough on the sheet and then pour the extra tbsp of buttermilk over the top of it and smooth it around with your fingers. Dust the top of the bread with the remaining tbsp of rye flour. For a more rustic and beautiful loaf of bread, you can cut an X shape into the top of the dough, making sure not to cut completely through the dough. Bake the bread for about 25-30 minutes on the middle rack, then move the rack up and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the crust forms and the bread is nice and toasty. When done, the bread should sound hollow when you tap the base. Cool on a rack. Enjoy!

makes 1 loaf