Want enticing aromas wafting from your oven? Here’s how!
Written: Jul 24 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Directions for creating everything from flour, from bread to linguine.
Cons: Absolutely non.
The Bottom Line: I have many baking books, but this one is the most comprehensive. Recipes range from very easy to very involved, but are designed for the everyday homemaker.
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| patsyv's Full Review: Brinna Sands - The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniver... |
Although I am a great believer in the charms and speed of Bisquick and cake mixes, every so often I will be led astray by a cookbook that will inspire me to go back to the basics. One such masterpiece is the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook by Brinna Sands. It is full of history and anecdotes, great recipes and baking hints, and is enjoyable just to read for pleasure.
The book begins with a history of the King Arthur Flour company, which was established in 1790 in Boston, and which started out by importing flour from England in sailing ships. It tells of how, at first, King Arthur flour was sold in one and two hundred pound barrels, then one hundred pound muslin bags, and finally, today, in two to twenty-five pound paper sacks.
To give you an idea of the amazing scope of information contained in this book, I will review the section devoted to “Scones,” which is located in Chapter III, “Quick Breads & Muffins.”
All you ever wanted to know about scones.
This chapter starts out with “A Quick Bread Primer,” which explains the process that makes quick breads rise, the different types of leavening agents, and substitutions that can be made. Some of these substitutions may surprise you, such as sour milk, yogurt, fruit or vegetable juices, honey, molasses, and cocoa, in addition to the usual buttermilk or lemon juice.
The writer then segues into a discussion of the history of scones, which is the oldest quick bread, giving little snippets of information, such as, when you don’t cut your dough into scones, you have made a bannock. Scones and biscuits are unique in quick breads in that they are made with a dough instead of a batter, which means that they contain less liquid.
A basic scone recipe is followed by a variety of alterations that can be made to produce different kind of scones: traditional scones, main meal scones, tea scones, drop scones, cut out scones, filled scones, rolled scones and bannocks. There is a discussion of baking methods: oven or griddle.
Substitutions and additions are next. Substitutions can be made for dry ingredients, leavening agents, sweeteners, fats, and liquids. Additions can be fruits, spices, nuts, zest, cheese, herbs, savory combinations (ham, sausage, bacon), and chocolate or other chips. Each of these options is discussed in detail. This section concludes with the following remarks:
“One of our favorite scones was an experimental combination of cranberries, cut in half, golden raisins, walnuts and some spices (mostly cinnamon) with 6 tablespoons of sugar and a stick of butter worked into the basic recipe. Needless to say, the results stood on their own with no additional butter or jam necessary.”
After the basic scone recipe with the substitutions and additions, several other special scone recipes are listed. They include: Mrs. Humphries’ Scones, Mincemeat Scones, Sour Cream Scones, Scottish Scones, and Scotch Pancakes Baird.
Other chapters are just as comprehensive. They are:
Introduction & History, The Once & Future....
The history of the company and a history of the legend of King Arthur of Britain.
Pancakes and Popovers, Waffles and Crepes
This includes variations on pancakes, French toast, fritters, even zucchini pancakes, to help you dispose of your bumper crop of zucchini.
Quick Breads & Muffins, Biscuits & Scones
This chapter includes baking powder biscuits, soda breads, doughnuts, steamed breads, and coffee cakes (including blueberry buckle yummy)
Yeasted Breads & Rolls & Coffeecakes
After a discussion of ingredients, and methods of preparing and shaping dough, many delicious recipes are listed: batter breads, classic breads, rolls, English muffins, crumpets, bagels, dumplings, pita, pizza (including toppings), calzone, puff dough, Danish pastry, brioche and festival breads.
Cakes and Crumbles, Crisps & Puddings
This chapter provides easy-to-follow instructions for all type of cakes and puddings. The recipe for pineapple upside down cake is here. This recipe reminded me of the time when, as a new bride, I was preparing this while my mother-in-law was present. After I took the pan out of the oven, I turned it over on a plate, but, unfortunately, it had not been baked long enough and the whole thing went “sploosh” all over the floor. Sigh. I haven’t had the heart to try this again. (And it has been years since this happened.)
Cookies & Bars, Crackers & Flatbreads
Drop cookies, rolled cookies, bars, brownies, teething biscuits for babies.....there’re all here. Also crackers, flat breads, and tortillas.
Pies & Pastry. Sweet & Savory
This section includes pie crusts, with many variations, pie fillings, toppings, quiches, tarts, turnovers, pasties, puff pastry, and things to do with left-over pie crust. My mother used to cut little strips of pie crust and sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon and bake them along with the pie. Ummm, good.
Pasta, Shapes & Fillings
This is an interesting chapter in a baking cookbook. It not only tells you how to make pasta (with and without using a pasta machine), but also gives recipes for fillings and sauces. I enjoyed the two methods for cooking pasta: “The Watched Pot Method for Fresh Pasta” and “The Ignored Pot Method for Dried Pasta.”
Whole Wheat, Anything & Everything
The title tells it all. It discusses the differences between regular flour and whole wheat flour, and gives a variety of recipes especially designed for whole wheat flour. I once bought a grain mill for my Kenwood Major (this is an English mixer), and we purchased hard red winter wheat to grind into flour. The mill worked fine but was very noisy. Our home-made whole wheat flour made very tasty bread, somewhat heavy, but after the first batch of wheat was milled into flour, we never did it again. We decided it was easier to buy it ready made. King Arthur produces an excellent whole wheat flour.
Sourdough for Griddle & Oven
This tells the history of sourdough starter and gives instructions on how to create and maintain this leavening agent. There are a variety of recipes, including desserts, using this method. My sweetie once made his own sourdough starter. He kept it in the refrigerator for a while....it became like one of the family.
Fun! for the Young and Young at Heart
This chapter includes fun projects: schoolroom paste, paper mache paste (including a pinata made from this paste), play dough (including directions for making permanent sculptures), edible Christmas tree ornaments and gingerbread houses. The last two recipes in the book are for dog biscuits and bird pudding (for the bird feeder, not cooking the birds).
A-Z, Appendices & Index, Information & Directions
This includes nutritional information, a section on tools, utensils, pots and pans, measuring directions (the difference between a light loaf and a doorstop) and information on storing flour.
I chose to detail the section on scones, because, a few years ago, I was looking for a recipe for scones, and none of my many cookbooks included one. I guess that they thought a recipe for biscuits was close enough. I was delighted to find the extensive coverage of scones in this book.
This book is 616 pages, paperback, and now lists for $25.00. (Amazon.com discounts it for $17.50.) There are no photographs, but this means that there is more space devoted to good information and recipes. There are charming scratchboard drawings by Elizabeth Page scattered throughout the book.
The Baker’s Catalogue
King Arthur Flour puts out a fascinating catalogue devoted to baking equipment and ingredients. In addition to flour, there are over 700 items listed, many of them unusual and hard-to-find. You can obtain a copy of The Baker’s Catalogue by calling 1-800-827-6836 or signing up on their website, http://www.kingarthurflour.com. You can also find recipes, an on-line catalogue, and cooking classes on this interesting website.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
patsyv
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Member: Pat
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 194 members
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