A very interesting version of brownies, shaped like drop cookies, and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and a touch of almond extract. They also contain 50% of barley flour, which contributes great flavor and a velvety texture. Toasted almonds provide a wonderful crunch and are very well paired with chocolate. All in all, a variation on classic brownies really worth trying.

From the original recipe by Miss Diether (Boston Cooking School)

In: â??American Cookeryâ?, 1917â??USA

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup (113 g) butter

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

2 squares (56 g) unsweetened baking chocolate

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (65 g) AP flour

1/2 cup (75 g)  whole-grain barley flour (stone-ground)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

1 cup (145 g) blanched almonds

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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), place the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast them until they are a reddish-brown color. Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop.

Melt the chocolate and set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter and add the sugar little by littleâ??the mixture does not need to be fluffy. Add the eggs and the melted chocolate, mixing well. Finally mix in the almond and vanilla extract.

Sift together the two flours and the ground cinnamon, then add to the chocolate mixture, stirring gently just until incorporated. Finally stir in the chopped almonds.

Place the mixture for 15 minutes to chill in the refrigerator, and meanwhile lightly grease 2 cookie sheets (preferably insulated).

Shape the brownie drops by rounded teaspoons and bake in a preheated oven (325°Fâ??160°C)  for about 10 minutes.

Let the brownies cool on the baking sheetâ??they are too fragile to remove while warm.

P.S. I have recreated the original recipe as it was written, so I made the brownies as drop cookies. However, they can be baked in an 8×8-inch square pan (better lined with aluminum foil and then lightly greased) and then cut into bars.

Posted in American Cooking, Chocolate, Cookies, Bars, & Biscotti, Spices, Treenuts, whole grains Tagged: American Cooking, Barley, Brownies, Chocolate, Cookies, Spices, Tree Nuts, whole grains

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As the host of Think Spiceâ?¦ â??a monthly event founded by Sunitaâ??for the month of November I chose Anise, and this was the best opportunity to finally feature these wonderful biscotti. Once toasted they turn incredibly crunchy and light, with an intense flavor of anise provided by both anise extract and aniseed. They are also very thin and great to have with tea.The recipe comes from an old Italian professional pastry making manual; it is very simple, without baking powder or any type of fats, just eggs, flour, sugar and anise. I scaled down the original formula which called for over 3 lbs. flour so that it could be easily baked in a home ovenâ??however they are so good it is a pity not to be able to make the full amount.

Posted in Blog Events, Cookies, Bars, & Biscotti, Italian Cuisine, Italy, Spices Tagged: Anise, Biscotti, Italian Cuisine, Spices, Think Spice

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This is my entry for the fifth edition of My Legume Love Affair, an event founded by Susan at the Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Simona of Briciole. Peanuts are definitely among my favorite legumes, both in sweet and savory dishes.

Roundup is HERE

This quick bread is made with a good amount of smooth, all-natural peanut butter, which provides a lovely taste as well as a smooth and velvety crumb as well as nutrition. It is good to have with a steaming cup of dark and thick hot chocolate, or to make wonderful jelly sandwiches.

The same batter can be used to make muffins as well.

ROUNDUP IS HERE

This is my entry for bbd#14â??a monthly event initiated by Zorraâ??hosted this time by Boaz at Grain Power whose theme is Colored Breads. I actually did not expect the final color of this bread would be this intensely green, and it was a pleasant surprise that even if baking had turned the crust a nice golden shade the crumb had still retained the green tones of the raw pea flour I used. The recipe is based on one published in 1919 which suggested several possibilities from pea to garbanzo to peanut flour. The bread tastes good, slightly reminiscent of the aroma of pea soupâ??not that surprising, actuallyâ??and even if unusual it is definitely pleasant. The texture of the crumb is soft and tight, so this bread works well for sandwiches or toasted to make croutons to serve with soups.

It is important to rely on how the dough â??feelsâ? to determine the right amount of water to use, since the rate at which the pea flour absorbs water can vary. You want a rather slack dough to avoid ending with a heavy and dry loaf. I found what to me seems the best way to make sure that the dough has the right amount of hydration, by adapting a method to treat garbanzo flour as it is used in the Italian region of Liguria to make farinata. The pea flour was mixed with water and let to rest overnight before adding it to the bread dough, and this made all the difference.

From the original recipe by: United States Dept. of Agriculture

In: â??Farmersâ?? Bulletinâ?, 1919â??USA

Ingredients

1 cup milk (or as needed), scalded and set aside until lukewarm

1-1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp maple

1 cup pea flour (160g) + 1/2 cup water (Green pea flour is made by Bobâ??s Red Mill)

3 cups bread flour (375g ) (King Arthur)

1/2 tbsp yeast dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water

1 egg white mixed with 1 tbsp water to glaze

Mix the pea flour and 1/2 cup of water and let stand, covered, overnight. Then eliminate any foam that might have formed while the pea flour was soaking, and place the mixture in the bow of an electric mixer. Add the yeast dissolved in 1 tbsp water, the maple syrup and cooled milk and 1 cup of bread flour. Mix well at low speed and set aside, covered, until doubled in bulk. Add remaining flour, salt and enough extra milk or water to have a slack but well developed dough, mixing at slow speed until the dough holds together and is smooth and supple. Let rest and ferment, covered, until doubled in bulk, then shape into a loaf and let it ferment again until light. Brush with the egg white mixture and slash, then bake in a preheated 400F oven for about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Posted in American Cooking, Blog Events, Yeasted Breads Tagged: BBD, Blog event, Yeasted Breads

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Bologna is famous for its architecture dominated by a warm reddish-orange color, and the center itself, given that only half a million people, a very large and at the same well-preserved.

Bologna in Italy is considered the capital of gastronomy, and spaghetti Bolognese andlasagna Bolognese specialties
are known worldwide. Coffees are everywhere.

Bologna trademark of the covered arcade of shops in addition to numerous streetsaround the city that Italians call the portico, so you can easily browse for hours and whenthe windows during the rainy. The total length of the arcade is all of 45 miles, and among them is the longest portico in the world which has 3.5 km long and extends from Basilica Santuario della Madonna diSan Luca to the historic center. Arcade building was financed by the city authorities to Bologna could accommodate allits visitors. Arcade had to be long enough to be the man to give them the lie.

Bologna is a lively city with good night life, mostly thanks to the students who make up a significant part of the local population.

In Bologna there is one of the most renowned faculties in Italy, and the oldestuniversity in Europe, founded in the 11th century.