Blueberry Crumb Cake

Last weekend as I baked this blueberry crumb cake I told Lewis to call a friend to see if they wanted to have a 2 family pot luck that night, because we would have cake.  Somehow I did not feel badly about basically inviting ourselves over for dinner, when one of our dinner contributions was a freshly baked cake, warm from the oven, which smelled softly of cinnamon, lemon and blueberries.  Somehow I wasn't phased by the fact this was the first time I had made this cake because sadly I make a practice of serving new dishes to friends.

Happily my faith in this recipe was well placed and everyone who tried it insisting on a second piece.  The genius part of the recipe was the use of bread crumbs to dust the butter on the sides of the pan so the cake would not stick.  I always find the usual flour dusting the pan makes for a white smear on the outside and sometimes the faintest taste of raw flour.  The bread crumbs disappeared visually and the only taste was the cake and maybe a hint of more butter.

Maida's Blueberry Crumb Cake
adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used mostly corn bread, with about 2 Tbsp random bread crumbs squirreled away in my freezer)
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, divided use
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup whole milk
finely grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (Optional, I did not use the nuts because my children do not like nuts in their baked goods)

Wash the berries and drain well in a sieve before drying with a paper towel.  Set aside to dry completely while you make the batter.

Preheat the oven to 375°  Butter a 9 inch square cake pan (I used a pyrex baking pan) and dust with the bread crumbs.

Combine the 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar before cutting in 4 Tbsp of the cold butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is cut into uniform sized coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

Beat the other 4 Tbsp cold butter with the 3/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer with the flat beater blade or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, unless you are using a self scraping beater blade, Beat in the vanilla and egg followed by the baking powder and salt.  Beat until it everything is completely incorporated.

Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of the flour over the blueberries and toss gently to coat the blueberries in flour.

Stir 1/3 of the flours into the wet ingredients, followed by half the milk, then the next 1/3 of the flours, then the rest of the milk and lastly the remaining flour.  Stir in the lemon zest before spooning the batter over the berries and folding gently with a silicone spatula until just combined.

Scrape into the prepared pan, sprinkle with the nuts if using and then the cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake for 50 minutes until a knife or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.  Cool the cake in the pan on a rack (or in the back of a car on the way to dinner).

Maple Drop Scones

This past Winter I made batch after batch of Maple Drop Scones, developing and perfecting the recipe for the Spring issue of the new Edible Green Mountains.  The scones are now a family favorite and I hope a favorite of many Vermonters who picked up the Spring Issue of Edible Green Mountains.  A friend who tried the recipe was impressed that she finally found a scone recipe she could make at home that produced a moist scone that did not fall apart.  They were created to celebrate the Spring crop of Vermont Maple Syrup, but they are perfect any time of the year.  I have grown to love them with rhubarb jam dolloped on the top but I also love them plain.

Scones have always been a breakfast favorite in my house, easy enough to bake even without having had any coffee yet. However these maple drop scones can even be made the night before, because the maple syrup helps them retain their tender crumb without drying out. I spent two weeks baking several variations of these scones before I found the balance I was looking for. By the final batch I began to fear my family would grow tired of them and refuse to eat them for months. After eating the last scone my 7 year old glared at the now empty baking tray, complaining that there were none left. It is rare to find any baked good that can be coveted by my picky children after eating it several times a day for two weeks!

The maple in these is admittedly subtle; however, none of my testers would allow me to think about adding more. “If you hadn’t told me these were maple scones, I would not have known what the amazing flavor came from. Don’t change a thing, though; they are perfect. I don’t usually think of food as making me happy, but eating this is making me happy.” I think the scones are a balance between sweet and rich with a slight nutty flavor from the wheat and an elusive taste from the maple syrup. Every person I have shared them with has loved them, never noticing the whole wheat flour. A first grader, who was not my child, took a bite and stopped running, looking down at the scone in his hand with a look of surprise. “Whoa! This is so good.” I have to remember to give food to other people’s children more frequently. Although my kids did each give me 20 digits up (yes, I scored fingers and toes), there wasn’t the same level of surprise and awe.

Maple Drop Scones

When I make these scones I use a measured scoop to portion the dough. Measured scoops look like ice cream scoops and are available in a range of sizes at kitchen supply stores. I always hated the fiddly task of scooping dough with one spoon and then using a second spoon to scrape it out. The end result is never even and places sticky dough all over me and my kitchen. With these, I just scoop, and then squeeze the trigger to release the dough. If you don’t have a scoop, you can always use a small measuring cup and a spoon to measure the dough.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat

1 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup cold, unsalted, butter cut into chunks or tablespoons

1 egg

1/4 cup grade B maple syrup

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375° (or 325° if using convection)

Pulse the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor to mix. Add the cold butter and pulse the food processor until the mixture is broken into course crumbs with no large pieces of butter. Add the heavy cream, maple syrup and egg to the dry ingredients and pulse again until the dough is mixed and comes together. Use a light hand when mixing the wet ingredients in; if you mix the dough too much, the scones will be tough.

Scones can also be made by hand: Mix the dry ingredients well in a large bowl before adding the cold butter cut into chunks. Use a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your hands to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is broken up into coarse crumbs with no large pieces left. Beat the egg lightly and add it with the maple syrup and heavy cream, mixing thoroughly but gently. Be careful not to mix the dough anymore than what is necessary to combine everything evenly. Extra mixing will lead to tough scones.

Scoop out the dough onto two half sheet pans, using a commercial scooper, leaving 1 ½ inches between scones. Use anywhere from a #16 (5 ½ tablespoons) to #30 (2 ½ tablespoons) scooper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on size, or until some of the scones are toasty brown around the edge.

Note: If you want a more obvious maple flavor, replace the sugar with ¼ cup maple syrup, and reduce the amount of heavy cream by 2 tablespoons. That being said, I suggest you try them as is first.

Creme Fraiche Rhubarb Pound Cake

The end of the school year is approaching and with it comes talk of summer plans,  classroom assessments, field trips, crazy hair day, school dances, the end of homework, and playing with rhubarb in the kitchen.  I have already created a rhubarb jam that is now my favorite topping for french toast, waffles, toast, ice cream and anything else I can think of.  So now I have been experimenting with rhubarb pound cake, playing with different flours and spices to balance the tart rhubarb.

This morning we had my most recent attempt for breakfast and at first both of my boys complained.  "It's not sweet enough.  Why is there no lemon in this.  You should have made the other one."  Once they were done complaining they both happily asked for seconds.  Personally this version is my favorite, the flavor is rich from creme fraiche and barley flour with juicy interruptions from chunks of rhubarb. The barley in the batter not only adds flavor but it also makes the crumb fine and light.  Plus, the lack of sweetness my boys complained about at first make this cake a perfect breakfast treat.

The crumb is so light the cake needs to cool completely in the pans before slicing or removing.  A fact I discovered when I tried to put one cake on a cooling rack, as you can see in the photo above.  Part of the lightness and fragility is from the barley flour, which contains very little any gluten and so does not have the structure of whole wheat flour.  With half barley flour you don't have to be so nervous about gluten formation when mixing, it would still be possible to toughen the cake with over mixing but it might take a little work. The barley also has a sweetness and rich flavor that pairs really well with the rhubarb.

Creme Fraiche Rhubarb Pound Cake

6 Tbsp butter, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup barley flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground cardamom

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1 egg

2 cups chopped rhubarb

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Generously butter a 1.5 qt loaf pan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.  Mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom in a large bowl and set aside.

Add the milk to a clear 2 cup measuring cup and add the creme fraiche until the total volume of the milk and creme fraiche is 1 1/4 cups (3/4 cups milk plus 1/2 cup creme fraiche is 1 1/4 cups).  Add the eggs to the measuring cup and whisk the liquid ingredients well (I place the whisk in the measuring cup and spin the handle between my hands).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir a few times with the whisk before adding the butter and mixing until everything is fully incorporated.  Add the rhubarb and fold in well with a spatula, making sure to fold all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester or sharp knife when inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes in my oven.  Allow to cool completely in the pan before serving or taking out of the pan.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Last week was not a week dedicated to cooking.  Sebastian, my oldest was in the school play and Lewis was handling the lighting.  Dinner was about the balancing act of late rehearsals and bedtime, not experimenting with new recipes and playing in the kitchen.  However the first night of the play the boys got out of school at 11:30 am and I decided to bake cookies while they played outside.  Who needs a balanced dinner when there are cookies?  These cookies are actually low enough in sugar they could be served as a bread serving in the school lunch or CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program). so they could even be dinner!

When I gave both boys a cookie to eat I told them I was finally done looking for new peanut butter cookie recipes because I had found my favorite.  Sebastian, who apparently knows me well replied, "Unless you find one you want to test."  So yes, unless I find a peanut butter cookie recipe I want to test these are my new favorite.  Chewy without being crumbly, full of peanut flavor and chunks of peanut for crunch, a depth of flavor that comes from the oats and wheat flour and then pools of dark chocolate to contrast with the peanuts.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living April 2012

These cookies can also be made with other nut butters and matching chopped nuts (or use sunflower seeds and sunflower butter for a nut free version).

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup or 12 Tbsp) butter, divided use
1 cup rolled or old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 peanut or other nut butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts (or other nuts)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat
3/4 cup white flour

Preheat your oven to 350° with the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Melt 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the oats to the melted butter and continue to cook over medium heat, while stirring, until the oats are toasted, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir for a little longer until the pan cools down a little, just a minute or 2.  Alternatively you can dump the toasted oats onto a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.

Beat one stick of butter (8 Tbsp or 1/2 cup) in a mixer on medium high with the sugars until pale and fluffy.  If you are not using a self scraping beater blade, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla, beat until well incorporated before adding the nut butter.  Beat on medium speed until the mixture is well combined.  Add toasted oats chopped nuts and chocolate, beat on medium speed until combined.

Add both flours and beat until just combined.  Scoop out dough using a 1-1/2-Tablespoon scoop or roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place cookie dough 1 inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden, switching the pans front to back and between racks after 6 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.  Be sure to eat several cookies while they are still warm.

Matzo Oven Pancake

Last night instead of attending a seder we went out for tortillas.  Our seder this year is tonight.  Tonight we will gather with friends and family to read through the Haggadah, eat matzo and ask the 4 questions.  As we ate our tortillas I mentioned that it was the first night of Passover.  "What!" Said Sebastian in horror as he looked at his dinner.  "I don't want to eat bread during Passover this year."

 "Don't worry honey."  I replied, "It is still light out, Passover has not started."  He looked at the bright sky, sighed happily and finished his quesadilla.  I did not think much more about Sebastian's observance of the Passover holiday until this morning when I recognized we had a problem.  I have not bought any matzo yet.  Normally for Passover we as a family add matzo to the food we regularly eat, without subtracting anything.  Clearly without matzo, matzo brei was not an option.  Besides, for Lewis and I matzo brei has alway been our traditional breakfast the morning after our seder.  All we had for Passover provisions was a canister of matzo meal.  So what could we make for breakfast that Sebastian could eat?

Then I had an inspiration, matzo meal oven pancake.  I have played enough over the years with modifying recipes to use matzo meal, so I had a good idea of what to do.  However Lewis is usually in charge of making the oven pancakes.  So I began preparing the dough as Lewis watched, often disapprovingly.  However in the end it turns out I did know what I was doing as I pulled a golden brown and puffed pancake from the oven.  With fresh lemon juice squeezed on top, our preferred way to serve oven pancake, it was a delicious breakfast.  It would have been delicious even if it was not Passover.

Sebastian happily ate his share.  However as he ate it he informed me that the regular oven pancake would have been fine.  "I don't want to eat any bread with yeast in it this week.  Flour is fine though."

Matzo Meal Oven Pancake: Kosher for Passover

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 450°

Combine the eggs and milk in a large bowl and beat well to combine.  Add the matzo meal and mix well before stirring in the melted butter (don't worry about over mixing the dough, because matzo has already been baked the gluten is set and cannot make the mixture tough).

Add the salt, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix well.  Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes so the matzo meal can absorb some of the liquid and soften a little.  Near the end of the dough resting place 2 to 3 Tbsp butter in a large cast iron skillet (10 to 12 inches wide) or a pyrex dish (9 x 13 or a little smaller).  Place the skillet or pan in the oven until the pan is hot and the butter is fully melted.  Pour the dough into the pan and place in the oven.

Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and set.  Do not check on the pancake until it has cooked for at least 15 minutes so it does not deflate.  I often place an oven mitt over the handle when I remove a hot skillet from the oven.  When I don't I always seem to forget and grab the burning hot handle.

Slide the pancake out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Slice into wedges and serve with fresh lemon juice squeezed on top and if you wish a sprinkling of powdered sugar (I never use the sugar).  To get more juice from your lemons place them in the microwave on high for 40 seconds before slicing into them.

Macaroons: Gluten Free, Kosher for Passover and irresistible

The usual in like a lion and out like a lamb of March has been turned upside down this year.  Outside there are crocuses and daffodils shivering in the sudden drop in temperature as March ends.  Even with March ending with temperatures reminiscent of Winter or Fall the end of March/beginning of April to me signals Passovers approach.  Every year I ignore the containers of macaroons in the "Passover shelves" in the grocery store.  Store bought macaroons are squishy throughout with a flavor that is more sweet then true coconut.

 A good Macaroon is a personal favorite, at their very best the tender inside contrasts with the crackly outside and their sweetness is subtle against a pronounced coconut sweetness.  I have baked up many versions of them, some with beaten egg whites and a long list of ingredients while others required a boxed mix and water.  However I was still in search of the perfect recipe.  Food52 posted a new macaroon recipe by Alice Medrich's that boasted  tiny wings of toasty brown coconut with soft and discrete inside layers,  As soon as I read the description I began searching out the large shards of coconut in the recipe.

After baking up a batch I found the inside layers to be almost tough, instead of the soft pillowy center I was craving.  Lewis loved them, calling them flannel macaroons because they have real texture to them.  However the boys both suggested I try again, but this time use the tiny shreds of coconut.  I might have switched out the coconut and then just followed the recipe, but then I would have had 8 egg yolks in my fridge.  So when the mixture appeared to be dry, I added 2 of the egg yolks back in.  I mean who said macaroons have to be made with egg whites only?  After all the richness and fat of the egg yolks would add the creamy texture I was after.  That is just what they did, there is a still a crackly crisp outer layer where the coconut crisped in the ovens heat, but the inside texture is softer, more giving and tender with a pronounced coconut flavor.  I tested the cookies again with all 4 egg yolks and found the extra yolk muted the coconut flavor.  So these will not eliminate the yolks in the fridge, but it will reduce it by 2.

Macaroons


3 cups medium shred coconut (preferably unsweetened)
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix all of the ingredients well in a large bowl.  Set the bowl in a saucepan of simmering water.  You are not trying to create a mock double boiler here, the bowl should be in the water.  Mix the batter well using a silicone or other heat proof spatula for about 2 to 5 minutes, just enough to dissolve the sugar and warm all the ingredients.

Set the bowl of cookie batter aside for 30 minutes so the coconut can absorb some of the liquid.  While the batter is resting place the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough spaced 1 inch or so apart on the sheets.  I used a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough out.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the tray positions after 10 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.  To cool either places the pans directly on cooling racks or slide the parchment paper on to the racks.

Sesame Honey Cookies

It was the week before school vacation and we were working to clean our house for a visit from our friends the Gatherers.  I heard Sebastian explain to Julian, "We need to clean the house for them because they ALWAYS clean their house when we visit."  I decided that 9 years old is too young to explain they just keep their house clean at all times, rather then living like slobs until they have friends come over.  As part of cleaning we carefully ate the last of the peanut butter cookies, Malcolm, their 4 year old, has a peanut allergy.  Once the peanut cookies had been eaten I began to think about creating a peanut safe version.

I don't stock any of the peanut butter alternatives in my house like sun butter and soy nut butter because we can eat peanut butter, which is cheaper and tastier.  So I decided to make a tahini cookie, one that would be safe for Malcolm and help with the many containers of tahini stacked in my fridge.  Apparently I am often worried that I don't have enough tahini when I go grocery shopping.

The peanut butter cookies I made used maple syrup in addition to sugar, for the tahini cookies I used honey instead.  Honey is a traditional accompaniment to tahini, paired with it in many desserts and other dishes.  As I mixed and baked them I was reminded of the smell of halvah, a traditional middle eastern confection.  The first few I scarfed down continued to remind me of halva, probably because I had the idea in my head, or because they taste different when they are warm.  When Sebastian took a bite he thought for a moment before telling me they reminded him of honey sesame candies.  The flavor of these cookies is indeed reminiscent of honey sesame candies, the ones I steal every year from my kids Halloween bags.  However these are more substantial and chewy and they don't get stuck in your teeth.

If you are searching for desserts to make during Passover think about baking a batch of these cookies.  There is Kosher for Passover baking powder which does not contain cornstarch, all baking soda is kosher for Passover.  The dietary restriction on leavening refers to a rise that is from fermentation, sour or sharp.  Commercial yeast is still off limits but baking soda is, "just minerals.  What do we care about minerals?"

Sesame Honey Cookies

1 cup tahini
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg 1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment (I did one pan without the parchment paper and I was able to remove all but one cookie in one piece with a spatula. However after that experiment I made the rest with parchment).

In a large bowl, stir tahini and sugars together until well combined. Add egg, baking soda, honey, vanilla, and salt and mix well. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Measure out 1 tablespoon of dough either with 2 tablespoons or a One Tablespoon measured scooper. Roll the dough in your hands to form a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. I placed them 3 across and 4 down.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes on the trays so they will began sturdy enough to handle before serving or transferring.

Popovers with Strawberry Butter

Strawberry season is not yet here and when it does arrive many farms will not have any.  The flooding this spring has washed out the strawberries at our CSA and our closest you pick farm.   Memorial day weekend we had visitors from New York City who snacked on local strawberries during their car ride.  When I woke up to a handful of perfectly ripe sweet berries there seemed to be only one thing I could do.  Popovers, hot from the oven with a crisp exterior and a soft custard like lining accompanied by strawberry butter.  The strawberry butter glides across the interior, melting in pools of summer sweetness accentuated by the richness of butter.

Strawberry Butter

From Half a can of tomato paste and other culinary dilemmas

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (if your food processor is in good condition it can be done with cold butter, it will just take longer)

2 Tbsp honey

4 large ripe strawberries (for local berries I figure 3-4 smaller berries equals 1 large one)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor with the metal chopping blade or in a stand mixer.  Mix until the butter is light and fluffy and all the ingredients are emulsified together.  Serve immediately with warm popovers, good bread, pancakes, waffles...  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container.  It is best served at room temperature but that is not stopping anyone around here from spreading it on bread, toast a spoon etc.

Popovers
Adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook (although there are missing steps in the newest edition)
Yield 12 small muffin tin sized popovers or 6 large popover pan ones



Many popover recipes say you can skip the step of prewarming the tins in the oven.  From my limited tests you can skip this step but your popovers will not "pop" or expand as impressively.  Also after many years of making popovers I think part of the trick to getting them to pop so you don't need to serve them as egg muffins is whisking them enough for gluten to form.  The tenderness on the inside does not come from a delicate touch but the eggs.  You can make these in a regular muffin tin, once you are properly addicted I suggest investing in a popover pan.

4 eggs
1 cup milk (Lowfat, whole etc does not matter)
1/3 cup spelt flour (if you don't want to use spelt do 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup white)
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375°, with convection if you have it, with the empty muffin tin or popover pan inside

Beat together the eggs and milk in a large bowl, preferably one with a pouring spout.

Add the flour and salt and then beat vigorously with a whisk or fork until the mixture is uniform.

Brush the bottom and sides of the tin generously with the melted butter.  You need to do the buttering and filling steps quickly so the tin retains its heat.

Fill each hole evenly with batter, about 2/3 or a little more full.  Place in the oven.  If you don't mind a little fussing turn the oven up to 400° for the first 5 minutes.  If using convection after 5 minutes reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for 30 more minutes, without convection lower it back to 375°

Do not open the oven while the popovers are baking for at least the first 30 minutes, if you do they will deflate.  When you remove the popovers from the oven pierce the popovers with the tip of a sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.  Serve immediately with strawberry butter or butter and jam.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins

I found this muffin recipe on my friend Ann's blog Thibeault's Table.  The idea and description were so appealing I set out to try them right away.  Conveniently forgetting my sinuses were blocked plaguing  me with an inability to taste my food.  Besides from the obvious frustration caused by not tasting my food for over a week, I was also unhappy to discover I still eat more than I should when food has only texture, sweet and salt.  So as the rest of my family exclaimed over their goodness I was able to detect the correct level of sweetness, enough salt and a perfect texture.  The scent of blueberries, the flavor from the 3 types of flours and the browned butter were all lost on me.  However I still knew I had finally found my blueberry muffin recipe and I would share it here later (once I had tasted them).  The rest of my family could taste them and both boys happily ate them for breakfast 3 mornings in a row, something that never happens.

By the end of last weekend I could smell and taste again and so on Mother's Day I made a batch of these muffins.  Lewis was going out of town, yes on Mother's Day, and I wanted an easy no argue breakfast the next day.  I reduced the sugar because I knew we would prefer it and to test if I could make them for the preschool.  Federal reimbursement guidelines require that in baked goods, sugar be no more than half the volume of flour.  (Although you can serve all the trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, fried food and flavored milk you want!)

When I browned the butter and poured it into the batter the aroma of caramel drifted up.  The finished muffins do not taste of caramel, instead the browned butter adds intensity and a nuttiness that tempers the sweetness.  The 3 flours add their own flavor plus keep you from being hungry 20 minutes later.  The more I play with whole grains in my baking, the more I love the dimension they add.  Not the heavy wheat flavor we all remember but rather an actual flavor where white flour is just blank.  Of course this assumes you are using flour that has not gone rancid.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Thibeault's Table

I have made these with both frozen local blueberries and frozen wild ones.  Both worked wonderfully, just taking longer to bake.  I am also going to make them with raspberries, frozen for now and fresh in a few months.

14 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat

1 cup spelt flour

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen berries leave them frozen)

Put the oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°.  Line muffin tins with 24 liners and set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat (it is really best to use a light colored saucepan so you can judge the color of the butter, I used a dark blue one because it was the perfect size and regretted my choice).  Watch the butter closely once it is melted.  Continue to cook until the crackling subsides and little brown solids form in the pan.  It should smell nutty when done.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk together milk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla until combined.  Add Browned butter and whisk until fully incorporated.  Add sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk in well.  Add flours all at once and stir gently, stirring to the bottom of the bowl under the batter to incorporate all the flour.  Gently fold in the blueberries until they are evenly distributed.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and bake until a wooden pick or knife inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown.  They should take about 18 to 20 minutes when made with fresh blueberries and 32 to 35 minutes when you use frozen  (I used convection  for the last 5 minutes to brown the tops and because I was getting bored with checking on them).

Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Browned Butter Brownies (with or without pecans)

This past Wednesday the Burlington School district had their first snow day since Sebastian (my third grader) was in kindergarten.  It could not have come at a better time for my family.  Right in the middle of a small school vacation drought.  Early in the day on Tuesday most of the surrounding school districts declared the following day a snow day before a single flake had fallen.  Burlington however has a higher percentage of poverty and in the winter school means heat and food for many children, and for that reason rarely close for a mere snowstorm.  I was sure if we had a snow day it would be declared at the last possible minute.  However shortly before 7 PM we received the robocall canceling school and I did a little dance at my seat.  (I really did, I think I might have been even more excited then my children).

My husband played hooky from his work as well and we got to steal a midweek day in the snow.  We began, shortly after a breakfast of Liege Sugar Waffles, by stepping out our front door to X-county ski to the park with our sleds.  We returned home starving and snowy, which for most families means breaking out mugs and making hot chocolate.  The only problem is Sebastian only likes the idea of hot chocolate. When faced with a mug of his own, even when I make it with milk, melted bittersweet chocolate and sugar,  he only takes a few tentative sips before allowing his brother, the liquid chocolate addict, to finish his share.

These brownies can happily satisfy a post snow adventure for my whole family, and you can even take them with you as an easily transportable snack.  I like that they rely on cocoa powder, which for most people is far more easy to stock then bakers, bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate.  Somehow I still needed to rely on my neighbors pantry for some of the cocoa powder called for.  Brownies aside, it was a great snow day.  After the sledding we played monopoly and then the boys went outside with a neighbor flopping into patches of untouched snow.   The editing of memories are already whitewashing any whining of overtired boys that happened and focusing only on the day spent playing. I am sure my boys will remind me of this day for long to come, "remember the snow day when we skied to the park, played monopoly, ate sugar waffles for breakfast...?"

One more note on these brownies, which I am not going to say "Are the best brownies ever" as was stated by many commenters on Bon Appetite's website.  Personally I have many brownie recipes that I love and I refuse to trouble myself with declaring a favorite.  Instead I choose to make whichever recipe suits my mood at any moment.  These are suitably rich and decadent even though they use cocoa powder in place of chocolate because of the browned butter.  Browned butter is nutty, richer and sweeter because the sugars have been caramelized and the flavors intensified.  However given my deep love of brownies and love to play, next I am going to try these olive oil brownies.  Maybe I will make my friend Heather's decadent mint layer brownies instead...

I made the browned butter brownies in 2 pyrex loaf pans so I could make half of the batch with pecans and leave the other half naked for my heathen children.  If you enjoy nuts in your brownies they really do help balance the richness of this recipe.  Although neither of my boys complained once about their version without the nuts.  They did not even notice how much less height, and therefore deliciousness there was without the nuts.  I made these using only whole wheat pastry flour as I realized several years ago a good brownie recipe has enough chocolate to allow you to use any flour you want without anyone knowing the difference.  Not that these can now be classified as health food, but I see no reason not to add more whole grains to my diet any time I can.

Browned Butter Pecan Brownies

Adapted from Bon Appetite

Nonstick cooking spray (I used Reynolds release foil and eliminated this step)

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, chilled

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat

1/2 to 1 cup pecan pieces (I used 1/2 cup for half of the batch, use 1 cup for all nut brownies)

Preheat to 325°F with a rack in the lower third.  Line either one 8x8x2-inch pyrex dish or two 8x4.5x2 inch pans with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray (or don't bother if using nonstick foil). Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan (my pan was 3 qts).  Cook the butter, stirring often, until it becomes golden brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend and then allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Butter/cocoa mixture will still be hot, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one until no signs of egg are present before adding the next one.  When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes.  If making some with and some without nuts pour half of the batter into one prepared pan before stirring in the nuts and adding the rest of the batter to the second pan.  Otherwise add the nuts to the whole batch and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes (I think mine were more like 35 - 40). Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into up however you want. 

The recipe states these can be made 2 days ahead, perhaps that is the longest they were able to resist them in the test kithcens.  I was able to hide mine and store them for at least a week.

Apple Cheddar Spelt Scones

Earlier this week I made sour cream cheddar biscuits for dinner from Smitten Kitchen.  Sebastian requested biscuits for dinner the night before and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to play with a new recipe.  I left out the jalapenos (because leaving them in would have been mean), added 1/2 tsp of baking powder, made them 3/4 inches thick and of course played with the flour.  They were tasty and for once there was peace at the table as everyone happily ate.  But then, then Sebastian suddenly tasted his biscuit, after eating 2 1/2 of them and asked the dreaded question.  "Is this your usual recipe."  I am of the not lying to your children about food, so if asked a direct question I am honest.  So I told him they had cheddar in them.  He looked disgusted, placed the 1/2 eaten biscuit back on his plate and said.  "These are disgusting, I feel a little sick now."  ONLY TOOK HIM 2 1/2 BISCUITS TO NOTICE!

Any sane mother would learn from this not to add cheddar to her baked goods.  Obviously Sebastian may love cheddar on its own, in a grilled cheese sandwich or topping pizza, but baked goods are not the same.  But then I came across a recipe for apple cheddar scones, perfect for the obscene quantity of northern spy apples currently lying around in my kitchen.  I helped chaperone a field trip for the preschool at work to a small apple orchard.  We were welcome to pick as many as we wanted.  Turns out I wanted more then I needed, really a ridiculous quantity of them.  A quantity that became even more ridiculous when Sebastian and Julian tried them from the overflowing bags in my car and pronounced them too tart.

Northern Spy apples are crisp, tart, bright with a balanced sweetness and when picked fresh from the tree juicy.  I love them but not enough to eat my way through my own special brand of lunacy, you would think I was raised during a famine the way I am with free food.  So I decided to make a batch of scones, because that will use up a whole 2-3 apples.  Yeah, I know, that isn't going to do any good.  Lewis asked if Sebastian would like them and I replied, "he can eat toast".  Then I quietly planned not to lie to Sebastian, if he asked what exactly was in them I would tell him about the cheddar.  However I would also call them apple scones.

They were admittedly a little fussy to make for breakfast as you have to roast the peeled apple slices and allow them to cool before assembling the dough.  I woke up early this morning and when I served them at breakfast everyone loved them, for EVERY bite.  I loved them enough that I made 2 more batches this evening to go in the freezer.  I am sure the scones in the freezer will be delicious, even though just after placing the sheets of unbaked scones in the freezer I stumbled across the grated cheddar in the fridge.  I suppose the punishment fits the crime, because after calling them apple scones to my children now I have a batch of exactly those in the freezer.

Apple and Cheddar Scones
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who barely tweaked them from The Perfect Finish

Makes 6 large or 12 small scones

2 - 3 firm tart apples, I used Northern Spy (1 pound or 254 grams)
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams) unsalted butter, grated on the large holes of a box grater into the mixer bowl and put in the freezer while you grate the cheese and mix the dry ingredients or chill and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) sharp white cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
2 large eggs (divided use)
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) spelt flour [Optional, use 1/2 white and half white whole wheat or all white if you want.  They were incredible this way though]

1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling

1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams) plus additional for egg wash

Preheat oven to 325° with convection and 375 °F degrees without with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Peel and core the apples and slice into sixteen slices (I used slices not chunks like Deb as I thought they would get further broken up by the mixer for better apple distribution as well as dry out better in the oven.  As the scones were perfect I see no reason to change).  Place them on the prepared sheet in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes, they should be dry to the touch.  Let them cool completely (you can do this step the day before and refrigerate them in an airtight container or place the tray in the fridge to cool if you are making the scones right away.

Add cooled apple slices, grated cheddar cheese, heavy cream and egg to the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Combine flours, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.  Sprinkle over the top of the other ingredients and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment just until it comes together.  Be careful not to over mix, so you will have light, tender scones.

(If you don't have a stand mixer use a pastry blender to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course corn meal.  Beat the egg lightly and mix it with the other ingredients with a silicone spatula or a dough whisk.  Be careful not to over mix, so you will have light, tender scones.

Generously flour a large cutting board or your counter top and place one half the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Pat the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 3 inch circle. Cut the dough into 6 wedges. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet or one that has been greased with butter.  Repeat with remaining dough. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone (mine all fit on 1 sheet so I am not sure if I really left 2 inches all the way around, they were fine).  If you want larger scones pat all the dough into a 6 inch circle and cut into 6 pieces.

Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with 1/8 tsp salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about  20 minutes for 12 small ones and 30 minutes for 6 larger ones. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Scones dough can be made ahead of time and frozen on parchment lined sheets before baking.  To bake place them on the baking sheets still frozen, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and bake.  They will take a few extra minutes to bake.  Deb says the scones were edible the day after baking but after that they were terrible.  I have no way of knowing, we ate all of ours.

Pumpkin Pie with a No Roll Crust

When I was twelve years old I made my first pie crust.  An ornate lattice crust for a blueberry pie made  in anticipation of my mother coming home from the hospital.  I removed the pie from the oven and happily cut myself a slice.  The filing was perfect, the crust however could barely be sawed with a knife and took considerable time and effort to chew and swallow.  I did not grow up in a household where pie crust was ever made so I did not have any idea what I did wrong.  I left my doorstop crust pie on the counter and went out to have lunch, my brother told me he would stay home and just have a slice of pie for lunch.

I had lunch with my mother's old physics professor and he explained the science of crust making.  As he told me pastry has to be handled as little as possible to keep it flaky and tender I thought of the hour I had spent watching "The Price is Right," as I rolled and rerolled my crust.  I left lunch knowing that my next crust would be better and at least my mother would enjoy the filling in her welcome home pie.

I still remember how my pie looked when I returned home, 2 slices neatly cut out and the insides scraped completely clean.  There was not even a trace of blueberry filling remaining.  I am sure that a screaming argument resulted, however I do not remember that part.  What I do remember is my mother, who told me she loved the pie crust I made for her.  Then every night after dinner she cut herself a slice of crust until she had eaten the whole tough monstrosity.  That memory is one of my definitions of love, as well as a reminder to have a light hand when making pie crust.

So you can imagine my thought process as I looked for a pie crust recipe to use in the preschool at work.  The crust I ruined that very first time became my favorite crust when handled carefully.  However I do not feel a group of overly enthusiastic three and four year olds would be best suited for preparing a delicate crust.  I do believe in process over product for many things in the preschool setting, but food prep is not one of them.  So I searched for a crust you can smush into the pan with no rolling.   The crust I found calls for oil and all you do is stir it before pressing it into the pie pan.  Skills that seemed perfectly suited to preschoolers, I figured the results would be better than a crust that might be rolled for 20 minutes.

I was very happy with the crust we made, it was better then any I have found in the freezer section, although I feel a need to point out every bite of crust was filled with pumpkin pie, so really my results are skewed.  However I am now thinking quiche could be a fast weeknight meal utilizing a crust that is stirred and smashed before filling.  I have already told my boys they can make the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year.  The filling was also just what I was looking for, although part of that is starting with pie pumpkins instead of a can.  One coworker remarked, as she took her fourth piece, "I don't even like pumpkin pie, but I love this."  I am guessing she never had a pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin before.  When I entered the classroom with the baked pies one little girl enthusiastically asked for a piece of pie.  As soon as she was done she was asking for more.  I asked her to please wait until everyone had a first piece.  She sat quietly down and slowly licked her plate clean, and to be honest I don't blame her.

Since then I have had the chance to cook one more time with the preschoolers.  I escorted a small group of them to a local farm where we picked kale.  Then we returned to the classroom and made my recipe for kale chips.  When we sat down to taste them most of the children excitedly gathered around ready for their turn to taste them.  One little boy made a face and looked at the bowl with disgust, although he did cautiously take one from the bowl.  He bit into it and then quickly ate the whole thing.  He said, with wonder "I didn't think they would taste yummy, but they taste really yummy."  Then all but 2 children proceeded to devour the whole bowl.  Personally I am still doing mental cartwheels of joy over the whole thing, 3 days later.

No Roll Preschool Friendly Pie Crust

Adapted from allrecipes.com no roll pie crust

I added sugar and cinnamon to the recipe so it would balance better with the filling.  If I was making a savory pie I would leave out the sugar and cinnamon and add a finely chopped herb such as sage, basil or thyme and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup oil (we used safflower oil, another good neutral oil would be grapeseed oil, for a quiche olive oil would be wonderful and if there are no allergy concerns try roasted hazelnut oil where the nutty sweetness would be appreciated)

1/4 cup ice water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375°

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  We chose to divide the dough into 2 balls before pressing them into pie pans.  We had just enough dough for a thin crust in each pie without an extra lip of unfilled crust.  Line the pie with foil and fill with about 1 cup of dried beans or pie weights.  Bake the unfilled pie crust in the center of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Remove and fill with desired filling and bake according to filling recipe.

Pumpkin Puree

2 pie pumpkins (you can also use any winter squash)

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°

Split the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and strings.  If the pumpkins are very hard to cut through use a large chefs knife or cleaver and a mallet or hammer.  Just place the knife on the pumpkin as sharp side down and tap it with the mallet to slice the pumpkin in half.  Rub all the cut surfaces with olive oil and place cut side down on a cookie sheet.  Bake until tender when pierced with a knife through the skin.  You can scoop out the insides now or place in the fridge until needed.

Use a spoon or grapefruit spoon to scoop all of the pumpkin flesh into a bowl or pot.  Use an immersion blender to puree or place in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Any puree not used in the pie can be used in muffins, pumpkin waffles, soup or frozen for later use.

Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from Gourmet November 1999
(We filled 2 pies with this even though the original recipe states it fills 1.  I tried it at home to fill 1 pie and had leftover batter)

2 cups pumpkin puree from pie pumpkins or 1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375°  Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into crust that has been blind baked for 20 minutes (baked without its filling).  Pour filling into single pie pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until filling is set but still jiggles when you shake the pan.  Allow to cool on a rack before serving to allow filling to set fully.

Triple Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie: or How to Fix Kindergarten Drop Off

For years whenever I pictured Julian starting kindergarten I imagined myself sitting outside the room sobbing.  However as the start of kindergarten drew closer I began to lose that vision.  He is just so capable and so ready to learn.  Plus, as much as I loved the adorable toddler he was I love the boy he now is and how our family spends its time as he grows up.  I realized soon after he was born that a family moves at the pace of the baby.  When he was done with napping, we could spend the whole day away from home, when he had the patience for a new activity our whole family could take part.  Plus, watching out for a toddler who is obsessed with electricity and wires was never a relaxing job.  Somehow when I thought of him starting kindergarten I never imagined Julian being anything but ready, even when I was staking out where I should collapse in tears.

On the first day of school when I picked him up another parent asked him how his first day was.  Julian stuck his hand in the air like he was in Saturday Night Fever and said, "Awesome!"  However 2 days later morning drop off was no longer awesome and then it got worse.  I began to joke about looking for someone, anyone, who was not me, to take him to school.

On Friday morning I stood outside the school holding Julian in my arms with his whole body collapsed against mine as he cried.  I was pretty easy to spot, I was the mother standing there crying with her child in her arms as he sobbed.  I have done the tough drop offs before with my children but somehow this felt different.  He was just so wretched, not yet ready to trust his teachers and start his day without me.  Holding him as we cried and then having to peel him of of me and unwind his hands from my purse straps (my children are strong willed and crafty).

Until Julian sobbed in my arms before his school day I never before understood the Elizabeth Stone quote, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."  Until I stood there crying with Julian I never fully felt I had to let my heart walk away from me.  I love my children and I think about them whenever they are not with me.  However as I stood there crying with him I understood more of what my children mean to me and how I share their emotions.

I didn't know what was wrong, or how to help him.  I suspected that he just needed to learn to love and trust the adults he is with every day and then he would be comfortable with this completely new situation.  Julian makes strong attachments, collecting people he loves and trusts and feels safe being his outgoing and strong willed self with.  All that would take time and more tears.  More tears that I suspect will finally give me all the grey hairs I really should have at forty.

On Friday, a school holiday, I spent much of the day e-mailing with his teacher how to make his transition better.  I wrote to her of Julian and his 3 years of expecting to have Sebastian's kindergarten teacher himself (a teacher who is currently teaching second grade), how he has never gone into a new situation without already knowing and being attached to the adults.  How he needs to remember all the adults and children in his school building that he loves and trusts.  His teacher had some suggestions of things we could do to make his transition better, although I think many of her suggestions were to make me comfortable walking away as he cries.  She had some folks she thought might be able to help brainstorm solutions, although confidentiality was an issue.  I wonder how this blog post affects all of that?

In the midst of this emotional e-mailing (because I spent the day crying as I read about his troubles and brainstormed what he needs) I began to think of baking something that would help.  Whether I was thinking of a baked good to drown my sorrows or one that I could pack in Julian's lunches like a piece of my heart I don't know.  I was looking for a cookie that had whole grains and chocolate and maybe some fruit.  I found these triple chocolate cranberry cookies, definitely something to savor.

This morning I was able to leave without any tears from either of us.  Maybe it was the cookies, that and the fact Julian now loves and trusts his teacher.  To help build on that love I brought in more cookies to pick up, one for Julian and one for him to give to his teacher and student teacher.  Julian really enjoyed giving a cookie to his teachers, a way to make him more connected to her (or maybe her to him, after all these are not your average cookie).  As we prepared dinner together Julian told me he loves me and I asked if he loves his teacher.  He said, "Yes, I just had to get to know her first."  At dinner when Lewis asked how drop off was Julian replied, "It was fine, I love my teacher now."

Tripel Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Adapted from Bon Appetite

10 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup barley flakes (or use all rolled oats, I was just playing with multi grains)

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks (or use high quality semi sweet chocolate chips)

1/2 cup white chocolate chunks (or use high quality white chocolate chips)

1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks (or use high quality milk chocolate chips)

1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries

Place racks in the center of the oven and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.  If using convection preheat your oven to 300°, if not using convection preheat the oven to 350°

Beat the butter and 2 types of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer using the flat beater blade or in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.  Beat in the egg, vanilla and salt.  Add both flours and the oats and barley flakes and stir until fully blended. Add the chocolate chips and cranberries and stir until they are equally distributed.

Scoop out the dough by rounded Tbsp, I use a dough scoop because I hate trying to wrestle dough out of the spoon, leaving 2 inches between cookies.  Bake the cookies in the preheated oven, if using convection you can bake multiple trays at once, otherwise bake one tray at a time, until the edges are golden brown (approximately 16 minutes).  Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to finish cooling.  They become better after a few days.