My Son is Visiting!

Of course I'm working, but we are enjoying our visit anyway. I've come home to some nice surprises!

He called one day and asked about ingredients for bread. When I told him what I had in the pantry...he set about working in the kitchen. My one caveat...CLEAN MY KITCHEN when you get through. He did. And we had two loaves of this: Heart of Winter Loaf from the King Arthur Flour website...recipe at the bottom. The recipe makes two loaves. He sent one with me to work for Da Judge. When Jonathan got to town Tuesday afternoon, he stopped by the office. I introduced him to Da Judge...and vice versa. He sent a loaf to her. She was very pleased and saved it to serve to her weekend company.

Thursday evening, I made another strawberry pie. Isn't it pretty?! Alas. I substituted cornstarch for thickening...instead of flour...and I even added an extra tablespoon of cornstarch. Failed miserably. The cornstarch was less effective than the flour. Next try will be tapioca. If that fails, I have a stovetop recipe that you cook then fill a prebaked pie crust.

It still tasted delicious!

Jonathan rolled out the remaining crust...

...and I showed him how to make these: I think they were the best I've ever made!

What?! You ask? Wine with ice? Nope. Sassafras tea! I haven't had any in forever! Sam and Jonathan walked the property and dug some roots. The best time is in the spring when the sap is rising. But there was nothing wrong with this!
Heart of Winter Loaf

Dough
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour or ground oatmeal
1/3 cup flax flour or an additional 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup dry milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 3/4 cups water

Topping
1 egg white, lightly beaten
seeds of your choice or a teaspoon or so of old fashioned oats

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to form a smooth, sticky dough. Cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour; it should become puffy.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 10-inch oval loaf. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the pan and allow the loaves to rise for about 90 minutes or until they've increased in size by about one-third. Just before baking, brush with a lightly beaten egg white, then sprinkle with seeds or old fashioned oatmeal Slash each loaf diagonally three times.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the interior registers 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool.