Month: December 2016

by Lori Wuellner

Baking has always been therapeutic for me. Now there’s some science to back that up. The study, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology (New Zealand), followed 658 young people in a 13-day study.

Some outcomes of the study showed that baking helped them focus on small tasks that are familiar to meditation. This led to more enthusiasm and high flourishing days. This just reinforces the idea that creativity is a positive experience for better well-being.

So enjoy that good feeling of taking freshly baked bread out of the oven.

The following recipes are provided by the National Festival of Breads at http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/recipes. More recipes, including those in their 2016 recipe booklet can be found at this website.

(Source: You Asked It! Tips From the Rapid Response Center, January 2017; http://bit.ly/2gYgd9N)

Lori Wuellner is a Wyandotte County Extension agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, K-State Research and Extension, 1216 N. 79th St., Kansas City, Kan. Telephone 913-299-9300, email [email protected].

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Ingredients
1 ½ cups water (110°F – 115°F)
3 tablespoons honey
1 (¼ ounce) package RED STAR® Active Dry Yeast
3 ½ – 4 cups King Arthur® White Whole Wheat Flour, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
½ cup creamy peanut butter

Water bath
8 cups water
¼ cup baking soda

Topping
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or pretzel salt (optional)

Directions
1. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine water, honey and yeast. Wait 5 minutes for mixture to foam (proof).
2. Add 3 ½ cups flour, butter and salt. Gradually add more flour to make a soft dough. Knead dough 3 – 4 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover; let rise until doubled.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Drop 48, ¼ teaspoons of peanut butter onto parchment. Freeze 20 – 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12” log; cut into 12 pieces. Keep dough covered.
5. Flatten dough in small circle and place one piece of peanut butter in center. Wrap dough around peanut butter and pinch ends firmly to seal forming a smooth ball. Place balls on a baking sheet; refrigerate 5 – 10 minutes.

6. For the water bath: In a large saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a rapid boil.
7. Lightly spray 2 large baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray. Carefully place 12 balls into water bath at a time; cook about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula or spoon; transfer balls to baking sheets keeping smooth sides up and not touching.
8. Brush with egg wash; if desired, sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. Pretzel balls may be frozen and warmed in microwave.
KWC Test Kitchen Variation: In place of topping with salt, combine 1 tablespoon turbinado raw cane sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to sprinkle on just before baking.
Yield: 48 pretzel balls
Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 BALL, 24g).
69 calories, 2g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 2mg cholesterol, 4mcg folate, 90mg sodium, 0mg vitamin C, 0mg iron, 1mg calcium.
(Source: Kansas Wheat Commission 2016 Recipe Book, Melissa Hinrichs, Elkhorn, Nebraska)

Double Orange Scones

This easy scone recipe from the Kansas Wheat Commission appeared in the national School Food Service magazine.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
¼ cup cold margarine or butter, diced
½ cup drained, chopped mandarin oranges
⅓ cup low-fat milk
1 beaten egg, or egg substitute
1 beaten egg white
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and grated orange peel; mix well. Using a pastry blender, cut in margarine or butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Stir in oranges, milk, and egg, just until the dough leaves side of the bowl. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 10 times.
4. Place on cookie sheet and flatten dough into an 8-inch circle. Using a knife, cut into 10 wedges; separate slightly. Brush with beaten egg white; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake 15 to 16 minutes, or until edges are a light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and serve warm.
Variation: To make Cranberry Orange Scones, stir ½ cup chopped, fresh cranberries in step 3.
To freeze: Cool baked scones completely; place in freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible. To reheat, spread frozen scones on cookie sheet and heat for about 5 minutes in a preheated 250°F oven.
Makes 10 scones.
Nutrition information per serving (one scone): 164 cal, 5 g fat, 22 mg chol, 119 mg sodium, 26 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 4 g pro, 43 mcg folate.