Pancake Chef Conor

Over the past month or so, Conor has taken on the role of pancake chef in our house. He own the process now and seems a little put out if someone else offers to make pancakes.

He has memorized the recipe (but wrote a copy just to confirm everything is in the mixing bowl) and can whip out some truly tasty pancakes! He knows to get the step stool so he can reach the eggs in the fridge and also knows to crack the egg into a small bowl instead of the big mixing bowl (makes fishing out any shells easier!). He measures carefully and is very methodical and precise ... right down to having a "favorite" whisk to use!

I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the whole thing is he wears the Snoopy apron I wore when I was a child. (I believe it was given to me as a present on my 5th birthday.) He loos so stinki' cute in that thing!!

Beyond the specific task of making pancakes, he's learning kitchen safety, proper food handling, and a life skill. He is also gaining confidence that will (hopefully) help him continue down the path of self reliance and personal growth.

The recipe ... plus a little Spanish lesson thrown in for flavor!

Scooping the sourdough starter

Olson Family Sourdough Pancakes
1 c. sourdough starter
1 c. milk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T sugar
2 T vegetable oil (we usually go the lazy route and measure out "2 glugs" and call it good)

Mix all ingredients together until the four is incorporated. Pour 1/4-1/3 c batter onto a greased griddle (medium heat). When 1st side is golden, flip over the pancake and leave on heat until the entire pancake is cooked through. Eat. Yum. Repeat!

Cooking with Annika: Guacamole

Annika decided she wants her own cooking show and that her first episode should be all about guacamole. Yum!!

So, sit back, grab some avocados, and enjoy!

January's Daring Bakers Challenge: Gevulde Speculaas

I have no idea where January went, but suddenly I found myself QUICKLY looking at the deadline for this month's baking challenge, which was a Dutch pastry called gevulde speculaas. I was intrigued by this challenge because (a) I'd never heard of gevulde speculaas before and (b) it required me to make my own almond paste. Cool!

Fortunately for my 11th-hour approach to this month's challenge, the recipe wasn't difficult to complete in a timely fashion. I made the almost paste last night and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. I saved myself quite a bit of time by purchasing almonds without their skins (whew). This morning, I made the dough, assembled the layers of dough and almond paste, and then baked the final product.

The original recipe called for whole almonds to be placed on top, but I had plenty of the slivered almonds (and no whole almonds), so used those instead. (The kids enjoyed helping me sprinkle the almonds... Conor also enjoyed poking his finger through the layers in of dough and almond paste in the pan... whoops!)

The final product smelled really good (and reminded us of how our kitchen smells when I make molasses cookies) and tasted quite yummy, too. I've decided they'd be ideal with a dollop of whipped cream on top for a little added "ooomph". All in all, this gets our thumbs up!

Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!