Wool-less Wednesday: Halloween Witches' Fingers Cookies

These Halloween witches' fingers cookies have got to be the grossest things I have ever baked. Looking too real for comfort, they are always a hit at Halloween.

Photo by 5boys2cook4

I cannot take the credit for these beauties above. 5boys2cook4  is the creative talent behind this batch of ugliness.

I have made these freakish cookies many Halloweens using a recipe from Canadian Living Magazine claimed to be their most popular Halloween recipe ever.

Using a shortbread cookie dough, you shape pieces of the dough into cylinders and mould them to look like a gnarled fingers. Red cake decorating gel and almonds create the disgusting fingertips.
 
Happy Halloween Baking!

Wool-less Wednesday: Delicious Yeast Free Bread

Fresh from the oven, this yeast free bread is tasty slathered in orange marmalade! This bread is a cross between a quick bread and a soda bread. We bake it many times a week in our kitchen.

Yeast Free Bread

Preheat your oven to 390F or 200C. Grease a 9x5 loaf tin.

Ingredients:

3 cups  (750 ml) wholewheat flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1/4 cup (125 ml) rolled oats
2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk or 2 cups of milk soured with about 3 tbsps (45 ml) white vinegar
2 tbsps (30 ml) canola oil

If you're souring your own milk, sour it about an hour ahead of time to make sure your milk is well curdled. Sometimes, we sour our milk overnight in the fridge and bake a bread first thing in the morning.

Method:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the oil to your buttermilk or soured milk.
3. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your liquid.
4. Mix just enough to combine.
5. Pour into your greased loaf tin.
6. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from tin to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Wool-less Wednesday: Or What Else Do You Get Up To?

I do take a breather from the fiber life once in a while and set aside my obsession with yarn, hooks and needles. I've dedicated Wednesday to being "wool-less" and to blog about my other pursuits.

First thing this morning, I baked my favorite muffins without the use of any fiber related tools or materials. This is a great recipe that I thought I'd share, as I know we fiberistas must eat too!

Blueberry and/or Cranberry Bran Muffins

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Grease or paperline your 12 cup muffin pan.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk   (250ml)

1/2 cup vegetable oil  (125ml)

1/4 cup  molasses  (50ml)

3/4 cup  packed brown sugar  (175ml)

1 1/2  cups  natural wheat bran  (375ml)

1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour  (375ml)

2 tsp baking powder  (10ml)

3/4 tsp salt  (4ml)

1/2 tsp  baking soda  (2ml)

1 cup blueberries  (fresh or frozen, unthawed) OR cranberries  (250ml)

* In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, oil, molasses and brown sugar until well blended. Stir in bran and  let stand for 5 minutes.

* In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to the liquid ingredients above. Stir until just combined.

* Stir in blueberries or cranberries being careful not to over mix.

* Spoon into greased or paperlined muffin pan.

* Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Sometimes I put 1/2 cup (125ml) each of the blueberries and cranberries into the batter.

So good with a cup of tea in between knit 1, purl 1! Happy muffin baking!