Wordless Wednesday: Samsø Island, Denmark, October 2010

Homemade Grape Nuts

This recipe stopped me in my tracks.  I used to be a devotee of Grape Nuts when I lived in the States but because I've never seen them in the cereal aisle in Danish supermarkets, I sort of forgot about them.  Then I ran across a wonderfully inspired recipe called Graham Nuts in Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole Grain Flours.  Hallelujah.

I will tell you that this recipe--for me at least--does not mimic the texture of the commercial variety.  Perhaps it's because I ground mine a little too fine, but I missed some of that bulky crunchy texture that one finds in Grape Nuts.  On the other hand, I was thrilled with the flavor, tackling a recipe that's my version of an interesting science experiment, and the fact that that I was able to produce a nearly 100 percent organic version.

My one note of caution is to play with the recommended baking time a bit.  I did not use the full 55-60 minutes on the second round of baking. Mine was more like 35 minutes, but ovens vary, so just watch your cracker to make sure you get a dark brown color and dry texture without overcooking and burning.

Graham Nuts
From Good to the Grain:  Baking with Whole Grain Flours by Kim Boyce
1c graham flour
1/3c whole wheat flour
1/3c dark brown sugar
1/2t baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1c buttermilk
1T honey
1t pure vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Rub a baking sheet lightly with butter.

2.  Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain and other ingredients that may remain in the sifter, and set aside.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, honey, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula to form a batter.

4.  Scrape the batter onto the baking sheet and, using the spatula or a metal offset spatula, spread the batter evenly across the entire surface of the sheet.  The more evenly the batter is spread, the more evenly the cracker will bake--if you have a long, thin offset cake spatula, this is the time to use it.

5.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and break off any areas of the cracker that are getting dark or dry, and set them on a rack to cool.  Turn the oven down to 250F, return the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 55-60 minutes more.  Every 20 minutes, break off any more dry sections and put them on the cooling rack.  While you are doing this, break up the rest of the dough into smaller pieces to encourage the dough to dry out faster, and return pan to the oven for the remaining time.

6.  Remove the sheet from the oven when the cracker is mahogany brown and entirely dry.  Let all the pieces of the cracker cool on a rack.

7.  Set up a food processor with a large-hole grater attachment.  Feed pieces of the cracker through the tube at the top and grind into nuts. Serve with a pitcher of ice-cold milk.  The graham nuts will store in an airtight jar for one month.

Wordless Wednesday: Danish Kransekage on New Year's Eve

Buckwheat Galettes

When my father-in-law arrived two days before Christmas, he did not come empty handed.  Far from it. It took him two full days of driving to get from France to here, but loaded carefully in his car was precious cargo indeed:  boxes of oysters, jars of foie gras, little cans of seafood mousse, tumblers of homemade jam, boxes of Lindt Pyrenees (the best chocolates. ever), blocks of pungent cheeses, saucisson, and so much wine I lost count.

Talk about being spoiled...and, for our part, tremendously grateful. There was one other special item tucked in among the treasure trove: buckwheat flour.  So to top it all off, my father-in-law prepared a beautiful stack of  buckwheat galettes, the crepe's sister pancake.  His recipe is as simple as it gets:

Buckwheat Galettes
Makes 10-12 pancakes depending on pan size

500g/4c buckwheat flour
2 eggs
3/4 liter/generous 3c water
1/2t sea salt (a pinch more if you like)
1/2c salted butter (for Step 3 of my father-in-law's tricks)
oil for pan
a small cloth

1.  Combine all ingredients and mix well with a whisk, 3-5 minutes.  Set aside for up to 6 hours at room temperature or cover and refrigerate overnight.

2.  Heat a crepe pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Grease well with oil but remove any excess.

3.  Pour a large spoon of batter into the pan (a soup ladle works perfectly) and swirl to distribute batter evenly.  Cook until tiny bubbles appear all over the surface of the pancake.  Flip and cook briefly on the other side.  Remove from pan and place on plate.

My father-in-law's tricks:

• oiled cloth for the pan
• aerate batter and repeatedly mix with wooden spoon or soup ladle thereby increasing the air in the batter (for light pancakes)
• If your galettes are too thick, simply thin down your batter (little by little) with more water.
• Step 1:  cook and stack galettes, set aside
• Step 2:  Clean up kitchen, sit down for an aperitif (also known as happy hour), and relax.
• Step 3:  Heat pan and add 1-2 teaspoons of salted butter.  Reheat galette, add filling, if desired, and before you know it you have a soft-in-the-middle, crispy-around-the-edges little piece of heaven. Add more butter with the reheating of each additional galette.

While many recipes call for melted butter in the batter, my father-in-law makes his sans extra fat.  Besides, the oil in the pan in Step 1 and the butter in Step 3 are sufficient to achieve the perfect galette.

You can make savory and/or sweet galettes.  Filling options include cheese, cured meats, eggs, jam, chocolate, or whatever else sounds good to you.  If possible, serve with a good French cider.