These soft, delicious, savory-and-sweet dinner rolls are a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Rich with butter, buttermilk and egg, and stuffed with sweet-tart dried fruit, they take shape over two or more days in paced but easy steps. The recipe size is based on the appetites of two adults but can be doubled or quadrupled for larger gatherings.
Yield: Six, 3-ounce dinner rolls - suitable for 2 adults.
A building block for diverse and tasty breads and other baked goods, this starter is easy to make, very stable, and delicious. Best of all it can be made with few tools and minimum precision.
This tart and tasty but very easy loaf uses a whole-grain quinoa sourdough starter described HERE. The bread rises entirely from natural leavens, a process that takes longer than bread leavened with commercial yeast. At room temperature (72 F) the loaf will be ready to bake in about 7 hours. If you have a "Bread proof" oven setting (100 F), that time can be cut to 3 hours. Baking in a pouch or bag as described ensures a crispy crust.
This big, tasty hemisphere is a surprisingly easy project. An energetic pre-dough, made from natural sourdough starter, provides great flavor and vigorous rise,. This bread yields solid, sandwich-perfect slices, is very slow to stale, and resists mold. Leave it on your kitchen counter and slice as needed - it's good for a minimum of 4 days.
Yield: one, 16-ounce sourdough Boule - enough bread for two adults to enjoy for three days.
Snacking cakes are one-bowl wonders, defying all the fussiness normally associated with cake-baking. More amazing than their minimal skill and time commitment requirements is the taste: moist, rich, most assuredly cake-y. This one tops the surprise chart even further, building nuances of big flavor from a most unlikely flour, quinoa. It's a bit of a cheat because it uses two bowls - three if you opt for a blood orange glaze, which I highly recommend - but I doubt you'll care once you've had the first bite.
These "Cookies for Grown-Ups" will bring joy to your taste buds with a sophisticated, nuanced blend of flavor and texture. Earthy quinoa is offset nicely with tart apple; butter and coconut oil bring tenderness to the crumb; allspice brightens the flavor profile and varied flour fine-ness makes for engaging mouth feel.
Yield: One dozen, 1-ounce cookies.
Time to make: 45 minutes total, including 24 minutes oven dwell.
The darkest possible cocoa gives these cupcakes a smoky, intense flavor, which is enhanced by the quinoa flour and set off sweetly with the mocha frosting. They're the one dessert my wife, Leslie, will request; of course I'm more than happy to make a batch that's ever so slightly larger than she can consume. You'll see why when you make these yourself.
This photographic negative of the classic is a tart, delicious and whole-grain alternative. Quinoa flour is best friends with chocolate, and that's particularly true for black cocoa. If unavailable, other colors may be used; the flavor may be enriched with 1/2 teaspoon of instant chocolate granules. This is an excellent recipe for beginners.
Yield: 15, One-and-one-half ounce cookies
Time to make: 20 minutes prep. 10 Minutes oven dwell.
Part paté choux, part cookie, part cake, this light and chocolate-y treat pairs whole-grain quinoa flour, black cocoa and sweet chocolate chunks.
Yield: 4, one-ounce snacks or desserts
Time to make: 40 minutes active. Overnight refrigeration. 35 minute oven dwell.
Tools needed: Large stoneware bowl. Medium prep bowl. Silicon spatula. Electric mixer with whisk attachment. Plastic wrap. Sharp knife. 2-quart saucepan. Measuring cups and spoons and/or scale. Sheet pan with bakers parchment.
These cookies are tempting and aromatic spheres that contain a central surprise: smooth-textured chocolate that resonates beautifully with their crunchy, nut-and-cocoa shells. Attention to detail makes the difference here, so take the extra few minutes to toast the nuts and chop them very fine. Watch your oven carefully, since they are easy to over-bake. And keep an eagle eye on the finished product, too, since guests and spouses are known to empty a serving tray while your back is momentarily turned.
