Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors (32 page)

FOR CAKE:

1 cup (235 ml) kefir (
page 42
)

1
1
/
2
cups (180 g) fresh-milled whole-wheat pastry flour (unsprouted) (
page 55
)

1
/
2
cup (40 g) rolled oats

1
/
2
cup (112 g) butter

3
/
4
cup (150 g) maple sugar (
page 65
)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

1
/
2
teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder

1
/
2
cup (75 g) finely chopped crunchy walnuts (
page 49
)

1
/
2
cup (40 g) unsweetened shredded coconut

FOR FROSTING:

1 cup (225 g) Yogurt Cream Cheese (
page 40
), softened

3 tablespoons (45 ml) maple syrup

1
/
2
teaspoon vanilla extract

1
/
2
cup (75 g) finely chopped crunchy walnuts (
page 49
)

TO MAKE THE CAKE: The night before or 12 hours prior to baking, combine the kefir, flour, and rolled oats in a glass bowl. Stir, cover with a thin dishcloth, and set aside in a warm spot for 12 hours. Unwrap and put the butter in a medium-size bowl to soften, cover, and go to bed!

The next day, preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3). Butter a 7 x 11-inch (17.8 x 28 cm) glass dish.

To the bowl with the softened butter, add the maple sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sea salt and beat to combine. Add the soaked flour mixture and the baking powder. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and on high speed for 1 minute; the mixture will be well combined, with some lumps. Add the walnuts and coconut beat to combine.

Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING: In a medium-size bowl, combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla. Beat well with a hand mixer on high speed. Add the walnuts and beat on low speed until just combined. Frost the cake and serve.

YIELD: 8 SERVINGS

E-Anne’s Shortcakes

Long ago, a very special neighbor, Mary Anne Adams, taught my mom a lot about the kitchen and even more about lasting friendships. These shortcakes were one of her offerings. The butter used to be “margarine” and the baking powder used to be “cornstarch” however, the basic ingredient of friendship has never changed. Thank you, E-Anne.

Inspired by Mary Anne Adams

1 cup (225 g) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1
/
2
cup (80 g) honey granules (
page 64
)

2
3
/
4
cups (330 g) fresh-milled, sprouted whole-wheat pastry flour (
page 55
)

1
/
4
teaspoon baking powder

Fresh fruit, for serving

Freshly whipped cream or ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3). Have ready a 7 x 11-inch (17.8 x 28 cm) glass baking dish (no need to grease).

In a small-size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the honey granules and process for 30 seconds. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. With the processor chute open and the motor running, pour in the melted butter mixture. Continue processing until the dough sticks together in a ball, 30 to 45 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough from the processor and press into the baking dish.

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. After baking, remove and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Score the shortcake (lightly cut the surface without pressing through to the pan) into 8 equal pieces and allow to cool completely. Once cool, diagonally prick the center of each square twice with a fork. Finally, using the scored lines as guidelines, cut through the squares completely.

To serve, top each individual piece with desired topping. Plain shortcake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

YIELD: 8 SERVINGS

Almond Boy

For the average day when dessert really shouldn’t be on the menu, but you’re dying for something sweet, here’s the solution. The key ingredient is a juicy Medjool date and a bit of trust, because who would pair a date with coconut oil?! We would! It’s delicious, and the coconut oil stops any craving for additional sweets in its tracks.

1 large Medjool date

1
/
2
to 1 teaspoon Soy-Free Carob Chips (
page 193
)

1 tablespoon (14 g) coconut oil, soft but not melted

1 whole crunchy almond (
page 49
)

Split open and pit the date. Fill it with as many carob chips as you like. Smother the top with coconut oil. Place the almond on top and press down lightly. Enjoy!

YIELD: 1 SERVING

CHAPTER 14
CHEERS!

WE’D LIKE TO RAISE OUR GLASSES AND TOAST A BEVERAGE REVOLUTION. We think we need it, folks! If we step back and take a look, our kids are currently drinking pink milk, colored and flavored “water,” and frightening amounts of juice and soda. Adults are chugging big gulp, chemically laden “diet” drinks and coffee cocktails with more faux whipped cream and sugar-free syrup than espresso. On top of that, we’ve forgotten about our fundamental need for plain old water. This chapter offers a few delicious and health-supportive alternatives. Bottoms up!

Continuous Brew Kombucha

This recipe is the one and only time you’ll find evaporated cane sugar, a close cousin to refined white sugar, in our book. But the good news is that you won’t be consuming it—your kombucha will! Kombucha, a traditional fermented beverage, has gained popularity in the last four years for its digestive and mood-enhancing benefits. Usually, this tea is made in single batches that take between 10 days to 3 weeks to brew, which forces the cook to clean everything out and start over each time. Below, we teach you how to maintain a continuous brew, which is decanted halfway every 7 days and refilled without ever (or very rarely) having to clean out the vessel. Note that you’ll need a 2
_1
/
2
-gallon (9.5 L) porcelain vessel with a plastic spigot and loose-leaf tea (see Resources,
page 216
), for this recipe.

Inspired by Hannah Crum and Monica Ford

FOR STARTER BATCH:

8 cups (1880 ml) water

8 tablespoons (64 g) loose black (or green) tea

2 cups (400 g) evaporated cane sugar (see Note on
page 211
)

5
1
/
2
quarts (5.2 L) cold water

2 cups (470 ml) plain kombucha

1 kombucha SCOBY (
page 216
)

FOR REFILL BATCH

4 cups (940 ml) water