Apple Pie Brandy Pudding
So! I am betting that this Apple Pie Pudding will go down in the anals of food history as an accident that was simply waiting to happen! And, when it did, brought greater joy than either pie or pudding could have in of themselves.
Here is what happened. I have been experimenting with different flours. Recently, I decided to test what wheat I am intolerant to. And, I have reading about how heritage strains of grain may not trigger the same issues as the mass produced, yield enhancing GMO versions. Einkorn has been one of those much talked about ancient wheat varietals that supposedly is less trigger happy than regular all purpose flour. The only problem is that it is more dense and less glutenous. Therefore, it because markedly unlike regular flour. Think, low rise and less flaky.
So, when I decided to make apple pie, using the regular pie recipe....
Chilli and Irish Cheddar Scones
These scones are made with part Einkorn and part gluten free blend of flours. The recipe I used is in the British fashion where room temperature fat is used and in this case, I used lard instead of butter for flavor as well as texture. Unexpected as it sounds, lard gives pastry a better lift as its melting point is much lower than butter and it 'steams' a lot faster. For flavor, I went with simple pantry items like cheese and chili. I always keep a decent Irish cheddar on hand. As humble as the cheese comes across it is a great one for use either in cooking (oh! Béchamel sauce) as much as a cheese plate....
Banana Einkorn Cake with Nutella Swirls
Einkorn is an heritage wheat strain that has been recently growing in popularity. The idea is that this is the unadulterated version of wheat, from when the wheat DNA was not being tampered with to create higher yield, larger kernel, pest-resistant crops. What I found with Einkorn is that I am still left with the same level of susceptibility but the amount of this wheat I can partake before flaring up on allergens is much higher. So, I am ok to have a large slice of cake made with this flour that I typically would not be able to indulge in (without fallout) with a regular white flour goodie. One would then think that this is such a manna and with a simple substitution, all would go back to the hegemonies days of indulgence. But, fortunately, that is not quite possible.
At the heart of it, it a very source of carbohydrates and one with mitigated side effects (for me). Balancing that is the price of this non-commodity. As it is not optimized for yield or resistance, it is a very natural grain that is well susceptible to the natural forces. It is not abundantly available and is priced as such. So, I have to be parsimonious in my use of it and as much conscious of how I incorporate it. Banana bread/cake is, I think, well worth this investment. As it is, it is memorable as one of the first from-scratch bakes from my kitchen. Over that, its functionality as both breakfast as well as dessert, makes it an ideal target for use. Also, a little flour goes a long way here as the bulk of the volume comes from the bananas.....