biking with bread flour
September 16, 2010 This post really has nothing to do with bread flour. Except for the following 2 photos and a story. It’s not really a story though. It’s pretty much just how I was biking around with 5lbs of bread flour in my back pack. For some reason this struck me as funny. I just had to get to the store today, because I just had to get bread flour. It was a necessity. [I may or may not have thought about falling off my bike onto my back, and having the flour soften my fall, then being covered in a cloud of flour. Does anyone else have ridiculous thoughts like this or just me??]
Chris has been taking the car to work, which leaves me with my 2 sweet wheels to get around. It’s been kind of fun, I’ll admit. Although errands are WAY more tiring now.
- My house to errand #1 = 3 miles
- Errand #1 to Whole Foods = 2.5 miles
- Whole Foods to home = 4 miles
Not a ton of miles, but I feel the need to go faster than my typical riding speed, to get to my destination. Hence, errands are tiring!
What else was in my bag?
- 4 local organic heirloom tomatoes [they were on sale…I couldn’t help it]
- 3 lemons
- flour
- button mushrooms
- parsley
- kale
Can you tell what I made?? I am so freaking excited to share this recipe, because I couldn’t have been any more pleased with how it came out. I was pretty much dancing in the kitchen. For realz. And you will too!
Okay. Now to more important things…
Like perfected homemade peanut butter.
Perfectly drippy [but not oily] peanut butter. It was like a whirlpool on my oats today. I dripped it on with a knife. No heating necessary.
With a little Cocoa Goodness crunch underneath.
What else was in the mix?
- 1/4c Scottish oats
- 2T chia seeds
- 1 1/4c water
- 1/4c milk
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2t cinnamon
CHOMP.
So. I figured out the secret. Tell me if you already knew this, and I am just late to the game!
When making homemade peanut butter you must use dry roasted peanuts!! [preferably organic…tons of pesticides are used on peanuts!] It makes all the difference in the world. The past few times I’ve made peanut butter, it has been good, but I was always wondering why the flavor was so different from store bought.
Can you dry roast peanuts at home? I must google it!
In the past I would use large unsalted, unroasted, Virginia peanuts. I would roast them at home, in the oven. This just didn’t do it though. The peanut butter was extremely light in color and didn’t taste right.
I happened to find organic, dry roasted, unsalted peanuts at WF the other day. I figured I would give them a go. I never use salted peanuts when making peanut butter. I just add my own to taste.
Peanut butter is one of the easier nut butters to make. It butterizes pretty easily and oil is not necessary.
Homemade Peanut Butter [yields ~ 1.5c = 12oz]
- 3c organic unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
- 1/4-1/2t salt
- Add nuts to food processor.
- Turn on and scrape bowl as necessary until smooth + creamy. ~10-15min
- Add salt slowly, process, then taste test. Repeat until desired saltiness is reached.
I don’t feel it’s necessary to add sugar to plain peanut butter, but I know some people do enjoy slightly sweetened nut butter. 1T of pure cane sugar/honey/maple syrup/etc. would work great.
While this was whirling around in the food processor, it turned into a big peanut butter dough ball. I had to break that up a handful of times and keep it moving in the bowl. It takes some time, but then comes together. Once it’s creamy, I still let it go in the machine for a few minutes longer, scarping another time or 2.
This photo below, is not the plain peanut butter.
It is cinnamon vanilla bean peanut butter and it is faaaabulous. And Chris doesn’t like cinnamony things so it is all mine. [muahahaaa]
Cinnamon Vanilla Peanut Butter
- 3/4c homemade salted peanut butter
- 1/2t vanilla bean paste [or 1t vanilla extract]
- 1.5t cinnamon
- 1.5t pure cane sugar
- Add 3/4c of homemade pnut butter back into your food processor.
- Add ingredients and turn on.
- Scrape down bowl a few times. It will thicken a bit from the cinnamon but let it work for about 3 or so minutes and it should come to a good consistency.
I’m in love! Drippy peanut butter that will warm your soul :)
How’s the apple challenge going? I have a recipe that will be up on Friday! Here is the current tally, but who’s keeping score??
Ashley – 9 : Chris – 1
I didn’t eat all 5 apples today but used them in the recipe. It includes sweet taters + cinnamon, both of which Chris is not a fan. Hence, me getting the credit for all 5 apples. Like you care???? hehehe
Chris is funny about fruit. He has to be reminded to eat it. Not like “honey, did you eat your fruit today??” That is so not me. But literally, he forgets it’s there. Whenever I ask if he wants fruit, 90% of the time he does and he says “oh yah, I forgot that was there.” He loves kiwi, but also loves to let them sit in the fridge. Very strange. Fruit is like candy to me. I never forget when we have it!
How much yammering can a person do in 1 blog post??
The kitchen is in need of a rest, as are my feet and clearly my brain. Lights out!
Ashley
Recipes, cinnamon in nut butters 
Reader Comments (87)
Oh my gosh I want that peanut butter so bad...it looks like heaven :)
That peanut butter looks like perfection!
Wow, your peanut butter looks fantastic. I always imagined making it at home wouldn't result in great texture, but clearly I was wrong!
Is that naan that you made?!
And I would have totally had the same thought about falling off and landing in a puff of flour--in fact I started to think it as soon as I began reading your post!
Ah! I was hoping to see pics from the recipe today. :) Alas, I guess I will wait til tomorrow. Have you ever made cookies with bread flour?! They are so good! I do half bread flour/half another flour.
That PB looks sensational! I love the hints of cinnamon and vanilla so I'm sure it would be extremely tasty. :)
So, after a long summer off -- Stephen finally gets paid this weekend. I HAVE to buy a new food processor and try making peanut butter again. The texture of yours looks incredible. And using dry roasted peanuts? That's such an amazing idea. Thank you!!!
I love the fact that you thought about the flour cloud and falling off your bike.Whenever I run outside and I'm on a road that doesn't have sidewalks, I always imagine a car hitting a rock. That rock then will hit me square on in the forehead, and an ambulance will have to be called. Silly thing to worry about? Yes.... but I digress.
I honestly think that peanut butter looks SO FREAKING GOOD!! Come over and make me some pleeassseee???
You inspired me to use my remainding walnuts in the house for some walnut butter. I'll let you know how it goes.
looks amazing! my husband doesn't look peanut butter at all so i am in luck with every jar:-)
You should slap some of that BP on cut up apples. delicious! It's even better with almond butter, but your homemade peanut butter may even come in first place this time around :)
So have driven me to make my own PB. When I get a chance I am going to make that cinnamon PB. Thank you. :)
That peanut butter looks SO delicious! I'm actually inheriting my parents' food processor next week... I can not WAIT to make nut butters! [And banana soft servce ;)]
That's so funny that Chris forgets the fruit is there... my husband does that too! He'll be searching the cupboards for a work snack and I'll go, "We have lots of apples..." and he'll go, "Oh, yeah. I never think to grab one. Can I?" YES that's why I bought six of them... boys ;)
xo
Kris
That looks so good! It makes me want to go out and buy a food processor just so I can make my own PB!
OK. So I guess I'll have to wait for tomorrow's post to see what the heck you did with that nasty flour you spilled on your bike ride(s).
I think if you remove the skins and spread the peanuts out on a baking sheet and roast them at 425*F for 5-10 minutes, you'll have "dry roasted" peanuts!
Now that my new food processor is here, I get to make nut butter today...which is good, because I'm sick of the store-bought stuff and have missed my homemade. Yippee!
My bf never remembers to eat fruit if its in the fridge, but recently I've been leaving it out in a fruit bowl - I don't even have enough for my own lunches! He takes at least one apple each day for his lunch, and has even put requests in about apple type, now that he's getting his favourites down pat!
Yum, dip some apple slices in that homemade PB!!
I used to work at a co-op, and employees got to take home expired dairy (we didn't buy yogurt for a whole year!) and other products. I biked to work, so until I got the rack and panniers on my bike, I'd bike home with a gallon of milk and 2 qts of yogurt on my back....it was intense! And your thought of the flour cushioning your fall, but exploding all over you cracks me up!
Ahhh that drippy PB looks SOOOO good! I think i may have to try it but I'm leaning towards the cinnamon vanilla version...and I too will have it all to myself :) Also can't wait to hear your butternut squash and apple creation!
Okay. I think I need that cinnamon vanilla pb.
Love that you can ride so many places! The main road here is a highway over mountains, and it's not really safe for bike riding, sadly.
But you're not the only that thinks thoughts like that - I'm actually really bad on bikes and should never ever ride in public :)
Did you make pitas?!? I made some a few months ago and they were AWESOME.
My husband is strange about fruit. He likes most fruit, but he WILL NOT eat fruit for a snack. It's like a sin to him. If he eats fruit, it must be in dessert or with a meal, but never just to snack on. Strange boy.
The cinnamon vanilla peanut butter looks so amazingly good. I was wondering though, do you store yours in the fridge or just out and about?
My husband loves fruit too, but sometimes lets it go to waste. He picked around 50 pears from a tree up the street. You would think that he would eat at least one a day, but he hasn't had one in days!
Can't wait to make this soon!!! Who would have thought dry roasted would make such a diff?
So excited for the naan recipe! I'm so glad I finally got on Twitter, so I can stay updated on these things :) Good to know about the PB, I'll definitely look for those next time I'm at TJ's
ok i admit it, i would have had the same thoughts about the cloud of flour LOL. and YUM to your homemade PB!!!! who knew it was that easy!! must go buy dry roasted nuts NOW!
your nut butter recipes rock my face...i can't wait to go buy some nuts at the store today now :)
I think I want to move next door to smell what comes from your kitchen!
beautiful peanut butter. i'm going to try your recipe next time i make some which is going to have to be soon. i use dry roasted peanuts too but my store doesn't carry organic i don't think. i so wish we had a whole foods out here. ny sucks :D
can't wait for your recipes!
No, you are not alone in those thoughts. I have them often, as you know how accident prone I am. I like to think it keeps life lighter and interesting.
Have you done baked apples before? They can be either a dessert or the basis for a dinner. My mom used to make a dish that was baked apple slices, onion & chicken. It was super tasty, so perhaps you can go on an "Edible Adventure" with that, subbing tempeh or beans???
Be well :)
Lol that's funny. My hubby and I both looooove fruit. Seriously, if the people at the farmers market got together with the people at the grocery store and talked about us, they would think something crazy is going on. We really buy that much fruit. Your pb looks amaaaaaaaazing. Is it weird that I want to take a spoonful and just eat it? Hehe. I'm also wondering what you made with your bread flour. Looks yummy whatever it is :D
That peanut butter looks so amazingly creamy! Perfect consistency, wow! Must try dry roasted peanuts.
Your peanut butter reminds me I must go to Wholefoods now! The almonds are on sale, so I want to scoop some up and make homemade almond butter!!
Nooooo, I want the bread recipe!!!!
I just saw a recipe for apple porridge on Tastespotting and thought of you:
http://www.linneasskafferi.se/2010/09/appeltider/ (scroll down for English)
I love the flavors that you come up with for your nutbutters. I just made some coconut butter (meh), cashew butter (still needs some work, but tastes good), and maple pecan butter (OMG Yum!).
Homemade nut butter always tastes so much better than the store kind. Showing it in that jar made me think it would be a great addition to Christmas presents :-)
Part of the reason I love you blog so much is because you have such a fun personality and it totally shows through your writing. Huge flour cloud? Hysterical! I've stolen my mom's bad boy of a food processor so that peanut butter will definitely need to be made.
Well done on the apples :)
And you are really inspiring me to make my own nut butter... I feel crazy for not having tried it already!
Naan for sure.
How's the bread baking going for you? I LOVE bread baking :D
It makes me smile when other people do too.
You never have to justify buying Local Organic heirloom tomatoes ;) I've tried to make nut butters before and maybe I'm just impatient or maybe because I didn't roast them but it just didn't turn out CREAMY or oily. Kind of powdery? Hm. Maybe I need to work with peanuts and make amends!
Woah, peanut butter porn! It looks amazingly good, and cinnamon and vanilla is a winning combination.
oh what a great tip about using roasted peanuts!!!
OH wow this makes me miss peanut butter...unfortunately I am slightly allergic..go figure!
The pb butter looks so good and much cheaper then in a store.
ok. wow. I am so excited you found my blog so I could find yours!!
1. so happy you liked the naan....super easy huh! !
2. I am in LOVE with home made pb. We made it a few months back and I died over it!
3. Were your organic peanuts in the bulk section at WF.....or were they packaged? Ours didn't sell organic peanuts except in tiny bags (weird, huh?), so I had to order mine....with shipping it came out to be a bit to pricey for as much peanut butter as we eat.....but I am desperate to find cheaper peanuts!
...I think that's all....I am just loving your blog!
I read this yesterday, but I can't stop giggling over your comment about falling on your flour "pillow." I always have crazy silly thoughts like that...and I thought it just meant I was a little insane:) Soo hilarious! And that PB looks downright outrageously delicious--I'm thinking maybe you should try to set up a stand at the farmer's market(preferrably in Boulder) selling your bars and your nut butters.
Haha, well you are not alone! Are you in Boulder? Awesome! I would love to sell my stuff...need a commercial kitchen though!
Hi Sheena!!! Thanks for saying hi :) I'm so glad you clicked over. 1 - Yes, suuuuper easy!! I just put the dough in my stand mixer for 10min and poof..it was perfect! I'll have the recipes + photos up on Mon or Tues. 2 - You MUST make the PB again. mmmm 3 - Yes, I found them in the bulk section but haven't seen them at every WF. I have seen them in the bags too. Check out Natural Grocers. They're based out of Colorado and a few other Western States. They have GREAT prices on nuts. I used to order from them and even with shipping it was still cheaper than WF. Something to look into anyway :) -- I am loving your blog too! Can't wait to look at it more. You + your family are JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!
Aw boo. You should try making my maple cinnamon roasted almond butter. It's in the recipe index and is my BEST nut butter yet!
hahahaha - yes, sooo delicious