Baking with whole wheat can be a little tricky especially if you're trying to substitute whole wheat flour for ALL of the all-purpose flour in a recipe.  Check out our test kitchen tips for baking with whole wheat. 

Q: I'm substituting whole wheat flour for white flour in an attempt to cut down on white flour in baked goods.  My recipe for oatmeal cookies is coming out dry!!!  Any suggestions for adding something to a standard oatmeal cookie dough recipe that might help with this problem?  Any tips for cutting down on the "wheaty" taste?

We’ve found that a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour works best in most baking recipes.  If you substitute whole wheat for all of the AP flour, you will need to tweak the fat and liquid ingredients to achieve the desired texture in whatever you are baking.  May we also recommend whole wheat pastry flour instead of stone-ground whole wheat flour.  Flours differ in the amount of protein and gluten-forming proteins which alters the way liquids are absorbed.  For this reason, we like to start with a combination of whole wheat and AP flour in order to minimize the amount of tweaks or changes we need to make to the recipe.  This will also minimize any “wheaty” flavors as well.

Photo Courtesy of FLIKR http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2117347362/

Let’s face it – all brownies are NOT created equal.  There’s a lot of room for wiggle – cakey, fudgy, edge, or center piece.  Brownies are “one of THOSE foods”.  We love the way we love ‘em!  Seriously, I can hardly imagine eating an edge piece of a cake-like brownie.  I’d rather not indulge at all. Guess that makes me a brownie snob?!

Snob or not, I can easily admit to brownies being one of my favorite foods and as such, I want them PERFECT!  The obsession started long ago when I would test out brownie recipes on my family, experimenting with bake time and ingredients.  To this day, my family never let’s me forget the number of times I had them eat brownies just to achieve brownie bliss!

In case you're wondering,BROWNIE BLISS is all about the right combination of pan, batter depth, sugars, and secret ingredients like espresso. My at-home Friday night favorite brownie has a little bourbon and instant espresso.  Take-to-the-party brownies have dark chocolate chunks and get baked in mini muffin pans for bite-sized  perfection.  If I have the time, I like to top these little bites with mocha frosting and chocolate shavings. 

By now, I’m sure you’re thinking that I’m over-the-top about brownies, but I’m not alone in my feelings.  Take our upcoming brownie story (due out in September).  Laughingly, I warned my brownie-loving editor, Shirley Harrington, that once testing started, we would likely have a table-divided – over texture, richness, you name it!   Among our Food Staff, brownies, like so many other foods (cornbread, pound cake, greens, grits), evoke a long list of must-haves.  I was hoping for brownie bliss among the staff, but definitely not holding my breath.  To my uber-amazement, we sailed the base recipe through with rave reviews!!  Next up, it was time to move on to new-fangled brownie concoctions like brownies with blueberries, ginger, candy bars, etc.  This phase of testing definitely sent chills down the spines of the hard-core brownie purists (of which I am one).   Yet, despite moments of BROWNIE INTERRUPTED, we walked away with NEW TWISTS ON AN OLD FAVORITE. 

Whether you’re an edge-lovin’ brownie eater or you prefer fudgy, dense brownies, you will love our recipes in the September issue.  These recipes deserve their place among our BEST EVER BROWNIES!

Cakey or fudgy?  Edge or center - which do you prefer?

Photo courtesy of Anshu_Si at www.flikr.com/photos/anshu_si

Calling all cooks! Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst is a must-have for every kitchen novice and foodie out there.  This little book is fully-loaded with culinary terms and definitions, helpful charts on cuts of meat, spice pairings, and so very much more. I keep a copy at home AND at work. I also like to give a copy to friends getting married. It’s a life-saver for those friends who hardly ever don an apron!!

We love this little book so much at SL that we keep a copy in the Test Kitchens.  It comes in handy for many a tasting-table discussion.  Whether you’re a busy mom with little time to spare or a foodie at heart, this book has something for everyone.  Trust me. It’s the ultimate go-to for much-needed kitchen info like…. 

Cheese confusion – When’s the last time you stood glaring at the cheese assortment in a haze of confusion?  What do I sub for provolone? Hmmm, ripened cheese? Do I cut the rind off of brie?

Herb haze – did the recipe call for lemon balm, lemon grass, or lemon verbena?  What’s the difference?

“Term” trauma – this custard recipe calls for a bain marie.  If you don’t speak French, no worries. 

Grab this quickie food reference book and get cookin’.  Let me know what you think.  I suspect you’ll want to thank me for the head’s up!

It’s that time of year – pollen is in the air, flowers are in bloom, and cleaning is on the agenda.  Purging the kitchen was on my to-do list especially since I look at its clutter at least twice a day.  First stop – the pantry.  I decided to reorganize AND inspect all the goods for shelf-life dates.  As you can imagine, the pantry prowl was a little intense, but I definitely recommend combining the task!

If you’re like me, it’s difficult to find and decode the “best used by” dates, and spices are especially tricky. Best advice – check company websites where you can plug in codes on spice bottles to separate the keepers from those past their prime.

Check out these spice trackers:  McCormick http://www.mccormick.com/Spices101/HowOldSpices.aspx,  Spice Islands http://www.spiceislands.com/RegisterSpices.aspx and http://www.spiceislands.com/ReplacingSpices.aspx

As for cans and jars, check around the label seams for coded dates.  Boxed items typically display coded dates on the top or bottom lid.  If you can’t break the code, check out the company’s website.  If you’re completely in doubt or you think you remembered moving it from your last house, it’s probably safe to let it go!

Next stop - the refrigerator.  Seriously, I must have a collector’s addiction when it comes to condiment jars. They clutter the refrigerator in a way that makes me cringe.  So, out with the old, in with the new!  It was refreshing!

If you haven’t purged the pantry or spice rack in a while, go for it!  And don’t forget to recycle all those glass jars you free up.

Image courtesy faeryboots at Flickr

What’s salty, crispy, and the hottest new ingredient around?  Potato chips!  Think about the possibilities – crispy chicken, savory casseroles, and tempting desserts.  That’s a day in the life of the Southern Living Test Kitchen. When I first started working with Food For Today (FFT for short), I was a little intimidated by the “guidelines” which include super short ingredient lists (sometimes a max of 4). Delicious, quick, and innovative – it seemed like a challenge I would be up for!  My goals - creatively showcase sponsored ingredients, developing recipes with a Southern flare. How bad could it be to take a food or ingredient you love and dream up new ways to enjoy it? Or take a classic Southern recipe and sub in a new ingredient to give it a fresh twist. Once peanuts came along, I hit my stride. From rice to ice cream or mayonnaise to peanuts, it’s a challenge that will keep me coming back for more.

So, what did I do with a bag of potato chips?  Well, you’ll have to stay tuned for that, but I’ll give you some hints.  I paired potato chips with artichokes, squash, sour cream, chocolate AND ice cream (not all in one recipe, of course!).  I admit - it’s quite an array of ingredients.  By themselves or paired with chocolate - who can resist?!

What would you do with a bag of potato chips…besides snuggling up in front of the TV with a bag of your favorite chips and a great movie?