4 Days before the much anticipated event and amid the hell of pre-Christmas . . .oops, I mean the joy of Christmas, I finally stumbled upon the inspiration for a fun lunch. Candy canes! The candy cane I stumbled across was actually a large chunk wedged tightly into the sole of my shoe, causing some mid arch discomfort and creating a sticky trail upon my floor, but who am I to speak harshly of my ill placed muse?
Whole wheat candy cane bread (this was shamefully easy - -make 2 batches of dough for whole wheat bread, but add food coloring to one batch while you are proofing the yeast). After the first rise, divide each piece of dough into 4 to 8 sections (depending on how many and how big you want your candy canes to be). Roll each section into a long rope (approx. 12 inches to fit in a laptop lunchbox). Twist a red rope and natural rope together (making sure not to leave any airspaces between the twists) and shape to resemble a candy cane. Allow to rise on cookie sheet and baste with egg yolk and water just before baking. You will probably have to adjust your cooking time (my recipe called for 25 mins. shaped as a loaf - but it took only 12 minutes as a candy cane). By the way, this project is kid friendly and I dare say it kept all mysterious thumping sounds and subsequent screaming at bay for at least 15 minutes.
Oh yeah. . I added a mixture of peanut butter and honey to spread on the bread and a fruit salad of mandarin segments and kiwis. Cream cheese and chopped cranberries would have looked prettier, but I didn't have any on hand.
Merry Christmas!
P.S. School is out for a couple of weeks so my postings will be scarce until early 2008.
waste generated: rectangle of unbleached parchment paper - - I think I am a parchment junkie.
6 comments:
Way cute bread! Since you've brought it up - I have noticed the parchment paper fetish, but didn't think it was polite to comment on. Happy Holidays!
Hey girl-
Love the candy cane bread. All this time I did not know you were a vegitarian! Is your whole family vegitarian? I have been a vegitarian and sometime half-ass vegan for 22 years and Craig has been vegi for 24 years and both Amelia and Daniel are, of course, vegitarian by default. Although Daniel is a natural - got very disturbed seeing a turkey carcass at someones house over Thanksgiving. He had to leave the table and eat his PB&J in the other room. Admitly, we are "unhealthy vegitarians" who want to do better but still find ourselves drawn to Jimboys (Damn!).
Craig said he had a great chat with you over the phone today. I think you and I are kindered spirits caught in different currents. Your Christmas letter has given me a lot to think about regarding consumerism and my own denial of my impact and materialist disease. Sorry your weekends are crazy full and we won't get to see you next weekend. I would love to teach you funky doll making and you can teach me how to sneak good healthy food to my kids.
Lots of love- Angie Usher
Damn! I can't spell. Vegetarian. Redeemed. - Angie
Hi Angie!
For the record: I am not a vegetarian, although now that I review some of my more recent posts I can see where you'd get that idea. We eat meat, but I try to buy it only from sources that I'm comfortable with and we only eat it once of twice a week. I've been both vegetarian and vegan, but I'm not good with rules.
We really do have to get together sometime in the new year, bake bread, sew some crazy creatures, walk the red carpet. . .whatever it is that out- of- work movie stars do in their spare time.
I LOVED Amelia's birthday party invitation and your Christmas card was beautiful in so many ways. . . .
Love,
Jeanine
Hi there-
I have been doing some fun updating on my spot. Please take a look-see and let me know what you think.
When do you stop working on weekends? Can we figure out a day to craft and cook before Valentine's day (homemade goodies and handmade gifts, yee-haw)?
Thanks for connecting-
Angie
I also love the candy cane bread. It really looks so cute with its color. It doesn't look like a bread at first.
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