Dark Days Challenge: Week 8

I've been a little obsessed with all things flour this week; after finding so many great local grains at Two Farm Kids. I love pancakes and regularly make my Grandmother's recipe. The basic recipe is 2 C. flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 3/4 C milk and 1/4 C. oil or shortening. Early this week I replaced 1/4 C of the flour with de Ruyck's organic whole wheat flour. Very nice. Later in the week, I replaced 1/4 C. of the flour with spelt. The pancake was a little heavier, but a really great, nutty flavor. We'll do that again!

Also in the oven this week: Grandmother's recipe for baking powder biscuits. The basic recipe is 2 C. sifted flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, 5 tsp. sugar, 1/2 C. shortening or butter and 3/4 C. milk. Made the recipe straight up this time, but I'm going to try swapping some of the organic unbleached flour for whole wheat and spelt next.

Now, I know that salt, sugar, cream of tartar and such isn't local. But I'm counting the food as part of the Dark Days Challenge because they were homemade and I've sourced as many of the ingredients as possible from local sources. And we ate them with homemade nanking cherry jelly! Next on the agenda: more homemade pasta with local durum semolina flour!