Yes, really.
Remember about a thousand years ago when I told you about Zucchini Pie? Bisquick is one of the ingredients needed for that recipe. Today I'm going to show you how to make your own! Your life will be complete.
You know, I've always been a label reader - mostly looking at fat content and calories. Lately I look at everything, especially the ingredients. I've decided if I can't pronounce an ingredient listed, I'm not buying it. Monocalcium phosphate? Seriously? I need that in my pancakes? Get away from me tricalcium phosphate and datem. Maybe you're good - I don't know. I just know that you're not on any ingredient list in my recipe box so BEGONE WITH YOU. It really bugs me when those things are listed on enriched flour.
So, what you're telling me, Gold Medal, is you took perfectly good freshly ground whole wheat flour, removed all the good stuff to make the flour white and pretty, then added a bunch of chemically altered nutrients back in to make the white and pretty flour more nutritious? Gah.
Ooh - COOL! I'm on a soapbox. A soapbox tangent. Thank you for listening. Back to the Bisquick.
I'm always looking for homemade ingredients. I've tried salad dressing, granola, cream cheese and stuffing mix. Some have been good, some not so good but the challenge is there. The challenge to rely on ingredients that are available and that I CAN PRONOUNCE.
I combed the internet for homemade Bisquick and I wish I could tell you where I eventually found this. The recipe needs a form of fat and most of the recipes I found used Crisco. Interestingly enough, I wanted to stay away from that. Shocker.
So, let's get going! This is super easy. My kids could make it.
You'll need:
4-1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
4-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. dry milk
1/2 c. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
1-1/4 c. canola or grapeseed oil. I'd avoid olive oil because of the strong flavor.
Looking at the above picture, can you tell I shop at Walmart? They should give me some kind of kickback for advertising the Great Value brand. My biggest dream realized - to be a Walmart spokesperson.
Click here for the printable version.
Actually, I'd rather be a Bob's Red Mill spokesperson. I LOVE their stuff. And they're local - not so many food miles on the backs of their products.
Did I ever tell you about the time I met Bob? Our local grocery store was doing a big grand-opening and had all kinds of promos. Bob was there giving away samples of his Gluten-Free Brownies. He was even wearing the same hat. I went into crazed-fan-stalker mode.
"Bob? Is that you? REALLY? I have your picture all over my pantry! I LOVE your products!"
Bob was very good-natured. He gave me a bunch of free coupons and samples and personally invited me to come eat at his restaurant, at the Mill. Yep. Bob and I are tight, now.
OK, enough shameless name-dropping. Back to the recipe.
Put all the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl.
Give it a few whisks to mix it up.
Then, using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low speed. While it's running, begin pouring in the oil. Pour it slowly, in a thin stream, keeping the mixer going the entire time.
Once all the oil has been added, grab some and hold it in your hand.
. . . and - oooh! action shot! - squeeze it tightly.
It should hold together like this. If it's still too crumbly, add more oil, a teaspoon at a time (with the mixer running, remember) until you reach the right consistency.
I think the original recipe gave a shelf-life of 6 months if stored in the freezer. Mine has lasted much longer than that.
It fits in this 3 qt. container just fine.
I put the handy-dandy pancake instructions on the lid. So Duane, the resident Saturday Morning Pancake King, can do his pancake magic. Yes, I'm spoiled. I freely admit it.
I also admit that this recipe isn't low-fat. At least not as low-fat as the Reduced-Fat Bisquick you buy in the store. But you know what? I'll take more calories if it means I know what's in the food my family and I are eating.
Says the person who's favorite fast food is McDonald's.
I'm all about keeping you guys on your toes.
~Dudey,
ReplyDeleteMy mother and father socialize with Bob and his wife. They all own old cars together, and tour, and club. And do what that 'set' of people do.
One day while walking into 'the mill' with my mother, Bob called her out by name and took the time to chat with her.
Affable fellow.
FUN POST...like always.
Datem?
I thought that's what you do with cute boys of sound character.
Then you marryem.
Then they throw lavishly planned theme parties on special events and keep the romance alive.
;)
Karen, you can also use milled flax seed as the fat. Because my son is now on a gfcf diet, I have to make his bread myself and used flax seed in place of the oil last time. It turned out okay, but we have to use the bread very quickly because it doesn't have preservatives in it. And happy belated birthday.
ReplyDeleteLOL... You mean the Dirt Brownies:P I love Bobs Red Mill... but those were the WORST brownies i have ever tasted. Happy Birthday:P
ReplyDeleteShut up!! I love this!!! I am totally bookmarking it so I can do it myself!
ReplyDeleteKarenPie - where on earth do you buy whole wheat pastry flour? On that note, do you know of a good place to find whole wheat bread flour? I've scoured and come up empty handed. Thanks for the recipe! I think the price of Bisquick is as offensive as its contents - another good reason to make your own!
ReplyDeleteMolly: "marryem"? You crack me up, girl. I'm waiting for the day you start your own blog so I can laugh at you. I mean with you. In a good way. I mean.
ReplyDeleteKSUGirl: Now that you mention it, my mom's breakfast muffins use a ground flax seed and no fat except what's in the eggs. I could never figure out why they were so moist! Thanks for the heads up!
Shawna: I think being a new mother has fried your brain. I know that's when I started losing brain cells, anyway. You seriously don't like the BRM Gluten-free brownies? I thought they ROCKED! Of course, I didn't make them, just ate them as samples. Now I'm a-skeered to make them on my own.
Carrian: Let me know how it works for you! I'm going to post more recipes using it. I think. If I can get my life in order.
Danielle: I use Bob's Red Mill brand WW Pastry flour. Since Bob's is up here in the Pac NW, it's local and in all our grocery stores. Sometimes it's in the baking aisle (with all the other flours). Other times it's in the organic/health food section. I hope you can find it. If not, you can order it from their web site:
http://www.bobsredmill.com/whole-wheat_pastry-flour.html
As for the ww bread flour - I'm not an expert, but I think bread flour is simply all-purpose flour that has vital wheat gluten added to it, to give it more stretch and rise. Wow - I think I impressed myself with that one.
Seriously, if you take the ww pastry flour and add gluten you might get the same result. BRM sells it too:
http://www.bobsredmill.com/vital-wheat-gluten.html
Let me know how the experimenting goes!