Good afternoon, readers.
This week it has been all about the acorns. I have collected a load the last couple of weeks and have been investigating the best ways of preparing them for the table.
Things I have discovered about acorns this week:
Look for holes in the acorns - these one's have worms in about... yeuch!
They take ages to dry enough to get the shells off (otherwise they simply ricochet off the walls when you try to open them)
Don't put them in the oven to dry. It seems like an easy way around the above problem, but they just roast. Luckily, you can make acorn coffee out of them... will let you know how that goes later in the week when its finished
They take forever to shell. My nails are broken, my scissors are blunt and I have cut myself innumerable times
Acorns take ages to prepare, ready for eating. They have tannins in them, some kind of acid which makes them bitter and I don't believe is that great for you... ergo, you have to go through an extremely lengthy process of blending them, leaching them twice a day and straining through muslin. I have been at this all week. Its mind numbingly boring
Blenders have their own dangers... when cleaning my blender I almost cut my finger off. I am clearly a numpty
The resulting flour must dry for several days...and days...zzzzz...
One really wonders, why one would bother - I know hubby thought I'd really lost the plot and couldn't understand my enthusiasm, particularly after the blender incident... but I believe, in the end that my patience and hard work has been rewarded in the shape of acorn cookies! These have come out really well and are seriously tasty. I will leave you then with the recipe for these (from
http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm). Have a good week!
Acorn Cookies
| 2 cups wheat flour | 1 cup white (or brown) sugar | 1 tsp. baking powder (or baking soda) |
| 1 cup acorn grits | 1/2 cup shortening | 1 tsp. salt |
Preparation: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Then blend in the acorn grits. Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place 1.5" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Cook: Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly colored. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Variation: Add 1 egg and/or 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
No comments:
Post a Comment