Good to the Grain

When Kim Boyce, a former pastry chef at Spago and Campanile, left the kitchen to raise a family, she was determined to create delicious cakes, muffins, breads, tarts and cookies that her kids (and everybody else) would love. She began experimenting with whole-grain flours and GOOD THE GRAIN (Stewart, Tabori & Chang; March 2010; $29.95 US / $ 38.95 CAN; ISBN 978-1-58479-830-9) is the delicious result. Boyce has truly reinvented the wheel with her collection of 75 recipes that feature 12 different whole-grain flours, from amaranth to teff.

Boyce introduces each chapter by explaining important characteristics of the featured flour and how best to pair its unique flavor with seasonal ingredients. Buckwheat’s fruity, almost bitter profile pairs well with fall fruits. Oat’s pure, milky flavor pairs well with chocolate and nuts. Boyce’s approach produces baked goods that are balanced and sophisticated, delicate and delicious. Some of the recipes include:

Whole Wheat Flour—Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Amaranth Flour—Muscovado Sugar Cake
Barley Flour—Strawberry Barley Scones
Buckwheat Flour—Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes
Corn Flour—Rhubarb Tarts
Kamut Flour—Chocolate Babka
Multigrain Flour—FiveGrain Cream Waffles
Oat Flour—Ginger Peach Muffins
Quinoa Flour—Banana Walnut Cake
Rye Flour—Apricot Boysenberry Tarts
Spelt Flour—Olive Oil Cake
Teff Flour—Date Nut Bread

GOOD TO THE GRAIN also has a chapter on making wonderful jams, compotes, and fruit butters with seasonal fruits that help bring out the wonderfully complex flavors of whole-grain flours. Quentin Bacon’s lush photography rounds out this truly groundbreaking cookbook. GOOD TO THE GRAIN vibrantly showcases the glories of whole-grain baking—making this information-packed and beautiful book is a must-have for any kitchen!

About the author
Kim Boyce is a former pastry chef at Spago and Campanile. She has contributed to Bon Appetit and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times as both subject and contributor. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours
By Kim Boyce
Photographs by Quentin Bacon
Stewart, Tabori & Chang / March 2010
$29.95 U.S / $38.95 CAN; ISBN 978-1-58479-830-9
75 recipes / 35 color photographs / 208 pages; 9 x 9 Hardcover with jacket

Honey Amaranth Waffles
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for the waffle iron
Dry mix:
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet mix:
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Finish:
Greek yogurt, optional

1. Turn the waffle iron to its highest setting. Even if you don’t usually heat it this high, these waffles come out best when cooked at high heat. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. The batter will begin to bubble and swell as the baking soda begins to react with the buttermilk.

3. Brush the waffle iron generously with butter; this is the key to a crisp crust. Use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop 1/2 cup batter onto the spaces of the iron. Promptly close, and listen for the iron to sigh as the batter begins to cook. The smell wafting from the iron starts out like a freshly kneaded loaf of bread, then becomes toasty. Remove the waffle when the indicator light shows that it is done, or when a quick peek shows that it’s turned a dark golden-brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the hot waffle with a fork, and repeat with the remaining batter.

4. The waffles are best eaten right off the griddle, with a bit of butter, a drizzle of honey, or a hearty spoonful of Greek yogurt, as desired.