So at some point over the summer, I posted a freebie about a whole wheat flour cookbook and mentioned that I was looking forward to finding recipes using whole wheat flour (especially pancakes) that my family WOULDN'T fling at my head!
A few days later, I received an email from King Arthur Flour letting me know that they had a great cookbookand some new flours added to their lineup that they felt that my family would love and then offered to send me the cookbook and some flour to try! For me, it was a no-brainer....I've been using King Arthur Flour ever since the people at CakeCentral convinced me that it was the best one out there.
What I received was the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking book as well as their new White Whole Wheat Flour!:
I admit to being a novice at this whole "try to eat healthier" thing (unlike SOME people who have become an inspiration as I try to eat healthier). I just know that "whole grains = good".
The problem is that my family does not like when I substitute whole wheat flour for regular white flour. When I say that the flung whole pancakes at my head - I really mean it! The day the package came, I turned to my family and said "We're having pancakes for dinner!" and flipped to the Whole Grain Pancake Mix...and immediately slapped myself on the forehead.
What have I been doing wrong in making whole wheat pancakes? ORANGE JUICE! I should have been adding orange juice! From the book
"We've found that the acidity and sweetness of orange juice helps mellow the tannic taste some people perceive with whole wheat flour; while the pancakes won't have any orange flavor, they may taste slightly milder to you than without it. Try it!"
Did you know that? I didn't know that! but what a difference it made!
The book is just full of tips like this: It's not just a book of recipes - it's a book of recipes, kitchen tips and healthy ways to feed your family. I've learned that there are a TON of recipes out there that my family will not throw at my head (always a bonus) and even recipes that they can't even tell are made from whole grain flours!
Over the next month, I continued to make several recipes....Honey Wheat Micro-Brewery Bread, the most fantabulous carrot cake, Black Forest Brownies, an Apple Baked Oatmeal, Gingered Oatmeal Muffins...pretty much any time I have baked in the last 6 weeks, it has been from this book! Quite literally, it's my new favorite baking cookbook!
And now I have one to give away! The people at King Arthur Flour were kind enough to offer an additional copy of this book to one of my lovely (or handsome) readers!
How can you win?
Leave a comment with your favorite whole grain baking tip...or what is your biggest fear when it comes to switching your family to whole grains...or share your favorite baking tip aimed at people who are afraid to switch to whole grains.
Limit one entry per person and giveaway is limited to US Residents over the age of 18
Giveaway will remain open until 8:00pm (EST) on Saturday October 3rd, at which time I will pick a winner at random!
Good Luck!
Cheryl
We are trying to eat healthier these days, but my biggest fear in switching to whole grains is the cost factor! It's so EASY to find cheap white bread. It's SO HARD to find whole grain bread on sale, especially if you're also trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup, which we are. Thankfully we love the taste, but just trying to adjust the budget is tough. Would love to have a cookbook on hand that is specific to whole grains. Right now I just make my own substitutions, and I'm not always successful!
Carol
Although they wouldn't fling the pancakes at me, I am concerned that my family would not like the whole grains but I would really like to try.
Aubrey Marvin
My biggest fear is that my kids won't eat them in general. I have a son that is a rather picky eater and if something doesn't "look" right then he won't touch it! It would be nice to make healthy food with whole grain flour and maybe he wouldn't notice. I also just started weight watchers so this would really come in handy!
allyson
My husband and son are both very picky eaters. If something looks like it might be even remotely healthy, they won't even try it. Regardless, i would love to try switching to whole grain flour and other whole grain products...I have been successful at sneaking some healthy foods in, so this one might be a winner too!
Jenny
I have already made the switch to whole grains. I didn't even do it behind my husband's back. I told him I wanted to start eating healthier and I would be happier eating whole grains. Since he says that he's happy when I'm happy, he just shut his mouth and ate it. Whenever we have the choice between white and whole grain, white isn't even a consideration anymore. We have gotten so used to it by now that we don't even want the other stuff anymore. Yes it does take some getting used to, but the best suggestion is to transition yourself. Use it at first when you can cover up the taste with something else, for example, pancakes. Syrup is what you mostly taste. With bread, just put jam, butter or cream cheese until you adapt to the flavor. Before you know it, you won't want to put anything on it anymore.
Amber Brueseke
I start with substituting just a quarter of the flour for wheat and see how it affects the flavor/texture and then go from there.
Kate
My husband and I have been trying to add more whole grains to our repertoire, but find that anything I bake from scratch tastes cardboard-y 🙁 We love some of the great whole grain breads and pastas available at the grocery store now, but I like to bake and we like to eat fresh. So ... conundrum: eat fresh, but less tasty or eat packaged, but quite palatable?
We have no fears, just the cardboard conundrum!
Kate
My kind of giveaway! I've also been trying to use more whole-grains. I've found they work really well in vegetable and fruit breads and cakes (pumpkin, zucchini, apple...) They stay really moist, and most recipes use lots of spices that help disguise the wheat taste. I also use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil - practically health food! I also use my bread machine to make all our bread - whole grain of course. I bought some white bread a few weeks ago on a whim, and couldn't believe how bland and tasteless it was after getting used to whole grains! You can find some recipes on my blog.
chrissy
I am all about whole wheat eating, but am nervous myself about baking with it..but with the size of my family it needs to happen..i would LOVE a cookbook that showed my how to make some yummy treats to eat..=)
Rita
I have started to use KA white whole wheat in my bread baking. My family didn't even notice!
Jean
My best tip is just to start out slowly . . . especially with picky eaters, which my kids definitely are! I started out by making banana breads, zucchini breads, even chocolate chip muffins with whole wheat flour just to get my kids used to the texture of it. Within a few weeks I started homemade whole wheat bread and I did have to tweak some recipes a few times to get down what we all liked, but I now have a recipe that we all love. Almost all baked goods in this house are at least 1/2 whole wheat and I don't think any of us would have it any other way.
It's funny, because when we go out to restaurants now my kids are like "Ugh, it's the white stuff." They understand this is healthier and they like that.
Julie
I'd love to do more whole wheat baking. I've started substituting a portion of the white flour with whole wheat. So far it's been okay, but my family still wants Italian bread that tastes like Grandma's.
Amanda
I am looking for something new to try so that my family will actually eat it. I bake, and everything just sits there...grows mold (not really! 🙂 ) and then I toss it. I stopped baking because of this and I love to bake
Laura
I help coordinate the meals for 6-10 long-term disaster relief volunteers (in the greater New Orleans area), and while pastas and white breads are cheap and fill you up, they're not the healthiest way to go. In trying to morph the menus a bit, we want to incorporate more fresh and whole foods without breaking the bank. Baking for ourselves is one way, so this book would be wonderful for us. What I've found in the past when using whole grain flours, is that the rise time is generally longer...which works to your advantage if you're doing real sourdough...2 days from setting the sponge to baking - nice!
Beverly
My husband and five children love whole wheat bread. It costs a lot more compared to buying bread made with white flour. I enjoy making homemade wheat bread with honey. My family loves it too. It does taking more time, but it tastes great! It's great for sandwiches, just toasted, or to make French Toast.
Micki
My kids prefer whole wheat bread to white bread. We started the switch slowly to whole wheat and now when I eat white flour, I get sick 🙁 We also love pastas and whole wheat varieties aren't available where we live. I was surprised to discover who easy it is to make your own pasta! Even my husband who is sooo not on board with the whole wheat thing, enjoyed the homemade whole wheat pasta for our lasagna night! It actually took less time to make the whole wheat pasta from scratch than it would have to cook lasanga noodles. They didn't break as easy either 🙂
Myrtle in Pa
My whole wheat fear is pasta. Store bought whole grain pasta breaks apart so easily. I'll have to find a good recipe like a previous poster did.
Gabrielle
I use whole wheat in just about every baking recipe now. I have been a faithful King Arthur Flour reader and purchaser for years--LOVE their blog and baking newsletter. My tip is to use a little more leavening agent in your whole wheat recipes because they require a little extra to give it a lift.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Megan
My biggest fear about switching is most of the time when I cook with whole grains the end product is dry and far far far from the moist deliciousness of white bread, pastas, and/or cakes.
Lindsey
My tip would be to switch to whole wheat slowly. Add a little to each recipe, then go with half white/half wheat, then go all the way.
I am an AVID fan of King Arthur products and I really hope I win! 🙂
Sophia
My biggest fear in switching to all whole wheat flour is that my bread will be as hard as a door stop. I make ALL of our bread, so that just wouldn't do! 🙂 (I would love to know how to avoid this. FYI - I use a bread machine to do the kneading and first rise, but I do the second rise myself and bake in my oven.)
Eve
My biggest fear about switching my family to whole grain is that they wont like the taste. I bought some whole grain pasta last week and prepared spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It is always a hit in my house. Not that time. No one touched it. They even ate salad, and the youngest one hates salad.
Cilla
I am actually making chocolate cookies today and will be substituting half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. My kids are older now so I don't have as much fear of switching over, I just don't want to ruin a good chocolate cookie recipe. Also, I love to collect cookbooks so this would be a great one to have. Thanks.
Tara
I'm afraid the recipe won't turn out as good as it does when I follow the recipe.
Lora
Like Jean's kids, my husband is a picky eater but after a gradual switch to whole wheat products actually prefers them. Now he says that the other products don't have enough flavor.
Tara
I switched completely to whole grains a few years ago. I started by mixing half of my white flour with the wheat flour...no one noticed(I don't bake that often but I use flour to thicken stews and stuff) I now buy only whole grain mixes and brown rice and I found a few decent whole grain or even whole wheat pastas that my crew loves. The kids have no clue since that is all they have ever had. Hubby didn't mind either. he was diagnosed with Diabetes around the time we made the switch so this is an all around better choice. I find that blueberries in the pancakes help with the texture and taste.
Brandy
I make whole wheat banana bread that is really good and nobody realizes how healthy it is!
Jennifer Y.
My biggest problem is my DH. He is a big "texture" person when it comes to food. So things with a different texture than what he's used to are a problem. Would love to win and try something new!
Jen K
I have just started using KA flour in my bread machine. I tried several recipes for a good wheat sandwich bread with no luck. Then I discovered Vital Wheat Gluten. I add 2 tablespoons with each loaf of WW bread and it helps the bread rise better and gives it a light and airy texture. Also my recipe for bread contains 2 cups of WW flour and 1 cup bread flour, which helps the texture and taste. I also only slice the bread as needed, instead of slicing all at once, so that it stays fresh longer. My family loves the bread, and really loves the smell of the bread baking.
Stacy Becker
I made the mistake last night of making a pie crust with whole wheat flour. I'm lucky I lived through it. I really want to eat better and bake/cook with wheat flour, but I'm afriad of throwing more away then what we eat.
Michelle
I've tried using wheat flour in my pizza crust before. I absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, not everyone in my family agreed. I'd like to use more wheat flour and more healthy ingredients, but how do you do that and have your family still eat it?
Maira
we have been trying to incorporate more healthy eating habits into our routine. when we first started my husband was very skeptical, but i got him to try with some great whole wheat scones. he drinks coffee at all hours of the day and night and having a treat to go with it won him over. i knew i was in when he kept requesting i make the scones on other occassions.
Bianca T.
I haven't done much baking with whole grains. We have tried whole wheat biscuits, which I enjoyed, but the rest of the family did not. I don't do too much baking, but I have converted them to whole wheat and whole grain pasta- one small step at a time!
Kathleen
Tip: Bake on Mondays and your whole week will be better!
Katie
After a very scary incident this summer during which my husband had chest pains and had to have two stents put in his heart, we have made many diet changes, almost to exclusively whole grains. My own family has been pretty open to the changes, but my biggest struggle has been re-vamping many of my "entertainment" recipes, to still be able to offer the same hospitality we used to for friends and family who aren't on our "cardiac diet"!
Allie
A handy tip that I got from a friend awhile back is to buy whole wheat grains instead of wheat flour. You save money when you buy it in bulk and you can grind it into flour with a wheat grinder at the rate you want it. Plus, the flour will be fresher than store-bought and contains more nutrients.
Casey
My kids have always had whole wheat in store bought bread, but now that I am doing more baking with it, I am choosing to be honest with them. I explain why it tastes a little different, then tell them that it's much better for our bodies. If they don't have a choice, they eat it... Kind Arthur Flour is awesome and they have bakers on hand to answer questions and are a huge help as you make the transition!
Julie
I started our quest for more whole grains by dipping our toes in slowly, when I use whole wheat flour I mix it 1/2 & 1/2 with white flour or white whole wheat flour, and so far so good! However I didn't have much success with the chocolate chip cookies (I use a name brand dark chocolate chip, not only for the antioxidents, but also for the low soy content as my son is allergic), so I'll definately have to use the whole wheat white flour alone for that one!
Kacie D
I gradually added more whole wheat flour to our diets much the same way as other folks, by splitting the difference with all-purpose white flour until I had completely phased it out of most of my recipes. I still haven't braved the switch on my famous brownies, but they're next on the list! I usually add cinnamon to my sweeter whole wheat recipes because I find that it plays up the natural sweetness of whole wheat flour (and the hubby loves cinnamon as much as I do!).
teresa
Put chocolate chips in it and my kids will eat it. Pancakes, muffins, whatever. That's how I get them to eat the whole wheat.
Jenn
I have recently begun substituting wheat flour in recipes that call for white flour in an attempt to become more healthy. I find that if I sift the whole wheat flour before incorporating it into the recipe, the end result is much lighter. Because the whole grain flour is so much denser, the sifting adds a little air and keeps the wheat glutens from forming in my muffins and pancakes. My family hardly notices the difference and everyone is happy.
Crunchy Chicken
My family has no problem with eating whole grains, it's just difficult to know how to substitute them into a recipe without things turning into a veritable brick. King Arthur is notoriously fantastic about being consistent with the gluten levels in their different varieties of flours, so we generally only buy their products. I just wished they had an organic line of flours.
Anyway, I would love this book since the recipes are catered to baking with whole grain flours. Awesome.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Susie Eckert
Not one secret, but three...use warm buttermilk in place of your liquid, Rumsford baking powder for quick breads, and use 1/3 cup instant potato flakes in your yeast breads.
I've made the change to WW, and buttermilk is the number one tip that has worked for me. In the old days they "sponged" the whole wheat flour and let it soak in the buttermilk overnight, then added the remaining ingredients the next morning.(that makes for some awesome waffles if you plan ahead) The next item that will lighten up your quickbread batter is Rumsford non-aluminum baking powder. It costs a little more, but rises significantly more than the standard baking powder.
I guess the chemistry effect of buttermilk and OJ would be about the same, but I like the thought of getting the extra calcium in my baked goods for both the kids and myself.
I grind my own wheat, and my family whole heartedly approves the results. The only complaints I get are those rare days when they have to eat "storebought" bread. But since I grind two weeks worth of flour and freeze my "dry flour bread mixes" in ziplock bags, that doesn't happen very often!
Tonya
I must admit, I've never tried King Arthur's flour. However, I've been sneaking in whole grains for awhile. I tend to half and half my flour. I have a container that is half whole wheat flour and half white flour. I usually make banana muffins or apple cinnamon muffins. The apple cinnamon is hard to tell and now I'm thinking its a citrus acid thing, like you mentioned. My kids do not seem to notice or care. However, I do worry that they might turn up their noses one day. I'd just say, "More for me!"
Safire
This would be a great thing to have! I have lots of stored wheat (not yet ground) and I'd like to have a way to cook it when I have a way to grind it. 🙂 Wish me luck and thanks for the chance to win!
Musings of a Housewife
Okay. I have to win this. Or, you know, buy it. Whichever. 😉
And aw shucks, thanks so much for the shout out. Glad I can be an inspiration to someone. 😉
Annette E. Scott
I have tried King Arthur products bacause they offer gluten free products and baking supplies. My son is allergic to gluten which means no wheat, barley, rye or oats. I really need to find ways to make his food taste and be healthier and have no choice but to make it homemade everytime.
stephanie anderson
My tip - whenever possible, add wheat germ! whether it is cookies, cakes, cereal, granola bars, soups or milkshakes - throw in a few tablespoons of wheat germ. It is nutrition GOLD, and SO SO good for you!
PS - I love king arthur flour! I just made a great quick bread with their organic whole wheat!
Kristine
Wow! I am just soaking up all the information in the comments! My biggest struggle is making things that my kids will even try. My youngest is the pickiest eater and it drives me crazy!
Beth - Total Mom Haircut
Oh, this sounds like a great book.
We use mostly whole grain around here. We've always eaten whole wheat bread (and I make my own now with a breadmaker - LOVE my breadmaker), but for other things I basically incorporated it a bit at a time. Whenever I tried a new recipe that called for white flour I would split it up and use about 2/3 white flour to 1/3 whole grain. If that went well then the next time I did the recipe I would use 1/2 of each, and then the next time 2/3 whole wheat to 1/3 white. With some things I would then go all the way with the whole wheat and with others I still throw in a bit of plain flour, depending on how the items came out. My family pretty much never knew what was happening:)
Jenn
My fear is more of my husband. My kids will try anything but when I switched from original aunt jemima pancakes to a buckwheat he freaked out. The worst part is then the kids would not eat it either:( I try to only use whole grains and in most things they love it but we have not found pancakes that will pass the test of the dreaded hubby. The only high light is now he makes the pancakes so I can not ruin them again!
Kate
I like to substitute some ground flaxseed for oil when I bake. It increases the amount of fiber and healthy omega-3s.
Brooke
I don't really have a "fear" of switching to whole grains. I do eat whole grain bread and cereals. But, things that weren't MEANT to have whole grains scare me a little bit. Things like pasta...I just can't bring myself to make the switch. However, I think whole wheat pancakes might be a good place to start.
KLJ
I've always liked the IDEA of switching to whole wheat flour, but my concern is that cooking with it will be much more difficult than cooking with the white flour. We've already started using whole wheat pastas when we cook (haven't missed the regular) and whole grain breads, it's just baking with it in place of white flour that worries me.
Lara
I'd love to do more baking with whole grain, but my husband can sniff out whole grain a mile away which has pretty much kept me from doing any substitutions. Would love to learn more about the OJ trick - maybe I could sneak some whole grain in that way!!
Netters
I have a bag of whole wheat flower just sitting in the pantry... waiting to be made into SOMETHING. I'm not sure how long that stuff lasts, but I should probably throw it out because I've heard it goes rancid quickly and it's better to store in the frig. We tried to switch to whole wheat pasta, my husband and I just don't like it. I need to get in gear and make the flour switch. Maybe the white whole wheat wouldn't be as bad!
Netters
LOL it's a bag of whole wheat flour not flower. 🙂 Sorry for the typo.
sarah (GenMom)
Oops! Missed this one but great giveaway!!
Kristen Hallman
I have switched our cereals, pancake mix, pasta and bread to whole wheat and I would love to have a cook book to teach me how to bake with whole wheat as well. My family has never complained about a taste difference at all, and as a matter of fact, I think food that contains whole wheat tastes better than enriched flour!