Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Modified ANZAC cookies, Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake and Wood cellulose

Coconut oat molasses cookie (modified ANZAC)
Food Diary (July 13, 2011)
Breakfast: Rolled oats with banana, sunflower seeds and flax seeds
Lunch: Chicken liver with red wine sauce and rice
Dinner: Flat noodles/dumplings with mixed vegetable stir fry
Baking/sweets: Coconut oat molasses cookie (modified ANZAC)

ANZAC cookies are one of my favourite cookies. ANZAC cookies were ‘invented’ during World War I so it is an old recipe that has remained unchanged. If something is delicious there is no need to change it. However sometimes I cannot resist but to experiment. Today I made just two small changes and the difference was quite significant. I replaced butter with coconut oil, and golden syrup with molasses. Because the difference was so much I felt this deserved a post of its own, to keep it separate from the original ANZAC! The recipe is available here.

Chicken liver with red wine and rice


Today's Favourite Photo
Source: Eats Well With Others
Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake



Today’s Favourite Blog
Source: Care2
We eat wood, and we don’t know about it. Wood cellulose is used in everything from milk shakes to salad dressing, from muffins to pancake syrup. It is used to thicken and stabilize foods, replace fat, boost fiber content and reduce reliance on more expensive ingredients like oil or flour.

Powdered cellulose is made by cooking virgin wood pulp in chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Then it’s mixed into popular foods, and eaten by us without knowing it.

TheStreet has a list of popular food companies that use cellulose in a number of their products. It’s a very long list and includes Dole Apples & Crème Parfait, General Mills Betty Crocker Vanilla Amazing Glazes, Kellogg’s MorningStar Farms Chik’n Nuggets, McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae, Taco Bell Southwest Chicken, Pizza Hut taco bean sauce, Nestle Hot Cocoa Mixes, KFC Apple Turnover and Weight Watchers International Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich.

Cellulose is used so widely that it is difficult to avoid it perhaps. I don’t know whether its harmful for you, I didn’t do any research. If its not harmful then I have just written a bunch of useless information, good to know but of little practical use!
at 11:53 PM

13 comments:

  1. KimJuly 14, 2011 at 1:06 AM

    what a coincidence! you have a cherry cornmeal cake!!! i guess the combo isn't too crazy after all :). and rolled oats with banana and flax is AWESOME!! i love that combo!

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  2. kristyJuly 14, 2011 at 5:11 AM

    We made ANZAC cookies for the first time this year and they are yummy! I especially liked them right out of the oven. I like your modifications and am definitely going to try this!

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  3. pingJuly 14, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    Hey! Those modified Anzacs look and sound delicious! I love the taste of molasses ... smoky, sultry ... mmm.
    Well, well, well, looks like we got us some balance here ... yin and yang. All that lead from the utensils and wood from food .... very well balanced. It's all good :D

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  4. AnonymousJuly 14, 2011 at 8:34 AM

    No! Not my McDonald's strawberry sundaes!

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  5. SissiJuly 14, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    These cookies look very sticky and scrumptious! Beautiful photo too! I have heard about ANZAC biscuits (on your blog too I think!), but have never had them nor made them. It's time to try :-)
    I hope cellulose is rather positive or neutral! (for once there could be something not bad for our health...).

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  6. Maris(In Good Taste)July 14, 2011 at 10:52 AM

    Very interesting about the wood! Yikes!

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  7. Three-CookiesJuly 14, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    Junia: the combo is definitely not crazy:)

    kristy: frozen ANZAC dough is really yummy as well, they are great cooked and uncooked:)

    ping: so eating wood is good after all! No wonder cinnamon is considered so healthy:)

    yummychunklet: Consuming McDonald's strawberry sundaes will take you closer to nature, literally. Its a very natural product it seems!

    Sissi: The cookies are slightly stick, chewy, crispy... ANZAC's are quick and easy to make. And it turns out bit different every time I make them, but always delicious.

    Maris: yikes or yum - its all natural:)

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  8. Jocie's MomJuly 14, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    Interesting info about the wood! And here I was snarling my nose up at some sea grape wood in a dish a few weeks ago. Shame.

    Your anzac cookies sound delicious :)

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  9. HannahJuly 14, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    I am so in!! I haven't made ANZAC biscuits in years, and I love love love blackstrap molasses!

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  10. EricaJuly 14, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    The cookie sounds amazing! I'm not a huge chocolate person- so I'm always looking for a fun alternative!

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  11. SajiJuly 14, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    Say Hi 2 your new follower!!!
    Cookie sounds amazing tooo

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  12. Hester Casey - AlchemyJuly 14, 2011 at 5:09 PM

    I'm pretty astonished at how widespread wood celulose is - thanks for the article. Beautiful cherry cake and I keep meaning to try ANZAC cookies but your version looks tastier than the original.

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  13. AnonymousJuly 17, 2011 at 11:05 AM

    That cookie looks so yummy, it looks so sticky and sweet yum!

    ReplyDelete

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