Purim

[mamadeb]

I have a bunch of excuses, but that doesn't change the fact that Tuesday is Purim, so I had to do stuff today.

We're going to friends for the Purim seudah (festive meal), so that's taken care of - thank goodness - and our synagogue has a gift exchange program, so our friends there are also taken care of.

But. We still have to give mishloach manot. It's a requirement, and the shul thing doesn't cover it.

I just bought hamentaschen, pretzels, candy, fruit and rugelach, plus bags and one large basket. I'll spend Monday night post-megillah reading filling sandwich bags and then gift bags for about six families. The basket gets more stuff and goes to work with me on Tuesday.

The stores are crowded with people buying nosh and containers and baking needs. Even so, I felt very funny - jonbaker wanted tuna casserole for dinner. That means a cheese sauce, and that means I needed flour. Can you imagine? Two days before Purim, and I bought *flour*.

I need to use up two lbs of white flour in the next two weeks or so. Edit: I don't do sugar. I don't normally do white flour but it thickens sauces better. I don't like baking. However, I will be willing to make a sufficiently large batch of cookies and take them to my office - but only *once* and I'm NOT taking my mixer out of storage where it live.

Comments

[cellio]

Is there a soup kitchen or meals on wheels or something that would take the flour off your hands? Or are they not allowed to take opened packages?

The problem with cookies is that to use up that much flour you'll be at it for hours. Maybe cakes? (Cupcakes if you think that'd be easier to distribute?) Instead of forming/pouring individual cookies on sheets, you can just pour cake batter into pans and go. When I have to bake (I don't enjoy it much either), like for a kiddush, I usually go the cake route for expedience.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I could check, but 2lbs of flour doesn't seem likely to be of use.

I've never EVER baked a cake from scratch. I *have* baked cookies.

On the other hand, maybe if someone has a big enough recipe for a quick bread...

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

you could use, like, the toll house chocolate chip cookie "bar" version of the recipe, or other cookie bars.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Cookie bars. Huh.

That just might work.

[ginamariewade.livejournal.com]

Biscuits. If this is not self-rising flour, add the appropriate amount of baking powder. I never buy plain flour, so I'm rusty on that part.
Add about 1/2 cup shortening or oil to 2 cups flour, mix with a fork until it's crumbly.
Add milk (buttermilk) for authentic southern style breakfast biscuits, or add water for pareve biscuits to serve with dinner. Amount will vary by the ambient humidity. Knead until the dough is like playdoh. Form into small, flattened balls, about 1 1/2" across. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 min or until golden brown.

Does this sound like a recipe you could follow, or is it too vague? Biscuits are one of those things I learned from my grandma, and she didn't really write down a recipe. You could conceivably find a recipe on the bag or online if you feel uncomfortable using the eyeball method.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I've made biscuits - I *love* biscuits - and soy milk works as a substitute. But - I really don't want to eat the white flour because it's, well, white flour.

That's why I think the baked goods for the office option works better.

However, as this is not self-rising (not available in Brooklyn, and I bought it for a roux), what would be the appropriate amount? Just out of curiousity? Cause I might make them out of whole-wheat after Pesach.

Any baking that uses eyeball is great for me.

[castiron.livejournal.com]

When I make biscuits, I use about a tablespoon of baking powder to two cups of flour; you might start there and then tweak.

Zucchini bread would definitely use the stuff pretty quickly, but it's not really the zucchini time of year....

[kressel.livejournal.com]

I bought two 5 lb. bags of flour today. I was worried that I'd end up throwing away the second, but it looks like it's a good thing I bought it because I'll be using it tomorrow. (The recipe didn't yield as many mini-challos as I'd hoped.)

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

What a cute idea! Problem is, I don't bake much.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

You can bake things for the office.

or, you can simply throw it out. Wasteful? Yes, probably. But the fact is that you have not a whole lot of time befoe passover.

And the cost of flour is pretty nominal. If you can't pawn the package off on someone- a work kitchen would be ideal- I say pitch it.

Don't feel that guilty. And if you do? Donate the equivlent dollar value to the charity of your choice.

Because $3 worth of flour is just not worth it.
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[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Going to bake things for the office.

I could also sell it, but it's my personal custom that opened chometz gets tossed instead of sold (with the exception of liquor.)

[zsero.livejournal.com]

You'll be at work on Tuesday? Good, that's one stop less that I have to make in Flatbush. In fact, if I don't have to go there for you, I might just skip Flatbush altogether.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I'll be here until 3:30. I'll have your mishloach manot with me, then.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Another thought for leftover flour: make challah?

I find a non-Jew to take my extra (open) stuff, the kind that can't be donated to a food pantry, but is still fine for a friend.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Trust me, you don't want me baking challah.

Think rocks. Heavey, wet rocks.

And, again, it's the white flour thing.

[kadymae.livejournal.com]

Though I know you can't eat it, I have two, vegan from scratch, easy to make recipies for chocolate cake.

Of course I am at work and not at home.

Ping me at kadymae at operamail.com and I will post them in my LJ.