I am going to start with the fun part of this post at the beginning. King Arthur Flour is sponsoring a giveaway on my blog! Yippee! This means you (the reader) have the opportunity to win a box of very cool items, just in time for holiday baking.
This all came about because of my love of the Adjusta Cup Measuring Cup (that is the item in the forefront of the photo above). I find myself reaching for this gadget almost every time I bake – it is designed to measure sticky and goopy ingredients, like peanut butter, molasses and shortening. With Thanksgiving next week, I am already gearing up for pie making and this tool is indispensable. I use it to measure out shortening and then freeze the shortening before making the pie crusts.
The Adjusta Cup is a great kitchen gadget to have on hand; simple to use, well labeled and dishwasher safe (although I wash mine by hand). I love the 1 cup version so much that I recently ordered the 2TBS version for small amounts of goopy stuff. At $9.95, it is pretty much a no-brainer, great for the cook on your list or perhaps Santa might put one in your stocking.
When I asked King Arthur Flour for help in putting together a giveaway box, we decided to include a couple items to help the busy baker and anyone interested in healthy family eating. The Gingerbread Cookie and Cake mix works for either cookies or cake (magical stuff) and we were able to mix up the cake after school this week for a quick treat. The kids liked how easy it was to follow the directions and work the project themselves; I liked that the kitchen was not a disaster after their cooking adventure!
A 5 pound bag of King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour is included in the giveaway as well, and is ideal for anyone interested in taking a small step towards healthier eating this holiday season. Much lighter than regular whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour is much closer to standard white flour, yet offers the health benefits of whole grain goodness. We use it at home in our pancake and waffle mix, substituting out 1/4 – 1/2 of the called for flour. I like it in brownies and cookie bars, places where the kids don’t notice the difference and where there is a good amount of moisture. I also like to use it for any of my Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipes – sometimes the straight whole wheat recipes are too dense for us, and the white whole wheat adds a nice lightness to the whole grain recipes.
Finally, the rules!
I am going to make it easy – all you need to do is comment on this post to be entered to win. That’s it. You can write anything you want, does not necessarily need to be on topic, although to make it easy, how about you tell me about your favorite food to bake during the holidays. Or tell me about a recent kitchen disaster (or success). Or just tell me what you had for lunch.
Winner will be chosen by random from among the comments; entries will be accepted until Wednesday, November 23, 2011, midnight PST; limited to the U.S. only; one entry per person.
Disclosure: King Arthur Flour provided for my review one box of Gingerbread Cookie and Cake mix and one 5 pound bag of White Whole Wheat Flour. The Adjusta Cup I purchased myself and would have written about without the giveaway, I love it that much. Really, a great tool, one that makes many things in the kitchen easier. Thank you KA for sponsoring this giveaway. If you are interested in more KA products, please visit the King Arthur Flour website and sign up for their newsletter. For great baking suggestions, visit the King Arthur Flour Blog!
Family Dinner Plan: Avocados
Blogaversary: Reinventing the Chicken Coop (Giveaway)
Blogaversary: The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage (Giveaway)
29 Comments
That adust-a-cup thing looks really cool. Hmm. Might have to get one. Just made the most beautiful bundt cake with King Arthur flour, full of good stuff: pecans, cranberries, apples and cinnamon with a maple syrup glaze. Got even better the day after I baked it. Very yum!
We LOVE King Arthur white whole wheat flour! I also buy the TJs store-brand version of white whole wheat. I use it partially or wholly in every single thing I bake, from bread to cookies to waffles to cinnamon rolls. Gives a bit more fiber/nutrition/whatever still with white flour crack appeal.
I love to make Christmas cookies with the kids.
Since we grew our own pumpkins this year, we will be baking many pies and bread loaves for Thanksgiving and hopefully Christmas if the supply in the freezer lasts that long once we are done. This would be a great start to making some great crusts and breads!
Twitter: MenloParkMom
You know… I’ve seen similar tools like the Adjusta Cup but I believe they were always touted as an all-in-one tool for measuring. I like very much the thought of something that can scrape the gooey remnants out of a measuring cup by itself without the help of a micro spatula.
I have yet to use the white whole wheat flour by King Arthur but I definitely think my kids would find that more agreeable than the KA regular whole wheat flour I use. I already purchase a “white” bread made with whole wheat flour that they love so this is something to consider. Which brings me to my recent baking disaster… I made bread last week and was a little absent minded when it came to reading the directions. I had added 50% more flour than the recipe called for and didn’t realize it until I was having trouble incorporating it all. Just FYI… it’s very difficult to get bread dough to rise appropriately when there’s too much flour. It took hours to get a small rise out of it. I baked it anyway. I think I’m the only one that even tasted it. The loaves were quite small and dense.
I have been wanting to try the White Wheat Flour – especially for bread! I love following your blog, KKG!!! Another Thursday passed…. : ) Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Hi!
I’ve ordered many items from KAF & have enjoyed ALL of them…..I’ve had an adjustable cup for many many years, but mine needs replacing because the measurements are getting to be unreadable!!!! GREAT items…..GREAT company!!!
Love the adjustacup/shortening idea for pies… why I have not heard about this nifty device before?
King Arthur products rock. I am in deep east texas and have trouble finding anything but KA whole wheat which while grateful I would really love to find a source for the white wheat as it is amazing.
Excellent post!
Love the gadget and the gingerbread looks delicious.
I love KAF & search their site for recipes all the time! I try to buy the flours at the grocery store to keep them in business & drool over the catalog every time it comes. My most recent recipe used is this one:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-molasses-raisin-cookies-recipe
I did it without the raisins. My husband loves soft cookies & lamented the ‘hardness’ of gingersnaps while loving the taste, and this cookie was perfect, soft & spicy.
Nickolina Jacoby´s last [type] ..The Wreckless Love of God
I love this product. This cup is very sturdy. I would be happy to have a second one to move things along on a busy baking day.
Gudrun — if I don’t win that thing, I’m totally buying it.
jamie´s last [type] ..A Reluctant Skier in the Family
My favorite holiday baking starts with bread, goes to cookies, and pies with King Arthur Flour. My Mom taught me to measure shortening with a measuring cup and water. She surely would have loved this little device! Baking smells like Home. Thank you for this blog…. wonderful !
I love baking and I had never heard of King Arthur Flour. I plan to check out the website.
My favorite holiday cookie, most requested and most raved aboout is The Ginger Spice Cookie from the March 2000 Bon Appetit Magazine. If I were computer savy enough, I would post the link to the recipe on Epicurious.
I want that gadget:).
King Arthur’s the best!
adjust a cup really is wonderful for peanut butter, shortening, etc. i’ve had one fro several years. i’ve used it so much my measurement markings are starting to wear off.
Love KAF! Just baked my Greek Tsoureki Easter bread today. I know I know it’s not Easter but I just love this bread. The rise was huge! I also use their dough improver on my breads and even tried their pizza crust recipe yesterday and it was to die for lol I added KAF’s pizza seasoning to the pizza dough and was amazing. Oh and you have to try KAF’s recipe for coconut donuts: outta this world!
My wife is the amazing baker of our house and I thought she’d dig the adjust-a-cup. I do make the Cho Chip cookies. I’ve been using White Whole Wheat as well as wheat germ to put a little positive wholeness and fiber into the cookies. I am a GINGER fanatic. She made me these chocolate ginger cookies last holiday season and my mouth is watering just thinking about them. I’ve been meaning to make ginger or ginger-coconut Ice cream. Ah to dream…
what a neat gadget thanks
I use only King Arthur Flour! Mostly white whole wheat, anyI have been getting wonderful results with it in my bread machine. But the very best bread so far has been made with KAF semolina flour, yummmm.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I love KAF.
-a
Just getting ready to do my Thanksgiving baking / cooking. This is my favorite meal to prepare!
Please count me in! My 3yo daughter has just gotten into baking, and I think she’d love this gadget.
The measuring cup looks awesome!
I’m currently baking 3 pies all with King Arthur flour–I use white and whole wheat mixed–the crusts taste nutty and delish!
Laura´s last [type] ..Black Friday Black Out
Wish major flour manufacturers would do more in the gluten free arena. I’ve got celiac sprue so watching gluten intake is important. I love cakes and pies etc so if I have a GF alternative it’s great.
Cool new gadget! Looking forward to some holiday baking. Just came across a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake with salted Carmel. Mmmm… Or maybe some more macarons!