[Sca-cooks] Question about flour

[Mairi Ceilidh]

Since no one who has actually made these cookies using both types of flour
has responded, I will stick out my neck here.  You can certainly make these
using AP flour instead of semolina.  The result will be slightly different,
but tasty just the same.  The major thing to watch for is the amount
"liquid" used.  As I recall, the only ingredients are flour, melted butter
and ground almonds, in roughly equal amounts.  I personally would just play
with it "until it looks right" (at my house that is a technical cooking
term).

Good luck, and have fun!

Mairi Ceilidh
 


Thanks to both Adamantius and Gianotta for their responses.  My problem is
that I haven't been able to find any kind of semolina flour in the town
where I live...I'm kind of out in the "boonies"...I could order it online,
but I doubt it would get here in time for me to make the cookies for our
event on Jan 13!  I was just wondering what the effect might be if I used
regular flour instead.  But from what you guys are saying, I probably
shouldn't even try unless I have semolina flour.  Maybe I'll go onlline and
see if I can find the flour you menton, Gianotta!

Kiri

On 1/5/07, Christiane <christianetrue at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> On Jan 4, 2007, at 11:01 PM, Elaine Koogler wrote:
>
> > Friends,
> > I am going to be baking a Middle Eastern cookie called "Virgins
> > Breasts".
> > However, the recipe calls for semolina flour.  How different is
> > from the
> > unbleached plain flour I already have?  Is there a great diference
> > between
> > the regular unbleached flour I already have and the semolina?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Kiri
>
> Semolina flour is traditionally coarser in grind and higher in gluten
> than regular bread or AP (or what the British call "plain") flour...
>
> Adamantius
>
>
> Kiri,
>
> There's a traditional Italian cookie called "Minne de virgine" (Virgin's
> breast). Usually made by Sicilian bakers for consumption on St. Agatha's
Day
> (she whose boobs were cut off in martyrdom). I am wondering if the Middle
> Eastern cookie was inspired by the Sicilian, or vice versa. Today's
> confection is quite baroque; iced white with marzipan and cherry nipples.
>
> The semolina flour we usually can get in the states is coarser in grind;
> think Red Mill's flour for pasta (which also makes good rustic bread).
> Semolina comes from durum, or hard, wheat. Our white flour is made from
soft
> wheat, and that is what we usually use in baking. However, in Italy and
> other places you can get a finer-ground durum flour, which can be used for
> cakes and pastries (today's baker prefers the soft wheat flour for cakes
and
> cookies, though). It will take more liquid and the final result will be
> coarser crumbed. If you have an Indian grocery store near you, look for
pane
> puri, which is ground finer than the typical pasta semolina from Red Mill,
> or maybe a gourmet specialty store will carry finer-ground durum wheat
> flour.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Gianotta (who is resolutely not thinking of turnips right now)