Focaccia

 

Focaccia
Adapted from The Williams Sonoma Baking Book

 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2-4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 3 tbsp chopped rosemary
• Coarse seal salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of the sugar over 1/2 cup water and stir to dissolve.  Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add the remaining water and sugar, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. 
3. Add 1 cup of the flour and beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the rosemary. 
5. Switch to the dough hook.  On low speed, add the flour 1 tbsp at a time until a shaggy dough forms. 
6. Dump dough on a well floured surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until soft and slightly sticky, about 6 minutes.  Cover with an oiled bowl and let rest for 20 minutes.
7. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush lightly with oil. 
8. Turn the dough onto the prepared sheet.  With oiled fingers, press and flatten dough into an oval 1 inch thick.  Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 
9. With your fingertips (or the pointed end of an oiled wooden spoon), make deep indentations 1 inch apart all over the surface of the dough.  Drizzle the remaining oil.  Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
10. Place a baking stone on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 425.  Sprinkle the bread lightly with salt.  Slide the pan onto the stone and bake until the bread is lightly browned, 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm. 

**If you have a rectangular baking stone, you should use this in place of the baking sheet and skip adding a stone to the oven.

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Granola Bars

These Granola Bars have become a staple at our house.  My friends children refer to them as "Jenny Bars" and are just as happy eating these as they are eating a cookie.  Granted, while these bars have some healthy ingredients, they are still a treat due the sugar and chocolate.  Enjoy... but in moderation!

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Caramel White Chocolate Blondies

Caramel White Chocolate Blondies

Adapted from How to Cook Everything

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
10 Werther's Originals candies, melted
6 oz white chocolate chips
Butter an 8×8 pan.
Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in chips and caramel until just incorporated.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting them.

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A Better Wheat Bread

I'm always looking for wheat bread recipes.  While this one isn't whole wheat, we have fallen in love with it.  Each time I've made it, it's turned out differently.  Sometimes the kitchen is hot, sometimes cold, sometimes I use more wheat flour, sometimes I use bread flour.  Regardless, the loaf has always turned out delicious. 

 

Whole-Wheat Bread
Adapted from The Williams Sonoma Baking Book


Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
• pinch of brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3-4 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a bowl, sprinkle yeast and brown sugar over water and stir to dissolve.  Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, oil, salt, and 2 cups wheat flour.  Beat on medium low speed until creamy, about 1 minutes. 
3. Beat in the yeast mixture and the remaining wheat flour and beat for 1 minute. 
4. Beat in the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
5. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, adding bread flour 1 tbsp at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth but slightly sticky when pressed, about 5 minutes. 
6. Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1-1 1/2 hours.   
7. Lightly grease 2 9x5 pans.  Divide dough into 2 loaves and place in pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until about 1 inch above the rim of the pans, about 1 hour. 
8. Preheat the oven to 350.  Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the sides of the pan, 34-40 minutes.  Turn out onto racks and let cool completely.

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Overly Chocolately Granola Bars

In an attempt to use up some steel cut oats that I bought by accident, I decided to make a chewy granola bar.  I love these as an anytime snack, but it'd be especially nice to create a recipe that's delicious and not as bad for you.  They should be relatively healthy, otherwise you might as well have an oatmeal cookie!

This batch ended up with a few too many chocolate chips and not enough almond butter, so I'll adjust the recipe next time.  I'll also try using all agave instead of brown sugar.  However, the basic recipe may become a pantry staple! 

Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from KAF


1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon water

Line a 9x13 backing dish with parchment or aluminum foil. Spray well, these guys are sticky! Preheat oven to 350.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine dry ingredients and mix to incorporate.  In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, agave, water and vanilla.  Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and mix well. 

Press mixture into pan, leveling with your hands.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and slightly crispy.  Carefully remove from pan, while keeping on the paper/foil.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars and store wrapped tightly.

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Oatmeal Creme Pies

Ever since I made the Hostess Cupcakes, I've been thinking about Oatmeal Creme Pies.  These were a staple of my childhood and I still have a hard time turning them down from my grandparents' pantry.  

While delicious, these cookies are similar but not quite the same.  The batter spread too thinly, even though the cookies remained moist and chewy.  The filling was also thinner, but it could have been my ratio of homemade marshmallow fluff.  Regardless, these are a tasty substitution for the famous cookie who's first ingredient is corn syrup.

Oatmeal Creme Pies

Adapted from RecipeZaar

Cookie
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.   Add molasses, vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.   Add to the creamed mixture and mix well.  Quickly mix in the oats.

Drop dough by TBSP on ungreased sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes,or until just starting to brown around the edges.

Creme Filling

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add egg whites and sugar to the stainless steel mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high speed until sugar is incorporated and whites form soft peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes.


Add in cream of tartar, vanilla and salt. Whisk on high speed for about a minute or so. Marshmallow fluff is done when it’s glossy and holding stiff peaks.

Add shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla mix on high until fluffy.

Spread filling on flat side of one cookie, press second cookie on top.

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Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pineapples

These make an excellent accompaniment to any grilled summer meat.

20 oz can sliced pineapples in juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground ginger (ground ginger is much stronger and spicier than fresh ginger)
1 tsp soy sauce

Mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, lime juice, ginger, and soy; toss pineapple rings in glazes.  Grill for 4 minutes per side, basting with glaze until caramelized.

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