Soft and Chewy Granola

This recipe is so great because you can really play with all kinds of tastes and textures! This is the original recipe, but for the granola in the picture, I added........................1/2c. coconut, 1/2c. pecans in replace of the almonds, I also swapped 1/4c. walnuts, 1/4c. macadamia nuts for the pumpkin seeds , and 1/2t. of coconut extract, in replace of the vanilla. For the fruit I mixed in 1/2c. cranberries, 1/4c. raisins, and 1/4c. dates. But don't feel that you have to do what I did..................use whatever you've got on hand, well almost everything(I wouldn't suggest anchovies!)

Chef Hannah

This granola contains a mixture of old fashioned rolled oats, whole almonds, wheat germ, and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame) that are all coated in a sweet mixture of honey, brown sugar, oil, ground cinnamon, and vanilla. Once the granola is spread on a large baking sheet, it is baked in a moderate oven until golden brown. And be sure to watch it carefully towards the end of baking, as it burns quite easily.
You can eat granola as you would any other cereal; with milk. Or you can add some dried fruit and eat it as a healthy snack. I like to make a double batch as it will keep for several months if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Either butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl mix the brown sugar, honey and oil together. Add to oat mixture and thoroughly coat. Spread out onto cookie sheet and bake about 20-40min. More or less depending on the crunchiness or softness of your desired taste. Make sure to break up any large clumps of granola while the mixture is still warm. ( Or if your like me you enjoy the clumps, if you do leave this step out!) Once the granola cooled almost completely, store in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. ( If you want crunchy granola, cool completely before storing it!) It will keep for several weeks.
Serve with dried or fresh fruit ( strawberries, blueberries)and milk.
Makes about 5 cups.


_
Granola Recipe:
3 cups (300 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup (75 grams) whole raw almonds or pecans
1/2 cup (45 grams) raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup (45 grams) raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup (30 grams) sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon (5 grams) wheat germ (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
2 tablespoons (25 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, figs, and/or raisins) (optional)

BBT Flat bread Pizza

1 large pita bread

1/2c. mozzarella cheese shredded

(fresh sliced mozzarella would be even better if you have it!)

1 tomato sliced

1 1/2T. bacon pieces

1/4c. sliced fresh basil

Layer these ingredients on the pita bread and then broil in your oven till cheese is melted.

When done grind on top plenty of pepper and salt.

Yields 1 large flat bread pizza

Esther and I had this for dinner the other day when mom and dad were gone.

I made the kids Pb and j..................................didn't feel like that though, so I got creative with some of the ingredients in the fridge and garden!

Chef Hannah

Creamy Mushroom Potato Salad with a Kick!

Typically Esther and I don't care for the traditional potato salad, I do like potatoes though, and spicy things....................so I decided to create my own version of potato salad. Everyone raved on Memorial day about this! Please try it...................................
Chef Hannah




2lb. of cooked scrubbed potatoes cut into slices while still hot!
2 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2c. chopped fresh parsley
1t. pepper
1t. salt
1/2c. sliced green onions
2c. sauteed mushrooms ( in pepper and garlic salt)
4 jalapeno peppers diced


Mix all the ingredients together and serve warm...............................Serves 8 with a little leftover:)

Can she make a cherry pie Billy boy Billy boy......................

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2c. flour

1 cup white sugar
6 cups pitted cherries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place bottom crust in piepan. Set top crust aside, covered.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet --- in case of drips!
Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups diced rhubarb
1/2t. nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Roll out pastry for bottom crust, and place in a pie dish. Place rhubarb in crust.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Mix in sugar, flour, vanilla, milk, and butter, and nutmeg. Pour mixture over rhubarb. Cover with top crust, and seal the edges.
Bake at 400 degrees F ( 205 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes.

Brownie Help

FUDGY OR CAKEY? You make the call on which type of brownies to make. These are swirled with caramel. FUDGY OR CAKEY? You make the call on which type of brownies to make. These are swirled with caramel.
If you think you can't bake, brownies are for you.
"They're one of the easiest things to make," says Jessica Gaya, owner of Corina Bakery in Tacoma, Wash. "The best way to mess them up is overbaking. Other than that, brownies are really easy."
Indeed. Take a few pantry ingredients, a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spatula, a pan and an oven set to 325 F. Within an hour, you're staring at delicious baked chocolate.

Do you crave fudgy or cakey?

Do you like bittersweet or semisweet chocolate?

Dutch alkalized or natural unsweetened cocoa powder?

With or without nuts?

What about icing?
Brownie bakers willing to consider the important questions, read on.
Get cakey
If you want light, airy brownies with cakey, buttery richness, here's the skinny:
Cakey brownies have more flour. Flour gives them structure. They don't fall after baking. They stand up to icing.
They have less solid chocolate, sometimes even no solid chocolate. They include cocoa powder and more sugar. Cakey brownies that have high sugar content get a crustier surface as granulated sugar replaces solid chocolate's ultrafine sugar particles, which melt smoothly and soften the batter. Larger grains on the batter surface crystallize and caramelize.
They have more butter. Extra butter compensates for the small amount of fat in cocoa powder. Since butter melts faster than cocoa butter, brownies whose butter content outweighs the amount of cocoa fat will bake soft.
They're mixed by first creaming butter, eggs and sugar. They're often mixed with an electric mixer but can be mixed by hand.
Recipes sometimes include milk.


Get fudgy
If you crave dense and decadent brownies, there's no way to fudge fudgy.
Melt a lot of chocolate. Even a small batch can call for a pound or more.
Choose a recipe that has less flour. It's no coincidence that fudgy brownies have a lot in common with flourless chocolate decadence cake.
Mix by hand. Whisking a minimal amount of air into the eggs reduces their leavening power. Gently stirring in the flour prevents tough batter. If your brownie crust separates when the cooled brownie collapses, you've overmixed.
Keep your cool, and underbake. A lower oven temperature (325 F) helps fudgy batters bake smoothly. Remove brownies from the oven just before the center sets.


Chocolate choices
You can use almost any chocolate – bittersweet, semisweet or milk chocolate. There are many excellent chocolates: Scharffen Berger, Guittard, Ghirardelli. Callebaut, Lindt and Valrhona are available if not affordable.
Humble brownies don't necessarily need fancy chocolate. Supermarket baking squares produce good results.
While you can use bittersweet in place of semisweet or vice versa, not all chocolates are interchangeable. Some of today's premium bittersweet and semisweet chocolates contain 35 to 70 percent chocolate liquor, the remainder is sugar. Different percentage chocolates behave differently. Substitute with anything that has more than 62 percent chocolate, and you'll need to do recipe math to adjust the sugar-to-chocolate ratio.
Mainstream brands contain about 55 percent chocolate liquor and produce the most reliable results. The higher the cacao percentage, the denser the brownies.


Powder your cocoa
Cocoa powder is dry, concentrated cocoa bean, the pod from which chocolate springs. Cocoa powder retains all of chocolate's flavor but almost none of its fat. Made with lower-quality beans, natural cocoa powder tends to be acidic and strong. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is alkalized to take the edge off. Dutch-process cocoa powder has a luscious dark red color but is less flavorful. While you can substitute Dutch-process cocoa powder for natural cocoa powder in most recipes, don't do it when the recipe has a lot of baking powder or soda, both of which react to acid.
Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes. Because cocoa powder has less fat and sweetness than chocolate, the butter and sugar content in these brownies is pretty high. This produces a candylike crust and soft interior.


Panning for thick and thin
Brownies are commonly baked in a 9x14x2-inch pan that's known as a brownie pan. Eight-inch square pans also are popular. If you want thin brownies, use a larger, shallow pan. For small batches, I like to use a quarter-sheet pan measuring 91/2x13x1. For big batches, I like the half-sheet pan size, 18x13x1.
If you're using a dark nonstick pan, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees. Brownies tend to bake with crusty edges, and dark nonstick pans turn up the heat.


Batter up
Some bakers swear you must cool melted chocolate before adding it to eggs lest you ruin the batch. Others swear that hot chocolate ensures crusty tops and chewy centers. When I worked as a morning baker, I made several trays of brownies each week. Sometimes, the chocolate cooled while I did other tasks. Sometimes, I tempered the chocolate into the eggs hot off the stove. It didn't seem to matter.


An easy way to add extra gooeyness and visual texture is to add a tortoiseshell-like appearance by swirling caramel onto the top of the unbaked batter in the pan. To ensure that the caramel doesn't melt away, use caramel that is fairly thick and completely cooled. The caramel can be mixed with thick jam or fruit compote for extra zing. Plop the cool caramel onto the batter. Drag the edge of a knife through the caramel and batter to create abstract lines.
If brownie batter is poured too thick, brownies won't bake properly in the centers. Combined with the slight underbaking needed for gooey brownies, you couldn't pass batter-heavy brownies to even the most zonked-out brownie eater. Don't spread the batter too thin; moisture and flavor will bake out quickly.


Another way to add texture and taste contrast is to stud the batter with chunks of chocolate. Fold in chocolate chunks in the final stages of mixing. Use bittersweet chunks with a semisweet batter. Sprinkle chocolate chunks on top, too.


CAKEY BROWNIES
10 tablespoons (11/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 F.
Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on 2 opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium heatproof bowl, and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test.
Remove the bowl from the skillet, and set aside briefly until the mixture is warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well-blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift the ends of the parchment or foil liner and transfer the brownies to a cutting board.
Makes 16 to 24 brownies.
PER SERVING: Calories 153 (57% fat) Fat 12 g (4 g sat) Cholesterol 33 mg Sodium 37 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 17 g Protein 2 g
SOURCE: Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate by Alice Medrich



FUDGY BROWNIES WITH CARAMEL
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup cream
1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into ½ -inch chunks (divided use)
3 to 4 ounces store-bought caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease baking pan and set aside.
Melt butter, cream and chocolate in double boiler. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Add a portion of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add remaining chocolate and continue whisking.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the sifted dry ingredients in 2 increments. Whisk only until the flour is incorporated. Add half of the bittersweet chocolate chunks to the batter and mix.
Pour batter into the greased pan. Smooth the batter with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chunks on top.
Spoon globs of cold caramel sauce onto the brownie batter surface. Use the back of a knife to drag abstract patterns of caramel through the brownie batter.
Bake approximately 30-35 minutes, or until center is molten and not quite set.
Cool completely before cutting. Makes approximately 12 brownies.
Note: The recipe bakes best in a quarter-sheet pan measuring 9 ½ x13x1 inches. You also can use a 9x14x2-inch brownie pan or an 8x8 baking pan.
PER SERVING: Calories 590 (47% fat) Fat 33 g (19 g sat) Cholesterol 73 mg Sodium 164 mg Fiber 5 g Carbohydrates 78 g Protein 6 g


Enjoy the great review I found!
Chef Hannah

Cheddar Garlic Scones

INGREDIENTS
2 cups self-rising flour (2c. all-purpose flour,2tsp. baking powder,1tsp.baking soda,1/2tsp.salt)
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4c. milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, sift together flour and salt. Rub in butter lightly with finger tips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in cheese and garlic. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk, reserving 1 teaspoon for a glazing the scones. Gently mix, just until combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly and lightly. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Press out dough to form a 1 inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on prepared tray and brush with reserved milk. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Serve hot or let cool on a wire rack.



These are really good for breakfast with bacon or sausage. Or with a soup and salad dinner!
Enjoy!
Chef Hannah

So why should I use unsalted butter?!??

Tip #1. ALWAYS use unsalted butter. Salted butter might taste better on toast, but it can very easily ruin a batch of cookies or a cake. Almost every recipe calls for salt, since it is a flavor enhancer. However, if you are using salted butter there is no way to control how much salt is actually going into your recipe. Get the unsalted butter and then add the appropriate amount of salt on your own. Trust me, it will make a big difference.

Berry Oaty Muffins

2c. oats
2c. milk
2 eggs
2/3 c. honey
2/3c. oil

Mix these together then add:

2c. wheat flour
2t. baking powder
1t. baking soda

Then fold in:
1/2c. chopped strawberries
1/2c. blueberries
1/2c. blackberries

Grease 18 muffin tines. Fill with batter and bake at 400 for 18-2o min.

Chef Hannah

Pumpkin Scones

There are so many ways to use pumpkin, both sweet and savory. While pumpkin pie is the most popular dessert containing pumpkin puree, its mild and sweet, almost earthy, flavor make it ideal in quick breads, including scones. In this scone recipe, pumpkin replaces some of the liquid and you end up with a dough that is slightly firmer and less sticky than a regular scone dough. I have used canned pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie filling that already has spices and sometimes sugar added) because of its consistency of flavor and texture. Ground ginger and cinnamon, along with brown sugar, are used to enhance the pumpkin flavor. If you like, add the white chocolate and toasted pecans for more taste and texture.

Using buttermilk, instead of cream, and omitting the egg makes a lighter, more bread-like scone. They are baked at a higher than normal oven temperature to give them a dark, crisp crust. Use two baking sheets (place one pan inside another) when baking these scones so the bottoms do not brown too much.
Note: Have you ever wondered why sometimes your scone dough is too sticky or maybe too dry? The cause of this is your flour. Flour absorbs different amounts of liquid depending on the weather (how humid) or its freshness. So if you find your dough a little too sticky or dry, try adding a little more flour or liquid.


Scone Dough:
2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (72 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup (50 grams) raisins or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup (30 grams) toasted and chopped pecans (optional)
1/3 - 1/2 cup (80 - 120 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin (if using canned pumpkin make sure there are no spices or sugar added)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or cream
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops of the scones (optional)



Spice Glaze(opt)
1c. powdered sugar
1/2t. cinnamon
1/4t. ginger
1/8t. cloves
milk

Add as much milk till desired consistency. Drizzle or spread over scones.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins and pecans, if using. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 3 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar on top, if desired.
Place the baking sheet inside another baking sheet to prevent the bottoms of the scones from over browning. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 6 scones.











Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops of the scones (optional)
Turbinado sugar is a raw sugar that has been steam cleaned. It is light brown in color and coarse grained, with a slight molasses flavor.


Buttermilk has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. It is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. However, in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter. You can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Sweet Maple Glazed Carrots

12 medium carrots cut into 1/8inch slices or baby carrots

3T. butter

2 T. pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

Steam the carrots for 10 min. or until tender. In a large, heavy sauce pan, melt the butter. Add cooked carrots, maple syrup and salt. Stir well, thoroughly coating carrots with butter sauce.

This is the my Dads favorite way to eat carrots. The maple syrup really brings out the sweetness in the carrots. Enjoy!

Chef Esther

Twist on an Oatmeal Cookie

Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups rolled oats
1c. cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tahini
4 tbsp butter softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)



Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.Whisk together oats, flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.Beat tahini and butter together until blended. Add sugars and beat until well combined. Add in egg, egg white and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in oat mixture until nearly incorporated, then add in chocolate chips. Do not over mix.Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.Bake for 10-12 minutes (or 15 minutes for a crispy cookie), until golden brown at the edges.Remore to a wire rack to cool completely.Makes 4 dozen.

Strawberries with a Twist

For Mothers day Esther and I bought strawberries to make a dessert, hm.. I thought lemon and strawberries sound really good, so I can up with this recipe. No regrets whatsoever! Please try it!

Strawberry Ice cream(we used bluebell)
4c. sliced strawberries

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds
13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened
Lemon Syrup:
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch) (20 x 10 x 7 cm). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. This aerates and develops the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. This will strengthen the structure of the batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over browning.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with about half the hot lemon syrup. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Brush the remaining syrup onto the bottom and the sides of the loaf. Re -invert the bread so it is right side up and then cool the bread completely before wrapping. Store at least overnight before serving to allow the lemon syrup to distribute throughout the loaf.
Makes 1 loaf.

Light Lemon Curd

1/3 cup strained, fresh lemon juice2 tsp fresh lemon zest5 tbsp sugar1 large egg, room temperature1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, combine sugar and lemon juice. Add zest and stir until sugar is dissolved completely.In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg. Whisking constantly (or with an electric mixer on low), very slowly stream the hot lemon-sugar syrup into the egg. Beat for 2 minutes (only 1 if you’re using a mixer), then transfer back into the saucepan by pouring the mixture through a sieve.Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.Transfer to a small airtight container and store in the fridge. After it is cooled, fold in 1/3c. whipped cream.
Makes about 2/3 cup. Recipe can be doubled.


To assemble slice the bread, put on a plate and put on 1/2c. of strawberries, a scoop of ice cream, then a final dollop of lemon curd. For a even nicer presentation sprinkle with a little zested lemon!

French bread to die for! (maybe not quite :)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 18x4in. loaf. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. After rising, cut 5 diagonal slits on the top of the loaf, brush with water or sprinkle with flour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.


You can also turn these into rolls by dividing the dough into 16 balls (place them 2in. apart on baking sheet) and bake for 18-20min!

Enjoy!
Chef Hannah

Jam Filled Scones

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon or orange zest. In a small measuring cup combine the whipping cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then divide the dough in half. Pat or roll each half of the dough into a circle that is about 8 inches (20 cm) round. Spread the jam on one round of the dough and then place the second layer of dough on top of the jam, gently sealing the edges. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture. This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on high. Sift confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, turning the pan as necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scones carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Before serving, garnish with a dollop of Devon cream or softly whipped cream.
These scones freeze very well.
Makes 8 scones.


2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (76 grams) cold unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup jam or preserves
Egg mixture for brushing tops of scones:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Garnish:
Devon Cream or lightly whipped heavy cream

These are so delicious especially with clotted cream :) They are really good fresh out of the oven, but you can eat them cold and they are great also!

Chef Hannah

Broadway Daily Bread Banana Muffin Replica!

A few months ago Esther and I had a Banana Nut muffin from Broadway Daily Bread in San Antonio, they were soooooo moist, and delicious that we decided that we would start out on a quest for the perfect replica of this muffin! And here it is!!! At last :)
We did a synopsis on the BDB muffin and found it to be other then very moist, it had a distinct banana flavor that our previous muffin recipe didn't have, we debated wheather they had used banana extract or not, but came to the conclusion that it was due to the none usage of spices such as cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, and the secret to all of that delicious banana flavor we believe comes from the amount of bananas used in this recipe!
Try it out, and I believe you will find it becoming a family favorite!





INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2c. extra walnuts chopped not too small though!
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease 2 8inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For the muffins, sprinkle with remaining nuts. Grease 12 muffin tins. Don't use cinnamon sugar on cups! Bake in a 350 oven and bake 20-25min.

Yields: 2 loaves of banana bread and 12 muffins

Cooks note: This makes alot! Feel free to 1/2 the recipe and make 1 loaf and 12 muffins!

Jesus said " I am the Bread of Life"........................

Mexican Bean Dip

4c. refried beans
3/4 c. guacamole
1/c. cooked ground beef
1/3c. chopped peppers (your choice, I used jalapeno and Anaheim)
3/4 c. shredded cheese
1/2c. shredded lettuce
1/3c. chopped tomatoes
1/3c. chopped purple onion
1/2 c. sour cream mixed with 2t. chili powder, 1/4t. red pepper, 1/2t. garlic salt

Layer the ingredients in order in a 13x9in. pan. And dollop with the sour cream.
Serve cold with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!
Chef Hannah

PB and J Tarts

1/2 c. butter
3/4c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
1c. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
3/4 c. jam
1/3 c. coarsely chopped lightly salted peanuts

In a bowl, cream the butter, and sugar. Add egg, Pb, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Leaving a little extra for sprinkling on later. You may have to put a little flour on your hands.

Grease 12 muffin cups, put dough into cups and gently push it into the bottom and sides. Don't worry if it doesn't go all the way to the top! Divide jam evenly throughout the cups, then sprinkle with remaining dough and nuts. Bake at 350 for 12-15min. Cool completely before removing.


Esther and I changed around this recipe a little to make it a little more unique and fun! Originally it would be doubled and put into a 13x9in. pan. So if you want to make these but don't have as much time to be creative, try it that way. The assembly is the same!

These are my Dads favorite!
Chef Hannah

The Best Carrot Cake Ever!

1 ½ c. oats
¾ c. butter
2 ½ c. boiling water
2 5/8 c. wheat flour
1 ½ t. soda
1 1/8 t. salt
1 ½ t. cinnamon
3/8 t. nutmeg
3 eggs
1 7/8 c. honey
1 ½ t. vanilla
1c. raisins
1c. grated carrots
1c. chopped pecans

Combine oats, butter, and boiling water in a large bowl, let stand 20min. Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add honey in fine stream, mixing well. Add vanilla. Stir in oats mixture. Add sifted ingredients, about ½ c. at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in raisins carrots, and nuts. Pour into a 13x9in. pan greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Cool cake.

Icing
1 large and 1 small pkg. of cream cheese, softened
¼ c. butter
1/3 -1/2c. honey ½ t. vanilla
¾ c. chopped pecans

Beat cheese, butter. Add honey in fine stream while beating. Stir in pecans. Spread on top and sides of cake.

Chef Esther

Nutty Rosemary Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees F), divided
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups wheat flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten
DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add the whole wheat flour, oil, honey, cornmeal, rosemary, salt, 1 cup bread flour and remaining water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining wheat flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; add pecans. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape into two loaves. Place in two 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Brush egg over loaves. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks.


I made this into round loaves, though you can do it either way with great success!
The nuts and herbs are a great complement to each other.

Chef Hannah

Bread dipping oil

3T. olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1T. fresh basil
Dash of pepper, salt, and red pepper


Saute garlic in 1t. of oil. Remove and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve!
This is great served with french bread, and Spaghetti!

Chef Hannah

Latkes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
3T. green onion(or white)
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4c. oil
DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!


These are so good served with sour cream and extra green onions! Or omit the onions in the pancake, and drizzle with syrup. Our Grandpa used to make these all the time..................

Chef Hannah

Zucchini Bread

3 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1t. cinnamon

4 eggs

2c. sugar

1c. oil

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2c. grated zucchini

1c. raisins

1c. chopped nuts

Galze

1/2c. powdered sugar

1T. water

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add both mixtures together till well combined. Fold in zucchini, nuts, and raisins. Divide batter into 2 greased floured pans. Bake at 350 for about 55min. or till toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans and let cool. Drizzle with Glaze.

Yields 16 slices per loaf

Chef Esther

Meatballs

1lb. of ground beef

1/4c. bread crumbs

1t. of oregano, basil, thyme

1/2t. pepper, and salt

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into 1 1/2in balls. Cook in a sauce pan at high heat with 1T. of oil (beware of hot oil!) Cook rotating the meatballs till browned on each side, and cooked all the way through.

-These are great served in a marinara sauce over noodles. Also great served mixed with marinara sauce, spooned over french bread, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and broiled :)

Or with BBQ sauce!

Chef Hannah

Mexican Crepes

8-6in. tortillas
3T. butter
1/4c. of cinnamon sugar
Spread butter on either side of the tortillas, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

4 apples peeled and sliced or chopped
1T. cinnamon
1t. nutmeg
1/3c. brown sugar

Whipped cream

In a saucepan cook apples with spices and sugar, till its cooked and tender. Approx. 8min.
In another saucepan fry tortillas till caramelized. Remove, top 1/2 of the tortilla with apple mixture, dollop on desired amount of whipped cream. Fold over and drizzle with some of the excess brown sugar sauce from apples.
Serve right away and enjoy!


I created this recipe to go with our Mexican dinner on Monday (Cinco de Mayo) not that were Mexican :) It was so yummy that my little brother wants it for breakfast on his birthday!

Chef Hannah

Peanut Butter-Honey Brownies

Filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut utter

1/2 cup honey

1 recipe for brownies that will fit in a 8 or 9-inch pan

Glaze:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

Combine peanut butter and honey blend till smooth. Set aside. Mix your brownie batter according to your recipes directions. Spread half the batter into greased 8 or 9 inch pan. Score batter into 16 squares. Using 1/4 cup of the peanut butter mixture, place scant measuring teaspoon mixture in center of each square. Carefully spread remaining brownies batter over top. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 min. or until edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool 45 min. Spread remaining peanut butter mixture over cooled brownies. In small saucepan, combine chocolate and butter; cook over low heat till it is melted and smooth, stirring consistently. Spoon chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture on brownies. Cool 45 min. or refrigerate until set. Cut into bars.

These are probably my favorite or almost favorite brownies. They are so good, you are probably thinking honey?!?! but it tastes so delicious with the chocolate and peanut butter. You have to try it! This picture is not the best but it was the only one we had:(

Chef Esther

Zucchini Pizza

Crust

4 oz. shredded Mozzarella Cheese

4 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese

4c. grated zucchini

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

2 T. biscuit mix

Combine all and press into a 10x 15 inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 for 15 min.

Topping

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. ground (beef, turkey, sausage etc. )

Saute for 10 min. or until onions are softened.

1 c. tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. dried oregano

Stir into meat mixture. Spoon over baked crust.

Grate 2 oz. mozzarella and 2 oz. cheddar cheese over meat sauce. Bake at 400 for 20 min.