Posts made in June, 2023

• In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and honey and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: bread flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Sift together.
• Slowly stir together the wet ingredients and flour mix until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and strawberries pieces. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge for several hours or days; dough can also be frozen at this stage.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Use greased stoneware, parchment paper, or silpat mats. The cookie dough, even straight from the fridge, has a soft Play-Doh-like consistency, and will spread when it bakes; keep this in mind when spacing cookie dough.
• Teaspoon-sized cookies need to bake 9 to 12 minutes; Tablespoon-sized take 11 to 13 minutes. Let set on cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.
• Stored cookies will keep in a sealed container, between waxed paper or parchment layers, for weeks. They are excellent for travel or shipping.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a large sauce pan on medium heat, place the brown sugar and butter, stirring constantly until the ingredients combine to be smooth. Set on another burner to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the two extracts. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda until no white streaks remain.
• Spread batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the almonds all over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool for a bit, but cut into the blondies while they are still warm. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

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• Add ingredients to bread machine bucket, which usually means liquids first–so water, sea salt, sugar, bread flour, and yeast. Let the dough cycle run.
• Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, tucking dough under the sides to form a tight ball. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap to let rise for an 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. Flour lightly. Roll dough onto it, deflating the round and tucking the dough to form a new, smooth round. Flour lightly on top. Cover with towel or plastic wrap again to let rise, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven at 500-degrees. Place baking pan or stone on middle rack. On rack below that, place a cake pan with 1 or 2-inch sides. In an electric or stovetop kettle, boil about 2 cups of water.
• Use a sharp knife to score a hash mark across the top of the risen dough. Place the hot baking sheet or stone on the stovetop. Very carefully, use the parchment paper as a sling to move the bread onto the hot pan. Place it in the oven. Immediately use the kettle to carefully pour water into the cake pan on the lower rack; no need to measure the water, but get the pan about half full. Close the oven and do not open it again until the end of baking.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400-degrees. Bake an additional 30 minutes. The bread should be risen and golden. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing in.
• This bread is fantastic at room temperature or heated up again. Use it with butter, for sandwiches, whatever you want! While the bread is still fresh, freeze leftovers for later enjoyment, too.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the cheese, sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla to make smooth.
• Pour about half the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out with an uneven spatula.
• Dollop on all of the cheese mixture. Then add spoonfuls of the jam to fill any gaps. Follow up by adding dollops of the remaining blondie batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the layers together for a marbled effect.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the middle is not jiggly and passes the toothpick test. Cool for at least an hour at room temperature, then chill in fridge. Once the pan is cool, use the foil to lift the blondies onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
• Enjoy promptly or store in a sealed container in the fridge to eat over the coming days.

OM NOM NOM!