Posts by Beth

• Beat together butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Fold in the pecans. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of the fig preserves, trying to maintain some chunks and swirls.
• Set out a piece of waxed paper. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to dole out round of dough, then gently compress each. Add small dollops of fig preserves atop.
• Place dough balls on waxed paper in the fridge for at least two hours, or place in freezer to bake later. Note that after the dough is frozen, it can be placed in a freezer bag or other container for safekeeping. The fig preserves will still remain soft. When it is baking day, place dough in fridge to thaw for a few hours.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Set cookie dough balls, with the fig preserves up, spaced out a few inches on the baking sheet. The cold dough may still spread a lot as it bakes.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cookies rest on sheet about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature.
• These cookies are best the first day, but are still okay for a couple days.

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• To make the soaker: Place oats in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Stir. Allow to cool while you start to prepare the dough.
• Using a kitchen scale and weighing everything is highly recommended.
• Combine the sourdough starter, beer, flour, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix well, by hand or with a mixer, the dough forms a cohesive mass.
• Cover and let it rest (autolyse) for about 30 minutes.
• Add the soaked oats, honey, and salt to the dough, fully incorporating. By hand or with a mixer, knead dough until it’s smooth, though it will still be tacky.
• Cover dough and let it rise for 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold it over itself and stretch gently several times. Return the dough to the bowl and cover.
• Let dough rise for another hour.
• Repeat the stretching and folding process one more time. Return dough to the bowl to rise for a third, final hour.
• At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Place a clean cotton towel to cover the interior of a large bowl (or use a brotform). Add a heavy dusting of flour.
• Shape the dough into a tighter round by tucking dough underneath to tighten the top. Place it seam-side up in the bowl.
• Cover and let proof for 2 1/2 to 3 hours in a warm place; if your house is cool, it may need 4 hours. An oven with a proofing mode can also be used. When the dough is ready, it will look puffy and will jiggle when gently shaken.
• When the rise time is nearing end, begin preheating oven at 450 degrees with a baking stone or cast iron pan inside (obviously, if the proof mode was being used, remove the bread to continue rising in a warm spot elsewhere). To use steam during the baking process, to create a crunchy crust, place another empty pan (such as a cast iron skillet or a cake pan) beneath the baking vessel.
• Gently tip the risen loaf onto a piece of parchment. Slash the loaf several times with a sharp knife or lame–this creates vents for steam inside so the bread doesn’t grossly split–then use the parchment as a sling to CAREFULLY place the loaf on the very hot stoneware or cast iron.
• While wearing thick oven mitts, pour 1 cup water into the empty pan on the lower rack, with the bread in the pan on the level above. Close oven and keep it closed as the bread bakes.
• Bake bread for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce temperature to 400 F. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaf from the oven and carefully transition to a cooling rack. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
• Store leftover bread in a paper bag or loosely covered by plastic wrap for up to a few days. To preserve it longer, freeze and place in a freezer bags. Slicing the bread before freezing makes it easy to pull out portions to quickly defrost for later meals.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line the 13×9 pan with foil. Add a coating of nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, almond paste, and eggs. Add the white sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the flour until combined. Spread dough in the prepared pan.
• Measure the jam into a microwave-safe bowl and gently warm until it is soft and spreadable. Dollop the jam on top of the dough and spread out, swirling with dough slightly. Sprinkle the almonds on top followed by the turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board, slice into bars. If stacking in storage containers, place waxed paper to make it tidier. Store at room temperature.

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• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Press foil into a 9×9 pan. Apply nonstick spray.
• Weigh out the 300 grams of raspberries. Use kitchen shears or a knife to gently shatter the berries into smaller pieces. Place back in freezer as the recipe is assembled.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by both the extracts.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine the milk and the yogurt.
• Take turns adding the dry ingredients and the milk mix in the big mixing bowl with the butter. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make certain everything is combined. Gently fold in the frozen raspberries.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan and even out. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top, followed by the sliced almonds. Gently press in.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350. Continue baking for an additional 45 to 55 minutes. (Note that the bake time is longer because of the moisture in the frozen berries. If you’re using fresh instead, the bake time will likely be reduced, so monitor closely.) The middle should pass the toothpick test.
• Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use the foil to lift the cake onto a rack to fully cool.
• Store in an airtight container or bag in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3 days. This is also a great cake to freeze in slices.

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