Simple Focaccia

Baking Tuesday as well! The focaccia has come out, risen, and is ready to be devoured.. and we sure did. I made some nice sandwiches and my boyfriend happily exclaimed "this is the best thing you've made." I guess I'll have to make it again soon...


Simple Focaccia
NYT Cooking recipe
Makes 1 pan (9x13)

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
4 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbsp salt
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
Dried herbs for garnish (optional)




Directions: 
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast.
2. Add warm water and stir until all the flour is incorporated and a stick dough forms. (Experct a very wet dough.)
3. Pour 2 tbsp oil into a medium bowl.
4. Transfer the dough, turn to coat, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
5. Place in refrigerator to rest for 24 hours
6. Brush inside of a 9 x 13 baking sheet with oil.
7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to prepared pan.
8. Spread dough as much as possible, adding oil if needed to keep from sticking. (It will fill the pan once it relaxes and rises.)
9. Place the dough in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk. (Mine took about 2 1/2 hours)
10. When the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450.
11. Pat down focaccia to an even thickness (approx. 1 inch) and dimple the entire dough.
12. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil on top and sprinkle with sea salt and herbs, if using.
13. Bake until top is uniformed golden brown (about 20-25 minutes)
14. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

This week will be a baking Monday and Tuesday.  While my focaccia sits in the fridge overnight, I figured that Baking Mondays need not be just for humans! We have a furry friend coming to visit this week so, I wanted to bake her some treats. These are extremely simple to make and she seems to be quite the fan as well.

This time, I tried using a mini muffin tin instead of cutting them and it was so much easier and they are all uniformed, which I love. But, if you have a cute cookie cutter (e.g. bones or stars) that could work. My boring circle one was just not worth it.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Original Recipe here
Makes about 25-50 depending on size

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour*
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin/pumpkin puree**
2 tbsp peanut butter**
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

*Any type of flour will do. I use gluten free so that I don't have to use the precious all-purpose.

**Make sure that both the pumpkin and the peanut butter don't have anything added into them. I use natural/organic for both to ensure it's only pumpkin/peanuts and salt.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable but the dough should be dry and stiff.
4. Roll dough into 1/2 inch thick roll
5. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces (using cookie cutters or knife) OR push into mini-muffin tins
6. Bake in preheated oven until hard (about 35-40 minutes)
7. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Another Monday, another loaf. This time.. zucchini. My mom sent me a great recipe so, I wanted to try it out.

Zucchini Bread
(from Cooks Illustrated)
Makes 1 loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 80 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb zucchini, shredded (about 2 large zucchinis)
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 cups all purpose)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 and grease loaf pan
2. Shred zucchini, put in a dish towel, and drain as much liquid as possible out of it.
3. Whisk brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
4. Fold in zucchini.
5. Whisk flours, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg together in large bowl.
6. Add in zucchini mixture.
7. Pour batter into a pan and add sugar on top of the bread
8. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 65-75 minutes).
9. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

This past weekend we cooked a whole bunch - biscuits and gravy, roasted chicken, burrito bowls... So I was thinking about initially doing something sweet this week but shifted my mind to something a bit healthier - blueberry muffins. These will be nice for the week and even nicer, warm.

Blueberry Muffins

Original Recipe on King Arthur Flour

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yields 12ish muffins (made a bit more so mini muffins for testers!) 

Ingredients:

8 tbsp butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)

2 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen so, rinsed and patted dry first)

1/4 cup sugar for topping (I had leftover vanilla sugar from the scones so, this was perfect with some additional granulated sugar!) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease 12-cup muffin tin (or line) 

2. In medium sized bowl, beat together sugar and butter until well combined.

3. Add eggs one at a time, scraping off the bowl and beating well after each addition

4. Beat in baking powder, salt, and vanilla

5. Add the flour alternating with the milk. Beating until combined.

6. Add blueberries to batter to combine and distribute (if using fresh and not frozen, you can mash in some) 

7. Scoop batter (I use an ice cream scoop) into the muffin tin.

8. Sprinkle with sugar (about 1 tsp/muffin)

9. Bake muffins for 30 minutes or until golden brown/toothpick comes out clean.

10. Remove from oven and cool.

11. Enjoy!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

No it's not Monday but, it is a baking day here. We were craving something sweet for dessert so what better (and easier) than a skillet cookie. Ours was with mini chocolate chips so added a note below about that for a better ratio. Last time we did it with mini it was very chocolatey. This time... perfection.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Makes 1 (8-10" cast iron pan)
Original recipe here.
Ingredients: 
6 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
1/3 cup brown sugar (recipe says dark but, I used light)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (1/2 cup if using mini chips)

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl, combine sugars and butter.
3. Stir in egg and vanilla.
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add chips
6. Transfer to cast iron pan and smooth top.
7. Bake 18-20 minutes (until golden) then let cool 5 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Apple Oat Bread

It's Monday so, you know what that means... another week in Quarantine. But also, baking day for me! This week was a bit tough since we haven't gone to the store in a while so I was both trying to use up stuff in our fridge while also not using everything up. That being said, there will definitely be a trend in the ingredient list of "I used this AND this" (Subtext is: I ran out of the main thing...). I had low standards for this loaf but actually it's super flavorful!

Apple Oat Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Recipe augmented from my favorite source, King Arthur Flour.

I couldn't resist trying a slice before I took
this photo... oops.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar (used less than the recipe based on reviews)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil (I used 2/3 coconut and the rest olive)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I used 3/4 tsp vanilla and the rest maple syrup) 

1 1/2 cup All purpose flour (no whole wheat)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup applesauce (I made my own with about 1 1/2 diced old apples, water, and sugar) 

1/2 cup Nuts/Raisins (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan

2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

4. Add them to the wet ingredients in bowl

5. Mix in rolled oats, applesauce, and nuts/raisins (if you'd like)

6. Pour mixture into pan and bake bread for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

8. Enjoy!

Peach Bread

This is a fun game of "what can I make with canned goods." Todays bake was peach bread. From the recipe I was meant to use sliced peaches but they weren't available at the store so, I did diced and just drained them (saving the juice for a smoothie). Honestly, not peachy enough for me so I may have to try this one again sometime. I may add in the peach juice next time to see if that enhances it.

Peach Bread
Recipe here
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 cans sliced peaches drained (I used 4 small plastic containers of diced peaches)
4 ounces butter (e.g. 1 stick) melted
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
garnish: cinnamon sugar (for topping)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan.
2. Save 1 plastic container (or 10-12 peach slices) for the garnish. Process the remaining slices until almost pureed (e.g. 1 cup or a bit more)
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine peaches, butter, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
4. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Add flour mixture to first mixture until blended.
6. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
7. Add remaining peaches over top (for slices: slice lengthwise into two thinner slices and arrange them overlapping on top of the batter). Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake in oven 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan on rack for approx 15 minutes
10. Remove from pan to cool completely.
11. Enjoy!