Soft Yet Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies + Molasses Pop-Tarts with Peach Filling + Pop-Tart Cookies

Cookies and memories go hand-in-hand. These cookies remind me of when I went away from school. I had gone to a Starbucks and tried my first molasses cookie. Well, I was hooked to say the least. I thought these were the most amazing cookies I had ever tasted before. When Hallowe'en came around my mom was coming to visit me at school and had asked if I wanted her to bake me anything special. At first I said no, because I didn't think I wanted anything and then BAM, MOLASSES COOKIES! Oh boy, I wish I could find the recipe she had made her cookies with because they were fantastic... or maybe it was because someone else made them for me and threw in that extra special ingredient in the cookies; love. Regardless, these are definitely one of the best molasses cookies you will ever eat. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, brown sugar and butter all rolled in sugar. Could these be better than grandma's cookies? I think so.

Soft Yet Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Pour yourself a glass of milk and dig into these bad boys!

I decided to make some more baked goods with molasses. I mean, molasses really is an amazing thing. It tastes' delicious, smells amazing, and is very good for you. I saw the following recipe and couldn't wait to make them. I mean, not only are they pop-tarts, but instead of a plain Jane basic white flour dough, its a molasses dough. I REALLY REALLY liked these. They were however, one of the most 50-50 thing's I've ever baked. What I mean by that, is it was one of those thing's that people either really enjoyed or really hated. I thought everything about them was absolutely fantastic and would surely make them again. I think next time however, I would try it with a cranberry filling. Would that not be more like Christmas or what?

Molasses Pop-Tarts with Peach Filling

Ingredients for the Molasses Dough:

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 ounces (I stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp molasses

Directions:

Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.

With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until it's bright yellow. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars, slat and spices, then add the mixture to the butter. Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then continue to cream the mixture on medium speed for about another minute. The mixture should be smooth and free of lumps.

With the mixer off, add the egg and molasses, then mix on medium for another minute until everything is incorporated. On low speed, add the sifted flour and beat on low until everything is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Press the dough into a 1" rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 2 hours (you can keep it at this point wrapped in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 1 month).

Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a 12" square. Dust with flour if it sticks, and place the dough, which should still be between the paper, into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 fresh peaches
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat and melt the butter. It should turn light brown after about 5 minutes. Add the peach slices in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes, then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 more minutes, until the peaches are tender (I used frozen, fresh peaches may take a bit less time). Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Chop the peaches into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350, with a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Assembling the dough:

Take the dough out of the refrigerator, and flour both sides of the dough. On a floured surface, cut the dough into 16 3" squares and place a blob of filling in the center of 8 of them. It's easiest to transfer the first 8 squares to the baking sheets as you cut them. Cover the first 8 squares with the last 8. Pinch the edges together so that the squares look like ravioli and sprinkle sugar generously over the top. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, the dough should be crisp and fragrant. Serve warm.


Pop-Tart Cookies


Recipe taken from here

I then decided to accentuate those pop-tarts even better, (yeah like it's even possible right?), but, you add more sugar, butter, and more sugar and anything can taste better. These cookies... are simply heavenly. When I tried them, I seriously regretted it. I regretted it because I fell deeply in-love, I seriously felt like I died and went to heaven. Yup, I can't even tell you how many I had in the one day... oh boy. I assume these cookies would be good with store-bought pop-tarts, but the homemade pop-tarts made such an impact!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 Pop-Tarts, chopped
• 2 tbsp milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over medium low heat until butter turns amber in color. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg, 2 tbsp milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the Pop-Tarts.

Chill the dough for 1 hour, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Graham Crackers + S'mores Refrigerator Cookies

If you've ever been to camp, or a cottage, bonfire, or anywhere at night where there is a fire, you've more than likely had a s'more. If not, or you're like me and only tried your first s'more a few years ago, well here's your chance to either try s'mores or have them again. A s'more a popular in Canada and the US, it consists of a roasted marshmallow, and a layer of chocolate that is sandwiched between two graham crackers.

I had seen homemade graham crackers on many blogs this summer, and I knew that I had to make some at some point. I was up really late one night with nothing to do so I decided to go into the kitchen and make some graham crackers.

Graham Crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers.

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Decorate the crackers: Using a toothpick or skewer prick the dough in any pattern you like.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

With everyone and their mom making s'mores, there have almost been lots of versions of cookies, bars, cakes etc that contain the s'mores ingredients. One that stuck out to me right away was this recipe, I just thought that it looked absolutely beautiful, and so I wanted to use up my homemade graham crackers in something that would look pretty and enhance the flavour that much more. Well, boy am I glad I used those crackers for this recipe. They were a big time hit!

S'mores Refrigerator Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweeted cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 14 oz box of graham crackers, or homemade (see above), lightly crumbled
• 2 big handfuls of mini marshmallows, plus more for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Line a 9x13-inch baking sheep with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, crumble the graham crackers into large chunks. Add two handfuls of mini marshmallows and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter together butter, cocoa, corn syrup and a pinch of salt. Stir and heat until smooth. Once melted, let chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes.

Pour chocolate mixture over graham crackers and marshmallows. Stir so that all of the graham crackers are moistened by the chocolate mixture. Dump into lined baking pan, and a few more marshmallows on top and press down with the back of a spoon. Cover the top with another sheet of parchment and press with your fingers. Let cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to solidify for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Wrap individually and store in the fridge.

Now take this version of a s'more to your next campfire and see how fast they go ;)

Quick Asparagus and Spinach Lasagna, Mushroom Ravioli, Wonton Soup with Shrimp, Wonton Soup with Tofu

Here are four dishes both made with wonton wrappers. I saw the spinach lasagna recipe and was in awe that wonton wrappers were used instead of pasta, this instantly got me excited since I can't eat pasta anymore, and rice doesn't affect me as much so I was willing to give it a try. I absolutely loved this dish. The picture may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but it really was a delicious meal. I then started thinking what else I could make with wonton wrappers. I'm not sure why I never thought of doing these things before now, but I'm glad I found it so that I can now still enjoy meals that I used to eat, may not be the same, but to be honest I actually think they're better than pasta. With that being said, on the trek for more recipes using wonton wrappers I thought about my favourite Asian soup... WONTON SOUP! This was a childhood favourite of mine, but I hadn't had these in years since I had stopped eating pork and could never find a restaurant that made simply shrimp wonton's... not sure why really. Whenever I got wonton soup, I gave the noodles away, and just sucked down that broth, because really it's absolutely FANTASTIC. Both of these wonton recipes that I am about to show you are the best versions of this soup I have ever had in my life. Even my boyfriend was like, "Wow Sam, this actually tastes' authentic", thanks for believing in me ;). Kidding, but really. So great, these two are definite keepers, and must-tries for all who are wonton soup fans. So here are the recipes... enjoy.

Quick Asparagus Lasagna

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
• One 15-ounce container cottage cheese
• 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 18 refrigerated wonton skins
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

Directions:
Preheat the broiler to high. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet and a lasagna pan (9-by 13-inches roughly). Combine the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Peel the lower stalks of the asparagus if they are thicker than 1/3 inch. Toss the asparagus in the oil mixture and arrange at one end of the oiled baking sheet. Toss the onion and garlic in any remaining oil in the same bowl and arrange them on the other end of the baking sheet. Broil until the edges just begin to brown, about 5 minutes. If using spinach, you could sauté it on the pan with a little bit of olive oil.

Reduce the oven to 375°F. Combine the onion and garlic with the cottage cheese, flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a blender; puree until smooth. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Arrange 6 wonton skins in the bottom of the pan. Top with half the asparagus, one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, and one-third of the Parmesan. Add another 6 wonton skins, the remaining asparagus, and another third of the cottage cheese mixture and Parmesan. Top with the remaining wonton skins, cottage cheese mixture, and Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna in the top third of the oven, 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Mushroom Ravioli

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tsp EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 pinches dried thyme
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 10 button mushrooms/10 Cremini mushrooms
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and fry for about a minute, then add the onion and saute until it's transparent and has a light golden hue.

Add both the mushrooms and the thyme. Cook until the mixture becomes somewhat dry; about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat, cool a bit. Stir in the cottage cheese. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place about 1 to 1 ½ tsp of filling in the center of the wrapper. Seal the edges of the wrapper with water and wrap the wonton.

Repeat until the dough and filling is used up.

Boil the ravioli in batches in lightly salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and toss with desired sauce/vegetables and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Wonton Soup with Shrimp

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

• 1 Packet Wonton Wrapper (40 pcs)
• 8 cups homemade vegetable broth
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 bunch Bok Choy, trimmed
• 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

Vegetable Broth Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 3 large carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 4 button mushrooms
  
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  
• 2 vegetable bouillon cube

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 peeled shrimps, finely chopped or minced
• 2 stalk scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

Combine vegetable broth ingredients in a large stock pot and let simmer on medium-low for 30-45 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the wonton filling ingredients and mix well.

Place about 1 to 1 ½ tsp of filling in the center of the wrapper. Seal the edges of the wrapper with water and wrap the wonton.

Blanch the vegetables in a saucepan with boiling water and ½ tsp of salt. Cook for about a minute, drain and set aside.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil with a few drizzle of cooking oil. Cook the wontons for about 4 minutes. Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon and divide the portions into each bowls.

If your vegetable stock has gotten cold bring it back to a boil. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce and sea salt to taste.

Ladle the vegetable stock into the bowls of wontons. Top with vegetables, chopped scallions and some freshly ground pepper.

Wonton Soup with Tofu - used same directions as above except I changed the filling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 stalks green onions
• 1/2 cup firm tofu, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Hope you will try these recipes and enjoy them as much as myself, friends and family did :)

Lemon Ginger Sorbet + Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies

Recipe taken from here

I had an abundance of lemon's leftover since I had made lemonade and didn't need as many lemons as I thought I would. So being the type of person who doesn't like food going to waste I quickly did some research on what I could make. I found this recipe and didn't look any further. Sorbet with lemon AND ginger? Yummy. And that's what it was - delicious. It was tart, spicey and sweet all at once. Definitely a nice mid-summers afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cups water

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon zest. Cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the grated ginger and water. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator or ice bath. Add the 2 cups of lemon juice and freeze in an ice cream maker.

Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies

Recipe taken from here

What makes a sugar cookie even more sinful than they already are? Throwing in some lemon juice, zest, and poppy seeds. I love love love sugar cookies. They are very highly ranked in my books, however, the flavour that lemon and poppy seeds create together is amazing. When put together with sin, it creates lust. These cookies are fantastic. These have to be tried!

Makes about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and poppy seeds. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Mix well.

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set. The cookies should be puffy and fairly light in color when they are finished baking. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Bread Galore; Calzones, Dough, Pita Bread + More...

I love the smell of white wine so much, I think that's why I make risotto on a regular basis, it's not for its super creamy taste but to stick my nose into the wine bottle. When I saw this recipe, I got so excited about it, and the toppings that would just scream with joy due to the white wine. Well yes, the dough does taste as good as it sounds. This will for sure be my go-to-dough recipe from now on.

Recipe taken from here

White Wine Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dry white wine
  
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 package dry active yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups (435 grams) all-purpose flour

Directions:

Combine wine and water – both should be warm (110 degrees or so). In a mixing bowl, combine the wine, water, and yeast – stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt, and olive oil. Mix well until combined.

Add about 1 cup of flour to the mixing bowl and stir to make a wet paste. Add in the rest of the flour and incorporate.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat dough ball with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When dough has doubled in size, punch dough down gently with your fist. Cut the dough into two equal pieces for two 12-inch round pizzas.

Homemade Tortillas

Recipe taken from here

Want Mexican food for your Friday night meal but don't have any tortillas, your car isn't starting and the grocery store is too far to walk to? Look no further. Here comes your knight in shining armor. Have fifteen minutes to spare? I hope so, because then you'll be able to have a nice fresh family meal. These were so much more simpler to make than I thought. I was really happy they turned out. It seems whenever it comes to bread I always get really nervous as to whether the product will turn out or not, but these were awesome!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached bread flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup warm water (plus a couple tablespoons, if necessary)

Directions:

Mix together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

Cut in the vegetable shortening with your hands or knife until the mixture is somewhat crumbly.

Add in the warm water 1/4 cup at a time. Slowly. You don't want to add too much. However, if your mixture is too dry, keep adding slowly. Your dough should be moist, but not sticky.
Divide into four equal balls and let sit -- covered by plastic wrap -- for 5 to 10 minutes.

On a floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll your dough into flat rounds look like tortillas.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Spray lightly with canola oil and then cook each tortilla until it is lightly browned on each side.

Set aside ... why? ...
Follow the steps below...

How about turning it into a Quesadilla?

Ingredients:

• Homemade tortillas, or store bought
• Desired filling - the following were used;
• Tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Chicken with terriyaki sauce
• Lots of cheese
• Diced white onion
• 1 stalk green onion

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, heat up a bit of oil over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and add your vegetables. Cook for five or so minutes, until warmed and softened.

Spread your mixture on half of a tortilla, top with your cheese.

Fold over and grill in a panini press or in a pan on your stove-top.


Caramelized Onions Foccacia Bread

Ever since I started playing around with yeast I have become more and more intrigued with bread products. I have to admit part of the reason why I like trying to play with bread products is because of the smell. When I first started making bread the smell of yeast made me want to vomit to be quite honest. Now I get so excited when I mix the yeast in with water, salt and sugar. The smell hits your nose, and its just, a blissful smell. Foccacia was next on my life because well, you have to try and make your nationalities bread dont'ya? The excuses I make to be in the kitchen... but seriously this was amazing. I sprinkled Asiago cheese on half of the Foccacia. This bread last two days, everyone seemed to down it like a pint of beer. Oh, it was absolutely wonderful. I can't wait to try different toppings, or possibly even throw in some olives and rosemary into the batter. Deeeeeelicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + additional to drizzle on top
• About 2 cups (about 10 ounces) white whole wheat flour
• Caramelized onions to sprinkle on top
  

Directions:

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Stir in the bread flour, salt, and olive oil with a wooden spoon, beating well to develop the gluten.

Gradually add the white whole wheat flour, stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the bread for about 5 minutes, adding just enough flour that the dough becomes smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap (or a damp kitchen towel). Let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume (about 1 1/2 – 2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a pizza pan or a sheet pan.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it a few times to release any air bubbles. Cover and let rise for another 15 minutes. Shape the dough into a disc and press onto the prepared pan. Stipple the dough lightly with your fingers and drizzle with olive oil. Top with caramelized onions or other toppings, pressing lightly into the surface of the dough.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375°F for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes prior to slicing.

How about taking another pizza dough recipe and making Calzones?

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

Directions:

To prepare the dough, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the yeast and sugar are dissolved in the water. Add the olive oil, salt, and bread flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Gradually add the whole wheat flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead in the rest of the whole wheat flour (or just knead in the bowl, if you prefer) until the dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 475°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. Divide the dough into four portions and spread each portion of the dough into a rectangle/oval on a lightly floured surface.


Ingredients for Calzone:
(Pick whatever filling you would like - the ones I made for my family;)

• Ricotta
• Peppercorn flavoured goat cheese
• Pesto sauce
• Chicken
• Tomato sauce
• Red/Green/Yellow peppers
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Zucchini
• Mozarella
• Chicken

*made different calzones with the above fillings

My little cousin Samuel really enjoyed "helping" out in the kitchen, SO adorable!

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine your fillings. Spoon filling mixture onto half of each piece of dough. Top with desired cheese. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal the calzone.

(At this point, you can wrap with plastic wrap and pop the calzones in the freezer.

Transfer each calzone to the baking sheet, brush the top with some olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and rosemary. Bake for about 12 – 14 minutes until golden on top and cooked through.

Last but certainly not least homemade pita bread

OH MY GOSH. LITTLE POCKETS OF FLUFFY HEAVENLY GOODNESS. Yes, the capitals are CERTAINLY warranted when it comes to these. They were the best pita's I have ever eaten in my life. Every bite was a little bite of awesome, as I've been saying lately, these definitely gave me a mini food-gasm. Yes, they were THAT good. Oh my gosh. As mentioned time and time again I cannot eat store-bought bread, so now that I've discovered certain recipes that I can make at home, it's becoming dangerous for me because these were killer good. I cannot say a single bad thing about these. Dip them in hummus, stuff them with vegetables, use them as a base for grilled pizza, oh the possibilities, delicious!

Recipe taken from here

Yielded 10 -

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
• 2 tbsp olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening

Directions:

Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it’ll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet (or parchment paper) and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, but it isn’t necessary.

Sorry for this monster of a post, but I hope you enjoyed this journey with me, see you tomorrow!

Ginger Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry

This was something I quickly whipped together for Jordan and I. It came out wonderfully. I love the smell of ginger, I find it just brightens up any dish. This got devoured. It was simple and easy to make as well, which is always a bonus.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 green onion stalks
• 2 inches of cut fresh ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
  
• 1/2 pound shrimp
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 carrots
• EVOO
• 1/8 cup water
• Korean bbq marinade
• Stir-fry marinade
• Rice to serve with

Directions:

Heat oil and garlic in a medium sauce pan on high medium-high heat. When garlic starts to sizzle add water, carrots, onion and saute until tender. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan begin to cook your rice as directed. Cook your broccoli in the pan, or simply steam them with a little bit of water in the microwave. Add your shrimp to your sauce pan and cook until pink. Add the rest of your marinades and toss gently for five minutes or until your vegetables have reached desired consistency.

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Risotto with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Onion + Smoked Salmon Risotto with Lemon and Parmesan Cheese

Recipe adapted from here

If you've ever had risotto or seen someone cook risotto you know it can be a really long process that can't be rushed, that is if you want it to taste as good as it possibly could be. After the broth begins it takes approximately an hour to cook, since a lower temperature is required. Risotto comes from Northern Italy... I started cooking risotto because I wanted to try more of my heritages' dishes, and boy am I glad I started to learn how to cook risotto because it is delicious.

To get the best results when making your risotto you should use Italian Arborio rice. This is a fat, starchy, medium grain rice, and is the most common when making risotto. An outstanding Arborio meal is rich and creamy, so using a premium rice is crucial, if you don't you may wind up with something like sushi rice which will turn into sticky rice.

Here are two excellent risotto recipes that must be tried!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 6 stalk asparagus
• 6 mushrooms - I used a mix of button and cremini
• Bunch of spinach
  
• 1 tbsp EVOO
  
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 green onion stalks chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
  
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 1/8 cup white wine
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Asiago cheese
• Parmesan cheese
  

Directions:

Heat the vegetable stock on the stove and keep it on warm. Chop your asparagus into 1 inch pieces, dice your yellow onion, and mushrooms into about 8 slices. Heat 1 TBS oil in a frying pan on med-high, add half of garlic and green onions, sauté for one minute but don’t let the garlic burn. Add vegetables and sauté for another 3-4 minutes or until they’re slightly softened. Remove vegetables to a plate.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan, heat on medium. Add remaining garlic and green onion, add rice. Mix well to get rice completely coated with oil. Add white wine and mix. When it’s nearly evaporated begin adding heated vegetable stock a ladle full at a time. Continually stir the rice and as the stock is nearly all absorbed add some more. Continue this process.

The rice will begin to swell and get creamy. As you approach using the last of the stock, begin testing the rice (you don’t want to use too much stock and make it mushy). As the rice is absorbing the last of the stock return the veggies to the pan and mix them in. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with cheese. Mix once more and serve.

Smoked Salmon Risotto with Lemon and Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp EVOO
  
• 3/4 cup of Arborio rice
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 package smoked salmon, divided
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
  
• 1/2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• Handful of baby spinach
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ground pepper

Directions:

Reserving some large pieces of salmon to garnish, roughly chop the remaining smoked salmon and set aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the EVOO and onion. Sauté for five minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the rice and garlic to the pot and cook for two more minutes, stirring continuously. Add the white wine and a cup of the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently until the most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup of the stock and continue to cook, stirring constantly until it too has absorbed. Repeat, until you've used all the stock and the rice is tender and creamy.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Add the chopped salmon, parsley, lemon zest and mix. Season with fresh ground pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Plate the risotto with a some baby spinach and the pieces of reserved salmon.

Enjoy :)

Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes + Blueberry Quinoa Scones

Quinoa - I have heard so many pronunciations for this word, and sometimes it gets a little aggravating because then they'll try and correct you. My mother has the most annoying pronunciation I've ever heard. It is actually pronounced keen-wah, not kin-wah, kee-no-wah, or anything else. Quinoa is a grain-like crop that is grown generally for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal meaning it is not a true grain as it is not a member of the grass family, which makes it a perfect food for people with gluten intolerances. I was in awe when I read that is closely related to certain species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds, I just found that so amazing.

Quinoa has quickly become one of my favourite foods, not only because I don't get flare ups from eating this food unlike rice or wheat but it has so many health benefits including a high source of magnesium, dietary fiber, iron, and much more. It has a light, fluffy texture when cooked and it has a mild nutty flavour. What I love most about it is that it is SO versatile, to me it's the tofu of carbohydrates. I have seen so many amazing recipes for quinoa but have only tried a handful so far, and today I'm going to share with you two that I've recently tried.

Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• Salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp EVOO
• 1 1/2 cups of soy milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the egg whites, egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just to combine.
Gently fold in the cooked quinoa.

For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup batter onto a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, without disturbing until fine bubbles appear on the surface. Flip over and cook until browned on the second side.


Serve immediately or keep warm in a low (200 degree) oven until all are finished.

Blueberry Quinoa Scones

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Mix together butter, honey and quinoa (cooled). Add milk slowly and stir until combined. Mix together flour and baking powder, then add to wet ingredients. Fold in blueberries. If the mixture seems too moist, add a little more flour (it depends how moist your quinoa is). The mixture should form a ball of dough. Roll out to 1" thick and cut in wedges. Bake on a greased and floured sheet at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Reese's Pieces Maltesers Rice Krispies Chocolate Chip Cookies + Sesame Seed Brittle + Reese's Pieces Maltesers Cookies

I went to go visit my boyfriend when I had moved back home. Part of my luggage of course included a tin full of baked goods. Here are three recipes that I brought.

Recipe taken from here

These were so good! Rice Krispies in cookies make me so happy, I love them. I couldn't stop eating these. I didn't want to eat as many as I did, but oh I did, and didn't regret a single moment of them. Pure lust.

Reese's Pieces Maltesers Rice Krispies Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned - not instant)
• 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Reese's Pieces Maltesers
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, Rice Krispies, chocolate chips and pecans and stir together.

Drop batter on baking sheets in mounds of about 3 Tbsp each, about 3-inches apart (These will really spread so don't try to skimp on the 3 inches apart! I only get 6 on a cookie sheet). Flatten slightly with hand. Make them extra big for a real coffee house look. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until pale gold. (Mine take about 11 minutes but your mileage may vary so keep an eye on them). Let sit on cookie sheet a minute or two before trying to move off to a cooling rack. Cookies will be a bit soft but will firm up nicely (like chocolate chip cookies).

*For smaller, thicker cookies, refrigerate cookie dough for a couple of hours before baking.

Makes 30 big cookies.

Sesame Seed Brittle

Have you ever had SesameSnaps? Those sticky, ooey-gooey, crunchy, hard, sesame snack? These were one of my favourite snacks as a kid. I loved them, I just never liked how I always seemed to eat them wherever there wasn't water to wash my hands, resulting in sticky fingers. Still to this day I love this snack. When I found this recipe I knew I had to try making them, because if I could SesameSnaps in the convenience of my own home, what I mean to say here is that I could make them myself. Well, they definitely tasted very similar to them, probably 95% close, the only thing that I really noticed was that they weren't as hard as SesameSnaps. These should definitely be stored in a cool place. Jordan's house was extremely hot, no air conditioning, and they started to melt. Definitely resulted in an ooey-gooey mess. Nonetheless a very good treat, but I would make a smaller batch next time so that an ooey-gooey mess doesn't result again.

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 160C on a sugar thermometer.

Line a 20cm-square cake pan with baking paper. Pour mixture into pan and smooth top.

Allow to cool slightly, then loosen edges from pan and, using a sharp knife, cut into diamonds. Do this while the brittle is still fairly soft, as it will harden as it cools. Place on baking paper to cool completely.

Brittle will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Reese's Pieces Maltesers Cookies

One word with all synonyms included: delicious.

Recipe taken from here

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped Reese's Pieces Maltesers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in milk and vanilla, then gradually blend in the flour mixture. Do not overmix; stir only until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chopped Maltesers/Whoppers/Malted Milk Balls.
Drop into 1-inch balls (tbsp sized balls) on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, until lighty browned.
Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3-dozen cookies.

Enjoy :)