Sourdough Foccacia with Honey-Ricotta Spread

 From King Arthur Flour

Note: the dough will need to rest in the fridge overnight before baking it the next day.

Ingredients:

    Dough

1 1/2 cups (340g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups (340g) water, lukewarm

6 cups (720g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

6 tablespoons (74g) olive oil, plus extra for the pan and the top of the focaccia

1 tablespoon (18g) table salt

2 tablespoons (43g) honey

1 tablespoon instant yeast

fresh rosemary or dried rosemary, for topping

flaked or coarse sea salt, for topping

    Spread

1 cup (227g) ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon table salt

Directions:

To make the dough: Combine the starter and water in a large mixing bowl.

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the flour with the starter, water, and remaining ingredients. Mix and knead — by hand or stand mixer — until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you're using a stand mixer, this should take 5 to 7 minutes on the lowest speed using the dough hook attachment. If you're kneading by hand, you'll need 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the dough in a bowl that's been lightly coated with olive oil, cover, and allow to rise for 60 minutes.

Gently fold the dough over three or four times, and let it rise for another 60 minutes.

Drizzle a generous 2 tablespoons olive oil into the center of a large rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan). 

Transfer the dough to the pan, and turn it over to coat it with the oil.

Gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of the pan. As soon as the dough begins to shrink back, cover it, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently stretch the dough again, repeating the rest once more, if necessary, until the dough fills the pan.

Cover the pan and transfer it to the refrigerator to let the dough rise for 14 to 16 hours (overnight).

The next day, remove the pan of dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425°F for 30 minutes (if your kitchen is warm) to 60 minutes (in a cooler kitchen)

Just before you're ready to bake, gently dimple the dough at irregular intervals with your fingers, pressing down firmly but not abruptly; you don't want to deflate the focaccia too much.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to collect a bit in the dimples), then sprinkle with rosemary and a bit of flaked or coarse sea salt.

Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown.

Remove the focaccia from the oven. Allow it to cool enough for you to handle it comfortably, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack.

To make the spread: Stir together the ricotta, honey, and salt.

Serve the focaccia warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the spread; it's best the same day it's made. You can freeze any leftover focaccia and reheat defrosted slices in a toaster or 350°F oven, just until warmed through.

Crepes

 Copied from America'sTest Kitchen

1/2 t neutral oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 t sugar

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 large eggs

2 t butter, melted and cooled

Toppings - Nutella, banana, strawberry, lemon, powdered sugar, jam and whipped cream. Savory toppings like ham, cheese or tomato and basil also work great. 

1. Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over low heat for at least 10 minutes

2. While the skillet is heating, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add half of the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining milk mixture until smooth. 

3. Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom and sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium and let the skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute test the heat of the skillet by placing 1 teaspoon of the batter in the center; cook for 20 seconds. If the mini crepe is golden brown on the bottom, the skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust the heat accordingly and retest. 

3. Pour 1/4 - 1/3 cup of batter into the far side of the pan and tilt and shake gently until the batter evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe without moving until the top surface is dry and the edges are starting to brown, loosening the crepe from the side of the pan with a spatula, about 25 seconds to 1 minute. Gently slide the spatula underneath the edge of the crepe, grasp the edge with your fingertips and flip the crepe. (I just use the spatula) Cook until the second side is lightly spotted, about 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked crepe to a wire rack, inverting so the spotted side is facing up. Return the pan to the heat for about 10 seconds before repeating with the rest of the batter. 

4. Top the crepes with desired fillings, fold and enjoy!

Almond Granola with Dried Fruit

Borrowed from America's Test Kitchen

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups raw almonds, chopped coarse
2 cups raisins or other dried fruit, chopped

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and almonds until thoroughly coated.

Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. Stir in dried fruit. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Energy Bites

From My Baking and Pastry Class

Ingredients

1 c oats
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c chocolate chips/cocoa nibs
1/3 c honey/agave nectar
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c dried fruit (ex: cherries, chopped apricot, raisins, craisins, blueberries, chopped pineapple, etc.)

Directions

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the fridge for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls, about 1 in in diameter. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to a week.

Grilled Corn Salsa

A Pinterest Recipe

Ingredients:

3 Ears of Corn
1/2 of a Red Onion
1/2 Cup of Cilantro
1 Lime
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cumin
A Pinch of Sugar (To Taste)

Directions:

Cook the corn on the stove on the grates covering the fire (this works best on a gas stove or grill). Once the corn is grilled, use a sharp knife and cut the corn kernels off the ears. Dice the 1/2 of red onion and chop the cilantro. Put the corn, onion, and cilantro in a bowl and mix. Add the salt, garlic, cumin, and sugar. Stir again, and serve on tacos, or with tortilla chips.

Crispix Arare - Asian Snack Mix

Crispix Arare

2 boxes (12.3 oz) Kellogg's Crispix Cereal

1 cube butter
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. corn syrup
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 bottle of Nori Furikake or Aji Nori Furikake with sesame seeds

Spray oil on 2 large baking pans.
Pour Crispix into pans.

In a medium sauce pan combine butter, oil, corn syrup, sugar and soy sauce.  Heat on stove on medium/low heat stirring constantly until foamy.  Pour it on top of Crispix a little at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon.  Sprinkle Nori Furikake on top mixing into cereal.  Bake at 250 for 1  hour.  Mix every 15 minutes.   Cool in pan.  gently break up chunks and scrape from bottom of pan before it cools completely.  Store in air tight container.

Fat Free Snack Cake

From WW via Valerie Christensen

1 cake mix - any flavor
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)

Mix together. It will seem dry and then too thick. Spread in a greased 9x9 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar or eat it plain.

Saltine Toffee

From Karen Shultz

1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
saltine crackers
1 c chocolate chips

Line a 9 x 13 cake pan with saltine crackers. Boil butter and brown sugar for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over saltines. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until bubbly. Top with chocolate chips, spreading them over the top as they melt. Allow to cool and cut into pieces.

Butterscotch Snack Mix

From Tracy Evans

1/2 c evaporated milk
3/4 c sugar
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
8 oz butterscotch chips
2 c cheerios
1 c pretzels
1 c peanuts

Heat milk, sugar, butter in pan until boiling. Stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butterscotch chips until melted.

Pour over cheerios, pretzels and peanuts and mix.

Colored Popcorn

Essentially a popcorn ball without the ball

1 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 c butter
1/4 t salt
Few drops of food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in a pan. Boil to soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add 6 cups popped popcorn. Let set 10 minutes.

Nacho Dip

8 oz Velveeta Mexican
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 large onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
8 oz picante salsa
1 small can chopped green chiles

Put all ingredients in crock pot. Heat until heated through and onion is soft. Enjoy with corn chips.

Veggie Bars

From Kathleen Magnusson

2 tubes crescent rolls (Pillsbury refrigerated kind)
2 - 8 oz. cream cheese softened
¾ cups mayo
½ cup sour cream
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
2 cups of cut up vegetables of your choice
1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice

Press the 2 tubes of crescent rolls into a jelly roll pan and bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 min. Then cool. Combine cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and Ranch dressing together until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Then add any vegetables you would like over the cream cheese mixture. I usually shred carrots, slice radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, celery and red onion. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Press the veggies and cheese down a little into the cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. Cut into bars and serve

Cheeseball

3 - 8 oz cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tbs worcestersire sauce
2 small packages Budding beef, chopped (thin sliced meat for sandwiches)
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients except nuts and form into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts and enjoy with crackers.