Category Archives: Vegetarian

A Rustic Italian Bread

I made my first baking demo video this weekend and it was while making this loved bread! Bread making is a true art and can be very fulfilling and therapeutic! In this video I will share some bread making tips to help you conquer your first loaf.

http://youtu.be/mX6V5nngooE

Ingredients:

5 cups Bread Flour plus 3/4 cup

2 cups warm water

1 tb local honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Egg white

Cornmeal

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast or (one pk)

Directions:

1. Place warm water, yeast and honey in a measuring vessel and allow to proof for 5 minutes.

2. Combine 5 cups of the flour along with the salt & oil in your stand mixer. Stit with dough hook attachment. Stop the mixer and gradually add the warm water yeast mixture.

3. Knead with dough hook for 7 minutes on speed 2. During this time might be when you need to add extra liquid or flour.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and kneed by hand for 3 to 5 times. Place remaining oil in the mixing bowl. Spread the oil around the bowl using you hands or paper towel. Then place the dough ball back into the greased bowl. Move the dough around to transfer some of the oil to the bread. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for an hour to an hour and a half. I always place mine in a warm place in the house like the microwave or laundry room.

5. Start to preheat the oven with about 35 minutes left waiting for the bread to proof. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with either the stone or Dutchoven in the oven.

6. Once the dough has doubled remove from bowl and cut in half with sharp knife.

7. Form one of the dough balls into a round ball. Place on parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to allow to double in size. I like to place it on top of the oven while it is preheating. Once teady the round dough will be placed in the Dutchoven along with the parchment paper.

8. Take the second dough ball and form it in an oblong shape. This one will placed on the hot pizza stone. I recommend using generous amounts of cornmeal on the pizza peel to transfer. if you don’t have a pizza peel you could use the bottom side of a cookie sheet pan. This will help prevent sticking and will help with removal off the stone later on. Cover this dough with plastic wrap as well and place in a warm area to rise. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.

9. Once both of the doughs double in size prep the dough for baking by brushing with egg white wash. (Mix scant water with one egg white in small bowl).

10. Place slits ontop both loaves this can be done by using a very sharp knife and making a few diagonal motions on top of the dough. Be careful not to press to heavily or you may flatten the bread.

11. I recommend baking each loaf seperately to prevent the bottom dough from burning.

12. If using Dutch oven bake the dough for one hour do not open during baking process. Decrease oven to 425.

12. If using pizza stone decrease oven to 425 and place the dough on though hot pizza stone use either pizza peel or bottom of a cookie sheet to transfer. Stuff your oven vent with a wet dishcloth cheaper rent steam from escaping. Prior to closing the oven door spray with water bottle water five times and close the door immediately do not open. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Old Fashioned Apple Strudel

 

We bought an abundance of apples from our local farmer’s market a few weeks ago. Two weeks ago my husband and I made applebutter for the holiday. We like to pass it out as gifts in addition to our baklava. 

It is very popular and one of our most requested canned goods. We are actually making two batches. 
  

With all the pre of the apples I decided to also through this dish together. 

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1 /2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp ground apple spice

1 tsp lemon juice

3 cups of sliced apples (not peeled)

1/2 cup honey 

3/4 cup raw sugar

1 tb hemp seeds 

1 tb canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Arrange apples in greased with Pam Spray baking dish. 

2. Drizzle honey over apples and sprinkle with apple pie spice, cinnamon & lemon.

3. In a separate large bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. 

4. Add egg to the dry ingredients and mix with hands until dry course texture. Spoon mixture over the apples evenly. Sprinkle with hempseeds.

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes on 350 degrees or until crust is golden brown. 

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

  

My husband loves pumpkin spice coffee creamer! Now we can have it all year round! This is a very simple recipe and way more delicious than store bought. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of soy creamer or soy milk

3 Tbsp puréed pumpkin 

3 three inch cinnamon sticks

1 tsp ground pumpkin spice 

1 tsp pure vanilla

3 tbsp of pure maple syrup 

Directions:

1. Place the soy creamer, puréed pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, and ground pumpkin spice in a 2 qt sauce pan. Place on medium high heat and bring to a boil. 

2. Once boiling remove from heat and cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and stir.

3. Pour into a heat safe container and store in refrigerator. Shake well before using.

Enjoy!

Grandma Harper’ s Ranch Osyter Crackers

  
Growing up we’d always go to my Grandma and Grandpa Harper’s on Christmas Day for lunch after we had our 4:30 am family Christmas extravaganza which alway lasted several hours. The funny thing is now we may get to sleep in until 6:30 am but with my nephew Christmas morning still can last several hours. 

We always looked forward to my grandparents having their homemade wedding soup on the stovetop with meat, fruit, and veggie trays on their peninsula island. My aunts and uncles would pop in and out all throughout the day. We have a fairly large family which made it difficult for us to all get together at the same time. But at the Harpers’s’ the door is always open. The tradition still lives on even though all the cousins have grown and started families of their own. 

One of my favorite snacks grandma always had waiting for the kids and adults was her famous ranch oyster crackers. It was not a family Christmas function without these savory ranch crackers. I always looked forward to eating these during the holiday season.

Luckily during my second review of her recipes I stumbled across this gem! 

Ingredients:

Two packages of oyster crackers (try to find the smaller sized crackers they absorb the oil better)

3/4 cup canola oil (grandma used 1 cup)

1 tsp dried dill 

1 tsp garlic powder

3 TB ranch powdered salad dressing mix (which is one packet of hidden valley) but I used penzey’s

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large microwaveable safe bowl. Mix with spatula. Microwave for three minutes. Mix again with spatula thoroughly microwave for another three minutes. Allowed to cool and then store in either Ziploc bag or plastic Tupperware container. 

Be aware these are addicting. 

Whole Wheat Buttermilk and Honey Biscuits

  
Homemade biscuits are very quick and easy! These are super special because the honey used in them was harvested by my husband’s good friends parents. They go perfectly with applebutter or pumpkin butter and also biscuits and gravy. 

Biscuits and gravy are one of my family’s favorite breakfasts so that is what we had them with today. 

This recipe yields 15 biscuits

Ingredients 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted 

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup vegetable shortening or coconut oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

2/3 cup buttermilk 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. 

2. In a large bowl sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Add shortening. Cut the shortening in to flour with pastry cutter or two knives. 

3. In a small vessel mix honey, buttermilk and egg. 

4. Pour liquid minute into the dry ingredients. This will be a very sticky dough.

5. Place dough on well floured pastry mat (this just makes for way clean up). Roll out to 3/4 inch thick. I made mine thinner to yield more biscuits. 

6. Cut biscuits with either a glass drinking cup or I found a beautiful gem of a biscuit cutter at an antique store (as pictured). 

7. Place biscuits spread evenly on a loner half sheet pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. 

8. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Or slightly cool before adding your favorite topping…. Applebutter, jam, honey or biscuits and gravy. 


Vanilla Bean Cake with Vanilla Buttercream 

 

My nephew is turning 4 years old in a few days! Wow I cannot believe it. He is growing so fast! Today we celebrated his birthday family style at my mom and dad’s with a pizza party! 

This year the cake design was a hot ever changing subject which kept me on my toes. At first my nephew wanted a robot cake and than one with motorcycles. 

He also loves batman right in the moment so eventually we made him a batman on a motorcycle cake. 

I searched high and low for the perfect vanilla cake recipe, which was hard to locate. I couldn’t find a vanilla cake note worthy but now have one for keeps. 

Predirections:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep 2, 9 inch baking pans lined with parchment paper and sprayed with bakers joy.

Yields 16 serving

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups All Purpose flour

1/2 a vanilla bean (seeds)

1 tsp high quality pure Vanilla extract 

3 Large eggs room temperature 

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. 

3. Beat with paddle attachment in a stand mixer on medium speed the butter and sugar until white pale and fluffy. Reduce the speed and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each addition and scraping down sides often. 

3. Decrease the speed of mixer and slowly add the dry ingredients and milk alternating between dry ingredients and milk. Beat until just combined. Be careful to not over mix.

4.Divide the batter into 2 prepared 9 inch baking pans. I weighed my and it was about 521 grams for each pan. Make sure to allow the air bubbles to release by slightly picking up the pan and dropping it onto the countertop gently. 

5. Bake both pans at the same time for 17 minutes or until toothpick comes out with little crumbled and no wet residue. 

6. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack for remainder of time. 

**Once the cake has cooled completely I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and place it bake in the cleaned 9 inch pan and place in the deep freezer overnight. This helps when you go to frost the cake so the crumbs don’t go everywhere in the frosting later.**

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1 # or 4 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature 

8 cups of sifted powdered sugar 

2 TB pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream

Blue food coloring gel (optional)

**Sprinkles for center layer is optional

Directions:

1. Cream the butter  in a stand mixer and gradually add sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate. 

2. Add heavy cream and food gel coloring. Beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. 

3. Place the pan side down on a cardboard cakeboard. Top with generous amount of buttercream. (I actually saved some white frosting for the center to layer with sprinkles). My nephew loves sprinkles.  Spread the frosting evenly. Top with second layer of the cake. Place the round side ontop of the frosting. Make sure to center and level. Place generous amount of frosting on top and fill in the sides. Remove excess frosting and decorate as you wish. We used a some black fondant for the batman and city. 

Enjoy I know this little guy did! Happy 4th Birthday Max! Aunt Nelli loves you!  

  

Pumpkin Banana Bread

  

My sister loves hempseeds! So this one’s for you Jenna Lynn. I like that it gives the bread a bit of a nutty texture without the nuts.

Yields 4 mini loaves
Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tb wheat germ

2 tb hemp seeds

2 tb Canola oil

2 tb buttermilk

1/2 cup egg substitute 

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 cup puréed bananas (2 med banana)

1/2 cup puréed roasted pumpkin

1 cup raw sugar

1 vanilla extract 
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Cooking spray for mini loaf tins. Set aside. 

2. In a medium to large bowl place whisk together what ingredients. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the drying ingredients into the wet. Mix by hand until no dry residue remains. 

4. Pour 1 cup of the batter into each greased mini loaf pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Or until toothpick comes out with crumbles. 

5. Wow loves to cool in pan for five minutes then remove and allow to cool on wire racks for the remainder.

Enjoy with a homemade pumpkin spice latte!

Pumpkin Oat Cranberry Bars

Pumpkin! Fall! Need I say more with dried cranberries ?! Bonus these bars are vegan too! 


Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients:  
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup puréed pumpkin (roasted)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 tb pumpkin pie spice

2 cups 100% old fashioned oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 9 baking dish with foil. Set aside.

2. Mix together in a large bowl first 6 ingredients and then fold in the cranberries. 

3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Spread batter evenly into the baking dish. 

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

5. Allow to cool, cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

 
This past weekend we went to Lake Chautauqua and one of my favorite things about going there is all the quaint antique shops. You never know what you are going to find and what you might stumble across to inspire you to make something delicious! Two items I could not pass up was a pair of antique cookie jars …well my mom would not let me pass up.  
A friend of mine had these snickerdoodles at her wedding and my husband adored them! The bride graciously gave me her mom’s special recipe. 

  

I have been waiting for the perfect moment to make them! Tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity! I had to fill up my “new” antique cookie jar! 
This recipe yields four dozen cookies using a 60 size scoop. 

Pre directions:
Preheat your oven to 400° in parchment paper lined to half sheet pans with parchment paper.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/2 cup shorten

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup unbleached AP Flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp  pure vanilla extract (I added this)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt 

Additional topping “dusting”

1 tb sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

(Mix above two ingredients together in shallow dish)

Directions:

1. Cream with paddle attachment butter, shorten, and sugar in stand mixer. Mix until light and fluffy. 

2. Add vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture mix to incorporate. 

3. In a seperate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tarter until everything well incorporated.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed batter. Make sure the mixer is on the lowest speed. Steadily increase the speed to medium to fully incorporate the flour blend. 

5. Portion out the cookies evenly by using a size 60 scooper. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon and sugar blend in a shallow dish.

6. . Yielding 12 to a 1/2 sheet pan.

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes and remove from oven and from pan immediately. Allow to cool on wire rack and enjoy.

Orange Rhubarb Streusel Bread

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We finally picked our last harvest of rhubarb. Boy it is so beautiful! One of the stalks cut equaled 1.5 cups so it is rather large as well. This year our garden did not do very well; however, our peppers and rhubarb excelled! I am always making new rhubarb recipes. As many of you already know ! I just found out last week that I won 1st place for my rhubarb spiced coffee cake. It will be featured in TOH magazine May/June 2016 edition! I am so excited!

I love making mini loaves of bread! I feel like you can share them with so many more people than just the traditional 8 by 4 loaf or 9 by 5 loaf. My way of spreading the love around.

If you try this recipe you will not be disappointed! My husband said “it is the best breakfast loaf recipe you have ever made”! Wow that is a complement since I make a great many of recipes!

 

This recipe yields 4 mini loaves and one standard 8 by 4 inch loaf

Pre directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cooking spray your mini bread vessels.

 

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour ( I am in love with Bob’s Red Mill)

2 Cups of AP flour

2 Tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup egg white subsitute

2 whole large eggs

2/3 cup 100% Orange Juice

1.5 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups of finely chopped rhubarb (6 regular sized stalks but like I said mine one stalk yield 1.5 cups)

 

Streusal topping & filling

8 TB raw sugar

2 TB Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 TB melted coconut oil (melted)

1 TB Vietnamese ground cinnamon

 

Streusel Directions:

  1. Mix with spoon all the streusel ingredients in a medium to small bowl.

 

Bread Directions:

  1. In a large bowl mix with whisk both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
  2. In a medium bowl mix canola oil, applesauce, flaxseed, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, sugar, and orange juice. Whisk together to fully incorporate.
  3. Pour the wet ingredient batter into the dry ingredients and whisk together and using a spatula make sure all the dry residue is incorporated. I like to use a clear glass bowl for this so that I can look on the bottom of the dish and see if any dry residue remains.
  4. Fold in chopped rhubarb and make sure rhubarb is incorporated throughout.
  5. If you are using mini loaves take 3/4 cup of the batter and place into the greased pan.
  6. Now take 1.5 tsp of the streusel mixture and spread it evenly on the top of the batter. Then take 1/2 of the bread batter and place on top of the streusel layer. Finish with another 1.5-2 tsp of streusel layer spreading evenly on the top to guarantee cinnamon in each bite. Repeat with all mini loafs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center of the loaf clean.
  7. For the standard loaf take half of the remaining batter and place in greased 8 by 4 inch bread pan and take half of the remaining streusel topping and place evenly on-top of the bottom layer. Finish with placing the remaining bread batter on top of the streusel crumble. Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center clean.
  8. Allow the loaves to sit in the pans for 5 minutes on a wire rack. They do have a tendency to stick. I recommend going around the edges with a plastic knife.  Remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack (if you can wait). My husband couldn’t!
  9. Enjoy!