chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups 60% Ghiradelli chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Mix together flour, baking soda & salt - set aside
3. Beat togehter butter and sugar until creamed
4. Beat in egg, yolk & vanilla
5. Slowly add in flour mixture
6. Stir in chocolate chips
7. scoop or roll out balls
8. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes (experiment with time depending on size of cookies)
9. Rotate pan half way through cooking
10. Freeze any unused dough in airtight container

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Pumpkin Olive Oil Loaf

Ingredients:

• Softened unsalted butter and all-purpose flour, for preparing the loaf pans
• 3¹⁄₃ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter - Melted & Cooled
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin puree 
• ²/3 cup water
• ½ cup olive oil
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• Raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and turbinado sugar, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease 1 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with softened butter and line 1 cupcake tin with tins.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. blend the sugar, pumpkin puree, water, olive oil and melted butter until smooth. 
4. Add the eggs, 1 at a time
5. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches until smooth
6. Fill prepared pans
7. Top with the pepitas and turbinado sugar.
8. Bake loaf for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

Recipe from Ovenly, found on Better.tv

Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (I like to freeze)
• 3 tbsp. very cold water (ice water)

Directions

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  
2. Mix briefly to blend.  
3. Add in the frozen butter pieces and mix ountil the mixture is crumbly
4. Slow mix in the cold water on low (not too long)
5. You can either refrigerate and roll out, or press into a pie pan.

Recipe from Every Day Annie

Saffron Buns - Lucie Kattar

Ingredients

• 4 packages active dry yeast OR 9 tsp dry active yeast

• 4 cups milk, heated to 115°

• 4 tsp. saffron, lightly crushed

• 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. sugar

• 13 cups flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 6 eggs

• 24 tbsp. unsalted butter,cut into ¹⁄₂" cubes, softened (3 bars or 1 1/2 cups)

• Canola oil, for greasing

• Raisins, for garnish

Directions
PART 1

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together yeast, milk, saffron, and 1 tsp. sugar; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add the remaining sugar, flour, salt, and 4 eggs. 
3. Mix on low speed until dough forms and gathers around the paddle. 
4. Replace paddle with dough hook and add butter; knead on medium-high speed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, 8 minutes. 
5. Transfer dough to a large bowl greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour.

PART 2

1. Divide dough into 64 pieces and roll each piece into an long rope. 
2. Form each rope into an S shape and then roll each end into a tight spiral. 
3. Place shaped dough pieces 2" apart on parchment paper–lined baking sheets; 
4. cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

PART 3

1. Heat oven to 400°. 
2. Uncover the dough pieces and place a raisin at the center of each of the spirals.
3. Lightly beat remaining egg with 1 tbsp. water 
4. Brush each bun with egg mixture. 
5. Bake until buns are golden brown and cooked through, 16 minutes. 
6. Divide dough into 64 pieces and roll each piece into rope. 
7. Form each rope into an S shape and then roll each end into a tight spiral.
8. Place shaped dough pieces 2" apart on lined baking sheets;
   cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Recipe From Saveur

Sugar cookies - for decorating

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large egg
• 5 tsp. vanilla extract
• Zest of lemon 
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix butter and confectioners sugar together until smooth.
2. Add in the egg, vanilla and lemon zest 
3. Mix in the flour and salt on low speed just until incorporated
4. Roll dough into two balls, flatten, wrap om plastic wrap
5. Refrigerate until chilled (1-2 hours) or freeze for faster results (30 minutes)
6. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  
7. Roll the dough out about ¼-inch 
8. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  
9. Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking (DONT brown)
10. Allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  
11. Decorate

Recipe lightly adapted from Every Day Annie

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

SERVES: 16 (1 cookie each) Prep Time: 15 min. Cooking Time: 12 min.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin organic coconut oil melted
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. baking soda, gluten-free
• ¼ tsp. baking powder, gluten-free
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips - but the Fixate recipe calls for 70% or higher)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325º F
2. Combine oil and sugar, mix
3. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt 
5. Add flour mixture to the oil mixture
6. Stir in chocolate chips
7. Roll into 12-16 balls.  You will need to press the dough together so it sticks.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Recipe very very slightly adapted from Fixate Cookbook (Amazon) (Beachbody)

Vegan Chili

This is a recipe that keeps on giving.  My friend Claire made this for a birthday celebration with friends.  We all immediately asked for the recipe.  I've made this for my family, for friends, for new parents, and am always asked for the recipe. 

This was originally an instant pot recipe, but I don't have one so I adapted for my crock pot.  It worked beautifully.  For instant pot instructions, follow the link to the original recipe below.

Here it is!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 Green peppers diced
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 tsp crushed garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 4  (15 oz) cans crushed fire roasted tomato
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can canneli beans
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans 
• 1 (15 oz) can corn

Optional:

• 1/2 jalapeno minced
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 Tsp red pepper flake
• Cilantro diced

Instructions

1. Saute onions and garlic in 2 Tbsp oil until translucent.  
2. Turn off heat, add spices to warm
3. Pour onions, garlic and spices into crock pot
4. Drain and rinse beans and corn.  Add to crock pot 
5. Add the remaining ingredients
6. Cook on high for 5 hours
7. Serve over rice

Adapted from Show Me The Yummy

Corn Casserole - gluten and refined sugar free

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk (cow or substitute)
• 5 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 14.75-ounce can cream corn
• 1 15.25-ounce can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
• ¼ cup butter or butter substitute

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a saucepan, mix together the milk and cornstarch over low heat stirring continuously for 5 minutes.

3. Add all the other ingredients (in order) and stir until the mixture thickens.

4. Bake in casserole dish for 45-55 minutes (when bubbly and brown).

Vegan Tagine

Thank you Amanda for sharing this recipe with me.  It is fantastic!

4 Servings - I like to double this recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp Olive or Sunflower oil
• 1 Large onion, thinly diced
• 2 garlic gloves, finely chopped (or 2 tsp chopped garlic)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 14oz can chick peas
• 1 26 oz can chopped or crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 large eggplants (12 oz) diced
• 8 oz button mushrooms sliced 
• 3 oz dried apricots
• Salt and Pepper

To Serve

• 8 oz cous cous (this is NOT gluten free) or Quinoa (gluten free) 
• 1 oz sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Heat 2 tbsp Oil in pan.  Add onion and garlic.  Fry over medium heat for 5 minutes until golden. Stir in spices for the last minute.  Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan.  saute mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until browned.  Set aside.
3. In a different pot, heat 3 tbsp oil.  Add eggplant and saute, stirring over high heat for 5 minutes until evenly browned.  Add Onion mixture, chickpeas, vegetable stock, tomato, apricots and mushrooms to pot. 
4. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Prepare cous cous and serve with almonds and parsley.