Category Archives: Make it Yourself

Honey Oat Bread

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I love bread! This one is a little sweet, buttery, moist and delicious. It makes perfect toast because all that buttery, sweet, oaty-ness is turned up. The recipe is for a pullman pan, but offers the conversion for a large, 9×5 loaf pan. It just takes longer to bake, about 40 minutes. Be sure to check its temperature before de-panning. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Honey Oat Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 3 cups AP flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water*
  • *Use the smaller amount in the summer, or in a humid climate; the larger in winter, or in a drier climate.

1) Combine all of the ingredients, and mix until cohesive. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes, to give the oats a chance to absorb some of the liquid. Then knead — by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, soft, elastic dough.

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, or in an 8-cup measure (so you can track its progress as it rises), and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it’s risen noticeably. It won’t necessarily double in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and shape it to fit into a 9×5 loaf pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until the loaf crests over the pan by one inch. Preheat your oven to 350 during the last 15 to 20 minutes of the rise time.

4) Remove the plastic and place in the center of the oven, bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers at least 190 degrees F.

7) Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Run a stick of butter over the top, if desired; this will yield a soft, buttery crust. Cool completely before cutting; wrap airtight and store for several days at room temperature.

Yield: 1 standard loaf.

Parker House Rolls

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Quick Post: These are soft, buttery and perfect accompaniment to any soup. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Parker House Rolls – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup potato flour or 3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted; for brushing on rolls

1) In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients (except the 3 tablespoons melted butter at the end), mixing to form a shaggy dough. Note: to speed the rising process, whisk together the milk and egg, and heat gently just enough to remove the refrigerator chill; then add to the remaining ingredients.

2) Knead the dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (7 to 8 minutes) until it’s smooth.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or 8-cup measure (so you can track its rising progress). Allow it to rise for 90 minutes; it’ll become quite puffy, though it probably won’t double in bulk. Note that the dough takes quite awhile to get going; after 1 hour, it may seem like it’s barely expanded at all. But during the last half hour, it rises more quickly.

4) Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, roll or pat the dough into an 8″ x 12″ rectangle.

5) Brush the dough all over with a light coating of the melted butter. You’ll have melted butter left over; save it to brush on top of the baked rolls.

6) Cut the dough in half lengthwise, to make two 4″ x 12″ rectangles. Working with one rectangle at a time, fold it lengthwise to about 1/2″ of the other edge, so the bottom edge sticks out about 1/2″ beyond the top edge. You’ll now have a rectangle that’s about 2 1/4″ x 12″. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

7) Cut each of the rectangles crosswise into four 3″ pieces, making a total of 8 rolls, each about 2 1/4″ x 3″. Place the rolls, smooth side up, in a lightly greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough, making 16 rolls in all. You’ll arrange 4 rows of 4 in the pan, with the longer side of the rolls going down the longer side of the pan. Gently flatten the rolls to pretty much cover the bottom of the pan.

8) Cover the pan, and let the rolls rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they’re puffy but definitely not doubled. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

9) Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re golden brown and feel set.

10) Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Pull them apart to serve.

Triple.Chocolate.Cookie.CAKE.

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My husband wont believe this when he sees it. I picked the most decadent cookie recipe I could find without his input! 😉 Yesterday, I cleaned up my pantries – big time! So, now it’s all pretty and organized; and I made sure that he got a peek before it became a mess again. He noticed that I had lots of chocolate chips that needed to be used up…so today I gave in to the peer pressure! It didn’t help that Publix had a decent sale on ice cream, either 😉 Milk and cookies is great, but cookies and ice cream? Forget about it!

This is obviously a great idea for a party or an excuse to have the neighbors over to help you eat it. We enjoy having friends over and food is always involved. I love that I’m comfortable with it, because years ago I had anxiety over the very idea of “entertaining” guests. I felt a lot of pressure while cleaning, and cooking – I wanted to impress everyone. I’m over that now, thankfully and I have become much more confident in my cooking and baking.  I know it’s good, my family agrees and all my friends do – all those people wouldn’t lie to me 😉

This was so good, and anytime I showed someone the picture on my phone – they swoon! 😉 It was perfect with the vanilla ice cream on top and if you’re feeling extra dangerous, you can add our favorite homemade hot fudge sauce over top! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake – adapted from Food Network

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Special equipment – 12 to 14 inch round baking dish

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, beating well after the addition of each.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk. Add to the butter mixture, mixing to incorporate, and add the vanilla extract. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is still slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Cookies

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Quick Post: It’s that time of year when if my husband asks for cookies, he’ll get them. I’m much less enthusiastic about making sweets during any other time of year. These are really good, and how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter – a match made in heaven, right? 😉 Well, the hubbs wanted some white chocolate, so he got that too. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa or Dutch process cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups (*I used half Reese’s chips and half white chocolate chips*)

Directions –

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

3) In another bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

4) Beat in the vanilla, egg, and water, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

5) Stir in the chips.

6) Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to about 1/2″ thick.

7) Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Sandwiches

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Quick Post:  This was amazing! Panera Bread has nothing on homemade! This is so much cheaper than eating there, too 🙂 I will make this again and again. The baked ham and cheese sandwiches are a must for dipping. I used multi grain ciabatta bread, honey ham and baby swiss. Wrap each sandwich in foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. My picky daughter loved the simple sandwiches, but turned down the soup – more for me 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup – adapted from Simply Scratch
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted Butter, divided
  • 1 small Yellow Onion, diced
  • 1 medium Carrot, julienned
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups Half-and-Half
  • 2 cups Vegetable Stock, plus more if needed
  • 1 bunch {12 ounces} Fresh Broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1/8 teaspoon Fresh Nutmeg, or more to taste
  • 8 ounces Good Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
  • Kosher Salt and Fresh Black Pepper, to taste 

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the broccoli and place it into a large bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain the broccoli and set aside.

Sauté the onions and carrots in two tablespoons of butter until soft but still firm. Remove and set aside.

Add the 1/4 cup of melted butter to the same pan. Add in the flour, stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. 

Slowly pour half-and-half and then the vegetable stock while still whisking. Add in nutmeg and stir. Cover and simmer {over medium-low} for 20 minutes.

Next, reduce heat to low and add in the onions, carrots and broccoli. Add more vegetable stock if you feel the soup is too thick. Stir and cover to simmer for another 20-25 minutes.

Lastly, use a potato masher to break up the broccoli florets to desired size. Add in half of the cheddar cheese. Season generously {to taste} with kosher salt and black pepper. 

Serve immediately with additional cheddar cheese.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I needed to find a recipe that was easy to double and didn’t use a ton of butter. Butter is expensive! The kids both needed cookies for school – one for a cookie exchange, and the other for after their Christmas program. You can make this dough up to a full day in advance and they’ll taste even better than if you just bake them off right away. I baked off about half the dough last night, so I will get to test that theory! 🙂 I don’t really like using shortening at all, but I had it on hand. The flavor of the cookies is definitely different than all butter, which I prefer. The good thing about shortening is that the cookies remain soft even after sitting out for several hours.

Verdict: I’m happy to report that the cookies taste so much better once the dough has chilled for at least 24 hours. It’s like a completely different cookie. The flavors had a chance to meld overnight and completely changed my opinion of this recipe once baked. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies – adapted from King Arthur Flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

1) In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, vanilla and almond extracts, vinegar, and baking soda, beating until smooth and creamy.

2) Beat in the egg, again beating till smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.

3) Mix in the flour, then the chips.

4) Use a spoon (or a tablespoon cookie scoop) to scoop 1 1/4″ balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between them on all sides; they’ll spread.

5) Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, till their edges are chestnut brown and their tops are light golden brown, almost blonde. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan till they’ve set enough to move without breaking. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Finally: Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

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“Finally” because I saw this recipe on Tastespotting back in March! 🙂 December is a great excuse to make all the decadent goodies that don’t really need a “special” occasion to be made. I have eaten way too many cookies this month – too many carbs, period! Top that off with no gym time this month…this is why it’s so popular to have that “lose weight” New Year resolution!  😉

While this was baking, it smelled wonderful as you may imagine! Who doesn’t love the warm yeast bread/cinnamon smell? It looks like it wants to climb out of the pan…(and into my belly) while it’s baking. It’s not as pretty as it was before the proofing, but looks don’t matter all that much because it tastes so amazing! Be sure to let it cool for at least 20 minutes (your patience will be rewarded, and your mouth will thank you). I used a piece of buttered parchment paper to make for easier removal of the loaf. This 9×5 pan is notoriously sticky and I’m looking forward to buying a couple of new USA Pans in this size to replace my old, junky ones. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread – adapted from Annie’s Eats via  Joy the Baker

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.  Set aside.  Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside.  Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch  loaf pan.  Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough.  Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  It might seem like a lot of sugar.  Seriously?  Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.

New England Clam Chowder

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Quick Post: Yesterday I had a brilliant idea – clam chowder in a bread bowl. I have never eaten clam chowder this way, but I knew that it would be worth making. This was rich, flavorful and a definite keeper! We enjoyed eating the bread bowl after because it soaked up so much of the broth, which also made the bread easier to eat (it’s pretty chewy – but perfect for this kind of soup). December is the best excuse for making this kind of meal 😉 So are all the other cookies and carb heavy recipes I have shamelessly eaten lately! Thanks for reading, enjoy!
New England Clam Chowder – adapted from Food Network
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons AP flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sprigs of thyme
  • 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2 – inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions –

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie

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I usually crave pumpkin pie this time of year, but sadly my husband doesn’t care for pumpkin flavored anything…but, luckily he does like apple pie with crumb topping. I haven’t made apple pie in years, and I’m not sure why. Hopefully this is worth the effort and mixing of two different recipes. I wanted the deep dish directions with a crumb topping and I had to improvise the baking time and technique.
Verdict: Pretty good, but I will continue to search for the perfect pie! I think I added too much lemon zest, but this definitely needed it. All that sweet needs the balance of citrus. I also am not a fan of making pie dough, but I used this recipe and it worked out well. It was buttery and flaky and easy to make. I need to practice rolling out pie dough – it’s such a pain! I have only done it one other time, so I guess I should give myself a break. Whenever the dough becomes too warm and starts to fall apart, put it in the fridge so the butter can firm up. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pie – adapted from The Galley Gourmet 
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 1/2 to 5 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 8 – 10 medium), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Topping

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine sugars, salt, zest, juice and cinnamon.  In a large dutch oven over high heat, melt the butter.  Add the apples and toss until the apple slices are coated with butter.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook, stirring frequently until the apples are slightly softened, about 7-10 minutes.  Add the sugar mixture and increase the heat to high.  Cook the apples at a rapid boil, stirring frequently and gently until the juices become very thick and syrupy, about 7-10 minutes more.  Immediately spread the apples in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature.  Position a rack on the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 F.

Meanwhile, remove one disk of pastry to a lightly floured work sheet of parchment paper.  For the bottom crust, roll out pastry to a 13-inch circle  adding flour as needed.  Transfer pastry to a baking sheet and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.  Once firm, invert 13-inch bottom pastry into a deep 9-inch pie plate; peel off parchment paper.  Ease pastry into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand and pressing into bottom edges of the pie plate with the other hand.  Allow overhang to remain in place.  Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
Make crumb topping and set aside in the fridge. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, carefully take the pie out of the oven and pour on the crumb topping then bake for another 40 to 45 minutes.  If the top appears to be browning too quickly the last 15 minutes, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top (do not wrap) to prevent over browning.  Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 3 to 4 hours.  To serve pie warm, reheat at 350º F for 15 minutes.  Pie can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Bread Bowls

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My son could not believe I made bread bowl – he was pretty impressed by these! He thought I came up with the idea all by myself 😉 I can’t take the credit, but whoever thought of this is a genius. These were so easy to make, they’re basically a giant roll. I weighed out the dough and each bowl weighed 5.5 ounces before I baked them off. They had a thin, chewy crust with a dense interior – kind of like a sour dough bread, and they were perfect for the clam chowder I made. I bet a nice beef stew or chili would be so good in these, or even a broccoli cheese soup!  The recipe made five, perfectly sized bowls and they were really easy to hollow out. We didn’t waste all the good bread guts, but dipped them into the chowder! It was so good, I can’t wait to eat the leftovers 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Bread Bowls – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup semolina
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt OR 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — till you’ve made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough into five pieces, and form them into round (not flattened) balls. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly, and set them aside to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until they’ve almost doubled in size.

Uncover the balls and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, to develop a tough skin. Just before placing the bread bowls in the oven, mist them heavily with water. Bake the bread bowls in a pre-heated 425°F oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until they’re a deep, golden brown. Turn off the oven, prop the door open a little, and leave the bread bowls inside for 15 minutes; this will keep the crust crisp.

Remove the bread bowls from the oven and cool them completely before cutting the tops off and removing the insides; (reserve the insides to make bread crumbs). Yield: 5 large bread bowls.