Focaccia Pugliese

Before my husband was my husband he wooed me with food, specifically with his baking. One of the first things he made was focaccia. I was madly in love, and not just with my boyfriend. The bread was so fluffy and moist, the crust was the perfect amount of crispy and chewy, and the toppings burst with flavor. I had focaccia before that day, I'm sure of it, but I was shocked that he made it by himself and from scratch; that was the day I knew I truly loved focaccia.

Since our young days as a couple we've made this dozens of times, and I'm still amazed that it's made with potatoes—who knew?! The recipe below makes one thick and poofy focaccia that's lighter than it looks thanks to the velvety olive oil and creamy potatoes. (Keep this in mind when you have Thanksgiving leftovers!) 

Our staple toppings are usually a smattering of pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese. But sometimes we get creative and add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, or other veggies we have on hand. I also suggest using a good extra-virgin olive oil—a little bit goes long way, so bust out your good stuff!

Oh, one other note: this is addicting. Consider yourself warned! 

Focaccia

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
1 cup room-temperature mashed potatoes (we use instant potatoes if we don't have "real" potatoes on hand)
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup water, warm
1 cup water, room temperature 
3-4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
sprigs of rosemary 

Optional Toppings:
2-3 Tbs pesto
12-15 olives (green and/or black) cut in half
1/2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped  
2-3 mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1/2 onion, sliced or chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced or chopped 

Directions:
In medium-sized bowl whisk yeast into warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining water (room temperature) and 1 tablespoon of oil. Combine mashed potatoes (room temperature—if it's hot it'll kill the yeast), flour, and salt into yeast mixture and stir for about 3 minutes. Continue stirring until it gets too difficult, then mix with your hands. Knead until dough is velvety, elastic and slightly sticky. Place dough on a clean, lightly floured workplace and continue kneading until dough is no longer sticky (add a more flour a little bit at a time if necessary). Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of oil in empty bowl, then place dough back in bowl. Flip dough to get it covered in oil; cover bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until doubled (about 2 hours). 

Preheat oven to 400F.

Spread dough onto a well-oiled cookie sheet (9x13"). Cover with towel and let double (about 1 hour). Once doubled, press your fingertips into dough to create "dimples." Spread pesto evenly across the top, scatter on your toppings (except sun-dried tomatoes*), and sprinkle cheese and rosemary. Drizzle remaining olive oil, making sure to cover edges and corners. 

Bake for ~20 minutes, adding sun-dried tomatoes just as focaccia is golden brown.

No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I really love having some type of sweet bread laying around. But it's not to good for your waistline to eat sugary bread all the time. And I wanted something like that for Christmas morning. Christmas morning at our house starts very early and we have a lot of places to be. So I wanted to make bread of some sort to grab quick so we weren't starving running out the door. I found a recipe for good for you breakfast loaf. It was good and I wasn't too guilty for eating it. It's made with oatmeal flour and whole wheat flour. This week I wanted a sweeter version of this bread. So I mashed up a couple recipes and threw my own twist in there, and it's delicious. You could play with the ingredients in here, add some dried fruit or take out the chocolate. I think it's a good base and it's better for you than just white flour and white sugar. I LOVE BREAD!

No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 Cup rolled oats (ground into a flour)
1 Cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Cup lowfat milk
1 ripe banana mashed
1/2 C natural peanut butter
Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions: Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Mix together banana, peanut butter, and agave until smooth. Add milk and mix until incorporated. Slowly add in dry ingredients until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into a greased loaf pan. Top with oats (optional) and bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Banana Blueberry Bread

Banana bread was one of the first things I made when I got married (around the same time that I really got interested in cooking) and I failed at it...big time. Everyone told me how simple it was to make banana bread, but for some reason I couldn't get the hang of it. It either tasted like cardboard, was soggy in the middle, or would completely collapse when I took it out of the oven. 

Luckily, I didn't give up; I kept trying new recipes and finally got the hang of it. This recipe is finally a keeper. I've made it several times, tweaking things here and there, and I love it. Not only that, but when my husband's grandma was here a few months ago she said she liked it! It's always good when grandma likes your food! This banana bread is moist and packed with velvety flavors, making it creamy and decadent, which says a lot for something simple like a banana bread. The very best part about this is how easy it is to make—it hasn't failed me yet.

I recently made a loaf and took it with us on a road trip (hence the on-the-go picture), and it made for a great snack or a quick breakfast. I added blueberries, because I had some in the fridge, but you could add chocolate chips or pecans instead!

Banana Blueberry Bread

adapted from Chez Us

Ingredients

½ cups butter
3 ounces cream cheese (by weight)
1 cup brown sugar
3 pieces ripe bananas
1 egg
¼ cups sour cream
1-½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoons salt
1 cup blueberries or chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup pecans (optional)

Directions 
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas, egg and sour cream; mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients. Stir in blueberries or chocolate chips. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 – 75 minutes, until golden and not doughy in the middle.

Flour Tortillas

Tortillas have always been a staple in my home. When I was younger—much younger—I remember standing on my tippy-toes on a yellow stool out in Tome, New Mexico, watching my Nana and Tia make tortillas. I was amazed that these tiny women could knead and roll out dough with such intensity. I also distinctly remember they didn't have a recipe (a hard concept to grasp since, at the time, I had to quadruple check the directions on how to boil). My Nana and Tia always had tortillas on hand and whenever we went on vacation they'd give my dad a dozen or so to take with him so we could have tortillas no matter where we were around the country.

My mom would make homemade tortillas, too, but sometimes it was easier to just buy them. In New Mexico, packaged tortillas taste just as good as homemade, but in Georgia, they taste very processed to us, so we've been buying them out of a desperate need to have tortillas in our lives. For the rest of our time here, and when we move, I'll make them, because they are SO much better than anything store bought. I was always afraid that if we made them they wouldn't taste as good as they do from home. But I'm happy to say I'm completely wrong. These taste just like home.

The following recipe is what my mom, Tia Frances, and my other aunts use to make tortillas. Unfortunately, neither my Nana or Tia are around anymore so I'm not sure if they used it, too, but I'm willing to bet my Tia Frances got the recipe from them.

I have to warn you about one "ingredient" that's not mentioned, but absolutely necessary. This is going to sound completely cheesy, but I swear it's true. You have to make these when you're in a good mood, because they need to be made with love. My husband and I made them once while we were arguing and they were horrible. To this day he'll say that they were "fine," but they really weren't good. Trust me on this and really put your heart into making them.

Flour Tortillas

originally adapted from Simply Simpatico

makes around a bakers dozen

Ingredients:
4 cups white flour
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp salt
4 tablespoons lard (or shortening)
1 1/2 cups very hot water (let the faucet run until it's as hot as it gets)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in lard or shortening. Make a well in the center and add water, a small amount at a time, to form a dough. Knead dough with hands in bowl until it's smooth and feel elastic. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Form dough into egg-sized balls and flatten between palms. Preheat ungreased cast-iron skillet to a medium-high heat. With rolling pin, roll each ball into 6-inch, thin circles (or to the size of your skillet). Cook for approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes (depending on how hot skillet is) on each side until tortilla looks slightly speckled and golden brown. Cover with a clean towel to keep tortillas warm and soft until served. Store tortillas in a plastic bag for later use.

Ice Cream Bread

Ice cream bread? Say what?

If you're scratching your head right now, you're not the only one. I saw this a few days ago on Pinterest (anyone else completely addicted to that site?) and knew I had to try making it immediately.

Not only did I try it, but I've kind of gone crazy trying different flavors. I'm still baffled that this bread is made with ice cream! Make this with your leftover ice cream or pick up a pint for a  fun, ridiculously easy, and tasty bread. When I say "ridiculously easy to make" I truly mean that. There are only two ingredients:

Self-rising flour* + Ice cream

The flavors above are strawberry on the left and "turtle tracks" (caramel, chocolate, and peanut butter) on the right. I've also tried pineapple coconut ice cream (SO delicious) and peach ice cream. I just bought some coffee ice cream and plan on making some bread with that very soon. I happen to like chunks in this particular bread, so to the strawberry ice cream I added additional frozen strawberries, and to the peach I added pecans. The sky is really the limit!

If you try this, let us know what you think and what flavor you used; I'm curious how it'll taste with different ice creams.

Ice Cream Bread

from The Hungry Housewife originally from 1001 Ways to Cook Southern

Ingredients:
2 cups (1 pint) ice cream
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
(For every cup of flour add 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt {sift together}. There you go, now you have self-rising flour.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8 x 4 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix semi-melted ice cream and flour together until just combined. Scoop into the loaf and and smooth out. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the loaf comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. Remove from the pan and allow to coo. Enjoy! 

Classic Scones

My first experience with scones dates back to more than a decade ago when I first visited "the other side of the pond." It was right before my senior year of high school and I was in England for one of those see-15-European-countries-in-two-weeks tours. I fell in love with Britain so much that a few years later I decided to partake in a study abroad experience there. But during that first trip, I tried something so delicious that it would stick with me all of these years: a scone.

Scones are a bit sweeter than an American biscuit and are typically eaten with jam and something called "clotted cream"—a slightly heavier and creamier version of whipped or Chantilly cream. I love scones because they're light (not to be confused with healthy!), contain the perfect amount of sweetness, and are just plain good!

I've tried American versions of scones several times, but in my opinion, they all fall short to their British counterpart. First, and I know this is probably a personal preference, but I think scones should be round like a biscuit—not in the shape of a triangle. They should also be light and fluffy, not heavy and brick-like. And while I think adding some lemon or orange zest, or even some currents or cranberries would be great additions, I prefer a simple, classic scone that tastes good. American varieties like to make theirs more like a muffin and over saturate them with too many flavors.

Now that I've giving you my background with scones, you can see why I'm so excited about these. I made these for the Royal Wedding and literally can't stop eating them. I asked a few of my British friends for a classic scone recipe, and my friend Katie sent me this "fool proof" version below. Fool proof is right—I can't believe how easy they are to make, not to mention how delicious the dough tastes (don't judge; I had to do a quality check)! And when you're making these, keep in mind another tip from my Irish friend Lucy, "Use buttermilk which is starting to go off—makes the scones taste amazing!"

Traditionally, you top a scone with jam and clotted cream, but my first attempt at making the mouthwatering topping came up very, very short, so I used whipped cream instead. I will learn how to make some proper clotted cream and will link it back here.

Classic Scones

adapted from Gary Rhodes

makes around 8 scones

Ingredients: 
(BY WEIGHT)
225g (8 ounces) plain flour
15g (1 tsp) baking powder
pinch of salt
25g (1 oz) sugar
50g (2 oz) butter
15 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
150ml (1/4 pint or 2/3 cup) buttermilk
1 egg, beaten (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Cut butter into cubes, and rub it into flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. (You can use a pastry cutter, but rubbing it does get the job done a bit faster. Plus it's kinda fun!)

Stir in vanilla and buttermilk, a little at a time, to form a smooth dough. (You may need up to 1/4 cup more flour to get a non-sticky consistency.) Let rest for at least 10 minutes or wrap in cling-wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight. 

Roll out on a lightly floured surface until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (pictured above are around 1/2-inch). Using a 2-inch cookie/biscuit cutter (or the top of a round drinking glass), cut dough. Just tap/push down; twisting tends to create an uneven rise. Once the scones have been cut, work together unused trimmings into a ball, roll out again, and re-cut until all of the mix has been used.

Brush each scone lightly with the beaten egg for a glossy finish or leave as is for a matte finish.

Place scones on greased baking tray and bake for 10 to 14 minutes until golden. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Serve  scones with tea while still warm (they can be left to completely cool and microwaved quickly to rewarm), preferably with the British classics of strawberry jam and clotted cream.

 

(Other options: 50g (2 oz) of mixed sultanas and currants can be added for fruity scones. Sugar can be omitted for plain savory scones. 50g (2 oz) of grated Parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese can be added, with a good pinch of English mustard, for homemade cheese scones. Freshly chopped thyme can also be added to the savory scones)

Hearty Berry Muffins

In an effort to eat healthier, I've been looking for a good muffin recipe. I figure a muffin would be a perfect snack in the middle of the day or great as a quick breakfast in the morning. The problem is that it's been hard to find a healthy muffin recipe that doesn't taste like you're eating a "diet" muffin (i.e. cardboard).

Luckily, this muffin is anything but "diet." It has tons of good-for-you ingredients, but actually tastes good. I found this recipe from a book I just finished reading, of all places. It's called "How to Bake a Perfect Life" and has different bread recipes sprinkled throughout the pages. So on top of being a great, fast read, it gave me some good recipes!

The recipe below includes a streusel topping, but you may notice the picture is missing that particular tasty layer. I only put it on three of the 30 muffins (it says to set it aside and I set it too far away and forgot about it), but then I ate those three muffins before I took the picture. Luckily, I can safely say they're delicious whether you include the streusel or not!

Seriously, unlike most "healthier" muffins that can come out dray and lackluster, these are moist, light, flavorful, filling, and nutritious. Here's what the author has to say:

"This is a muffin for those crazy mornings when you need calories in a hurry. The yogurt and nuts add protein, the whole grains add fiber, and the fruit adds nutrients as well as general seduction for picky children. The streusel can be left off to save calories, but trust me, you're better off with one good one. Serve with boiled eggs for a super fast breakfast."

Hearty Berry Muffins

adapted slightly from How to Bake a Perfect Life
yields around 30 (regular-sized) muffins
3 Weight Watchers points+ (with or without steusel topping)

Ingredients:
	1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
	1 cup whole wheat flour
	1 cup oats
	1 Tbsp baking powder
	1 tsp baking soda
	1/2 tsp sea salt
	1 cup honey
	1 1/2 cups plain fat-free yogurt (or fat free sour cream)
	6 oz raspberry or blueberry yogurt
	1/2 cup milk
	2 tsp vanilla extract 3 Tbsp apple sauce
	1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
	1 cup fresh blueberries
	1 cup raspberries
	Streusel Topping: 1/4 cup flour 3 Tbsp brown sugar
	1/4 cup pecans, chopped
	1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted   Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 400 and prepare muffin tins with paper or oil. Prepare streusel and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all wet ingredients except for berries; beat together well. Pour wet ingredients into dry mix; beat firmly and quickly just until thoroughly moistened. Add berries and fold in gently. Divide batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Distribute streusel topping evenly over batter (optional). Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan to set the berries. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

French Bread

We enjoy this recipe so often that my husband recited the ingredients and directions with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back. Okay, I'm kidding about that last part, but we do eat this bread all. the. time., and he really did give me the recipe off the top of his head.

If you're in the mood for a crunchy and slightly chewy crust with a soft center, then this is for you. This French bread has a hint of whole wheat in it, which gives it a nice hearty flavor without being too dense. There's nothing fancy-schmancy about it, but it's the perfect accompaniment to just about any meal. My husband often doubles the recipe and freezes the dough so we can have homemade bread for dinner whenever we're in the mood for it, but it's also easy enough for him to make a batch for dinner right when he gets home from work.

Trust me when I say this bread is just plain good.

{Whole Wheat} French Bread

makes two loaves

Ingredients:
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs butter, room temperature (butter substitute is fine)
envelope of active-dry yeast
2 1/4 cups hot water (hot, around 114 degrees; not scalding)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups AP flour (increase up to one cup)
drizzle, olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine salt, sugar, yeast, and butter. Add water; mix. Pour in two cups of water; mix in two cups of flour. (At this point, it will look like cake batter.) If using a stand mixer, attach dough hook. Slowly add the last three cups of flour. Mix on high for a few minutes; until dough is slightly sticky. If dough is too sticky, add additional flour until it's just slightly sticky.

Sprinkle working area with flour and knead dough for a couple minutes. Form into a ball. (You can also freeze it at this point: divide ball into two and tightly wrap each with saran wrap.) Lightly coat dough with oil and place in a large bowl. Cover bowl with saran wrap and place in a warm location for twenty minutes. (If frozen, let thaw and continue on from here.)

Take the dough, punch it down, and knead it to get air bubbles out. Divide dough in half. Knead and roll each half into a long log, about 18" long. Repeat with other half. Place dough on loaf pan. Take your sharpest knife and cut three diaganol slits across dough about 1/2" deep. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Before I share this recipe with you, I need to let you in on a little secret....I don't like pumpkin. I love pumpkin seeds and I really enjoy carving jack-o-lanterns, but I really don't like the taste of pumpkin. But that's not for a lack of trying, because every season I try it again, hoping my taste buds have changed. I figured that just because I don't like something doesn't mean I should hold out on sharing it with you.

With that said, I've been told—by pumpkin enthusiasts—that this bread is pretty darn tasty. It's moist, smells out of this world while baking, and has plenty of warm spices and the perfect amount of crunch to satisfy any pumpkin craving. I can imagine it'd be pretty great toasted with a little slab of butter on it in the morning for a quick treat.

We have an abundance of pecans in our house and too many cans of pumpkin laying around, which is how this bread came to existence. I doubled the recipe and sent both loaves off with my husband to work. He came back empty handed and said everyone gobbled it up, hardly even leaving a crumb on the plate. If you like pumpkin, you'll love this bread.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

adapted from Very Best Baking

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated fat free milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. 

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda in medium bowl. Blend pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, egg, egg white and oil in large mixer bowl. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup nuts. Pour into prepared loaf pan; sprinkle with remaining nuts. 

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

French Toast

Sunday mornings in our house typically means eating a yummy, homemade breakfast. My husband usually makes waffles, pancakes, or burritos (recipes to come soon), but last Sunday he made my favorite: French toast.

We picked out a nice potato sandwich bread—it's a little heartier than just white bread, but a little less expensive than a challah loaf—and left the slices out to harden-up/dry over night. Then, before we went to sleep on Saturday, my husband put all the ingredients together and let them sit in the fridge. He didn't do this to let the flavors merge; it was so he could get a few extra minutes of sleep Sunday morning. Don't skip that step. Put it together the night before you make this and it'll make your morning much easier and more enjoyable.

And speaking of enjoyable, these were delicious. They were so good that I actually forgot to drizzle syrup on top of mine. Crazy, I know. A good French toast in my mind means it's crunchy, but still soft; flavorful, but not too sweet; and golden, golden brown. Make this for a quick and easy meal. Your breakfast buddy will thank you. 

 French Toast

adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 cup half-and-half (fat free works fine)
• 3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)
• 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
• 1 tablespoon, vanilla
• 1/2 tablespoon, ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf or bread
• 4 tablespoons butter 

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt (this can be done the night before). When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a shallow dish; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds (time it!) on each side; put bread on a cooling rack that is  sitting in a sheet pan; allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes—this is where the flavor soaks in, and if your bread is hard and you only soaked for 30 seconds, you'll be good to go.

Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan; cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit, or just eat plain!