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Sometimes when I'm watching my granddaughters, I search YouTube for interesting ideas. I was watching a show on the a sandwich shop in Italy. The owner was talking about the special bread they bake for sandwiches. It was Tuscan Schiacciata bread. This is my version. I didn't have a square or rectangular pan, so I used a deep dish pizza pan. As a side note, if you are not an olive oil fan, you may pass on this one. Ingredients: Preferment  250 grams oo flour 250 grams  water 1 gram yeast Bread dough: 500 grams preferment  500 grams oo flour  250 grams water 6 grams salt 3 tablespoons olive oil The night before baking start your preferment. Add the water, flour and yeast to a medium size jar or bowl. Allow it to rise over night. The next day, mix the preferment with with the flour and water in a large container and mix well. Add the salt. Mix well. Let rise for two hours. While the dough is rising stretch and fold it like...

Sometimes I have too much time on my hands. This is the result of wanting cinnamon rolls but not having enough time for baking. Ingredients:  Pancakes batter: 3 cups pastry flour 3 cups buttermilk  3 eggs  2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon vanilla extract  3 tablespoons sugar  3 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 teaspoon salt   Swirl: 1/2 cups of prepared batter 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon molasses  1 teaspoon cinnamon  2 tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons pastry flour  Begin by combining all the dry batter ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet to the dry stirring until everything is combined. Don't over mix or you will have tough pancakes.  Remove 1/2 cup of batter and add the swirl ingredients. Stir until combined. Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small diameter tip. To your preheat griddle, pour your first pan...

Ingredients: Pancake batter: 2 cups AP flour 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 to 1 cup milk 3 eggs 1/3 cup melted butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder  1/4 cup keylime juice  1 teaspoon keylime oil (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup diced strawberries  Strawberry Sauce: 1 quart diced strawberries  2 tablespoons water  Optional 1/4 cup sugar Begin by combining all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, and eggs. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and add the melted butter. Finally, add the juice and oil (if using). Add the strawberries. Mix until the batter comes together, but don't over mix or pancakes will be tough. In a small sauce pan add the strawberries, water, and sugar (if using). Stir occasionally over a medium-low heat.until the  berries break down. Sauce can be served warm or cold. Heat your griddle over medium heat, unt...

We love Williamsburg Virginia. Anytime we get some vacation time, you can find us there. If you have never visited this living history museum, you need to make the time to do so. It is not a place you can visit on an afternoon, you can spend days, even weeks and not see it all. My wife and I can spend hours at an exhibit, only to return another day and spend additional hours. Our last visit, we watched how they built the kilns to dry bricks, spent several hours at different cooking demonstrations, had a visit with Thomas Jefferson, watched the wig maker, and the cooper. One thing is certain, if you are looking for me, at 10 AM, you can find me at the Raleigh Tavern bake shop. Every morning the baker fires up the two wood fired ovens and bakes ginger cakes. There is nothing better than those beautiful cakes hot from the oven. Yes, I will be there every morning, on our entire stay. Have even been known to get a couple for the road when leaving. To say I am obsessed is an ...

After raiding my granddaughter's trick or treat stash, one small candy bar, got me craving for these cookies.  Ingredients: 1 cup softened unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses  2 1/2 cups AP flour  1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  3 eggs 1 cup milk chocolate  chips  1 cup broken pretzel pieces  1 cup peanut butter chips 1 cup caramel chips  Begin by creaming the butter and sugars. Beat until fluffy.  Add the eggs on at a time. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla extract.  Mix until well combined.  Add the chips and mix until well incorporated. Add the pretzel pieces and mix until just combined.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scope 1 tablespoon amounts to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating half way through.  Allow to cool several minutes, then transfer to a  ooling rake...

My daughter brought home these delicious treats from a recent trip to New England.  Ingredients: 2 cups apple cider 2 tablespoons apple butter 2 cups AP flour  1/2 cup brown sugar  1/4 cup sugar 6 ounces evaporated milk 1 egg  3 tablespoons room temperature           unsalted butter 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg  2 teaspoons baking powder  1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt In a skillet, begin  by reducing the cider and apple butter over medium heat. Reduce to a slightly thickened syrup, about 1/2 a cup.   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While that is cooking, add the sugars, and butter to your stand mixer. Cream well. Add the egg and all other ingredients except the flour and cider mix. Mix well. Cool the cider mixture to room temperature.  Add the cider and again mix well. Slowly add the flour until it is just combined.  Using a piping bag, fill the doughnut pans  to...

This is a simple but tasty topping, perfect for waffles or pancakes.  My daughter and son in law frequently shop European markets. On a recent trip I was able to accompany them. I found a couple of jars of sour cherries packed in water. This was the inspiration for the recipe. Ingredients: 1 jar of sour cherries packed in water 2 tablespoons corn starch 2 to 3 tablespoons cane syrup  1/2 teaspoon almond extract.  1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon.  Begin by draining the juice from the jar into a saucepan.  Save about a quarter cup of the liquid.  Mix the 2 tablespoons of corn starch in the reserved juice. Mix thoroughly to prevent clumping.  Add the remaining juice  and all but 1/3 cup of cherries and cinnamon to a food processor.  Pulse several time until pureed. Pure the puree into a saucepan, simmering over medium low heat.  Add the corn starch juice liquid, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Stir in the almond extract. Be prepar...