I'm not a boy scout, but I do like to be prepared

Being prepared and working ahead is one of my soundtracks... I will put the work in early, so I have fewer things to do later and then procrastination is not a thing. Well, this time my being prepared benefited church instead of the extended family. We were supposed to go to a family reunion in Wisconsin, and I planned to bring some sweets. These M&M Cookie bars turned out amazing, thick, chewy, so good. The family reunion? We couldn't go - Andy had an emergency with work so stayed in Illinois instead of heading north. This whole pan of bars ended up at church on Sunday for an after service treat instead. I know for sure people appreciated them there as well.

M&M Cookie Bars

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M's plus more for topping
1 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil, leave some overhang to make removal easier.
Spray foil generously with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until fluffy.
Add in eggs and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
Lower speed of mixer and add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.
Add M&M’s and mini chocolate chips and give a final stir, reserving some M&M’s and mini chocolate chips for topping cookie bars.
Transfer cookie dough to prepared baking dish.
Press additional M&M’S and chocolate chips into top of cookie dough.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bars are a light golden brown and just set in the center.
Let cool completely and cut.

Winning with Garlic Bread!

We've tried quite a few garlic bread recipes in our house and have failed to come up with a true winner. We love making French Bread, but after a day or two it's not as good as the first and second day... Sure we make French toast - but sometimes Garlic Bread would be great... we found great! For some reason we ended up with three pasta dishes in a row so we decided garlic bread would be perfect to add to dish #2. We had all the herbs fresh in the garden, so we went that route and the original recipe banked on the salt in the butter for the salt aspect - I added more. We tossed it under the broiler, and it turned out amazing. The bread was still somewhat soft but had crispy areas, but didn't break your teeth, the topping wasn't super thick... perfect saltiness... SO good. This is what we'll keep on using. The garlic bread search has ended; we have a winner!

Garlic Bread
1 (14 oz) loaf French bread
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tsp dried (optional)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 tsp dried (optional)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut French bread loaf in half horizontally.
In a small mixing bowl stir together butter, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and pepper. Brush mixture evenly over top of both bread halves.
Place bread on baking sheet and bake in center of preheated oven for 8 minutes.
Move oven rack closer to broiler. Let bread broil about 45 seconds to 3 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on it, it can brown quickly.
Cut into slices and serve warm.

A hesitant dimpler, is that a thing?

 

This summer has been a bit crazy.  Trying new recipes has been on the back burner since we have been traveling and dealing with all sorts of crazy stresses.  We had our intern at church coming for dinner so I decided to give some Pesto Focaccia a try since we are swimming in basil.  If only our tomatoes would be ready at the same time!  My kingdom for ripe tomatoes!

This focaccia recipe was very simple to follow and easy to do the folds.  Sure it takes some time 4 folds every 15 minutes but set a timer and you are good - it's not hard.  I used bread flour and also had it in the oven with the oven light on to give it an extra warm place to sit.  Even though it was 90+ degrees outside - the A/C was on, so it needed cozy place.  I made my own pesto with basil, walnuts, olive oil and garlic.  I probably used too much....Ok for sure used too much, but it sure was delicious and tasted like summer.  I probably also could have dimpled harder... I was a hesitant dimpler, is that a thing?  It is now!

Pesto Focaccia

Ingredients

510g (2 cups plus 2 Tbsp) lukewarm water

2 teaspoons instant or active dried yeast

560g (4 ½ cups) all-purpose flour or bread flour with a protein level of at least 11%

1 ½ teaspoon fine salt

Toppings

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

60g (1/4 cup) basil pesto

Flaky salt

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the yeast, lukewarm water, flour, and salt and mix together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to create a wet and well-combined, shaggy dough ball. If using active dried yeast, let it dissolve in the lukewarm water for 5 minutes before mixing it with the rest of the dough ingredients.

Leave it to sit for 15 minutes before applying 4 sets of stretch and folds spread out over an hour, one set every 15 minutes (though this timing isn't set in stone, don't worry if it's less or more!) Use wet hands when doing this or the dough will stick to you!

A stretch and fold method is when one side of the dough is stretched up and pulled over itself. The bowl is then turned and this move is repeated on the following side.

Continue stretching and folding and turning the bowl until all sides have been folded. That is one set of stretch and folds.

The first set of stretch and folds will be very shaggy and the dough will rip easily. As the folds are carried out over the next while, the gluten structure is created and the dough gains strength.

Drizzle the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with a generous amount of olive oil. You can line the pan with parchment paper as well if you think your pan might stick. Transfer the dough into the oiled pan. Leave it to sit and rest for 5-10 minutes, then use oiled fingers to spread and stretch the dough out into the skillet. If the dough resists stretching out, give it a rest and try again in a few minutes.

Let the dough rise at room temperature for around 1-1.5 hours until it has just doubled and it jiggles when the pan is shaken. How fast the dough rises will depend on the temperature. It's always best to watch the dough and not the clock. Don’t let let it rise too much or the dough can become too fragile and deflate.

Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C.

Dollop spoonfuls of basil pesto over the dough. Drizzle a little olive oil over your fingers and use your fingers to spread the pesto out over the dough. Then use oiled fingers to create deep dimples on the top of the dough, pushing all the way down. Do this all over the bread. Sprinkle with flaky salt.

Bake the focaccia for 25-30 minutes until puffed and deep golden brown and the bread pulls away from the edges of the pan. If the pesto starts browning too much on top, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil.

Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove it from the skillet or tray, then let it cool further on a wire cooling rack before serving. 

"Cheese" for the win!

I'm pretty sure I've told you about our random grocery store here that has the most random items. Well for a few times now I've seen non dairy Boursin herb and garlic cheese. I knew I'd seen a receipt that included the real deal but figured for $1 I'd try the dairy free. It's been sitting in my fridge and why not start up the oven at 400 on a 95 degree day? Oof. Why not... This recipe makes me excited for cherry tomatoes to be bursting in the garden. We used store bought grape tomatoes - but they were great. This recipe was fantastic. We added a bunch of fresh basil and parsley in at the end too. It was fresh and delicious! Certainly a win. I have another container of the "cheese" in the fridge and will for sure get more if I see it.

Creamy Boursin Cheese Baked Pasta
250g dry pasta, we used shells or you can use any pasta shape
1 package (150g) Boursin herb and garlic cheese
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (any color) – 1 pint equals 2 cups/2 pints = 4 cups
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In an 9×13″ baking dish, combine tomatoes, olive oil, freshly ground pepper.
Make a well in the middle and place Boursin Herb & Garlic cheese in the opening.
Bake in 400°F oven for 30 minutes.
While the tomatoes and cheese are roasting in the oven, start cooking the pasta. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Strain.
After 30 minutes of cooking the tomato and cheese mixture, turn broiler to high. Broil for 2 minutes until tomatoes and cheese are light golden brown.
Remove from oven and stir in chopped garlic, fresh parsley and pasta. Stir well to coat pasta.
Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

If you are looking for a quick easy recipe - keep on looking...

After working so hard to make my own puff pastry, I couldn't wait to get this filling made and into the squares of flaky goodness. Should I have made the filling in advance and let it sit, oh my goodness yes. That's my biggest lesson learned from this. I did not let it cool down completely and so much oozed out and made the biggest mess. I think I might even freeze globs into an ice cube tray - that would be perfect! Well maybe... maybe not. Still warm liquid filling isn't great. I tried to make wells in these pastries and do my best to seal them up - but my best was not nearly as good as it could have been, but you know what? These turned out fantastic. I egg washed them and covered them in large crystals of sugar. They turned out beautiful - better than I could have hoped for! If you are looking for a quick easy recipe - keep on looking - it's not making your own apple turn overs from scratch - not even close.

Homemade Apple Turnovers
Dough
1 lb. homemade rough puff pastry or store-bought frozen & thawed puff pastry (2 sheets)
Filling
2 cups (240g) peeled & diced apples (about 2 medium apples)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (100g) granulated or brown sugar (use either)
Egg Wash + Topping
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind)
optional: 1/2 cup (145g) salted caramel, for drizzling
Instructions
Dough: Prepare homemade rough puff pastry dough through 2nd refrigeration. If using store-bought frozen puff pastry, make sure it’s thawed. Keep either dough in the refrigerator until step 4 below.
Make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir constantly for 5 minutes. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 20 minutes.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Shape the dough: If using homemade dough (makes 9): On a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the puff pastry dough to a 12-inch square. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut nine 4-inch squares. Transfer squares to prepared baking sheets (4 on one, 5 on the other). If using store-bought dough (makes 8): Unroll the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each into 4 squares. Transfer squares to prepared baking sheets (4 on each).
Add the filling: Spoon about 2–3 Tablespoons of apple filling onto the center of each square. Fold one corner of the square over the filling to make a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal. See photo above for visual. Some apple juices may leak out; that’s OK. Chill the shaped turnovers in the refrigerator, covered or uncovered, for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour (or freeze, see freezing instructions below). You can preheat the oven and make the egg wash (next steps) as they finish up chilling.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Whisk the egg and milk together. Using a pastry brush, brush on each chilled turnover. Cut 2 or 3 small steam vents in the tops of each to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 23–25 minutes, or until the turnovers are golden brown. Some butter may leak from the homemade dough, that’s completely normal and expected. Rotate the pans halfway through bake time to avoid uneven browning.
Cool the turnovers on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. If desired, drizzle each with caramel sauce before serving.
Cover leftover turnovers and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.