Recipes

Bread Machine Focaccia

This recipe is for a 1.5 lb loaf bread machine, you may have to adjust the ingredients depending on the size of your machine.

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons dried yeast
* 3 cups bread flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon rosemary (dried)
* 1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

Place all of the above ingredients, accurately measured and in the order I have listed them, in the Bread Machine.


Make the dough on the dough setting, when it's finished place the dough on a lightly floured surface, punch the dough down and roll or spread out in a 12" circle. Place the dough on a suitable greased baking sheet or pan, cover with a clean tea-towel so the dough won't dry out and let it rise in a warm draft-free place for 30 minutes. Before putting it in the oven poke the surface with a stick (I use the end of a chop stick) and slather with about 2-3 tbsp, of good olive oil making sure that the holes are filled. Sprinkle with course salt and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for about 30 minutes (check it in 20) until it is golden brown on top.
Enjoy!

-Bill

CHEESE CRACKERS

8 oz. finely shredded cheddar, medium or sharp

1 stick ( ½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cayenne

1 Tbsp. water

1. Combine cheese and butter in food processor. Pulse until well blended.

2 . Add flour, sugar, salt and cayenne. Pulse until well mixed.

3. Tim dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Form into a ball; divide in half and shape each half into an 8-inch log. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

4. Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Slice dough into ¼ inch disks and place on prepared sheets. Prick top of crackers with a skewer a few times. Bake 12 -14 minutes or until just golden on edges. Makes about 40 crackers.

Peanut Butter Cookies:

MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES

These cookies have a strong peanut flavour that comes from extra-crunchy peanut butter (in our taste test we preferred Jif) as well as from roasted salted peanuts that are ground in a food processor and worked into the dough. In our testing; we found that salted bum brings out the flavour of the nuts.

If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to one teaspoon.

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter, preferably Jif, at room temperature

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup roasted salted peanuts. ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 4 pulses – available at Bulk Barn

1. Adjust ovens rack to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl set aside.

3. Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy Add sugars; beat until fully about 3 minutes with electric mixer, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts; stir gently until just incorporated.

4. Working with generous 2 tablespoons each time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place balls on parchment lined cookie sheets, leaving 2½ inches between each ball. Press each dough ball twice with dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design.

5. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking time (from top to bottom racks and back to front), until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top, 10 to 12 minutes. (Cookies will not look fully baked.) Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack with wide spatula to cool completely.


EXTRA YUMMY! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Follow recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies, adding 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips with ground nuts.