Rosemary Knots

Kirbie Cravings
Yields: 15

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup milk

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup of rosemary, chopped into small pieces

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt. Add the olive oil, milk, rosemary and water. Mix until ingredients until it form into a ball.

Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 15 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 10-12 inches long and tie into a knot, Take the ends of the knots and tuck into the middle of the knot.

Place the knot on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and set it aside to rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm. You can add additional chopped fresh rosemary for garnish and color.

Cinnamon-Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Tarte Pink
Yields: 1 loaf

Dough
2¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used 1¼  whole wheat and 1½ all purpose flour)
¼ cup granulated sugar
2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter (I used 2 tablespoons Smart Balance buttery blends)
1/3 cup whole milk
¼ cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling
1 cup granulated sugar (I used Splenda)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl 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 might look sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour.
Place the dough in 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- until white parts are separated from brown liquid and a nutty smell appears; watch carefully so that it does not burn. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

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.

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. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.

Greek Olive Oil Bread with Olives and Rosemary

Yields: 6-8 slices
Baltic Maid

2 cups
1 cup
2 teaspoon dry yeast
2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup
1/3 cup
1 cup black olives, pitted and halved
2½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, slightly chopped

In a food processor, combine the flour, whole wheat flour, yeast and salt.  Add the warm water and the olive oil.  Process until it forms somewhat of a dough ball.  (If too dry, add some more water and if too wet, add more flour but it should be okay without adding more flour or water)

Transfer the dough into a large bowl.  With floured hands, knead the dough by hand several times.  Then incorporate the olives and the rosemary.  This part is a bit messy but keep kneading.  The olives and the rosemary will be eventually incorporated.

Form the dough into a ball.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise for up to 2 hours  until it doubled in size.

Punch the risen dough down and knead a few times.  Form into a ball with the seam on the bottom.  Place on a well-floured baking sheet.  Sprinkle flour all over the bread loaf.   Slash the top of the bread with a sharp knife or razor blade in whatever pattern you like.  Cover with a towel, and let it rise again until it doubled in size.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 425°F. When the bread has doubled in size, transfer the baking sheet into the preheated oven.  Bake the bread for about 15 minutes at 425°F.  Then turn down the heat to 375°F and bake for 40 to 60 minutes until golden brown.  Let it cool.

Tequila Peach Pie

Yields: 6 slices
Not Without Salt

Galette Dough

1½ cups (7 ounces, 200 grams) all-purpose flour
1 stick + 1 tablespoon (4 ½ ounces, 125 grams) butter, cold
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vinegar (such as champagne or cider)
1 tablespoon water, cold

Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Cut the cold butter into rough ½” cubes. Scatter on top of the flour and pulse just a couple of times to evenly disperse the butter.

In a small bowl, stir together the egg, vinegar and water. While streaming the liquids in pulse the machine. The dough will appear very crumbly. Once the liquid has been incorporated squeeze the mixture in your hands and if it holds together you are set. If not, sprinkle with a few more drops of water and pulse a couple more times.

Dump out the dough and form into a rough disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Tequila Peaches

1½ tablespoons tequila (I used Jose Cuervo)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon lime zest (I omitted because I didn't have any)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 large peaches, ripe and fragrant
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (I omitted because I didn' t have any)

Combine the tequila, lime juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Slice the peaches about ¼” thin. In a medium bowl add the peaches and the juice/cornstarch mixture. Using your hands, toss to combine.

Pre-heat the oven to 385F You want to start with a nice hot oven to make sure your butter in the dough, quickly comes to a boil creating steam that puffs up the dough – this is the magic of flakes. Hot oven plus cold butter equals beautiful flakes.

Once the dough has chilled roll out to your desired size.  Roll out the dough to ¼” thickness. Place the dough on a parchment lined sheet tray so you don’t have to awkwardly transfer the galette once assembled.

Arrange the peaches or simply dump them in the center of your dough. Leave 1½ inches surrounding the peaches and fold this up on top of them pleating as you fold so that it securely encases the fruit. Brush the top of the crust with cream and sprinkle the sugar over the crust and the fruit. Scatter the zest on top of that. Chill the galette in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the crust starts to color too quickly before the juices have begun to boil then simply turn the oven down to 350F. You will be able to tell your pie is done with the crust is a deep golden color and the juices have bubbled and look thicker than boiling water and more like bubbling jam.

Remove from the oven and let sit for at least two hours before enjoying.

Whole Wheat Bagels

Yields: 12
Tracey's Culinary Adventures

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional, I omitted)
3 cups (12¾ oz) bread flour
3 cups (12¾ oz) white whole wheat flour (I used regular whole wheat flour)
1 tablespoon salt

In a large measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the water and add both sugars and the malt (if using).  Add 1 cup of the bread flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook then pour the yeast mixture over the flour and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add all of the white whole wheat flour to the mixer bowl and beat to incorporate.  With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need all of the bread flour, depending on conditions in your kitchen).  Continue kneading on low speed until the dough is really smooth, satiny and springy, about 10 minutes.  Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces - I used my scale to weigh the dough and then figure out how big each piece should be, but you can definitely eyeball it.  Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a ball and then use your fingers to poke a hole in the middle.  Gently stretch the dough until the hole is about 2 inches big.  Place the bagel on a baking sheet that's been dusted with cornmeal.  Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.  Cover the baking sheet lightly with plastic and let the bagels rise for 30 minutes.  Secure the plastic around the edges of the pan so the bagels won't dry out then put the baking sheet in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

When you're ready to bake, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.  While the bagels are resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and preheat oven to 450 F.

Add two or three bagels at a time to the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot) and cook for about 1 minute, or until they've risen to the top.  Remove and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Once you've boiled all of the bagels, bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're brown and their internal temperature registers at least 180 F on an instant-read thermometer.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Frozen Lemonade Squares

Yields: 9 
Buy the Book


1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 ¾ cups Splenda granulated sweetener, divided
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cups plain nonfat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
Zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup light whipped topping (I used fat free)


Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. (I used parchment paper to line my pan instead).


In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup of the sweetener, and the margarine until crumbly. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. 


In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, the remaining sweetener, the lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Pour into the crust and smooth the top.


Cover the pan and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours (I did not cover mine and it was fine, I froze the pan overnight).


Before serving, allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Cut into 9 portions using a heated sharp knife.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Jessica Seinfeld

Yields: 2 dozen
Buy the Book


Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup firmly packed or light brown sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar blend)
6 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread, chilled (I used applesauce in this batch and Smart Balance in another, both worked well)
½ cup banana puree (about 1 banana)
½ cup zucchini puree
1 large egg white
½ cup raisins
½ cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray, or line with cooking parchment.

In a bowl or zipper-lock bag, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and shake or stir to mix.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix. Add the banana and zucchini purees, and the egg white and stir just to blend. Add the flour mixture, raisins, and walnuts if using and stir to combine.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonful onto the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch in between. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 4 to 5 minutes, just until they are firm enough to handle, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*Note: The recipe suggests not using an electric mixer because it will make the cookies tough. I did not use it and they were extremely soft.

Jacques Torres' Famous New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 1½  Dozen

Mochi Thoughts

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1¼ teaspoons baking soda

1½  teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

2½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1¼  pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content

Sea salt

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop 6 3 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars

Yields: 24 Bars
Tasty Kitchen

1 pound Oreo Cookies
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
24 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
¾ cups Granulated Sugar (I used Splenda, I'm not sure why)
¾ cups Sour Cream At Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoons Salt
3 whole Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).

Make the crust: place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight).

To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Peach Cobbler

Yields: Varies by bar size, enough to fill a 13x9" pan
Ryan Bakes

Fruit:
½ stick (4 teaspoons) unsalted butter
4 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (or 4 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, apples, peaches, blackberries, or cherries)
1 cup of sugar (I used Splenda)

Mix fruit and sugar together and let stand.  Melt butter in a 9x13 glass (I used ceramic and it was fine) baking dish and set aside for later use.  Preheat oven for 350 degrees F.
Batter:
2 cups sugar (I used Splenda)
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1½ cups milk (I used skim)

Mix above ingredients together until lumps are gone. Pour the batter over the melted butter in the 9x13 dish. Spoon Fruit on top of batter.  DO NOT STIR.  Bake in oven at 350 Degrees for 40-45 minutes or until top is brown.

Margarita Cookies

Yields: 24 whole cookies, 48 half cookies
Mochi Thoughts

2¼ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½  teaspoon salt

1½  cups sugar

2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces

1 teaspoon lime zest

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon lime juice

1½ tablespoons tequila

Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine sugar, the lime zest, and cream cheese in a large bowl (no need to stir them together yet). Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine – the mixture won’t be completely smooth yet, that’s fine. Whisk in the oil then the egg, milk, tequila and lime juice. Mix until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until a soft dough comes together.

Portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a cookie scoop, using about 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Roll the dough into a ball with your hands. Repeat until you’ve used all of the dough, placing 12 cookies on each baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the dough balls into discs that are about 2 inches in diameter.

Bake the cookies, 1 tray at a time, for about 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are set and beginning to brown. The tops will be puffy and slightly cracked. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.

Frosting
I adapted the Mojito Cupcake frosting from The Cheesecakeerian and altered it to make it into a margarita flavor by using tequila instead of rum

½ cup unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons tequila
1 Tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime)
1½ to 3 cups powdered sugar (I used about 2)
Green food coloring

Cream the butter, sugar and salt together until fully combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the cold cream cheese a chunk at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next.

Add the tequila and lime juice and mix until just incorporated. Taste the frosting and add more sugar if needed.
Separate about a quarter before adding the food coloring for the lines on the frosting.

Add the food coloring one drop at a time and combine thoroughly after each, until you have the color you want. Spread onto the cookies.

Whatever is left, mix in a bit more food coloring to get a darker color to make the lime peel and outline the arch of the cookie. Add the three white lines to finish.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread

Yields: 2 loaves
This Week for Dinner
(My substitutions in parenthesis)

1¼ cup sugar (I used Splenda)
½ cup (1 stick) margarine, softened (I used applesauce)
2 eggs (I used 4 egg whites)
1½  cup mashed ripe bananas
½ cup buttermilk (I used a teaspoon of lemon juice and ½ cup skim milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½  cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup mini chocolate chips
¾ cup shredded coconut
(original recipe calls for 1 C chopped pecans or walnuts instead of the coconut)

Heat oven to 350, grease bottom only of 2 loaf pans.

Mix sugar with margarine/butter. Stir in eggs. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, soda until just moistened – do not over stir! Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Bake 1 hour 15 minutes, until top and edges are browned and the center looks cooked. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then on wire rack.

"Watermelon" Jello Shots

Erica's Sweet Tooth
Yields: 40

10 limes, pulp removed

1 box red Jello

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cold vodka (Again, if you have melon flavored, go for it)

Mini chocolate chips

Halve limes and use a paring knife around the edges of the halves to loosen the pulp from the rind. My technique was to do this, and then juice them with my KitchenAid attachment, which helped remove the loosened pulp. Plus, then I got a cup of freshly squeezed lime juice! I also used my (clean) fingers to finally help scrape out the resilient pulp under a running faucet. Set lime halves aside, empty side up.

 

Add 1 cup of boiling water to the Jello powder, and stir for 2 minutes until fully dissolved. Stir in cup of cold vodka.

 

Pour mixture into lime halves, filling all the way to the top. Chill Jello-limes in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

 

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut each lime half in half again, making wedges.

 

Stick in chocolate chips, if desired.

Coconut-Mango Popsicles

Simple Bites
Yields: 24

1  cup coconut milk
¾ cup coconut water
½ cup coconut cream
Juice of half a lime
2 medium mangoes

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process or blend until pureed, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour strained mixture intopopsicle forms of choice.

Place aluminum foil on top of the popsicle mold, and insert popsicle sticks in the center of each compartment.

Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight.

To release popsicles, run hot water on the outside of popsicle forms for  a few seconds and pull firmly on the sticks.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yields: 12
Dishing the Divine
(My changes are in parenthesis)

Crumble
scant 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½   cup rolled oats
½   cup brown sugar (I left this part out accidentally, that's probably why the crumble wasn't that great)
½   teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted (I used 2 Tablespoons Smart Balance buttery melt, 4 tablespoons applesauce)

Muffins
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, so I had 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½  tsp baking soda
scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan (I used canola oil to grease the pan instead)
½ cup brown sugar (I used ¼  cup Splenda brown sugar blend)
1½ cups plain yogurt (I used applesauce)
¼ cup agave syrup or honey 
2 large eggs, whisked (I used 4 egg whites)
2 large handfuls chocolate chips (I probably used 1 large handful, I have tiny hands)

Preheat oven to 350 with rack set in the middle of the oven. Butter muffin pan generously. Do not use cupcake liners.

Use a fork to combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Divide the mixture into three portions and use your hands to form the portions into three patties. Place the patties on a plate in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium, microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and whisk in the yogurt and agave, followed by the eggs. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until it’s almost completely mixed. Add in chocolate chips and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle with a few additional chocolate chips if desired. Break off pieces of crumble and add about one tablespoon to each muffin. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 5 minutes and then carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool almost completely before serving. If you have leftovers, heat them for about 10 seconds in the microwave so that the chocolate chips soften slightly.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Yields: 12- 7 inch pitas
The Galley Gourmet

2 Tablespoons honey
2-2½ warm water, divided
4½  teaspoons active dry yeast (two ¼-ounce packages)
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tablespoons for coating
cornmeal for dusting

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together the honey and 1 cup of the warm water. Stir in the yeast and set aside until the yeast has bloomed, about 5-10 minutes.

Add to the same bowl both flours, salt, ¼ cup oil and 1 cup of the warm water. Mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth and elastic, adding up to ½ cup more of water a tablespoon at a time as needed.

Increase the speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil in the same mixing bowl. Return the dough to the oiled bowl, drizzle the top of the dough with the remaining oil, turning to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a cloth or piece of plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Gently deflate the dough and let rest for 20 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Shape each piece into a ball on an unfloured area of the counter, cup your hand over it and quickly rotate your hand over the dough, forming a tight, evenly round ball.

On the lightly floured surface of your counter, roll each piece of dough into a 1/8- inch circle, about 7-inches in diameter; keeping the remaining dough balls covered with a sheet of plastic wrap. Set each round on a large baking sheet without overlapping.

Lightly dust the rounds with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking. Cover the dough with a lightly damp towel and let them rise for 1 hour until puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bake the dough rounds one baking sheet at a time until the pitas are puffed and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. As each batch comes out of the oven, stack the pitas 3 or 4 high and wrap in clean kitchen towels. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature. Well wrapped pitas can be kept for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Cheesecake Pops

Yields: 30-40 Pops
Recipe Girl

5 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
boiling water, as needed
30 to 40 (8-inch) lollipop sticks
1 pound semisweet flavored, milk chocolate flavored, or brightly colored confectionery coating (also known as summer coating or wafer chocolate)

Directions:

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Lightly grease a 10-inch cake pan or a 9 or 10-inch square pan (don't use a spring form pan.)

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer set at low speed, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the cake pan and place in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 to 2 hours (overnight is best.)

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate coating. Place half of the chocolate wafers in a microwave- safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Hold the pop over the melted chocolate and shake off any excess. Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate wafers as needed.

Refrigerate (or freeze) pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Yields: 12
Completely Delicious

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
½  cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup pineapple, diced into small pieces
2 teaspoons dark rum*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a muffin pan, or line with muffin paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and ¼ cup of the coconut. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, butter, egg whites, and rum (or vanilla) together until smooth. Stir in the diced pineapple. Stir the dry ingredients into the sour cream mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined, do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to about 3/4 of the way full. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of the coconut and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Sprinkle over the muffin batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

*May substitute vanilla

Peanut Butter Banana No Bake Cookies

Dashing Dish
Yields: 12-16

½ cup peanut butter (I used Better 'n Peanut Butter)
½ banana, mashed
1½ cups sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
½ cup low fat milk (I used skim)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 cups quick-cooking oats (I used 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats and 1 cup quick oats)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Put mashed banana and peanut butter together in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until peanut butter and banana are combined.

Once the peanut butter is melted, take the skillet off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until everything is well combined.

Drop cookie dough (about 1/8th cup per cookie) on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper (or foil sprayed with cooking spray), patting cookies into desired shape. Place baking sheet in fridge or freezer until cookies are set. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cream Cheese Cookies

Heather's Dish
Yields: 12-14

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature (I used Smart Balance Buttery Blend)
½ cup granulated sugar (I used Splenda)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugars, egg, extract, and lemon juice. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.  Add the zest and the poppy seeds, mix until evenly distributed. 

Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat; bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  The cookies will not really change color except on the bottom, so be sure to check the bottoms to make sure they’re not burning.