These were another new test recipe based on my original scone recipe. Give them a try with your leftover candy canes.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup crushed candy canes
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, frozen
1/2 cup heavy cream (plus more for brushing)
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Turbinado sugar

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, crushed candy cane, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl. Grate and add frozen butter. Mix well.

In a bowl mix egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.

Shape into rectangle (approx 10 inches by 3 inches). Cut in quarters vertically, and half horizontally. Cut each of those squares in half vertically to make triangular shaped scones.

Brush with cream and top with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 400˚F. Makes 16 small triangular scones. Alternatively, dough can be frozen for up to three months.

Melt chocolate in microwave and drizzle over scones after they’ve cooled. If you’d like you can top with crushed candy cane.

Possibly one of the best cookie recipes ever, adapted from bakerbynature.com, you can use any coffee based liqueur to rev up the caffeine in this masterpiece.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. instant espresso powder
2 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted nondairy butter substitute or butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp. coffee liqueur such as Kahlua, Sabra, Bailey’s
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and espresso powder. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and coffee liqueur and combine again. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as necessary. 

Add the flour mixture slowly and beat until just combined.  

Fold in the chocolate chips.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours (or up until 3 days). 

When ready to bake off the cookies, line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375F. 

Use an ice cream scoop to form mounds of dough and place 9 cookies on each baking sheet allowing room to spread. 

Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool before eating.  Makes approximately 28 cookies.

These were a new test recipe based on my original scone recipe. The texture of the pumpkin made it crumble perfectly. Give these a try!

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, frozen
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup heavy cream (plus more for brushing)
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
coarse sugar

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl. Grate and add frozen butter. Mix well.

In a bowl mix pumpkin, cream, egg, and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.

Shape into rectangle (approx 10 inches by 3 inches). Cut in quarters vertically, and half horizontally. Cut each of those squares in half vertically to make triangular shaped scones.

Brush with cream and top with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 400˚F. Makes Alternatively, dough can be frozen for up to three months.

Melt white chocolate in microwave and drizzle over scones after they’ve cooled.

Adapted from Bonnie Stern, this is a great take on the morning glory muffin.

Ingredients:

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup Bran Buds cereal
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
¾ cup almond milk
½ cup grapeseed/extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. molasses
1 cup apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup grated carrots (1-2 carrots)
½ cup chopped pitted dates
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. 

In a bowl, combine the flours, cereal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “s” blade, combine the egg, milk, oil, sugar, and molasses. 

Add the flour mixture and pulse until just combined.  Fold in the apple, carrots, dates, walnuts, and sesame seed.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.  Bake for 60 minutes.

This 30 year old family recipe comes from Auntie Geetie.  There’s nothing like real butter…..  There are many types of shortbread but what most have in common is the presence of butter and the absence of eggs.

Ingredients:

1 pound (454g) unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
(optional add-in 1 cup chopped nuts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare an ungreased 12-x17-inch rimmed baking sheet. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light.  Slowly add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and blend. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Slowly add the flour mixture and combine until the dough starts to form. 

Fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts, if using). 

Press the dough on to the baking sheet and bake for 22 minutes. 

Slice into bars/squares.

The price of pure vanilla extract has been going up over the past few years.  There’s nothing like a global Covid 19 pandemic to get people to become more resourceful at home.  Here is a terrific DIY project with 2 ingredients.  This is costly but may last forever…. And definitely cheaper than the store purchased kind.  Please check out websites such as smittenkitchen.com, inagarten.com, and sallysbakingaddiction.com for details on the maintenance. In summary, you leave the alcohol and beans sitting for 8 weeks – 6 months and shake once a week. When you take off vanilla, top up with fresh alcohol and some beans if its been >6 months.

Ingredients:

Vanilla beans (such as Madagascar) and vodka (or bourbon – any flavourless inexpensive alcohol)

Directions:

Use a clean 64 oz. (1.8 L) Mason jar to store the vanilla.  Use 1 whole vanilla bean for every 2 liquid ounces of alcohol.  I used 24 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and placed vertically in the jar.  I then poured in 48 oz. (1.42 L) of unflavoured vodka.  Seal the jar tightly and keep in a dark cupboard.  Give the bottle a good shake at least once weekly and after 6 patient months, it is ready to use. 

As you begin to use your vanilla, you can refill with a little vodka each time.  Give it a shake after you refill and before each use, too.  After about 1 year of frequent use and refilling, you will find the vanilla flavour less intense. Simply remove old beans, add fresh beans, shake and continue to use/refill.   Aged extract without the beans will last indefinitely.

During isolation we ran out of jam, but had plenty of strawberries so I starting looking up how to make jam. I didn’t have pectin and with passover approaching I didn’t want to use cornstarch. So that limited me. But I did have an instant pot!

I found this 3 ingredient strawberry jam recipe on The Belly Rules The Mind. I cut it in half just to try it, but it worked perfectly!

Ingredients:

4 cups quartered strawberries (or any other fruit)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Wash and cut strawberries. Add to instant pot with sugar and stir. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

Add lemon juice and Mix.

Turn on instant pot and set timer for one minute. Turn off Keep Warm and allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes.

With an immersion blender or masher, puree the jam.

Turn the instant pot onto saute to reduce the liquid (this took about 7 minutes for me).

Remove the foam layer on top and put into a glass container or jar. Seal (I used a Weck canning jar).

Allow jam to cool then refrigerate for up to two weeks

Brownie on the bottom, chocolate chip cookie dough on top. Say no more.

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted pareve margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

For the brownie batter:

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted pareve margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

To make the cookie dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the margarine and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined.

Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips and fold in. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9-x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper lined with parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray.

In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and margarine and stir until completely smooth and melted.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the sugar followed by the eggs, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the baking pan.

Dollop the cookie dough over the brownie batter and cover the brownie batter using an offset spatula.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top, gently pressing into batter, and return the pan to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove and allow to cool before slicing.

This recipe came from life as a strawberry and was an immediate hit. Next time I’ll make it with 1/2 multigrain flour and see how that turns out.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/4 warm water (about 100˚F)
1 1/5 tsp kosher salt
2 1/5 cups bread flour

Directions:

Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

Add kosher salt.

Add flour a little at a time and mix with a dough hook until combined.

Lightly flour all sides and turn it over inside the mixing bowl to cover. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until dough has doubled in size.

When dough has risen, lightly flour a large cutting board. Pour dough (carefully) onto cutting board and shape into a round loaf by pulling in the edges and flipping over.

Flour a mixing bowl and place the loaf seam side (folding side) down. Allow bread to rise for 30 minutes.

While bread is rising place an empty Dutch Oven with lid on into the oven and heat to 460˚F.

When oven is hot, take the Dutch Oven out and carefully put a trimmed piece of parchment in. Place the dough seam side up in the Dutch Oven carefully. Place the Dutch Oven back in the hot oven (using oven mitts) and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until crust has browned.

When done use a spatula to lift the bread out and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Adapted from janespatisserie.com, eggs appear in two ways in this festive delight. There are eggs in the cookie dough batter as well as Cadbury Mini Eggs folded in and as a decorative topping.

Ingredients:

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. corn meal
2 sticks unsalted pareve margarine or butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups Mini Eggs, divided
¾ cup white chocolate chips
¾ cup dark chocolate chip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine/butter. Add the sugars and mix until the sugars are dissolved.

Remove from the heat and add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and corn meal.

Transfer to the saucepan and fold until completely moistened.

Fold in 2 cups of Mini Eggs and the white and dark chocolate chips.

Press the batter down into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup Mini Eggs over the top and gently press down.

Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool before slicing into squares/bars.