Gingerbread

INGREDIENTS

3/4 c. 

(1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c. 

packed brown sugar

2/3 c. 

molasses

1 

large egg

1 tsp. 

pure vanilla extract

3 1/4 c. 

all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. 

ground ginger

1 tsp. 

baking soda

1 tsp. 

ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. 

ground cloves

1/2 tsp. 

kosher salt

1/4 tsp. 

ground nutmeg

Sugar Cookie Icing, for decorating

Sprinkles, for decorating

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking soda, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until dough just comes together. (Do not overmix!)
3. Divide dough in half and create two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. 
4. Preheat oven to 350° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/4" thick. Cut out gingerbread men and transfer to baking sheets.
5. Bake until slightly puffed and set, 9 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
6.  Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.

Lebkuchen

lebkuchen.

Adapted from Clara’s aunt

https://dpmdoes.com/2011/12/31/lebkuchen/

makes about 2 dozen cookies, at 2 1/2 inches in diameter  

50 grams candied orange peel, finely diced
50 grams candied lemon peel, finely diced
3 tbsp rum
100 grams ground hazelnuts
100 grams ground almonds (skins or no, to your liking)
7 grams lebkuchen spice
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
150 grams brown sugar
a pinch of salt
24 back-oblaten, 70mm in diameter (optional)

optional glazing 
200 grams chocolate (sweetness to your liking)
3 tablespoons of butter
or
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
cold water

1. Mix candied peel with rum, set aside to soak. Toss ground nuts with spices and baking powder and set aside.

3. Beat the eggs on high until pale and yellow, about four minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat another good while, five minutes or so. The more you whip the eggs, the better your cookies with turn out.

4. If the candied peel is too wet (though it likely won’t be) drain. Using a wooden spoon, fold the flour mixture and candied rum peels into the egg mixture.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rounded spoonfuls of the mixture on the parchment paper, making sure each cookie is at least 2 cm tall and leaving 3 – 4 cm between them. Optional: if using back-oblaten, form cookies directly on wafers, making sure that each cookie is about 2cm tall. Again, as the cookies don’t spread in baking, cover the entire wafer. 

6. Allow the cookies to rest for one hour at room temperature.

*

7. Preheat the oven to 150 C / 302 F.

8. Bake cookies for about 15-18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are brown and firm to the touch, but not hard. You want the cookies to browned, but still moist inside. It’s better to air on the side of slight undercooking, than to overcook them. Remove them from the oven and cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Optional glazing (allow cookies to cool completely, first!) 

For the chocolate: Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt over a double boiler. Remove from heat. Cut butter into small pieces,  add to chocolate, and stir until the butter has melted and the chocolate is glossy. Holding the cookie by the edges and using a knife, coat entire cookie (top and bottom) with a thin, even layer of chocolate. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When all cookies are done, set in  the fridge to harden.

For the icing: Mix confectioners sugar with cold water, starting with just 1 tablespoon and adding in small increments, until the icing is thin enough to spread but not runny. Spread over the top and bottom of each cookie, and smooth out using a knife. When all cookies are done, set in the fridge to harden.

Cookies will keep refrigerated up to two weeks. Store between layers of wax paper. 

Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 1/4 cups milk
  
  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
  
  
  
  
  

Brezeln!

SOURCE: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/08/09/338591194/for-a-proper-pretzel-crust-count-on-chemistry-and-memories

Nina Goebel's Bavarian Pretzels

500 grams flour

1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
200-250 milliliters hot water (almost boiling)
60 grams baking soda
1 liter of water
Coarse kosher salt (for sprinkling just before baking)

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)

In a food processor with dough-blade attachment, mix yeast, hot water, salt and flour. Place into a bowl and cover with a moist kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about two hours.

Form dough into pretzels, rolls or whatever shape you prefer. (Note: The actual pretzel shape is really difficult to get right; rolls are far easier)

Mix baking soda into water and bring to a boil. Dip pretzels for 30 seconds to a minute, turn and leave in the solution for another 30 seconds. Take them out carefully with a slotted spoon and dry off, patting with a paper towel. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 14-20 minutes, until "nice and brown."

Important: Avoid touching the dough after dipping it into the baking soda mixture, and keep it off of aluminum surfaces. It's not lye, but it's still corrosive.

Traditionally one would use a lye-bath before baking: https://www.rezeptschachtel.de/laugenbrezel_rezept.html

Ingredients for 12 pretzels (2 baking trays):

25 g fresh yeast

350 ml of cold water

650 g wheat flour type 550

12 g or 3 Tl salt

60 g of butter or margarine

500 ml sodium hydroxide, concentration 4% max.

Coarse salt for sprinkling (pretzel salt, hail salt)

Baking pretzels:

The pretzel dough is processed cold, so the lye pretzels form the best. For the pretzels and no Vorteig is necessary.

First prepare two baking trays for the pretzels. Grease the baking trays well or cover them with permanent baking foil. Baking paper is less suitable for pretzels, as the caustic soda attacks the baking paper and the pretzels can be loosened from the baking paper badly after baking. If you coat the baking paper thinly but completely with edible oil on the top, baking paper can also be used quite well.

Put yeast, cold water, flour, salt and butter or margarine in a bowl and knead with a hand mixer (dough hook) for 5 minutes, or better in a food processor for 10 minutes to a smooth dough. The pretzel dough should be relatively firm and not sticky.

Then cut the pretzel dough into 12 equal portions. Cut the dough in half, halve the two halves again, and then cut all 4 pieces into three pieces. Or use a digital kitchen scale to weigh 12 dough pieces of 90 grams each.

Flour Tortillas

Source:
https://thecafesucrefarine.com/best-ever-homemade-flour-tortillas/


Ingredients 
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup vegetable oil (I used an olive oil mix)
1 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix dry ingredients until well combined.

   
   
2. Add oil and water with mixer running at a medium speed. After about 1 minute, or when mixture comes together and begins to form a ball, decrease mixing speed to low. Continue to mix for 1 minute or until dough is smooth.

   
   
3. Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface. Divide into 16 equal portions. Turn each piece to coat with flour. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes (or as much as 2 hours) before proceeding.

   
   
4. After the rest period, heat a large pan over medium heat. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keep work surface and rolling pin lightly floured. Don’t stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other or they will get soggy.

   
   
5. When the pan is very hot, place one dough circle into the pan and allow to cook about 1 minute or until the bottom surface has a few pale brown spots and the uncooked surface is bubbly. If browning too fast, reduce the heat a bit. If it’s taking longer than a minute to see a few pale golden brown spots on the underside of tortillas, increase the heat a bit. Flip to other side and cook for 15-20 seconds. The tortillas should be nice and soft but have a few small brown spots on the surface. 

   
   

   
   
6. Remove from pan with tongs and stack in a covered container or zippered bag to keep the tortillas soft. 
7. Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel in the bottom of a microwave-safe container (with a cover) that will hold the stacked tortillas. Microwave uncovered for 15-30 seconds (start with 15) or until warm, then keep covered to hold heat while serving.

   
   
8. Store in an airtight container or zippered bag at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zippered bag before placing in the freezer.
   
   
   
   
   
   https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/whole-wheat-tortillas/
   

   Author:  Gemma Stafford

   Servings:  10

   Ingredients

   • 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2oz/355g) whole wheat flour
   • 1 cup (5oz/142g) all-purpose flour 
   • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
   • 1 teaspoon salt 
   • 1/4 cup (2floz/57ml) vegetable oil (or any oil)
   • 1 1/4 cup (10oz/282ml) warm water

   Instructions

   • In your stand mixer bowl (or any other large bowl), mix the flours, baking powder and salt together. 
   • Next, add the oil into the dry ingredients and mix with your hands, rubbing the oil into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.
   • Start by adding 3/4 cup of the warm water and keep mixing until the dough is smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining water if needed to bring your dough to a smooth ball.
   • Cut the dough into 10 pieces about 2 oz. each. Roll each piece into a ball, and let them rest for 15 minutes, covered with a towel. 
   • Once rested, roll out the tortillas into 8-inch x 8-inch circles on a floured surface. If you move around the dough while rolling it makes it easy to get it round. 
   • Put a skillet over medium heat and let it warm up for 5-7 minutes before adding your first tortilla. The pan needs to be hot to brown the tortilla and cook it quick.
   • Place the tortilla into the hot pan and let it cook for 2 minutes on the first side or until the top side starts to puff and the under is golden. Flip over and cook for another minute or 2. Repeat with the rest of your tortillas. Enjoy immediately. 
   • Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. They also freeze really well for up to 8 weeks. 

French Toast

Found at: https://addapinch.com/perfect-french-toast-recipe/ Ingredients 2 large eggs 1 cup milk, half and half, coconut milk, or almond milk pinch salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, honey or maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 8 slices sandwich bread butter Directions Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a flat-bottomed pie plate or baking dish. Place bread slices, one or two at a time, into the egg mixture and flip to make sure both sides of bread are well-coated. Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle. Place bread slices in skillet or on griddle and cook on medium heat until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm in oven until ready to serve, but no longer than about 30 minutes. Notes You are simply dipping your bread slices into the egg mixture. If you leave your bread in the mixture for an extended amount of time, it will absorb more liquid and take longer to cook through. OR this Checf John recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237140/chef-johns-french-toast/ Ingredients 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 pinch salt 6 (1 inch thick) slices French bread 1 tablespoon butter, or as needed Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place bread slices in egg mixture and soak, turning to coat, until bread is completely saturated. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook bread in hot butter until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer toasted bread to a baking sheet. Bake toast in the oven until outside is crisp and slightly puffed, 12 to 15 minutes.

Shortbread Cookies

2 cups butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well. Put through cookie press and form cookies onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. from Allrecipes.com

From Alton Brown: Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon milk Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough Directions Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Royal Icing

from Alton Brown: 

Ingredients 

3 ounces pasteurized egg whites 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4 cups confectioners' sugar 

 Directions 

 In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. ****Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs, shellfish and meat may increase the risk of foodborne illness.

From NY TIMES Cooking:

• 3 ¾ cups/1 pound/454 grams confectioners’ sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
•  Pinch kosher salt
•  Food coloring, as needed

Chickpea Meatballs

Sourced from: https://www.karissasvegankitchen.com/vegan-chickpea-meatballs/ This recipe pairs well with a sauce that features very jarred minced garlic — the over the top garlic balances with eh subtle flavors of these meatballs. Also, pair with pasta made from vegetables, squash spirals or spaghetti squash. INGREDIENTS 2 cups chickpeas - reserve chickpea liquid if using canned 2.5 tablespoons ground flax seed 6 tablespoons water 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon marjoram 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/4 teaspoon black pepper INSTRUCTIONS If you're using dried chickpeas, soak for 4 hours. Boil them until they are splitting, about 45 minutes to an hour. Skip to Step 2 if using canned chickpeas! Drain the chickpeas & pinch the skin off as many as you have the patience for. Blend chickpeas in a blender until broken down. Make your flax seed "eggs" - mix 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Mix together the chickpeas and flax seed eggs. Mix in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too sticky, add more breadcrumbs half a tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add a little chickpea liquid or oil. You want a consistency that will be easy to roll into balls without sticking to your hands or cracking. Taste it - does it need something? Add more of your favorite seasonings if you want! The perk of veggie meatballs is that you can taste test before cooking! Form the chickpea mixture into meatballs and place onto a greased or parchment-lined baking dish. In a 450 degree oven, bake the chickpea meatballs for 20-25 minutes, turning over halfway through. They will be golden and crispy on the outside when done!

Marzipan

From the Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/marzipan-521098 What You'll Need 1 lb. almond paste 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten How to Make It Coarsely chop up the almond paste with a knife until it is in small quarter-size chunks, and place the almond paste in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl and mix them together on low speed with the paddle attachment until the almond paste has broken down and everything has a fine, sandy texture. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the egg whites until everything comes together in a ball in the mixer. You may find that you do not need to add all of the egg whites. Once the marzipan has formed a ball, take it out of the mixer, dust a workstation with powdered sugar, and knead the marzipan until it is completely smooth and has a nice, pliable texture. You can use the marzipan immediately, or wrap it up for later use. To store it, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then place it in a zip-top plastic bag. Marzipan will keep for 3 months in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to bring marzipan to room temperature before using it.

Almond Paste

What You'll Need 1.5 cups whole blanched almonds 1.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 large egg white, lightly beaten, at room temperature Almonds Almonds are sold in various states of preparation: whole, sliced, or slivered, blanched or natural. It is easy to find whole almonds that have been skinned, but these are typically more expensive than “natural” almonds, so if cost is a consideration, you might want to skin them yourself. To skin whole almonds, drop them in boiling water and let them cook for 1 minutes, then drain the nuts and let them cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, pinch the nuts between your fingers and the nuts will slide out of the skin. To toast almonds, spread them in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees until they are light brown and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the amount of nuts. Check the nuts frequently and stir them to ensure even toasting. How to Make It Place the whole blanched almonds and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar in a large food processor (at least 7 cups in volume) fitted with a steel blade. Process the nuts and sugar until the nuts are very finely ground, stopping periodically to scrape the sides of the processor bowl. The sugar will help prevent the nuts from turning into almond butter, but still be careful about overprocessing. Once the almonds are very finely ground, add the rest of the powdered sugar and pulse until it is completely mixed into the ground almonds. Stop the processor and add the egg white and the almond extract, if using. Turn the processor back on and process the almond paste until it comes together in a clump in the food processor. If it seems very sticky, add a little more powdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, until it is smooth. You can use the almond paste at once or wrap it to use at a later date. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store it in a zip-top bag. Wrapped this way, the almond paste can be kept for up to 3 months in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to bring the almond paste to room temperature before using it in recipes.

Eggplant Bacon

INGREDIENTS 1 medium eggplant 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. maple syrup 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke Freshly ground black pepper DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 300°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut eggplant in quarters, lengthwise. Slice each quarter into long, thin strips. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, paprika, and liquid smoke. Place eggplant slices onto baking sheets and brush both sides with sauce. Season with pepper. Bake until eggplant is cooked through and beginning to get crisp, 45-50 minutes.