Pear and Buckwheat Cake

With a dusting of powdered sugar you have an exceptional

cake to serve with tea or coffee!

Beautiful to look at and delicious to eat!

Arrange pear slices on top of cake.  I like to use large slices,
so this is 1 1/2 pears.  I don't use the little edge pieces, because I think the cake looks
prettier when all the slices are similar in size.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe source: Sourdough by Sarah Owens

170g buckwheat flour

50g almond flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

115g butter, softened

165g raw sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

100g 100% hydration starter

1 pear cored and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges

25g sliced almond

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9" cake tin.  In a large bowl combine the butter, sugar and eggs using a handheld mixer. Add the almond extract and beat until combined. Using a fork, beat in the starter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a third at a time.

Pour the batter into the pan.  Decorate with the sliced pear and almonds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Serve warm or at room temp.

Bleu Cheese and Walnut Crackers

Savory and rich,  perfect to serve with fruit and a glass of wine!

Crackers like these are the exact treat I like to add to a cheese platter
or charcuterie board. But they are  also delicious by themselves, with there
rich buttery, nutty and cheesy taste.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Sourdough by Sarah Owens

85g butter, softened

100g semisoft bleu cheese

60g 100% hydration starter

60g whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp. salt

60g walnuts,chopped

1 egg yolk

dash of cream

Beat the butter and Bleu cheese together until smooth. Add the starter and blend. Add the flours and salt and blend just until it comes together.

Roll the dough into a log and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Chop walnuts. Remove log from refrigerator and allow to soften for 

5-10 minutes. Whisk together egg yolk and cream.  Brush onto log and roll log in chopped walnuts. 

Slice log as thin as possible.  Place slices on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on rack. 

Fennel, Orange and Almond Biscotti

Crunchy, thin sliced biscotti are perfect for dunking.

Sliced at just 1/8 of an inch they are a slim treat.

Toasted and browned, the spices, almonds and orange are very fragrant!

Two easy to form logs of dough go into the oven.

After baking, the logs have puffed slightly, and are cooling
before slicing.

I love biscotti of all kinds, but I especially love trying new recipes
that I instantly fall in love with!!
This recipe I know will be made many more times at our house!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Sourdough by Sarah Owens

4 large eggs

150g sugar

1 tsp. salt

100g 100% sourdough starter(100% hydration)

1/2 Tbsp. whole fresh fennel seeds or dried anise seed

90g candied orange peel, chopped

260g whole raw almonds

400g whole wheat flour

70g medium cornmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a handheld mixer on high until mixture thickens. Add the starter, seeds, orange peel, and almonds and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the flour and cornmeal in several batches, stirring after each addition until hydrated. 

Form the dough into two logs. Place on parchment paper. Bake, rotating half way through, for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Cool for 20-25 minutes. Cut the logs wafer thin about 1/8 inch thick slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the edges become a golden color.  

These store well for weeks in an air tight container.

Black Bread

A wonderful spongy texture!

Out of the oven, the aroma is amazing.

An overnight rise in the refrigerate, gives it time to expand.

This bread is a powerhouse of flavor.  Due to the strong taste, you need 

to pair it with other strong flavors.

Or pure simplicity.... soft butter!!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Toast and Jam by Sarah Owens

90g sourdough starter

225g water

115g strong brewed coffee, tepid

40g unsulphured molasses

280g bread flour

115g whole wheat flour

55g rye flour

10g cocoa powder

10g fine sea salt

Butter or oil for greasing tin

Place water, starter, coffee and molasses in bowl and stir to a slurry.  Slowly incorporate flours, until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and allow to autolyse at room temp. for 20-30 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix in to distribute evenly.

Remove dough from bowl and perform slap-and-fold method.

Return dough to bowl and allow to bulk proof for 4 hours, stretching and folding every 30-45 minutes.

Cut dough in half and shape into loaves. Place in tins and refrigerate for 8-36 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator 1 hour before baking.  Preheat oven to 435 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool on racks.

Buttermilk Rye

This loaf has a very dense crumb, but is wonderful

with spreadable cheese, or toasted served with 

ham and sharp cheese. 

During second proofing, the dough gets just a bit sticky
and all the flax seeds stick to the top.

The bread and seeds have taken on a beautiful brown
color, coming out of the oven.

As Always,

ENJOY!

 Recipe Source:  Toast and Jam by Sarah Owens

For the Sourdough Levain:

1 large very ripe banana

50g sourdough starter

50g water

50g rye flour

For the Soaker:

20g flax seed

55g water

For the dough:

465g buttermilk

225g water

45g maple syrup

20g fine sea salt

800g whole rye flour

200g Type T-85 wheat flour

Butter or oil for greasing tin

For Topping:

20 to 30g flax seed

Mash the banana in a large bowl.  Add water and starter and stir. Stir in the flour until it is somewhat soupy. cover and ferment at room temp. for 8-12 hours.

Place flax seed in a seperate bowl add water and allow to sit covered until ready to use.

To the bowl with the Levain, add the soaker, buttermilk, water, maple syrup, and salt, stir to a slurry. Add the flours and mix until well hydrated.

Cover and allow to bulk proof at room temp. for 3-4 hours.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.  Shape into loaves and place in well greased tins. Top with the flax seed. Cover and refrigerate loaves overnight.

Take loaves from refrigerator 2 hours before baking. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Place loaves in oven on middle rack. On lower rack add a pan with 1/2 cup water, steam for 12-15 minutes, remove steam pan, lower temperature to 425 and bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Seeded Tahini Pain Rustique

This bread is fantastic fresh or toasted!

If using fresh, serve with citrusy spreads and butter.

If toasted, it is amazing with avocado!

This bread is amazingly flavorful!  With the Levain developed,
and the multitude of seeds, plus the tahini, you have
a really tasty bread on many levels.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  Toast and Jam by Sarah Owens

For the Sourdough Levain:

50g sourdough starter

250g water

220g bread flour

30g spelt flour

For the Soaker:

15g flax seed

15g poppy seed

15g sesame seeds

15g amaranth or quinoa

15g pepitas or sunflower seeds

For the Dough:

80g water

40g tahini sauce

150g bread flour

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

80g spelt flour

25g rye flour

8g fine sea salt

For the Outer Coating:

60g mixed seeds as those used in the dough

Mix the Levain, cover and ferment at room temp. for 8-12 hours.

To the Levain add the water, flours, tahini and yeast, mix until shaggy. allow to autolyse 20 minutes, and then add the salt, mixing to distribute.

Remove dough from bowl and do slap-and-fold method for 5 minutes. Spread dough into a rectangle and begin incorporating the soaker. Return dough to bowl, cover and allow to proof for 2 hours.

If making dough in tins, cut dough in half and shape loaves.  Roll the outside in the seed mixture, and place in tins with seam side down, continuing proofing for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Bake at 435 degrees for 30-35 min.

Loki's Brownie

A rich dark brownie, with a moist texture, 

but not gooey and raw.

Before baking, my added filling/topping

was almonds, cashews, dried cranberries,

and chocolate chips.

After baking, the brownies have puffed

to a beautiful thickness, that is perfect for serving.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Scandiakitchen by Bronte Aurell

INGREDIENTS
200g  dark chocolate
250g  butter
275g sugar
3 eggs
75g flour
50g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
150 g filling of choice

20x20cm/8x8in. square baking pan
greased and lined with baking
parchment

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 170C or 340F degrees.

Melt the chocolate and the butter together, set aside.

Beat sugar and eggs together by hand with a whisk. Add cooled melted chocolate and mix.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl, add the vanilla, and fold with a spatula, take care not to overwork the mixture. Fold in 100g of filling. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining filling on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the side comes out clean. The middle can still be gooey, but it should not wobble when you shake the pan. Let cool then cut into squares.

Filling suggestions: Walnuts, pecans, macadamia, or brazil nuts, your favorite sweet candy, marshmallow, chopped Daim bars, toffee, caramels, licorice, soft nouget, prailine chunks, mint chocolate or chocolate buttons. Dried fruit such as raisins or cherries. 

Peach and Amaretto Shortbread Slice

A wonderful fruit filling takes these 

shortbread type cookies to another level.

After baking, the cookies have a rich 

golden color.

Bake these in a parchment paper lined pan, 

then when cool, lift out and cut into perfect squares!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Source:  In A Jam by Kirsten Day

185g butter, softened
100g sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
250g flour
250g Peach and Amaretto Jam( I used homemade Apricot Jam and I added a little almond extract)

Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 degrees F.  Line a 20x30cm tin with parchment paper.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add the flour and mix until just combined, but still crumbly.

Put 3/4 of the dough into the tin, and press until flat.  Bake for 10 min.  Remove from the oven, spread the jam over the crust evenly and sprinkle with the remaining dough. Put back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until lightly golden in color.

Completely cool before cutting into squares.

Antipasto Cherry Tomatoes

Trader Joe's is always full of new surprises!

Arrange these little marinated gems on some
sliced Italian bread, add a few olives, and you have a
fun and quick little appetizer!

I love that these can just be kept in your pantry
until ready to use.  Having a few items like this,
you are ready in a flash for unexpected guests,
or for taking a beautiful tray of antipasto to a party.
Add some marinated artichokes or mushrooms,
a selection of olives, and some crackers or bread
and you have something every Italian would be proud to eat!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Heirloom tomatoes and Burrata Salad

How fortunate for me, to live in the LA area and have 

available on Wednesday mornings, the Santa Monica

Farmer's Market!

These gorgeous heirloom tomatoes were in abundance 

at many of the stalls. After selecting a green, red, 

and yellow variety, I knew how I wanted to enjoy these beauties!

I headed straight for the new EATALY, LA!!

They make homemade mozzarella, ricotta,

and Burrata, fresh, everyday!

Now with fabulous tomatoes and cheese, I could

not wait for the dinner hour to arrive!

As Always,

ENJOY!