oatmeal craisin chocolate chip cookies

Oh, the weather outside is frightful. What's more delightful than cookies?

Yield: 3 dozen cookies
140 calories per cookie
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1½ cups oats

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preparation

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and knead, with the paddle attachment, until very well combined.

4. Drop by rounded spoonful onto a cookie sheet.

5. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, and cool on a wire rack.

Original recipe found here.

pumpkin craisin bread

A delectably moist bread, the final installment in the pure pumpkin puree recipe series is a great addition to your Thanksgiving Day dinner table. It is also totally scrumptious toasted and slattered with butter.

Yield: One large loaf
3,550 calories per loaf
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 240 minutes

ingredients

4¾ cups high gluten flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon yeast

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

3/4 cup lukewarm  water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup craisins

preparation

1. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, yeast mixture, and knead on 2 until a dough forms.  The dough may be a little sticky, but if it seems too wet you may need to add a little more flour.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to double in bulk, about 2 hours.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log.

5. Place the log into a parchment lined loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until its very puffy, about 1 hour.

6. With about 30 minutes remaining in the final proof, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

7. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

Original recipe found here.

banana walnut raisin cookies

Ripe bananas have many uses outside of bread. Like Greek yogurt, bananas are a healthy ingredient alternative, delivering rich and moist baked goods. Walnuts give these cake cookies the perfect crunch.

Yield: 30 cookies
175 calories per cookie
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup of white sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attached, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

3. Add in the egg and beat to combine, about 30 seconds.

4. Add in the banana, baking soda, flour, salt, and spices. Mix, on a speed of 4, until well combined.

5. Add in the walnuts and raisins, mixing in “stir” until combined, about 15 seconds.

6. Place the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

7. Drop by the spoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

chocolate chip craisin bread

Enough with the savory, let's talk sweet. This no-knead recipe delivers bread packed with chocolaty goodness. 

Yield: 16 rolls or 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves

180 calories per roll or 2,900 calories per batch

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 15 hours

ingredients

the dough

3 cups high gluten flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

2½ teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1¾ cups lukewarm water

the filling

1½ cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

The day before: Making the dough

1. Mix the water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Given the small amount of yeast, the mixture doesn't get too bubbly or foamy.

2. Combine and mix the flours and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the yeast mixture, stirring with a plastic spoon until a soft, loose dough forms.

3. Roll the dough out onto a hard surface and knead by hand a few turns to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated. Form a ball. 

4. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours. 

The day of: Shaping and baking the bread

The dough will be bubbly and puffy when you roll it onto a lightly floured counter top. 

a. rolls:

5a. Cut the dough into half and roll it out into a long rectangle. Sprinkle the toppings on top of the dough and form a long jelly roll.  Cut the jelly roll into 8 pieces and form them each into small balls, making sure to seal and tuck in the ends.  No add-ins should poke out or through the dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

  

 

6a. Place the rolls on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise about 2 hours.  

7a. During the last 30 minutes of the proof, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

8a. Brush with egg wash, desired topping, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are deep brown in color.

b. loaf:

5b. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle.  Sprinkle on the toppings and form a jelly roll, rolling from the short side.  Form into a ball, making sure you seal and tuck in the ends. No add-ins should poke out or through the dough. Let rest 15 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 2 hours.

 

6b. During the last 30 minutes of proof, preheat the oven to 450°F and place a bread crock or an oven-safe pot in the oven while it heats up. I used an enameled cast iron dutch oven. 

7b. After the dough is risen, remove the crock from the oven, and turn the dough out of the bowl and into the parchment lined crock. Brush with egg wash, cover with the lid, and return to the oven. I used the plastic wrap cover to turn the dough into my hand and then dropped it into dutch oven to ensure the jelly roll seams would be on the bottom of the loaf during the bake.

8b. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and continue to bake another 30 minutes, until the bread is deep brown in color. (To prevent darker spots, make sure that in step 5 your dough is taut. Loose rolling + air bubble = unsightly, dark bubbles.)

Other modifications:

• Don’t include the chocolate chips or craisins: You’ll have a savory rye/wheat bread!
• Don't close up the ends and proof with cut side up so your rolls look more like pinwheels/cinnamon rolls.
• Use different add-ins like sweetened coconut flakes or dried lavender.

Original recipe found here.