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About, Cookies

Copy Cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

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Another Hayley and Michael fave! Gotta admit, I love ’em too!

Copy Cat Lofthouse Cookies

1/2 c (1 c) Butter, softened
1/2 c (1c) Sour Cream
12 oz (6 oz) Granulated Sugar
     [1 3/4 c  is 12 oz , I just don’t like messing around halving it, 6 oz is                easier)
1 (2) Eggs
1 (2) teaspoons Vanilla
1/4 (1/2) teaspoon Almond extract
3 c (6 c) Flour
3/4 (1 1/2)  teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 (1 ) teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 (1/2) teaspoon Salt

Frosting
1/2c (1c) Butter
1/2 (1) teaspoon Vanilla
2c (4c) Powdered Sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp (5 TBSP) Milk
Food Colouring and Sprinkles, if desired

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Line baking trays with parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt; set aside.
In stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sour cream until smooth and light in colour.
Add in the sugar, egg(s), vanilla and almond extract. Mix until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well after each addition.
To form drop cookies: using damp hands, roll dough into 2″ balls and place 2″ apart  on the prepared cookie sheet. Using a flat-bottomed glass dipped in sugar, press the cookie balls flat.
If preferred, you can roll out the dough after chilling the dough for 30 minutes.. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until 1/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut cookies and place 2″ apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake cookies in preheated 400F oven for 5 -7 minutes, The rolled cookies will take a lil longer, 8 – 10 minutes, baking just until the cookies being to set up and the bottoms are lightly brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and let cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Frosting
In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and extract until smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Add in the milk and food colouring, and beat until fluffy and smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies and immediately sprinkle on the sprinkles, if using.

Just a note: Watch them carefully when they are baking! The minute you see them turning golden brown on the bottom, remove them from the oven and let sit for 5 – 10minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Copy Cat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies!

About, Squares and Bars

“Starbucks” Oat Fudge Bars

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So back in 2012 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. She went into hospital at the beginning of Summer and never came home again. One of her fave things, while she could still chew and swallow was the Oat Fudge Bars from Starbucks downstairs!
I started making them in 2016. Four years after her passing.

Now my husband quite enjoys them! Can’t say I blame him, they are super delish!

Photo to Follow

 Oat Layers
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter
2 Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 cups Rolled Oats – I use Quick Oats
Fudgy Layer
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups Chocolate Chips – I use a combination of Semi-Sweet, Milk Choc0late and Dark Chocolate
1/2 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Fudgy Layer
In a small saucepan, gently heat together butter and sweetened condensed milk; stir in chocolate chips and vanilla;  stir until chocolate chips have melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly while you make the oat mixture.

Oat Mixture
In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and eggs.
Mix flour, soda and oats; add slowly to creamed mixture.
Spread 3/4 of the oat mixture into a 9×13 lined with parchment paper.
Spread fudge layer over the pressed down oat mixture.
Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the fudgy layer.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes.

About, Coffee Cakes

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

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Sometimes you find yourself without eggs, and milk, and vanilla, and vinegar, and well, a whole lot of ingredients but you need to pull together a breakfast!
I have found myself in this exact position not once but twice in the past two weeks. Seriously, NOTE TO SELF: BRING VANILLA, VINEGARS, EMERGENCY POWDERED EGGS, POWDERED MILK

In the meantime, I pulled these Vegan Pancakes off and they were actually really good! I would suggest letting the batter sit for about 15 minutes before cooking. I used my electric griddle which made them turn out beautifully! I just can’t seem to get the hang of cooking pancakes in a cast iron frying pan…nor a cast iron griddle! All good, the sun was shining when I wanted to make these for breakfast AND the wind was ripping through here so the wind turbine was generating extra power too!

Without further ado….

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

2 cups Flour
4 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Almond Milk
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Vanilla

Maple Syrup, to serve
Whipped Cream, to serve

In medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In small mixing bowl, combine almond milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla, stirring well.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Do not over mix to avoid rubbery pancakes.
Let batter rest for about 15 minutes.
Preheat your electric griddle or non-stick pan, or cast iron pan on stovetop; pour about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake –  my griddle accommodates cooking six at a time.
When the top begins to bubble, flip the pancake and cook second side until lovely and golden.
Serve warm with Maple Syrup, Fresh Fruit and Whipped Cream.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days: reheat in the toaster or enjoy cold with a nut butter and jam, jelly or honey.

No eggs? No worries! Delicious egg free, dairy free pancakes. 

About, Yeast

My Sourdough Journey

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I use my paternal Grandmother’s ancient tea towel to cover my resting bread dough. So much Love.

While in the Fraser Valley I gave away some Sourdough Starter so I thought I would share with you how I use my Starter.
I tend to use a Sourdough Hybrid recipe which requires a bit of yeast because I live at higher elevations and it is pretty dang cold up there sometimes too! I love the look of the Cobb Sourdough Bread, love it’s crispy exterior but I find that when I split the dough and make two loaves I can make heaps more sammies with the same amount of dough. Right?
Then again, I often make up the Sourdough, cook off half of it as a loaf and the second half I make into Pizza! hmmmmmPizza! Sourdough Pizza Crust is the bomb!
I make Sourdough Pancakes too. I am still experimenting with that; the recipes I have used so far come out a little too flimsy and flat for my liking. Or am I just spoiled by my yummy, fluffy, oh so good but not so good for you Pancakes? So now I am drooling on my keyboard…
There are so many things you can do with Sourdough Starter and I have only just barely scraped the top of the iceberg! Sourdough is supposed to be good for you too; ah, yea! Bread that is good for me? Sign me up!  You can read about it here
https://iquitsugar.com/why-sourdough-bread-good-for-you/

I will give you the recipes and processes I use. I would love to know how your Sourdough Bread journey goes!
If I gave you a bit of Brittany Blue, please do try to take care of her. You need to feed her now and again. She does prefer to get used  in yummy baking, so use her often!

Brittany Blue
4 liquid ounces Water
4 weighed ounces Flour

When I make bread I use 1 cup of starter so I pour some Brittany Blue out then add the water and flour, stir well to combine and put her back  in her spot on the counter.
Let’s talk about where the starter lives:
I keep Brittany Blue on the counter because, frankly, my kitchen is often quite cool.  In the Summer when temps tend to be a lil warmer I put Brittany Blue out in the Cold Room where she seems to do quite well.
I do use Brittany Blue once a week so I tend to feed her the day before I want to use her, two or three days later and then once more the day before I use her to make more bread.
I don’t always use the 8 fluid ounces of starter that I remove; sometimes I just chuck it in the compost.

The two recipes I always use:

This one  I make into two loaves or a loaf and a pizza crust

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/rustic-sourdough-bread-recipe

Sourdough Bread Loaves make very yummy sandwiches
Sometimes I make one loaf of Sourdough Bread and use the remaining dough to make Pizza

This is the recipe I use to make a cobb of Sourdough Bread and it is damn delicious! No to ways about it! And the sound of that crackle when it comes outta the oven? Devine!
http://www.katie180.com.au/recipes/how-to-make-sourdough-step-by-step/

Sourdough Cobb in my Cast Iron Dutch Oven, easy peasy!
About, Breakfast

As You Like it Granola

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I have been making Granola for years. The tried and true recipe I have been using is heavy on the fat and sugar which is probably what makes it taste so darn good! No word of a lie, I could sit down with a Modular Mate Round #2 full of Brown Sugar and eat the entire contents, no worries! I’d pay for it afterwards but man,  it sure tastes good going down! ( I may be drooling on my keyboard as I type this and also thinking of making Caramel Corn…)
We moved off the grid a year ago where I have continued to make my fave granola recipe but yesterday, for some reason, I decided to try something different. Oh, right. We are in the shoulder season out here in the bush, with limited sunshine these days so no rays to power our batts…that’s what prompted me to open an actual cookbook to source a Granola Recipe. When the Batts are running low we conserve energy in every way possible which means no turning on my computer. I usually just open up my old fave Fruit and Nut Granola .
I can cook to my hearts content because that is propane fuelled…well, let’s not go crazy there…still have to have the propane in the 100lb tanks to operate the stove and heat the water.
Yes, I could have looked in my treasure trove of hand written recipes but I have this Skinnytaste Cookbook that I paid good money for so I thought I might as well flip through the pages.
On Page 26 you will find the recipe for her Good For You Granola. I’m calling it As You Like it Granola because you can really make all kinds of substitutions…which I did…and it will still turn out wonderfully!  The thing that drew me to making this recipe is the drastic cut in fat and sugar! I didn’t think it could possibly taste as good as my old recipe but I was wrong. It is AMAZING!
I searched for her recipe online but couldn’t find it so I will write it up here for you but I strongly suggest you head over to SkinnyTaste to check out all of her fantastic recipes!  To be sure, I double the recipe and I am very glad that I did!

As You Like It Granola from Skinnytaste (Good-for-You Granola p. 26)

Because I doubled the recipe and found it to be the perfect amount for the two of us (regular Granola consumers) I am going to list the doubled amounts. And I am going to list my subs…coconut flakes, hemp hearts, pecans and as for the fruit? Your call!

1/2 cup Quinoa
3 cups Old Fashion Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Coconut Flakes
1/2 cup Hemp Hearts
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1/2 cup dried Blueberries
1/2 cup dried Cherries
1/2 cup dried Peaches, cut/torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup dried Strawberries

1/2 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper – preferable to silpat because you can chuck it away.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water in a fine mesh sieve; drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
Spread quinoa, oats, and coconut out on the baking sheet.
Toast in the oven, stirring once, until golden, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile gather together the fruit and nut combo that you prefer, toss together with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
In another small bowl combine the honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla; set aside.

Remove quinoa/oat mixture from the oven.
Pour the fruit/nut and spice mixture over top and gently mix in.
Drizzle wet ingredients over all and gently toss with a large metal spatula, spreading the mixture evenly over  the entire baking sheet.
Return to oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 – 12 minutes, stirring once at the halfway mark.
Remove from oven , give it a gentle stir, and cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a container with an airtight lid.

Makes about 8 cups of Granola
Store in airtight container for up to a month….if it lasts that long!