Brownies

Brownies

1 1/3 cup butter/margarine
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

35-40 minutes @ 350

Chocolate Frosting
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp warm water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup icing sugar

1. Mix together the butter and the sugar.

2. Mix in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

4. Stir in the walnuts.

5. Spread in a pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350.

6. For frosting, melt the butter and the chocolate in double broiler. Once melted add in water and vanilla.

7. Take off the heat and whisk in the icing sugar.

8. Once the brownie has cooled, top it with the frosting.

-thank you Julie for the recipe-

Apple Chips

Apple Chips

3 apples
1/4 cup (slightly less) sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or as much as you like)
3 cup water
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice

2 hours @ 225

1. Cut up apples in 1/8" slices. Put the cut slices into the bowl of water and lime juice if you want to keep them from getting brown while you cut the rest of the slices.

 2. Dry off the soaked slices before seasoning them.

3. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture onto both sides of the apple slices.

4. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and lay the apple slices on top of the cooling rack. (you can also use parchment paper on the baking sheet instead of a cooling rack)
5. Bake for about 2 hours at 225, or until the slices have gotten pretty crispy. They will harden a bit more once they have cooled. Try not to eat them all at once.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 can pumpkin puree (~398mL)
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

25 minutes @350

1. Mix together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin.

2. Add in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

3. Gradually add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Spoon into muffin tin. Should make about 18 cupcakes. Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

 5. Add icing if you like, but they are really good on their own.

Soda Bread

Soda Bread

4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter/margarine
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup buttermilk

50-60 minutes @ 350

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Cut the butter into the dry mixture until the butter is in fine pieces.

 3. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture. Mix the buttermilk and eggs together and then add them to the center of the well.

 4. Mix with a fork until it comes together to make a soft dough.

5. Make the dough into a ball and knead about 10 times.
6. Put the dough on a lightly greased pan. Make the dough about 8" across and cut a large X into the top of the dough.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350.

Pretzels

Pretzels

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp baking soda
6 cups water
coarse salt

12 minutes @ 425

1. Activate yeast in the warm water with 1 tsp of sugar. Let the yeast sit for about 15 minutes to activate.

2. Make a well in the flour and add the rest of the sugar, the regular salt, the oil and the yeast to the centre of the well.

 3. Stir the mixture around until it the dough comes together. If it seems a bit dry add a bit more water, a tsp at a time.

 4. Knead the dough for about five minutes and then place it in an oiled bowl, making sure to roll the dough ball around to coat all sides.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for about an hour until it has about doubled in size.

6. When the dough has finished rising, punch and knead it a bit more. Then separate it evenly into 12 ball of dough.

7. Take each ball and roll it out with your hands to around a foot and a half in length (with the middle slightly thicker than the ends). Twist it into pretzel shape.

8. Boil the baking soda and water mixture and drop each pretzel into it for 10 seconds in each side. Take the pretzel out and let dry a bit and add a bit of coarse salt on top.

 9. Bake for 12 minutes at 425.

10. Enjoy with a beer :)

Focaccia

Focaccia

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

olive oil
salt
pepper
onion powder
rosemary (about 2 1/2 tbsp)
garlic (4-5 cloves)

20 minutes @ 425

1. Add yeast sugar and water together in small bowl. Wait about 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

 2. Once yeast is activated put it in a large bowl with the flour and salt. Mix around, gradually adding a little bit more water at a time until the dough is coming together. Knead the dough for 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

3. Coat a large bowl with olive oil and put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for 45 minutes.

 4. When the dough has finished  rising, punch and knead it on the counter a bit more.
5. Spread out the dough on a slightly oiled pan. Make dimples in it with your fingers.

 6. Coat lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with onion powder, salt, pepper, finely chopped garlic and coarsely chopped rosemary.

 7. Bake for 20 minutes at 425.