These pinwheels are super easy to make if you have puff pastry and olive tapenade on hand.  I know that I've mentioned this before, but puff pastry is super versatile and itès such a simple way to throw together dozens of varieties of appetizers and sweets.  For this recipe you can either make the tapenade at home, or as a shortcut you can always use store-bought tapenade as well.  The amount of tapenade in the recipe below leaves plenty leftover to be used elsewhere.  

Defrost, roll out, and then cut the puff pastry using a pizza cutter or a knife.  I cut my sheets into squares then cut in diagonally towards the center of each square from the corners, leaving a bit of uncut space in the very center.

Fill each square's centre with a tablespoon full of the olive tapenade.  

Fold in every other corner to give the pastries a pinwheel shape.  

Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions.

for the tapenade:

Ingredients:
​1/3 cup olive oil 
1 (8oz) can black olives, drained
1 (8oz) can green olives, drained
2 tbsp capers
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method:

1. Add everything to the food processor.
2. Blend until fairly smooth.

for the pinwheels:

Ingredients:
1 packet of puff pastry, defrosted
Olive Tapenade

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   
2. Roll out the pastry dough and using a pizza cutter cut into equal squares.
   
3. Cut in from every corner of each square diagonally towards the centre leaving space in the centre and not cutting all the way through (see the image above as a reference).
4. Fill each square with 1 tbsp of the olive tapenade.
5. Fold in every other corner of the square to get the pinwheel shape.
6. bake for 18 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden.  

Can be served warm or cold and can also be made ahead of time and kept for up to one week.

Lemon tarts are super simple to make if you have some lemon curd kicking around at home, you can use store bought curd or make some yourself.  I have a recipe for some delicious curd here.  This is more of a how-to rather than a recipe itself.  You basically need to fill some pre-made tart shells with lemon curd and bake them.  These tarts can be made ahead and frozen if you want to have some on hand for later.  When you want to use them just pull them out of the freezer an hour in advance.  The curd never freezes solid so it really doesn't take long for the tarts to defrost.

Ingredients:
frozen tart shells
lemon curd (recipe here)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F
2. Place tart shells on a cookie sheet
3. Fill shells with lemon curd
   
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until curd is set. 

​Cool before serving

Mix the wet ingredients

Sift together the dry ingredients and make the banana mixture.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3-4 very ripe bananas, peeled & mashed
3 tbsp whole fat Greek yogurt
1 tspvanilla extract
2/3 cup toasted walnuts (optional)


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F°, grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together both flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
3. In a separate bowl mash the banana, and mix in the yogurt and vanilla, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, and oil until light and fluffy.
5. Stir in the mashed bananas.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients and nuts or chocolate chips (if you're using them).
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of bread comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing the bread from the pan.

This recipe is from Mountain Mama Cooks

Berries, lemon, and mint all scream summer to me.  This cake is super easy to whip up and you don't have to be stuck in a hot kitchen for very long because decorating it is really quick.  You can either go ahead and use a store bought cake mix if you're short on time and just add the juice from half a lemon and some finely chopped mint to the batter.  You can also go ahead and make some white cake from scratch using my white cake recipe and then assemble the cake just before serving it.

Ingredients:
1  white cake recipe, or one box of cake mix baked in 2 cake pans as per package directions
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of finely chopped mint
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
fresh berries washed and sliced as per preference

Method:

1. While mixing together the cake ingredients, add 2 tbsp of lemon juice, and the fresh chopped mint to the batter.  Prepare and cool the cake as per directions.
2. Using an electric mixer whip the whipping cream until it becomes fluffy and gets stiff peaks.  Slowly add in the vanilla and sugar and whip some more to get it all mixed together properly.
3. To assemble the cake put the bottom layer of the cake in the serving plate/stand top with some whipped cream but leave a bit of a border on the edges (i.e. don't spread the cream to the very edge).
4. Add some berries and then top with the second layer of cake and repeat. 

​note:  assemble the cake just before serving it

Lemon is one of my favorite flavors and these tarts are super simple if you use pre-made tart shells that you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store.  The tart shells are super versatile and can be filled with just about anything sweet or savory.  I filled this bunch of shells with lemon curd and topped them off with some frozen berries before popping them into the oven.  

Ingredients:
12 frozen tart shells
1/2 cup of lemon curd (store bought or use the recipe here)
1 cup of frozen berries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Fill tart shells with 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon curd and top off with a layer of berries.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
   
   Let cool completely before serving

This is a classic recipe that comes from a really old recipe book that my aunt gave my mom way back when she first got married.  When I first started baking, around the age of 11 or 12 this book was my only resource.  I love all the recipes in this book because they use simple ingredients and create the most delicious results.  You can frost this cake however you like, this was my first time trying out these little rosettes.  I'm not sure if you can see it clearly in the photograph but I tried to get an ombre effect.

When the cakes cook they pouf up forming domes which need to be sliced off.

Level the cakes before adding the frosting. 

The first layer of frosting is the crumb coat.  This keeps all the crumbs intact so that they don't show through the decorative layer.

Next I added the little rosettes working from the bottom of the cake upwards.  

Ingredients:
2  1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 Cream cheese frosting Recipe

Method:

1. ​Preheat oven to 350 °C (or 180°F), combine flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
2. In a large electric mixer bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light -about 5 minutes.
3. Blend in carrots and nuts.
4. Blend dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time.
5. Pour Batter into a greased and floured pan.
6. Bake until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertips (about 55-60 minutes if all the ingredients are cooked in one 9" cake pan, 35-40 minutes  if you split the batter between 2 pans).
7. Let cake stand for 10 minutes in pan before removing.
8. Cool completely in rack, frost with cream cheese frosting.  Recipe can be found here.

I love cream cheese frosting, I love cheese and the addition of it gives the frosting a rich and slightly salty flavor which really helps make frosting less sweet than it usually is.

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese (8 oz), at room temperature
1 stick butter (8 tbsp), at room temperature
6 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

​Method:

1. Put cream cheese, and butter into mixer and blend for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until it's all mixed together well.
2. Add vanilla and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Set the speed to low and then add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, blending between additions until the until frosting is light and creamy but with stiff peaks.

This recipe makes enough frosting to fill, crumb coat, and decorate a two layer 8 inch cake or to frost two dozen cupcakes. To color the frosting I use gel color.

I've been baking for a long time but I still have a lot to learn when it comes to the subtleties of baking.   One major thing  I struggle with is adapting recipes to suit the altitude we live at here in Calgary.  A recipe that works at sea level makes for a rich hard dense cake up here at over 1000m above sea level.  This recipe was really unique in the order that it combined the ingredients.  I added a little more milk than the recipe called for to compensate for the altitude here and the cake turned out quite well.  

I baked the cake in two layers and used cream cheese frosting, you can use any type of frosting that you like.  I colored it in three stages to give it an  ombré effect and added edible pearls to  the centre of each flower.  

This recipe is from the book "Gorgeous Cakes- for the ultimate sweet sensation".  I love lemons- I'm sure that I've mentioned that multiple times before but I really can't stress it enough.  The simple smell of a fresh lemon instantly takes me back to childhood summers full of lemonade, sun, sprinklers, and water fights.  This recipe requires the use of lemon curd.  If you like,  you can simplify the process by using pre-made lemon curd if you like.    

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
oil or melted butter for greasing
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4  cups fine sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups self- rising flour
3 tbsp milk

For the Filling and Frosting:
​10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice or lemon liqueur (Limoncello)
3 tbsp lemon curd
​Sprinkles (optional)

Method:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F /180°C and grease two 8-inch  cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter and  the sugar until light in color and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
4. Sift in the flour, and fold in evenly with a metal spoon.
5. Fold in the lemon rinds and milk, lightly and evenly.
6. Spoon batter evenly into both prepared pans and bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown and springy to the touch.
7. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

1. Beat the butter , sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
2. For the filling mix about 3 tbsp  of the frosting with the lemon curd and use that mixture to sandwich together the two halves of the cake.
3. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake and add sprinkles if you like.

Ingredients:
I sheet pre-made puff pastry dough
flour, for dusting
milk, for brushing
slim asparagus spears, woodey ends  removed
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
4 eggs
​salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface to a 10x15 inch rectangle and cut into 4 pieces to make 7.5 x 5 inch rectangles.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rectangles on the sheet then prick the pastry all over with a fork and brush  lightly with milk.  
3. Chill 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F
5. Steam the asparagus in some salted water using a steamer basket for 2-3 minutes until almost tender.
6. In a separate bowl mix the paprika into the sauce  and  spread onto the pastries.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the pastry is puffed and  golden.
8. Remove from oven and add the asparagus on top, crack an egg into the middle of each pastry.
9. Return the pastry to the oven for about 8 minutes or until the eggs are just set.  
10. Season with salt and pepper, serve immediately.

This is a simple side dish, which can be prepared even more quickly if you use a mandolin to slice the potatoes.  I added some chili flakes to each layer to give the potatoes a little kick.  The chili is completely optional.  The potatoes taste great served with sour cream or any other sauce/condiment of choice.

Slice the potatoes and the sweet potatoes.

Add a layer of the sweet potatoes topped with salt, pepper, butter, parmesan and a pinch of chili flakes.

Repeat the layers until you've used up all the potatoes.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced
2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2-3 tbsp butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°C.
   
2. Put a layer of sweet potatoes in a oven-safe dish and sprinkle some salt, pepper, melted butter, grated cheese over it.
3. Add a layer of potatoes and sprinkle over all the other ingredients.
4. Repeat layering all the ingredients until the potatoes are finished, cover with foil and cook for  40 minutes.

This layered soft sponge cake presented beautifully.  This cake was on the super sweet side though and I definitely needed milk  to wash it down. Be extra careful not to over-bake the sponge though otherwise it will turn quite tough and chewy.

Bake the cake, I did mine in two separate pans and adjusted the cooking time accordingly.

Once cool, slice the cakes in half, try to get them as even as possible.

Add an even layer of frosting between each level of cake.

Frost the outside and add sprinkles

Ingredients:
1 and 3/4 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1¼ cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
5 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6¾ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. decorative sprinkles

Method:
For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. Fit parchment paper into the bottom of the pan, butter the parchment and pan sides and dust with flour. Set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 cup of milk just to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and keep hot. Beat eggs in a large bowl using a mixer set on high speed until they become foamy. Add the granulated sugar, salt, and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until batter doubles in volume and becomes very thick and pale -- about 5 minutes.
   
3. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the hot milk and butter. Add the flour mixture, in 1/4 cupfuls, scraping sides occasionally. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean -- 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Release the cake and cool completely.
   
   

For the Frosting/Assembly:

1. Melt the remaining 1 cup butter and chocolate over a double boiler. Transfer to a large bowl, add the confectioners' sugar and beat using a mixer set on medium speed. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk and continue to beat until fluffy.
   
2. Cut the cake into two 9-inch by 6 1/2-inch halves. Split each half into 3 layers using a long serrated knife. Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over the layer. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost cake top and sides and decorate with sprinkles.

Recipe is from Country Living
​

Ingredients:
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces (plus extra for greasing)
1 1/2 cups self rising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp mustard powder
2/3 cup milk, plus extra for brushing
black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit or 220 Celsius.
   
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, mustard, and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Leaving small chunks of butter is good because it will add to the flakiness of the scones.
   
3. Stir in the cheese and enough milk to form a soft dough. The dough will be really sticky.
   
4. On a lightly floured counter, knead the dough very gently (don't overwork it).  Flatten it out with the palm of your hand to about 1 inch thick.
   
5. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place into a baking tray.  Brush each one with milk and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper.
   
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to let them cool slightly before serving.

Makes 8

Ingredients:
10 tbsps (145g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
2/3 cup (160ml) unsulphured molasses 
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 and 1/2 cups (437g) all-purpose flour  (spoon & leveled)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tspground cloves
Easy royal icing or your favorite icing recipe

Method:

1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium high speed until combined and creamy-looking. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The butter may separate; that's ok.
   
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky.
   
3. Divide dough into thirds and place each third onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. Please see photo and description above in my post. Chill discs for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
   
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
   
5. Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Don't be afraid to continually flour the work surface as needed- this dough can be sticky. Roll out disc until 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. Repeat with remaining discs of dough.
   
6. Bake cookies for about 9-10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes. My oven has hot spots and yours may too- so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time.
   
7. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.

Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked and decorated (or not decorated) cookies freeze well - up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough discs (just the dough prepared through step 2) freeze well - up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then continue with step 3.

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

This is a very desi version of a pizza.  The dressings that I've put on top (after removing the pizza from the oven) are completely optional.  I drizzled over some chipotle mayo (chutney would be an option as well) and then garnished it with some fresh cilantro.  I always use home made pizza dough and a good recipe for that can be found here.  

Load up the thin crust pizza with the cooked chicken, red or green bell peppers, fresh mozzarella and sliced red onions.

I like my pizza cooked with the cheese slightly browned on top.  This is good as is or if you wish you can garnish it further with some sauce/dressing/chutney and cilantro.

​For the Chicken:

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast halves cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp oil
tandoori chicken paste OR
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp tandoori masala/spice powder
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
2. Remove from heat and set aside

Note: if you have tandoori masala paste you can use that and you do not need to add all of the other ingredients.  If you're using tandoori spice powder then you need to add the other ingredients
​

For the Pizza:
1 pizza dough recipe  split into 2 halves
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
cooked tandoori chicken
1 can of tomato sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
chipotle mayo or chutney for garnish
handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish

Method:​

1. Place pizza stone in a cool oven and preheat the stone and oven together to the highest setting (mine goes to 475°F.
2. Roll out the dough and place on a pizza peel or surface lightly dusted with semolina or corn meal.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce, top with chicken, red onion, bell pepper, and cheese.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then remove from the heat and top with chipotle mayo and cilantro.

Bring out the flavors from the herbs in some oil.

Mix in the sauce and cheese.

Ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 stems fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
4 stems fresh oregano
2 stems fresh rosemary
2 stems fresh basil, plus 2 more stems for garnish
½ yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
1 16-ounce package potato gnocchi
8 ounces cherry size mozzarella balls, cut in half
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the gnocchi. Season generously with kosher salt and cook until the gnocchi float to the top of the boiling water.  Drain and set aside. 
2. Add ¼ cup olive oil to a 10-inch high sided sauté pan or a saucepan over medium heat. Add the parsley, oregano, rosemary and 2 stems of basil and cook for about 5 minutes or until the herbs become crisp.
3. Remove the herbs and discard then add the onion and garlic to the oil, lowering the heat if needed so the onions cook gently and don't brown.
4. Cook until the onions are transparent, about 5-7 minutes, then crush the tomatoes with your hand and add to the pan with juice.
5. Season with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thicken, stirring occasionally. Stir in the heavy cream and remove from the heat.
6.  Place the gnocchi into the cooked sauce. Top with the halved mozzarella balls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Broil for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese melts and the tops become golden.

Garnish with additional basil leaves and serve immediately.

Recipe from Foodie Crush

I know it feels a lot like winter but it's still officially fall and these wonderful spices and pumpkin flavors will help remind you of that.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
4 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pie filling; about 1 3/4 cups)

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil and flour and tap out any excess flour.
2. Place the measured flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
3. Place the sugar and measured oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the sugar is incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.
4. Return the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 1 1/2 minutes total mixing time. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the pumpkin, and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with the rubber spatula.
5. Turn the mixer to low speed, slowly add the reserved flour mixture, and beat until almost completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in any unincorporated flour at the edges with the rubber spatula, making sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour to 70 minutes.
7. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and cool completely.

This recipe is from chowhound

This is a simple, classic recipe with only 3 toppings which give it a delicate but rich taste. It's a good idea to use a fine quality sauce (preferably home made) and real Parmesan, as well as buffalo milk mozzarella cheese on this because it makes all the difference when it comes to flavor.

I don't have a pizza peel so I use this wooden board instead, slightly dusted with semolina.  I topped the pizza with sauce, freshly grated Parmesan and torn bits of buffalo milk mozzarella.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (recipe can be found  here and it makes 4 small thin crust individual pizzas)) 
Good quality pizza sauce (1 cup)
Dried Oregano (1 tsp)
Parmesan Cheese freshly grated/shaved 
Buffalo milk Mozzarella
Fresh Basil Leaves
Olive oil (as garnish)
semolina or cornmeal for the stone

Method:

1. Place pizza stone in a cool oven and preheat the stone and oven together to the highest setting (mine goes to 475°F.
2. Roll out the dough and place on a pizza peel or surface lightly dusted with semolina or corn meal.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce, top with a sprinkle of oregano, a layer of Parmesan and a few chunks of torn mozzarella.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then remove from the heat and top with basil leaves and olive oil. 

​​

This is a delicious sponge cake has a hint of cardamom which gives it a unique flavor and fragrance.  

Ingredients:
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
7 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup firmly packed ground almonds (or 1 1/4 cup slivered almonds finely ground in a blender)
ground black seeds of 4 cardamom pods
2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°C​

1. Put the chocolate in a double broiler and leave on until melted, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the bowl from heat, and leave until the chocolate is just warm.
3. Gently stir in the egg yolks and then the sugar.
4. Work in the butter, then the ground almonds, ground cardamom, and flour.
5. Put the egg whites into a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff.
6. Use a large metal spoon to gold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three batches.
7. Spoon mixture onto a prepared 9 inch spring form pan and bake at 350°C for approximately an hour or until it springs back when pressed gently.
8. Remove from oven and turn over on a wire rack and let cool.
   
9. Wrap in foil and leave overnight before cutting

​Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing/brushing
2 medium- sized zucchinis, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 long, narrow eggplants, sliced 1/3 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red onion, minced
2 large plum tomatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
½ tsp dried chili flakes
½ tsp oregano

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup chopped basil (or 2 tsp dried basil)
½ cup panko bread crumbs, with some dried basil and oregano mixed into it (½ tsp each)

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° C and grease a large baking sheet with some of the olive oil.
   
2. Slice the eggplants and the zucchini and spread them out (slightly layered) onto the baking sheet, then drizzle with some oil and season with salt and pepper. 
   
3. Bake the eggplants and zucchini for about 10 minutes, or until tender, then set aside.
   
4. In a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the garlic and the onion – stirring constantly until the onions soften but don’t let them turn brown. 
   
5. Add the tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, and pepper and heat until the tomatoes are slightly softened, then add the basil and oregano.
   
6. In a large baking dish (10x15 inches) layer half of the zucchini and eggplant, then half of the tomato mixture as well as half the feta cheese followed by the remaining eggplants and zucchini, tomato mixture, and feta.
7. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a nice golden brown color. Once you remove it from the oven, let the dish stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This rustic looking home made apple pie turned out delicious and it really wasn't much work because I used a mandolin to slice all the apples into perfectly even thickness.  The trick is to keep the butter cold when mixing it in to the flour, I used a pastry blender but a fork works just as well.   You don't want to overwork the dough or allow the butter to melt too much because then the crust will not be light and flaky.

Ingredients:

Double Crust Pie Dough
​2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces (does not have to be ice cold)
¼ cup cool water
2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice

​Filling
6 cups peeled and sliced mixed apples (such as Mutsu, Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Honey Crisp, Cortland or others) - about 5 medium apples
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 recipe Double Crust Fruit Pie Dough
2 Tbsp rolled oats
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp water, for brushing
sugar and cinnamon, for sprinkling

Method:
Double Crust Fruit Pie Dough

1.  Combine the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the oil and blend in using a pastry cutter, electric beaters or a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until the flour looks evenly crumbly in texture.
2. Add the butter and cut in until rough and crumbly but small pieces of butter are still visible. Stir the water and vinegar (or lemon juice, if using) together and add all at once to the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into 2 disks, wrap and chill until firm, at least an hour.
3. The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored chilled, or can be frozen for up to 3 months, thawing in the fridge before rolling.

Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice. Place half of the apples in a sauté pan or saucepan and heat over medium heating, until some of the juices cook out and the apples soften, about 10 minutes. Remove the apples from the pan using a slotted spoon and stir with the remaining uncooked apples to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to blend, then stir this into the apples and set aside.
4. Pull out the dough from the fridge 15-30 minutes before rolling. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first disk of dough into a circle just less than ¼-inch thick. Dust a 9-inch pie plate with flour and line the plate with the pastry. Sprinkle the bottom of the shell with the oats (this will help absorb any excess juices). Spoon the apple filling into the shell and dot with the butter. Roll out the remaining disk of dough to the same thickness and place over the apples. Trim any excess dough and pinch the edges of the crust together, created a fluted edge. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Stir a little sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle generously over top. Use scissors to snip opening in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
5. Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 400 F. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and continue to bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing to serve.

Recipe from the Food Network

These savory sweet potato muffins are healthy and protein filled to keep your hunger at bay all morning.  The red chili gives them a nice little kick and the pumpkin seeds add a bit of crunch as well as magnesium.

I scooped the mixture out into muffin tins, however I suggest using no paper liners and just greasing the tin and adding the batter directly instead because the mixture contains a lot of moisture and the paper liner ended up sticking to the muffin pretty badly.

Ingredients:

olive oil
600 g sweet potatoes or ½ a butternut squash
4 spring onions
1-2 fresh red chillies
6 large free-range eggs
3 tablespoons cottage cheese
250 g wholemeal self-raising flour
50 g Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F grease a 12 holed muffin tin.  (If you do line it, line it with grease proof paper).
   
2.  Peel the sweet potatoes or squash and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Trim the spring onions, then finely slice with the chilli and add to the bowl, reserving half the chilli to one side.
   
3. Crack in the eggs, add the cottage cheese and flour, then finely grate in most of the Parmesan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix until nicely combined. 
   
4. Evenly divide the muffin mixture between the cases. Sprinkle over the sunflower and poppy seeds, then dot over the reserved slices of chilli. Use the remaining Parmesan to give a light dusting of cheese over each one.
   
5. Bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes (if using squash, it’ll be a bit quicker – check after 35 minutes), or until golden and set. 

This recipe was taken from Jamie Oliver

This recipe turned out delicious, the glaze adds a really yummy flavor punch to the biscuits.  I may be a bit biased though because I love lemon flavored things.  Needless to say, these cookies didn't last too long... I pretty much inhaled them.  

Gather the ingredients.

Combine all the ingredients with an electric mixer.

I used an ice-cream scoop to scoop out the batter into equal sized portions.

Bake until they're lightly golden brown on the bottom.

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
2 lemons, zested
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
15 ounces ricotta cheese, whole milk (1 container)
3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh

For the Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested


Method:

For the Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Mix with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In the large bowl combine the butter and lemon sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until they are fully incorporated.
6. Add the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and mix until incorporated.  Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
7. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.  Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes.
   
   Once all the cookies are cool, prepare the lemon glaze.

For the Glaze

1. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk until smooth.
2. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze.
3. Place cookies on a wire baking rack or wax paper and allow the glaze to harden before serving.

This recipe was taken from My Baking Addiction 

The biscuits are so crumbly and fluffy at the same time, the addition of the sour cream and buttermilk, as well as not stirring the batter too much, gives the biscuits an amazing texture.  the original recipe didn't call for cheese on top of each biscuit, but since I'm such a huge fan of cheese I decided to sprinkle a little bit over the tops.

There're a few basic ingredients to start off with.

The wet ingredients are combined together in one bowl, and the dry in another, before combining the two.  This really helps the ingredients marry one another so that you don't have clumps of baking powder, or tarragon in one bite for instance.

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients only until the dry ingredients are just moistened, do not over mix at this point.  It is ok to have small clumps of dry ingredients in the batter as this will help give the finished biscuits a good texture.   

Scoop out the batter into greased  muffin tin and top with Parmesan cheese and bake  

Bake until they're cooked through and the biscuits are lightly golden on top.

Ingredients:
1 large clove of garlic
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
shredded Parmesan cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Butter or spray an 8 x 3 inch loaf pan.
   
2. Put the garlic and butter into a small saucepan and warm over low heat just until the butter melts.
   
3. Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, pepper and tarragon into a medium size bowl and mix well. 
   
4. Crack the egg into a small bowl and stir in the sour cream and buttermilk. 
   
5. Pour the egg mixture and garlic butter over the flour and blend just until mixed.  Don’t worry about a few dry spots in the dough.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and place in the oven.
   
6. Bake until the top springs back when gently touched about 20 to 25 minutes.  Place the pan on a cooling rack until just warm.  Unmold the biscuits. 

​Can be keep for up to a week if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Serve as a side to soup or cut a thick slice and toast.  Top with butter, a warm slice of roasted chicken breast meat, arugula, a thin slice of apple and a slice of brie.  Drizzle with a bit of lemon olive oil and enjoy a tasty lunch!

This delicious version of a Shepard's pie was given to me by an old friend.  The recipe is packed full of really amazing flavors and, tastes really good served with gravy.  If you don't want to serve this pie with gravy though be sure to make the chicken a little less dry than I did here by adding a bit of water to it whilst cooking.  

The first step is to prepare the marinated chicken chicken, as well as the mashed potatoes.

I then cooked down the veggies a little bit until they softened slightly.

Then it's time to layer up, starting with a thin layer of the mashed potatoes on the bottom followed by a mixture of the chicken and veggies.  This can all be topped off with the remainder of the mashed potatoes and a layer of mozzarella, or your favorite cheese mixture before baking in an oven until the cheese turns a beautiful golden color on top.  

Ingredients:
oil, for cooking the chicken and veggies in
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or any other cheese that you prefer)

Chicken:
2 whole chicken breasts, 1 inch cubed
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice from half a lemon
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp Nando's hot chili sauce
​1 tbsp tandoori masala

Veggies:
1 small can of sweet corn
2 red onions
1 red bell pepper

Potatoes:
approx 11/2  cups of prepared mashed potato mix, prepared according to package directions
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken in all the  ingredients listed under the chicken section for at least an hour.
2. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the package directions, stir in an additional tbsp of butter and 1/2 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Heat a skillet to medium high add 2 tbsp oil.  Once heated, add the chicken and cook stirring constantly until the chicken is cooked through (approx 8-10 minutes).  Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same heated skillet add 1 tbsp oil and then add the veggies.  Cook stirring frequently for about 2 minutes until the peppers and onions start to soften slightly, do not over cook.  Remove from heat and mix together with the cooked chicken.
5. Preheat oven to 350°C, add a thin layer of mashed potatoes to the bottom of a casserole dish.   Add the chicken and veggie mixture on top of the potato base.  Top  with the remainder of the potatoes.  Spread cheese over the top.
6. Cover the dish with tinfoil before baking for 20-25 minutes, covered. 
7. Set the oven to broil on high, remove the tinfoil to uncover the dish, and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden.  Keep an eye on the dis at this point because the cheese can burn easily.
   
   

Remove from heat and serve with gravy or more of the Nando's sauce.