Yummy garlic bread!

If I'm not using my grandparents' jarred sauce, I'm probably using the marinara sauce from Costco (I think it's called White Linen; it comes in a glass jar).  This sauce is so easy because you just have to
heat it up, it tastes great and having it with some fresh ravioli is oh so yummy!

My little one has been asking for garlic bread every day for at least the last week so I decided to make some to go with our ravioli dinner tonight.  This recipe makes such a yummy garlic bread and it is so great to dip into the tomato sauce as well.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped)
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 baguette or Italian loaf
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Stir together the butter, oil, garlic and parsley in a small bowl.
3, Cut the bread into 1" thick slices with a serrated knife.  Do not cut all the way through, leaving the slices attached to each other.
4. Gently pull apart the slices and use a pastry brush to butter them with the garlic mixture.  Spread the garlic mixture over the outside as well.  Sprinkle the outside and between the slices with the Parmesan cheese.
5. Wrap the loaf in foil and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.  After that time, open the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

My grandparents have given me a lot of zucchini from their garden.  I've made the muffins, fried zucchini, the zucchini flowers so I had to make zucchini bread.

This makes two loaves which is plenty: one for you and one for a friend!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
nuts and/or raisins

Directions:

1. Peel the skin off the zucchini.  Using a grater or a food processor, grate zucchini into thin slivers.

2. Lightly beat the eggs; then add the sugar.    Add the remaining ingredients one at a time (the order doesn't really matter), saving the nuts and/or raisins until the end.  When everything is mixed well, add in the chopped nuts and/or raisins.  (I used about 1-2 handfuls of walnuts that I roughly chopped.)

3. Pour into two greased and floured bread pans.  Bake about 60-70 minutes in a 350F preheated oven.  Toothpick inserted will come out clean when it's ready.

4.  Cool slightly in pan then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

To store it, wrap it in foil.  It can also be frozen.  This makes such a moist loaf and the walnuts add the perfect crunch.

Italian Easter Bread - Pane do Pasqua

I've always wanted to make a traditional Easter bread so this year I actually did it. I had a lot of fun decorating the eggs with my little one and we had a blast making the dough as well. While I didn't taste my own bread (still trying gluten free) it smelled amazing as I baked it and I got positive feedback at Easter lunch!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp. 

1/2 cup milk

2-1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 eggs, room temp. 

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Zest of one lemon

4-1/2 - 5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp ground anise seed

1 tsp salt

6 hard boiled eggs (optional, don't have to be hard boiled)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter just until the butter melts. Set aside to cool. 

2. Add 1 tbsp sugar to the warm water and stir to mix. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside for 5 minutes. 

3. In a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Add the butter/milk mixture, yeast mixture, vanilla, zest and anise. Mix together until all the wet ingredients are combined. 

4. Switch to the dough hook and add in 4-1/2 cups flour and salt; mix until a soft dough forms. Gradually add more flour to make a smooth and slightly sticky dough. 

5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few more minutes until very smooth. Shape into a ball. 

6. Grease the bowl with oil and return the dough, turning to cover in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1-1/2 hours until it has doubled in volume. 

7. Line a very large baking sheet (or 2 sheets) with parchment paper and lightly grease. 

8. When the dough is ready, punch it down on a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. 

9. Roll each piece into a rope about 22" long. Lay two ropes side by side and loosely braid them together. 

10.  Lift the braid onto the baking sheet and pinch the ends to seal into a circle. Place 3 eggs in each circle lengthwise, tucking them between the ropes. (I used hardboiled eggs, but you can put them in uncooked and they will cook as the bread does.)

11. Repeat this process with the other two braids. 

12. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 45 minutes until doubled. 

13. Brush the tops with egg wash (and sprinkle with sprinkles if you desire). Bake them for 30 minutes in a 350F oven until golden and cooked through. (The bread should sound hollow when tapped.)

14. Let cool then slice and serve. 

This picture is deceiving.  These are not small individual buns, but two large breads.

Honey Beer Bread

This recipe has been circulating on Pinterest so I decided to try it one day.  And it turned out so yummy!  When I went back to get the recipe and make it on Easter, the website I got it from was down.  So here is the recipe - I've made it several times and it always turns out so well.  It comes together fairly easily.  The butter makes such a beautiful crust on the bread and adds such an amazing flavour!
So because every time I make it I am asked for the recipe - here it is!

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsbp honey
1 bottle beer (I used Brava)
1/4 cup butter, melted ( I actually use more like 1/2 cup because it adds such colour and flavour)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a loaf pan with non-stick spray.  Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Heat the honey in a glass of warm water for a few minutes to make it easier to stir, then add the honey and the beer to the batter. Mix until all ingredients are blended well.

3. Pour half of the melted butter into the bottom of the pan.  Spoon in the batter, then drizzle the rest of the butter on top.  If needed, spread it with a pastry brush (this gives it a nice golden crust).

4. Bake for about 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Tastes great warm on its own, but it also tastes great with nutella or jam or butter spread over it.  Warm bread and butter is always so amazing!
Although I haven't tried it yet, I'd like to grate some (cheddar) cheese and add it to the batter - I'm sure it'd taste amazing!

A Cheesy Variation: I've made this recipe with the addition of cheese and it turned out pretty yummy too!  Most recently I used cheddar cheese - a mix of aged Balderson cheddar and a medium orange cheddar.  I used about 1-1/2 cups and reserved about 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top before pouring the melted butter over top.

Top: Cheesy variation
Bottom: Standard honey beer bread