The Leaf in a Page

 If I could hire a Town Crier to announce these squares to the world, I would. If you cannot afford to do that or there is no Town Crier in your community, feed some to the Mayor of your town. The word will get out! These are delicious and will be the hit of any gathering. We need say no more, except I want to say one more thing about these squares. I saw a similar square on Pinterest made with a packaged oatmeal mix.  I made these with the same recipe I use for date squares but changed the filling. So easy!  This recipe makes two 9x9?  pans. They are just yum! Make the jam part first.  3 cups hulled strawberries 3 cups chopped rhubarb 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch stirred in 1/4 cup cold water 1/4 cup fresh squeezed (seeded) lemon juice. Mix all in a pot on medium heat and cook until you have a moderately think filling. You will need to use something like a potato masher or pastry cutter to mush up your fruit once it softens. You ca...

  I love dates squares. They've always been my go-to-date recipe. In fact I've used the same oat base recipe for other delicious creations like my strawberry/rhubarb cheesecake squares,  a perfect summer treat that everyone enjoys. But classic date squares?  These timeless delights are loved no matter the season.  This recipe comes straight from The Great Bake Take and Go Baking Book   and is a combination of four different recipes. The goal? Keep the flavor rich and use the best bits from them all while keeping the calories under control. Date Square Recipe Oat Base & Topping Ingredients All-purpose flour – 245 g (1¾ cups) Cinnamon – 3 g (½ tsp) Rolled oats – 180 g (2 cups) Brown sugar – 200 g (1 cup) Butter (cold, cubed) – 170 g (¾ cup) Baking soda – 2 g (½ tsp) Salt – 3 g (½ tsp) Date Filling Ingredients Pitted dates – 600 g (4 cups) Water – 375 g (1½ cups) (may nee...

If you are like me, you can find yourself looking at social media to discover new things to make life interesting. A few times now I have seen these lovely looking bowtie rolls and wanted to give them a try. I found a recipe from a chef in Greece, named Chef Antonis and he has a Facebook page, is an influencer and has a lot of followers. He looks like he could be my grandson. Check out his beautiful bakes if you have time. His recipe called for 500 grams of bread flour however because this is a test recipe for me, I halved the amounts, which still yielded 8 buns of 56 grams each. Below you can see the shaping photos.  After letting the dough ball rest for about 15 minutes, you just roll it into a circle and cut 2 slices close together. Cut opposite the initial 2, then cut the sides into three. You then fold the outer thirds under the middle third. Lastly you bring the initial cut over the sides to create the middle.  Here is the recipe for the full amount. You will yield about...

Classic Nanaimo Bars I always thought these delicious bars were difficult to make. Anything with three layers had to be, not only difficult, but time consuming. Guess what? Not so! All you really need to know, is how to warm something up, mix ingredients together, and spread the ingredients into a pan. Voila!  You don't even have to turn your oven on. The best way to quickly make these squares, or any square for that matter, is to measure all your ingredients before you start. Then you simply follow the instructions and before you know it, you have Nanaimo Bars. Bottom Layer Unsalted butter                                                          ½ cup        ...

If you find butter tarts too time-consuming try this butter tart square recipe which is a quick one to make. You do have to wait to eat them, as it takes time to set the topping. They are worth the wait and will satisfy your craving for the butter tarts. These squares are great to make ahead and bring to a gathering as your contribution. The sticky gooey topping on the shortbread bottom makes them an all-time favorite. These are also great for bake sales.  For an adult version, you could soak your raisins overnight in a 1/4 cup of rum.  What you need: 9x13 baking pan, bowls for mixing, parchment paper and spatulas. A pastry blender is great but optional.  Butter tart Squares Ingredients:  Base §   2 cups of all-purpose flour §   1/2 cup granulated sugar §   1 cup of butter (if you use unsalted butter add 1/4 tsp salt)   Topping §   1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled §   4 large eggs, lightly beaten §   2 cups...

Sometimes people just want a recipe and are bored with a back story because they need the recipe.  I prefer that too! Here is the lemon squares recipe and if you want to read why it is sharable then you must read the short story below.  Base All purpose Flour                      2 cups Salted Butter                            1 cup If you use unsalted butter add 1/3 tsp salt Granulated sugar                     ½ cup. Bring together into a crumble and press into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake 350F until sides are golden. About 15 minutes. Lemon Curd Eggs( large)               ...

  Winston Knot Challah baking in the oven.   Challah is a Jewish Celebration Bread and has much significance to the culture. It is often braided with three strands standing for truth peace and justice. Twelve humps on a braid stand for the miracle of 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel. If you shape your braid into a circle it means no beginning and no end. Each style are used in different celebrrations. The cultural meaning of so many breads gives us much to learn. Wait until I do the white bread post! For a spiritual meaning of the ingredients I found one from a web site: https://www.ohelsara.com/women-and-the-home/hafrashat-challah/the-symbolism-of-challah/ which reviews the ingredient and the significance of each. It is interesting, but the main point of bread for most is that we share it, it tastes great and it fills us. Challah has loads of protein because of the milk and eggs, which makes it especially perfect for sharing and filling you up. It makes a beautiful f...

  Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies Sometimes you just feel like loading up on chocolate and a triple chocolate cookie is just the thing to satisfy that craving. Chocolates' earliest history can be traced back to the Ancient Olmec tribes of southern Mexico where it was used in sacred rituals. Perhaps there is something almost sacred about chocolate. Enjoy these cookies in a most ritualistic way by thanking the Olmec and Ancient Mayans for introducing chocolate to the world. Feel free to add a little heat to these cookies like a small amount of cayanne pepper, to mex up the chocolate a little bit. Unsalted Butter                                                   375g                        1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar           ...