The Leaf in a Page

  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...

  Holy Jalapeno Cheese Bread This is such a soft tasty loaf of bread. It could be made as a cheese bread if jalapenos are not your thing. I come from a family of 10. Mom struggled every day trying to find ways to feed us and the only spices we had in the house were turkey dressing spices, cinammon, nutmeg and cloves. Of course we had salt and pepper seasoning which made all the meat, potatoes, macaroni or kraft dinner tasty. As an adult living in the Halifax/Dartmouth area I finally tried jalapeno peppers on a plate of nachos at the restaurant called "The Thirsty Duck" (no longer in existence). It was my nursing class, after exam, celebration spot to go. It took several tries before acquiring a taste for the peppers. Once you do enjoy the taste of jalapenos this loaf of bread will give you just another chance to enjoy and celebrate any ol' accomplishment you choose. I wish there was another photo to share but be assured you will not be disappointed. Makes 3 loaves Bre...

  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           ...

    This recipe came from one of those cookbooks that go for sale to raise funds that mom had. The cover is no longer on the book but it did contain most of this recipe. Finding a great banana bread recipe is like finding a shiny coin while out walking.When it turns out perfectly an instant grin spontaniously forms on your face and you have no control over your glee. This one is the shiny coin. For this recipe you can add walnuts, chocolate chips or leave plain. Make muffins or banana bread. If you choose to make muffins you increase the temperature and bake for less time. If you are making the banana bread the temp is 350F for 40 -50 minutes. Most of the quick bread recipes can be either in loaf or muffin form. For these muffins I had a bucket full of mini chocolate chips and really want to use them up. They work perfectly here but there is a saying, "go big or go home". Which means regular size chocolate chips will do just fine. I am a walnut fan and would not hesitate to p...

  Soft Molasses Cookies You have to try this recipe. Especially if you long for a soft molasses cookie you probably had as a child. They are great on their own as a large cookie that fits your whole hand, or made smaller to tease the taste buds. I have put a spicey buttercream in between and turned them into a mini molasses woopie pie. It was so good.  Ingredients: Sugar                                     1 cup Shortening                          ½ cup Butter                                   ½ cup Molasses  ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                               This delightful dessert should be tried long before your 6th decade. Who knew toffee paired with banana could be ultra delightful? Apparently many. The original was created i...