Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Bob’s Red Mill. We couldn’t spread our love of whole grains without you. We can’t send each of you a frilly valentine to show our love, but we hope you’ll enjoy this beautiful recipe and giveaway from us and our friends at Ryland, Peters & Small. We thought this would be just the thing to make for your gluten free sweetheart tonight.

Ryland, Peters & Small is a book publisher dedicated to capturing, “in words and pictures, those elements of life that give the greatest pleasure: sharing the perfect meal with friends, baking a batch of cookies with your children on a lazy Saturday and a home that makes you happy every time you open the front door.”  They reached out to us with two new books from their line and we thought they were a perfect fit for you. We have one book this week and we’ll offer up another of their fine books next week.

The Gluten-Free Baker by Hannah Miles is one part cookbook and one part piece of art. Each recipe is accompanied by beautiful photography by William Reavell and is truly fit to be framed. The recipes range from decadent desserts such as the one listed below to more savory fare like Rosemary, Olive & Tomato Focaccia and Onion Seed Bagels. It’s a small book, with about 60 gluten free and wheat free recipes, but each is clearly written with care and more than a bit of culinary experience behind it. There are even a few recipes that recreate the magic of puff pastry, something that eludes many gluten free bakers. We hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as we do. We only have one copy to giveaway; if you aren’t the lucky winner and you’d like to lay your hands on a copy, the book is available for purchase on the Ryland, Peters & Small website for $24.95.

Photograph by William Reavell

Caramelized Lemon Cake

Tangy lemon slices, drenched in a lemon caramel, nestled on top of a delicate lemon sponge, make this cake a must for all citrus lovers. Delicious served warm with custard sauce or cold with whipped cream.

• 1-1⁄2 sticks Butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• heaping 3⁄4 cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour plus 2 tsp Baking Powder and 1⁄4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 3⁄4 cup ground Almonds
• 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
• Custard Sauce or Whipped Cream, to serve

For the caramelized lemons

• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 Lemon
• 4 Lemons
• a 10-in cast iron tarte tatin pan or a similar heavy, flameproof pan, greased

Serves 8–10

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.

To make the caramelized lemons, put the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat until the sugar melts and turns golden brown. Do not stir whilst cooking but gently shake the pan from time to time to prevent the sugar from burning. Watch closely once the sugar has melted as it will caramelize quickly. Pour into the bottom of the pan. Grate the zest from 3 of the lemons and reserve for the cake batter. Cut the top and bottom from all 5 lemons and stand them upright on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife slice away the peel and pith in vertical slices and repeat until the lemons are peeled. Cut each lemon into 6 slices and remove any pips using a sharp knife. Arrange the lemon slices in the caramel in the pan in a circular pattern – taking care as the caramel will be hot. Set aside.

Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and whisk again until the batter is light and airy. Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the ground almonds, sour cream and reserved lemon zest. Fold together until everything is incorporated. Spoon the batter into the pan with the lemon slices. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes, until the cake springs back to the touch and a knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes then put a serving plate on top of the pan and, holding the pan with a kitchen towel (so you do not burn yourself) invert the cake onto the plate. Serve warm or cold with custard sauce or whipped cream.

This cake will keep for up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container.

{Giveaway}

We had a few hiccups during our last giveaway, so I’m going to try and explain myself a little better for this one. We are going to use this handy app (handy for us) to count and tally everyone’s entries. There is a great 45 second tutorial for how to use this app here. It’s pretty simple, enter using your Facebook login or an email address and password. You absolutely must leave a comment to be counted. I do double check, so don’t think clicking on “I did this” and not commenting will win you a prize. Do be sure to leave your comment and click on “I did this” or you won’t be entered. There is an additional entry option for “liking” Ryland, Peters & Small on Facebook. If you’re not on Facebook, don’t sweat it. Most of my winners do end up being those who complete the mandatory entry- it’s all done by random selection, but I’m just telling you what I see.

In addition to this fabulous book, we’ll be kicking in a package of our Gluten Free All Purpose Flour so you can start baking right away!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Ryland, Peters & Small’s website and tell us what other book (or books) really intrigue you. Who knows? Maybe that will be our next giveaway prize? Then, check “I did this” in the app below.

Still got a question? Leave it in the comments and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

(more…)

I loved Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, so I was thrilled to hear that Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François were coming out with a book dedicated to making pizza and flatbread in their signature “five minutes a day” style. The theory behind this method is to make a big batch of dough on Sunday (or any day) and use it to bake homemade bread, or in this case pizza, quickly when pressed for time. Having done it myself, I can truly say it’s a lifesaver on a weeknight when you need bread to go with dinner. Sure, you can stop by the bakery and pick up a loaf, but it won’t taste nearly as good as a fresh loaf and it definitely won’t fill your home with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day takes the work out of pizza dough. I don’t know about you, but I have yet to find the magical combination of ingredients that yield a delicious homemade pizza. The closest I’ve gotten was using the Healthy Bread in Five recipe, so I was beside myself to learn about this book entirely dedicated to pizza. Just looking at these photos, it’s easy to tell that these recipes will allow you to create chewy, crunchy pizzas with little effort. My proposition? Forget ordering delivery pizza on Friday and plan ahead. Make a batch of dough on Sunday, it only takes a few minutes, and pull it out on Friday. Follow the directions below and you’ll have a tastier pizza in less time than it takes to get a delivery on Friday night (45 minutes in my neck of the woods). Not only that, but you’ll know what went into it (no nasty preservatives) and you can feel proud that you created such a splendid meal for your family.

Oh yeah, and the best part? This book has GLUTEN FREE recipes too!!

To show you just how great this book is, Jeff and Zoë, are sharing this recipe and their signature method with you here. I know, it looks daunting, but try it and then see what you think. I can tell you what I’ll be doing this weekend! They’ve also generously offered up three copies of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread for you to win. In addition to that, we’ll kick in a 5 lb bag of our whole wheat flour (or a gluten free alternative) and an 8 oz package of our active dry yeast so you can get started right away. (If you haven’t tried our yeast, let me just say that I can tell a huge difference between ours and those little yeast-packets.)

Whole Wheat Pizza Margherita (Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil)

Adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day,
by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François Thomas Dunne Books, 2011

Makes enough dough for at least eight ½ -pound pizzas or flatbreads (about 12 inches across).  The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

• 3-¼ cups lukewarm Water
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Active Dry or Instant Yeast (or 1 packet)
• 1 to 1½ Tbsp Coarse Salt
• 2 Tbsp Sugar, Honey, Malt Powder, or Agave Syrup
• 3-½ cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3-½ cups Whole Wheat Flour (“white” whole wheat or traditional)
• ⅓ cup Tomato Sauce
• 3 ounces fresh Mozzarella Cheese (cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 4 fresh Basil Leaves (whole, thinly slivered or torn)
• Olive Oil for drizzling over the pizza before baking
• Flour, Cornmeal or Parchment for the pizza peel

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Add olive oil, yeast, salt, and sweetener to the water in a 5-quart bowl or in a lidded (not airtight) plastic food container.
2. Measure the flours with the “scoop-and-sweep” method. Then mix with the liquids:  Add both flours and mix with a wooden spoon, dough whisk or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle).  Don’t knead, it isn’t necessary.
3. Allow to rise: Cover with a lid (not airtight), leave it open a crack for the first 48 hours  and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it begins to flatten on the top, approximately 2 hours. Do not punch down the dough!
4. After rising, refrigerate and use over the next 10 days; the dough will develop sourdough characteristics with storage.  Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with.  The first time you try our method, it’s best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours) before use.  Once refrigerated, the dough will collapse, and it will never rise again in the bucket—that’s normal. 
   

On Pizza Day

1. Prepare and measure toppings in advance:  This will help you top the pizza quickly so you can get it into the oven before it sticks to the pizza peel.
2. Thirty minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat a baking stone at your oven’s highest temperature, with the baking stone placed in the bottom third of the oven.
3. Shape a ball in 20 to 30 seconds.  Prepare a pizza peel with flour, cornmeal or parchement to prevent sticking.  Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour. Cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough, using a serrated knife or kitchen shears. Hold the piece of dough and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a quarter-turn as you go to form a ball.
4. 

   Flatbread recipes, such as this Fougasse, are abundant in this wonderful resource, as well.

   Roll out and stretch a pizza crust:  Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pin on the counter or directly onto the pizza peel to produce a ⅛-inch-thick round, 12 inches across, dusting with flour to keep the dough from adhering to your work surface.  Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as needed, and transfer it to the prepared pizza peel if you haven’t stretched the dough directly on one.  When you’re finished, it should have enough flour under it to move easily when you shake the peel.  The pizza should move freely.  If it doesn’t, use the dough scraper and some flour to un-stick.

5. Add the toppings:  Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a half-inch border at the edges, then add the cheese and basil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza.
6. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone:  Place the tip of the peel near the back
   of the stone, give the peel a few quick forward-and-back jiggles and pull it sharply out from under the pizza.  Check for doneness in 8 to 10 minutes and turn the pizza around
   in the oven if one side is browning too fast.  It may take up to 5 more minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, preferably on a wire cooling rack, so that the cheese sets.

Recipe copyright 2011, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day (Thomas Dunne Books, 2011). Photos courtesy of Mark Luinenburg (MarkLuinenburg.com)

Visit artisanbreadinfive.com for tips, tricks and recipes using all three of these wonderful books.

To enter the contest, please tell us what your favorite pizza topping is in the comments, then be sure to click in the box below to say “I did this.” If you don’t have a facebook account, you can set up an account with an email address. Extra entries can be earned by completing the tasks below.

Totally confused? You’re not alone! Check out this great tutorial for how to enter here: http://blog.rafflecopter.com/2011/07/how-to-enter-rafflecopter-giveaways/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you remember that jingle?  The catchy tune that sold millions of Chia Pets over the years?  Well, those same seeds that grow the “fur” on chia pets is the same seed that’s one of the best superfoods!  I’d never made that connection until this weekend when my mother, who was taste-testing the muffins I’m about to tell you about, asked if she was eating a Chia Pet.  After laughing about it for a while, I got on the trusty old Internet and found that that they were, indeed, one and the same.  Who knew???

But chia seeds are more than a fun As Seen on TV buy.  They’re a nutritional powerhouse.  Full of protein and fiber, they pack a huge punch in a tiny little package.  I sprinkle them in smoothies, in pancakes and waffles, and in these amazing muffins.

These muffins are great for a Sunday brunch party.  Or dessert.  Or mid-day snack.  Or whenever.  Because they’re completely awesome.  And that’s saying a lot for a chocoholic like myself.

Orange Chia Seed Muffins with Streusel and Orange Glaze

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose works fine, too)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp orange zest (about 4 oranges)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk

For the streusel:

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin well, being sure to butter the top of the tin as well so the muffin tops don’t stick to the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, make the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, and salt.  Cut in the 3/4 cup of chilled butter using a pastry cutter.  Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. To make the muffins, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add the orange zest and, with the mixer on low, blend in one egg at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Blend in one-third of the milk, alternating with the flour mixture, until it’s all incorporated.  Do not overbeat.
5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and then sprinkle with the streusel.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.
6. To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with the orange juice, and let sit for a few minutes to thicken.  Using a spoon, drizzle over the muffins.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Prep ahead tips:  Make the streusel ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.

A single day to celebrate chocolate cake seems 364 days to few, but Happy National Chocolate Cake Day just the same. Chocolate cake is such a staple in our culture for all celebratory occasions- whether it’s a birthday, a retirement party, or just a fancy night out, Americans can’t get enough of chocolate cake.

Decadence does seem to be the qualifying criteria for a good chocolate cake, but we wanted to share a slightly different form of decadence.This cake, from the amazing Christen at Life:Styled was part of our “Bake a Healthier Holiday” promotion with California Olive Ranch in December.  This recipe uses fresh rosemary and Arbosana olive oil to give this chocolate cake a lighter touch and unique flavor. If millet flour is hard to come by, try substituting whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour.  Gluten Free? See our links below for decadent chocolate cakes just for you. Enjoy!

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

•     1 -1/2 cups Unbleached White Flour
•     3/4 cup Millet Flour
•     3/4 cup Sugar
•     3/4 tsp Baking Soda
•     3/4 tsp Sea Salt
•     3 Eggs
•     1 cup California Olive Ranch Arbosana Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•     3/4 cup Milk
•     1-1/2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
•     4 oz grated Dark Chocolate bar (70% cacao)
•     2 Tbsp Sugar (for top crunch)

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub a bundt (or loaf) pan with olive oil.

Step 2: Whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: In another bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the olive oil and milk to the eggs. Whisk until blended. Then mix in the rosemary.

Step 4: Fold wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. Next fold in the shaved chocolate until uniformly mixed.

Step 5: Spoon the 2 Tablespoons of sugar into the bottom of your bundt pan. Then pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Step 6: Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and skewer inserted comes clean.

Step 7: Wait until the cake is cooled before inverting the bundt pan to release your beautiful cake!

Other great chocolate cakes:

• Gluten Free Chocolate Cake from Bob’s Red Mill
• Flourless Chocolate Poppyseed Cake from The Recipe Renovator (GF)
• Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting from The Spicy RD

Known for their healthy omega-3 & 6 fatty acids and ample amount of fiber, flax seeds can be a great addition to any recipe. Whether it’s flavor, crunch, texture or health that concerns you, Bob’s Red Mill Flax Seeds provide what you need. For the month of January all of our flax seed products from organic golden flax seed meal to normal brown flax seeds are on sale. That’s right 20% off in our store and on the website.

In the bakery we use flaxseed meal to top our scratch biscuits, to amplify some breads, and mostly as an egg replacer. When added to a recipe, flaxseed meal will often change the texture of the finished product making it chewier and sometimes a bit dry, if extra moisture isn’t added. Whole flaxseeds are also used in many of our breads including our best seller, 10 Grain. Adding whole flaxseeds to a recipe will also permit a chewier texture, and a delicious crunch. If adding flaxseeds to yeasted bread, we recommend soaking them prior to mixing. This can be done by adding the flaxseeds to the allotted amount of water called for in the recipe. 30 minutes before mixing will suffice, but the longer the soak the better. Similar to all of our grains they are best kept in the fridge or freezer.

The following recipe is a vegan banana bread with an addition of flaxseeds. Try both kinds of flaxseeds, brown and golden, same nutritional value, just different color. This delicious bread is also great with blueberries or your favorite nut. Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Banana Flaxseed Quick Bread

• 1-¾ cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• ¼ cup Flaxseeds
• ½ cup Safflower Oil (or melted butter)
• ½ cup Soy Milk
• 1 cup Banana (mashed)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 mini-loaf pans or one regular sized pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl mix together the soy milk and oil.
4. Gradually stir into the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.
5. Fold in the mashed banana.
6. Spoon the batter into the pans.
7. For a regular sized loaf, bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cook the mini-loaves 20-25 minutes.

This recipe comes from Lori Twitchell, of Lemons and Lavender, and is part of our Bake a Healthier Holiday promotion with California Olive Ranch.

Iced Sweet Potato and Orange-Spice Loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground Nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground Cloves
• ¼ tsp ground Mace
• 3 extra-large Eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
• 2/3 cup California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil (grown at Artois Ranch)
• ½ cup Golden Brown Sugar (do not use dark brown sugar)
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup roasted and mashed Sweet Potato
• 2 Tbsp Whole Milk
• 2 tsp Orange Zest
• ½ cup chopped Pecans
• Orange Icing (recipe below)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and grease and flour standard size ( 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ ) loaf pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace, and mix together with a whisk.  Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand-held mixer, add eggs and blend on medium speed until well mixed.  Add vanilla.  With mixer running on medium speed slowly pour extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream into the bowl until fully incorporated with the eggs and vanilla.
4. Add sugars, mashed sweet potato, orange zest, and milk and mix until combined.
5. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix just until combined.  Do not over mix.
6. Add chopped pecans and fold into batter by hand.
7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and place into preheated oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour. The loaf is done when a wooden skewer is inserted and removed and a few crumbs remain.
8. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Loaf must be completely cooled before icing.
9. Makes 1 loaf.

ORANGE ICING

• 2 cups Confectioner’s Sugar, sifted
• 2 Tbsp fresh Orange Juice
• 2 tsp Whole Milk
• ½ tsp Orange Zest

1. Mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon and pour over loaf.  Icing will be thick.

We’re giving away a copy of the Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book this week and I wanted to feature a recipe from it for Meatless Mondays. Unfortunately, since it’s a baking book and not a cookbook, it’s full of delicious and decadent recipes and not many that are suitable for a meatless meal unto themselves. I finally settled on this simple cracker recipe that would go well with a bowl of chili or tomato soup. These would also be lovely additions to your next holiday gathering and how impressed would your guests (or hosts) be if you said that you made crackers just for the occasion?? Pretty darn impressed I would think. Take these to the next level by adding a teaspoon of dried herbs with the dry ingredients.

Cornmeal & Cheddar Crackers

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 6 Tbsp unsalted Butter, softened
• 2/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup Cornmeal, fine or medium grind
• 1/4 tsp Salt

In a food processor, process the cheese with the butter, pulsing until combined. Add the flour, cornmeal and salt and process until a dough begins to form.

Roll the dough into a ball, then divide it in half and roll each half into a log, about 1-1/2 inches around. Wrap the logs in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Slice the logs thinly and place the dough circles on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack.

Now for the giveaway. Follow the directions in the application below. In the comments section, tell us what your favorite thing is to bake. If you don’t like baking, tell us what your favorite dish is to cook. THEN, make sure you click on “I did this” to be entered.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This recipe comes from Sarena Shasteen, author of The Non Dairy Queen, as part of our Bake a Healthier Holiday partnership with California Olive Ranch.

• 1-1/3 cup Sugar (white or turbinado)
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
• 1 /2 cup Buckwheat Flour
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup California Olive Ranch’s Mild and Buttery Artois Ranch
• 1-1/4 cup Milk or Dairy Free Milk alternative (soy, almond or hemp)
• additional Cinnamon and Sugar for sprinkling on top
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp Cinnamon for topping

I just love a good cookie swap! Not only does it allow you to get together with your favorite people, but you reap the rewards, but not the pain of hours of baking and walk away with all sorts of different cookies that you may or may not have attempted on your own. It’s been a few years since my last cookie swap, but I still remember the joy of multiple mixers humming and flour flying as five of us scurried around the kitchen making cookies.

You can do a cookie swap a few different ways, but here are my basic tips for a successful shindig.

1. Make a game plan:Decide if you want to do pure cookie swapping or if you want to do some cookie swapping and some cookie baking. I prefer the latter, but that’s just me.
   • Pure Cookie Swap: Decide how many cookies you want each person to bring for swapping. Traditionally, you would ask each person to bring a dozen cookies per guest. If you’re having a big group, you may want to cut that back to a half dozen.
   • Cookie Swap/Baking Party: Decide how many cookies you want to make at the party and how many you want people to bring ahead of time. Realistically, you probably have time to bake 2 or 3 types of cookies as a group. Ask people to bring a half dozen for each guest and everyone should walk away with plenty of cookies.
2. Pick a date: It’s the beginning of December, so it’s definitely not too late to plan a cookie swap, but folks are busy, so getting a date on the calendar is something you should do as soon as possible. If you’re finding it hard to get everyone to commit to a date, maybe doing a pure cookie swap is the way to go- that way everyone can bake what they want and only get together for a short time to swap cookies.
3. Invite people: While getting a bunch of different cookies is the goal, you also don’t want to burden your guests with baking 12 dozen cookies ahead of time. Pick a reasonable number to invite- I’d recommend 4-7 people. In your invitation, include a few simple cookie recipes or resources in case your guests need inspiration.
4. Talk to your guests about food allergies/restrictions:Check to find out of any food allergies or dietary restrictions. This is important- if you have a person with a nut allergy, you most definitely don’t want half your guests showing up with cookies that have walnuts. If you have someone on a gluten free diet, you may want to make a game plan with that person specifically. There is no reason they can’t join in the fun, but planning ahead will make sure everyone has a good time and no one gets sick.
   • If you are trying to plan a full gluten-free or allergen-free cookie swap, be sure to communicate the importance of preventing cross contamination and give them ideas for what to bring if they are not sure what to make.
   • If there is anyone on your list with a food allergy- ask the other guests to label the cookies with any allergens that might be present.
5. Party Preparation:
   • If you will be baking, make sure to have extra aprons, measuring cups, butter, flour, eggs and other essentials on hand.
   • Make sure to have extra containers, baggies, aluminum foil, etc. on hand for packaging up any cookies that you bake or need to be split up still.
   • If you’re doing a pure cookie swap- have some holiday paper plates or containers available. You could take advantage of everyone being together to make up gift plates together. Put 2 to 3 of each cookie on a plate, wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and a bow. Now, not only have you saved yourself hours of baking, but you walk away with ready-to-go gifts. Tuck in the freezer until you’re ready to distribute. These make great gifts for teachers, hair dressers, mailmen, and party hosts.
   • Have extra recipe cards on hand in case folks want to swap recipes (not a bad idea to make sure everyone brings a copy of their recipe to include with their cookie contribution).
   • Serve light refreshments and beverages that will keep your guests from needing to break into those cookies.
6. Finally, Have fun! The holiday season is stressful enough without making extra stress for yourself. The point of the cookie swap is to share quality time with your friends and loved ones, save time in the kitchen and walk away with an assortment of cookies.

Simple cookie recipes:

• Old Fashioned Gingerbread Men (or ladies, or trees… )
• Crispy Ginger Cookies
• Strawberry (or any flavor) Thumbprint Cookies
• Basic Peanut Butter Cookies
• Chewy Sugar Cookies
• Holiday Cut-out Cookies
• Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

I first picked up Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day in January of 2010 and I still love it. I really can’t say enough good things about this book- it takes all of the work out of bread baking. Each recipe starts with a basic bread dough that’s easy to throw together and takes no time for rising. Simply use a big container and put the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. This book is full of great recipes for everything from cinnamon rolls to pizza crust. Each takes only a portion of your dough and turns it into something magnificent. It’s also chock full of simple, healthy bread recipes. The only draw back to this book is that most recipes need your dough to rest and come to room temperature before baking. Like any other good bread recipe, this means about 90 minutes of resting/rising. As long as you plan ahead, you should have no problem. Read more about my experience baking from this book here.

How to enter:
Leave us a comment on this post and tell us what kind of bread is your all-time favorite,  THEN CLICK ON “I DID THIS”  in the widget below so you can be entered. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be a simple answer like “rye” or it can be that special crusty French bread you had at that Parisian street market 10 years ago. We’ll select a winner randomly from all who enter by midnight on 11/13/11.