Honey Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2014 has been a year in which I've really focused on what goes into my mouth & the mouths of my family. I've been steadily working to cut out un-necessarily processed ingredients & trying to clean up eating habits in general. I'm not gung-ho on any one food fad or another, just more aware of real food. One of the small changes I started with was butter. I replaced my go to grocery store sticks with grass fed (sometimes organic) butter. (These cookies were made with Kerrygold brand.) Y'all, the real stuff is SO MUCH BETTER and more satisfying than the other. Now I'm not saying I eat a ton if it, but a tiny bit goes a long way in terms of the yum factor.

I decided to bake a sweet treat for my uncle-in-law, but wanted to keep my new eating focus in mind. Out went the white & brown sugar (I can honestly say I've never baked without these pantry staples before.) In came the raw honey I picked up last weekend on a trip to Asheville. With a little creativity & lots of honey-substitution research my trusty shiny red KitchenAid mixer made fluffy, chewy, deliciously satisfying cookies. Are they a health food? No. Am I pretending they are? Nope. They fulfilled a sweet tooth craving and didn't make me feel guilty about it. The recipe is for a smaller batch, yielding 1-2 dozen, depending on how big your drops are. Enjoy!

Pie oh My.

Looking for the perfect thing to take along to your Thursday feast? I whole heatedly suggest The Pioneer Woman's Dreamy Apple Pie. It got 2 thumbs up from my family this past weekend!

the supporting cast

the stars

revel in the sparkly mixer's glory

first whirl with the mini food processor ... i think we will be fast friends.

The PW noted that you certainly shouldn't try any of these apples while cooking because it will most likely end up with an empty pie shell unless you practice a great deal of self control.
{go me}

a car ride later ... success!

mmm.


{author's note. i apologize for my lack of incredible sideways photography skillz. yes you get z. i'll figure it out, one day.}

Barefoot Bakes: French Baguette

Want a fresh home-made crusty baguette? Here's my recipe on how!

What you'll need:

(2 + 1/2) Cups All Purpose Flour
(1 + 1/2) Packets Active Dry Yeast
(1/2) teaspoon table salt
(1/4) teaspoon Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt
(1/4) teaspoon sugar
(1) Cup warm water (110 F)
(1) Tablespoon Cornmeal
(1) Egg White

Step 1:
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, & sugar. Stir in warm water and stir mixture together with a wooden spoon. (If you have a stand mixer, feel free to use a bread hook).

Step 2:
On a lightly floured surface (with extra flour easily within reach), knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes. Shape into a ball. Place dough ball into a bowl that has been coated with non-stick spray. Cover with dish towel and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled (about 20 minutes).

Step 3:
Punch dough down and divide into half. Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Cover with dishtowel and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each dough ball into appropriate form. Use a little egg white to help seams stick. Be sure to taper your ends!

Step 4:
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet (i use a few squirts of PAM on the cookie sheet before placing the parchment down, so the paper wont shift around on the pan). Sprinkle paper with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared cookie sheet. Lightly beat an egg white and brush on top of loaves. Cover with damp cloth, and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30-45 minutes). (I usually preheat the oven with about 10 minutes remaining during this step.)

Step 5:
Make 3-4 diagonal cuts with a very sharp knife about 1/4" deep a cross the top of each loaf. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. Brush top again with egg white. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from backing sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Step 6:

Enjoy!