Last night I tried out baking focaccia, as we were having delicious split pea soup made by Mike and it seemed fitting.  Not to mention I don’t have a stockpile of ingredients that most of the recipies I had intended to make were requesting, and I had remembered that Nick had mentioned that focaccia was incredibly easy to make. So! I gave it a shot, and it was delicious! Obviously! Here’s the recipe I used, modified only slightly to include a bit more salt and garlic. Because, of course, those things are delicious.

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine dry ingredients, mix. Mix in the olive oil and water. Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl, then turn to cover the dough with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a baking sheet and press it down (punching it down, but I like to press gently to release the air). Poke holes in the top so that more air will release during the baking process, leaving a flat bread. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary.

Bake at 450° for 15/20 minutes, until it becomes a nice golden brown. Once you’ve removed the focaccia from the oven, you may want to sprinkle a bit more parmesan on top and cover with foil, allowing the cheese to melt nicely.  Serve deliciously warm, with a wonderfully rich soup.

Also definitely worth mentioning, I used the rosemary infused olive oil that Missi gave us for Christmas, and it was perfect!  Thanks, Missi!

Based loosely on a King Arthur Flour scones recipe, these maple walnut scones were devoured in no time, and super simple to get going.

• 2 1/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoons maple syrup
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/4 c. turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375°

Combine dry ingredients.  Cut in the butter, taking care not to overmix with your hands as you do want small chunks of butter to remain unmelted in the mix.  Gently stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts and the maple syrup.  Separate the egg and add the egg yolk along with the milk, and set the egg white aside.  Lightly mix.  Knead the dough briefly in the bowl and then turn out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper.  Form the dough into a round and cut into 6 pieces.  Beat the egg white lightly and with a brush, spread it over the tops of the newly formed scone triangles.  Mix the turbinado sugar and the remaining 1/4 c. of walnuts together and sprinkle the mixture over the scones.

Our oven heats rather unevenly, so though your scones may be done in 15-18 minutes, mine were done in 30.  Remove from oven when the edges start to brown slightly.  Enjoy!