Author: Christie Zink

There are plenty of varieties of this delicious cookies, and you can alter this basic recipe to make your favorite combination like butter pecan, caramel pecan, orange pecan, or maple pecan cookies.

Whatever you decide, enjoy a delicious treat today in honor of National Pecan Cookie Day!

Ingredients

• 1 c Unsalted butter, Softened
• 2/3 c Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 c Swany White Flour
• ½ t salt
• 1 ½ c pecans, halved

Directions

• Cream together the butter, egg, and brown sugar in a bowl until they are delightfully blended.
• Add flour and salt while mixing until thoroughly blended, and then refrigerate for an hour.
• While cooling the cookie batter, start preheating your oven to 375 F.
• Once the cookie dough has finished cooling, make into 1 inch balls of dough, and place them on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
• Take a glass and dip the bottom in flour, and use it to flatten the balls.
• Once it’s down, press a pecan into the top of the dough.
• Then bake for 10-12 minutes until they’re a light golden brown, let cool, and serve!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 2 cup Swany White all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant or quick oats!)
• 1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks or morsels
• 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened or sweetened, whichever you prefer or have on hand

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spread pecans on a baking sheet, toast in preheated oven stirring occasionally until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 10 minutes.
3. Once cooled, roughly chop.
4. Place shredded coconut on baking sheet, toast in oven until lightly brown about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. NOTE: keep a close eye on the coconut it will brown very quickly especially if sweetened!
5.  
   In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
6.  
   In a large bowl cream together softened butter, and both granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy.
7. Add eggs one and time, mixing well after each.
8. Add vanilla.
9.  
   With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture until completely incorporated.
10. Then add oats, chocolate, toasted pecans and coconut; mix on low or with a wooden spoon until just combined.
11.  
    Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment.
12.  
    Drop 1/4 cup of dough about 3 inches a part onto baking sheets.
13. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 16 minutes, until edges are golden, rotating baking sheet halfway through.
14.  
    Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients

Dough
1c whole milk (can use 2%)
2/3c granulated maple sugar
2 standard size packets instant yeast (1.5 T)
1/2c unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs at room temperature 
1/2 t salt
4 3/4c Swany White flour, plus more for your work surface

Topping
3/4c salted butter
1/4c + 2T granulated maple sugar
1/4c + 2T packed brown sugar
1/3c pure maple syrup
1tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional: 1 1/2 roughly chopped pecans

Filling
1/4c unsalted butter, softened
1/3c maple sugar
3T brown sugar, packed
1T cinnamon

Instructions
Note: a stand mixer is ideal but not necessary

To make the dough:
To the bowl of your mixer add sugar and yeast. 
Next add milk that has been warmed to about 95F using the stovetop or microwave. 
Whisk to combine, the cover with a towel allowing it to rest for for about 5-10 minutes until foamy. (If this doesn’t occur you will have to start over with fresh yeast! )

Next mix in the melted butter until just combined, then the eggs one at a time then lastly the salt.

Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Gradually at the flour with you mixer set on low speed. Once all flour has been added increase speed to medium and allow it to mix for about 6 minutes until a soft dough forms. (If you don’t have a stand mixer you will need to knead the dough by hand on a floured surface)

After the dough is formed transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead for about one minute more (I check by pressing a finger lightly into the dough and it should bounce back in place rather quickly)

Form dough into ball, place in lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a towel , aluminum foil, or plastic wrap.

Allow dough to rise in a warm environment about 1-2 hours, until about double its original size.

Meanwhile you can prepare the topping:

Cream together softened butter, sugars, maple syrup and vanilla.

Lightly grease the sides of a 9×13 baking dish then evenly smear the topping mixture into the bottom of the pan.

If you have chosen to include the chopped pecans, sprinkle them evenly over the topping mixture at this time.

You can also mix together the filling at this time by combining the brown sugar, maple sugar and cinnamon.

After the dough has risen:
Transfer dough to your lightly floured work surface and evenly roll out to a rectangle about 12×18 inches. The 18 inch edge should be closest to you along the edge of your work surface.

Spread softened butter all over the rolled out dough then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugars mixture evenly over the top.

Then tightly roll dough towards yourself making an 18 inch log. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces using a serrated knife. Arrange rolls to be evenly spaced into the baking pan prepared with the topping.

Cover the pan of rolls tightly with aluminum foil and again slow to rise, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Uncover rolls after they have risen and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Of rolls appear to be browning to quickly lightly cover with aluminum foil about halfway through baking.

Once the rolls are completely baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Carefully place your serving platter upside down on top of the pan. Then with oven mitts or towels invert the pan holding onto the pan and platter then lift off baking pan.

Best served immediately but leftovers are good stored at room temperate for 3 days, just microwave for a few seconds to soften the caramel.

During this crazy time, baking is definitely on the rise.  When you go to the stores, so many of the baking aisles are nearly empty.  There are many novice bakers learning this art, then there are avid home bakers who are enjoying this time and baking many of their favorites.  What ever kind of baker you are, we are happy that people are getting into the kitchen.  Our featured home baker Allyson De Mars, really never left hers.  She has a passion for baking and you can often find her spending her weekends in the kitchen baking something delicious.  Today we are featuring her tasty Sea Salt Butterscotch Blondies. Thank you Allyson!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup Swany White all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter (browned or melted)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels divided

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions:

Browning butter –

To brown butter slice butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a skillet over medium heat. (Lighter colored skillets work better so you can see the color change) Melt butter stirring occasionally. Once completely melted it will begin to foam, continue stirring occasionally and after 5-8 minutes the butter will begin to brown and you’ll notice light brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan and a slightly nutty aroma will develop. Once browned remove from heat immediately, pour into heat- proof bowl and allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes.

Once the butter (browned or melted) is slightly cooled mix in 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels. Stir until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 inch square pan (or line with parchment)

Whisk together Swany White all purpose flour, baking powder and salt

Add brown sugar to the melted/ browned butter mixture and whisk until completely combined. Then whisk in the two eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.

Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry and gently mix until combined then fold in remaining 1 cup of butterscotch morsels.

Note: the batter will be very thick!

Evenly spread mixture into greased or parchment lined pan. Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for another 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out MOSTLY clean.

Remove blondies from oven and allow them to cool completely before cutting.

Yield : 12 blondies

In Minnesota, wild rice is plentiful and it adds such an earthy and nutty flavor to so many things…even cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, divided
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 ¼ cup Swany White Flour
• 1 tsp baking Soda
• 1 package Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (10 ounces)
• 1 cup wild rice (cracked, cooked)
• 8 ounces Dried Berries (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a saucepan, brown one stick of butter on low heat until golden brown in color.
3. Add the browned butter, additional stick of butter, both sugars and vanilla to stand mixer and combine.
4. Once combined add eggs one at a time.
5. In another bowl combine flour and baking soda.
6. Then add the flour mixture to butter mixture mixing into a firm cookie dough.
7. In a food processor, chop cooked wild rice until finely chopped.
8. Then add chocolate, rice and berries to the dough mixture.
9. Chill dough 10 minutes and then scoop into balls and bake for 14 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

If you love French Toast, you will love this delicious brioche recipe that will definitely up your breakfast game.

The rich, egg and buttery Brioche is also delicious as sandwich bread, hamburger buns, and cinnamon rolls.

Recipe makes 2 sandwich loaves, or 12 large rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 16 tablespoons unsalted softened butter
• 1 tablespoon active dry or instant yeast
• 1/2 cup water or milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups Swany White flour
• 1 yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for the glaze

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer, and allow the yeast to dissolve for a few minutes.
2. Add the sugar and the eggs to the yeast mixture, and stir until the eggs are broken up.
3. Add the salt and 4 cups of the flour. Mix until you’ve formed a floury dough.
4. With a dough hook on low speed, knead the dough for about 2 minutes, or all the flour comes together in a smooth ball.
5. Increase the mixer speed to medium and start adding the butter one tablespoon at time.
6. Once all the butter is added, continue to beat the dough for about 5 minutes, the dough should be glossy and supple, and it should jiggle slightly almost like custard.
7. Cover dough loosely and place in a warm place to rise until roughly doubled in bulk.
8. Once it has doubled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge and allow to rest overnight.
9. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and pat into a rectangle and divide the rectangle into 12 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a ball. Place into each loaf tin, staggering them slightly so you create a braided look or you can divide the dough in half and shape each half into a standard loaf.
10. Cover the brioche loosely and allow them to rise again until they’re doubled in bulk, look puffy and pillow-like, typically 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and whisk together the yolk and water for the glaze and brush it evenly over the tops of the brioche.
12. Place on middle rack in oven. When the loaves look puffed, glossy, and golden-brown on top, your brioche is done.
13. Allow the brioche to cool for about 5 minutes in pans, then gently ease them out and transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.