Peanut Butter Graham Cookies (with Tallow!)

Way back when I first rendered a batch of tallow, I wasn't quite sure how to use it. I mean, obviously it would make killer savoury pastry (like in my Jamaican “No-Beef” Patties) and would be a great option for sauteeing onions and garlic for soups, but I never thought too much about using it in sweet things. However, once I added it to my Butterscotch Apple Bread, I discovered that the slight savoury aroma translated into almost a "doughnut shop" nuance in flavour - after all, doughnuts used to be fried in the stuff!

I couldn't wait to see what my home-rendered tallow would be like in other baking applications, and there's no better place in my mind to start than cookies! I (and my dad) adore peanut butter cookies of any type, and the sweet-salty flavour profile that peanut butter has worked great with the rest of the ingredients. To counter the savoury edge from the fats, I brought in the caramel flavours of graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and toasted oats, then tossed in a couple handfuls of whatever chocolate I had kicking around (mostly leftover candy from "end of the school year" parties).

The batch was amazing - perfectly sweet, salty and savoury at once, chewy in the middle with crisp edges and that little bit of texture from the oats. While I thought they might be greasy with the tallow, they didn't cause any oil slicks on my hands as I handled them - something I attribute to the chilling time (which is now a "must" on my oatmeal cookie list). While they won't be appearing in school lunch boxes anytime soon, there's nothing stopping kids from grabbing one with a glass of milk as they walk in the door!)

Sweet Heat Pepper Jelly - Toast Topper #74

With work starting up again, I've been spending less time in the garden than usual this year. When I do get out there before dark (usually weekends only), the scraggly plot of various edible vegetation is full of surprises - this weekend alone, I discovered that cape gooseberries had long since edged out one of my tomato plants and had likely been growing all Summer (granted, the stems and blossoms do look rather tomato-like, it was only when the physalises started appearing that I started to wonder) and that I had quite the bounty of large beets on my hands. One of the other joys I discovered in with all my tomato, nasturtium and herb foliage was that my chili pepper plants (that I had long assumed killed by the vole invasion) had come back - full force. While most of the fruits are not ready to pick just yet, I did manage to snag a few Scotch Bonnets, a half-red Tabasco and a whole whack of my new fave: monkeyface peppers. I had forgotten that in the mix of peppers I set out all those months ago I had also planted Ring of Fire and scorpion chilis - ay carumba!

Luckily, I don't have to think about those just yet. I had always wanted to make a pepper jelly with my homegrown beauties, especially since the Tabasco and Scotch Bonnets have a decent, fruity flavour to them in addition to searing heat. A simmer in apple juice draws out the acidic, slightly bitter notes and makes them disappear, and by using Pomona’s Pectin I was able to use just enough sugar to call the works a "jelly" while preventing the batch turning into hellfire candy. 

A dollop of this on cream cheese-spread crackers (or toasted Dark Molasses Bread) is nothing short of delicious - there's a definite "kick" that sneaks up from behind but doesn't leave your tastebuds mangled beyond repair. It's also fantastic as a glaze for salmon, chicken, pork or even cornbread! 

Do you like pepper jelly? How do you savour it?

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Dark Molasses Bread #SundaySupper

Working in a school, coffee is something that essentially runs through the veins of myself and my coworkers. While not as heavy of a user as some, I do enjoy a cup or two a day - particularly during the winter months, where the days seem to drag on a little more than usual and recess is anything but enjoyable. Coffee is also one of the great equalizers among us - from the newest to the oldest staff members, we all drink from the same urn (like it or not) and if the pot runs dry before everyone's had their lunch break.... well, lets just say it's not always a pretty sight.

Of course, the staff room is also full of carbohydrate-laden accoutrements to the morning brew, and whether it's donuts, cookies or coffee cake there's almost never leftovers. At home, while mom loves carbs in general, she'd much rather have a slice of hearty bread or a bagel, toasted with peanut butter, than a cupcake or store bought muffin. Her philosophy is "the heartier the better", and the two of us share a deep fondness for the dark, lightly sweetened rye bread we can find at the local deli.

Rye is not a wholly unusual bread variety for me to make - given that it's one of my mom's favourite types of bread, I've been playing with recipes for years, adding fruit and cacao nibs, granola,
multitudes of seeds and even trying a 100% sourdough. This time around, I brought the tang of sourdough, the sweetness of maple sugar and molasses, the nuttiness of buckwheat and the bitter hint of strong coffee to the loaf. At once sweet and savoury, it fits every meal of the day - toasted with a smear of creamy nut butter and a dollop of almost any Toast Topper, made into cream cheese and smoked salmon sandwiches or simply plain on a ploughman's lunch plate. The flavour of the coffee, while subtle, enhances the other nuances in the bread and reminds me of the "Russian Bread" I used to be able to have in my grandparent's favourite pub growing up.

This week's #SundaySupper is all about that morning cuppa. Whether you're obsessed with it straight up (I'm a black, no sugar gal myself), need a touch of sugar and cream to get things rolling, or prefer your java in edible form, we've got lots of options to drool at!

Beverages

• Bulletproof Coffee My Way by Monica’s Table
• Caramel Turtle Mocha Frappe by The Weekend Gourmet
• Chocolate Chip Mocha Smoothie by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Latte by Meal Planning Magic

Breakfast

• Apple Crumb Coffee Cake by Dessert Geek
• Banana Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake by The Freshman Cook
• Cappuccino Overnight Oats by Pies and Plots
• Cardamom-Crumb Coffee Cake by Wholistic Woman
• Cinnamon Coffee Cake (Kaffee Kuchen) by Palatable Pastime
• Coconut & Coffee Gluten Free Scones by Caroline’s Cooking
• Coffee and Cream Cinnamon Buns by Cooking With Carlee
• Maple-Coffee Breakfast Sausage by Cricket’s Confections
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Breakfast Bites by Beauty and the Beets
• Whole Wheat Pecan Crumb Cake by Family Around The Table

Sides

• Dark Molasses Bread by What Smells So Good?
• Homemade Coffee Baked Beans by Grumpy’s Honeybunch

Main dishes

• Coffee and Garlic Rubbed Pork Chops by Casa de Crews
• Salmon-Mandarin Salad with Asian Vinaigrette & Coffee Dressing by Asian In America
• Sticky Coffee Chicken by Food Lust People Love

Dessert

• Best Coffee Frosting by My World Simplified
• Bittersweet Cremeux with Coffee Caramel and Bourbon Cream by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Chip Mocha Brownies by Crazed Mom
• Chocolate Coffee Nut Bark by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Coffee Toffee Crunch Cookies by Family Foodie
• Coffee Vanilla Ice Cream Pie by Moore or Less Cooking
• Cold Brew Affogato by Helpful Homemade
• Dark Chocolate Espresso Torte with Strawberry Coulis by Gourmet Everyday
• Eiskaffee (German Coffee with Ice Cream) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Espresso Brownie Cupcake Sundaes by A Mind Full Mom
• Mocha Cake with Mocha Rum Icing by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Mocha Layer Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mocha Panna Cotta with Mascarpone Cream by The Crumby Cupcake
• NCR Cookies by Girl Abroad
• No Bake Mocha Cheesecake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Polish Black Cake with Whipped Mocha frosting by Hardly A Goddess
• Sweet Cream Affogato by The Redhead Baker

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Pumpkin Spice Raisin Bread with Kinako #BreadBakers

Fall has arrived, and with it the inevitable onslaught of all things pumpkin spice (including guinea pigs!). Ironically, I've always loved the flavours in the traditional spice blend, but never liked overly "pumpkin-flavoured" things (pancakes being an exception. Those are delicious). Also, while I will gladly nurse a mug of black PS flavoured coffee, you won't find me fighting over a latte anytime soon either. Give me the spices straight!

So, when it came time for this month's Bread Baker's challenge, I was glad to see we had the option of using either pumpkin or pumpkin spice, as well as a combination of the two. I'm putting off buying any tins of the stuff until right before (Canadian) Thanksgiving, when I make pie for Dad - and I might not even need to do that since I still have some roasted pumpkin puree in the freezer from last year to use. However, I always have a full array in my spice cabinet (or cabinets - they spread over 4 shelves in 2 pantry units). Used judiciously, they perfectly accent the other rich flavours going on in this dense, hearty dough.

I started with a base of nutty kinako (toasted soy flour) and barley flour for flavour and texture, mixed with run-of-the-mill AP and vital wheat gluten for structure. To keep the works moist and soft, I poured in some local half-and-half cream and scooped in a helping of tangy Greek yogurt. Along with making the crumb supple and soft, the acidity helped break down some of the tougher fibrous bits, making for a more even-tasting crumb. A small amount of brown sugar and honey balanced out the combination, not to mention made for a gorgeous golden crust and easily toasted inner crumb. Now, I am a huge fan of raisins in my spice breads, so I wasn't shy here either. Kneading in a big handful of soft, plump raisins mixed with coarse turbinado sugar meant that each slice essentially contained little soft caramel jewels that popped sweetly with each bite.

The dough was not a high riser, and originally I though the loaf a failure. But one slice later and I was converted - this was not only delicious, but it was such a hit I've been asked to make it again and again.

Breads with Pumpkin/Pumpkin Spice:

• Almost Vegan Chocolate and Pumpkin Loaf Cake by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Brown Butter & Pumpkin Seed Scones by Food Above Gold
• Cinnamon Pumpkin Quick Bread by Food Lust People Love
• Cinnamon Spice Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts and a Trio of Frosting by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Hearty Whole Wheat Bread with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Italian Pumpkin Bread by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Lal Bhoplyachya Gharge by Sneha's Recipe
• Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Bread by Plated Cravings
• Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl by A Baker's House
• Pumpkin Cardamom Buns by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Pumpkin Chocolate Babka by House of Nash Eats
• Pumpkin Cornbread by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Pumpkin Dinner Rolls by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling by Cook's Hideout
• Pumpkin Pepita Muffin Tops by A Salad For All Seasons
• Pumpkin Pie Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls by Kylee Cooks
• Pumpkin Raisin Scones by Palatable Pastime
• Pumpkin Ricotta Pull Apart Buns by Food Smart Mom
• Pumpkin Sour Cherry Sourdough Bread by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Pumpkin Spice Ale Soft Pretzels by Baking Sense
• Pumpkin Spice Raisin Bread with Kinako by What Smells So Good?
• Pumpkin Spice Swirl Quickbread by Baking in Pyjamas
• Multigrain Pumpkin Bread by Herbivore Cucina
• Two Tone Pumpkin Bread by Passion Kneaded
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Sandwich Loaf by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Yeasted Pumpkin Bread by Veena’s Vegnation

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Sautéed Gnocchi with Pomodo Crudo #SundaySupper

One of the (many) things I made sure to do over the Labour Day weekend was plan out my meals for the week. Once school (aka work) starts up again, time to cook and shop drops to minimal levels - especially for the first month or so, until life settles into the steady hum of routine. Luckily, as a Home Ec teacher, I have a little bit of a "bonus" in my back pocket - by working on recipes for class, I'm also effectively making meals for the week, and there's always something different to be had. The recipes I make for school all have to be relatively quick, easy enough for the <12 year old set to handle with some sort of supervision, and most importantly, easy to clean up from. Skillet meals have become the "name of the game" this year, and in honour of the glorious hauls of tomatoes and herbs that I've been bringing in from the garden I decided to turn some of my homemade Always Fluffy Gnocchi into a light, bright, flavour-packed vegetarian main course.

With the gnocchi already made and waiting in the freezer, I turned my attention to dicing up some still-warm, sun-ripened tomatoes, microplaning garlic, and mincing up herbs: two types of basil (standard globe and delicate Emerald Wine), lemon balm and thyme. A splash of balsamic and a pinch of salt rounded out the almost-raw sauce, which in combination with the residual olive oil from the gnocchi cooking resulted in a medley of rich, fresh and slightly floral or citrusy flavour which married perfectly with the mild starchiness of the potato pasta.

I know I'm not alone in the September weeknight rush - the Sunday Supper team has pulled together this week to embrace “Easy Skillet Recipes for Back to School”. These are (almost) brain-dead simple meals you can whip up to feed a crowd (or a couple kids who eat like an army)  in under an hour, using just one skillet.

Do you have a favourite back-to-school dinnertime trick? Share it in the comments below!

Favorite Skillet Breakfasts

• Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Egg Skillet by Positively Stacey

Favorite Skillet Sides

• Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes by Home Sweet Homestead

Favorite Skillet Entrees

• Alex’s Favorite Skillet Meal by The Freshman Cook
• Apple, Squash and Chicken Skillet by The Redhead Baker
• Black Bean and Rice Skillet by Wholistic Woman
• Chakchouka (Tunisian Eggs in Tomato Sauce) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Chili Joes by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• How to cook ChopSuey Vegetable Stir Fry with Beef by Asian In America
• Clean Eating Hamburger Helper Skillet by A Mind Full Mom
• Creamy Paprika Chicken & Peppers by My Life Cookbook
• Easy Pink Pasta Skillet by Family Foodie
• Easy Skillet Lasagna by New South Charm
• Greek Turkey Spinach Skillet by Cooking Chat
• Hatch Chile Shakshuka by Helpful Homemade
• Healthy Vegetable Skillet Dinner by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Huevos Rancheros by The Hungry Goddess
• Japanese Korean Tofu Sliders by The Ninja Baker
• Healthy Kielbasa, Brussels Sprouts, Potato & Pear Skillet by Food Done Light
• Kung Pao Chicken by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Vegetables by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Loaded Skillet White Pesto Pizza by Crazed Mom
• One Pan Taco Rice Skillet by The Chef Next Door
• One Pot Beef Stroganoff by My World Simplified
• Pork and Sweet Potato Hash by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Pork with Gingered Pluots by Palatable Pastime
• Salsa Chicken Skillet by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Sautéed Gnocchi with Pomodo Crudo by What Smells So Good?
• Smothered Potatoes and Sausage by Sunday Supper Movement
• Spanish Rice and Beef Skillet Dinner by Meal Planning Magic
• Spicy Sausage Pasta Skillet by Caroline’s Cooking
• Summer Squash Frittata by Pies and Plots
• Tamale Pie by Monica’s Table
• Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes by Powered By BLING
• Yellow Rice Skillet by Cricket’s Confections

Favorite Skillet Desserts

• Fudgy Skillet Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie by The Crumby Cupcake

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.