Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies *

 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 Tbsp milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Grease 9x9 pan.  Mix sugars, butter, milk and eggs in medium bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.  Divide batter in half.  Stir peanut butter and peanut butter chips into 1 half.  Stir cocoa and chocolate chips into remaining half.  Spoon chocolate batter into pan in 8 mounds, checkerboard style.  Spoon peanut butter batter between mounds of chocolate batter.  Gently swirl through batters with knife for marbled design.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  

Sourdough Biscotti *

 8 oz sourdough discard

2 large eggs

2 oz olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 lemons, zested

15 oz all purpose flour

12 oz sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz toasted almonds, roughly chopped

1 egg (for egg wash)

Sugar for sprinkling on top

Combine sourdough discard, 2 eggs, olive oil, vanilla and lemon zest.  In another bowl, combine 15 oz all purpose flour, 12 oz sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix dry ingredients for 30 seconds to combine.  Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix until almost combined.  Add almonds and mix until almost combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and finish mixing by hand until all the flour is absorbed.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest 15-20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line sheet pan with parchment paper.  Split dough into 2 equal portions.  Use hands to roll each piece of dough to a log 13 inches long by 2 inches wide.  Set logs onto sheet pan, leaving at least 3 inches between them.  Brush logs with egg wash and sprinkle generously with sugar.  Bake until golden brown and feels firm when pressed in the middle, about 35 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool completely.  Using a serrated knife to cut each log into 1/2 inch slices on a slight diagonal.  Lay cookies flat on sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes until toasty and golden brown.  Flip cookies over and bake on other side for another 10-12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Sourdough Banana Bread *

 Butter, for coating the pan

375 grams (approx 1 1/2 cups smashed) overripe bananas

225 grams (1 1/4 cups lightly packed) brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

100 grams (approx 1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter

250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

125 mL (1/2 cup) vegetable oil

60 mL (1/4 cup) mik

Preheat oven to 360.  Lightly coat 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter.  Add bananas, sugar, and vanilla to bowl.  Cream with mixer, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Some small lumps of banana may remain.  Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Add sourdough starter.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in separate bowl.  Working in batches, add this to banana mixture.  Add milk and oil and mix until just combined.  Do not overmix or the banana bread will be tough.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center, comes out clean.  Cover with foil if loaf begins to brown too quickly.  Cool in pan for 20 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  

German Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies *

 1 box german chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

5 oz evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350.  Grease bottom and sides of 13x9 with cooking spray.  In large bowl, stir cake mix, melted butter, egg, milk and pecans until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips and coconut.  Batter will be thick.  Lightly and evenly press batter in pan.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely, about 2 hours. 

Serves 16

Sourdough Soft Pretzels *

 8 oz active sourdough starter

10 oz warm water

17 1/2 ounces all purpose flour

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp table salt

2 quarts water

2 1/2 oz baking soda

1 egg white (lightly whisked)

Toppings as desired: Sesame seeds, sea salt, cinnamon/sugar, etc

DAY 1:

Combine starter and 10 oz warm water in bowl of stand mixer with paddle attached.  With mixer on low, add 2 cups of the flour and mix to form a smooth batter.  Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30-60 minutes.  Switch to the dough hook and add the sugar, table salt and remaining flour.  Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes.  The dough will cling to the hook (not the sides of the bowl) after kneading. (If you are kneading by hand, knead for 6-7 minutes) Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled owl, turning once to coat.  Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough.  Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over.  Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.  Repeat folding procedure.  Cover the bowl and set aside for 60 minutes.  Repeat folding procedure again.  Cover the bowl and set aside for 60 minutes.  Fold the procedure one more time.  Dough should be elastic and airy.  If the dough still seems sluggish, give it another hour or two at room temperature.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.  

DAY 2:  (These directions will provide you with pretzel logs. Pretzel shape instructions below)

****Remove dough from refrigerator.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat parchment paper with vegetable oil.  Turn cold dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into about 20 even pieces.  Shape each piece into a rope.  Using flat hands, roll the dough back and forth moving your hands in opposite directions from the middle of the rope towards the other end.  If the dough gets sticky, dip your hands in flour and continue.  The dough should stick to the surface just a little so the friction will allow you to pull the dough into a long rope.  Try to get the rope to about 12- 15 inches.  Place on oiled parchment paper. Cover the tray with oiled plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to bring the dough to room temperature.  Combine the 2 quarts of water and baking soda in large pot and bring it to a boil.  Preheat oven to 450.  Drop the pretzels into boiling water for 10 seconds, flip and boil another 10 seconds.  Only place a few in pot at a time to boil so they are not overcrowded.  Set boiled pretzels back onto the baking sheets lined with oiled parchment paper.  Brush each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle topping of your choice (unless the topping has sugar in it!).  Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Turn the sheets halfway through baking so they brown evenly.  

***To make into pretzel shapes:  

Beginning at Day 2 instructions:  Remove dough from refrigerator.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat parchment paper with vegetable oil.  Turn cold dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into about 15 even pieces.  Shape each piece into a rope.  Using flat hands, roll the dough back and forth moving your hands in opposite directions from the middle of the rope towards the other end.  If the dough gets sticky, dip your hands in flour and continue.  The dough should stick to the surface just a little so the friction will allow you to pull the dough into a long rope.  Try to get the rope to about 20-24 inches.  To form a pretzel, lift the dough rope on either end and allow the middle to sit on the surface, forming a "U" shape.  Twist the ends of the rope together twice and fold the twist over and rest on the center of the U.  Lift the pretzel by the two top loops and Place on oiled parchment paper. Cover the tray with oiled plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to bring the dough to room temperature.  Combine the 2 quarts of water and baking soda in large pot and bring it to a boil.  Preheat oven to 450.  Drop the pretzels into boiling water for 10 seconds, flip and boil another 10 seconds.  Only place a few in pot at a time to boil so they are not overcrowded.  Set boiled pretzels back onto the baking sheets lined with oiled parchment paper.  Brush each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle topping of your choice (unless the topping has sugar in it!).  Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Turn the sheets halfway through baking so they brown evenly.  

If you chose to use a topping with sugar, as soon as pretzels are out of the oven, spray pretzels with water and dust with the topping.

My pretzel shapes were not pretty.  So I pivoted to doing logs.  They may not be as impressive of a shape, but they were more even in shape (read: prettier) and cook in my experience.