I love the recipe book Loaves, Cakes and Quiches with Friends by Ilona. Practically any savory ingredient you have in your kitchen can be mixed and matched and baked into delicious loaves for brunch or snacks. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, substituting cheese for capers. I added a sprinkling of bacon bits for a richer, rounder flavor.

Sun-dried Tomato, Cheese and Basil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 200 grams all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml olive oil
• 100 ml milk
• 3 1/2 oz cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped bacon
• large handful of resh basil, torn into small pieces or snipped with scissor
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf tin and slightly dust with flour.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and fold mixture and fold in gently until there are no more lumps. Stir in the grated cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon bits and basil. Mix well.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes, until the tip of the knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

Fortune Cookie Fun

FORTUNE COOKIE

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.

2. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.

3. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.

4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.

5. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.

Good Dog Cookies

I love making these treats for my doggies (my guardians of being). These biscuits smell so yummy and meaty my dogs just go crazy over them! Make a batch of these homemade dog biscuits for the dog lover in your life too. Woof!

GOOD DOG COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cubes beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease one cookie sheet.
2. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and allow to cool.
3. Combine the flour, dry milk, egg, oil, beef broth and brown sugar. Mix well and knead dough for 1 minute.
4. On a floured surface roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out bones and place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool.

(Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

DOGGIE MUNCHIES

Ingredients:

1 tsp salt
2 cups unbleached flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine cornmeal, salt and unbleached flour.
3. In a separate  mixing bowl, beat egg with vegetable oil, then add chopped parsley and chicken broth; mix well.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture. Knead dough and roll out to half- inch thickness.
5. Use a cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes your dog might appreciate such as cats, fire hydrants, shoes, bones etc.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until firm.
7. Serve warm. Watch doggie wag his tail.