Chickpea flour flat bread

 On a recent shopping trip, I needed to pick up more chickpea or garbanzo bean flour as I'd used the last of what I had in the house to make buffalo cauliflower. The original recipe for this flat bread was on the back of the garbanzo bean flour bag. 

Known by several different names in Europe, Northern Africa and South America, including Socca and Farinata, this is a savory, quick and versatile recipe whose batter can be used to make crackers or pizza dough as well as a bread. It is also dairy, gluten, corn, soy and yeast free. 

Chickpea flour flat bread (makes one 10-inch flatbread) 

1 cup chickpea or garbanzo bean flour 

¼ teaspoon black pepper 

¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional) 

1 cup warm water 

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 

1 teaspoon italian seasoning or other fresh or dried herbs (optional) 

Non-stick cooking spray 

In a medium-size bowl, mix the garbanzo bean flour, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk the water and oil into the flour mixture until completely combined. Add italian seasoning or other herbs and lightly whisk until combined. Set aside. 

Place oven rack on middle rung. Preheat oven to 450 degrees farenheit. Place 10-inch or larger oven safe skillet in oven for 5 minutes as oven preheats. 

Remove skillet from oven and liberally spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into center of heated pan. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until set and golden brown. 

If making bread, use a wide spatula to remove bread from pan. Cool 1 minute and serve. 

If making pizza, top flatbread with your favorite pizza toppings and return to oven for an additional 5 to 15 minutes watching carefully to ensure toppings don't burn. Remove from pan using a wide spatula. 

Cool 1 minute and serve. Serve and store any leftover bread in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Chickpea flour flatbread cooling before serving

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (makes about 18 – 24 cookies)

This is a quick drop cookie recipe which is a variation of a Cowboy Cookie (a basic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in this case) recipe which appeared in the September 16, 1992 edition of the Boston Globe. The smaller you make the cookies, the higher the yield. 

Oatmeal raisin cookies 

¼ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine 

½ cup white sugar 

½ cup brown sugar 

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1 ½ cups quick cook oats 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

¼ teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup raisins 

1) Place oven rack on middle rung and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees farneheit. 

2) In a large mixing bowl cream butter, sugars. If using electric mixer, cream for 1 minute. 

3) Beat in egg, and vanilla extract. 

4) Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and baking powder.  

5) Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from own and cool cookies on wire rack. 

6) Repeat step 5 as many times as needed. Serve or store cooled cookies in airtight container.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

This is a variation of my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe which I created after developing an intolerance for chocolate. Loving sweets as I do, this is one of my favorites quick cookie recipes. 

This makes about 24 - 36 cookies depending upon how big your rounded teaspoons are. If the butter is melted, not softened, the cookies will spread and flatten during baking resulting in a thinner, crispier cookie. 

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup flour 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips 

½ cup chopped macadamia nuts 

Place oven rack on middle run setting.  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. 

In medium to large microwave safe bowl melt butter. 

Stir in sugars, eggs and vanilla extract by hand lightly until combined. 

Stir in flour and baking powder until well blended. 

Add white chocolate chips and gently mix until incorporated in batter (about 10 – 25 strokes if mixing by hand).  Add macadamia nuts and once again gently mix until incorporated in batter (about 10 – 25 strokes if mixing by hand). 

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until edges of cookies start to brown. 

Remove from pan immediately to cooling rack. 

Cool completely before serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container.

Chocolate Chippers (or Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Chocolate Chippers is the name of the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in my mother's 7th edition Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. This is the first recipe I learned to make from scratch and is the basis for my Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies.  

This makes about 24 - 36 cookies depending upon how big your rounded teaspoons are.   If the butter is melted, not softened, the cookies will spread and flatten during baking resulting in a thinner, crispier cookie. 

½ cup butter 

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup flour 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) 

½ cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans 

Place oven rack on middle run setting. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. 

In medium to large microwave safe bowl soften butter to make batter easier to mix. 

Stir in sugars, egg and vanilla extract by hand lightly until combined. 

Stir in flour and baking powder until well blended. 

Add chocolate chips and nuts (if using) and gently mix until incorporated in batter (about 10 – 25 strokes if mixing by hand). 

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until edges of cookies start to brown. 

Remove from pan immediately to cooling rack. 

Cool completely before serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container.

M&M Cookies

Loving sweets as I do, this is one of my favorites quick cookie recipes. 

½ cup butter 

½ cup sugar 

¼ cup brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup flour 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (6 ounces) M&M original semi-sweet candies 

1) Place oven rack on middle run setting. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. 

2) In medium to large microwave safe bowl melt butter. 

3) Stir in sugars, egg and vanilla extract by hand lightly until combined. 

4) Stir in flour and baking powder until well blended. 

5) Add M&M candies and gently mix until incorporated in batter (about 10 – 25 strokes if mixing by hand). 

6) Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

7) Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until edges of cookies start to brown. 

8) Remove from pan immediately to cooling rack. 

9) Cool completely before serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container.

Baked Kabocha Squash (whole and pieces)

According to Wikipedia, Kabocha squash “is hard on the outside with knobbly-looking skin … shaped like a squat pumpkin” but differs from Buttercup squash as it doesn't have a protruding cup or “turban” on the bottom. It has a very sweet flavor and a texture similar to a sweet potato. 

Cooked Kabocha squash can be used and eaten like other winter squashes such as butternut or acorn squash. 

If you've never had Kabocha squash (or cooked whole one) I suggest looking for pieces or quarters as a way to start/try this since the pieces are smaller, lighter and easier to handle due to how large this whole squash can be and how tough the skin is. 

Recipes for cooking both a whole and pieces of Kabocha are presented here. For both recipes, I recommend using a turkey roaster or like roasting pan as I found it helped getting the squash in and out of the oven. 

Baked Kabocha Squash Pieces 

1) Place oven rack on middle rung. 

2) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees farenheit. 

3) Place squash, skin side down in deep baking dish/roasting pan. 

4) Fill baking dish/roasting pan with 1/8” water. 

5) Loosely cover (tent) baking dish/roasting pan with aluminum foil. 

6) Place in oven and cook 35 minutes - 1 hour 15 minutes or until squash in center of dish/pan is easily pierced with a fork. 

7) When squash is cooked to desired tenderness, remove from oven and let cool uncovered in dish/pan for 5 minutes. 

8) Transfer squash to cutting board and let cool until it can be comfortably touched with your fingers. 

9) Remove the cooked squash from the skin. 

10) Serve or use as you would other winter squashes. Store any unused cooked squash in airtight container in refrigerator. 

Baked KabochaSquash (Whole Squash) 

1) Place oven rack on middle rung. 

2) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees farenheit. 

3) Rinse squash with water. Pat dry. 

4) Place wash and dried squash on flat surface. Using a paring knife, pierce squash 10 times in multiple places as this will prevent squash from exploding while it's in the oven. 

5) Place squash deep baking dish/roasting pan. 

6) Fill baking dish/roasting pan with 1/8” water. 

7) Place in oven and cook 35 minutes - 1 hour 15 minutes or until squash is easily pierced with fork in three places. Skin of the squash may brown or bubble from baking. 

8) When squash is cooked to desired tenderness, remove from oven and let cool uncovered in dish/pan for 15 minutes or until it can be comfortably touched with your fingers. 

9) Carefully cut the squash, removing the skin and scooping out the seeds. (Note, the same paring knife used to pierce squash in step 4 can be used for cutting.) 

10) Serve or use as squash as you would other winter squashes. Store any unused cooked squash in airtight container in refrigerator. 

11) If any part of the squash didn't cook to desired tenderness, follow recipe above to bake Kabocha Squash Pieces to get desired tenderness.

Polka Dot or White Chocolate Chip Brownie Recipe

In an attempt to “do something different”, I decided to add white chocolate baking chips to my brownies to create a polka dot look. If you find yourself in this same mood, I've provided both my quick fudgy brownie and slow fudgy brownie recipes here. 

Polka Dot Brownies, quick version 

One box, Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Family Size Brownie mix 

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened or melted

2 large eggs 

¼ cup water

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

Place oven rack on middle run setting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.  

Grease 8-inch x 8-inch pan. 

In medium to large bowl add butter, brownie mix, eggs and water. Stir until well blended (about 50 strokes by hand).

Add semi-sweet and white chocolate chips until blended (about 10-15 strokes by hand).

Spread brownie mixture evenly into greased pan. 

Place brownies in middle of oven rack and bake for 31 – 34 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool completely in pan until cutting and serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container. 

Polka Dot Brownies, slow version

½ cup (1 stick) and 2 tablespoons margarine or butter

6 tablespoons cocoa or carob powder

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup white chocolate chips

Place oven rack on middle run setting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. 

Grease 8-inch x 8-inch pan. 

In a small medium saucepan or medium to large microwave safe bowl melt margarine or butter. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract by hand lightly until just combined. 

Stir in flour and cocoa or carob powder. Add white chocolate chips until blended (about 10-15 strokes by hand).

Spread brownie mixture evenly into greased pan. Place brownies in middle of oven rack and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan until cutting and serving. Store any leftovers in air tight container.