Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I like to add crystallized ginger to this. My kids prefer it without. Either way, your house will smell amazing.

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup Sucanat
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin
3 c white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 c milk
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c miniature chocolate chips
1/4 c crystallized ginger
2 Tbsp sanding sugar

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then pumpkin, beating until incorporated. Add dry ingredients (batter will be stiff), then milk and vanilla to loosen. Divide between two buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until done. Cool at least 10 minutes in pans before removing. Slice when cool.

Pear Cardamom Streusel Coffeecake

Sweden is one of the world's top consumers of cardamom. This fragrant coffeecake is an homage to Nordic baking.

1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/4 c flour
1 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/3 c sour cream
2 eggs
2 large pears, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9" square baking pan.

In a small mixing bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add butter, mixing until combined, then work in flour until mixture is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. Add additional flour by tablespoons as necessary, taking care not to let the mixture get too dry. Set streusel aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, ginger and salt. Mix briefly to combine. Add butter; mix until crumbly. Add sour cream and eggs; beat on medium speed until mixture comes together into a batter. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds or until batter looks cohesive.

Scrape batter into prepared pan. Fan pears evenly over batter, leaving a small margin around edges. Sprinkle streusel atop cake, shaking pan gently to distribute into corners. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35-45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Big Batch Pizza Dough

This recipe makes enough for four 14" pizzas. The dough is hearty without being heavy, and stretches well due to its long, slow rise in the fridge. Serve all four to company, or make two for dinner (with a few leftovers) and refrigerate or freeze two for another night. 

1 3/4 c water
2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour
3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine water, yeast and sugar in the work bowl of your stand mixer. Let stand 2 minutes. Add olive oil, salt and flour, reserving 1 c unbleached flour. Mix with paddle until flour is incorporated. Add unbleached flour, switch to dough hook, and process until dough forms. Continue to knead until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes, adding just enough flour as necessary so that dough doesn't stick to hook and sides of bowl.

Place in a gallon zip-top bag or a large container at least triple the volume of dough. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Dough can be also cut right away into 4 equal pieces, about 10 oz each; each piece formed into a smooth, firm ball; and refrigerated or frozen as needed. (Defrost frozen dough at room temperature for several hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.)

When ready to use, cover balls of dough loosely with a cloth or parchment and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Roll out between sheets of parchment. Let stand 5 minutes, then roll out again until each ball of dough has reached a thin 14" round. Top as desired.

Bake at 500° for 8 minutes or until crust is browned, cheese is melted and pizza looks done.