Mendolonium

Source:  Gina Mendolo

Ingredients:

• 3 c all purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 4 t baking powder
• 1 c grated zucchini (skin left on)
• 1 c Monterey jack cheese
• 2 T fresh dill
• 1 c buttermilk
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 T flaxseed meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill brand, available at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Amazon)
• 3 T water
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 T vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 1 standard loaf pan, 6 personal size loaf pans, or 12 muffin cups.
3. Mix the flaxseed meal and water and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside.
4. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, zucchini, cheese, and dill in a large bowl. Set aside.
5. Mix the buttermilk, butter, flaxseed+water mixture in a medium bowl. Set aside.
6. Mix the baking soda and vinegar (the mixture will foam) and add immediately to the buttermilk mixture.
7. Pour the wet buttermilk mixture into the relatively dry flour mixture and mix gently. The batter will be quite thick. You want to have everything to be well moistened, but the mixture should not be totally homogeneous.
8. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan.
9. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 t yeast
• 1 1/4 t salt
• 345 grams water
• 432 grams flour

Note: Any flour or combination of flours will work, however, my favorite combination is 232 grams of whole grain kamut flour and 200 grams of all purpose unbleached white flour. If you are not familiar with kamut it is an ancient relative of wheat that is low in gluten, has a slightly nutty flavor, and a lovely buttery yellow color. It is a whole grain and has all of the benefits of whole wheat but I find it makes a lighter bread than using traditional whole wheat. I use it in everything from bread to pancakes.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or by hand in a large (at least 4 quarts) bowl. The dough will appear quite “wet”. This is correct.
2. Loosely cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap, etc. and let is rise for 12 – 24 hours. Seriously, there is no kneading or anything like that and any rising time between 12 and 24 hours is fine. (I usually make up the dough around dinner time and then bake it the next morning.)
3. After 12 – 24 hours, place a covered casserole dish or dutch oven (at least 4 quarts, 6 is better) in the oven.
4. Preheat the oven, the dish, and the cover to 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. While the oven is preheating, take a little flour and shape the dough into a nice ball or “boule”.
6. After 30 minutes of preheating, place the dough ball in the preheated dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes covered.
7. After 25 minutes, remove the cover and bake for 5 – 10 minutes uncovered until golden brown.

Source: Gina Mendolo

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c butter, softened
• 1/4 c vegetable shortening
• 3/4 c peanut butter
• 1/3 c white sugar
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1 T ground flaxseeds mixed with 2 T boiling water
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped (approximately 24 – 30 depending on the number of cookies)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, and sugars, on high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients (except Hershey’s kisses) until well combined.
4. Form dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on a cookie sheet, leaving room for expansion.
5. Bake for 8 minutes.
6. After 8 minutes, remove cookies from oven and quickly press a Hershey’s kiss into the center of each cookie.
7. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie appears golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy.

Source: Gina Mendolo

Ingredients:

• 10 T butter, melted
• 1 c oats, uncooked
• 1/2 c almond meal
• 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1/4 t almond extract
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 3 c cherries, pitted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.
3. Combine all ingredients except cherries in a bowl.
4. Press half of the flour and sugar mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a “crust”.
5. Pour cherries over the crust.
6. Sprinkle the remaining flour and sugar mixture over the cherries.
7. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until top is browned.