Bread Sticks

We love our Focaccia recipe so I was trying to mix it up a little and find a different bread we could make that would be good with our dinner, and came up with bread sticks. I have to double this recipe and it makes about 25 breadsticks, depending on size obviously. But these were a hit, the first time I made them we made one cookie sheet sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (planning ahead for an easy breakfast) and they were delicious, we tossed them in the oven in the morning for 5 minutes and they were soft and tasty. The rest of the batch we made sprinkled with garlic salt.


Bread Sticks
4 1/4 cups All Purpose flour (could sub bread flour but I didn't have any)
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp Quick Rise Instant yeast (the only yeast I use, you can't mess it up)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
***For the topping melt 1/4 cup butter, sprinkle with garlic salt or cinnamon & sugar

1) In large bowl whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, melted butter & water
2) Mix until it starts to come together in a ball and then knead for 5 minutes (careful to not over knead as it makes them dense)

3) Place dough in a warm place to rise for 1hr (or until double in size).

4) Punch dough down, knead a few times then divide dough into equal pieces and roll into bread stick form
5) Place bread sticks on a lined baking sheet and cover
6) Let rise 45 minutes
7) Preheat oven to 400 degrees, bake 12 minutes or until lightly brown
7) Brush each bread stick with melted butter and sprinkle desired topping

Mangia!

Blueberry Pie Bars

I don't like most pies, especially fruit pies I don't even like to think about Apple Pie. This however is my jam. I used frozen blueberries which I think was perfect sweetness. I ate way more of these pie bars than I care to admit, so beware they're addicting.

Blueberry Pie Bars
        Filling

• 2 Tbsp buttermilk (or 2 large eggs, I was out of eggs so I went with the buttermilk)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 bag of frozen blueberries (about 3 cups fresh)

         Crust and Topping

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 sticks chilled salted butter, cubed

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Grease rectangular baking pan 

3) In KitchenAid stand mixer (or using electric hand mixer) Combine flour, sugar, salt and cubed butter, mix until a crumbly consistency

4) Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture for the topping

5) Press remaining mixture into the bottom of your pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown

6) Whisk buttermilk (or eggs), sour cream, sugar and flour together.

7) Gently stir in the blueberries. 

8) Spoon mixture over the crust, sprinkle on remaining topping.

9) Bake for 45-55 minutes, cool for 1 hour before serving.

Mangia!!!