Calico Bread from Fablehaven

4 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1 3/4 cups warm water or milk
1 Tbs. salt
2 tsp. dry yeast or .6-.7 oz fresh yeast
2 tsp. sugar

Fillings/flavors:
peanut butter
jam/jelly
cheese
marinara sauce, with or without cheese, minced pepperoni, etc
poppy seeds and lemon zest
dill weed and grated carrot
any kind of herbs, edible flowers
tiny bits of caramel
cheese with minced vegetables like peppers, garlic, etc
honey
cinnamon and sugar
dried fruit
Use your imagination!


Combine the yeast with the sugar in warm water/milk. Stir in the flour one cup at a timbre, adding in the salt at some point. Knead so that it's smooth and elastic with some resistance.

Coat bowl and dough in oil or water. Place dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap sealed around the edges, but large and loose over the top so it doesn't smash the risen dough. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled, in a warm place.

Divide dough into a lot of small portions. Add a different filling into each piece, adding flour if necessary to anything that is too wet. Some filings can be kneaded into the dough. For some fillings, roll the piece of dough flat, put on the filling, and roll it into a log with the filling spiraled inside. Others can be made into little filled dumplings. Who the outside of the pieces with water so they will adhere together. Put the pieces of dough all together in a greased bread pan, coat the top with oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise again for another 30 minutes or so, until it is about an inch over the top of the pan.

Spray water into the oven or place a small pan with water inside. Put the bread pan into the oven, then start pre-heating to 350° F. Bake for 60-70 minutes until it's a dark golden brown on top and the interior measures to 190°-200° F.

Autumn Spice Hot Cocoa

For 8 servings:

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
6 cups milk or plant-based milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 Tbls. vanilla extract

For 1 serving:

2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup cold water
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup milk or plant-based milk
dash of cinnamon (approx. 1/8 tsp or less)
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a pot over medium heat, whisk together the cocoa powder and water until smooth. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until it heats to steaming. Do not let it boil. It can be served as is, or with toppings such as marshmallows, whipped cream, ice cream, etc.

Non-Dairy Hot Chocolate

Makes one large serving.

1 1/2 cups oat milk or nut milk
2 Tbls. cocoa powder
2 Tbls. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk the mixture as it heats. Keep heating and stirring until it is smooth and the chocolate chips are completely melted. Don't let it get hot enough to boil. Add the vanilla extract at the very end.

Fancy Ants on a Log

Celery sticks filled with mixed nut butter, sprinkled with cocoa powder, topped with mixed raisins.

Mixed Nut Butter

ground peanuts
ground almonds
ground cashews
chia seeds
Optional: sunflower butter

Make a mixture that is basically 3 parts ground peanuts, 1 part ground cashews, 1 part ground almonds, and a small amount of chia seeds. I used 1 Tbls. of chia seeds per about 4 cups of nut butter, but more can be added if desired. Beat everything together with an egg beater until it is completely combined.

I don't have measurements for this because I actually don't measure. I can get freshly ground peanuts, almonds, and cashews at the grocery store I go to, and I can choose how much of each instead of getting a predetermined amount in a jar. I like this because I can get mostly peanut butter, which is the cheapest, and smaller amounts of almond and cashew for additional flavor and nutrients.

I prefer to get the freshly ground nuts instead of getting jars because I know that these nut butters are made purely of nuts, with no salt, sugar, or stabilizers added. I want that so that I have more control over the amount of salt and sugar I consume, and to avoid saturated fats. When I use the nut butter in recipes, there is usually sugar and/or salt already in the recipe. Otherwise, the nut butter gets paired with fruit or jam, which is already sweet. There is no need for the nut butter itself to be sweet. I also like the grainy texture of the ground nuts more than the sticky smooth of usual creamy peanut butter.

I add sunflower butter as an option because I've tried it, but I don't like the flavor as much, so it depends on your taste.

Garlic White Bean Hummus

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup minced garlic, raw or roasted
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 Tbls. paprika (regular, smoked, or spicy if you like)
1 tsp. cumin
3 Tbls. olive oil + some for sauteing
3 Tbls. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cannelini beans or other white beans, cooked & rinsed

Saute onion with a small amount of olive oil, in a covered skillet over medium heat. Assemble the other ingredients in a food processor. When the onion is limp and translucent, add it to the food processor. Puree everything until it is as smooth as possible. Add a bit more lemon juice if necessary to make it smooth.