Each batch makes 3-4 small loaves or 1-2 large loaves.
I typically double or triple the recipe and make small loaves to share!
Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup pumpkin (canned or fresh, roasted– if fresh, increase to 1 cup)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or more or less, depending on preferences!)

Instructions:

• Mix spices with flour (soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)
• Cream butter, add sugar, and cream well
• Blend in eggs and mix well
• At low speed, add dry ingredients ¼ cup at a time
• Alternate with adding pumpkin, a little at a time
• Begin and end with dry ingredients
• Add chocolate chips
• Spray and flour bread pans to avoid sticking
• Fill ¾ high with batter
• Bake 45-50 minutes for small loaves
• Bake 65-70 minutes for large loaves
• Bread is done when a toothpick comes out of the center of the bread pan clean

Ingredients: 4 servings

• 12 oz. spaghetti cooked in salted water al dente
• 4 tablespoons of reserved pasta water
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife
• 20 oz. of cherry tomatoes (not grape) or 3 heirloom German Johnson tomatoes
• 1 large bunch of fresh basil
• ¼ to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• While the water boils for the spaghetti, wash the tomatoes, and, if using cherry tomatoes, cut them in half, lengthwise.
• If you are using heirloom tomatoes, cut them into large dice.  In a large skillet, pour the ¼ cup of oil and the garlic.
• Sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes, then add 1/3 of the basil (just the leaves) and stir.
• Cook for 2 minutes more. 
• Add the cut tomatoes and lower the heat a bit under the skillet. 
• Add 2 teaspoons of salt and a pinch of pepper, stir, and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every once in a while.
• Check to see if spaghetti is done, as it only takes 5 to 6 minutes to be almost done.
• Add another third of the basil (just the leaves) to the skillet and stir, and then add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the pasta water to the skillet and stir.
• The starch from the pasta will create a better sauce.
• When spaghetti is al dente, remove it from the pasta water with tongs or by draining it in a colander and place it directly into the skillet.
• Toss with the tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, plate, garnish with the remaining basil leaves, and serve immediately.

• Dough Ingredients:
• 250g durum wheat flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt

Making the dough:

• Place a heap of flour on a board and create a hole in the center.
• Add the eggs, the olive oil; knead everything into a smooth dough.
• It is best to use a little less flour first and knead the dough until it is soft, then add more flour until the desired consistency is reached.
• Roll out thinly.

Filling Ingredients:

• 200g leaf spinach
• 100g ground meat (or vegetarian alternative like fresh cheese)
• 1 bread roll, cut into very thin slices and soaked in a little warm milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp marjoram
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 3 bunches of parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 leek
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg

Filling:

• Wash the spinach and wilt it in a pan with a little butter. Squeeze it well.
• Sauté the onions, parsley, and finely chopped leeks in butter until lightly browned.
• Place them on a board with the spinach and chop very finely.
• Let it cool and transfer everything to a bowl. Add the ground meat, the squeezed-out bread rolls, and the remaining ingredients.
• Knead for three minutes.
• Season with salt, pepper, marjoram, and nutmeg and keep kneading.

Directions:

• Spread the rolled-out pasta dough on a floured board and cut into 10-centimeter-long rectangles.
• Place an apricot-sized dumpling of filling in the center, brush the edges with a little egg (for adhesion), and place another piece of dough of the same size on top, pressing the edges firmly together.
• Now press the Maultasche flat with both hands to push out the trapped air and release it into the water.
• Let it simmer in lightly boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. Serve with brown butter, roasted onions in broth (as soup), or lightly sautéed with salad—anything goes.

Ingredients: 6 servings

• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups scalded milk (I use whole milk)
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 25 Nilla Wafers
• 4 bananas, sliced

Custard:

• Blend 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt in the top of the double boiler.
• Add milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat egg yolks, combine with custard, and cook 2 minutes longer.
• Add vanilla
• Line a baking dish with Nilla wafers, add sliced bananas, and top with custard
• Repeat layers until ingredients run out

Merengue:

• Beat egg whites until stiff
• Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and spread over the custard
• Bake at 350°F about 12-15 minutes
• If you don’t like merengue (I don’t), you can skip the final three steps. Mom usually tops the dish with crushed Nilla wafers. The pudding gets thicker as it cools.

Crust:

• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter (fridge cold)
• ¼ cup ice eater
• 1 egg beaten

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and sugar, and add a pinch of salt.
• Add the butter, and coat it in the flour.
• Crumble the butter till it’s in smaller chunks.
• Pour ice-cold water over the mixture and incorporate it, mixing minimally. The dough will hold together when smashed with your hands, but will still look dry and crumbly. Add more water if it’s too dry.
• Pat the dough into a circular disc, about the size of your palm. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, lightly flour your surface, and roll to about 1/8 inch.
• Once the dough is about 9 inches wide and 1/8 th thick, lay the dough in your dish and trim/crimp the edges.
• Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust. Freeze for 5-10 minutes.
• Once done freezing, fill the crust with weights of your choice, such as dried beans or rice.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes; the crust should be lightly golden brown and flaky.
• Remove from the oven, take out the weights, and brush the entire crust with the beaten egg mixture.
• Return to the oven and bake until a deeper golden brown; this will take another 15-20 minutes.

Filling:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks, room temp, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a saucepan, brown the butter. Once it turns a rich golden-brown color and smells slightly nutty, it is browned. Remove from heat, stir in flour until smooth. Stir in brown sugar.
• Return to heat and add milk. Cook over medium-high until thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat, cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir one cup of hot filling into the egg yolks. This will temper the eggs to ensure they don’t scramble in the mixture.
• Once tempered, stir in the egg mixture and then bring the combined mixture to a gentle boil. Stir for two minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Pour mixture into crust.

Meringue:

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 th teaspoon cream or tartar
• ½ cup sugar

Directions:

• Using a mixer, beat the eggs whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks. The peaks of the meringue should flop over.
• Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form. They should stand up straight and not wiggle.
• Spread the meringue over the hot filling, carefully sealing the crust.
• Bake until the meringue is golden brown, 12-15 minutes.
• Cool for at least 1 hour and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.