Chicken, Broccoli Braid

Servings: 5–9
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold water

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 breasts chicken, cooked and chopped
• 2 bunches broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, freshly pressed
• 1 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or Monterey jack)
• 1 cup mayonnaise* (use as needed, enough to lightly coat all ingredients)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut oil into flour and salt until mix finely. Pour in water and mix with fork, then knead with your hands just until pliable.

Roll out dough to a rectangle. You’re going to want to try and make it about 9 x 13 inches, but it may not stretch that much. Mine didn’t. Place dough unto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Mix filling ingredients and put mixture in center. Cut the excess of both sides of dough into strips, but DO NOT detach from center of the dough. Take the strips up over the mixture and sort of pinch the two strips together.

Put a light egg wash (1 egg beaten with a little water) over the top and bake for 30–35 minutes.

*Recipe for homemade mayonnaise with instructional video found here.

Recipe and photo submitted by Amanda, South Whitley, IN.

Submit your recipe here!

Coconut Dishpan Cookies

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup dried, unsweetened, flaked coconut
• 1 cup cornflakes cereal
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts of choice
• 1 cup rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy with an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Slowly add oil and mix until oil is well incorporated. Beat vanilla extract and egg in until well incorporated.

Mix flour and baking soda together and stir into butter mixture just until combined. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dough, mixing just until incorporated.

Using a small cookie scoop drop tablespoonful-sized cookie dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet spacing about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much). Bake in preheated oven for 7–12 minutes, just until lightly browned.

You can also freeze individual balls of cookie dough and use for later baking. To bake, simply place frozen cookie dough onto sheet (there’s no need to defrost) and bake as directed (adding a few minutes to cook time).

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Shilhavy.

Recipe prepared by Sarah Shilhavy and photographed by Jeremiah Shilhavy.

Submit your recipe here!

Soft Pretzels

Servings: 10 large pretzels
Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups very warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces flour, about 4 1/2 cups (use about half whole wheat flour)
• 2 ounces coconut oil, melted (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, optional
• salt

Directions:

Pour water into the bowl of a standing mixer and stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top but do not stir. Allow to proof for 5–10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam.

Add the flour and coconut oil to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Turn the speed up and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, around 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove dough from the bowl. Oil the bowl with coconut oil and place ball of dough back in. Lightly grease the top of the dough ball. Cover the top of the bowl with a damp towel and let sit in a warm place for approximately 1–2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stir the water and baking soda together and bring to a boil in a large pot.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly oiled with extra coconut oil and divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll out into pretzel shapes and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and greased with coconut oil.

Place 1 pretzel at a time into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a large, flat spatula and place back onto lined cookie sheets. Brush with optional egg wash, if desired.

Bake until dark golden brown in color, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve with melted butter, salt, cinnamon sugar, and other toppings/dips of choice.

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Shilhavy.

Recipe prepared by Sarah Shilhavy and photographed by Jeremiah Shilhavy.

Submit your recipe here!