Rosemary Focaccia

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Rosemary Focaccia

Rosemary Focaccia

Growing up, my mother made a loaf of homemade bread in our bread maker every Sunday during the cold winter months. Sunday's lunch was often the most looked forward to meal of the week, as it was always prepared from scratch and with lots of love. Homemade soups and stews were the feature, but a loaf of homemade bread was never amiss. My family devoured the loaf of bread in one sitting, arguing over the final pieces.

Everyone, of course, but me.

Rosemary Focaccia Rosemary Focaccia

I was a picky eater. I was an indignant eater. I didn't like sandwiches. I didn't like bread. And I certainly didn't like crust. Occasionally I'd manage to eat half a piece of my mother's homespun bread, but I always opted for the saltines if they made an appearance. As it so happens, over the years my tastes evolved and I found myself wanting to eat more bread and less saltines. However, because I was an indignant eater (and terribly stubborn to boot), I couldn't let my mother know I actually liked her bread.

So, I begrudgingly ate my saltines and lifted my nose at the sight of the beautiful, crusty bread. I did this for years.

Stubbornness was (and still is) one of my many flaws.

Rosemary Focaccia Rosemary Focaccia

It wasn't until I moved out on my own that I began to eat bread with great fervor, savoring each piece as I wish I had in the previous years. When I moved to Montreal, my love for bread flourished. With a dozen bakeries in walking distance wafting the smell of yeast and crusty bread into the streets, a baguette or two found its way to my kitchen more than my waistline would have liked.

Baking my own bread has really allowed me to appreciate each loaf for its own unique taste and texture. This Rosemary Focaccia was my first foray into the realm of focaccia and, long after this bread has disappeared, I still find myself wishing for just another piece.

Oh, what I would give for just another piece...

Rosemary Focaccia

This Rosemary Focaccia is salty and chewy, with an unbelievable crust. The bread is made with fresh rosemary, coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, and olive oil. The bread's thick crust develops from baking in the oil, giving it an almost fried quality. It is perfect served plain, with no additions or spreads. This bread shines on its own. I've made this bread twice in the last couple weeks and, though it is fairly involved, I have a feeling it will make an appearance again very soon.

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Hot Cocoa Cookies

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Hot Cocoa Cookies

Hot Cocoa Cookies

I haven't given out a valentine since elementary school. This is a sad realization I made just moments ago, but it's the truth. When I was small, Valentine's Day was an event. My mother allowed me to pick out the valentines going out to my classmates and, for every year, I picked out exactly the same one. The front had a drawing of a featureless cartoon face. The back held a bunch of stickers featuring silly glasses, large noses, and big ears. It was, in essence, the Mr. Potato Head of valentine's.

I figured if I loved this valentine enough to hand them out year after year, my classmates wouldn't mind receiving exactly the same one.

Hot Cocoa Cookies Hot Cocoa Cookies

The first Valentine's Day that I did have a sweetheart, we were separated by a state. By the time we were near each other once more, the holiday was long forgotten. Though I have the same sweetheart this year, distance separates us once more. Perhaps the third year is the charm?

Nevertheless, I've gotten very good at rocking the single gal's Valentine's Day. Romantic comedies, brownies, and copious amounts of carbohydrates are prominently featured. One year I made a stack of chocolate chip rainbow pancakes that stood at least a foot tall (or so it seemed). I managed to get through half before falling into the happiest of food comas in front of my favorite romance movie, Moulin Rouge. Another year I made a batch of chocolate rum truffles and gifted them to myself (because I'm worth it).

Hot Cocoa Cookies

This year, I'm planning a low-key celebration. There will be a big bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, one (or three) of these hot cocoa cookies, and an order of Ryan Gosling's abs for dessert. My Netflix account has seemingly read my mind and devoted an entire section to him. Who says I can't be my own valentine?

Whether you have someone to share this holiday with or not, whether you choose to recognize this day as a holiday or whether it's just another Tuesday, there is one thing we can all agree on—every day is made better with a batch of cookies.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

The intersection of hot cocoa and cookies is sweet and gooey. These hot cocoa cookies have a thick, chocolate cookie base with a layer of chocolate and warmed marshmallow. These cookies are sweet and taste best when fresh from the oven (but then again, what doesn't?). If they are room temperature, I like to toss them in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the chocolate layer and soften the marshmallow. Though they wouldn't be amiss with a mug of hot cocoa, I love them with a tall glass of cold milk.

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Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

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Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

My mother received a latte maker for Christmas. Though this sounds relatively unassuming, it was a big step for my family. You see, my parents were never coffee drinkers when I was growing up. We had a coffee maker hidden under the steps for when company came calling, but it rarely made an appearance. The coffee maker was aged and yellowed, perhaps even older than myself. Because my family was never part of the coffee culture, I thought people only began their day with a steaming mug on sitcoms and morning talk shows.

It's funny to look back now and see how very wrong I was.

Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

My first taste of coffee was in my second year at university. As a late bloomer in many aspects of my life, it was hardly surprising I had stayed away from coffee for so long. To be honest, after my first sip, I vowed to myself I would never drink that horrible liquid again. Though I've always had a fondness for the coffee's wafting scent, my first taste wasn't terribly different from drinking a cup of gasoline.

Nevertheless, it grew on me. To begin, I could only stomach coffee if it resembled chocolate milk more than its bitter counterpart. With so much sugar and milk, the only way to distinguish it as coffee was the noticeable caffeine hit. Yet, somewhere over the last few years, coffee and I have become friends. I can drink it straight and black, without so much as a flinch.

Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

Yet, with the advent of my mother's latte maker, coffee has become nearly a regular occurrence in my mornings. Without needing to fork over half an hour's pay for a drink at a coffee house, it feels like an elicit treat every single day. It's the frothy milk that gets to me.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that when I was dreaming up new brunch ideas, I looked to the empty bottom of my mug drained of my homespun mocha cappuccino for inspiration.

Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup

If you love coffee, caffeine, and Sunday brunch, these Cappuccino Pancakes with Mocha Syrup are destined for you. I spruced up my "old faithful" of pancake recipes with a good measure of espresso powder to give it a well-rounded coffee flavor. Then, like any proper cappuccino, the pancakes are topped with whipped cream and a homemade mocha syrup. Serve these with your next morning cup of coffee and you'll start your day off just right.

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