We’ve been doing a lot of baking lately.
Our obsession goes beyond the kitchen too – we’ve watched, read and listened to bakers in search of new ideas to combat sourdough-fatigue and chocolate chip overload. In baking, there is one rule for success: no riffing. Eyeballing measurements and swapping ingredients can lead to catastrophe and tweaking a recipe to make it your own requires careful creativity.
We took care of the testing and planning to create three classic recipes with a green twist. We wove Classic Pesto into Joan Nathan’s beloved challah recipe for a streak of green in each bite. We added a farm-fresh twist to Amy Ho’s Neapolitan cookies, creating swirly strawberry-basil sugar cookies that are both wintery and summery. Lastly, we piled basil and pesto on Samin Nosrat’s already perfect Focaccia recipe. Follow below for foolproof ways to riff off classic baked goods.
Pesto Challah
An herbaceous twist on a beloved classic with streaks of pesto in each bite.
Ingredients:
- Your favorite challah recipe (we used Joan Nathan’s)
- Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto or Classic Pesto
Directions:
- Follow your favorite Challah recipe and stop after you’ve formed 6 logs, ready for braiding.
- Take one log and roll out into a long rectangle about ½” thick.
- Spread Gotham Greens Pesto on dough, close to edges but leaving a small border.
- Roll the slab of dough starting from the long edge. You should once again have a log of dough.
- Repeat with all 6 logs and continue following your chosen recipe to braid, rest and bake!
Watch our team make it here.
Strawberry-Basil Neapolitan Cookies
One part basil, one part strawberry, and all parts delicious – herbaceous, fruity and chewy. 
Ingredients:
- Your favorite sugar cookie recipe (we used Amy Ho’s, which also includes ingredients for a strawberry dough)
- Gotham Greens Basil, to make Basil Sugar
- Super greens powder, such as spirulina or wheatgrass
Directions:
- Follow Amy Ho’s Matcha Neapolitan Cookie recipe and stop after splitting cookie dough into three even portions.
- Set one portion aside. This will be the plain, white dough.
- Take the second portion and add 3 tablespoons of freeze–dried strawberry powder. Mix until the pink color is completely incorporated, then set aside.
- GREEN TWIST: Instead of matcha, take the last portion and add basil sugar (to your preferred taste) and 1 teaspoon of super greens powder for color. Mix until the green color is completely incorporated, then set aside.
- Continue Amy’s recipe to form and bake cookies. (Pro-tip: roll dough balls in basil sugar for an extra herbaceous flavor).
Watch our team make it here.
Herbaceous Focaccia
Basil is to focaccia as salt is to caramel, or sprinkles is to soft serve – not critical, but strongly recommended.
Ingredients:
- Your favorite focaccia recipe (we used Samin Nosrat’s)
- Gotham Greens Basil
- Gotham Greens Vegan Pesto or Classic Pesto
Directions:
- Follow your favorite focaccia recipe and stop right before baking.
- Instead of flaky salt, drop dollops of Gotham Greens Pesto on dough.
- Take half your basil and lay full leaves on dough (these leaves will get cooked and crispy).
- Continue following your chosen recipe to bake.
- While your focaccia is baking, chop or chiffonade remaining basil and set aside.
- Remove finished focaccia from oven and sprinkle basil on top. Finish with dollops of pesto.
- Enjoy warm with extra pesto on the side!
Watch our team make it here.
