All-Bran Blueberry Muffins

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Coconut Breads

I saw these wonderful breads on Baking Bites, and just had to try them. The original recipe came from Bill Granger--thick coconut bread with a nice touch of cinnamon, served toasted with butter. Ummm....The lemon version, adapted by Nicole Weston of Baking Bites, is wonderful also. The coconut-lemon combination is bright and delicious. This recipe makes a large, sturdy tea loaf, not overly sweet and definitely improved with toasting and butter. Continue for recipe.

Bills Coconut Bread
from Baking Bites

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
2 cupps shredded coconut
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (lowfat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in sugar and coconut. In a medium bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture. Stir until just combined and only a few streaks of flour remain.Add in melted butter and stir until just smooth, being careful not to overmix. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf; or 8 large slices.
Serve toasted, with butter.

For Lemon Version:

Omit cinnamon.
Use 3/4 c milk and 1/2 c fresh lemon juice.
Add 1T lemon zest.

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Crustless Quiche

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Crunchy Cornmeal Waffles

I almost made cornmeal pancakes this morning but decided on waffles instead. These waffles have a crunch to them from the cornmeal and would be great topped with raspberries or blueberries to offset the corn. Although these were good, I think I prefer cornmeal pancakes--next time! Continue for recipe.

Crunchy Cornmeal Waffles

King Arthur Flour

1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled OR 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Waffles: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter or oil. In a separate bowl, blend together the dry ingredients, then quickly and gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes, to allow the cornmeal to soften. Drop the batter by 1/3-cupfuls onto a hot waffle iron, and bake until the waffle iron stops steaming.

Yield: about ten 8-inch round waffles.

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Oatmeal Raisin Yogurt Muffins

I really like to have homemade baked goods in the morning. It's so easy to grab a muffin or a slice of bread or coffeecake to eat in the car with my coffee on the way to work. And, because my husband doesn't usually eat these, I can freeze most of the batch and then just thaw them one by one.

This muffin recipe is just ok--not very sweet which is nice, but the texture was a bit too heavy for me. They were moist though, and actually tasted better on the 3rd day, allowing the oats to soften and the spices to blend in. I adapted this recipe from a yogurt carton, adding orange zest, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and cloves. I really like that flavor combination, but next time will go for a different base. Continue for recipe.

Oatmeal Raisin Yogurt Muffins

1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
1 cup yogurt
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
2 T oil
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 10 muffin tins.
Stir together dry ingredients.
In a measuring cup, whisk together wet ingredients.
Stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
Divide the batter into the 10 muffin cups and bake for about 25 min.

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Simple Pancakes

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and I love to try new recipes to enhance my morning repertoire. These pancakes from King Arthur's are light and fluffy and straightforward to make. Feeling lazy, I didn't even use my mixer for these and they turned out great. I like the flavor of butter better than oil for pancakes, but either are fine. To play around with these, King Arthur recommends adding ground oats for part of the flour for a whole-grain version. I'll have to try this out next time! Continue for recipe.

Simply Perfect Pancakes

King Arthur Flour

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar OR 1/4 cup malted milk powder

• 2 large eggs
• 10 ounces milk
• 1 1/2 ounces melted butter or vegetable oil
• 6 1/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar OR 1/4 cup malted milk powder

1. Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer (also worked fine without the mixer for lazy days!). Stir in the butter or vegetable oil.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sweetener.

3. Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, while the griddle is heating; it"ll thicken slightly.

4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 350°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.

5. Drop 1/3 cupfuls of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side till brown. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.

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Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake

I was really excited about this delicious looking coffeecake that I saw on the Smitten Kitten blog--a very yummy site. Sour cream cake with a layer of cinnamon and sugar in the middle and chocolate chips. I'm definitely a sucker for breakfast cakes! Although this was a very moist cake, I have to admit, probably not my favorite. It was ok though and it makes a large amount. I think I just prefer fruit coffee cakes instead of the chocolate. But I love the blog! Continue for recipe.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake

1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar, then mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Alternately add sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture. Beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold into batter. Mix last 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a separate, small dish.

In a greased 9″x13″ pan, pour in half of the cake batter. Sprinkle the top with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and half of the chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top, sprinkling the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

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Plum Almond Yogurt Cake

Ok, another yogurt cake. I could not help myself. Yum! The plums have been so nice this month and this is a perfect and lovely way to enjoy them. Great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. I like this variation of yogurt cake to serve to guests--the overlapping plums on the top are so beautiful and look fancy, although it still is so simple to put together. Be sure to really pack in the plums on the top. Umm--I want a latte and slice right now! Continue for recipe.



Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla (optional)
1/2 cup canola oil

Variations:

Plum Almond:
1/2 t almond extract + sliced plums--overlap on top (pack them in)
can sub ground almonds for part of the flour if wanted; sprinkle with a little brown sugar

Lemon/Orange Blueberry:
2 tsp. grated lemon/orange zest (from 1-2 lemons/oranges) + 2 cups blueberries tossed in a T of flour

For the glaze:
Juice from 2 lemons/oranges
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9x2 round cake pan (or use a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan).
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, rub the zest(if using) into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Add the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla to the sugar and mix until well blended.
Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Add the oil, and stir until smooth.
Add fruit, if using.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.
When the cake is cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

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Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cookies

Ok, I know I just made carrot raisin muffins, but I really wanted a chewy raisin spice cookie today and I noticed this recipe on Baking Bites that sounded good. I made several modifications--used oil instead of butter and added applesauce for some of the fat. I also cut out the mixer, combining the ingredients by hand like a quick bread. I also used old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in my mini-chopper, as opposed to the quick variety.


The cookies are lovely looking and I really like the cakey consistency. Like many spice cakes, they are definitely better the second and third days. So plan ahead, and make these the day before--giving the spices time to develop. They are only slightly sweet and have a nice texture from the oatmeal. Great breakfast cookies. When I make them again, I will up the spices a bit and add a touch more sugar (if I'm wanting a "cookie" not a breakfast treat). Half brown sugar might be nice as well. These grew on me each day that I ate them and by the time they were gone, I was ready to make another batch! Continue for recipe.

Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce (generous)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, mix together oil, applesauce, sugar, egg, vanilla and spices.
Stir in flour mixture. Once no streaks of flour remain, stir in carrots, oats and raisins.
Drop tablespoonfuls of batter onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are set and lightly browned on the edges. Cool for 3 or 4 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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Basic Muffin Recipe: Blueberry Lemon and Carrot Raisin

I'm always searching for good muffin recipes. It's so nice to have a delicious muffin ready and waiting to grab for a breakfast-on-the-go. I got this basic recipe from Pam Anderson's The Perfect Recipe, a great little cookbook that gives simple instructions and lots of variations for each recipe. As the former editor of Cook's Illustrated, Anderson really is a wonderful resource.

These muffins are good! I love the slight tang that the yogurt gives to them and the moistness. The carrot-raisin muffins are really good but plain--not carrot-cake like, as they only have a little cinnamon in them and not other spices. I think the raspberry-almond or the cranberry-orange would be great too. Continue for the recipe.


Basic Muffins
from The Perfect Recipe by Pam Anderson

3 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
10 T butter, at room temp.
1 cup minus 1 T sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 375.
Line 18 muffin tins or coat with cooking spray.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 min.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Beat in 1/2 dry ingredients.
Beat in 1/3 of yogurt.
Beat in half of remaining dry ingredients, alternating with 1/3 of remaining yogurt, and repeat into fully incorporated.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Cool slightly on wire rack, about 5 min. then remove and serve.

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (optional):

1/2 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon
4 T melted butter

Mix sugar and cinn in small bowl. Dip each warm muffin in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar and serve.

Variations:

Lemon Blueberry: Add 1 t lemon zest to sugar and rub between fingers until fragrant. Combine 1 T flour with 1 1/2 cups blueberries and fold into finished batter.

Carrot-Cinnamon Raisin: Add 1 t cinnamon to dry ingredients and fold in 1 1/2 cups grated carrots and 3/4 cups raisins into the finished batter.

Cranberry-Walnut-Orange: Add 1 t orange zest to sugar. Fold in 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries (or 3/4 cup dried) and 3/4 cup walnuts into finished batter.

Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 3 T poppy seeds to dry ingredients and 1 t lemon zest to sugar.

Raspberry Almond: Cream 1oz almond paste with the butter and sugar. When batter is finished, spoon half portion of batter into each muffin cup. Spoon 1 1/2 t raspberry jam into each cup and fill with remaining batter.

Mocha chip: Dissolve 3 T instant coffee granules in yogurt and fold 1 cup chocolate chips (or miniatures) into finished batter. Yum!!

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Blueberry Boy Bait

Fresh blueberry time!! We have a local farm where we pick gorgeous, pesticide-free blueberries for only $1.50/lb--amazing! I picked close to 10 pounds and so now have a wonderful stock of berries begging to be used. I did freeze a lot so I'll be able to enjoy them throughout the year as well.

I made a coffeecake today which is really nice from America's Test Kitchen. It is very tender and buttery, studded with sweet blueberries. It is topped with cinnamon and sugar which I really like--not as rich as a crumb topping, but just enough to give it sweetness and crunch on the top. Yum! Continue for blueberry recipe.Blueberry Boy Bait

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2008

Cake:
16 T unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cups whole milk
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, tossed with 1 t flour

Topping:
3/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
Whisk flour, powder, and salt in medium bowl.
With a mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 min., scraping the sides when needed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
Reduce speed to medium and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture until incorporated; beat in 1/2 of the milk.
Beat in 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, finally the rest of the flour.
Gently fold blueberries into the batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula.
For the topping, scatter the berries over the top of the batter.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the batter.
Bake about 45 min.
cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Granola Bars

One of my essential daily snacks is a granola bar. I love them and eat them all the time--breakfast, snack, dessert. I especially enjoy the trail mix bars, loaded with nuts and dried fruit. And for ages now, I've been meaning to make my own. They are so easy to put together, taste wonderful, smell terrific in the oven, and you can add exactly what you want to fit your fancy. Not to mention they don't contain all of the junk that store bought bars have--preservatives, added fats, refined sweeteners, a plethora of corn products...Why haven't I made these months ago?


So today, I've finally made my own. Exciting!! I was inspired by this recipe from a nice looking blog, The Kitchen Sink, and adapted it for the ingredients that I had on hand. I really love pumpkin seeds but didn't have any today. I enjoyed the mix of brown sugar and honey and liked the sesame seeds. Unfortunately, my coconut flakes were rather old, and didn't really add anything special, but I'm sure fresher coconut would be tasty. I'm a fan of whole nuts and seeds and so I liked the whole almonds.


Next time, I'll cut back on the oats to 2 1/2 cups and add another nut/seed and/or puffed rice cereal for lightness. But wonderful bars for my first go at it! Yummy!! Wrap them individually in parchment, and they're ready to go for lunches or treats in the car! I'll definitely play around with this recipe and make other combinations:

peanut butter for the oil
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
wheat germ
Rice Krispies in place of some of the oats
cashews
flax seeds
chocolate chips
maple syrup for some of the sugar/honey

So many possible add-ins! Fun!!
Continue for Granola Bar recipe.

Granola Bars

3 cups old-fashioned oats (next time, cut back a little to 2 1/2 cups and add seeds/wheat germ/puffed rice)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 t sea salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup whole almonds, unsalted

1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil

1 generous cup mixed dried fruit: cranberries, dates, apricots

Preheat oven to 325.
Line a 9x9 pan with 2 pieces or parchment or foil so that there are overhangs on each side of the pan. (This will make it easy to get the bars out of the pan.)
Spread the first set of ingredients on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 min., stirring once half way through.
A few minutes before oats mixture is finished baking, combine next set of ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until brown sugar is dissolved.
In large bowl, combine oats mixture and sugar mixture; stir to combine.
Add dried fruit and mix.
Spread granola in prepared pan and press down firmly to pack it in.
Bake for 30 min.
Remove from oven and allow to cool COMPLETELY.
Lift out of pan and cut into bars with a very sharp knife.
**Do not try to cut when still warm!

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Big Blueberry Muffins

Yum!! What a great way to start off a holiday weekend--a treat for breakfast! I saw a post for these fabulous muffins on Baking Bites, a neat blog that has scrumptious recipes. I modified the original recipe a bit, using part brown sugar and all butter and added a struesel topping. They are delicious! This might be my favorite blueberry muffin recipe yet! Nice and big and moist with lots of blueberries. Great muffins. Continue for muffin recipe.


Big Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
5 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup (fresh or frozen) blueberries

1-2 T melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 8-9 muffin tin cups with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light.
Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla extract.
Alternate buttermilk and flour into butter mixture, ending with an addition of flour and working in 2 or three additions.
Stir in blueberries.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Mix melted butter, brown sugar (to desired consistency), and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of muffin batter for the topping.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until tops are lightly browned and a tester comes out clean.Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 8-9 big muffins.

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Grandma's Cranberry Bread

My grandmother always had a loaf of cranberry bread in her freezer to have ready when we requested it. We loved it. "I want cranberry bread, Grandma!" It reminds me of her home in Missouri and her kitchen, in which she was always preparing good meals for us. Comforting food. Old-fashioned home-cooking. She served this bread for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and usually included small tins with her holiday baskets filled with goodies that she made for family and neighbors. Sometimes, she baked in tin cans, giving the bread a nice round shape. Sadly, my grandma doesn't remember how to bake anymore--having succumbed to the slow progression of Alzheimer's--but she does remark, "I think I used to make something like this!"

It's recipes like this bread that provide a special connection through the generations and a sense of continuity with those that have come before us. It's important for me to preserve these family culinary traditions, passing them along and keeping the memories alive. My grandma's memories may be gone, but a portion are still alive with me and my family to enjoy and cherish and share with our children.

So, with a theme of Traditional Feasts, I am going to contribute this post to the Monthly Mingle blog event, and pass on this traditional recipe to others as well. Enjoy! Continue for bread recipe.


Grandma's Cranberry Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups cranberries, sliced round or coarsely chopped (or closer to 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup nuts (I like walnuts)
1 tablespoon orange rind, or a bit more
juice of one orange plus enough boiling water to make one cup liquid (or 1 cup orange)



1. Sift first five ingredients together twice. (Alternatively, pulse in food processor.)

2. Add shortening to cup of hot juice (it should melt some); add eggs and rind.

3. Add juice mixture to dry ingredients; fold together.

4. Add chopped nuts and cranberries.

5. Bake at 350 degrees until edges start to color and toothpick inserted comes out clean. (This is roughly 30 minutes, more or less, for 2 loaf pans).

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Blueberry Muffins

My husband, being such a thoughtful guy, wanted to bring breakfast to the office today for one of his less fortunate co-workers, " The Giant." Apparently, they make friendly wagers over sporting events, and "The Giant" continually loses, forcing him to pay for lunch. My husband just thought he'd do something kind for the loser, in anticipation of "The Giant's" eminent downfall next week. Someday he will learn--my husband is the WINNER!! :) So, these cinnamon-topped blueberry muffins are en-route to the office--enjoy!


Recipe coming soon!

Blueberry Muffins
from The Best Recipe

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Pumpkin Muffins, Bread, and almost Cupcakes

Pumpkin season is here! And it's finally getting cool in Houston. It's fall! Time for lots of squash. :) These are my favorite spicy pumpkin muffins (or bread). Cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon combine perfectly with the pumpkin, getting even better the day after baking. And so moist! I usually cut back on the oil and use buttermilk and or applesauce to fill in. Today, I added dried cranberries, but they're also great with walnuts. This is such a versatile recipe. And they freeze wonderfully. I always freeze one of the loaves or several muffins.


I had every intention of turning these into cupcakes with an orange-clove cream cheese frosting for the Cupcake Hero event hosted by Laurie of Quirky Cupcakes and Stefani of the Cupcake Project but they didn't make it that far. Next time!! They're so good to grab on-the-go for breakfast that I just didn't get to the frosting. Anyway, I used pastry flour (part cake flour) to make them lighter and more cupcake-like. For bread, I think I like the texture of all-purpose. But yum! I'll have to make more for cupcakes! Continue for pumpkin recipe.

Spicy Pumpkin Bread
by Rose

2 cups sugar ( I usually use part brown sugar--can cut down to 1 2/3 cups if just making it for myself)
2/3 cup oil (or even 1/2 if you're really dieting :) --then substitute the rest with buttermilk to equal 1 cup)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1-2 T applesauce
3 large eggs
1 can solid pack pumpkin (16 ounce)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional but good!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans.
Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend.
Mix in eggs and pumpkin.
Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl.
Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.
Divide batter equally between prepared pans.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

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Stuffed French Toast

It' s been a long time since we've had French Toast! Today I made my french toast with multigrain sourdough, soaked in an egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture, and browned on the griddle. I was feeling indulgent and so decided to go for the stuffed variety. :) Usually, I like ricotta lightly sweetened with powdered sugar and zest. But I had leftover honey and walnut cream cheese and so I slathered that between 2 slices of toast instead. I heated several ripe peaches in maple syrup and topped the french toast with the peaches and powdered sugar. I absolutely love weekend breakfasts!

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Cinnamon Buns: Daring Bakers Challenge!

What a wonderful recipe for this month's Daring Baker's Challenge: Cinnamon or Sticky Buns from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. They smelled so delicious coming out of the oven! I couldn't sleep because of the lovely aroma--I just wanted it to be morning so I could have a bun! Thanks Marce (Pip in the City), for your choice!

I have to admit, I waited to the last minute for this month's challenge. I wanted to make both sticky and regular varieties but didn't leave myself the time. They were really very easy to make and assemble. I love Reinhart's recipes--they are so nice to follow and give great instructions. This cookbook makes great bread baking so accessible to the home baker. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to learn about yeast breads.


Although I think my grandma's sweet rolls are still my favorite, these rolls were very good. The dough was great to work with, soft but not sticky, slightly sweet, and had a hint of citrus that smelled amazing even while kneading it. Instead of the lemon extract I used Princess Cake Flavor, giving it a bakery taste with vanilla, butter, and lemon scents. Yum! I also used this flavoring in the fondant glaze that was drizzled on the warm buns. (I only made 1/4 of this glaze and it was the perfect amount--all of it would have been so overwhelmingly sweet.) I think orange would be wonderful too.


Just several notes for next time I bake them....I'll make them a bit smaller and place them closer than 1/2 inch apart--almost touching-- in a round cake pan instead of a baking sheet. My favorite buns were the soft ones on the inside that were really smushed up against their neighbors. Also, I will roll out the dough a little thinner. The recipe specifies 2/3 inch, but mine was closer to 1/2. I'll use more of the cinnamon-sugar mixture next time as well. I only used about half of the mixture and felt they needed a little more. Raisins would be tasty! And I must try these with all butter--I think the flavor of the dough would be richer.I look forward to trying the sticky buns! These rolls tasted and looked like they had come from a bakery. Thanks Daring Bakers! Another fun and yummy challenge! Check out all of the other delicious looking buns on the Daring Baker's Blogroll. Continue for Cinnamon Bun recipe.

Cinnamon and Sticky Buns
from Peter Reinhart´s The Break Baker´s Apprentice


Days to Make: One (1); Active/Resting/Baking Time: 15 minutes to mix, 3 1/2 hours fermentation/shaping/proofing, 20 - 40 minutes to bake

Recipe Quantity: Eight(1) - twelve (12) large rolls or twelve (12) - sixteen (16) small rolls


Ingredients:

6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine**
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1 teaspoon grated zest of 1 lemon**
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour**
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature OR 3 tablespoons powdered milk (DMS) and 1 cup water**
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)

White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns or caramel glaze for sticky buns (at the end of the recipe.)

Walnuts, pecans, or other nuts (for sticky buns.)
Raisins or other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries (for sticky buns, optional.)


Step 1 - Making the Dough: Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand).Note: if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, and add the water with the flour and yeast.Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 2 - Fermentation: Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 3 - Form the Buns: Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns, or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.

Step 4 - Prepare the Buns for Proofing:For cinnamon buns: line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.For sticky buns: coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high with a 1/4 inch layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts and raisins (if you are using raisins or dried fruit.) You do not need a lot of nuts and raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about 1/2 inches apart. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.

Step 5 - Proof the Buns: Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Step 6 - Bake the Buns:Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan and into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark and done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven.

Step 7 - Cool the buns:For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.For the sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove them by flipping them over into another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

Toppings for the Buns:

White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns:

Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)

Caramel glaze for sticky buns:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature.2. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1 teaspoon lemon, orange or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.3. Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/4-inch layer. Refrigerate and save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.

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My Zucchini Orange Walnut Bread

Growing up, zucchini bread was always a staple at my grandma's house. She either had one in the oven or in the freezer. She frequently made hers with pineapple, which made a moist loaf, or with raisins. I've adjusted my recipe several times and decided on a very good loaf made with walnuts and applesauce. But this time, I fine tuned the recipe again and YUM! The results were wonderful! I'm really quite proud of this loaf. :)

It is so light and tender for a zucchini bread. I used pastry flour instead of all-purpose, a great substitution for low-fat baking. Cutting back on the fat, I used part applesauce and this time added part buttermilk for the liquid ingredients. And for a new twist on the flavor, I added orange zest. It really went nicely with the cinnamon and walnuts. So moist and delicious!! Continue for Zucchini Orange Bread recipe.

Zucchini Orange Bread
by Rose

3 cups pastry flour**
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3 t cinnamon
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
Zest of one orange
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 t vanilla
2-3 cups zucchini (I usually go with 3)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare 2 loaf pans for baking.
Combine first five ingredients in large bowl; whisk or sift to distribute.
In a separate bowl, mix sugar with orange zest, rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrance is released.
Add sugar-orange to other dry ingredients and mix.
In another bowl, combine liquid ingredients; add to dry flour mixture.
Mix until just combined.
Add zucchini and walnuts, fold in just until mixed in, and pour into prepared pans.
Bake at 325 for one hour.

** I make my own: 4 c all-purpose + 2 1/4 cup cake flours = 6 1/4 cup pastry flour)--good for low-fat baking.

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Lemon Puff Pancake

What a nice breakfast treat! I have had this recipe from King Arthur Flour stashed away for a while and decided to try it this morning. It was so light and delicious--part pancake, part crepe, part popover. And so simple! A batter of eggs, milk, flour, and lemon and vanilla extracts were baked in a buttered skillet and then topped with a spritz of lemon juice and powdered sugar. No standing over a hot griddle or flipping pancakes--I like it!

I was rather surprised when I took this large puff out of the oven when it was finished cooking. The batter had puffed up the sides of the skillet and in the middle. It was funny looking, but tasty! It was great topped with strawberries and without also. I loved the lemon juice. My husband took half of it and ate it like it was pizza. :) Continue for Puff Pancake recipe.

Lemon Puff Pancake with Berries
King Arthur's Baker's Catalouge


3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter, melted
1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
small pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil, optional
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of half a juicy lemon)
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Pour the melted butter into a 12" skillet with ovenproof handle, or a 10" square pan. Yes, the size of the pan matters. Too small, it’ll overflow. Too large, it won’t puff as high. Try to find a pan or ovenproof skillet whose square-inch cooking surface is about 100 square inches.

Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, sugar, milk, vanilla, lemon oil, and eggs till fairly smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the pancake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until it’s very puffy and golden, with deeper brown patches. Remove it from the oven, and sprinkle with the lemon juice, then the sugar. Cut in squares, and serve immediately, garnished with fresh berries, if desired.

Yield: 4 generous servings.

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