Cinnamon and Sugar Swirl Bread

 

• ▢Bread:
  1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  2 cups sugar
  2 eggs
  1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  2 cups buttermilk
  4 cups flour
  2 teaspoons baking soda
  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  Cinnamon swirl:
  1/3 cup of sugar for the
  2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
  
  Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray bread pans with oil.
  
  
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
• 
  Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Combine until mixed well, scraping down the sides as needed.
  
  
• Combine the flour and baking soda. Add flour alternating with buttermilk. until combined. Do not overmix. 
• 
  Pour 1/2 of the batter into 2 bread pans.
  
  
• Mix the 1/3 cup of sugar with the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
  
  
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture on top of the batter in the bread pans.
  
  
• Divide the remaining batter between the two bread pans and top with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  
  
• Use a knife to create swirls on the top. *
  
  
  
  
  
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
  
  
• Allow the bread to rest on a cooling sheet in the bread pans for about 20 minutes.
  Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool fully.

*I actually used an ice pick to create the swirls. You could also use a skewer if you have one. 

I added apple butter! Yum! 

 

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Crescent Bread

I've always said that my food might not be so pretty, but it usually tastes great! These may not look very good, but oh my goodness! They taste delicious! Nice and moist and the sugar and cinnamon caramelized wonderfully! 

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Crescent Bread

• 1 can refrigerated Crescents
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Spray a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Carefully unroll crescent dough and form into an 8-inch by 15-inch rectangle, pinching the perforations together. Brush dough with melted butter.

In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle sugar mixture and raisins over melted butter. Roll up dough, starting at short side. 

Place dough, seam side down in loaf pan. Let stand in a warm place 30 minutes to allow it to rise slightly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool slightly.

At this point, I would normally make a glaze with powdered sugar and milk or water, but this swirl bread doesn't need it! 

Apple Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

Apple Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cans refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls with Icing
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can apple pie filling with fruit

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. 

In a large resealable plastic bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Remove rolls from cans. Refrigerate icing containers. Separate dough into rolls; cut each into 6 pieces. Add roll pieces to a large bowl; drizzle with melted butter, tossing to coat.

Add half of the roll pieces to the bag with sugar and cinnamon; seal and shake to coat pieces, breaking up any large clumps. Remove from the bag and arrange pieces in the baking dish. Repeat for remaining dough.

In a small bowl, add apple pie filling; cut apples into 1-inch pieces. Drop tablespoonfuls of apple pie filling on top of dough, creating pockets of filling, and spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until dough is baked through in the center and deep golden brown around edges. If it starts to brown too much, cover with foil for the last 5 minutes of baking. Cool for 10 minutes.

In a small microwavable bowl, add icing from both containers. Microwave uncovered on high for 15 to 20 seconds or until stirred smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle icing on top before serving. 

Restaurant Dinner Rolls

Since I've decided to face my fear of baking breads and rolls, I wanted to make bread like some restaurants serve. Since my son was very little, his favorite is Outback's Black bread served on its own cutting board with a knife and cup of butter. I used the recipe for Dark & Soft Restaurant Dinner Rolls Recipe | King Arthur Baking. <---- Click for the recipe.

It called for straight molasses, but we don't like the strong flavor, so I substituted brown sugar. It has a milder molasses flavor. I didn't have the ratio quite right, but they turned out great. I found out I needed to double the amount of brown sugar when substituting for the molasses. I'll fix that next time. 

Ready to rest for an hour or so.

Second rise

The hubby ate these! 

This recipe made 12 large rolls! 

I'll be making these again! 

Dark & Soft Restaurant Dinner Rolls Recipe | King Arthur Baking. <---- Click for the recipe.

Stuffed French Loaf

I've made these for Wednesday Night Suppers at church, and I've made them for Bible School. They are always a big hit. 

Stuffed French Loaf

1 loaf French Bread

8 oz bulk Sausage
1/3 cup Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Egg
3 t Dijon Mustard
2 T Parsley, chopped
¾ cup Mozzarella Cheese
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Butter, softened
Garlic Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread in half lengthwise and slightly hollow out each half, leaving 1/2 inch thick layer of bread. Place the breadcrumbs in container of a blender or food processor and process for 15 to 20 seconds or until fine.

Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a heavy skillet over medium heat until meat is brown; drain. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, meat mixture, egg, 3 tsp mustard, parsley, cheeses, salt and pepper. Spoon meat mixture into the cavity of each bread half. Place bread halves together. Brush with softened butter, and sprinkle with garlic salt. Wrap loaf in foil. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Using bread knife, cut into 1-inch thick slices.

Note: Serve with your favorite hot mustard or horseradish…

Option: Omit the bread altogether... sub 1/4 cup of Parmesan flavored breadcrumbs for the fresh breadcrumbs and cook the meat mixture in muffin tins and serve as mini loaves.

Cornbread Pudding

 

Cornbread Pudding

I wanted some cornbread pudding, but I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for. I came up with a second version, and it's even better than the first! Yay!

1 can Corn, drained
1 Onion, chopped
2 Eggs
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 package Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Stir in cornbread mix and seasonings. Pour into a greased 13X9 baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm. 

Homemade Pita Pockets

The yeast rolls I made turned out so well. I got really brave and researched pita pockets! I'll be making them again. I think it turned out pretty well. They could have puffed a little better, but these will do for the first time making them! 

1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 ½ cups (426 to 497 g) all-purpose flour (see note)


In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the water, yeast, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour. Using a dough hook, beat to form a soft batter-like consistency. Add additional flour 1 cup at a time until the dough starts to come together. Scape down the sides if necessary.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough that clears the sides of the bowl but is still slightly tacky to the touch and knead for 4-5 minutes with an electric mixer or 8-9 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll the dough pieces into a ball shape. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Roll each dough ball into a thin disc, about 1/4-inch thick, keeping an even thickness. That helps the dough puff in the oven. Let the pita rounds rest, lightly covered, for 30-40 minutes until they are slightly puffed.

Well, the one on the left is a little wop sided. 

While the pita rounds are resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  

When the pitas have rested, gently flip two of them onto a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Again, make sure you flip them so the side that was resting on the counter is now facing up. Spritz with water, if needed.

Bake the pitas for 10 minutes, until they are starting to brown very lightly on top and they have puffed several inches high. Don't get discouraged if your pitas don't all puff. I had two that didn't puff very well because they stuck to the paper where I had them resting. Totally my fault. The baked and cooled pitas can be frozen or stored covered at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Yeast Rolls and Honey Butter

Those that know me, know that I don't do a lot of baking, at least not breads and rolls. (Yeast doughs) My son and his fiancé gave me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer last Christmas, and I got brave enough to go for it. The right recipe helps! I tried my best foodie friend Mary's recipe. I did it! Her recipe is awesome! I do have to work on size consistency! LOL 

Cooking with Mary and Friends <- Click on this link for the recipe! 

 I made Honey Butter to go with them,

at the hubby's request! 

1 stick of Butter
3 Tablespoons Honey
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix together until smooth. Refrigerate, if there is any left! 

Homemade Pretzel Bites

I was looking for some easy recipes for baked goods. I've always said that I'm not a baker. I do bake, but it's not my specialty. I ran across a recipe for pretzel bites from King Arthur Flour. The instructions seemed a little daunting, but they are really easy when you understand the steps. I wasn't aware that boiling the dough for about 30 seconds was the way they achieve their golden-brown color. I really had fun with this recipe. It's easy and really a quick recipe!  Pretty good for my first time, I think.

I love pretzels!

 The dough came together quickly

and needed no adjustments.

I let the dough rest for 30 minutes,

while I prepared the water bath. 

I had to work quick with the boiling water process,

so I didn't get a picture.

Sprinkled with Kosher Salt and then

baked at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

 They are crunchy on the outside,

and soft on the inside. Delicious!

Pretzel Bites

Dough:
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water

Water Bath:
1 1/2 to 2 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the water bath. Combine the water, salt, and baking soda in a saucepan. The water should fill the pan at least 1 1/4" deep.

Punch down the dough on a lightly greased work surface, then divide it into 24 pieces. Cover and bring water bath to a boil.

Drop the pretzel bites, about six at a time, into the water bath. Cook for 30 seconds, then return them to the baking sheet using a slotted spoon or spider, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake the pretzel bites for 18 to 22 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove the pretzel bites from the oven, and serve with your favorite mustard, honey mustard or cheese sauce.

Winter Comfort Food... Soups, Stews, Bread and Cornbread

With the threat of winter weather (ice, freezing rain and snow) this weekend, I think we could all use some comfort food! Check out these recipe links to my favorites soups, stews, breads and cornbread! The links are under each picture! Thanks and Enjoy!

 Loaded Baked Potato Soup

15 Bean Soup with Ham

 Beef Stew

Mama's Catfish Stew 

Deluxe Cheeseburger Soup 

Simple Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup 

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup 

Tuscan Soup 

Hushpuppies 

Cornbread Recipes 

Upside Down Vidalia Cornbread

Pizza Monkey Bread 

Italian Herb and Cheddar Loaf 

 Stuffed French Loaf

Stuffed Biscuits 

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

I have made the Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and I've made Bacon Puffs! I've tried a lot of combinations including biscuits with bacon, but I've never been satisfied with the bacon flavor in the biscuit itself. Well, last night the light bulb went off! Take out the oil and substitute the grease/oil rendered from cooking the bacon! No one can yell at me about this one, because you are only subbing one oil for another! Nothing wrong with bacon "oil"! :-)

2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Crisco Shortening
2/3 cup Milk
1/4 cup Bacon Grease*
1 Egg
1 pound Bacon, fried and crumbled**
1/2 cup Onion, diced small
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork or your hands, cut in shortening until all combined. Add the bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese to the flour mixture and stir to coat with flour.
Combine milk, bacon grease, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together.
Combine flour mixture and milk mixture in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.
Spoon batter into greased mini muffin tins. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes on 375 degrees until golden brown. Remove from pan onto a wire rack. Cover with a towel and serve warm.

* Reserve the grease after cooking the bacon and cool.

 ** I only use one cup of crumbles bacon, but the guys eat some every time. So, I cook the entire package!

Pizza Monkey Bread

Pull-apart bread, which we call Monkey Bread, is perfect for parties, showers or just a great supper. They can be sweet or savory. This one is made with pepperoni and cheeses, but you can add anything you want to it. There are no limits to the combinations that you can make. I made this one very simply using Krusteaz Garlic and Onion Flatbread mix. I highly recommend it. It was delicious in this recipe!

Pizza dough or canned biscuit dough

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 tbsp. basil leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 (8 oz.) package of mini pepperoni

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan well.

Cut pizza dough or biscuits into small pieces.

Add all the ingredients in a bowl, except the dough and toss. Add the dough pieces a few at the time and toss so that the oil is spread evenly on each piece of dough. If you add them all at once, they stick together and just make a huge ball... I found that out the hard way! LOL

Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked. If the middle is still not cooked thoroughly, leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes at a time until it’s done. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with marinara, pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Bread, Doughnuts, and Tarts! Oh My! with Voila! Hallah Bread Mixes from Tribes-A-Dozen

 A little while back I received three bread mixes... Voila! Hallah, from Tribes-A-Dozen to try for myself. They are incredibly easy with clear directions that even I, the baking challenged, can pull off! If you would like to try one of my recipes or make the bread yourself, register below for my giveaway! Win the three mixes pictured below!

I love that Tribes-A-Dozen believes...

"At Tribes-A-Dozen, we believe that baking bread is more than just an ancient art — it’s an incredibly powerful way to connect us to our heritage and pass on cherished (and yummy) traditions to the next generation.

We bake to remember. Bring your family and friends together around healthful, meaningful traditions and you’ve made memories for life.

Tribes-A-Dozen is about wholesome, all natural, kosher hallah (or challah bread) – - the classic egg bread – - also referred to as barches, brioche, kalács, osterbrot, or, simply, twisted bread."

I used the traditional mix and followed the directions. It yielded three small balls of dough which could become a braided loaf or a single pan loaf. I decided to do something different with each one.

Two of the three dough balls.

 This one is a small round loaf with an egg wash

and sprinkled with Kosher Salt.

The second one became doughnut holes.

I dipped them in butter and then in cinnamon and sugar.

 If you noticed, four of them went missing

when I reached for the camera!

 The third one... I rolled out for the crust of a

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Tart!

For the filling:

1 8oz block Cream Cheese, room temp
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth, scraping the sides down as needed. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the tart crust.

 Ready for the oven!
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
It will puff up while baking, and then settle back down while cooling.

All done!

I think it needed some chocolate fudge sauce!

Win the three Voila! HALLAH bread mixes from Tribes-A-Dozen by entering below! A winner will be chosen May 3rd! Get your entries in!


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