Blueberry Banana Yogurt Muffins

Now that I am pregnant, I am diabetic once again. My blood sugar numbers are always out of whack first thing in the morning, so I found a breakfast that was safe and stuck with it. But after 20+ plus weeks, I have grown tired of eating the same thing every single morning for breakfast.

So I decided to find something else I could eat that wouldn't be too sugary. I normally love a big bowl of cereal in the morning so that was out. I decided to try my hand at muffins. But healthy, diabetic friendly muffins. I created these blueberry banana yogurt muffins. They contain healthy, whole ingredients like oats and blueberry yogurt and banana.

I added some spices to give it a hint of warmth. The yogurt gave the muffins a slight tang but imparted a strong blueberry flavor. The muffin was dense and moist and with a small glass of milk and some turkey sausage is a great start to the morning. Way better than an English muffin and cream cheese.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 12 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1/4 tablespoon ground ginger

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana

4 ozs blueberry greek yogurt, I used Chobani 

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

oats

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly and set aside.

~In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients until well blended. Slowly mix in the dry mixture until well combined.

~Spray your muffin pans with nonstick spray. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup 3/4 full and sprinkle with oats.

~Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

recipe by:The Good Wife

Hotdog Cupcakes

The Good Daughter loves hot dogs. I blame The Good Husband. It all started after he took her to the hardware store with him and they just happened to have a hot dog stand there. Now it's all she wants to eat.

I made this one night when TGH and I were having lamb kabobs for dinner. Unsure if TGD would eat lamb, I made these as her meat option. Needless to say, she gobbled these down and half my lamb.

At first these little guys look just like a regular cornbread muffin but... 

cut them open and see the hot dogs. 

TGD went nuts over these. She kept calling them her hotdog cupcakes.

They were super simple to make and keep well for leftovers the next day.

Ingredients: 

1 cup all purpose flour 

1 cup cornmeal 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

2 eggs 

1 cup milk 

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or oil

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

6 hot dogs, cut into 4 pieces  

Directions: 

~Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

~In a large mixing bowl mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder until combines. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, milk, applesauce and sugar. Combine wet and dry ingredients, careful not to over mix. 

~Pour batter into lined or oiled muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way full. Insert two pieces of hot dog and spread batter over top to cover. 

~Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

recipe adapted from: Happy Good Time Blog found via Pinterest

Pumpkin Donuts

I have a confession to make. 

The Good Husband didn't know I had a blog for about 2 years. I don't know why he never questioned all the food photo taking, but whatever. Then a coworker asked for a recipe of mine and I emailed her the link to this blog. Then in talking to TGH, told him how she loved the blog.

He had no idea what the hell she was talking about and spend the rest of the day reading this. The first thing he said when he saw me after work that night was that I curse too much on here.

I laughed and told him if only he heard me in the kitchen. Like when I made these donuts, the second stop on our pumpkin tour, and spilled the bag on flour all over the floor. *(&^%^$&;%!!!

The original recipe called for the donuts to be brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon and sugar but I skipped that step, however, I have included it in the directions if you want to do it.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup butter, for dipping

Directions:
~Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

~In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and butter until well combined. Fill a large ziploc bag and snip off the end. Pipe into the donut pan. The batter will be thick.

~Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  Cool on a wire rack.

~Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a small dish and mix together cinnamon and sugar in a second dish for dipping. Dip the donuts in the butter and then the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

recipe modified from: here

Soft Pretzel Bites

~UPDATE~
A reader suggested I add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water before boiling the dough to make them taste more like pretzels. Well, holy shit, if it didn't produce the most amazing pretzels ever!

I mean, just look at how they turned out. I didn't change one thing other than the baking soda and look how much darker and pretzel-er they are.

Thank you so much, Mrs.A!



Soft pretzels are a weakness of mine. I love going to the fair or a baseball game and ordering them. A soft pretzel with cheese and cold beer are a damn near perfect afternoon.

I was always intimidated to make them on my own, since I still get nervous about making bread from scratch. But, good old Pinterest sucked me in again, and I found a recipe that didn't require me to make the dough from scratch.

These were super easy to make and they were a great snack. I need to make cheese sauce the next time I make them.

Ingredients:
5-10 Texas size Rhodes roll, thawed
baking soda
1/2 stick butter melted
sea salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste

Directions:

~Thaw roll according to package, once thawed cut into quarters. Place dough on greased sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size (about 35-45 minutes).

~Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil over high heat. Add a hearty shake of baking soda to the water, carefully since the water will bubble up rapidly. When dough has risen, drop several pieces of dough in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place dough on paper towels to drain slightly.

~Move dough to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown.

~Meanwhile combine salt, onion and garlic powder in a small bowl. I think I used a hearty half tablespoon of each. When dough comes out of the oven, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt mixture. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

I get random inspiration with turns into obsession for food. Pinterest does not help at all. I saw some pretty donuts pop up on there and I immediately knew I needed to make all kinds of donuts. I have a list at least 5 I want to try in my head.

Cake? Yeast? Baked? Fried? Filled?

Even though it is not traditional, I wanted to make baked donuts. It is somewhat healthier I figured. Also, I don't like messing with the fryer early in the morning. After a lot of googling, I found out that cake donuts are the best to bake. At least I didn't find any baked yeast donut recipe.

After learning that I need a donut pan AND getting a 50% off coupon at Micheal's, I decided that Father's Day would be the best day to eat donuts. I started with cinnamon sugar since that is The Good Husband's fav and they were a hit. The Good Daughter licked the sugar off two donuts.


The pan is really easy to use and once I put all the dough in a pastry bag instead of trying to spoon it into the molds, baking went super fast. I also mixed up the cinnamon and sugar in a bag and tossed the donuts in there. They came out with a hefty coating of the sweet stuff so I might try a different approach next time.

I modified the recipe from the pan and while it said it made 12, I was able to get 15 out of the batter.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, sifted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.

~Sift together the dry ingredients. Whisk in milk, eggs, vanilla and butter and mix until just combined. Fill each donut cup until about 2/3 full, using a pastry bag if needed.

~Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan for about 4-5 minutes before removing from pan.

~Meanwhile combine 1 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon in a plastic bag and shake to combine. Dip donuts in 2 tablespoons of melted butter and drop in bag. Toss to coat. Serve warm.

recipe modified from: Wilton

Blueberry Streusel French Toast

So I was wondering what I could do with all the blueberries I got from the Farmer's Market and this idea got stuck in my head. Blueberry Streusel French Toast. Doesn't that just sound wonderful?

I toyed with how to make this. I baked two slices while I pan fried the other two. I preferred the pan fried version since that required more butter, but I will include the baked version as well.

I will add The Good Baby loved this. She literally gave me a hug after every bite. It was too cute for words.

Ingredients:
1 loaf day old bread - brioche or challah works best
6 extra large eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups blueberries
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
~To Bake - Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or oil. Layer bread slices in overlapping rows. Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and pour slowly over bread. Make sure bread is submerged and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In saucepan melt butter; add brown sugar and nuts to combine. Remove plastic wrap from French toast and top with streusel topping. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

~To Pan Fry - Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add bread, a slice at a time and allow bread to absorb custard mixture, turning once. Meanwhile, heat several tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium low heat. Combine melted butter, brown sugar and nuts in a small bowl; set aside. Remove bread from custard and allow excess to drain. Add the bread to the pan and top with the streusel mixture. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until the custard mixture is set. Top with blueberry sauce.

~To make blueberry sauce: Whisk together juice and cornstarch in saucepan. Add berries, sugar, and lemon juice and zest and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil about 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve over French toast.

recipe by: The Good Wife

Oatmeal Scones

As part of our St. Patrick's Day breakfast for dinner, I decided to make oatmeal scones. These were actually part of the St. Patty's Day Brunch Menu from Epicurious, so I have to credit them with the inspiration.


This was the second time I have made scones and honestly, I think I will make them more often since they are super quick and easy to make and they are great with coffee in the morning.

The oats gave the scones a soft, nutty flavor and a slightly crumbly texture. I served these with soft honey butter.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar plus additional for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
Finely grated zest from 1 large navel orange
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk plus additional for brushing

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 425ºF.

~Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt into a food processor, then add oats and pulse 15 times. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with small (pea-size) lumps, then transfer to a bowl.

~Stir together zest and buttermilk and add to oat mixture, stirring with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 6 times.

~Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. Cut out as many scones as possible with cutter, dipping it in flour before each cut, and transfer scones to a lightly buttered large baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball, then pat into a round and cut out more scones in same manner.

~Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, and transfer to a rack.

~Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from :Epicurious

Beer Bread

I gave this bread mix to my friends and family for Christmas this year. While making it, I remembered how easy it was to make.

Here is what it will look like once you have made it.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning
12 once beer at room temperature

Directions to make:
~Mix all the ingredients and pour into greased pan.

~Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm.

Beer Bread Mix

My aunt introduced me to this bread. It is a wonderful quick bread and with all the different beer available, you can really vary the flavor every time. I wouldn't recommend a super cheap beer, but you also don't have to use the premium stuff either. A nice bottle of Sam Adams would be nice in this bread.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning
12 once beer at room temperature

Directions to make:
~Mix all the ingredients and pour into greased pan.

~Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm.

The longest wait for food ever or Classic Sourdough Bread

Sourdough is on the list of 100 Foods I Want to Make. So cross another one off the list. Yay (just excuse that I totally missed the deadline)!

Every first Monday of the month my newspaper contains the Relish magazine insert. I always glance at it and think I will make something from it but I never do. Until I got October's issue.

There on the cover, in all it's carbohydrate goodness, was the most beautiful sourdough bread ever. I intently read the article to The Good Baby, assuring her in a few months she could eat some as well. Hell, in a few months the first batch might be finished by then.

It's no lie that sourdough takes forever to make. You have to make the starter and let it good and soured before you can even begin to think about making bread. But it was on my list and I wanted to concur it.

I made my first batch of bread 2 weeks after beginning my starter. I made the second batch a week after that. I could tell the difference. The sour taste was just a little more ripe than the first batch and just the way I like it.

So the wait wasn't that bad.

Sourdough Starter
Ingredients
3 (1/4-ounce) packets dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions
~Dissolve yeast in water in a large plastic container (gallon-size works well). Add sugar. When yeast bubbles (about 10 minutes), stir in flour until you have a smooth paste.

~Cover loosely to allow gases to escape and place in a warm spot in your kitchen 2 to 3 days. The mixture should bubble and give off a sour odor. Stir starter once a day, making sure to stir in any crust that’s formed. After this point, you can store starter in the refrigerator or leave it out in a cool, dark area of your kitchen.

~Feed starter by stirring in 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water every day if you leave it out, or every few days if it’s refrigerated; otherwise, it will become too acidic and eventually die.

~Once starter has grown a few weeks and has reached full strength, you can decrease feedings to once a week.

~If you don’t use your starter regularly, it’s going to get unruly and burst the bounds of its container. Give some away to friends along with feeding and baking instructions.

Recipe by Gesine Prado, "The Start of Something Good," Oct. 2009.

Classic Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
1 cup Sourdough Starter (see recipe)
2 1/4 cups warm water, divided
5 to 7 cups white bread flour, divided
2 (1/4-ounce) packets dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar, divided
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions
~Mix sourdough starter, 2 cups water and 5 cups flour in a large bowl. Mix well; cover with a dish towel and let rise 8 hours or overnight.

~Combine yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Let stand 5 minutes, until mixture bubbles.

~Place flour mixture in the bowl of a stand mixture. Add yeast mixture, salt and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Mix well. With your hands or a dough hook, knead while gradually adding up to 2 additional cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Knead until a smooth, soft dough forms. Dough should be shiny and supple, not sticky and wet. If you plan to add additional ingredients (see note), add them at this point so they are evenly distributed.

~Place dough in an oiled bowl; cover with a dishtowel and let rise about 2 hours.

~Punch down and divide in half for 2 large loaves or fourths for 4 smaller loaves. Knead each portion by hand on a lightly floured surface until smooth; shape into rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly cover with a dishtowel. Let rise 1 hour, until double in size.

~Preheat oven to 375F. Just before placing bread in the oven, place an ovenproof bowl filled with 2 cups of water or ice cubes in the bottom of oven to create steam to help bread form a crisp crust.

~Slash tops of loaves with a sharp knife. For a rustic look, sprinkle with flour. Bake about 45 minutes, until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Makes 2 loaves, 12 servings each.

Recipe by Gesine Prado, "The Start of Something Good," Oct. 2009.

Rhubarb Scones

This past weekend was The Good Grandma's birthday. She is older than sliced bread, Band-Aids, women's right to vote, Frigidaire and Kleenex. It's true. She has a sign that lists all the things she is older than. It is amazing to think of it.

So as part of my birthday present to her I decided to make rhubarb scones. I know she likes strawberry rhubarb pie but my luck with pies is kinda iffy. So I thought I would make scones and strawberry honey butter so that when eaten together, it would taste like a strawberry rhubarb pie.


I had never had rhubarb before and scones on a few occasions so I was a little nervous about how these would turn out. But they were light and airy and sweet. Nothing like the rock hard scones I had in the past.

And TGG, bless her heart, kept calling them stones when people asked what she got for her birthday. Maybe I should be offended? I told her that she could call them biscuits and it would be ok.

I snagged this killer recipe from Bridget at The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Rhubarb Cream Scones (adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen)
Ingredients:
2½ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar (3.5 ounces) plus 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 cups diced rhubarb (¼-inch cubes), about 3 stalks
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Adjust a baking rack to the middle position. In a small bowl, mix the rhubarb with 3 tablespoons sugar.

~In a food processor, pulse the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt a few times, just to mix. Distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl.

~Stir the rhubarb into the flour mixture. Lightly beat the egg, yolk, and cream together in a bowl (use the same one you used for the rhubarb), then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

~On a well-floured surface with floured hands, pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter). Using a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a glass dipped in flour, cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.

Bagels

Anyone who has read my blog before knows how much I love bread. And how that it is the only thing I am craving now, I have to find more creative ways to satisfy my bread desire. This week, after seeing an episode of Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives, which featured Surrey's Café and Juice Bar, in New Orleans, I had a HUGE craving for bagels and lox.

Sadly the lox I can't have, but nothing can stop me from eating a dozen of these!

I found a bagel recipe in my Joy of Cooking cookbook. I did have some problems with the recipe though. The dough was just so dry that I had to add several tablespoons of water to get it to a smooth stage. I don't think it effected the overall texture or flavor but I was just a little disappointed that the dough wasn't perfect the first time. I also didn't roll the dough into a log and shape the bagel. I just rolled the dough into a ball and pushed my thumb through to make the hole. I think that is why my bagels have almost no hole.

When I ate all of these bagels, I decided to try again a few days later to see if maybe in a rush, I had just dumped all the flour in and that was why my dough was too dry. I slowly added the flour and when the dough looked stiff and could hold no more flour, I realized that I had almost one half cup of flour that I hadn't mixed in.

So while this recipe did produce a very tasty bagel, I might go with a different version next time.

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp warm (105° to 115° F) water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar plus 1 1/2 teaspoon
1 Tbsp melted vegetable shortening
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plus 3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions:
~Combine in a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast, dissolves (about 5 minutes), the water, yeast and 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar.

~Slowly stir in the shortening, 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt and 1 cup flour.

~Slowly add the remaining flour and knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.

~Let rest, covered, 15 to 20 minutes.

~Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope tapering the ends. Wet the ends to help seal and form into rings, stretching the top end over and around the bottom end and pinching them together underneath. Or alternately, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Stick your thumb through the ball to make a hole. Stretch the hole out about 2 inches. Let rise, covered, on a floured board about 15 minutes, until puffy.

~Preheat the oven to 425°F.

~Bring to a boil in a large pot:
4 quarts water
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

~Drop the rings 4 at a time into the boiling water. As the bagels surface, turn them over and cook about 45 seconds longer. Skim out and place on an ungreased baking sheet coated with cornmeal.

~Bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

recipe by: The Joy of Cooking

Cinnamon rolls

Nothing smells better than fresh baked cinnamon rolls.

But having never cooked them before, I didn't realise how long it actually takes before you can smell them. We decided to have The Good Grandmother over for breakfast on Sunday and being sick of the usual biscuits and gravy, eggs and 'taters, pancakes/waffles, I decided to make cinnamon rolls.

I found a recipe the night before and determined I would need about 2 hours to make them. No problem normally, since I can get up early if I want, but I have found that now that I am in my second trimester, getting out of bed in the morning is just so incredibly hard.

The recipe I used made 24 rolls. After TGG, The Good Husband and I had our fill, there was plenty to give to TGG to take home and for us to have the rest of the week as well.

I got a sloppy when cutting them (I used dental floss instead of thread) so some were thicker than others but the taste was perfect. I also used a powdered sugar icing when I think next time I will make a cream cheese frosting.

These babies were definitely worth getting up early for, but in the future, this will be one of the first things I teach my kids to make so I can wake up to the glorious smell in the morning.

Ingredients
4 to 4-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing

Directions
~In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, the 1/3 cup sugar, the 1/3 cup butter, and salt just until warm, about 120 to 130 degrees F. and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer or your stand mixer, on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the remaining flour. If using your stand mixer, mix in the remaining flour on low speed

~Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes.. Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

~Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease two 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans (I used a 15x11 pan).

~Roll each portion of the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Brush the 3 tablespoons melted butter over dough. Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up into a spiral, starting from a long side. Seal seam. Slice each roll into 12 equal pieces using thread or dental floss. Place in prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 30 minutes.

~Bake in 400 degree F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Icing.

Makes 24 rolls.

Powdered Sugar Icing: In mixing bowl combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk or orange juice. Stir in additional milk or juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches drizzling consistency. Makes 1/2 cup.

recipe by: Better Homes and Gardens

Nutty Banana Bread

Of course the easiest thing to make with your brown bananas is banana bread. I love banana bread but when I normally make it, it is without the nuts, since nuts are something that I don't really keep on hand. So having a nutty banana bread is a real treat. I even add some toasted walnuts to the bread when I eat it. Yum.

And forget about that cooling completely jazz. I eat this baby warm, straight out of the oven. Oh heaven.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x5x3 pan.

~In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

~In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

~Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cover the loaf loosely in foil to prevent over browning during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

~Serve warm with butter and toasted nuts.

recipe by: Better Homes and Gardens

Italian Bread

This Christmas, with money being tight, and me cooking more, I decided to make homemade gifts for my family. The traditional route for homemade food gifts at Christmastime is to do something sweet. But I opted for the complete opposite figuring that most people's sweet tooth would be already soothed.

I decided to make homemade noodles, sauce and Italian bread.

The bread was actually the easiest thing to make out of the three. My Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer did most of the work and I just tried not to burn the bread.

Now, I have always had a weakness for a good old loaf of bread. If all I ever had to eat and drink were bread, wine and cheese, I would die a fat and happy girl. But now that wine and some cheese is off the menu while I am cooking up The Good Baby, my only comfort is copious amounts of bread. It is also worth noting that my pregnancy stomach seems to handle milk and bread only right now.


Since this was really my only third attempt at bread making, I can say that I am very pleased with the results. I learned from the mistakes I made when making French Bread and White Sandwich Bread it, indeed, helped me to produce a better product this time around.

First off, I wasn't gentle in kneading this dough. Before I was scared that I would overwork the dough. Not so this time. This time I kneaded that thing to high heaven and was able to get all my aggression out.

Secondly, I really pinched the seams together so that I wouldn't have the visible seams like I had with the White Sandwich Bread. I also improved my slashing technique.

Lastly, I used more than just one cup of water in the pan to create steam. The recipe called for spraying the bread in 3 minute intervals but I opted for the lazy route and placed a roasting pan with water on the bottom rack of the oven. I think I used closer to 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water. The single cup of water evaporated too fast and I don't think the bread benefited from any of the steam.

I used the recipe I found from the Brown Eyed Baker's website. Her notes on the recipe are very helpful. This recipe did produce a HUGE loaf but it was oh so very good.

Italian Bread by the Brown Eyed Baker (Adapted from Dawn’s Recipes)
Makes 1 large ginormous loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water (~100°F)
1 package active dry yeast
5 to 5¾ cups bread flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ teaspoons salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:
~Stir the yeast into ½ cup of the warm water. Let proof as you measure out the dry ingredients.

~Combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on lowest speed of electric mixer (stir setting on a KitchenAid) until a dough starts to form, adding more flour as needed.

~Knead on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and need by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

~Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

~Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

~Preheat the oven lined with a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles to 425°F.

~Place the dough on a baker’s peel heavily dusted with flour, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a floured canvas cloth, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

~Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, slash the dough lengthwise about 1/4-inch deep, keeping the blade at a 45 degree angle.

~Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust).

~Bake the dough for a total of 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when tapping the bottom of the bread. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.

recipe by: The Brown Eyed Baker

White Bread

MMMMM. Bread.

Imagine me drooling like Homer Simpson and that is how I feel about bread. Any bread. I can't even attempt a low carb diet because of my bordering on unnatural love of bread. Once, a long time ago, I even worked at Panera Bread, a job I loathed, just for the free loaf of bread I got every month.
Bread is something new to me in the baking department. I really haven't tried it before and you can tell. My first attempt with a yeast bread was this French Bread recipe. This was my first go at white bread, or sandwich bread. It was also my first recipe out of Joy of Cooking, the cookbook I got for my birthday.

I used bread flour instead of all purpose flour and I think the texture was affected. The bread was slightly chewy. It wasn't fluffy like Wonder Bread and I didn't do a very good job rolling the loaf and sealing the seams.

But it did have a nice, slightly sweet flavor and it wasn't rock hard. Overall I think I did a B+ job but I will work on perfecting this.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup warm (105° to 115°F) water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Directions:
~Combine in a small saucepan and heat until warm (105° to 115°F)the milk, water, sugar, shortening, butter and salt.

~Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

~Add the lukewarm milk mixture to the dissolved yeast. Stir in 3 cups of the flour and beat 1 minute, then stir or work in 3 more cups flour.

~Toss the dough onto a floured board and knead until it is smooth, elastic, and full of bubbles, gradually adding more flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

~Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough over once, and cover with a cloth. Let rise in a warm place (75° to 85°F) until doubled in bulk, at least 1 hour (I filled a large pan with hot water, placed it in the oven and then placed the bread in to allow it to raise).Punch down the dough and, if time permits, allow it to rise until doubled once more, then punch it down again (For this second rise, I allowed the bread to rise for one hour).

~Divide the dough in half, shape into 2 loaves, and place in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Brush with oil, then cover with a clean cloth and let rise again until almost doubled in bulk (Again, about one hour).

~Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the bread 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake about 30 minutes longer. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 595. Remove the loaves at once from the pans and cool completely on a rack.

NOTE: I used two glass loaf pans, so I reduced the heat to 325. I also only baked the bread at 450 for 5 minutes since I like a lighter brown crust.

recipe by: The Joy of Cooking

Sausage Pancake Sandwiches

Eggs and 'taters gets tiresome sometimes and pancakes are a good, easy solution to the eggs and 'taters blah. I normally like just pancakes covered in butter and syrup but every now and then I love a good sausage and pancake sandwich. I wish I could make some kind of lovely sausage pancake corndog like thing, but when I want breakfast I don't want to wait. Since I normally sleep in on Sunday, most of our breakfasts are technically bunch anyway, so the last thing I need is to fool around with some kind of pancake and sausage on a stick.

So in order to compromise between my desire to have breakfast on a stick and the hurried need to eat right away, I made sausage pancake sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:
~In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

~In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract and oil.

~Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).

~To make a pancake, ladle 3 tablespoons of the batter into a hot, greased griddle or large skillet. Cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake. Flip the pancake over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

To make the sandwiches:
~Layer one cooked sausage patty between two hot pancakes and top with a drizzle of syrup.

recipe modified from: Better Homes and Gardens

Toast with Caramelized Sugar and Cinnamon

With all my French Bread leftover from the weekend, I decided to make a sweet treat. Lacking chocolate, the food I really craved, I decided to make cinnamon sugar toast. Not just cinnamon sugar toast, but, toast with caramelized sugar and cinnamon, pan toasted in butter. Oh heaven.

Ingredients:
3 slices thin slices French Bread
Butter (there is no such thing as too much)
Sugar (there is no such thing as too much)
Cinnamon (there is no such thing as too much)

Directions:
~In a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt a pats of butter.

~Place the bread in the pan, allowing it to toast on each side for a few minutes.

~Sprinkle one side of the toast with cinnamon and sugar and flip it so that it will caramelize in the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes.

~Serve warm with a glass of milk or drizzle it with honey and enjoy with a cup of coffee.

recipe by: The Good Wife

French Bread

I saw this recipe over at the Brown Eyed Baker and thought I would give it a go. I have never made bread before but the recipe seemed simple enough. Even though it took about 5 hours to make, most of it is resting time for the bread. Mine didn't turn out as pretty as hers but I think I did very well for a first time bread maker.

I need to work on my slashing. I did it a little too deep so it is not so pretty. Also, my bread didn't have as many air bubbles in it as it should have but overall for my first bread making attempt, it was a complete success. I didn't burn it; you could eat it and it actually tastes like it is supposed to. So with practice, maybe I can make it better.

I halved this recipe and made only two loaves of bread.

Pain Ordinaire Careme (A Daily Loaf)
(Source: Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads)

Yield: 4 baguettes, boules, or couronnes.

Ingredients:
6 cups bread or unbleached flour, approximately
2 packages dry yeast
2½ cups hot water (120-130 degrees F)
2 teaspoons each salt and water

Baking Sheet or Pans: 1 baking sheet, teflon or greased and sprinkled with cornmeal, or 4 baguette pans, greased.

By Hand or Mixer: (10 mins)
The early part of this preparation, beating a batter, can be done by an electric mixer. However, don’t overload a light mixer with this thick batter. If by hand, stir vigorously for an equal length of time.

Measure 3 or 4 cups of flour into the mixing bowl and add the yeast and hot water. The mixer flat beater or whisk should run without undue strain. The batter will be smooth and pull away from the sides as the gluten develops. It may also try to climb up the beaters and into the motor. If it does, push it down with a rubber scraper. Mix for 10 minutes. When about finished, dissolve the salt in the water and add to the batter. Blend for 30 seconds or more.

Kneading (10 mins):
If the machine has a dough hook, continue with it and add additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough has formed under the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. If it is sticky and clings, add sprinkles of flour. Knead for 10 minutes.

If by hand, add additional flour to the beaten batter, ½ cup at a time, stirring first with a utensil and then working by hand. When the dough is shaggy but a solid mass, turn onto a work surface and begin kneading with an aggressive push-turn-fold motion. If the dough is sticky, toss down sprinkles of flour. Break the kneading rhythm occasionally by throwing the dough down hard against the countertop - an excellent way to encourage the development of the dough.

First Rising (2 hours):
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will more than treble in volume - and may even be pushing against the plastic covering.

(If prepared with a new fast-rising yeast and at the recommended higher temperatures, reduce the rising times by about half.)

Second Rising (1½ hours):
Turn back the plastic wrap and turn the dough onto the work surface to knead briefly, about 3 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl and re-cover with wax paper. Allow to rise to more than triple its volume, about 1½ hours.

Shaping (10 mins):
The dough will be light and puffy. Turn it onto the floured work surface and punch it down. Don’t be surprised if it pushes back, for it is quite resilient.
Divide the dough into as many pieces as you wish loaves. One-quarter (10 oz) of this recipe will make a baguette 22″ long and 3″ to 4″ in diameter.

Allow pieces of dough to rest for 5 minutes before shaping.

For boules or round loaves, shape the pieces into balls. Place in cloth-lined baskets (bannetons) or position directly on the baking sheet. For baguettes, roll and lengthen each dough piece under your palms to 16″ to 20″ , and 3″ to 4″ in diameter. Place in a pan or on a baking sheet or in the folds of a long cloth (couche).

This loaf’s characteristic couronne or “crown” can be made in several ways. One is to flatten the piece of dough, press a hole through the center with your thumb, and enlarge the hole with your fingers. Another is to roll a long strand 18″ to 24″ and curl into a circle, overlapping and pushing together the ends. Yet a third way is to take 2 or 3 shorter lengths of dough and join them together in a circle, not overlapping top and bottom but pressing the ends together side by side into a uniform pattern - this one will be irregular but attractive.

Third rising (1 hour):
Cover the loaves with a cloth, preferably of wool, to allow air to reach the loaves and to form a light crust. Leave at room temperature until the dough has risen to more than double its size, about 1 hour.

Preheat:
Before preheating the oven to 450 degrees F (very hot) 20 minutes before baking, place a broiler pan on the floor of the oven or bottom rack so it will be there later. Five minutes before baking, pour 1 cup hot water into the hot pan. Be careful of the burst of steam - it can burn. I use a long-handled cup to reach into the oven when I pour.

Baking (450 degrees F/25-30 mins):
Carefully move the loaves in baskets and in couches to the baking sheet. Make diagonal cuts down the lengths of the long loaves and tic-tac-toe designs on the boules.

Place on the middle shelf of the oven.

The loaves are done when a golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn one loaf over and if the bottom crust sounds hard and hollow when tapped, the loaf is done.

(If using a convection oven, reduce heat 50 degrees.)

Final step:
Place on a rack to cool.

recipe from: Brown Eyed Baker

Stuffed French Toast

Since two of the things I bought at the Farmer's Market were bread and candied pecans, I thought what better way to combine them than to make stuffed French Toast. Now, I have never had stuffed French Toast, but I had always seen it on IHOP commericals and thought that it looked tasty and easy to make so I tried it.

Ingredients:
3 oz cream cheese softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 1 ½ inch thick sliced bread, I used Country French bread I got at the local Farmer’s Market
1 egg
½ cup milk
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg
2 tablespoon butter
¼ cup candied pecans

Directions:
~Combine cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Mix to combine. Spoon cream cheese mixture into a ziplock bag, pushing the mixture into one corner. Cut one corner of the bag to form a pastry bag. You could also use a small pastry bag with a small tip.

~Cut a slit in the top of the bread. Gently insert the pastry bag and slowly fill the bread with the cream cheese mixture.

~In a shallow bowl combine the egg and milk. Add a dash each, cinnamon and nutmeg.

~Dip the bread into the egg mixture, letting it sit for about 10 seconds on each side, allowing for the mixture to be absorbed.

~Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

~Remove the bread from the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow to melt. Add the candied pecans and toss in the butter. Top the bread with the pecan mixture.

Overall, it wasn't bad. The bread didn't hold that much cream cheese so what I think I will do next time is use two thinner slices of bread and make a sandwhich out of them, scooping out some of the bread to make more room for the cream cheese. But it was a yummy treat on a lazy Sunday morning.

recipe by: The Good Wife