SRC: Mini Pumpkin Loaves with Powdered Sugar Glaze

It is Secret Recipe Club time again!  this month I was assigned to stalk Mangia.  Chelsy's blog is full of great recipes.  Especially if you are looking for amazing gluten free, vegan or paleo recipes.  There are a great variety of recipes to choose from.  The creativity of people who follow gluten free and vegan lifestyles never ceases to amaze me.  You'd never know there was anything different about the recipes.  They are so good! But for this month I chose to try a taste of the season. And of course that means something made with pumpkin.

These Mini Pumpkin Loaves are delicious!  The bread is moist and full of pumpkin flavor.  They really hit the spot on a blustery fall day.  We had this bread for dessert with some creamy pumpkin hot chocolate.
 

Mini Pumpkin Loaves with Powdered Sugar Glaze

Makes 4 mini loaves

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. Mexican vanilla

1 1/2 c. + 1 Tbs. flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Glaze:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 1/2 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 4 mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer, combine all of the wet ingredients.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

With the electric mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into each of the 4 mini loaf pans and bake in the oven for 48-50 minutes. Remove for the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and water together in a mixing bowl. Drizzle each mini loaf with a good amount of powdered sugar glaze.

Pineapple Sweet Rolls

Is anyone else out there dying for winter to end?  I've had all I can take of being cold.  When I get like this I always try to find some way to transport myself to warmer climates, even if it's only in my mind.  So last week, I took a trip to the pineapple plantations of Hawaii with these sweet rolls.

These rolls are sweet and soft with just a touch of citrus that puts them over the top.  I sat at our dining table, looking out the window as I ate one.  All I saw in my mind were palm trees swaying in the breeze and waves lapping up on the shore of a white sandy beach.  It almost made me forget that the white sand was actually four inches of new snow and the breeze was gale force winds.  These were a great vacation, even if it was only for my taste buds.

Pineapple Sweet Rolls
Makes 24-30 rolls

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast 
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°) 
1-1/2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°) 
6 tablespoons butter, melted 
1 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon salt
 2 eggs, beaten  
6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
  
FILLING: 

1 tablespoon butter 
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel 
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained 
1/3 cup sugar 

GLAZE: 

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar  
1 tablespoon orange juice

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 1-1/3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add pineapple juice. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spread filling evenly over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1-in. rolls. Place with cut side down into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Cool. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over rolls.

Source:  Adapted from Taste of Home

Spiced Pear Bread

I have had fresh pears coming out my ears the last few weeks!  We are talking 5+ bushels.  I have a neighbor who is a commercial fruit grower and every Tuesday they have a "farmer's market" where I can buy the seconds or slightly blemished fruit for $5 a bushel.  It's ridiculously cheap and ridiculously good fruit.  Needless to say, I've bought a lot of fruit this year.  One Hundred quarts of pears later I decided it was time to find something else to do with them.  So Google and I had a party, and this is what I found!

I kind of made this on a whim, but I'm so glad I did.  Do you see the chunks of pears in that picture?  Imagine that in nearly every bite!  It was delicious!  I made 3 different sizes of loaves, froze some and took some to the neighbors.  It was a hit with everyone who tried it!

Spiced Pear Bread

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup sugar 
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 eggs 
3 cans (15-1/4 ounces each) sliced pears, drained and mashed (Or 3 cups chopped fresh pears)
1/2 cup canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, pears and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour into four 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  For muffins:  pour into greased muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.  For larger loaves:  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Source:  Adapted slightly from Taste of Home

Secret Recipe Club: Pane Bianco

It's time for another edition of the Secret Recipe Club.  This month I got to snoop around Erin's blog,  A Tale of One Foodie's Culinary Adventures.  This blog is full of great recipes and wine reviews.  There is definitely something for everyone.  I had a really hard time deciding what to make, but when I saw this bread, I knew I had to try it.  This Pane Bianco is probably one of the most beautiful breads I've seen in a long time.  It looks complicated, but in reality, it is very easy.  One of my favorite things about it is that you can personalize it to fit your tastes.  I'm a big fan of recipes that are easy to make both kid friendly and grown up sophisticated. With all my little ones running around, we tend to gravitate to family friendly fare, so I don't always get to use some of the ingredients that I enjoy.

Since this bread makes 2 loaves, I made one for the kiddos and one for me and my hubby.  The first loaf had chopped pepperoni, finely chopped green pepper and an Italian blend cheese.  The second had chopped sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and an Italian blend cheese.  And they were both fabulous.  But toppings aside, the bread has really great flavor.  This recipe is a winner all the way around!  When I pulled it out of the oven, my family "oohed and aahed"!  It was fun to hear my little kiddos tell me I was magic for making the bread look that way. I have to tell you, I got a new oven, and I'm still adjusting to the way it bakes, so my bread ended up a little darker than normal.  Next time, it will be perfect!

One tip that Erin gave in the recipe, and I agree, is to use drier ingredients.  Stay away from sauces in the filling.  The pesto I used was perfect, but don't use anything saucier than that.  Now, on to this beautiful bread!

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Pane Bianco
Makes 2 Loaves

1/2 cup warm water 

1/4 cup sugar 

4 teaspoons instant yeast 

1 cup warm low-fat milk 

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

2 large eggs 

2 teaspoons salt 

6 cups bread flour 

1 (8 1/2-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 

1/4 cup pesto

1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese, divided (or any cheese you have on hand - I used cheddar, goat cheese and Parmesan) 

2/3 cup chopped fresh basil (or any fresh mixed herbs - basically whatever you have on hand)

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, milk, olive oil, eggs, salt, and flour, and mix and knead by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine until you've made a cohesive, soft dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 5 to 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 minutes. 

Meanwhile, thoroughly drain the sun-dried tomatoes; lay them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Using kitchen shears, finely chop the tomatoes. 

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Roll one piece into a 22" x 8 1/2" rectangle. Spread with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and finally cheese. 

Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way. Pinch the edges to seal.   Place the log seam-side down on a baking sheet. Using a small sharp knife, start 1/2" from one end and cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1" deep, to within 1/2" of the other end. 

Keeping the cut side up, form an "S" shape. Tuck both ends under the center of the "S" to form a "figure 8"; pinch the ends together to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the loaf with foil after 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.  Remove loaves from their baking trays; cool on racks. Store any leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature.

Onion Mustard Braid

 Even though I'm not much of a baker, I'm always on the look out for an unusual bread recipe.  This one definitely fits that bill.  I've never had a bread with dried onion and mustard in it before.  They give the bread a unique flavor and gorgeous color.  It is really good with ham or pork.  I've made this into rolls for pulled pork sandwiches, served it with a Honey Baked Ham and I've made it to eat plain because its so darn good!  I was thinking that this recipe would be great made into hamburger buns too! 

It has a unique flavor that will keep people guessing.  I was really surprised that even my little kiddos liked it.  And that's about the best endorsement I can give.  If it's kid friendly, it's grown up friendly. 

Onion Mustard Braid
Makes 1 loaf

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
3 Tbs. dried minced onion
3 Tbs. prepared mustard
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6-6 1/2 cups flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the milk, onion, mustard, oil, sugar, salt and 4 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down.  Divide into 3 equal size pieces and roll each piece into an 18"-24" rope.  At one end, pinch the three pieces together, then braid them together and pinch together at the other end.  Carefully transfer to a greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a deep golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Makes one large loaf.

Source:  Taste of Home

Secret Recipe Club: Sticky Gingerbread

 It's Secret Recipe Club time again!  I've had a lot of fun preparing this month's recipe.  For those of you who don't know what it is, the Secret Recipe Club is basically secret Santa for bloggers.  We are assigned a blog and choose a recipe to try and blog about it.  Then on the same day, we all post our recipes and their results.  Its fun to see who got your blog and what they made.

This month, I was assigned the blog Foodness Gracious.  And let me tell you, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just one recipe.  Between the Pumpkin Panna Cotta and the Macaroons, it was tough!  But when I saw the post for this Sticky Gingerbread, I knew I was a gonner.  I absolutely adore gingerbread.  To me it is the ultimate Christmas treat.  Gingerbread, hot cocoa, a warm fire and a good book and I'm a happy girl.   

Now normally, I take gingerbread sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with a lemon cream sauce.  But that is too much for these simple loaves.  There's no need to mask those wonderful Christmas flavors with anything.  This is best spread with a little butter and eaten by the slice.

In fact, this turned out so good that I made 36 mini loaves and gave them to the neighbors for Christmas.  And, I might add that out of 2 large loaves and 36 mini loaves I was lucky to have 1 measly mini loaf to take a picture of.  It's that good!

Sticky Gingerbread

Makes 1 2# loaf or 6 mini loaves 

1 1/2c ups AP flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

4oz butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I used light brown)

4 Tbsp molasses

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 300°. Grease and flour a 2 lb loaf pan. Melt the butter, sugar, and molasses in a pan over low heat. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, ginger and cinnamon. Then stir in the melted butter mixture with the beaten egg and mix well.

Warm the milk to room temp and add the baking soda to it, mix well and add to the main mixture.

Dump the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for about an hour or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Best served the day after covered in good butter!

For mini loaves bake for 20 minutes.

Secret Recipe Club: Brioche

For my first Secret Recipe Club post I was lucky enough to get to choose a recipe by none other than Rebecca from A Dusting of Sugar.  Her blog is fairly new, but there is a nice variety of recipes and you can bet I'll be visiting again soon!

On top of the great recipes, if you are lucky enough to live in her area, Rebecca also does custom cake and dessert orders.  Not being much of a baker myself, that would come in handy.  I wonder if she delivers to Utah? 

One thing about her blog that intrigued me was the vegan recipes.  Now, being highly carnivorous myself, (think T-Rex) I've never even tried to make anything vegan.  We've gone meatless once in a while, but I've never worried about the milk and eggs.  So her blog has a lot of new thing for me to try.

I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I'm really not much of a baker.  I love to cook, but not bake.  Breads are something I'm not super confidant making.  So as I was reading through the blog I ran across a posting for Brioche.  Its something I'd heard of but never attempted to make.  The reason I chose this recipe is that Rebecca said what awesome French Toast this bread makes.  French Toast?  I'm all over it!! Its my favorite breakfast food.

The dough was an absolute dream to work with.  If all bread dough was as smooth and silky as this was, I'd be baking it every day!  Just the texture of the dough gave me a hint of what the finished bread would be like.

So how was the finished bread?  In a word, unbelievable!  The crumb is so soft and tender.  And the color it gets from the egg yolks is so beautiful.  It was light and buttery and delicious.  And Rebecca was right, French Toast is amazing made from Brioche.

Would you look at how high it rose in the oven?  How could it be anything BUT light and delicious!

Brioche

Makes 1 loaf

2/3 cup milk
1½ tsp dried yeast
5 egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
2 T sugar, plus extra for dusting
10.5 T butter, diced and softened

For brushing: egg wash

  

Warm milk until it reaches around 100-110 degrees F. Combine yeast, 1 tsp of sugar .and half the milk in a bowl, stirring to dissolve. Stand in a warm place until foamy (8-10 minutes)

Whisk remaining milk with egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.

Mix flour, remaining sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook, until combined. Make a well in the center, add yeast mixture and yolk mixture. Beat on medium speed until a smooth dough forms (4-5 minutes).

While mixing, gradually add one-third of butter at a time, beat until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl (8-10 minutes).  Transfer to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand until doubled in size (1½-2 hours). 

Punch dough, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, shape into a loaf and place in an 9"x 5" greased loaf pan. Cover, stand until doubled in size (30 minutes-1 hour). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.

Brush top with eggwash, dust with sugar, bake until golden and risen (25-30 minutes).

Source:  A Dusting of Sugar

Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

 Hello beautiful!  Doesn't that bread look impressive?  Think it's complicated to make?  Think again!  This was so simple that it only took a few minutes more than making a normal loaf of bread.  You could wow your family or neighbors with this loaf.  The bread has a subtle pumpkin flavor and the cinnamon filling will make you think you're eating a pumpkin cinnamon roll.

I kid you not, this bread didn't last 15 minutes once we started eating it.  My kiddos were pulling this apart as fast as they could swallow it.  I'm thinking of making this for my neighbors for Christmas gifts this year.  They'll think I'm a much better baker than I really am!  :)

I think next time I make this I'll leave off the glaze, hide it from my family and let it sit for a day and try slicing it for french toast.  It would make a fabulous breakfast!  But seriously, I don't think I could keep my paws off this long enough!  It is goood!

Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread
Makes 1 loaf
  
For the bread:
  
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

For the filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the Glaze:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan or in the microwave, heat  2 tablespoons of butter and  the milk until the butter is melted and the milk is warm.   Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of standing mixer fitted with a dough hook and allow to cool so it is about 100-110 degrees F. Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof until foamy. Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.  Brush the dough evenly with 2 Tbs. melted butter.  Then mix the sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg.  Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 36 squares (that's 6 horizontal rows by 6 vertical rows). Stack the dough squares into piles 3 pieces high.  You'll have 12 stacks of 3 squares of dough. Place the stacks of dough vertically into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 350°. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Then remove from the pan and let it cool upside down on a cooling rack.

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar.  Pour over cooled bread.

Source:  Adapted from a Sunny Side Up in San Diego

English Muffin Bread Breakfast Pizzas

This is a super hearty make ahead breakfast.  My family has loved these.  The great thing about them is that you can customize them however you want.  This is a picture of the vanilla version I made for my kiddos--just bacon and cheese.  My hubby's had a lot more good stuff on it.  You can play around with the toppings and have fun with them.  I did some with cheese, bacon, green onions and red peppers.  I even put some partially steamed broccoli on a batch that I made.  Since I'm having a love affair with pesto right now I'm going to try putting a little pesto in with the eggs next time.

I love that one little item can meet my breakfast standard of a carb and protein all at once.  I make sure they have some fruit to go with it and its perfect!  Fresh strawberries or melon would be great.

I only have one word of caution.  If you are using sausage, ham or bacon on these, then leave the salt out of the egg mixture or it will be too salty.  You don't want to dehydrate your kids on the way to school.

English Muffin Bread Breakfast Pizzas
Makes about 10 pizzas


8 eggs
3 Tbs. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
About 15 dashes of Tabasco sauce (this doesn't add heat, just flavor)
1 loaf of English muffin bread sliced quite thick  (You can also use English muffins)

Toppings:

Cooked crumbled bacon
Chopped ham
Cooked sausage
Cheese
Green onions
Red peppers
Chopped tomatoes
Steamed broccoli
Be creative!!

Heat the oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with non stick cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and Tabasco sauce.  Soak the English muffin bread in the egg mixture so both sides are coated.  Don't let it get too soggy.  Place on the baking sheet.

Top as desired then sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the egg is set.

After baking, loosen the pizzas from the pan and let them cool completely.  Freeze them individually on the baking sheet then transfer to a freezer bag.  To reheat, microwave them for 1 1/2 minutes or heat them in the oven or toaster oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°.

Recipe source:  Adapted from Our Best Bites

English Muffin Bread

I don't have a picture yet because the bread is still in the oven, I'll post it in a little while.

Here is a yeast dough for dummies!  This is one of my favorite bread recipes.  I'm sharing it now because you'll need it for the next breakfast recipe that I'll be posting in a few minutes.  This bread is so simple.  There's no need to worry about getting the dough the right consistency or long rise times.  This dough should be the consistency of a stiff batter rather than an actual bread dough.  So you'll be spooning it into your bread pans.  It also only has to rise once, so its quick by homemade bread standards.  This is also one of the ugliest breads you'll ever see.  The tops will be lumpy and bumpy, but that's the way its supposed to be.

Now let me tell you why I love it.  First, it tastes just like English muffins.  It even has all those wonderful holes that soak up the butter or jam.  It also makes awesome french toast.  Its a sturdier loaf, so it doesn't fall apart like some of the uber-soft store bought bread.  And finally, it is sooo cheap to make.  You'll pay over $3.00 a bag for decent English muffins, when a loaf of this costs around 50 cents.

English Muffin Loaves
Makes 2 loaves


5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
2 pkgs. instant dry yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
Cornmeal

Measure the flour by lightly spooning it into a cup.  Combine 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Heat the liquids until warm.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in enough more flour to make a stiff batter.  The dough will be very sticky.  Spoon into two 8 x 4 bread pans that have been well greased and sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes.  This bread rises quickly, so keep an eye on it.  Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Recipe source:  My friend Patty B.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Okay, so the picture doesn't do justice to just how good these muffins are.  These muffins are incredible.  These muffins could probably negotiate world peace.  Maybe not, but they are certainly something to devour like its your last meal savor and enjoy every last crumb.  The raspberries are tart, and the lemon flavor....  Well, you get the idea how much I love these.  You want to know something else about these muffins?  They freeze like a charm.  A few seconds in the microwave and you (and your kiddos, if you'll share) can be enjoying their lemony berry-ness.  I stocked my freezer with a double batch of these and the Breakfast Blueberry Muffins I posted a while back.

One tip I have for making muffins.  This may sound dumb, but I never use the paper muffin cups for muffins.  Want to know why?  Because I hate when I pull off the wrapper and half of the muffin comes of with it.  So just grease up the muffin pan and keep the paper liners in the cupboard.  You won't want to waste one crumb.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins
makes 16 muffins


2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup half and half (you could use whole milk too)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (If using frozen berries, do NOT thaw)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, combine the eggs, cream, oil and extract.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in raspberries.  Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until just golden.  Cool 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Freeze individually on a baking sheet then transfer to a freezer bag.  Heat in the microwave until thawed and warm.

Source:  My friend Erica T.

Buttery Herb Bread

Boy have I been in a cooking funk lately.  Mother Nature can't decide whether it is winter or summer.  So instead of Old Man Winter hanging around, its his naughty younger cousin, Cold Wet Spring.  I think Utah is the only place where you can experience all four seasons in one day!  What does that have to do with my "funk" you say?  Well, I'm sick to death of the comfort foods that warm you up on cold days (which we've had plenty of), but its to cold for the light, sweet delicious foods of summer.  Its impossible to grill anything when it rains 5 days a week and is windy the other 2!  Ugh!  Whats a cook to do?  Make bread!!

I've been experimenting with different bread recipes and their many variations.  There isn't much you can't do with bread dough.  That's one of the things I like best about it.  From the same recipe you can make different shapes and add different spices so it never gets old. 

I made this to go with a new Italian recipe I tried.  I won't be posting that recipe, BLECH, but the bread was fabulous!  The savory, buttery, garlicky slices that just peel off are so delicious I could have eaten the entire loaf myself.  My family was so impressed with the beautiful presentation.  It was ooh's and ahaa's  all around my table. (Picture me with a big smile on my face patting myself on the back.)  I've made this 3 times in the last few weeks.  Its perfect with Sunday pot roast, soup or chili or anything really!

**This recipe calls for frozen bread dough.  Since I make my own bread, I let the dough rise the first time, then shape it into loaves and partially freeze them.  Then just prepare the bread and let the loaves rise, and bake.**

Buttery Herb Bread
2 loaves

2 loaves frozen bread dough, partially thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
2-4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
2-4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 tsp. garlic salt
4-6 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Cut partially thawed loaf into 12 slices, not quite cutting all the way through the bottom of the loaf.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, seasonings, salt and cheese.  Brush each slice, front and back with the butter mixture.

Place in a greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.  Pour any remaining butter mixture over the top, dividing equally between the 2 loaves.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until it is about 1 inch above the top of the pan.  Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes.

Source:  Adapted from my friend Kimmy S.

Gnocchi All'Italiana

Picture courtesy of Frieda Loves Bread

Anyone know what gnocchi (pronounced no-kee) is?  I didn't until just a few months ago.  I'd heard of it, but never really knew anything about it.  So, let me enlighten you.  Gnocchi is Italy's version of dumplings.  They are really versatile and can be made with a variety of ingredients and methods.  I've seen them made with mashed potatoes, as in this version, or with ricotta cheese or just flour (similar to the American dumplings). 

They can also be shaped a variety of ways.  Some are rolled on a fork to leave little grooves around the dumpling (I happen to think they look like little maggots :P), or piped out of a pastry bag.  The list goes on and on.  But regardless of how you make them, they are delicious!  I've used them in Italian soups as well as homemade turkey and chicken soups.  They can be used anywhere you would use noodles or dumplings.  I also think they would be delicious boiled then cooked in a little butter and nutmeg (similar to how the Germans cook spaetzle).

This is a really simple recipe.  I has only a few ingredients, and the most time consuming part is baking the potatoes (you can boil them too, but baking will give you a somewhat lighter dumpling).  There are still a few months left in "soup season", so give these a try before winter is over.  They also freeze well, so they can be made ahead!  Next time I'll share a great soup to plop these baby's in!

Gnocchi All'Italiana

3 medium potatoes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

Tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese

Wash potatoes and prick skins with a fork. Wrap in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until soft. Cool until able to handle. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh. Mash with fork or use potato ricer until you have 2 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes.

Place potatoes, eggs, and salt in mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Add 1 1/2 c. flour, mixing well. Place dough on floured surface and add rest of flour, a little bit at a time.

Knead dough for 3-4 minutes. If dough becomes too sticky, sprinkle surface with more flour. Cut dough into six pieces. Roll dough into long sausage-like strips and cut into pieces 1/2-3/4" long.

On a floured surface, place the gnocchi cut side down and sprinkle lightly with flour.  With a floured finger, press down on each dumpling.  Remember to place them cut side down otherwise they'll look weird.

Place the gnocchi in a large pan with boiling water to which 2 T. of salt have been added. Place 1/3 of dumplings in boiling water and remove with strainer when they rise to top.  It only takes a few minutes.  Place in hot serving dish and repeat operation until all dumplings are cooked. Keep water boiling. Add sauce to dumplings and 2/3 of cheese, mixing well. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top. Serves 4-6.

If you are using them in soup, skip the Pot of boiling water and add them right to the simmering soup.

Source:  Frieda Loves Bread

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cheese Bread

This is an awesome recipe!  I love it for two reasons.  First, it is easy and delish!!  When my kids find out this is on the menu they start salivating.  It is so different from everyday breads and rolls that its a real treat.  It is cheesy and gooey thanks to the smooth melting Monterrey jack cheese.  Second, it is really versatile.  You could substitute or add just about anything you'd like.  Try a little pesto and some frest tomatoes.  Use whatever you have in the cupboard or fridge.  I've played around with a lot of different veggie combinations, and this is what we like best.  I'm serving slices of this at our Superbowl party.

One tip for making this bread.  Don't skip toasting the bread, it will really effect the quality of the finished bread.  It only takes a minute and it keeps the finished product from being soggy and adds a nice little crunch.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cheese Bread
2 loaves, serves about 12

1/3 Cup mayo
1/2 Cup softened butter, divided
1 Small can sliced black olives
6-8 Artichoke hearts
1 Roasted red pepper (I found these packed in oil near the olives in my local market, but you can also roast your own)
2-3 Green onions, sliced
~ 2 Cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 Loaf French bread

Preheat oven to 325°.  Cut the French bread in half lengthwise and lightly spread with softened butter, about 2-3 Tbs.  Place on a foil lined baking sheet and toast until golden brown.  Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spread on top of the toasted bread.  Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.  Let stand for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source:  A Mommy's Original Recipe

Butterflake Dinner Rolls

I have to admit, I can't make rolls.  I can make great bread, bread bowls, bread sticks, focaccia, french bread, but I can't make rolls.  I try, but they always turn out heavy and weird looking.  So the fact that these rolls turned out so great is a miracle.  This seems to be the only roll recipe I'm capable of not screwing up, so by default they are my favorite.  These rolls grace every holiday and Sunday table.  If I make rolls to take to the neighbors, they get these.  Its a good thing they're delicious!  The eggs give them a rich flavor, but the texture is so light and fluffy.  I could eat them all day long.

Butterflake Dinner Rolls

Makes about 24 rolls

3 eggs

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 Tbs. yeast

4-5 cups flour

4-8 Tbs. additional melted butter for brushing the tops

In a bowl, mix the sugar and yeast in the warm water.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  Add the warm milk, eggs, salt and butter.  Mix well.  Add the flour 1 cup at a time and mix well.  Use enough flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 

Punch the dough down and divide in half.  On a greased board, roll half of the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.  With a pastry brush, brush the dough with melted butter.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into triangles as you would cut a pizza.  Roll each triangle up crescent roll style and place on a greased baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. 

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush hot rolls with melted butter.

Source:  My friend Chris O.

Breakfast Blueberry Muffins

We call these Breakfast Blueberry Muffins, but they are great anytime.  I make a big batch of these little wonders and freeze them for breakfast.  A few seconds in the microwave and they are hot and ready to eat.  They are great on busy mornings or when we're running late.  I serve them with some fruit or scrambled eggs and they make a nice addition to the morning meal.  They are also great at Sunday dinner, or as an afternoon snack. And I love the bright flavor the orange zest gives them.

Breakfast Blueberry Muffins
Makes 24 muffins

4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. orange zest (optional)
2 cups frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Topping:

2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the milk, orange zest and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in the frozen blueberries.  Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.  Combine the sugar and nutmeg and sprinkle over the muffins.  Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

**Feel free to substitute fresh berries for the frozen!**

Source:  A family recipe

Cheesy Chipotle Garlic Bread

Holy cow this is good!  It is crispy and crunchy and cheesy and just a little spicy.  The chipotle peppers (a.k.a.  food of the Gods) are perfect with the garlic and pepper jack cheese.  They add a smokey goodness that you can't find anywhere else.  Don't worry, this bread isn't uber spicy.  There is a definite kick, but whether it kicks like a kitten or a mule is up to you.  If you like spice, add more chipotles.  I tasted the butter before I spread it on the bread to make sure it was just right.

There are a few hints to help this turn out nice and crispy.  First, preheat your baking sheet.  That blast of heat you get from the pan really helps get it cooking.  Second, start with a nice soft Italian bread.  Finally, be sure to slice all the way through the bread.  I've always cut my bread like an accordion leaving it attached at the bottom, wrapped it in foil and heated it.  And that's really good, but when you slice clear through the bread and let it get crispy it adds really nice texture to any meal. 

Cheesy Chipotle Garlic Bread

Serves 6



12	tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks)  unsalted butter , softened
4	garlic cloves , minced
1/4	teaspoon  sugar
1/4	teaspoon  salt
1/4	teaspoon  pepper
2	teaspoons  minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
12	(1-inch) slices  Italian bread
1 1/2	cups  grated pepper Jack cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using fork, beat butter, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and chipotle chiles in small bowl until combined. Spread butter mixture evenly over both sides of bread.

Arrange buttered bread on heated baking sheet and bake until golden brown on fist side, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and bake until golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle bread with cheese in last minute of baking. Serve warm.

Source:  Cooks Country

Italian Bread Bowls

Aren't those beautiful?  Can't you taste them filled with a delicious broccoli and cheddar soup, or maybe some chunky chicken noodle soup?  These bread bowls are soft and yummy but still sturdy enough to hold just about any soup you want.  My kiddos love eating them and I love that there are fewer dishes to wash!  :)

Italian Bread Bowls
Serves 8

1 1/2 Tbs. yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
7 cups flour
1 Tbs. corn meal
1 egg white
1 Tbs. water

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  Add the salt, oil and 4 cups of flour and mix well.  Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until a soft but not sticky dough is formed.  (I didn't use all the flour.)  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to oil the top.  Cover and rise until doubled. 

Punch the dough down and divide into 8 equal portions.  Shape into a ball and place on a lightly greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled.

In a small bowl, combine water and egg whites.  Carefully spread the egg combination over the top of the bread bowls.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  Brush each bread bowl with egg again and bake another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serves 8.

Source:  I've been making this for years.

Cheesy Ranch Bread Sticks

This recipe is a fun twist on my favorite bread sticks.  Most of the time I just sprinkle some spices or seasonings on top of the bread sticks, but this time I thought it would be fun to try and fill them.  It was really easy, and you could use any kind of spices you want.  My kiddos love ranch dressing, so I knew it would be a hit.  I also love that these have a very short rise time.  I can make them at almost the last minute and they still turn out great! These are great with any kind of meal and we dipped them in marinara sauce for lunch the next day.

Cheesy Ranch Bread Sticks

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1/2-1 cup shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out the bread stick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick.   Spread half of the dough with 2 Tbs. melted butter.  Sprinkle with ranch dressing mix and grated cheese.

Fold the dough in half, covering the dressing/cheese.  Press down on the dough to remove any air pockets.  Cut into strips with a pizza cutter.  Twist the bread sticks slightly and place about 1/2-inch apart on a baking sheet that has been spread with melted butter.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Source:  Adapted from a family recipe

Cantaloupe Bread

You'd never know that cantaloupe was the star of this unique little bread.  For that matter, who would even think up a recipe for Cantaloupe Bread?  I'll tell you who--an absolute genius!  I can only wish it was me!   This bread is so soft and moist!  And it has just the slightest cantaloupe flavor.  If you didn't know what it was you'd never guess in a million years.  It is fabulous!  Even though winter is just beginning I can't wait for summer because this will make regular appearances at our house.

Cantaloupe Bread
2 loaves

2 cups cantaloupe, seeded and pureed (about half a large cantaloupe)
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger



In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and cantaloupe. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Pour batter into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch bread pans.  Bake at 325° for 45 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

 Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Source:  An old church cookbook