Apple Muffin Cake (TWD)

It's been weeks since my last blog post... I've been horribly sick for the last five (yes, five!) weeks and the last few were particularly terrible. I got a cold that turned into walking pneumonia and I didn't have the energy to do anything. I'm still playing catch up with my life but I finally managed to get some baking done. Too bad I'm still behind. I made Katrina's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) pick from October 4th finally - Apple Muffin Cake.  It was very moist but kind of plain, I thought... but it was pretty great with some caramel sauce drizzled on top :)


....and then I wanted to make the ginger jazzed brownies that were yesterday's TWD pick, but I ran out of butter! I never run out of butter! I usually try to keep the house well stocked with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour but what with being sick and all I haven't been keeping track of things so well. I hope to make those tomorrow and post them soon, so stay tuned. 

I also have a few more giveaways lined up, just have to get some time to sit down and write those posts! So if you haven't already, become a fan of my blog on Facebook so you don't miss those giveaway announcements!

* Recipe notes:

- I baked my cake in a 9 inch pan instead of an 8 inch pan and it was done at 20 minutes.

Croissants (DB)

 

The Daring Bakers’ go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

I don't typically complete the DB challenge until the last minute, but still get it posted in time.  Ironically, this month I actually completed it by mid-September, but couldn't get it posted in time.  I was supposed to get this post up on September 27th, but I've been sick, working, chasing around a toddler, and getting ready for a trip.  So you'll have to forgive me if this post is short and sweet.

Making croissants really isn't as hard as it might sound (time consuming, yes, but not very difficult).  It simply involves rolling out some dough, adding a layer of butter, and then folding it over several times until you've got layers of alternating dough and butter.  As it bakes up in the oven, it puffs up into wonderful, buttery, flaky layers. 

I filled my croissants with nutella and they were delicious.  I baked up a few and then put the rest in the freezer so that I can enjoy more at a later date.

Thanks Sarah, for hosting this month's challenge.  Nothing beats a fresh, homemade croissant and these were no exception! Make sure you check out the Daring Bakers' Blogroll to see how everyone else enjoyed these flaky, buttery, treats.

Croissants
Recipe Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume Two. Julia Child and Simone Beck.
Download printable recipe here

Ingredients
¼ oz (7 gm) of fresh yeast, or 1¼ teaspoon (6¼ ml/4 gm) of dry-active yeast (about ½ sachet)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water (less than 100°F/38°C)
1 teaspoon (5 ml/4½ gm) sugar
1 3/4 cups (225 gm/½ lb) of strong plain flour (I used Polish all-purpose flour, which is 13% protein)
2 teaspoons (10 ml/9 gm) sugar
1½ teaspoon (7½ ml/9 gm) salt
½ cup (120 ml/¼ pint) milk (I am not sure if the fat content matters. I used 2%)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tasteless oil (I used generic vegetable oil)
½ cup (120 ml/1 stick/115 gm/¼ lb) chilled, unsalted butter
1 egg, for egg wash

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast, warm water, and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Leave aside for the yeast and sugar to dissolve and the yeast to foam up a little.
2. Measure out the other ingredients
3. Heat the milk until tepid (either in the microwave or a saucepan), and dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar
4. Place the flour in a large bowl.
5. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and milk mixture to the flour
6. Mix all the ingredients together using the rubber spatula, just until all the flour is incorporated
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and let it rest a minute while you wash out the bowl
8. Knead the dough eight to ten times only. The best way is as Julia Child does it in this video.  It’s a little difficult to explain, but essentially involves smacking the dough on the counter (lots of fun if you are mad at someone) and removing it from the counter using the pastry scraper.
9. Place the dough back in the bowl, and place the bowl in the plastic bag.
10. Leave the bowl at approximately 75°F/24°C for three hours, or until the dough has tripled in size.
11. After the dough has tripled in size, remove it gently from the bowl, pulling it away from the sides of the bowl with your fingertips.
12. Place the dough on a lightly floured board or countertop, and use your hands to press it out into a rectangle about 8 by 12 inches (20cm by 30cm).
13. Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter (fold the top third down, and then the bottom third up)
14. Place the dough letter back in the bowl, and the bowl back in the plastic bag.
15. Leave the dough to rise for another 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This second rise can be done overnight in the fridge
16. Place the double-risen dough onto a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the plate in the fridge while you prepare the butter.
17. Once the dough has doubled, it’s time to incorporate the butter
18. Place the block of chilled butter on a chopping board.
19. Using the rolling pin, beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat.
20. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. You want the butter to stay cool, but spread easily.
21. Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured board or counter. Let it rest for a minute or two.
22. Spread the dough using your hands into a rectangle about 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
23. Remove the butter from the board, and place it on the top half of the dough rectangle
24. Spread the butter all across the top two-thirds of the dough rectangle, but keep it ¼ inch (6 mm) across from all the edges.
25. Fold the top third of the dough down, and the bottom third of the dough up.
26. Turn the dough package 90 degrees, so that the top flap is to your right (like a book).
27. Roll out the dough package (gently, so you don’t push the butter out of the dough) until it is again about 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
28. Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up.
29. Wrap the dough package in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
30. After two hours have passed, take the dough out of the fridge and place it again on the lightly floured board or counter.
31. Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it a little
32. Let the dough rest for 8 to 10 minutes
33. Roll the dough package out till it is 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
34. Fold in three, as before
35. Turn 90 degrees, and roll out again to 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
36. Fold in three for the last time, wrap in plastic, and return the dough package to the fridge for two more hours (or overnight, with something heavy on top to stop it from rising)
37. It’s now time to cut the dough and shape the croissants
38. First, lightly butter your baking sheet so that it is ready
39. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for ten minutes on the lightly floured board or counter
40. Roll the dough out into a 20 by 5 inch rectangle (51 cm by 12½ cm). (Photo 24)
41. Cut the dough into two rectangles (each 10 by 5 inches (25½ cm by 12½ cm)) (Photo 24)
42. Place one of the rectangles in the fridge, to keep the butter cold
43. Roll the second rectangle out until it is 15 by 5 inches (38 cm by 12½ cm).
44. Cut the rectangle into three squares (each 5 by 5 inches (12½ cm by 12½ cm))
45. Place two of the squares in the fridge
46. The remaining square may have shrunk up a little bit in the meantime. Roll it out again till it is nearly square
47. Cut the square diagonally into two triangles.
48. Stretch the triangle out a little, so it is not a right-angle triangle, but more of an isosceles.
49. Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle up towards the point, and curve into a crescent shape.
50. Place the unbaked croissant on the baking sheet
51. Repeat the process with the remaining squares of dough, creating 12 croissants in total.
52. Leave the tray of croissants, covered lightly with plastic wrap, to rise for 1 hour
53. Preheat the oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.
54. Mix the egg with a teaspoon of water
55. Spread the egg wash across the tops of the croissants
56. Put the croissants in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are browned nicely
57. Take the croissants out of the oven, and place them on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 12 croissants

Carrot Spice Muffins (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs: Carrot Spice Muffins.  I personally thought these muffins could use a little more sugar (or maybe some cream cheese frosting!) but then I guess they would be more like cupcakes and not really muffins :)  The addition of some crushed pineapple might be nice, too.  Regardless, these muffins were perfect for breakfast, or as a snack, and were a big hit with all of my husband's coworkers. 

Thanks Nancy, for hosting this week.  I'm sorry my post is so short this week but I've been so busy and barely had enough time to get this post up today! If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this delightful breakfast treat!

Cream Scones (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Lynne of Cafe LynnyLu: Cream Scones.  I almost didn't make this one because I just got back from a long trip, but scones are quick and easy so I went ahead and threw this recipe together.

After returning home, my fridge was pretty bare, and I did not have any heavy cream on hand.  I decided to substitute whole milk for the cream.  Instead of currants, I added dried cherries to my scones.  I'm not sure if it was just me, but I made the scones, cut them, and put them on the baking sheet... and then looked over and saw my dried cherries still sitting on the counter! I freaked out, because they weren't in there and if I added them now, I knew I would risk over working the dough.  Worried that the scones would be too plain, though, I went ahead and put all the dough back into my mixing bowl, added the dried cherries, and gently mixed them in with the spatula. I was convinced that they wouldn't turn out because of how much mixing I had to do to get the cherries evenly incorporated into the dough, but to my surprise, they still came out perfect!


After the scones went into the oven, I went back to the recipe to see if I had missed the addition of the cherries.  I've re-read the recipe four or five times now, and I still don't see where you're supposed to add the dried fruit!  I think it was just an oversight on Dorie's part, but if I'm just blind and don't see it, please let me know :)

Thanks Lynne, for hosting this week.  The scones were delicious.  They were nice and flaky, and perfect without any butter or jam.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this breakfast treat!

Also - big congrats to Aaron Richards and Heather (comments #10 and #15) - you're the winners of my recent Tropi Treats Giveaway! You have 48 hours to contact me with your mailing address; after that, I'll choose an alternate winner.

* Recipe notes:

- My scones were done about 3-4 minutes early, so be sure to check them frequently.

- A tip for making good scones (or biscuits) is to grate your butter ahead of time and then stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to chill before adding it to the flour.  Alternatively, you can simply grate frozen butter into your flour.

Maple Cornmeal Biscuits (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Lindsay of A Little Something...Sweeet!: Maple Cornmeal Biscuits. Cornmeal biscuits don't sound all too exciting, but since these are maple cornmeal biscuits, I was willing to give them a try ;) I love maple syrup and anything maple-flavored, so I figured these were worth a taste.  (Truth be told, I only had a tablespoon of maple syrup left in the jug after making these biscuits and I just licked it right out of the container!)


Like most biscuits, this recipe was quick and easy.  Even easier than some biscuit recipes because they are drop biscuits that don't need to be rolled and cut.  The baking time for these was several minutes less than indicated in the recipe, so be sure to keep a close eye on them!

I was a bit disappointed that the maple flavor wasn't very prominent in these biscuits.  They were, however, delicious on their own without any butter or jam.  Perhaps adding more maple syrup and less milk would make them taste more like maple cornmeal biscuits?


Thanks Lindsay, for hosting this week. I think these would be great alongside some chili instead of traditional cornbread. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this homey treat!

Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Lauryn of Bella Baker: Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins. Made with orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, and dried currants, these muffins are definitely screaming "sunshine" as their name implies.

I didn't have any currants on hand, so I used dried cherries instead. I increased the amount of cherries to a full cup, and that ended up being just right. I think with just 3/4 cup, you'd end up with some bites that were without any dried fruit and that's no fun! ;)

While these muffins have plenty of citrus in them (and some lemon extract), I didn't find the citrus flavor to be very strong. It was there, but I guess I thought it would be much more prominent given the name of these muffins.


I read that many other bakers enjoyed the fact that these weren't very sweet.  Personally, I would have liked these muffins to be a little bit sweeter (but I have a big sweet tooth!). Perhaps a streusel topping is in order next time? :) Overall, though, these muffins were a delight and I would definitely make them again.

Thanks Lauryn, for hosting this week.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed these citrus-y treats!  And, if you haven't already, head on over here to enter my current giveaway. 

* Recipe notes:
- I increased the amount of dried fruit from 3/4 cup to 1 cup.

- For more recipe tips, click here. 

Great Grains Muffins (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Christine of Happy Tummy: Great Grains Muffins.  Made with regular all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, and cornmeal, this healthy muffin is studded with dried fruit and nuts.  I omitted the nuts and included prunes at Dorie's suggestion.

I considered swapping out the regular sugar for brown sugar and then somehow got distracted with the little one running around my feet and ended up forgetting the sugar altogether! I was worried they would turn out awful, but between the maple syrup in the recipe and the bites of sweetness provided by the prunes, the sugar wasn't really missed in this recipe! I think these would also be really good with some figs.

Thanks Christine, for hosting this week.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Also make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this healthy breakfast treat!

* Recipe notes:
- My muffins were done baking in about 13-14 minutes, so watch yours closely.

- For more recipe tips, click here. 

Chocolatey Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort: Nutty, Chocolately, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake.  Cinnamon and sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins all mixed into a sour cream bundt cake.  Wait a minute. Raisins?! Yes you heard me right - raisins! I know there are many raisin haters out there, but I can tell you that we loved this cake, raisins and all!

This cake was deliciously moist thanks to the addition of sour cream.  I didn't quite get the "swirls" I was expecting, but luckily that didn't affect the taste ;) You're supposed to spoon half the batter into the pan, sprinkle half the swirl in, then top it with the rest of the batter.  You then create a "channel" for the rest of the swirl using a spoon and then you're supposed to cover the swirl with the batter that's on each side of the "channel."  It's a fairly sticky batter, so this was a bit difficult for me.  Plus there wasn't much batter to work with because my "channel" was fairly shallow (but that's what the recipe says to do!).  Luckily I had a bit of batter left in the bowl that I was able to scrape together and use to patch over the top.  Next time I'll probably just reserve a little bit for the end.

This cake was so good.  Let's just say that I made this yesterday evening, there were three of us munching on this cake, and as I write this there is half of a piece left! If you don't like raisins then leave them out (I left the nuts out of the recipe), but do substitute something like dried cranberries or apricots.  I think the dried fruit really adds a nice flavor to this cake.

Thanks Jennifer, for hosting this week.  I'll definitely be making this again.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Also make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed swirly chocolate treat!

* Recipe notes:
- I omitted the nuts so I increased the mini chocolate chips to 1/2 cup.
- Some bakers had problems unmolding their bundt cake so be sure to butter and flour your pan well. 
- Careful when you are putting the swirl in that you don't get too much near the edges of the pan or else it will burn.
- When preparing the cake, instead of using half the dough and then the other half on top, I would use a little less than half the dough for the first layer so you have some leftover to put on the very top to cover your "channel" or swirl/filling.

- For more recipe tips, click here. 

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness : Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. Let me just start with a funny story...

I had never bought poppyseeds before, so when I went to the store I thought I'd check the baking aisle first (that's logical, right?).... but I wandered around and searched and could not find them! I was in a rush (on my lunch break and had to get back to work), so I stopped a random lady and asked her if she knew where I'd find poppyseeds because I've never had to buy them before.  She said she had never bought them before, but told me to check with the spices, so I walked over to the spices... and painstakingly scanned through all of the spices, looking for them (all the bottles within each brand were alphabetical but there were multiple brands)... but of course they didn't have any! They weren't even out of stock, they just didn't have them.  Ha ha.... so I finally found them at another store, but I can't tell you how silly I felt asking a complete stranger that doesn't work in the store where poppyseeds (of all things) might be!


So, on to the recipe of the week.  Like any other muffin recipe, this one is straightforward and quick.  Just mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir.  The poppyseeds get mixed in at the very end.  I decided to make 6 muffins and 1 mini loaf.  I simply drizzled the muffins with the lemon icing, but poured the icing over the entire mini loaf.  I ended up with just enough icing for everything.


These muffins are nice and moist with a fairly tight crumb.  The drizzled muffins had just a hint of sweetness and tartness that would be perfect for someone who doesn't want something too sugary for breakfast.  For someone like me, however, covering the entire top of the muffin would be much better.  My min loaf was coated with the icing completely and I loved it! It added just the right amount of sweetness with a lot of extra zing! :)  My iced lemon poppyseed loaf reminded me quite a bit of the iced lemon poundcake at Starbucks (one of my favorite "treats" on the rare occasion I happen to go to Starbucks).


Thanks Betsy, for hosting this week.  I'll definitely be making these again (probably as mini loaves instead of muffins - so much easier).  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Also make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed these lemony breakfast treats!

Oh, and if you haven't already, head on over here to enter my current giveaway before it ends!

* Recipe notes:
- You can find poppyseeds along with all of the other spices in your grocery store :)
- You can make jam-filled muffins by filling your muffin tins halfway, putting a dollop of jam in the middle, and then filling the rest of the muffin tin with the batter.
- I baked my mini loaf for about 40 minutes.  I had to use a foil tent around 30 minutes to prevent the top from over browning.
- I would definitely recommend dipping your muffins in the icing instead of drizzling just a small amount over the top. 

 - For more recipe tips, click here. 

Blueberry Upside-Downer (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Sabrina of Superfluous: Cranberry Upside-Downer.  I've actually wanted to make this cake from the moment I got this cookbook! The photograph in the book is just so scrumptious looking.  Somehow year after year, I always end up making some other type of cranberry goodie instead because surprisingly, no one has picked this cake... until now! :)

This cake took almost no time to make, allowing me to throw it together in a matter of minutes, before my little girl lost interest in the miscellaneous items I handed to her as I set her down in the kitchen to play while I baked ;) (Unfortunately, it was getting dark by the time I got to photograph it and with my hubby rushing me to finish so he could eat some, I neglected to change the settings on my camera so my pictures aren't the best.)

The only problem I had with this cake was flipping it right side up.  Be careful, as it's a very juicy cake and I had scorching hot, juicy butter splatter onto my arm as I flipped it onto the plate!!! Thankfully aloe vera is amazing and I went from having a splatter shaped first degree burn on my arm to virtually no trace of any burns whatsoever there now!


This cake was delicious.  It's nice and moist and not overly sweet.  Perfect for dessert, or breakfast.  I couldn't find any cranberries at my grocery store (fresh or frozen), so I used frozen blueberries instead. I definitely plan to make this again once it gets closer to Thanksgiving and cranberries are more readily available. 

I also like to think of this cake as "healthy." I remember hearing somewhere that one teaspoon of cinnamon has as many antioxidants as one half cup of blueberries.  Well, this cake has one teaspoon of cinnamon and two cups of blueberries in it so it has to be good for you, right? ;)



Thanks Sabrina, for hosting this week.  I loved this cake. I can't wait to make it again, with cranberries! If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this wonderful, fall treat!

* Recipe notes:

- I did not place my cake pan on a baking sheet; I put it directly into the oven.

- I found that my cake was done five minutes earlier, at 35 minutes, so keep a close eye on your cake.

- Be very, very careful flipping your cake over, and do it over the sink, as some of the juices may spill over.
- For more recipe tips, click here.

Mom's French Pancakes (SMS)

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) recipe was chosen by... me! After joining this baking group in April 2009, I had the honor of hosting back in May 2009 (I chose the Bee Stings).  I have to admit that I often feel guilty that I am not able to bake along every week like some of the others in this group do.  However, I love that the group only requires once monthly participation so that bakers like me can still join in.  So, I am delighted to be hosting again!

There were still quite a few recipes to choose from, but this one stood out to me because I love crepes! I figured this recipe would be quick and easy for everyone (I know many are busy because of the back to school period), and crepes lend themselves to a huge variety of fillings so everyone had the freedom to get a little creative.

I thought it was really interesting that Melissa calls these crepes "French pancakes," especially because my mom used to make crepes for me all the time.... and she never made them from scratch like this.  How did she make them? She used Bisquick pancake mix and simply added extra milk to the pancake batter to thin it out! So, the name "French pancakes" seems particularly fitting.  Who knew that making crepes was so easy?

The crepe batter comes together in literally minutes.  Simply add the ingredients to your blender, give it a whirl, and then refrigerate for one hour or more.  It can be a little tricky getting your crepes to be perfectly round... tilt your skillet too quickly and your batter goes all to one side and you end up with a lopsided crepe... tilt too slowly and you end up with a crepe that is too small and too thick.  It takes a little bit of practice, but after a little trial and error, you can easily master this technique! And truthfully, a lopsided crepe still tastes just as delicious as a perfectly round crepe ;)

I made a few different kinds of crepes.  I started out with your most basic type of crepe - cinnamon and sugar.  Simply remove your crepe from the skillet and immediately spread a small pad of butter around the crepe (I prefer to just take the stick of butter and "paint" the surface of the crepe with melted butter while it is still warm).  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and then fold the crepe into quarters. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle with some more cinnamon on top, and enjoy.


The second type of crepe I made was a caramelized apple crepe.  I added about 2 tablespoons of butter to a hot skillet.  After the butter was melted I added about 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 diced apples.  I sauteed the apples for a few minutes, until the apples were soft and the sugar was beginning to caramelize.  I also added about 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the apples.  I then filled my crepes with the apples, rolled them up, topped them with more apples, whipped cream, and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.


The third type of crepe I made was a Nutella crepe.  Simply spread a thin layer of your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread onto the crepe and then roll it up.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.  I loved all the different crepes I made, but this one was my favorite!


Thank you to all the SMS bakers who joined me in making these "pancakes" this week.  I hope that after seeing how simple it is to make crepes, you'll make them more regularly.  I can't wait to see how creative everyone got with these. Make sure you check out the Sweet Melissa Sundays Blog Roll to see what everyone else did with their crepes!

Mom's French Pancakes
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

1-1/2 cups whole milk (learn how to make your own with low fat or skim milk here)
4 large eggs
1 tsp canola oil or melted butter, plus more for the skillet
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt

In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, and oil and pulse for a few seconds to blend.  Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse again until the batter is smooth. Do not over-mix.  The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream.  For the best results, let it rest covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight before using.

Preheat a 12-inch skillet (a seasoned cast-iron one works well, or a crepe pan, if you have one).  Rub the pan with a few drops of oil.  Repeat between pancakes if the skillet looks dry.  When the skillet is hot (drop a tiny dot of batter on the skillet to check - if it sizzles, it's ready), pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan, then quickly pick up the pan and swirl the batter around, aiming for a round shape (this takes practice, but it is not that difficult).

When the surface of the crepe appears dry, use an angled offset spatula to loosen it around the edges (I have used a metal cake server in a pinch).  Quickly slip the spatula under the crepe, flip it, and remove it from the pan almost immediately.  Repeat as desired.  (You can freeze unused batter in an airtight container for up to 1 month.  Whisk together until smooth once defrosted.)

Serve warm filled with jam, fresh fruit, ice cream, or whipped cream and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.  Enjoy!

Crepes can be frozen between layers of wax paper and wrapped in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks.  Defrost still wrapped at room temperature.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Natalie of Oven Love: Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. Yikes! I actually made this a week ago but almost forgot to post today!

The recipe is super simple and I love that it mostly uses applesauce instead of oil or butter. I omitted the nuts from the streusel topping, and still got a nice, sugary, crumbly crust on top (my favorite part!). As the name implies, the bread is packed with a good bit of oatmeal, but I have to say that I could not really taste much of the oats. Still, the combination of spices was wonderful (I might add some apples to this the next time I make it) and the oatmeal definitely made the bread seem "healthier" so the entire loaf was devoured within 24 hours in our household ;) 

Thanks Natalie, for hosting this week. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this wonderful breakfast treat!

Raisin Swirl Bread & Sugar-Crusted French Toast (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Susan of Food.Baby: Raisin Swirl Bread.  I love cinnamon raisin bread! In fact, my go-to recipe is this brown sugar raisin bread recipe.  So, I was excited to try this recipe out and see how it compared.

I'm no stranger to yeast breads (though I used to be terrified of them!) so this recipe was fairly straightforward for me.  I did split the recipe into two days, just to simplify my life a little.  It's hard to find a huge stretch of time to bake these days (even though a lot of this recipe is waiting for the dough to rise) when my little monkey wants all my attention! :)


Unfortunately I let my dough warm up too much after taking it out of the refrigerator so I had a terribly hard time rolling up my dough.  Thankfully this did not affect the taste, but it did make for a not-so-pretty swirl.  If you want to see a perfectly swirled loaf, you'll have to visit Susan's blog (the host for this week).


The only optional spice that I added was the cocoa, at the recommendation of another baker.  I was truly surprised that I could not taste the cocoa at all, it simply enhanced the cinnamon flavor. Despite this, I think this recipe was lacking in the cinnamon department. If you're going to make a raisin bread, it's got to have a nice strong cinnamon flavor to it! Even though I could probably double (or triple) the amount of cinnamon in this recipe next time, I think my go-to recipe is still going to be the brown sugar raisin bread I've made in the past.  That bread is so good!


I do have to say, however, that I made the sugar-crusted french toast recipe that Dorie includes with this, and it was fantastic! It will probably be my go-to french toast recipe from now on :) Just make sure you let your french toast brown long enough on each side in order to allow the sugar to caramelize properly.  I'd recommend maybe 4-5 minutes on each side instead of 3 minutes like Dorie suggests.

Thanks Susan, for hosting this week.  I've included Dorie's french toast recipe below, but if you would like the recipe for the raisin swirl bread, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this sweet, cinnamon-y treat!

* Recipes notes:
- I would recommend doubling or even tripling the amount of cinnamon in this recipe.
- This bread is definitely much better the next day, and even better as french toast!
- Wrapped airtight, this loaf will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- For tips from other TWD bakers, click here.

Sugar-Crusted French Toast
from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

6 slices of raisin swirl bread (each 3/4 to 1-inch thick)
6 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
3-1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup sugar, plus 8 tbsp more for sprinkling
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter

Mix the eggs, egg yolks, whole milk, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a large bowl. Soak the slices of bread in this mixture for 3 minutes.  (Make sure you don't leave them in too long or else your bread will get too soft and difficult to handle!)

When the bread is ready, put two large nonstick skillets over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons butter to each one and melt the butter. Sprinkle each skillet with 2 tablespoons of sugar and put 3 slices of soaked bread in each one.

Cook until the bread is golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes (I'd recommend leaving them for 4-5 minutes). Sprinkle the tops of the bread with sugar--again, using 2 tablespoons sugar for each skillet--and carefully flip the slices over.

Add more butter to the pans if needed, and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the undersides are also golden brown.

Serve the toast immediately with fruit, syrup, creme fraiche or jam, or with all of them.

Yield: 3-6 servings

Sweet Cream Biscuits (TWD)

First, let me say that I've got a BIG giveaway coming up on my blog! You'll have to keep coming back to check over the next few days to find out what it is, but I promise it's something you don't want to miss out on! :)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Melissa of Love At First Bite: Sweet Cream Biscuits. But wait you say... it's not Tuesday! It's Saturday, and basically almost Sunday! Ok, ok, you're right. I'm super late this week with my post, but better late than never right? Really I have no excuse for posting late this week, especially when the recipe takes just minutes to prep... but, seems like I hardly have any time for baking these days :(

At first I thought I had made a mistake when I realized I had not put any butter in these biscuits. It's no mistake! These biscuits have cream instead of butter in them. I wasn't sure how they would turn out but they were surprisingly very similar to traditional biscuits.

If you look closely in the photo, you'll see that my biscuits were flower shaped :) That's because I used a cookie cutter to make my biscuits since I don't have a biscuit cutter. So how did these taste? These aren't as sweet as the name implies, and I think I may miss the nice buttery taste that comes with traditional biscuits, but if you're making biscuits at the last minute and realize you're out of butter, then these would make a great alternative.

I enjoyed my biscuits with some wild raspberry honey that I won from Blake Makes courtesy of Bee Raw. They say that the flavor of the honey comes from the flowers that the bees have pollinated and it's so true. The floral raspberry flavor in this honey is subtle, but definitely there. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks Melissa, for hosting this week. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this breakfast treat!

* Recipes notes:
- Make sure you add enough cream to get the dough moist enough to stick together so it doesn't crumble when you roll it out, but not too moist to where it's too sticky to work with.
- For tips from other TWD bakers, click here.

Sweet Potato Biscuits (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Erin of Prudence Pennywise: Sweet Potato Biscuits. I love biscuits but have never seen anything like this, so I was eager to try this recipe.

I've never had any problems with making biscuits. The key is to use really cold butter and to not overwork your dough. When cutting the biscuits you also need to make sure you press straight down, as twisting the cutters can inhibit some of the rise in the biscuits.


This recipe presented a lot of problems for me though. Even though I used 29 ounces of canned sweet potatoes (instead of 30 ounces), my dough was super sticky and moist. Not sure where the extra moisture came from? It was so hard to work with; I had a lot of trouble cutting my dough into biscuits. Then after they went in the oven, they hardly rose at all. I know my baking powder isn't too old, so that wasn't the issue. I am not sure what went wrong, but my biscuits look pretty pathetic.

Thankfully, aesthetics aside, these tasted great :) I enjoyed them with some butter and brown sugar. These would be great to make the morning after Thanksgiving, when you want something besides leftovers but don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.


Thanks Erin for picking this recipe, I loved it. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this perfect-for-fall breakfast treat.

* Recipes notes:
- Consider putting your butter in the freezer to get it extra cold before using it.
- For more tips, click here.

Allspice Crumb Muffins (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table: Allspice Crumb Muffins. I love anything with a crumb or streusel topping, so I knew right off the bat that I would like these. What I did not anticipate was exactly how much I would love these!

They seem pretty plain if you're just reading the recipe. A simple muffin with a crumb topping flavored with some allspice. I actually don't bake with allspice very often, at least not as the star ingredient, so I'm not too familiar with its flavor. Because I rarely bake with it, I didn't have any on hand, so I substituted 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg based on the recommendations here.

Like most muffin recipes, this one comes together in just a few minutes and does not require a mixer. I followed Dorie's recipe to a "T," including how to make the crumb topping. I have to say that I was not a fan of this method, because it was hard to get nice big crumbs from it. Next time I will just cut the butter in using a pastry cutter to get nicer crumbs.

I baked my muffins in this pan so I didn't get nice muffin tops, but they still tasted great. I thought for a moment about just using cinnamon in place of the allspice, but I am so glad I didn't - I am sure that cinnamon muffins would be good too but I really enjoyed the allspice flavor. These kind of remind me of the coffee cake you can get at Starbucks, except much better.


Thanks Kayte for picking this recipe, I loved it. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this perfect breakfast treat.

* Recipes notes:
- I would recommend cutting the butter into the crumb topping with either a pastry blender or two knives instead of doing it by hand.
- Don't have any allspice? Here is a link to the substitution, as well as many other common substitutions that will come in handy when you are baking.
- For more tips, click here.

Sticky Buns (SMS)

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) recipe was chosen by Jen of Not Microwave Safe: Sticky Buns with Toasted Almonds. I love cinnamon rolls and sticky buns and almost chose this recipe when it was my turn to pick, but in the end I chose the Bee Stings instead. So I was delighted to see that someone finally picked this recipe!

Working with yeast really isn't that bad. I remember when I used to be so intimidated by it. This recipe is a bit time consuming, but is not difficult at all. It is split into two days with an overnight refrigeration so you don't feel like you are baking all day. One thing I always do when baking with yeast is I use my oven as a proofing box. I'll preheat the oven for about a minute, just long enough for it to warm up but not to where it starts to get hot. Then I turn the oven off and stick my dough in and let it rise. This ensures that it is always warm enough for my dough to rise regardless of what time of year it is.

I omitted the orange zest from this recipe, just because I didn't have any on hand and didn't want to make a grocery store run just for orange zest... I am sure that the zest would probably add a great subtle flavor to the dough but it also tasted just fine without it.


I also omitted the toasted almonds because I don't like nuts, but you can also cover these with cream cheese frosting if you don't want to top them with sticky sauce. These smelled so good while they were baking in the oven... in fact, that was how I knew to check on them early. The smell of sugar and cinnamon was so strong that I though I'd better check on them - and it was a good thing I did because they were done in HALF the time indicated on the recipe! If I had waited for my timer to go off, these would have been burnt to a crisp!


I would love to try these with cream cheese frosting some time. The dough was really soft and sweet and it's probably just as good as my favorite Cinnabon recipe - though I'll have to try these with the cream cheese frosting before I declare them better than the other recipe :)

Thanks Jen, for choosing this recipe. I will definitely be making this one again. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you visit the SMS Blogroll to see how everyone else enjoyed this sweet, sticky treat!

* Recipe Notes:
- I added room temperature milk instead of cold milk to make sure that my dough would rise.

- I had to add a little over 1/2 cup of extra flour to get my dough to be not so sticky. So I used the full 2-3/4 cup, and then continued adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time until the dough no longer stuck to the edges of the mixing bowl.

- I did not have pure maple syrup so I used pancake syrup instead (Aunt Jemima's).

- I used salted butter in my sticky sauce and could taste a little bit of the salt in it - this was great because salty and sweet flavors go together very well.
- Use your oven as a proofing box. Preheat the oven for about a minute, just long enough for it to warm up but not to where it starts to get hot. Then turn the oven off and stick your dough in and let it rise. This ensures that it is always warm enough for your dough to rise regardless of what time of year it is.- Start checking on your buns around 20 minutes. They will probably be golden brown and done around 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven.
- You can easily freeze these. Prepare the recipe as directed up until the overnight refrigeration step. Then, instead of refrigerating it, wrap it tight and freeze it. When you are ready to bake, remove it from the freezer for the second rise until the dough has doubled in size and then bake.
- For more recipe tips, click here.

Flaky Apple Turnovers (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen: Flaky Apple Turnovers. I love anything apple and this was the perfect way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of fall.

The pastry dough was pretty easy to make, but in my attempt to not over work the dough, I think I under mixed it. After the first refrigeration period, I found it way too crumbly and dry to roll out... in fact, I went to double check the recipe to see if I had messed it up somewhere along the way. Turns out I had followed the recipe to a "T" so my only conclusion was that I needed to mix it more thoroughly. So kneaded it together with my hands to more fully incorporate the flour, and then I was able to roll it out without any problems. Thankfully this did not ruin it and I still ended up with a nice, flaky pastry.


My main problem with most turnovers is wanting to overfill them. I really like a lot of fruit filling but then I have trouble sealing up the turnovers! I made some smaller turnovers about the same size as Dorie recommends, but then I made some much larger ones where I was able to get a higher fruit to pastry ratio :) (I only got pictures of the smaller ones with less filling.)

I have to admit that I ate the vast majority of these apple turnovers myself! (I like to use the excuse that I am eating for two.) The pastry was super flaky and buttery... and the apple filling was sweet and delicious. I did add four times the amount of cinnamon recommended, and thought it was just right... so I think it would be a bit bland if you didn't increase the amount of cinnamon. Otherwise this recipe is spot on.


Thanks Julie, for picking this recipe. The turnovers were great and I would definitely make these again. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this wonderful fall treat.

* Recipes notes:
- I used 1 tsp of cinnamon in my apple filling (instead of just 1/4 tsp).
- These can be frozen after they have been assembled (but have not had had the egg wash applied yet). You can freeze them up to 2 months. Just bake them straight from the freezer without defrosting and add a few minutes to the total baking time.
- For more tips, click here.

Mom's Banana Apple Bread (SMS)

I'm a day late, but this is the kind of recipe that is better the next day anyway ;)

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) recipe was chosen by Joy of Hot Oven, Warm Heart: Mom's Apple Banana Bread. It's a great twist on a very classic recipe - one that was quite delicious.

It's your basic banana bread recipe, with some caramelized apples thrown into the mix. I had small apples, so I added three instead of two - and that probably ended up being more apples than you're supposed to include, but I loved having some apple in every bite. The only complication I ran into was that I had too much batter for my loaf pan, due to the extra space that the apples took up.


I added one whole teaspoon of cinnamon to the apples as I was cooking them in the brown sugar and butter, just because a half a teaspoon just didn't seem like enough. This ended up being just perfect, as the spices in the loaf came out just perfect - not too strong, but prominent enough to enhance the flavor of the bread.


This is probably one of my favorite banana breads, along with the super moist Classic Banana Bundt Cake I made recently. Thanks Joy, for a great pick. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you visit the SMS Blogroll to see how everyone else enjoyed this wonderful treat!

* Recipe Notes:
- Double the cinnamon to 1 tsp when cooking the apples.
- I had to bake my loaf for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, a bit longer than the recipe indicated. The top will start to brown quite a bit towards the end, so be sure to put a foil tent over it if yours takes longer to bake like mine did.

Brioche Peach Tart (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Denise of Chez Us: Brioche Plum Tart. I love anything with fruit in it, so I was looking forward to trying this recipe. It's not your traditional "tart" in that the shell is made of brioche.

The brioche was simple to make, though a bit sticky to work with. It was easier to work with after being refrigerated overnight, but it was still a bit sticky (though manageable) when I was molding it into my tart pans. I made two smaller tarts instead of one large one. If you don't have a tart pan, I think a regular pie pan or springform pan would work well (it just won't have the beautiful fluted edges).


There weren't a lot of plums available at my grocery store (and they were expensive), so I decided to go with peaches instead. I made one tart with the peaches sliced and fanned out, and the other one with peach halves placed cut side down. I sprinkled sugar on top, but omitted the nuts from the topping.


The brioche browned much quicker than I anticipated, so the edges of my tart are a bit darker than I would have liked. I had some juices from peaches drip over the sides of the tart, leading to some messy clean up in the oven, so I would recommend placing some foil under your tart to catch the drippings. Otherwise, everything went rather smoothly.


I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this tart. It was actually not very sweet at all. It was more like a slightly sweetened bread with fruit and jam. I thought it was just ok, but my husband liked it a lot. It would be great for breakfast or an afternoon tea, but I wouldn't serve it for dessert since it is not very sweet.


Thanks Denise, for picking this recipe. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. If you visit the TWD Blogroll, you'll see how much everyone else enjoyed this great afternoon treat!

* Recipes notes:
- Cover your tart with a foil tent early, as this one tends to brown very quickly in the oven!
- If you don't have the same kind of jam as you do fruit for this recipe, don't worry about it. The jam flavor is subtle and any complementary jam would work.
- Don't forget to place some foil under your tarts to catch any juices that bubble over!
- For more tips, click here.