Snickerdoodle Muffins

Shamelessly stolen from Pea's blog (these were all the rage in the food blogging community a few years ago, so I patiently waited to post my version).

These are something I could make all the time, and for good reason - they are EXACTLY like the cookie, only in a nice muffin form. The rolling of the batter in cinnamon sugar yields a muffin that has a sugary crackled crust, exactly like the cookie. The muffin interior is so moist and soft and yummy - oh my goodness, heaven. I'm not a gigantic fan of snickerdoodle cookies (they are just *okay*), but man. I could eat these muffins every day of my life.

Just a note for first timers making these: coat your palms in the cinnamon sugar and just plop a scoop of batter on one hand, and bounce the batter quickly between the bowl of sugar and your hands before plopping in your muffin tin. You'll be a MESS, yes, but it also works like a charm.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

(from Peabody)

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

¾ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. cream of tarter

¾ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 ¼ c. sour cream

2 ¼ c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp. cinnamon, mixed together for rolling

Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

In a separate, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tarter.
Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place muffin into a greased muffin tin.

Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Banana Crunch Muffins

I have been on a muffin kick lately - we are usually cereal or toast eaters for breakfast, but lately I've just wanted a nice bakery good instead. And muffins are much healthier than fried and iced donuts ;)

Now, these aren't the healthiest muffins but my GOSH -they are good! The chunks of bananas in the muffin help to keep it moist and ensure you really get that banana flavor. The granola, nuts, and coconut help to give a great texture as well. And that crunchy topping is genius. I just made sure that I bought extra coconut/almonds/granola to make the recipe, and mixed them all together to top the muffins. Worked perfectly.

Um, this recipe makes a TON of muffins too, by the way. I halved it and still got 15 muffins out of it (!). Enough for lunches and snacks for the Hubster. And believe me, these still didn't stick around for long.

Banana Crunch Muffins

(from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c.sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 c. whole milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 c. medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 c. small-diced almonds
1 c. granola
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
Additional granola, almonds, or shredded coconut for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

Huevos Rancheros

It's Lent. That means not only a time of reflection and penance, but also for some of us: it also means meatless Fridays. Now, I love a good Fish Fry as much as the next person, and my church in particular does a fantastic version that we enjoy most Fridays in Lent. But sometimes, I'm in more of a "let's just eat at home" mood. And I don't want to pull out the batter and frying pan and make cole slaw, I just want a quick dinner and some quality time snuggling on the couch with a good book or movie on the TV.

Enter: Huevos Rancheros. Or more specifically: Smitten Kitchen's version of Huevos Rancheros.

I looooove these things. They are mad-easy to make, are healthy, and come together in no time at all. I usually make the salsa and beans ahead of time, and they both keep in the fridge forever if you want to make these on the fly during the week. Because to be honest: these are awesome any day of the week, not just Fridays during Lent.

These also rock because they are simple to do to order! Hubs likes to pile his Huevos Rancheros high with the beans, salsa, and topped with some meat (this time some leftover on top of the salsa and beans combo. So if you have picky eaters at home that expect a short-order cook, you can indulge them for an evening. Huevos Rancheros For Dinner = Total Win.

Huevos Rancheros

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

6-inch corn tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese (I used a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend)

Eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Black beans (see recipe below)

Salsa fresca (see recipe below)

Cilantro, sour cream, Tabasco, etc. Whatever you want to use to top them...

First, make your black beans and salsa fresca. If you are not feeling up to it: Jen @ SmittenKitchen recommends Goya Black Bean Soup, and I think that a good jarred salsa works just fine instead of the salsa fresca. Prep any other toppings you want to use: shred the cheese, chop the cilantro, get out the sour cream...

Now it's time to cook the egg and tortilla. NOTE: Take Jen's advice to heart: this is not going to win any "prettiest dish" awards, it's gonna be sloppy and untidy. Don't worry about that, it's gonna taste fantastic.

First, heat a medium pan (I used a nonstick, that works the best) over a medium-low or low heat (whatever works best on your stovetop for regular fried/cooked eggs). Get a little spray Pam or oil in that pan, just enough for a slight coat of oil.

Toss a corn tortilla in the heated pan. When it is golden brown underneath, flip it over. Sprinkle the browned side with a small amount of shredded cheese (2-3 tablespoons let's say), and let it melt a bit.

Once the cheese gets melty: break a single egg over the cheese, directly on the tortilla. NOTE: the whites will ooze off the tortilla and it's going to look messy. This is perfectly fine! I tidy mine up and push the whites around the tortilla, but it's not necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the egg/tortilla until the whites around the sides are set and the middle whites just start to set. Now, flip the tortilla/egg. This is where it's going to be totally and completely messy. That's okay! Cook for a few more minutes to cook the egg through, then flip onto a plate.

Yay, all done! Now you just need to top it. Pile on the black beans, the salsa, and anything else that strikes your fancy (hot sauce, jalapeno slices, sour cream, more cheese...). The Hubster loves meat, so he chopped some breakfast steak and added it to his, as you can see from the photo. I think this is filling enough without any meat substance included...

For the black beans:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat a splash of canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well, don't worry about smashing some of the beans (it will help with the texture). Cook until heated through, then keep warm until serving.

For the salsa fresca:
2 large fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large white onion, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon minced raw garlic, or to taste
1 habanero or jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Let the flavors marry for 15 minutes or so before serving, but serve within a couple of hours. Note: I think this keeps well for at least a few days in the fridge.

Eggs Benedict

Another weekend yummy from Hubs' favorite issue of Saveur!

For the record: I realized at the last possible second, forked raised over plate, that hmm - perhaps a raw-egg sauce and underdone egg yolks aren't exactly the best fare for a pregnant woman. So I miserably watched Hubs scarf his (and mine) down for his morning meal, while I half-heartedly picked at my side of home-fried potatoes. Which were delicious but not quite as yummy as those eggs benedict looked, with their lemony-yellow sauce and oozing yolks, crispy bacon and toasty muffin... Drats.

Eggs Benedict

(from Saveur magazine, #114)

Ingredients:

FOR THE EGGS:

Salt

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

4 eggs

2 English muffins, split

3 Tbsp. butter

4 slices Canadian bacon

FOR THE HOLLANDAISE:

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

For the eggs: Bring a medium skillet of salted water to a simmer over medium heat; add vinegar. Crack eggs into 4 small dishes. Slip eggs into simmering water, turn off heat, cover, and cook until whites are just firm, 4 minutes. Transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water and set aside.

Preheat oven to 200 F. Toast muffins, then spread with some of the butter. Transfer to 2-4 plates; keep warm in oven. Melt remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry bacon until browned, about 5 minutes. Place bacon on muffins; keep warm in oven.

For the hollandaise: Melt butter in a small pan over low heat. Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tbsp. water, and salt and pepper to taste in a heavy, nonreactive saucepan until pale yellow; then cook, whisking constantly over medium-low heat, until whisk leaves a trail in eggs, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add butter 1 tbsp. at a time, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens; gradually pour in remaining butter, whisking constantly, leaving milky solids behind.

Reheat eggs in a skillet of simmering water for 1 minute; transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. To serve, carefully place egg on bacon, and spoon some hollandaise on top. Garnish with parsley, if you like.

Cherry Chocolate Muffins

When I was little, my parents used to can Door County cherries every year (I think they were Door County, anyway - my mom would put in an order at the grocers every year for a giant container of them, and then she'd split it up and jar them for use throughout the year). My absolute favorite use of those cherries? After-church cherry muffins. You knew it was going to be a good Sunday when our parents sent us down to the dark chilly basement to get a jar of those cherries off of the canning shelf.

Theirs were soft, warm muffins dotted with juicy cherries, and slathered with a thick smear of butter. Oh, so good. Here's my own version. Who doesn't like chocolate in a muffin, right? And for those of you giving these the sidelong glance and mumbling about mislabeling: no way, these are absolutely not cupcakes. They are a proper breakfast muffin. Do you see any frosting on these suckers? Yeah, that's what I thought. Told you, definitely muffins. Duh.

Anyhoo: I used a dark chocolate-cherry bar for the chocolate in this recipe (compliments of my sister Anne), which helped deepen the cherry flavor. In the spirit of my roots, I also used canned cherries. These muffins were soft, moist, and dense (but not too heavy); the cherries were, as they always are in muffins, so good. Ah, perfect.

Cherry Chocolate Muffins
(adapted from Dorie's Chocolate Chocolate-Chunk Muffins)

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder, sifted
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2/3 c. pitted tart cherries

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 375 F. Butter or spray a 12- slot muffin pan, or line with muffin liners. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Melt butter and half the chopped chocolate in a bowl over simmering water (or in the microwave). Take off heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together until well combined.
Pour the buttermilk mixture and the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently but quickly to blend, but do not over mix as this will toughen the muffins. A few lumps are OK! Carefully stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and cherries.

Divide batter among the muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thin skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool pan on a rack for 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan.

Smoked Salmon Hash

I love Hubs dearly. One of the man's many attributes is that his cooking is quite stellar. In fact, when we first were dating I used to pretend that I didn't have the slightest idea as to how to cook, so that he would come over and make dinner for me most evenings. Ah, but those were the days.

Nowadays I must admit, I do most of the cooking. He gets off of work much later than me, and I really do enjoy cooking (fairly relaxing after a long day of work). But weekends - ah, those weekends are when Hubs is in his prime. The man loves nothing more than to spend his Saturday morning puttering around the kitchen, pulling together a rather elaborate breakfast for the two of us to enjoy.

So, imagine the man's complete and utter JOY when a recent issue of Saveur magazine arrived in our mailbox, as it was devoted entirely to - you guessed it - breakfast (thanks for that subscription, Coco). One of the first recipes he tried out of this one was the hash, a particular favorite of his.

The original recipe was for a smoked trout hash, but we had problems finding that around these parts (now if we were in Wisconsin, it wouldn't have been a problem...). Went with a smoked salmon instead, and I must say it was still quite divine! It is amazing but true - the addition of cream really does give the hash an extra-crispy coating. You must try it! All in all the dish was very crispy, filling, and the lemon (and cream sauce with horseradish) really zinged things up nicely. Amazing with your morning eggs and toast.

Smoked Salmon Hash

(Adapted from Saveur magazine, #114)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. boiled and cooled russet potatoes, cut into 1⁄2" cubes

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

4 oz. boneless smoked salmon, diced into 1⁄2" chunks

1⁄4 c. heavy cream

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill

1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. crème fraîche

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

Finely chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges

Heat 3 tbsp. of the butter in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 8–10 minutes.

Add remaining tbsp. of butter and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Add salmon, heavy cream, dill, cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Turn hash in parts every 2 minutes, loosening any browned bits, until potatoes are golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Divide hash between 2 plates. Combine crème fraîche with horseradish. Garnish hash with sauce, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Mmmm. These are good. I could eat them for breakfast every day of my life.

I can see why these might be considered more of a "breakfast bar" than "dessert/coffee bar". There's the oats, for one, and these bars are pretty darn crunchy/crumbly (more like a granola bar). Plus, not as sugary as your usual after-dinner treat. But oh, they are tart and still a tad sweet and absolutely fantastic with your morning coffee/tea/giant glass of milk. And have that faint whiff of "healthy breakfast eats", so I am definitely sold :)

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

(adapted from SmittenKitten)

Ingredients:
For the crust and crumb:

1 1/2 cu.all-purpose flour

1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/4 c. rolled oats

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the blackberry filling:

1/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 lb. blackberries, fresh or frozen (thaw frozen in the fridge before using)

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hans or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the blackberry filling.

Make the blackberry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the blackberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the blackberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the blackberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days (she lies: mine were still yummy after 4 days. So there; just be sure to keep them refrigerated).

Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes

First thing: I want to thank Stacey of Simply Tasty for presenting me with the Kreativ Blogger award! You gotta check out her blog, people. That girl doesn't mess around, it is mouthwatering Treats Treats Treats all the time over there.

And I'm passing it along too, to my favorite KC photography girls:

Audrey @ Kentiga Blog
Sarah @ Jagged Diary

Now, about those pancakes...


A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to have a day all to myself (Hubs was out entertaining friends all day, and I punked out on him). Not like the man is a time hog, but when he happens to be at home I tend to put off certain tasks. So this day was a nice one to have. I wrote blog posts (that’s another problem, I love the man but HE HOGS THE COMPUTER ON THE WEEKENDS). I baked and fiddled around with some of my little projects, watched Lifetime movies in peace while I munched on fresh baked goods, called people I hadn’t talked to in awhile…

Most importantly, I did a lot of shopping. I rarely do that “spend a day bumming around shopping” without friends or family, so it was kinda nice to just go out and do on my own. Anyway, long story short: while at Target, I spied some dried pancake mix called “Cinnamon Roll Pancakes”. Yummy! Sounds fantastic, right? I wanted to make them but am kinda anti-boxed food (plus, it was pricey for pancake mix). So I read the box verrry carefully, and did my best to reproduce the pancakes from scratch the next morning. I think I did a fairly good job, if I do say so myself…

These pancakes are so so good – the cinnamon and pecans are a great flavor combo. The “strudel topping” is a smart call to sprinkle on the baking pancakes – yummy little crispy sugared chunks really add a lot to regular old pancakes. Give this recipe a try when you’re looking for something different to do with those morning pancakes.

Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes
(adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1/2 to 3/4 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. pecan pieces

For strudel topping:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Beat the buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and egg lightly in a mixing bowl (start with 1/2 c. buttermilk, and add more as you’d like to get desired thickness. I like my batter on the thin side, the pancakes seem to puff better that way). Mix the flour, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and add them all at once to the first mixture, stirring just enough to moisten the flour. Stir in pecan pieces.

In a separate bowl: combine the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon with a fork (to form crumbles). Set aside.

Lightly butter or grease a griddle or frying pan and set over moderate heat until a few drops of cold water sprinkled on the pan form skittering globules. Pour about 1/4 cup per pancake on the griddle; bake until the cakes are very bubbly on top and the undersides are lightly browned. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the “strudel” topping over pancake, and flip.

Turn with a spatula and brown the other side. Place finished cakes on a heated plate in a very slow (200 F) oven until ready to serve. Serve with butter, syrup, and a generous sprinkling of pecans.

Breakfast Parfaits

I am a sucker for a healthy breakfast that masquerades as dessert.

This recipe is to-die for, I love all the nuts and coconut in it. It's a fantastic basic granola recipe, and after making it a time or two you can decide what you want to add to it - sometimes I'll add different nuts and dried fruit, or vanilla flavoring, or those yogurt-covered raisin things. YUM!

Just layer the granola with fresh (or jarred) fruit and yogurt to make a filling, satisfying breakfast 'treat'. Thank the lord for Ina Garten - for once, something I'll make a lot because it doesn't have tons of butter and cream ;)

Breakfast Parfaits

(from Barefoot Contessa at Home, 2006)

Ingredients:

1 c. quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats

1/2 c. sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 c. sliced or slivered almonds

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. honey

2 c. of your favorite fruit, diced if needed

2 c. plain yogurt (or flavored if you so desire; I like Dannon Light & Fit vanilla)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, oil, and honey together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Pour onto a sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring once.

Combine the fruit in a bowl. In 4 glasses, layer first the fruit, then the yogurt, and the cooled granola alternately until you fill the glasses.

Cinnamon Buns

Every year for my husband's birthday, I get up early and make him cinnamon rolls. Most years I just use pre-made stuff (you know, like the biscuits in a can?). This year, though, I decided to make them from scratch. The Daring Bakers made cinnamon rolls last year before I joined up, and they looked so good. I decided that this year, I was making those yummy looking cinnamon rolls for the Hubs.

I made the bulk of the recipe the night before, then set my alarm for 3am to pull the dough out of the fridge to temp (!). We weren't disappointed: warm and gooey, sticky cinnamon goodness stuck to your fingers while you pulled apart the soft bread for breakfast: cinnamon rolls (buns) have a special place in this world, and the warm just-out-of-the-oven ones are insanely good. Just trust me, and give these a shot.

There is a reason 90% of the Daring Bakers threw away their previous Cinnamon Roll recipe and made this their main stay.

Cinnamon Buns

(from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice)

Ingredients:

6 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt
5 1/2 Tbsp. shortening or unsalted butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. lemon extract OR 1 tsp. grated zest of 1 lemon
3 1/2 c. unbleached bread or all-purpose flour2 tsp. instant yeast*

1 1/8 to 1 1/4 c. whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

1/2 c. cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar + 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon)

White fondant glaze (at the end of the recipe.)

*Instant yeast contains about 25% more living cells per spoonful than active dry yeast, regardless of the brand. Instant yeast is also called rapid-rise or fast-rising.

Making the Dough: Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand).

Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball.

Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture.

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

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

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

Prepare the Buns for Proofing: line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.

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

Bake the Buns:Preheat the oven to 350 F with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns. Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool the buns: Cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.

Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.

When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)

Blueberry Scones

My parents gave me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated one year for Christmas, and it wasn't a gift wasted. The magazine essentially takes classic recipes and perfects them, finding a way to get the best possible outcome.

This scone recipe is nothing short of brilliant: freezing the butter insures a very flaky scone; the bare minimum of kneading makes it incredibly light. Lemon brings out that fabulous blueberry taste, and folding in the berries rather than mixing in and breaking the delicate berries is nothing short of genius. I love love love this recipe, it is a classic I'll always use around here.

I made these late at night, so Hubs could take them to work the next morning for a "Breakfast Potluck" at his office. Why oh why doesn't my office do this?? Anyway. I took my pictures late over the light of the under-cabinet-LED lighting, so excuse the photos please. I did swipe one to keep and photograph (and sample), so there's a few shots of that too for you to enjoy.

Blueberry Scones

(from Cook's Illustrated, July 2007)

Ingredients:

16 Tbsp. unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole

1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries

1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface

1/2 c. sugar, + 1 Tbsp. for sprinkling (I used turbino sugar for sprinkling)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Following illustrations, fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Southwestern Quiche

I have a soft spot for the Southwest, that food in New Mexico is just fabulous. Chiles so abundant that the entire upper third of your body feels on fire, and your eyes start watering. And yet, the dishes still have so much flavor. Every once in awhile, I just crave something chock-full of chiles.

When this craving hits, I tend to turn to a cookbook my parents bought for me on their last trip to Albuquerque. This time, I wanted to try something a bit different, rather than the usual tamales and rellenos. This cookbook has a TON of breakfast dishes that sound good, so I finally settled on the Southwestern Quiche.

I made a few slight changes to the recipe (why waste good sirloin when I have some lovely chorizo sitting around?), it still turned out great. Heat comes from the spices and green chile, and the chorizo. But the egg mixture, cheeses, and a healthy dollop of sour cream help to mellow things out quite a bit (so this recipe is still great for small kids). So, no “nose running” this time, but still a lovely dish.

Cravings finally subdued for another day. Next time perhaps I’ll try the carne adovada…

Southwestern Quiche

(from Simply Simpatico)

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. oil
8 oz. chorizo

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 larg onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 c. sour cream

3/4 c. chopped green onion

1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Sour cream, sliced avocado, salsa (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush pastry shell with egg white and bake 5 minutes. Cool. Turn oven down to 325 F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo, paprika, chili powder, onion, and garlic to skillet and brown well. Remove from heat and cool down slightly.

Combine meat mixture, cheese, sour cream, green onion, chiles, eggs, salt, and pepper and mix well. Turn into pastry shell and spread evenly. Bake 60 minutes or until filling is set and crust is nicely browned.

Cool slightly, then slice and serve. Top with a dollop of sour cream and salsa, and avocado slices.

Quiche

I am not a huge quiche fan. Okay, there. I said it. However, every once in a great while I just get an itch to make one (or in this case, many little ones). We also were at a moment mid-move where I wasn't up for buying much in the way of groceries. No bread to speak of, 2 measly slices of bacon, a few odd bits of vegetables and eggs. Some cream left from a baking adventure. Make a quick dough, bake it all up, and you have some luscious quiche in no time.

This crust recipe makes a great elastic dough. The baked crust is flaky and buttery, two things I love. The quiche filling is nice, very creamy. All in all a great little recipe, although for the most part I expect no less from my beloved copy of Fannie Famer.

Quiche
(From The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

For the crust:
1 c. flour1 egg yolk

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 pinch salt

1-2 Tbsp. cold water

Pulse the food processor with all the ingredients except the egg yolk and water until you have a fine mix. Add the yolk and enough water so that the dough sticks together but is not sticky.

Add one tablespoon of water and then open up the machine to see if it's too dry before adding the second one. You don't want to over-process the dough.

Form it into a nice ball with your hands and wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate at least an hour.

To pre-bake the shell: Press dough into a tart shell. Bake at 425 F for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and golden.

Filling:
4 eggs
2 c. heavy cream
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Fillings of choice (I used pan-fried onion, crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Sprinkle filling over the bottom of the tart shell. I usually sprinkle the heartier things first, then top with cheese or herbs.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a bowl and beat to mix thoroughly. Ladle the custard over fillings in crust.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F, then lower the heat to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes longer, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve hot or cold.

Peanut Butter Nanner Bread

This one is adapted from my Muzzy's banana bread recipe, which I practically have memorized. I switched out the shortening for mostly peanut butter, but it still wasn't a very strong flavor in the bread (and I wanted more peanut butter than banana). Next time it's all peanut butter, baby. And I gotta say: Muzz makes one awesome banana bread, so you should give this one a shot. It's dense but very moist, not too sweet; the brown sugar gives it a nice rounded flavor. This version is particularly good with a healthy slather of peanut butter on your slice :)

Peanut Butter Nanner Bread

(adapted from my Muzzy)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. shortening *OR: increase peanut butter to 3/4 c.*

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c. (about 3) mashed ripe bananas

1/4 c. chopped peanuts (optional)

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, shortening, and sugars (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Stir in mashed bananas, and mix well. Add dry ingredients, and finally nuts if using.

Pour batter into loaf pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean-ish). Allow to cool before slicing. Great with a thick slather of peanut butter.

Breakfast Carbonara

Such a pretty little dish, you'd never believe how easy it is to pull together. It's not an authentic 'carbonara', but it certainly is good. The recipe makes a ton of aioli; the leftovers can be kept for 2-3 days in the fridge and can be used for sandwiches, or to top roasted veggies, fish, etc.

I believe Ms. Giada titled this recipe "Giada's Carbonara"; however I think it's fabulous for breakfast with an over-easy egg on top, so I changed a few other things and re-named it. The dish is really rich, I will warn you, so if I make it I usually do so on a late Sunday morning, when it can double as an early lunch. Super speedy and tasty. Can't beat it.

Breakfast Carbonara
(adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

Ingredients:
A few handfuls of frozen peas

1/2 lb. linguini

1/2 c. Basil Aioli, (recipe follows)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

2 to 3 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes. Scoop peas out of the pot with a small colander and toss into a large bowl.

Add the pasta to the large pot of salted water used to cook the peas, and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain pasta into a large bowl. Add the Basil Aioli, peas, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and place on a long, rectangular serving dish.

Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry the eggs to your liking. Place the eggs on top of the pasta and serve immediately.

Basil Aioli:

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp. mustard

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor and run the machine to mix. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the vegetable and olive oil.

Basil Aioli can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.