02

May

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Oh me, oh my, how have I never made my favorite food? Cinnamon rolls. Actually, I’m not sure what my favorite food is, but if I was only allowed to eat one food for the rest of my life…cinnamon rolls would be in the top three, along with chips & queso, and I’m not sure what else. But enough about islands, unless you’re about to offer me a vacation for finishing grad school. (!!!!)

Yes, friends, today I presented my research to professional social workers, counselors, psychologists, professors and peers. And I think it went pretty well. More importantly, though, it was my LAST AND FINAL requirement to complete both master’s. I’ll have some extra letters added to the end of my name, but who cares? I have made cinnamon rolls from scratch. Oh, and I have worked my butt off and have been reminded of the amazing support system around me (you know who you are). I would rattle off these people who deserve gold stars, but it would start with God, continue with family and the dearest friends, and end somewhere with my favorite 2nd grade teacher (Mrs. Gunther) and cinnamon rolls. So let’s skip the acceptance/thank you speech and get straight to the cinnamon rolls. (Oh, and by the way, I would easily be 10 pounds lighter if it weren’t for the gooey sweet cinnamon-y jewels. Just sayin’. That’s why these are definitely a lower fat/sugar version of the store-bought treats. Enjoy.)

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Barely adapted from Cooking Light, June 2007
These gooey rolls are guiltless, delicious with a cold glass of milk. If you’re scared of yeast, no worries; if the rolls don’t rise very much (as they didn’t my first batch), they’ll still taste wonderful but be a little smaller. Enjoy these jewels of cinnamon heaven.

  • Dough:
  • 1 1/2 packages dry yeast (about 3 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 3/4 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
  • 1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened 
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 t. salt 
  • 1 t. fresh lemon juice 
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg white
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided 
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
  • Cooking spray
  • Filling:
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup raisins (optional)
  • Glaze:
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • These don’t have to be neat and tidy, they have to be tasty.
  • 5 teaspoons fat-free milk

1 yeast: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk and water. Let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. Add butter, honey, salt, lemon juice, egg & egg white, stirring well. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour & 1 1/2 cups wheat flour. Stir until dough forms, then knead for 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (A mixer does the work well!)


2 rise up: Put the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let it rise in a warm area (80-85 degrees) until it is doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down; roll it out on a floured surface and roll into a 16X12 rectangle. Coat the dough surface with cooking spray.

3 fill&roll: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins (optional). Sprinkle over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Starting with the long edge, roll up the dough tightly. Press and pinch the end to seal. Cut the dough into 16 rolls, about 1 inch thick each. Set the rolls, cut side up, on a 13X9 baking pan coated with baking spray or with a nonstick liner. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.


4 bake: Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 22 minutes, or until barely browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes (wait to devour–it’s difficult but worth it).

5 ice,ice baby: (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) Prepare the glaze/icing by putting the vanilla and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add 5 teaspoons of milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over the rolls.

When you make these, celebrate whatever it is you’re thankful for!

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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22

Apr

Handheld Breakfast Cups

For most of us, sitting down to a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, toast and orange juice is a memory of yesteryear. Or at least the Cleavers. With a little bit of prep, this recipe combined the crispy bacon, fluffy egg and buttery toast, all in a handheld wonder. Meet the Breakfast Cup. (Insert Glinda the Good Witch opening song when she floats down into Munchkin Land.)

The Breakfast Cup is versatile, tastes great even made up to three days ahead of time, and is really filling. When you make them on a Sunday night (like tonight, ahem), let them cool and put them in plastic baggies or in small containers. In the rush of the morning, they can be zapped in the microwave for 45 seconds, and you’ve got a hot breakfast at your fingertips! I’ve made a batch and taken 3-4 to work and will grab them out of the fridge when I’m hungry. So let’s make these thangs.

Breakfast Cups
These little cups of toast, egg and bacon are very versatile. You can trade the bacon for sauteed spinach or sausage crumbles. The wheat toast can be substituted for your favorite bread. Make ahead of time for a quick grab-and-go breakfast.


Adapted from Martha
Makes 8 cups (serving size: 1-2)


3 TB butter, melted
8 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
8 slices bacon
8 large eggs
Salt and pepper


Optional toppings:
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional
1/2 cup shredded cheese, optional
1/4 cup salsa, optional


step one: Preheat oven to 375. Butter 8 muffin cups (if using a 12-cup pan, try to space them out as they expand). Flatten bread slices a little (using hands or a rolling pin) and cut each slice in half. Press the 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure the bread reaches the edges of each cup. Then, brush the bread with the remaining butter.


step two: In a skilled or in the oven, cook the bacon over medium until almost crisp. It will cook more in the oven. Lay 1 slice of bacon in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. (If the eggs soak through the bread, no problem. See photo above.) Season with salt and pepper. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Pop the cups out of the muffin pan and top with cilantro, cheese and salsa, if you like. Serve hot. Works for breakfast or brunch, with a side salad.

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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12

Apr

Weekend Brunch

Yes, two Brunch Posts in a row. But yesterday’s was about a fancy schmancy brunch at a Thai restaurant. Today’s is fancy, easy brunch right at home!
Cornmeal chive waffles with super eggs and thick bacon. Butterscotch apple breakfast cake. We’ve got salty/corny/bacony/egg and sweet/buttery/apply/cake. We’ve got yummm. I made these at the same time, and it takes an hour. Just warning you, but it’s brunch and a treat, so turn on a record or your favorite morning show, and Let’s get started. 

cornmeal chive waffles with super eggs and thick bacon
4-6 servings, but easily doubles
This dish is hearty, delicious, and beautiful brunch on a plate. Serve with orange juice or strong coffee. If you have room, add a sweet pastry on the side, or maybe just some fruit.
adapted from Joy the Baker
12 slices of bacon (2 for each person)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (fine cornmeal is good, but I love a coarse grind for this recipe)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
4-6 large eggs (one for each person) + salt/pepper/dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup salsa
4 additional eggs
Step one: Preheat your oven to 350. Preheat your waffle iron. Once the oven is preheated, lay bacon on a cooking rack, which is rested on a jellyroll pan. (This cooking rack–most can be put in the oven–allows the bacon grease to drip down into the walled pan, instead of just letting the bacon soak up grease while it cooks on the pan.) Set the timer for 25 minutes for the bacon.
Step two: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, baking soda,  and salt.In a second bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, butter, and buttermilk.  Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients.  Add the chives.  Stir until just incorporated; there may be a few lumps, which is a-ok.
Step three: Cook waffles according to your waffle iron instructions. While the waffles cook, fry up some sunny side up eggs in a nonstick frying pan, one egg for each person eating. Season eggs with a bit of salt, pepper, and dried rosemary.
Serve waffles warm with hot fried eggs and then topped with fresh cilantro and salsa on top.  Top with extra chives and shredded cheese (optional).  Serve crispy bacon on the side. Waffles are best served immediately.

Now on to the sweet treat…

butterscotch apple breakfast cake
serves 6–8
This breakfast cake is a mix of scone and bread, with apple bits baked right in and creamy/crunchy butterscotch in each bite. It is buttery, hearty, and real comfort food. Not for the faint of heart.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup butterscotch chips (next to chocolate chips in the store)
3/4 cup chopped apple bits (I used pink lady)
1 stick of butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 slices of apple (to garnish on top)

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350 (or add a rack on top of where you’re cooking bacon for the waffle dish).


Step two: Two bowls, one large and one medium. In the large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butterscotch chips). In the medium bowl, combine the apple bits, butter, milk, egg, milk and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine until just moistened. It will be lumpy.

Step three: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper (or foil, if you must). Roll the dough onto the pan and spread into a disc shape, with about 1/3 inch thickness. Bake for 30–35 minutes, adding the apple slices on top halfway through the baking. Remove after cake is firm in the middle and baked throughout. Eat warm and love it.

I do hope you like the cake. It is pretty and imperfect and sweet. Hmm, that’s actually a good describer of a person, too. Anyhow, I hope you do enjoy these two recipes. My waffle iron is at my parents’ house, so we enjoyed this brunch together at their casa. I hope your weekend (tomorrow) is full of food and happiness.

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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