Tag Archives: Breakfast

5 Minute Candy (Broiled Grapefruit)

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Let me begin by asserting that I am NOT one of those skinny girls who thinks grapefruit is the perfect breakfast. I have never liked grapefruit and thought that people who ate it were crazy. <shudder> Sour and tart and just gross. I have tried several times to force myself into consuming this fruit, mostly when I’m “eating healthy”. Ok, let us just call it what it is…dieting. But I’ve never had success finishing even one. Just not my thing at all. Actually, the only grapefruit I’ve ever enjoyed came in the form of a can of Ruby Red Squirt. Until now. Who knew that a tiny (seriously small) sprinkle of brown sugar and a few minutes basking in the light of my broiler would turn nasty grapefruit into candy. I am not joking. The flesh gets soft, sweet and warm. I don’t know what voodoo magic happened in my oven with this thing, but it was incredible. I may eat it every morning until forever.

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Snickerdoodle Bread

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A few weeks ago my grandmother gave me four mini loaf pans. She knows me so well. I’ve been trying to use them ever since so I can bring her something delicious as a thank you. Yes, that’s what happens when you give me a baking item as a gift. I use it to make something awesome for you. The problem is, I got fixated on this snickerdoodle bread recipe I found. You may wonder why that’s an issue…and I’ll tell you. It’s because the recipe calls for cinnamon chips which (apparently) are seasonal. Not the season we’re currently in. But it was too late. I wanted to make a cinnamon sugary bread version of one of the best cookies ever. Nothing else would be good enough for the maiden voyage of my new pans. What to do, what to do?

I took some time reading the comments on the original recipe to find that people had substituted white chocolate chips as well as toffee chips in the bread and liked the results. Somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to spoil all that delicious cinnamon sugar goodness with a different flavor. I had just about given up and resigned myself to making some other kind of bread until cinnamon chips were back in stock, but then, a miracle!!

My wonderful cousin came up with a solution for me without even knowing it. She made some cookies today that included a cinnamon butter inside. Basically like a cinnamon sugar caramel kind of deal. As soon as I saw her recipe I knew it was the answer to my dilemma. I could make the bread per the recipe, but instead of using the cinnamon chips, I’d swirl the cinnamon butter through the batter. Genius!

We start by making our cinnamon butter swirl. Some butter and brown sugar are melted together and boiled briefly.

Add a little cream and some cinnamon then set aside to cool while we make our bread batter. Try not to eat with a spoon.

Cream butter, sugar and cinnamon together. Add some eggs, sour cream and dry ingredients. Until it looks like this. It’s very thick.

Spoon into your pans until about a third full.

Then swirl your cinnamon butter around. I did about a tablespoon straight down the center, then swished a butter knife back and forth thru it.

Top with remaining batter and another swish and swirl of the cinnamon butter. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the bread is golden with a crusty top.

(worst part of baking) Allow to cool, then slice and enjoy. Lightly spiced sweet bread and that amazing buttery surprise in the middle topped with a craggy cinnamony crust. Yuuuum!

Three of these loaves are headed out the door as gifts. Otherwise I’m at risk of palming one and just walking around all day munching on it.

Have a slice (or a loaf) of this with breakfast. It’s not a cookie. It’s bread. That’s allowed. Just look at that gorgeous ribbon of buttery cinnamon goodness!

Snickerdoodle Bread   
adapted from Rumbly In My Tumbly and Lil Luna

Bread:
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sour cream

Topping:
3 T. sugar
3 t. cinnamon

Cinnamon Butter Swirl:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-3 tablespoons cream
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the cinnamon butter swirl:
In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and whisk, bringing it up to a boil. Let it boil for about one minute, remove from heat, and whisk in the cream. Add the baking soda and cinnamon and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool.

For the bread:

Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.
Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.

Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 1/3 full. Dollup and swirl the cinnamon butter around in the batter. Add more batter on top til 2/3 full. Dollup some more filling and swirl again.
Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 38-43 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

Cinnamon Toast Twists

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Morning people, I salute you. However, I will never truly join your ranks. Mornings are just not my thing. I remembered that today as I dragged my sleepy self out of bed for a 6am yoga class. I’m hitting my stride with my couch-to-5K program and my muscles need a little extra stretching out. Since I already use up the maximum time my kids can be at the Y child-care, the early morning class is my only option. I’m not generally a coordinated person, so yoga has always been a challenge for me. I fall over most classes. Thankfully, the instructor says that’s proof I’m pushing my limits – but I think she’s just being nice.  Trying to force my body into a pretzel at an (in my opinion) ungodly hour of the day was a special treat. The only positive was that I was home and bursting with energy after class. I had enough pep in my step to whip together these tasty little twists for my kids.

These Cinnamon Toast Twists are crisp on the outside, full of buttery-sugary goodness on the inside. They melt in your mouth and are the perfect size for little fingers. My husband called them little cinnamony burritos. My kids simply devoured them. They are far easier than cinnamon buns, but with a lot of the same flavor and deliciousness.

Start with good white bread. Cut the crusts off.

Then roll the bread very thinly.

Spread both sides with melted butter. Yes, both sides. Yes, your counter is going to get a little messy.

Then sprinkle one side with cinnamon sugar. My daughter helped me starting with this step.

Fold both sides in towards the middle. Then roll up tightly and place in a mini-muffin tin.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of flattened bread. These are so easy, even a 5-year-old can do it – aren’t her little hands adorable?

Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar and bake.

The tops get all golden and the bottoms caramelize up a little with the butter/cinnamon/sugar. Mmmmm. So delightful.

They pull apart in gorgeous golden buttery goodness. Yuuuum!

These take just minutes to make and I’ll bet you have everything you need just sitting on your counter. Beware though, they are HIGHLY addictive.

Cinnamon Toast Twists
from Circle B Kitchen

a dozen or so slices of very soft, fresh white bread
melted butter
cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar and 1 T cinnamon)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the crusts from a slice of bread and roll until very thin. Spread both sides of the bread with melted butter and then sprinkle one side with the cinnamon sugar, making sure to cover very well.  Fold each side into the middle and then gently roll up and place in a buttered mini muffin tin.  Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar.

When all of the rolls are made, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are just starting to turn golden brown and get a little crisp.  Remove from the muffin tin to cool slightly before serving.

These freeze really well.  To reheat, place briefly in a microwave to thaw and then bake in a low oven (250 or 300 until warm and slightly crisp.  Alternately, you can reheat them in foil in the oven.

Hot Cross Buns

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These light, gently spiced buns are one of my favorite Easter week traditions. I make them every Good Friday, always bringing them to my mom for sharing with a  cup of tea. This recipe from America’s Test Kitchen is a little time intensive, but not difficult and, it has never failed me.  You get big, beautifully golden rolls that are a perfect breakfast or brunch treat. Although they are a traditional Easter delight, these buns are delectable (my daughter’s new favorite word) all year round.

I love bread. It’s so gorgeous.

And, it kinda makes me happy in my heart.

I’m sure food shouldn’t do that, but these buns just have that effect on me. Mmmmm.

Hot Cross Buns

* 3/4 C buttermilk, warm (110 degrees)
* 6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 3 large eggs
* 4 1/4 C all purpose flour
* 1/4 C sugar
* 1 envelope instant or rapid-rise yeast
* 1 1/4 t salt
* 1 t ground cinnamon
* 1 C  raisins
* 1 large egg
* 1 T water
Glaze:
* 3/4 C powdered sugar
* 1 t milk
* 1/2 t vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. For the buns: Whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 C of the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If after 5 minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 C flour, 1 T at a time until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, add the raisins and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball with evenly distributed raisins. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place  until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, divide it into 12 even pieces. round the pieces of dough into small taut rolls. Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking pan and wrap tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against on another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the egg and water together and brush over the buns. Then, using a sharp knife, cut an X through the top 1/4 inch of each bun. Bake until golden and puffed, 25-30 minutes.
6. For the glaze: Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together then drizzle in an X into the cut groves of the buns. Serve warm.

Bread Pudding with Bailey’s Custard

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Warning! This is quite possibly the best, most decadent, delicious and amazing food item I’ve ever created. It is over-the-top rich. I have convinced myself that if I only eat it once a year or so, I don’t have to feel guilty about it. Sort of. I’m already dreaming of when I can make this again. It was heavenly. Here’s the thing about bread pudding. It’s bread. Lots of bread. Soaking with cream and sugar. And butter. Then served with a cream sauce. And, in this case – that cream sauce is drunken with Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqour. Absolutely NOT a diet food. But worth every single incredible calorie. As fancy as bread pudding seems, it’s really easy to throw together. Takes some time, but most of that it’s just sitting there drinking up the delicious creamy goodness or baking in the oven. The time you actually have to spend on creating it is minimal. Continue reading →

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

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Sorry it’s been a while folks. I have a backlog of recipes to get thru and just haven’t found the time to get them up here. Welcome to all the new folks who’ve found me on Pinterest! A quick little recipe for today that I made recently for a tea party. It combines two of my favorite things. Pancakes and cupcakes. Full of blueberry goodness and topped with a to DIE for maple buttercream. A little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and these beauties are sure to impress whoever you give them to! Absolutely delicious! Continue reading →

Apple Raisin Breakfast Bread

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Breakfast can get boring easily. At least for me. I’m not a morning person. Actually, I’m currently blogging at 2am – so that should tell you something of my preference between day and night. Also, should make you cut me some slack if anything in this post makes no sense. Since I don’t drink coffee, mornings find me stumbling around praying I get most of the cereal into my kid’s bowls & not all over my floor. I decided to make a breakfasty bread to take some of the annoying edge off the first few minutes of being awake. Made the night before, and all ready to go in the wee hours of the morning. Ok, ok…my kids sleep until around 8:30 every day. God loves me, what can I say? Breakfast bread made me think of cinnamon raisin toast. But that wasn’t what I had in mind. I needed more. About the only other thing I like with raisins (besides cinnamon) is apples. So a cinnamon-y spiced apple raisin breakfast bread was perfect! Continue reading →

Apple Pancake Rings

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My kids love pancakes. I love pancakes. But I also want to give a little more nutrition at breakfast than what is essentially all doughy bready goodness…dipped in sugar. So when I saw this recipe, I thought I’d give it a try. My kids picked the cinnamon pancake from around the apples. Epic Mommy fail. Guess I’ll have to stick to making pancakes with applesauce mixed into the batter. My husband (and I) loved these though. They were a welcome change from the same ol’ same ol’ Saturday morning pancake breakfast. The apple cider syrup that goes along with them is delicious too. Perfectly tart/sweet. Mmmm.

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Lemon Monkey Bread

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Every monkey bread recipe I’ve ever seen is made with butter and brown sugar resulting in a caramel covered pull apart bread. This recipe intrigued me because of its main ingredient. Lemon. Lemon? Yes indeed. It is a bright fresh citrus bread drizzled with butter, lemony sugar and a sweet glaze. Lemon is so vibrant and clean. With the beautiful powdery snow around here lately, this monkey bread seemed a perfect complement to the fresh white landscape. This bread looks and tastes like you slaved away making it, in fact, it is so quick and easy you won’t believe it. But absolutely delicious. Continue reading →

Ridiculously Easy Homemade Doughnuts

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Or, donuts…if you prefer it that way. Whichever way you like, these are amazingly good. They quite possibly belong atop my ease/deliciousness chart. Whenever I make something, I mentally rate it on a scale of how simple or difficult the recipe is versus how delicious the food turns out. No, I’m not OCD enough to have an actual spreadsheet or anything like that. It’s just a running filing system in my brain. If something is incredibly good, but takes a whole lot of effort it becomes a special occasion kind of treat or meal. Something can taste amazing, but if it requires three hours in the kitchen, I won’t make it often…no matter how delectable it is. Then there are the magical things that are impossibly easy and mind blowingly delicious. Like these light and sweet, melt in your mouth doughnuts. I could make these every single day. And never grow tired of them. Except, then I’d gain about 200 pounds. It would almost be worth it to get to eat these on a daily basis. Move aside Krispy Kreme. See ya’ Dunkin…I’m making my own doughnuts from now on. Continue reading →