baking – a hippie with a minivan

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns…

I have been craving cinnamon buns and I knew that Simon would enjoy them too if I made them…

I got a recipe out and then realized that I just didn’t have enough butter for the whole recipe… so i sat down and tried to find something else that I could make… then I found this…

I just knew that I had to make them especially since I had some pumpkin in the fridge that I had to use up…

So for the dough…

2 1/4 tsp of yeast

1/2 cup of warm water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups all purpose flour

Knead it together for about 5-7 min… the dough look and smells amazing…

The recipe said to let the dough rise for 15 min, but I let it rise until double… for about 45 min…

meanwhile make the filling… I added vanilla to mine…
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Roll out the dough in a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick and spread the filling on top…

roll into a log… and cut into slices (I made 10)… and place in a buttered pan… (I used a 9X9)

Let rise until double (about 45 min- and hour) and preheat oven to 400…

bake for about 20 min… (mine were done after 17 min with the convection oven)

Add the frosting while they are still in the pan and slightly warm…

For the frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half of a package)
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 dashes cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

These are truly amazing!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies…

Simon has been wanting me to make some chocolate chip cookies… so when he asked me again today I got right to it…

I wanted to find a new cookie since though I love the ones I used to make I also like trying new one… the last ones I tried were too cakey.. so this time I went to foodgawker and typed in chocolate chip and ended up here…

Then we choose the first one that looked like the chocolate chip cookie that we have been craving…

To my surprise it ended being the Alton Brown Recipe for “the chewy” (recipe below)

So I made them… omg they are amazing!!!

The dough is just perfect… and you can see right away that they are going to be chewy…

After chilling the dough I scooped them out and then put them back in the fridge for a few minutes… then put them in the oven…

For so many years I have had an oven that we could not see into and I had forgotten what a pleasure it is to watch things bake…

The boys are discovering that pleasure for the first time…

A great chewy perfect chocolate chip cookie!!!

Ingredients

* 1 cup unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift or mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in a bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto baking sheets.(I used a 1/8 cup measuring cup)

They really get the thumbs up!

Banana Bread…

My first cookbook when we moved in our first apartment was a Pillsbury cook book… it is small but filled with recipes and I used it alot for a while… especially when baking…

The banana bread that I have been making for at least a decade now is from that book and it is still the best banana bread that I have ever eaten…it always comes out perfect…. a bit dense but not too much and very moist… the favour and texture are just perfect…

I was looking online the other day and saw a few references to the Pillsbury being one of the first banana bread recipes having come out in 1933… no wonder it is the best…

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup (2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired (I use chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of loaf pan. In large bowl, combine sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Add bananas, milk and vanilla; blend well.

2. In small bowl, combine flour, nuts (or chocolate chips), baking soda and salt; mix well. Add to banana mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into greased pan.

3. Bake at 350°F. for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Cluster

I found this recipe at The Fresh Loaf and I just had to try it… and now that I have I will make it again…

Buttermilk Cluster
Makes 12 to 18 rolls, depending on size
6 to 6 1/2 cups (750 grams) bread or all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast, or 1 15 gram cake fresh yeast
1 tablespoon warm water
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon honey

Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Topping:
1-2 tablespoons seeds (poppy, sesame) or grains (cracked wheat, rolled oats)

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.

Pour the yeast, buttermilk, and honey into the flour mixture and mix well. If the dough is so dry that some of the flour won’t stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour by the tablespoon until the correct consistency is achieved.

Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

I made the dough, let it rise and then used a 9X9 cake pan and separated the dough into 12 pieces…
and then let that rise again for about 40 min and then brushed with the egg and sprinkled with sesame seeds…

Then bake at 425 for about 30 min… (mine took about 25min)

It makes an amazing bread with a great consistency… It was the perfect bread to go with the soup I made, I it is great not having to cut it because the pieces come apart easily..

This will be a great bread for when company comes also because it looks beautiful also…

mmmm… muffins…

This morning I woke up knowing that I had to use my new mixer… So I decided to make some banana-oat chocolate chip muffins for breakfast…

Isn’t it a beauty?

The batter turned out perfectly of course…

3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
chocolate chips (or raisins, nuts etc)

mix wet ingredients in bowl, mix dry ingredients and then add to the wet
bake at 375 for about 20 min