Apple Walnut Bread

I'll let you in on a little secret: I was the one that really wanted to go apple picking because I wanted to have a reason to bake with apples. Aside from eating them as is, I love just about every apple dessert in existence. Sure, I wanted the girls to experience apple picking because I had such great memories of my first time apple picking, but I also have even better memories of all the things I baked. The only glitch in this plan is that whatever I bake has to be something that comes together quickly and easily as time is short during the weeknights. Thankfully, most apple desserts come together quickly (I usually spend more time chopping apples than doing everything else) and I can put something in the oven to bake while we sit down to have dinner.

The first apple recipe of the season that I conquered was an Apple Walnut Bread. I chose this recipe because I knew I had all the ingredients and because I got a craving for apples and walnuts after seeing so many great recipes on Pinterest. I made minor changes to the recipe, used a Golden Delicious apple, and halved the recipe (below). The end product was so good! We ate slices of the bread with and without butter and I think I preferred the buttered slices because it made me feel like the fall season inside. Even more surprising to me was that Alex liked it; he usually doesn't like anything I've tinkered with to make healthier. 

Apple Walnut Bread

Source: Slightly adapted from On Sutton Place

1/2 cup vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg 1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 medium apple, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare one medium loaf pan or 2 small pans by spraying them with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat together first 4 ingredients. Add the dry ingredients mixing well and scraping sides of the bowl.

Fold in the apples and the nuts. Pour batter into loaf pan(s). Bake for  35-40 min., or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit and cool for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Follow me on Pinterest @steppystar to see what I else plan on baking with these apples. Also, give a follow on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner to see more about my Chicago and baking adventures!

Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Week day 6 and I believe this is the best recipe I made all week. Seriously though, stop reading and copy the recipe and get in the kitchen. I have made quite a few cinnamon rolls in my life and these are near the top of the best. The recipe came together easily and the finished cinnamon roll was too good for words. You couldn't even taste the pumpkin in it; or rather, you can tell there was something different in this recipe, but you couldn't pinpoint exactly what that something was. I wish I could bake rolls like this all the time for the smell alone it brought into my house. The only regret I have with this recipe is not having enough powdered sugar to make the frosting so what I made instead was a glaze. Next time!

Day 1: Pumpkin Bread

Day 2: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Day 3: Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

Day 4: Pumpkin Muffins

Day 5: Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Source: une gamine dans la cuisine
Yields: 16 rolls

for the pumpkin dough
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 of a stick unsalted butter, room temperature butter and cut into bits
2/3 cup whole milk
1 room temperature egg
2/3 cup pumpkin purée

for the spiced filling
3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and divided

for the cream cheese icing
2 ounces of cream cheese
3 Tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Butter a 10-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust the pan with flour, and gently tap out any excess flour.

Lightly butter a large bowl; Set aside.

Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, both sugars, yeast, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice on low speed. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. (Note: I mixed the butter in by hand) Add the milk and egg and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the pumpkin purée and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes. You should be left with a dough that's soft and sticky.

Remove the dough and gently form it into a large ball. Place the ball of dough into the buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. 

Prepare the filling: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until you're left with a wet "sandy" mixture.

Assemble the rolls: Flour a large working surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and and roll it out into a 20 by 10-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter and sprinkle the filling over the butter, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Use your hands to gently press the filling into the dough.

Starting at the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight log and place it seam side down. Remove the ends if they're awkward and scraggly. Slice the log into about ten 2-inch rolls. Place one roll in the center of the cake pan, then fill in the rest of the pan with the remaining rolls. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside until the rolls have almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes. 

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Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Bread

Last week I was wishing for fall. I was wishing for it so much that I spent the whole week baking with pumpkin. I went from being the girl who thought she didn't like pumpkin to the girl who loves pumpkin. I still don't like pumpkin pie but I think it's more a texture thing at this point. I started off the week with a Pumpkin Bread that looked more like a cake because of the pans I had on hand. I also I added chocolate chips to the batter because everything is better with chocolate. What I loved the most of this recipe was how simple it was and how quickly it came together. Also, this was my first time baking with olive oil. I have always avoided recipes with olive oil because I thought it would give the dessert a weird taste, but it didn't. Lesson learned!

Pumpkin Bread
Source: Simply Recipes
Yields two small loaves

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup  pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two small pans with cooking oil. 

Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

Mix the pumpkin, oil, egg, 2 Tbsp water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly.

Bake about 30 minutes or until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from over and let cool. 
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

We're in a bit of a transition period in my household. I'm slowly trying to get us all to eat healthier and am transitioning us to more whole grain-based products. The girls have been great about eating things made from whole grain, but Alex has been the difficult one. Things with whole grain taste "healthy" to him and, thus, don't excite him as much. Take this Whole Wheat Banana Bread, for example. I said I was going to make banana bread and his response was "Ooohhhh!!" But when I followed-up with, "it's going to be a whole wheat banana bread," his response turned to "oohhh...?" The excitement was gone. It also doesn't help that he seems to have this superhero power of detecting when something is made with "healthy" ingredients so he can taste when I've secretly switched out ingredients to make something healthier. Regardless, I went ahead and made this bread and it turned out to be a huge success. The girls loved it and Alex ate it without any "but it tastes healthy" comments.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Source: Breadtopia

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 medium to large bananas)
¼ cup honey 
2 large eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat 
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Beat together the butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the banana, honey and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour, stirring until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake the bread for 50 minutes. Lay a piece of foil gently across the top and bake until a cake tester (like a toothpick) inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with a glass of milk. Yum!

Homemade Wheat Bread

One of my good friends makes the most amazing bread. I love eating it and the best part is that Cati loves eating it too. She shared her bread recipe with me a while ago and it's taken me so long to make it myself (yeah, yeah I'm still scared of yeast). I finally did and it came out just like her bread and I was so proud of myself. I can make bread!

Homemade Wheat Bread
Source: Tammy's Recipes

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see additional notes for a 100% whole wheat version)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir.

Add flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If loaf starts browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening.

Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth. Slice and enjoy.

Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight bag or frozen until needed.

Fig and Walnut Loaf

Back when we lived in Boston we went to a restaurant called Sel de la Terre. I don't remember much about our meal there but I do remember the bread, especially the fig bread. We both loved the bread so much that when we went to Boston last year we went to the restaurant to see if we could buy a loaf of it. Unfortunately, they didn't have it but that's ok now that I have this recipe. If you like figs you will like this bread. Even if you don't like figs, you will still like this bread. This is the type of bread you will want to share because you'd want others to experience the awesomeness of figs.

Fig and Walnut Loaf 
Source: Kitchen Daily on Huffington Post

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (3 oz)
1/2 cup boiling water
6 ounces dried Turkish figs, coarsely chopped, (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter and flour a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

Toast nuts in oven until a shade darker, about 10 minutes.

Pour boiling water over figs and let stand 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve reserving figs and liquid separately.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of fig liquid, egg, oil, and milk. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until just combined, then stir in figs and walnuts.

Spread dough evenly in loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool bread in pan 15 minutes then turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Bread, wrapped well, at room temperature 1 week.

Honey Beer Bread

I love bread but making it scares me. It's the yeast! I had this recipe saved and made it as soon as we had some Sam Adams Summer Ale (our favorite seasonal beer) in the house. This recipe is the easiest recipe you will ever come across. Everything goes in one bowl, then to the bread pan, and lastly into the oven. An hour later you have a bread that is so delicious you won't be able to have just one small slice. The best part of this bread is it's versatility because the bread takes on the flavor of whatever beer you use.

Honey Beer Bread Recipe
Source: Adapted from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
Makes 1 loaf

3 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
4 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

30-min Dinner Rolls

Easy, quick, and delicious. These dinner rolls come together faster than any other dinner rolls I have made. I'm normally skeptical about anything that has a time amount in the name because it usually takes me longer, but these were right on the money. Served with some honey butter and these rolls are made to complement any meal. The biggest compliment on these rolls, however, came from Abuela so if she approves (she is one tough critic) then it means they are really good.

30 Minute Rolls
Source: Real Mom Kitchen
Printable Recipe

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
1/3 C oil
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 C flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour.  Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)

Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

Garlic Soft Pretzel

I've always wanted to try making pretzels, but as a general rule, baking with yeast scares me. I don't know why when I haven't really had a bad experience with yeast but it's still daunting to me. These pretzels are definitely a reason to give baking with yeast a try because they are such a feast for the taste buds. Very Soft and beyond garlicky (eat only around those who won't mind the garlic breath) these pretzels are seriously addictive and fun to make. They would have gone perfectly dipped in this beer cheese fondue but they honestly didn't last long enough for me to make the dip. 

Garlic Soft Pretzel
Source: Sugarlaws
Yields 6 pretzels

1 tsp active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1 cup hot water (as hot as your tap can get)
Sea salt

Dissolve yeast into water with a pinch of sugar, let stand 10 minutes, until the mixture is creamy colored. Mix the yeast mixture with flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder and canola oil, and knead until combined (a few minutes, not even 5). Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the dough has risen, pinch off a handful and roll it out into a long strand. Set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, about 6 times. Once all the strands are rolled out, pick up the first one and stretch it out again (the gluten will have relaxed and it should stretch further now). Twist it into a pretzel shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with silipat or cooking spray. Repeat with the rest of the strands.

Dissolve baking soda into hot water and stir until dissolved. Quickly dip each rolled pretzel into the mixture and place it back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle all the pretzels with sea salt, to your preference. Bake for about 8 minutes, until pretzels have browned.
 

Big Easy Beignet

I don't remember the first time I had a Beignet but I do remember where it came from (La Provence Bakery) and I remember instantly falling in love. It was literally the best $2.75 I had spent on something edible in a long time. This version is baked as opposed to fried and that makes a difference. While this version was delicious, there's just something special about a fried beignet. Also, I think frying would have made it easier for the dipping-in-cinnamon-sugar part because I had to go back and brush butter on my baked beignet before sprinkling cinnamon-sugar on them in order to get the sugar to stick. Otherwise, perhaps sprinkling them with the sugar before baking would have made more sense.

 

Big Easy Beignet
Source: Sugar Plum
Makes 6 beignet

1/3 cup warm milk (not hot)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons oil, divided use
3 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whisk together milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until slightly bubbly.

Add egg, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt, and mix until well combined. Add flour and mix on medium speed for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm area for 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Brush a cookie sheet with 2 teaspoons oil. On a clean work surface, pat dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, and slice into 6 equal squares. Transfer squares to oiled cookie sheet. Lightly cover and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush dough squares with additional 2 teaspoons oil. Bake 10 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. Dip beignet into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Easy Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls

I made these Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls last week and I wish I would have the energy or desire to make them this week because they are the perfect sweet treat to ease the sadness by appealing to the taste buds. They are simply lovely and make you feel all kinds of warm inside. My favorite part of making these rolls was having Cati help me along the way. I love how now when I get into the kitchen to bake, she asks for the stairs so she can be level with the counter.

 

Thank you to all those who reached out to me yesterday. Perla's passing has been hard but I'm doing well and there have been no tears so far today (yesterday I was a red eye, puffy mess though). Explaining to Cati what happened was probably the hardest thing I had to do as a mother. I tried to explain to her where Perla was in a way she would understand so now Perla went bye bye and night night with Baby Jesus and Perla is with the "luna, sol, y estrellas" (moon, sun, and stars). I don't know how much she really gets, it's such an abstract thing to explain. This morning she asked for Perla twice. First, when I told her Perla was bye bye, Cati responded with "Perla abajo" or "Perla downstairs" because she's used to Perla being downstairs waiting for us to come down to have breakfast. I tried my Baby Jesus--luna-sol-estrella explanation. Once downstairs, I guess reality dawned on her and she said, in a voice thisclose to tears, "Perla night night."Again, my explanation and she repeated it back to me. This is part of the adjustment and I'm proud I didn't break down in tears.

Easy Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls
Source: Sugar Plum
Yields 12 rolls

1/4 cup warm water (not hot)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
1/3 cup low fat sour cream + 2 tablespoons, divided use
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided use
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together water, yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl; allow to sit 5 minutes. Stir in additional 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon melted butter, baking powder and salt until well combined. Stir in flour until well combined and a dough ball forms. Lightly cover bowl and allow dough to rise in a warm area for 45 minutes.

Roll dough out into a thin rectangle on a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll dough up and slice into 12 equal pieces. Place on a large greased cookie sheet. Lightly cover and allow dough to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush cinnamon rolls with remaining 1/2 tablespoon melted butter. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer rolls to a wire rack or serving platter.

To make the glaze, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons sour cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until well combined. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread & A Goodbye

Ever since I first saw this recipe I knew I wanted to make it. However, I was scared because of the yeast. What if I waited all the time it needed to rise only to see that it didn't? I would be a little heartbroken and upset over the wasted ingredients. I gave myself a little pep talk and dove into making this bread. My bread rose and my house smelled divine while it baked away. This bread is worth the wait, especially if you love the warmth of cinnamon and sugar filling up your soul. The bread is also fun to eat and I loved seeing it disappear with each slice we ate.

The recipe below is the full recipe. I halved the recipe and had enough dough for a small loaf of bread and six mini muffins. The loaf baked for about 30 minutes and the muffins baked for about 20 minutes.

And now a goodbye. I hate to do this but I made the decision to leave the Tuesdays With Dorie group. I had been baking along with them for three years so this really feels like the end of a serious relationship. I have baked so many wonderful things and have been introduced to so many fantastic bakers. Life is so hectic and I was having so much trouble keeping up with the baking selections. Not only is my time in the kitchen limited but also the recent recipe selections weren't right for my family and, unfortunately, I just don't have it in me to get creative with recipes. Most importantly though, it's not fair to the group to have someone in it that isn't representing and participating in a way that positively reflects the group.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Source: Joy the Baker
Yields one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it'll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That's just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you're using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can't get the dough to 20-inches long... that's okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You'll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it's right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.

Baked French Toast

I was good on my word and made the Baked French Toast I said I wanted to make on my birthday. Before making it, however, I met up with a friend who told me she made something similar and the one thing that turned her off was the sogginess. I didn't want soggy either so I tried to make a few changes to the recipe I found. Despite the changes, my Baked French Toast still came out partially soggy. The top half of the casserole was perfect and exactly what I wanted out of the casserole: crispy, sweet, and just as you would expect baked French toast to come out. The bottom half of the casserole was not soggy per se, but it was more like a bread pudding in consistency. So I guess you get the right balance of crunchy and soggy. One person even described it as a cross between an elephant ear and French toast.

Baked French Toast
Source: Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp firmly packed light brown sugar
1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a small sauce pan melt together the butter and brown sugar over low heat. Pour mixture into casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom.

Arrange the bread slices in the dish, overlapping if needed. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread, and let it soak in.

Top the bread slices evenly with the pecans.

Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the meantime, take the casserole out of the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Bake the casserole until it’s browned and set, 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the casserole, and serve it with your favorite sauce or syrup.

TWD: Bourbon Bread Pudding

I never thought I would be a bread pudding fan but Dorie has turned me into one. Alex and I both enjoyed this week's Bourbon Bread Pudding selection. I will admit, however, that I cheated a bit because I wasn't in the mood to wait around while the pudding sat for an hour. Instead, I stuck the pudding in the oven right after I pour the liquid over the bread without a water bath and baked for about 25 minutes. The pudding looked gorgeous right when it was taken out of the oven because it was all puffed up like a soufflé. The pudding itself was delicious and I thought the bourbon actually gave the pudding a bit of a coconut flavor.

Thanks to Sharon of Simply Southern for a fantastic selection. Make sure to stop by her blog for the recipe and the TWD site to read what everyone else thought about this pudding.

{Cuban} Eggnog Bread Pudding

Yes, I am a little late posting this recipe. There probably isn't any eggnog at the store any longer, but hopefully you have some in the fridge that's begging to be used up. We aren't big eggnog drinkers but I do love the flavor adds to baked goods so when I saw my reader flooded with eggnog related recipes I knew I had to give one of them a go. I didn't have any challah bread as the original recipe called for, but I did have half a loaf of Cuban bread that had gone stale. Perfect! The bread pudding came out delicious, but I will warn you, this recipe is for those that are eggnog lovers. Served with a scoop of ice cream, this dessert was perfect for our post-holiday dinners.

Eggnog Bread Pudding 
Source: The Small Boston Kitchen
Serves 8

1/2 loaf of Cuban bread, stale and cut into chunks
2.5 cups eggnog
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp nutmeg
A pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the bread chunks in an oven-proof bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the eggnog, milk, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the bread chunks, making sure that a good portion of the bread is submerged and only little bits are sticking out.  If it's a little dry, just add more eggnog or milk.  On the flip side, if it's too wet, just drain some of the liquid.

Bake until the top starts to puff up and brown, about 60 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm, preferably topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding

I love my crock pot. I rediscovered its awesomeness and now I'm hooked. I made this dessert because I really wanted to try to make a dessert in the crock pot. The dessert itself was a success. The preparation? Not so much. It was all my fault though because I didn't have the proper equipment. I ended up losing quite a bit of my custard because I used a springform pan instead of a casserole dish. I guess the dish didn't need as much custard liquid because it was pretty darn good. The croissants soaked up just enough fluid and the chocolate chips added bitterness to the sweet croissants and added a different texture to the dessert. Served with homemade whipped cream and you can honestly do no wrong.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding
Source: Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes by Crock Pot

1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 plain croissants, cut into 1" pieces, divided
1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided
Whipped cream

Prepare 1-quart casserole, souffle dish or other high sided baking pan that will fit in your slow cooker by coating it with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat milk, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Layer half of croissants, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and half of egg mixture into prepared casserole. Repeat layers with remaining croissants, chocolate chips, and egg mixture.

Place a rack or trivet into slow cooker; pour in 1 cup of water. Place casserole on rack. Cover; cook on low 3-4 hours.

Remove casserole from slow cooker. Spoon bread pudding into bowls. Top with whipped cream.

Easy Monkey Bread

I made Monkey Bread this weekend. I had always been intrigued by this bread because not only was it sweet but it also looked like a lot of fun to eat. Little nuggets of butter, sugar, and cinnamon that are easily pealed away. What's not to love? I'll admit this Monkey Bread was highly addictive and I couldn't stop myself from eating after the 10th nugget of sweet. I made half the recipe because I knew it would be too much for us otherwise. I was correct. Half the recipe was enough for us to have for breakfast and as a sweet snack later in the day.

 

 

Monkey Bread
Source: Ezra Pound Cake (here)

2 large cans (16.3 ounces) refrigerated biscuits
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan or tube pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cut the biscuits into quarters. Dip each piece in butter, roll it in cinnamon sugar, and place it in the pan. Sprinkle pecans onto the biscuit pieces at random. Pour any remaining butter evenly over the biscuit pieces in the pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate, and serve immediately. (Note: I didn't invert. We just picked away as it was)