Orange Cinnamon Swirl

5 Stars!
I inherited my love of cinnamon young, my Mom used it in a lot of different baked goods. Mmm, I love it!


Yeast: 1/4 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, a pinch of sugar

Dough: 1 cup of warm milk, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 T (1/2 stick) melted unsalted butter, 2 large eggs (at room temp) grated zest of two oranges, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 cups unbleached all purpose or bread flour.

Mix well, add yeast mixture then add the the remaining flour (4 1/2- 5 1/2 cups) half a cup at a time. Knead 10 minutes then place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let raise until doubled 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough, divide in half and roll each piece out in an 8 by 12 inch rectangle, brush with melted butter (1 tablespoon each loaf) then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (2/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon) leave a one inch border. Roll up on the short end, pinch the seams to seal. Place seam side down in greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. If desired dust the loaves with plain ground cinnamon. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let raise at room temp. about 45 minutes.


Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.

Ohhh, yum! I can't wait to make French toast with this tomorrow!

Old Fashioned Prune Muffins

Very tasty 5 star muffins. I highly recommend that you let them sit for a day before eating. Don't eat to many at once though, or your stomach won't be so forgiving!



Directions:
Dry:
In a large bowl using a whisk combine 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 a teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 a teaspoon ground mace (substitutions for mace are Allspice; cinnamon; ginger; or nutmeg)

Wet:
In a medium bowl using a whisk or electric mixer, combine 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 a cup prune juice, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Fold in 12 ounces moist pitted prunes.

Spoon into muffin cups until level with the top of the pan. Top each with a walnut or pecan half. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 F.