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.

Basic Pizza Dough and Tomato-Basil Sauce

I was really impressed with this recipe, it's very similar to the recipe I have been using for several years from Joy of Cooking. It's actually a little easier to make, which is always a winner for me!

Directions:

Yeast: Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of yeast and a pinch of sugar over 1 cup of warm water. Let set for about 15 minutes.
Dough: I used my food processor, it was perfect. You can also mix by hand or with an electric mixer.
In the food processor: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the yeast. Start the mixer and pour the yeast through the feed tube. Mix until you have a ball, about 30 seconds.


Knead about 3 minutes on a lightly floured work surface. Add flour as needed 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent sticking. The dough should be soft, smooth, and very springy. Form into a flattened ball. Place dough in a greased deep container, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let raise 1 1/2 h0urs.

Sauce:
I used two cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each) you can also use a 28 oz can of plum tomatoes packed in puree.
Saute 2 chopped garlic cloves in 1/4 a cup of olive oil. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Let simmer another 5 minutes. Makes 3 cups. (The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days or freezer for a month.)

You can stretch the dough by hand, roll, or press out. I prefer to stretch by hand. Bake the pizza at 400 F for 15-20 minutes. Or if you have a baking stone place on the lowest rack and bake at 500 F for 10-15 minutes.

Cracked Wheat Bread

This bread is delicious, it's really moist which is a hard thing to accomplish with wheat bread. 5 stars.

Directions:

Add 3/4 cup cracked wheat or bulgar to 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let stand one hour to soften.
In a small bowl sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar over 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 F)

In a small bowl combine 1 cup warm buttermilk, 1/4 cup molasses, 1 tablespoon honey, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces.

In a large bowl using a whisk or paddle attachment combine 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.

Stir in the yeast and milk mixtures and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Strain the cracked wheat and add to the mixture. Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour 1/2 a cup at a time until you have a soft dough.


Knead 7-10 minutes, then place in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Let raise at room temperature until doubled. About 1 1/2 hours.
This recipe actually makes three medium free form loaves. I made two large loaves in my bread pans. After shaping brush the tops with melted butter and let raise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Then brush again with melted butter.


Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your finger. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.

Spiced Applesauce Muffins

These muffins are definately a winner. 5 stars. Very tasty, and low sugar/low salt.


In a large bowl using whisk: 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil



In another bowl: 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon Postum, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Combine wet and dry ingredients just until moistened, about 10 strokes. Fold in 3/4 a cup raisins/nuts. I used half raisins, half pecans and chopped them both well.


Bake in a preheated oven in a greased muffin tin at 375 F for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing.

Buttermilk Waffles

I was so excited to get a waffle iron for Christmas. We immediately put it to good use, and enjoyed every bite! 5 stars.



In a large bowl: 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt

In a second bowl: 4 eggs, separated, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 cups buttermilk

In the third bowl are the egg whites.

Combine wet and dry ingredients just until moistened, about 12 stirs.


Beat the egg whites until soft peak stage, then fold into the batter until there are no more white streaks.


Let rest for about 10 minutes, it helps dissolve any pockets of flour.

Grease waffle iron, then when indicator comes on spoon around 1/3-1/2 a cup, depending on the size of your griddle. Make sure there is about an inch between the batter and the edge. This prevents spilling.

Mmm, we had ours with defrosted frozen blueberries and B grade maple syrup.

Baked Apple and Pear Oven Pancake

Mmm, so good. I definitely give it 5 stars.


In a large skillet, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-high heat and add 2 medium tart apples (I used Granny Smith) peeled, cored and sliced, along with 2 medium firm ripe pears (I used Bartlett), peeled, cored and sliced. Saute about 2 minutes just until tender, but not too firm. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice.


Place a 9x 13 inch pan in a preheated 375 F oven for 2 minutes. Remove and add the sautéed fruit.


In a large bowl combine 6 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Beat well, about 1 minute. Pour over the fruit in the pan.

Immediately place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until puffy and brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve immediately.