Oven Pancakes, aka "Snow Pancakes" aka Dutch Baby aka Swedish Pancake

 

SERVINGS: 2 TO 4

 TIME: 30 MINUTES 

SOURCE: SMITTEN KITCHEN

We usually double this recipe and make two 9x13 pans to feed our family.  A breakfast for dinner favorite!

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk (ideally whole milk but most varieties will work)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

If savory: Freshly ground black pepper, wilted spinach or sauteed greens, bacon or ham, cheese, herbs or comte, herbs (shown here with ham, gruyere, and chives)

If sweet: powdered sugar to finish, lemon juice, syrup, fresh berries, shaved chocolate, or chocolate sauce

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Put the 9x13 glass pan into the oven. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Add salt and flour, whisk until lumps disappear. Add milk, whisking until smooth. 

When oven and baking vessel are fully heated, wearing potholders, carefully remove skillet(s) or baking dish(es) from the oven. Melt butter 2T in the hot pan and roll it around so it goes up the sides, too. 

Pour batter into buttered dish(es) and return it to the oven. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes to start, and then in additional 1 to 2 minute increments until the edges are deeply golden brown and the centers are just beginning to color. 

The yield here is intended for one 12-inch round ovenproof skillet, two 9-inch round ovenproof skillets, the equivalent sized baking dishes, or even 9x13 pan.

Cinnamon Rolls, Gloria's

These are amazing cinnamon rolls.  They make a ton (24-30 big cinnamon rolls)!  Perfect to share or freeze for later.  

INGREDIENTS

ROLLS:

 4 cups milk (whole milk is best, but not necessary)
 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
 1 cup sugar
 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
 1 3/4 tablespoons instant yeast (see note)
 4 large eggs
 11-13 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or half white whole wheat)

FILLING:

 3/4 cup butter, softened 

 1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

 1/2 t cardamon or all spice (optional)

FROSTING:

 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
 1 teaspoon vanilla
 2 teaspoons maple extract/flavoring
 Pinch of salt
 2 pounds powdered sugar
 Cream or milk for consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

For the dough, scald the milk in a medium saucepan (heat the milk until right before it simmers/boils - it little bubbles will form around the edge of the pan and steam will rise). Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted.  Let the mixture cool until warm but not hot (<120 F).

Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.

Add the flour about 1 cup at time.  How much you add will vary, so watch for when the dough clears the sides of the bowl (about 12-13 cups, but sometimes more or less).  The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Let it knead for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled (about an 60-90 minutes).

On a lightly floured counter, divide the dough in half. Roll or pat each portion of dough into an 18-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread 6T of softened butter over each rectangle.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and spices. Sprinkle half on each rectangle of dough. Pat it down gently. Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible, pinching the seam lightly to seal.

Take one roll and divide into 12 equal pieces.  I like to cut it in half, then cut each half in half again (forming four equal portions).   And then cut each of those pieces into thirds.  

Evenly spaced on a parchment-lined or silpat lined rimmed baking sheet about 11X17-inches (or 12X18-inches).  Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until double (about an hour). 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until slightly golden on top.  Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  I like to then transfer to a cooling rack (optional) so the bottoms don't get soggy.  

To make the frosting, in a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla, maple and salt and mix until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until thick and creamy. Add cream or milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable to your liking.  Spread the cinnamon rolls with frosting once mostly cooled.

NOTES:

To make ahead of time: 1. Place shaped rolls on lined baking sheet.  Cover with lightly grease plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for up to 24 hours.  Remove and bring them to room temperature and to rise until double in size (this takes about 2-3 hours).  Bake as directed above.

To freeze already cooked and frosted rolls, let them cool.  Place in a ziploc bag. To reheat, remove the roll from the bag.  Place one roll at a time on a plate in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Soft Cinnamon Rolls

 This recipe is adapted fro Mel's Kitchen Cafe, The Best Cinnamon Rolls (Cheryl's Famous Recipe).  It makes 12 jumbo cinnamon rolls.  Allow at least four hours start to finish, but they can be made ahead and given a cool rise overnight.  The are super soft, fluffy, and light.

INGREDIENTS

SPONGE:

 1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar

 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil

 2 cups milk

 4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose, half white winter wheat)

 1 tablespoon instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)

DOUGH:

 3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

FILLING:

 8 tablespoons butter, softened

 3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar

 1 tablespoon cinnamon

 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional but delicious)

ICING:

 2 ounces cream cheese, softened

 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, softened

 Pinch salt

 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or half vanilla, half maple)

 1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Scald two cups of milk in a small sauce pan (heat until just boiling, little bubbles should form around the edges).  Set aside and let cool slightly.  While cooling, put sugar and oil in a large bowl (ideally a bowl of a stand mixer). Pour in the scalded milk and mix. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes or so until it is warm but not blazing hot.

Add 4 cups flour and sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour. Mix until no dry streaks remain and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. The dough will be loose and wet-looking. Cover the bowl and let the sponge rest until puffy and doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with a dough hook until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough looks smooth instead of rough and shaggy. It may not necessarily clean the sides of the bowl but it should for a pretty cohesive mass. Add additional flour only if it is too sticky to handle or a small piece of dough won't form a ball in your hands (it's ok if it leaves some doughy residue on your fingers).  Wetter is better.

Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl or container, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

On a lightly floured counter (I use about 2-3 tablespoons flour), roll or pat the dough into about a 18X12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly across the top. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon (and cardamom, if using) in a bowl and sprinkle evenly across the top of the butter. Pat down very lightly.

Starting with one long end, start rolling the rectangle into a log without pulling and stretching on the dough (but still rolling as tightly as possible). Roll the seam to the bottom and pat the log into an even thickness - it should be about 20 inches long or so at this point.

Cut the log into 12-15 even pieces. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined half sheet pan, tucking the loose end of the roll underneath, if you want. The rolls should be about an inch apart so they have room to rise. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until noticeably puffy and almost doubled, about an hour.  (If making these ahead of time, see note below for alternate directions)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-25 minutes until lightly golden and baked through. Let cool until warm before frosting.

For the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld (or stand) mixer until creamy. Add the salt, milk or cream, and vanilla (and maple if using). Mix again. Add the powdered sugar and whip until light and creamy.

Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing. Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).

NOTES

Make-Ahead: If you are making them ahead of time, don’t let them rise at room temperature after cutting them.  Place on cookie sheet and cover them with lightly greased plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Take the rolls out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature and fully rise before baking.  This can take 1-3 hours (usually 2 hours).  They need to about double in size.  Then remove the plastic wrap and bake.

Freezing: Baked and frosted cinnamon rolls freeze amazingly well. After they've been frosted and cooled, I'll scoop the rolls one by one into a quart-size ziploc bag, seal and freeze. It gets a little messy with the frosting.  Just take them out of the bag still frozen, put on a plate, microwave for a minute or so on 50% power until warm and gooey.

Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

This is our go-to recipe for the most delicious cinnamon rolls.  They are tender and we love the maple cream-cheese frosting.  This recipe makes a lot (aka 24 HUGE cinnamon rolls).  Total time (including rising time) is 3 hours.  Slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen cafe (decreased butter and sugar a bit).  The dough can be made the night before and they freeze great too, see notes below. 

INGREDIENTS:

ROLLS:

• 4 cups milk (see note)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 tablespoons instant yeast (see note)
• 4 large eggs
• 11-13 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

FILLING:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

FROSTING:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons maple extract/flavoring
• Pinch of salt
• 5-6 cups powdered sugar
• Cream or milk for consistency

DIRECTIONS:

1. For the dough, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until the milk is scalded (which is basically heating it until right before it simmers – it will start steaming and little bubbles will form around the edge of the pan). Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or you can do this by hand with a large bowl, wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease).
2. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted and let the mixture cool until warm but not hot.
3. Add the yeast and eggs and mix until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The exact amount will depend on the temperature, humidity and how you measure flour. I usually end up adding just under 13 cups of flour. The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Let it knead for 2-3 minutes.
5. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.
6. Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion of dough (it’s soft enough to be patted and stretched with your hands) into an 18-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Spread one stick of softened butter over each rectangle.
7. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half of it over each rectangle. Pat it in slightly with the palms of your hands. Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible, pinching the seam lightly to seal.
8. Working with one long log of cinnamon roll at a time, using a serrated knife, cut it in half. Then cut each half in half again (forming four equal portions). Cut each of the four portions into three rolls – twelve cinnamon rolls total. Repeat this with the other roll – you’ll have 24 cinnamon rolls total.
9. Place the rolls evenly spaced on a parchment-lined large, rimmed baking sheet about 11X17-inches (or 12X18-inches). I space the rolls 3 across, 4 down. If the ends have come free, carefully tuck them under the cinnamon roll.
10. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until double (or put in the fridge to rise overnight--see notes below)
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until only very slightly golden on top. Let the rolls cool almost completely in the pan before frosting.
13. For the frosting, in a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla, maple and salt and mix until combined.
14. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you add it all at once, be prepared for a huge snowstorm in your kitchen) and mix until thick and creamy. Add cream or milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable to your liking.
15. Spread the cinnamon rolls with frosting.

NOTES:

To make ahead of time:

1. PLACE THE SHAPED ROLLS ON THE PAN SPECIFIED IN THE RECIPE.

A large, rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper and lightly greased with cooking spray, placing about 12 rolls per pan with enough space in between the rolls for rising.  2. COVER THE PAN WITH LIGHTLY GREASED PLASTIC WRAP AND IMMEDIATELY POP THEM IN THE REFRIGERATOR OVERNIGHT (up to 24 hours).  3.  TAKE THE ROLLS OUT IN TIME TO COME TO ROOM TEMPERATURE AND FULLY RISE BEFORE BAKING.  Plan on 2-3 hours after they come out of the refrigerator or until double in size.  Once they’re ready, remove the plastic wrap and bake them according to the recipe!

To freeze baked cinnamon rolls:

1. Once the cinnamon rolls are completely cooled, use a spatula to carefully transfer a single cinnamon roll to a quart-sized ziploc bag. 2.  Seal the bag with as little air inside as possible and freeze for up to a month. 3.  To reheat, remove the roll from the bag (it’s easier than it seems – it will pop right out!), put on a plate, then microwave for 60-90 seconds.

Monkey Bread, Overnight Version

We love the Cook's Country recipe for monkey bread, but wanted an overnight version especially since we usually on make this for Christmas morning.  I found this version that gives instructions for an overnight rise in the fridge--and it was perfect!


Dough

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees, a bit warmer than body temperature)

• ⅓ cup water, warm (about 110 degrees, a bit warmer than body temperature)

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons table salt

• 2½ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast

• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface* (begin with 2½ c flour, and add up to 3¼c)

Brown Sugar Coating

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Prepare a bundt pan by generously coating with softened butter.

Warm milk and water to about 110 degrees - a bit warmer than body temperature.  Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter, sugar, and salt to milk/water mixture. Stir to dissolve.  

In a stand mixer with a flat beater blade, add flour and yeast.  On the mixer's lowest setting, slowly add liquid mixture to flour until combined.  Turn off mixer and switch to dough hook. Slowly increase the speed and gradually add the remaining flour. (May take more or less) The dough should cling to the hook, and clean the sides of the mixing bowl.  Knead dough in mixer for 6-7 minutes until shiny and smooth, but slightly sticky.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in a smooth ball.  Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and place ball of dough in bowl, turn to coat with cook spray. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until dough roughly doubles in size (about 50-60 minutes).

Just before dough finishes its first rise, mix brown sugar and cinnamon in one small bowl. Put the 8 tablespoons of melted butter into a second bowl.  Remove dough from bowl and pat into a 8 inch by 8 inch square. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the square into 4 large pieces, then cut each of those quarters into about 16 pieces.  Gently roll each piece of dough into a ball.  Use one hand to dip the dough pieces into the butter, and allow excess butter to drip off, then place in the sugar mixture. Pick up the sugared pieces with other hand and layer in pan while staggering the seams.  

Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Next morning, remove pan from refrigerator about one hour before baking. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap and bake about 30-35 minutes. The top should be brown, and edges will begin to bubble. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and turn out on a large platter. Cool about 10 minutes, before glazing.

As bread cools, whisk together confectioner's sugar and milk in a small bowl until lumps disappear. Drizzle glaze over top of warm bread, and let it run down sides.  Serve warm, enjoy!  Excellent hardy breakfast with eggs and sausage/bacon and orange juice.

Quick Donut Holes

Amazing donut holes that come together quickly (less then half an hour).  We love them best warm and with cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients
oil ( for frying)
2 cups all-purpose flour,
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla


 Directions
1. Heat oil to 350 degrees.  (I used about 1/2 a quart in a 9 inch cast iron skillet)
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until thoroughly blended.
3. Add oil, milk and egg and mix well.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, drop balls of dough into the hot oil being careful not to overcrowd the pan (about 4 at a time).
5. Fry until light brown on both sides turning once. 
6. Drain well on paper towels or brown paper bag.
7.  Put in brown paper sack with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar and shake to coat.  (You can do 1-2 at a time).

Better Basic French Toast

This takes simple french toast to the next level.  Adapted from my friend Miquelle's recipe.

8 slices of whole wheat bread*
2 T butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 T sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour

Heat oven to 200 degrees.  Arrange bread on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake until the bread is slightly dry about 15 minutes.

While the bread is baking, whisk together melted butter, milk, egg, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Slowly whisk in flour until smooth.  Pour batter into a large shallow dish or pie plate.

Soak each piece of bread in the batter about 30 seconds per side, allowing excess to drip back into the dish.  Cook on a hot skillet (even better cooked on a hot skillet with butter).  Cook until golden brown on both sides about 2-3 minutes per side.


*Note: Homemade bread of something sliced thick is amazing, but regular sandwhich bread works too.  There recipe might give you a couple of extra pieces with storebought sandwich bread.

Grilled Asparagus with Poached Eggs

A favorite quick brunch or breakfast for dinner dish.  Adapted from this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch asparagus (pencil or standard)
Extra-virgin olive oil or Wegmans basting oil
Kosher salt
4 to 5 ice cubes
2-3 tablespoons white vinegar
3-4 large eggs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat grill to medium high for 10+ minutes.  Holding the tip and stem of each asparagus spear, snap the asparagus where it will naturally break. Discard the ends. Toss the asparagus with oil and salt to taste. Grill the asparagus until slightly charred and pliable on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes for pencil or 5 to 7 minutes for standard.

Fill a bowl with cold tap water and the ice cubes. This will be the holding area for the eggs after they have been poached. Keep the bowl near the stove.

Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds of the way with water. Add the 2-3 T vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat on the burner until the bubbles in the water have subsided. Gently crack and drop each egg individually into a ramekin or small bowl and then slip it the water. Cook the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes. When done, the whites will be cooked through and the yolks will be warm but still liquid. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the saucepan and place in the bowl of cold water.

Overnight Raspberry French Toast

This is the perfect breakfast for cold winter mornings for a crowd or for a brunch.   Half the recipe in a 9x9 pan for a delicious and special breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) treat.  The raspberries make it great for Valentine's Day!  I'm not sure if I like this raspberry version or the blueberry pecan version best.  They're both sooooooo yummy!  Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff.  Prep time:  8 hours, Cook time:  40 mins.  Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 12 slices french bread or texas toast (I like to use 50% whole wheat french bread)

• 6-7 large eggs

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 1/2 cups milk

Topping

• 2 cups of frozen raspberries (about 10 ounces)

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• ½ cup white whole wheat flour

• ½ cup chopped roasted almonds (optional)

Instructions

1. Grease a 9x13" baking dish. Arrange the bread in two layers, with six slices of bread on each layer.  You can fill in any big gaps with other piece of bread.

2. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk. Whisk until blended (but not too bubbly).

3. Pour the mixture over the french toast, making sure to cover them evenly, as well as in between the slices as well.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and place a couple of small bags of rice or beans on top to help press down the bread.  Refrigerate for 8+ hours (or overnight).

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Remove from refrigerator and sprinkle with raspberries.

7. In a small bowl, cut in butter, flour, and brown sugar until completely incorporated and crumbly. Sprinkle over french toast.  Sprinkle almonds on top (optional).

8. Bake 35-40 until slightly puffy and golden.  I like to increase the oven temperature the last 5 minutes to about 425 so the top is really nice and golden.

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

This is a recipe that I often come back to.  The cake mix adds a nice lightness to the dough.  (update 2/17/2018--we make this cinnamon roll recipe the most often).

Dough

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast 
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 
• 1 (9 ounce) package yellow cake mix or half of a regular cake mix
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 5 cups all-purpose flour 

Filling

• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 3/4 cup white sugar (I prefer to use about 1/2 cup of brown)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar 
• 1/3 cup butter, softened 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.   (If using instant yeast, decrease amount of yeast by 25% and you can skip the proofing step).

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cake mix, salt and vanilla; stir well to combine. Stir in the flour; beat well. Cover bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Deflate dough and turn it out onto a well floured surface. Roll dough out into a rectangle and spread with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up dough and cut into 3/4 inch thick rolls. Place rolls in two lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.   (Or cover and let rise in the the fridge overnight.  Bring to room temperature 30-60 minutes before baking the next morning).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Bake rolls in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup butter, vanilla and milk. Let rolls cool slightly then spread with frosting.

Sour Cream Cinnamon Twists

Sour Cream Cinnamon Twists
Faster and lighter but still as tasty (or better!) than cinnamon rolls, these are fabulous breakfast treat.  From Katie Thomas at recipe swap who got it from the Allen Family Cookbook.

Prep 1 hr 40 mins
Cook 15 mins
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup lukewarm sour cream or plain yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons soft shortening
3 cups sifted flour

For Filling:
2 T butter, softened
1/3 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon

For Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons warm milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla

Warm sour cream or yogurt to 105°.  Stir in sugar, soda and salt.  Sprinkle dry yeast in let soften. Stir to dissolve. Beat in beaten egg, soft shortening, the flour. Mix well, pushing with hand if necessary.

Turn out onto floured surface and fold over several times until dough is smooth. Roll into a 24 x 6 oblong.

Spread with 2 tablespoons soft butter and sprinkle lengthwise half with a mixture of ⅓ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Fold other half over and cut into 24 strips, 1 inch wide. Hold strip at both ends and twist in opposite directions.

Place on greased baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Press both ends of twists to baking sheets. Cover; let rise until light, about 1 hour.  

While rising, make icing mixing together powdered sugar, milk or cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla.  Set aside.

Bake in 375° oven for 12-15 minutes.

Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast (Overnight)

This is sooooooooo amazing.  I've made it again and again.  If I ever have leftover french bread, my first thought is I should make this for breakfast tomorrow!  I've also made it with almonds or no nuts.  Originally from Mel's Kitchen cafe.  I modified the recipe drawing from this amazing strata to help the overnight french toast have a more uniform texture and serve more easily.

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of French or Italian bread, cut in thick slices (2 inch) (I also like this with wheat or multigrain baguettes)

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

½  teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon butter, melted

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup of butter ( ½  a stick) , cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS

Butter or spray with nonstick spray a 9×13 baking dish. Cut bread in thick slices (about 2 inches, or stack two pieces of thin bread) and cover the pan, pushing the pieces together snugly.   Whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a large bowl and pour evenly over the bread.  Cover the bread with saran wrap and then add some weights to help the eggs soak in evenly.  I like to put 2 small bags of rice or beans on top.  Refrigerate  at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

When you are ready to bake and serve, preheat oven to 350 F.  Toast the pecans in a skillet in one layer over medium heat, stirring often. Toss with 1 teaspoon melted butter. (I usually do this the night before to save time the morning of.)

Sprinkle pecans and blueberries evenly over bread mixture.  Melt ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan, stirring just until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake mixture 30 – 40 minutes or until any liquid from blueberries is bubbling.

Mom’s Apple Cinnamon Muffins

From my Mom.  I remember waking up to these.  They're so good--especially the mini bite size ones.  Slightly adapted from her Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Muffins

1 egg                       

½ cup milk               

¼ cup vegetable oil   

1 cup grated apple (about 1 large apple)  

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder                               

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

Brown Sugar Topping

¼ cup brown sugar (packed)

¼ tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffins cups or 24-30 mini muffins.

In a large bowl, beat egg; stir in milk and oil and grate apple.

Mix in remaining ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) just until flour is moistened.  Batter should be lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle with brown sugar topping.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes large muffins, 9-11 minutes for mini-muffins or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Granola

Baldy said this granola is unlike anything he's ever had--it's amazing!  I love the idea of adding a little quinoa to the oats to up the protein too.  Adapted slightly from skinnytaste.com.  I usually triple the recipe and it fits nicely on two large baking sheets in my oven.  I just rotate which one is on top and which one is on bottom when I stir the granola.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and pat dry with paper towel

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup pepitas (or other seed)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp canola oil or melted coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of ginger

pinch kosher salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.  Spread oats and quinoa out on a parchment lined baking pan. Toast in the oven 10 minutes, stirring once.

Remove the oats from the oven, pour the toasted oats into a large bowl and add the ground flaxseeds, pepitas, and pecans.  Mix.

In a medium bowl, combine maple syrup, pumpkin puree, oil, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla.

Pour over oat mixture and stir together with a spatula. Spread back onto a baking sheet and bake an additional 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes or until golden.  Add dried cranberries after it has cooled a bit.  One batch makes 3 2/3 cups.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

This recipe is from here. Tailor these to fit your family's taste using raisins, dried fruit, nuts, peanuts, chocolate chips, coconut, etc. My kids love them with mini chocolate chips. I prefer to omit the cinnamon if I'm doing a chocolate batch.

4 c. dry oats (I used old-fashioned but you can use quick)
1 1/2 c. flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. oil (I used 1/2 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. oil)
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. raisins, dried cranberries, dried fruit, nuts and/or chocolate chips

Mix together all ingredients until just combined. Press into a greased 13×9 casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into individual bars.

Wholewheat Pancake Mix

These are my 2nd favorite all-time pancakes, but I think Baldy's #1 favorite.  I do love having this mix on-hand though.  From King Arthur Flour.

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick rolled oats
4 cups whole wheat flour, traditional or white wheat
1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil

To make the mix: Grind the oats in a food processor until they're chopped fine, but not a powder. Combine the oats, flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed, and drizzle the oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of the mix in your hand; if it holds together, it's just right. If it won't hold together, stir in 1 tablespoon of oil at a time, until it does. Store indefinitely in an airtight container in the freezer.

To make the pancakes: Whisk together 1 cup (4 3/8 ounces) mix, 1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup each yogurt and milk), 1 tablespoon orange juice, and 1 large egg. Don't worry if the batter seems thin at first; it'll thicken as it stands. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat your griddle or pan till a drop of water sputters when you drop it on the surface. Lightly grease, and pour pancake batter by the 1/4-cupful onto the griddle. A muffin scoop works well here. Cook the pancakes till they're golden brown on the bottom, flip them over, and cook till golden brown on the other side. Serve with butter and syrup; fresh fruit is a plus, of course. Yield: 10 medium-sized (3 1/2") pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

A good basic recipe.

Ingredients
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients and beat until well-mixed. Bake on a hot griddle and serve with fruit or syrup.

Eggs for a Crowd

I have fond memories of making this recipe with my mother-in-law for about 100 people at a Bylund Fest reunion. But it works well for crowds of signficantly smaller sizes as well.

Ingredients
• ½ cup butter
• 18 eggs
• ½ pound Ham, cut-up
• 1 cup sour cream*
• ¼ cup chives, chopped*  (*note: you can substitute ranch dip for the sour cream and chives).
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in warm oven. Beat eggs, sour cream, and milk in mixer until well blended. Stir in chives and ham by hand. Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese the last 5 minutes. (Note: you can easily half the recipe and make it in a 9x9 pan).

Yeasted Waffles

From Cooks Illustrated March 2004

The batter must be made 12 to 24 hours in advance.  They prefer this recipe in a regular waffle iron but a Belgian waffle iron will also work it just makes fewer waffles (that's what we use).  These are best served fresh.  These waffles are quite rich so we usually skip the butter.  We love the crispiness and airiness the yeast creates.

INGREDIENTS
1¾ cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
2 large eggs
1teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool milk/butter mixture until warm to touch (about 105-110). Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine.  In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined, set aside.  Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. then add egg mixture to batter and whisk until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least *12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat the waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles and serve immediately or hold in low temperature oven .  To do this, place them on a wire rack set above a baking sheet, cover them with a clean kitchen towel, and place the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. When the final waffle is in the iron, remove the towel to allow the waffles to crisp for a few minutes in the oven before serving.

NOTE:  

*For a quicker version of this recipe, place bowl in a warm draft-free place until double in size with bubbles on the surface about 60-90 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

A super yummy warm breakfast with all the flavors of fall.  Slightly adapted from Good Life Eats.

• 1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
• 1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional (I used milled flax seeds)
• 2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest (I've usually omitted this because I didn't have it on hand)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (half a small can)
• 3/4 cup milk

Topping:

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 tsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 individual sized ramekins*. Set aside.

Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl with a wire whisk.   In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 individual sized ramekins. Place ramekins* on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. 


*Note if you don't have ramekins I think you could probably bake this in a small 8x8 glass pan.  I would increase the baking time slightly.