Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake

May 7, 2012 by · 5 Comments

The weather has been so beautiful lately (minus the thunderstorm this morning) and I’ve been dying to make strawberry shortcake!  Last week on my favorite daytime tv show, The Chew, Carla made a strawberry shortcake that looked so amazingly delicious that I knew I had to find her recipe and make it myself!

This shortcake makes enough for 12 servings and can be easily made in two batches for a larger group… but for me, I don’t want to share… I might be eating most of this myself.  I LOVE biscuits and I LOVE strawberries.

Nom.

Nom nom nom.

NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

Go get some strawberries and make this!

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Strawberry Shortcake

Rating: 51

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 12 strawberry shortcakes

Lemon zest & sour cream bring life to these biscuits topped with fresh sliced strawberries and a lemon & mint infused whipped cream!

Ingredients

    Biscuit
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • zest of 1/2 lemon

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

  • 5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup cold sour cream
  • 1/3 cup cold milk
  • 1 Tbsp cold water

  • 2-3 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
    • Whipping Cream
  • 400ml heavy cream
  • 3 5in sprigs of mint, leaves removed and torn in half
  • zest of 1/2 lemon + lemon peel, cut into strips

  • 1 Tbsp sugar
    • Strawberries
  • 6 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla

Instructions

    Biscuit
  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and move baking racks to upper third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and generously grease or spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, press lemon zest into sugar using the back of your spatula until the sugar becomes fluffy.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well combined.
  4. Cut the butter into the flour using a fork until no large chunks of butter remain. Use your fingers if that's easier for you.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk and water.
  6. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Using a spatula, fold ingredients together until just combined. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH. You want it lumpy, not smooth.
  7. Using an ice cream scoop, drop 12 mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets.
  8. Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the top of each biscuit.
  9. Bake about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
  10. Immediately remove to wire rack to cool.
    11. Whipping Cream
  11. In a small sauce pan, on high heat, stir together heavy cream, mint leaves, lemon zest and peels until right before boiling point. DO NOT BOIL.
  12. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  13. Strain so that only cream remains. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  14. When ready to use, whip cream in a cold metal bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
  15. Add the sugar and continue whipping until you reached your desired texture and consistency.
    16. Strawberries
  16. Clean and slice strawberries until you have about 6 cups worth.
  17. Toss strawberries with lemon juice, sugar and vanilla extract. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow flavors to come together and juices to form.
  18. Refrigerate until ready to use.
    19. Assembly
  19. Place one biscuit in a bowl. Scoop 1/2 cup of strawberries on to the biscuit, making sure lots of juice from the berries is included.
  20. Dollop a generous scoop of whipped cream on top.
  21. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Notes

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Filed Under: biscuits, bread and pretzels, cake, lemon, perfect for spring, recipes, rolls & biscuits, shortcake, strawberry, whipping cream
Strawberry Lemonade Scones

Strawberry Lemonade Scones

April 17, 2012 by · 4 Comments

I’ve been trying to get into the kitchen at least once a week lately.  I just have to.  Baking is what makes me feel like… me.  So, this morning I whipped up a batch of scones.  Not just any scones though…

Strawberry

Lemonade

Scones

Yah… I said it.  Two of the most perfect fruits paired together to make a sweet and tart delicious breakfast treat!

I actually wanted to make these over the weekend for my family, but when I went to the store to buy the berries…. they were all out!!  How rude of them to be out of berries when I needed them.

I was inspired to make these scones by Munchkin Munchies.  She made a strawberry lemonade scone and it looked so yummy!  But, I’m lazy and didn’t want to make lemon curd to top it with… so I came up with my own recipe to incorporate the lemon more into the dough to create a stronger lemon taste.

I’m thinking they turned out pretty darn amazing!

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Lemonade Scones

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 scones, depending on size

Ingredients

    Scones
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter

  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • zest from one large lemon or 2 Tbsp
  • 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk

  • 1 heaping cup fresh strawberries, cut into chunks

  • Turbinado sugar or Sugar in the Raw

  • Flour - for kneading and work surface
    • Lemon Glaze
  • 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp milk

Instructions

    Scones
  1. Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, press lemon zest into sugar using the back of a spatula. Add the lemon juice, egg yolk and butter milk and whisk until just combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter using a fork and your fingers until no large chunks of butter remain.
  4. Add the sugar mixture to the flour, stirring to make a soft dough.
  5. Fold in the strawberries. NOTE: Dough will get sticky with the addition of the berries.
  6. Turn out onto a generously floured board and knead about 15 times or until the outside of the dough is no longer sticky.
  7. Pat/press dough until it's 1 inch thick. Cut into 6-8 squares and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar.
  8. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges and top turn golden brown.
  9. Remove to wire rack to cool.
    10. Glaze
  10. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, juice and milk.
  11. Drizzle over cooled scones.
  12. Sprinkle more Turbinado sugar over glaze.
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Filed Under: berry, bread and pretzels, breakfast, buttermilk, featured, fruit, lemon, recipes, scones, strawberry
Berry BlogHop: Chocolate Dipped Berry Empanadas

Berry BlogHop: Chocolate Dipped Berry Empanadas

April 1, 2012 by · 18 Comments

I’ve had my eye on these empanadas for a while now.  My friend down the street can make empanada dough from scratch and fills them with so many yummy things and then CakeSpy posted a recipe for peanut butter filled empanadas… I’ve been inspired.

So for this months Berry BlogHop I decided I needed to fill empanadas with berries and dunk them in chocolate.

Oh yeah.  OH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

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Chocolate Dipped Berry Empanadas

Rating: 41

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 45-50 Empanadas

Chocolate Dipped Berry Empanadas

Flaky crust filled with sweet berries dipped in chocolate... can't get much better than this!

Ingredients

    Empanadas
  • 2 boxes premade pie crust (4 crusts)
  • 2 12oz bags frozen berries (I used bags that contained blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and cherries) NOTE: You can also use fresh berries - you'll need about 4 cups worth.
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)
  • sugar, for dusting
    • Chocolate Ganache
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup milk or cream

Instructions

    Empanadas
  1. Bring pie crusts to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a large pan, melt the butter on high heat.
  4. Add the berries and sugar to the pan and stir to coat the berries.
  5. Once the berry juice beings to bubble, remove 1/2 cup of the juice and combine it with 2-3 Tbsp of corn starch. Whisk the juice and starch together until all lumps are gone. Add this mixture back into the pan with the berries. Bring to a boil to thicken, stirring often and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts. Using a rolling pin, flatten out crust until it's as thin as a dime.
  8. Using a 3in round cookie cutter, cut dough rounds and place on cookie sheet.
  9. Brush egg wash around edges of dough round.
  10. Spoon 1-2 tsp of berry filling into the center of each round. Fold the round over and press the edges closed with a fork.
  11. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
  12. Cool on wire racks.
    13. Chocolate Ganache
  13. Melt butter and chocolate together on low heat until smooth.
  14. Add the cream and stir until combined and smooth.
  15. Dip cooled empanada in the melted ganache.
  16. Set on wire rack to cool and harden before serving.
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Please be sure to check out what my fabulous co-hosts are bringing to the table:

A little bit of everything ~ Roxana GreenGirl ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29
Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins
BigFatBaker ~ Erin Meyer ~ @bigfatbaker
Bon à croquer ~ Valerie ~ @valouth
Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess.com
Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies
Elephant Eats ~ Amy
Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19
Java Cupcake ~ Betsy Eves ~ @JavaCupcake
Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ T.R. ~ @TRCrumbley
Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose
Queen’s Notebook ~ Elizabeth  Quirino ~ @Mango_Queen
Rico sin Azúcar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar
Simply Reem ~  Reem ~ @Simplyreem
Soni’s Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood
Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna Segrave-Daly ~ @tspbasil
That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!! ~ Liz ~ @thatskinnychick
The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF
The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian
Vegan Yack Attack ~ Jackie S. ~ @veganyackattack
Vegetarian Mamma ~ Cindy ~ @vegetarianmamma

Filed Under: berry, blog hop, bread and pretzels, chocolate, desserts, empanadas, recipes
Fresh Fruit Stuffed French Toast

Fresh Fruit Stuffed French Toast

March 24, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Living in Germany we have access to all kinds of delicious fresh breads.  One of our favorites is a loaf of Paderborner bread which is a rye and wheat sour dough bread baked in tins, ideal for for sandwiches, toast, and this morning… french toast!

We always have a wide array of fresh fruit in our house too.  This morning we had blueberries, bananas, strawberries and raspberries and used all that delicious fresh fruit to stuff inside a thick slice of Paderborner bread to make stuffed french toast! YUM!

It’s really super simple to make and SO GOOD!  Especially when topped with a dollop of Nutella or a drizzle of honey.

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Fresh Fruit Stuffed French Toast

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 slices (depending on size of loaf)

A perfect Saturday morning breakfast!

Ingredients

  • Loaf of your favorite bread, uncut (I used a German Paderborner loaf)
  • 3 eggs (or more if you have more bread)
  • 3-4 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups fresh fruit, sliced (I used sliced bananas and strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
  • butter
  • Nutella, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, & powdered sugar (or any other toppings you'd like)

Instructions

  1. Cut loaf of bread into 1 1/2 in thick slices. (Our loaf sliced 4 slices.)
  2. Using a small serrated knife (like a steak knife), slice open a pocket in each slice of bread. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the sides or bottom. You're creating a pouch for your fresh fruit.
  3. Stuff/layer the fresh fruit into the pocket. I layered strawberry, banana, blueberry, raspberry, banana and strawberry. Don't stuff it too full or the fruit will fall out when cooking.
  4. Preheat, on high, a skillet or frying pan and melt 1-2 Tbsp of butter in the pan.
  5. While that is heating, prepare your eggs. Crack the eggs in in a bowl with a flat bottom. Add the milk, vanilla and spices then whisk until combined.
  6. Once your skillet is hot, reduce heat to medium. Dip both sides of your stuffed bread into the egg mixture, making sure all sides are covered. Let the bread sit in the egg mix on each side for 5-10 seconds.
  7. Place once slice of stuffed bread in the pan at a time (you can cook more at a time if you have a larger skillet surface) and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until egg has cooked and bread has turned a dark golden brown. NOTE: Watch your heat, you don't want it too hot otherwise the egg will burn quickly and your french toast won't cook though.
  8. Cook bread on its sides for 30 seconds.
  9. Remove from plan and place on a plate.
  10. Serve topped with butter, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and more fresh fruit. Also, Nutella, peanut butter, maple syrup and honey make excellent toppings for your french toast!
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Filed Under: bread and pretzels, breakfast, french toast, fruit, recipes
Cinnamon Crescent Rolls & a New Baby

Cinnamon Crescent Rolls & a New Baby

March 10, 2012 by · 8 Comments

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!  Well… back to baking, that is.  I’m about at 20% right now, but I wanted to get back in the kitchen and bake something our first weekend home with my new baby boy.

Oh, you didn’t know I had a baby?  YES… this week, Monday!

Matthew William was born (via c- section) on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 8:31am in Weiden in der Oberfalz, Germany weighing 5lbs 12oz and 19.5in long.  He has all 10 fingers and 10 toes, blue eyes, brown hair and looks just like his daddy! He’s pretty  much perfect and I’m so in love with him.

Matty came home on Thursday and this morning I decided that I wanted to bake something simple.  I can only stand for a few minutes at a time since I’m healing so slowly.  (In Germany, they don’t give you any pain medication or send you home with anything after a c-section, so I hurt… a lot.) I decided to use a can of pre-made crescent rolls and saucy them up with ooey gooey filling of cinnamon, sugar and butter.  It only took me about 10 minutes to put together and a few more in the oven before these breakfast pastries were ready!  A perfect way to get back in to the kitchen!

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Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serving Size: 8 rolls

Quick, simple and delicious breakfast rolls filled with butter, sugar and spice! YUM!

Ingredients

    Rolls:
  • 1 can of refrigerator crescent rolls (I used Original Pillsbury)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, soft
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, NOT packed
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • Glaze:
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream (you can use milk if you don't have cream)
  • pinch cinnamon

Instructions

    Rolls:
  1. Preheat oven to the temperature listed on the refrigerator crescent rolls packaging. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small prep bowl, add butter, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using the back of a spatula, press the sugars and spices into the butter until combined.
  3. Roll out the crescent rolls and separate each triangle, laying them out on your counter or work surface. Scoop a Tbsp of the butter/sugar mixture onto each piece of dough and spread evenly across the entire surface.
  4. Roll the dough as you normally would and place on prepared cookie sheet.
  5. Bake 1-3 minutes longer than what the crescent roll baking instructions require. NOTE: Filling will ooze out of the rolls onto the sheet. Don't worry! You can scoop this out with each roll and it's delicious!
  6. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool.
  7. Drizzle with glaze before serving.
    8. Glaze:
  8. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of cream with a fork.
  9. Add upto one more Tbsp of cream until you come to a consistency which can be drizzled over the rolls.
  10. Add a pinch of cinnamon and mix in.
  11. Drizzle glaze over slightly cooled rolls.
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Filed Under: baby, bread and pretzels, breakfast, brown sugar, cinnamon, family, glaze, life, recipes, rolls & biscuits
Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

March 10, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

My last morning before baby arrived I decided I needed to do some baking.  Usually, I wake up in the morning and eat a bowl of cereal topped with raspberries and other fruit… but I’m always in need of a mid-morning snack.  So this breakfast cake will be perfect for that!

I saw the recipe for Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Cake on Six Sisters Stuff… one of my new favorite blogs to read!  There are so many blogs out there that it’s hard to keep up with them some times.  I was featured on their blog a couple of weeks ago, so I

bookmarked them, follow them on Facebook and keep coming back to their recipes!

This cake is good room temperature, but we sliced it right out of the oven after I drizzled the glaze on top and it was so OOOEY AND GOOEY and yummy!  Swirls and chunks of the cinnamon/sugar all through it with the sweet glaze on top.  It’s pretty much a perfect Sunday morning treat for the family!

Definitely a WINNER!

Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 15 bars

Warm, gooey, breakfast cake that rivals any Cinnabon cinnamon roll!

Ingredients

    Batter - 1st layer :
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (I used homemade!)
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
    • Batter - 2nd layer:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and soft
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • Glaze:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

    For the cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 13x9 in metal pan. (I also like to line the bottom of my In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder from the "1st layer".
  2. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla from the "1st layer" and whisk until smooth.
  3. Gently mix in the 4 Tbsp melted butter.
  4. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and spread to the edges.
  5. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the "2nd layer" butter and brown sugar.
  6. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix in the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth.
  7. Using a tablespoon, drop this mixture evenly over cake batter. Use a knife or spatula to marble/swirl through the cake.
  8. Bake 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center (a few crumbs is what you want). You may need to cover the pan with foil for the last 5-10 minutes to prevent the edges from getting too brown.
  9. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then glaze, cut and eat warm!
    10. For Glaze:
  10. In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  11. Drizzle over warm cake, dust with cinnamon , cut and eat!!
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Recipe adapted from: Six Sister’s Stuff

Filed Under: bars, bars, bread and pretzels, breakfast, cake, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, featured, glaze, recipes
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Banana Bread

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Banana Bread

February 23, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Happy National Banana Bread Day!!!!

I’ve had 4 ripe bananas on my counter for 4-5 days now waiting for me to use them.  All I can think about is baking but my pregnant body just won’t have it.  HA!  So, I’ve procrastinated.  This morning my daughter wanted to eat a banana for breakfast but I was said, “NO! I might want to use those today.” Hahah, ya right.

But, then after my morning hour of drooling over recipes on the internet, I discovered that it’s actually National Banana Bread Day.  Well shoot, I have no excuse now… I HAVE TO make banana bread!

I didn’t want to make Emme’s Banana Bread again (although it’s probably one of the most tasty breads we’ve ever made here in our house) so I decided to come up with something new.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Bananas.  Can’t go wrong with that, right?!?

Print
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Banana Bread with a Peanut Butter Drizzle

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 1 large loaf + 1 small loaf

Celebrate National Banana Bread Day with this peanut butter & chocolate banana delight!

Ingredients

    Bread:
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

  • 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter, heaping
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 egg

  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
    • Peanut Butter Drizzle:
  • 2 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Instructions

    Bread:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line bottom of loaf pan with parchment paper and then grease/flour the pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  3. In another large bowl, mash/whisk/mix together the bananas, vanilla, milk, sour cream, peanut butter, oil and egg.
  4. Make a well in center of the dry flour mixture and the pour in the wet banana mixture. Using a large spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold/stir/scrape about 30 strokes or until all the dry is combined.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and fold to incorporate.
  6. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the large loaf pan. Pour the remaining 1/3 into the small loaf pan.
  7. Bake small loaf for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Bake large loaf for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate loaves half way though baking time.
  8. Let cool in pans for at least 30 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
    9. Peanut Butter Drizzle:
  9. Once bread has completely cooled, prepare the drizzle.
  10. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sugar and milk.
  11. Add more/less milk depending on the consistency you desire.
  12. Drizzle over the bread and sprinkle with mini chocolate chops.
  13. Allow to set for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Recipe adapted from: Taste & Tell

Filed Under: banana, bread and pretzels, chocolate, peanut butter, recipes
Baked Sour Cream Doughnuts

Baked Sour Cream Doughnuts

February 7, 2012 by · 5 Comments

A couple weeks ago I bought my first set of doughnut pans and I’ve been waiting for a reason to make them.  But then I realized, do I really need a reason?  hehe  So tonight, my husband requested I make him sour cream doughnuts (they’re his favorite) to bring to work tomorrow to share with the office.

I searched the internet and didn’t really find a recipe that stood out to me as being simple enough for a first go-round with these pans but yummy enough to be successful.  So, I took inspiration from a few places and came up with my own recipe.

I made these three ways… first I shook them in cinnamon-sugar and second, I dunked them in glaze and third, I dunked them in glaze and sprinkles.

I think for my first round of baked doughnuts using these pans, they turned our pretty good! I’m not sure if they’re going to make it to my husbands work tomorrow! HA! :)

PS…. I even dressed a few of the mini’s up for Valentine’s Day!  These would make a super simple, easy treat for teachers on the special day of love!

Enjoy!

Baked Sour Cream Doughnuts
Makes about 1 dozen full size and 1 dozen mini doughnuts

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt

2 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees.  Grease doughnut pans with cooking spray.
  2. Cream together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth.  (About 4 minutes)
  3. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so that everything is incorporated.
  4. On low speed, add half the flour and mix until just combined.
  5. Mix in the sour cream then add the remaining flour.  Mix just until combined.
  6. Add the milk and bring up the speed to medium for about 15 seconds or until the batter is glossy and smooth.  Do not over mix!
  7. Using a pastry bag, fill the holes of the doughnut pan 5/6 full.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pan after about 7 minutes.  (This time works for both the full size and minis.)
  9. NOTE:  The bottoms of the doughnuts will be a bit browner than the top, but this will be covered by any glaze or cinnamon you add to the doughnuts.
  10. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool a few more minutes before glazing.

Cinnamon-Sugar
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp melted butter

  1. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a zip-loc bag.
  2. LIGHTLY brush doughnuts with melted butter on all sides.  NOTE:  You don’t want to brush on too much butter because they won’t dry properly and will get mushy.
  3. Place 1-2 doughnuts at a time in the sealed zip-loc bag and gently shake the doughnuts until covered.  Be careful, because they are warm, they are very fragile and can break or crack, so shake GENTLY!
  4. Place on wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1 1/2 tbsp milk

sprinkles

  1. In a bowl with a flat bottom, whisk together the sugar and milk until smooth.  Add a few more drops of milk if you want a thinner glaze, but be careful a little milk goes a long way.
  2. Place sprinkles in a flat bottomed bowl just big enough to fit the doughnut.
  3. After the doughnuts have cooled, dunk the tops in the glaze and swirl a bit to shake off the excess.
  4. Immediately dip glazed top into the sprinkles.
  5. Set doughnut on cooling rack to drip.
  6. Allow doughnuts to set up for at least an hour before storing in containers with lids.
  7. If you are just glazing the doughnuts, set them on the cooling rack immediately after dunking and shaking off excess glaze.
Filed Under: doughnuts, doughnuts, glaze, recipes, valentine's day
CitrusLove BlogHop: Clementine Cranberry Scones

CitrusLove BlogHop: Clementine Cranberry Scones

December 26, 2011 by · 25 Comments

I used fresh cranberries for the first time in my Mandarin Orange & Cranberry cookies last week.  And let me tell you… I must be a crazy woman for not ever using these before!

This morning, the Cake Duchess posted a recipe for scones that featured these beautiful little berries and I knew I just had to whip up a batch with the rest of my cranberries!

The scones turned out SO GOOD.  Seriously.  Warm, fresh from the oven with a little butter on them.  Almost too good to eat! They are tart, yet sweet… full of beautiful color and flavor with a crispy sugar crust.

I will definitely be making these again!

Clementine Cranberry Scones
makes 6 large scones

Supplies:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 3 Clementine oranges, about 2-3 tsp

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1 cup chopped fresh cranberries

1 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 tbsp milk, divided

1 tbsp sugar (use turbinado if you have it)

cookie sheet
parchment paper
cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, orange zest, and salt
  3. Add cubed butter to flour mixture.  Using a fork, press butter into the flour mixture against the side of the bowl.  The goal here is to create a very dry dough where the butter is in small pieces, not chunks… coarse like.
  4. Add the cranberries and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
  5. In a small measuring cup, mix together 5 tbsp of the milk and the vanilla together.   Add milk to the flour mixture and combine.
  6. Add 3-5 more tbsp of milk at a time until the mixture forms a dough and no dry ingredients remain.
  7. Move the dough to your cookie sheet and flatten into a round circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Cut it into 6 equal triangles with a sharp knife, and space evenly across sheet.
  8. Brush the scones with a tablespoon of milk and sprinkle generously with sugar.
  9. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops of scones brown.  Watch carefully you don’t want them to burn!
  10. Remove to a wire rack to cool… or you could smear them with butter and eat warm! YUM!

Recipe adapted from: Cake Duchess 

Filed Under: blog hop, bread and pretzels, cranberries, featured, recipes, scones, scones
Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

September 14, 2011 by · 9 Comments

I had the pleasure of getting 11 apples from a new friend here in Germany that came from her parents apple trees in Schweinfurt, Germany.  I can’t say that I’ve ever tried an apple from Germany so this was a real treat.  The apples she gave me were crisp and slightly tart, but full of great flavor!

Everyone told me I should make an apple pie with the apples, but I really wasn’t in the mood for pie.  So, I surfed the internet for inspiration and saw a pull apart bread baked with diced apples and tons of cinnamon and brown sugar.  I’ve always wanted to try a pull apart bread so I thought this would be the perfect time to start.

The recipe I got my inspiration from came from Flour Me With Love.  It’s got a great photo tutorial that I followed to put together the dough and bread.  I changed up the ingredients just slightly and of course added my own flair to it. :) I liked this recipe a lot because I didn’t have to wait for the bread to rise. I just made the dough, rolled and cut it and into the oven it went! :)

Apple Filling:
6 apples, peeled & diced (I used my apple peeler, corer, slicer then cut into pieces. This worked great!)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
pinch of ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp warm water

  1. Peel, core and dice your apples.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them.
  2. In a large pan, combine the butter, apples, sugar, vanilla and spices.
  3. Mix the corn starch and water together then add to the mixture.
  4. Bring to a light boil and cook for 3-4 minutes,
  5. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes,  continually stirring.
  6. Set aside to cool and thicken.

Dough:
3 cups flour (plus more for work surface and kneading)
1 package yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.
  2. In a small sauce pan, bring the milk to a simmer… just until bubbling.  Remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until melted.  Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the hook attachment, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar.
  4. Add in the water, egg and milk/butter mixture.
  5. Turn on your mixer to medium speed and mix until a ball forms.  My dough wasn’t coming together, so I added another 1/4 cup of flour to help it come together.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a well floured surface.
  7. Knead for 5 minutes adding more flour to keep the dough from getting sticky or sticking to your hands or counter.
  8. Roll out into a large rectangle (or the best you can do), about 1/4 inch thick.
  9. Spread 2 tbsp butter over the dough then spread the apple mixture over it evenly.  Reserve about 1/4 cup of apple mixture.
  10. Using a pizza cutter.  Cut about 4×5 inch pieces of dough.  Stack them into piles of three pieces.  Don’t worry if sizes aren’t exactly the same, just do your best to stack like sizes together.  If you have odd sizes, just add them to the tops of your piles of three.
  11. Hold your baking pan on it’s end.  Stack your pieces into the pan.  Set the pan down and spread the pieces out so they fill the entire pan.
  12. Use the reserved 1/4 cup apples to spread on top.
  13. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown.  If the apples on top start to brown or burn, cover the loaf with foil.
  14. Let cool in pan for about about 30 minutes, there may still be some raw dough in the middle, but don’t worry!
  15.  Run a butter knife along the edges of the pan to help it come out.
  16. Glaze and enjoy!

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp milk

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powered sugar and cinnamon.
  2. Add the vanilla, butter and milk and mix until you get a smooth consistency.
  3. Pour over slightly cooled bread.  Allow to set up before cutting into the bread.
Filed Under: apple, bread and pretzels, cinnamon, featured, fruit, recipes
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

September 5, 2011 by · 5 Comments

The holidays are coming and what better way to start off my first recipe with PUMPKIN! While scanning through the pumpkin entries of Pinterest I knew I had to try them out. When gathering ingredients at the store I noticed when I got home I got pumpkin pie filling and not canned pumpkin! I tried it with the pie filling without adding the spices just a little less salt, the right amount a sugar, and a lot of taste testing and it came out perfect so it can work both ways! The caramel frosting adds the perfect touch for this holiday treat!

CINNAMON ROLLS
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
2 cups bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

CARAMEL FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 dash salt
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. In small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.

2. Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.

3. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Spray a surface with cooking spray or turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle. Roll dough into 12×10 inch rectangle.

4. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into 12 1- inch slices. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 11X17 inch square baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

5. Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Caramel frosting. Makes 12 rolls.

Caramel Frosting:
In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.

Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium low heat 1 minute.

Transfer to small mixer bowl and cool mixture. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and confectioners’ sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more confectioners’ sugar for desired consistency.

 

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, caramel, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, posts by danielle, recipes
Mini Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Mini Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

August 9, 2011 by · 2 Comments

Cinnamon rolls are an ooey gooey cinnamon sugar treat that EVERYONE loves.  But when I saw cinnamon rolls as cupcakes on Pinterest I knew these were right up my alley.

I took a basic cinnamon roll recipe, rolled them small and baked them in cupcake liners then topped them with a basic frosting.  Fresh from the oven or warmed up 3 days later, these cinnamon rolls will be a delicious delight for your belly!

Dough
Makes about 24 cupcake rolls

2 1/4 tsp. or 1 packet dry active yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk (approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tbsp ground cinnamon

  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk in a large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. In the same bowl, whisk in the eggs, butter, salt, and sugar. Add flour and mix until well blended and the dough forms a ball.
  3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5-10 times. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about one hour).
  4. After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners, and lightly spray over the top of them with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  6. Roll dough into a large rectangle (approx 12×24) or 1/8in thick on a lightly floured surface.
  7. This is where it gets fun. Smear butter over dough then sprinkle the sugars and cinnamon over the top. Using your fingers, work the sugars and butter together creating a paste like spread. Make sure it’s spread evenly over the dough.
  8. Roll up dough and cut into at least 24 rolls. I unrolled each one and rerolled it tighter so it would fit nicely into the cupcake pan. Place each roll in a cupcake liner.
  9. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
  10. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool another 10 minutes.
  11. Frost cupcakes while they are still slightly warm. You’ll want the icing to ooze into the cupcake but not drip off the size.
Icing
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 6 tbsp hot water

  1. In a stand mixer, cream the butter.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time and beat until smooth.  Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Add the hot water 1 tbsp at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
  4. Spread 1-2 tbsp on slightly warm cinnamon rolls.
Filed Under: cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, cupcake recipes, recipes
German-style Salted Pretzels with German Beer Spicy Mustard

German-style Salted Pretzels with German Beer Spicy Mustard

July 5, 2011 by · 2 Comments

Almost everyday here in Germany, I go to the bakery and buy at least 2 German style pretzels.  They are big, soft and chewy on the inside and have a crust covered in big chunks of salt. [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, recipes
Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

April 25, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I’ve heard of Hot Cross Buns before and I knew they were a holiday tradition, but it wasn’t until this Easter that I realized what the tradition meant. [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, perfect for spring, recipes
Twisty Garlicy Cheesy Breadsticks

Twisty Garlicy Cheesy Breadsticks

April 25, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

On a trip to Regensburg, Germany last week we picked up some local white asparagus to go with our dinner that night.  My new friend Chrissy recommended it.  And let me tell you… YUM.  Seriously. [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, recipes
Guest Blogger Ashley shares her Banana Bread Pie

Guest Blogger Ashley shares her Banana Bread Pie

April 9, 2011 by · 2 Comments

I can not tell you how honored I am to do a guest blog for Java Cupcake! I am a huge fan of the blog and am just so excited to be able to share a recipe with you guys. Alittle about me before I get into the recipe. My name is Ashley and I am a foodie. [Read more...]

Filed Under: banana, bread and pretzels, guest blogger, pie, recipes
Loaded Beer Bread

Loaded Beer Bread

January 8, 2011 by · 4 Comments

My husband has been begging me to get into the kitchen to make beer bread since he’s been back from Iraq.  Everytime I’ve been busy with my cupcakes to let him get an hour in the oven.  I know, I know… I’m such a mean wife.  haha [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, recipes
Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin Spice Bread

November 7, 2010 by · 5 Comments

It’s the season of pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and squash!  I’ve been in the mood to try so many new recipes with these ingredients that I could hardly wait until I got home from vacation to get back in the kitchen!  It’s 10pm on a Sunday night and I’ve got bread baking in the oven. [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, cinnamon, misc. baked goods, pumpkin, recipes, seasonal, spiced
Emme’s Banana Bread

Emme’s Banana Bread

March 21, 2010 by · 6 Comments

My daughter Emily has always loved being in the kitchen with me and today, while we were washing the dishes before we started she says to me, “Mom, I love it when we’re in the kitchen together.  Even if we’re just doing dishes or we’re baking cupcakes, I really like spending time with you in here.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, featured, fruit, recipes