Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles with Browned Butter

April 28, 2013 by 3 Comments

Caramel Stuffed Browned Butter Snickerdoodles by JavaCupcake.com

I love nothing more than a good cookie.  I mean seriously… chewy cookies that are just a little crisp around the edges… TO DIE FOR.  These cookies, however, I may even kill for.  (Well no, I won’t kill – but you get the idea).  These chewy snickerdoodles are stuffed with caramel and made with a perfectly nutty browned butter.

Yah… you read that right.  Browned butter AND caramel in the SAME snickerdoodle!  I was inspired to make these cookies by Two Peas and their Pod who made a similar cookie not too long ago.  I did make a batch that had the seasalt on top, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it with these cookies, so I omitted it for the rest.

Want a cookie to knock your socks off?  These Caramel Stuffed Browned Butter Snickerdoodles will do just that!

Enjoy!

Caramel Stuffed Browned Butter Snickerdoodles by JavaCupcake.com

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Caramel Stuffed Browned Butter Snickerdoodles

Prep Time: 8 hours

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tspsalt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
  • 1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup + 2Tbsp sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp sour cream
  • Kraft Caramel squares, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for rolling
  • 2 tsp cinnamon, for rolling

Instructions

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced butter and whisk until melted. Continue to whisk as the butter begins to cook. As it browns it will start to foam and will have a nutty aroma. Pay careful attention not to burn the butter, it can turn quickly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. While the butter is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Once the butter has cooled, cream it with the brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer until smooth.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat will after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.
  5. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  6. Cover the dough and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  7. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
  8. Using at least 2 Tbsp of dough, work the dough in your hands until pliable. Roll the dough into a rough ball and then flatten it on your work surface. Press your thumb into the center of the flattened dough to create a well for the caramel.
  9. Place 1/2 a square of caramel into the well and then fold the sides of dough around the caramel. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Roll it in your hands to smooth out the surface and make it round.
  10. Toss the dough ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on the prepared cookie sheet.
  11. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Filed Under: browned butter, candy filled cookies, caramel, cinnamon, cookies, recipes, snickerdoodles

Let’s have a Pancake Party!

February 12, 2013 by 3 Comments

Let's Have a Pancake Party! by JavaCupcake.com

Happy National Pancake Day and to celebrate I had a Pancake Party!  Three of my awesome friends and I got up bright and early and made some of the yummiest pancakes ever!  It was so much fun and such a simple way to bring friends together.

We started the morning with giant cups of coffee and a big bowl of pancake batter.  I had blueberries, strawberries, lemons, raspberry puree, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese, pumpkin, powdered sugar and maple syrup to create our pancakes with.  We decided on three different variations… Lemon Blueberry, Strawberry Overload, and Cinnamon Roll.

Lemon Blueberry – This is one of my all time favorite flavor combinations.  It’s light, fresh and so good.  Sweet, tart together is just sublime.  The flavor of lemon in these pancakes is just the right amount and paired with the blueberry… it’s perfect!

Strawberry Overload – Strawberries in the pancake and on the pancake.  It’s a strawberry lovers DREAM.  The only thing that might make these better… strawberry whipped cream!  hehe Maybe next time!

Cinnamon Roll – Let’s keep it real for a minute and get really honest.  These pancakes… I felt guilty with every bite.  It’s so good… yet sooo bad.  Full of sugar, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese…. yeah, I felt like I was eating a Cinnabon.  These pancakes were so incredible good… I can’t see how you’d not want to make them.  Seriously.

Yum.  Yum and Yum!

The greatest thing about these pancakes were that they were all made with the same buttermilk pancake batter and spiced up with different ingredients! You could do so many variations of pancakes with this batter… the possibilities are limitless!

So… go make some pancakes and enjoy National Pancake Day!

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Buttermilk Pancakes

Prep Time: 6 minutes

Yield: Enough for 4-6 people

2-3 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the melted butter, vanilla and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
  2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until smooth, about 25 strokes.
  4. Heat your skillet or griddle to medium heat. Pour 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil on the skillet and spread with a paper towel to coat the surface.
  5. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles form and pop uniformly across the top of the pancake. Flip over and cook until golden brown. NOTE: Don't be tempted to turn up the heat on your griddle. Cooking these pancakes low & slow will allow them rise and get fluffy! Slow and low makes these pancakes perfect!
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Lemon Blueberry Pancakes by JavaCupcake 2

 

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Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Ingredients

  • Buttermilk Pancake Recipe (above)
  • 1 lemon, zested & juiced
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1-2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions

  1. Prepare the buttermilk pancake batter.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, press the lemon zest into the sugar using the back of your spatula.
  3. Gently fold the zest and lemon juice into the batter.
  4. Prepare the skillet the same as you would for the buttermilk pancakes.
  5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the skillet.
  6. After about 30 seconds of cooking, press 6-8 blueberries into the pancake. Use a toothpick to cover the blueberries with a little bit of batter from the pancake... being careful not to disrupt the bottom of the pancake.
  7. Once the bubbles have formed and popped on the top of the pancake, flip it over and continue cooking until golden brown.
  8. Serve with more blueberries on top and fresh grated lemon zest.
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Lemon Blueberry Pancakes by JavaCupcake.com

Strawberry Overload Pancakes by JavaCupcake

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Strawberry Overload Pancakes

Yield: Enough for 4-6 people

2-3 pancakes

Ingredients

  • Buttermilk Pancake Batter (above)
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries
  • 1-2 Tbsp sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare the buttermilk pancake batter.
  2. Slice half the strawberries into 1/8in slices and set aside
  3. Dice the remaining strawberries into small chunks and place in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1-2 Tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet you want them). Using a potato masher, smash the berries until they have broken down by half.
  4. Prepare the skillet the same as you would for the buttermilk pancakes.
  5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the skillet.
  6. After about 30 seconds of cooking, press 4-6 strawberry slices into the pancake. Use a toothpick to cover the strawberries with a little bit of batter from the pancake... being careful not to disrupt the bottom of the pancake.
  7. Once the bubbles have formed and popped on the top of the pancake, flip it over and continue cooking until golden brown.
  8. Serve covered with mashed strawberries, fresh grated lemon zest and a dusting of powdered sugar.
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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes by JavaCupcake.com

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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Yield: Enough for 4-6 people

2-3 pancakes

Ingredients

    Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
  • Buttermilk Pancake Batter (recipe above)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
    • Cream Cheese Drizzle
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • pinch of salt
  • cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prepare the buttermilk pancake batter.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and heavy cream and whip for 2 minutes until light, fluffy and smooth. Spoon into a squeeze bottle or piping bag with a small round tip. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Spoon into a squeeze bottle or piping bag with a small round tip. Set aside.
  4. Prepare the skillet the same as you would for the buttermilk pancakes.
  5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the skillet.
  6. After about 30 seconds of cooking, squeeze a swirl of sugar into the top of the pancake creating the look of a cinnamon roll.
  7. Once the bubbles have formed and popped on the top of the pancake, flip it over and continue cooking until golden brown.
  8. Serve pancakes swirl side up. Drizzle the cream cheese over the top and dust with cinnamon.
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Filed Under: blueberry, breakfast, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, lemon, pancakes, recipes, strawberry

Thank You Bread & And a Story About Cora

November 12, 2012 by 43 Comments

Although this post has a recipe at the end… it’s not the usual  post you’ll see here on my blog.  This is a very personal story of my life in November 2102.  A story that has changed me forever… 

The last three weeks have been the hardest weeks of my life.  I’ve been through a lot of stuff as an adult, but nothing really can compare to the devastation I have faced.

Three weeks ago on a Thursday, I went in for what my German doctor called a “special ultrasound.”  I was about 12 weeks pregnant and super excited to see my growing baby!  Typically, this screening & ultrasound isn’t done until 16-20 weeks in the States, but here in Germany, the doctors like to do it sooner.

For 30 minutes, I laid on the table, watching my little nugget swim around in my belly.  It had fingers and toes and was jumping around like crazy.  I watched in awe as I saw this precious life, my baby, alive in front of me! I was so excited!  But… sadly, that excitement was put to a stop when my doctor had asked me to wait in the lobby while he was called away for an emergency.  As he left he told me we’d have to “discuss the situation and how to proceed.”  My heart dropped.  Shit.  Something was wrong with my baby.

Those 15 minutes were probably the longest of my life up to then.  I called my husband and began sobbing, worrying, speculating what in the world could be wrong with my baby.  Finally, the doctor returned and began to explain what he saw in the ultrasound.

There are some things I really appreciate about having a German doctor.  This day, I was grateful for his inability to know how to “sugar coat” things in English.  He knew only enough English to tell me the facts and nothing more.  The doctor explained to me that my baby had a layer of fluid built up under the skin, surrounding the entire body and that the intestines were growing into the umbilical cord.  Both of these key indicators that the baby had a genetic disorder.  Which disorder, he was unsure of but needed to have further testing done to give a proper diagnosis.

The Chorionic Villis Sampling was scheduled for Tuesday.  Similar to an amniocentesis  this sampling tests the genetic make up of the tissue around the baby, which is the same as the baby.   It would tell us which genetic disorder the baby had.

I’ve had surgery before, I’ve broken bones, I’ve been in car accidents… but the pain this test caused me was like nothing I’d ever felt.  The needle into my uterus felt like it was just prodding into my soul, ripping my heart out at the same time.  This test was going to tell us the fate of our child… and I was scared and sad.  So very sad.

The results of the test came in on Friday.  The doctor confirmed what he suspected, our child had a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18. What this meant is that on the babies 18th chromosome, instead of two pairs of DNA, there were three.  This disorder causes all kinds of physical disabilities including a shortened life span.  Most don’t make it to birth and those that do die with in days.

Wow.  This was a lot to take it.  I mean, we’d researched the possibilities of what genetic disorder it could have been… but Trisomy 18 was just about the worst one possible.  Our baby was going to die.  Die sooner than any baby should die.  How in the world was I going to deal with this?

Our first decision was an easy one.  When the doctor asked how we wanted to proceed… either abortion or let the baby live as long as possible… we knew right away we wanted to give our baby a chance at life.  However short or long that would be… she deserved a chance to live.  So, we began planning what steps we’d need to take to get the best medical care possible for our child and a move back to the USA was starting to take place.

Doctors appointments were made for 5 hours away at Landstuhl Medical Center… the closest American doctor and actually the only place in Europe, Asia and Africa that had a genetic specialist, a visit to the Chaplain and we gathered the necessary paperwork for a move back home.  The puzzle pieces were moving and things were looking hopeful that we’d get our baby the best care possible.

We were holding on to the hope that our baby would make it to birth.  That we’d be able to hold her, touch her, tell her how much we loved her.  Oh…. did I mention that the genetic test also told us she was a girl?  So yes!! A girl! And we named her Cora Marie!   Through all the sadness, my husband and I truly believed Cora would beat all the odds and she’d be in that small percentage of babies who make it to birth and we’d be able to meet her! It really was the only way we kept our sanity, day to day…. the only way we could remain happy.

And we held on to that hope until Thursday of this past week.  Thursday, everything changed.  I woke up early in the morning and found blood after going to the bathroom.  I wanted to ignore it, but I couldn’t.  I started to worry.   I hoped that maybe it was just nothing… that’d it would go away.  But… it didn’t.  By early evening there was more blood… enough not to ignore.  So, my husband took me to the Emergency Room.

We were seen by a doctor who actually helped deliver Matthew back in March.  It was nice to see a familiar face.  She did an ultrasound to see how things were with the baby.  Immediately, I could tell something was wrong.  Cora wasn’t moving, she laid there in my belly so still, no movement at all.  And then, when the doctor moved the image to her chest area… there it was… no heartbeat.  And I knew… she was gone.   The doctor confirmed with a few more tests and measurements on the screen and then told us what we were seeing… no heartbeat and no bloodflow… our baby had died.

Wow… this was not what I wanted, expected or ever dreamed of happening.  It had already been such a stressful and emotionally charged 2 weeks… I just thought I’d have more time before I had to deal with this part.  I really just thought I’d have more time.

Now what? I asked the doctor.  Another shock came… I had to deliver my baby.  HUH? WHAT?  Yes… she was too big for the doctors to remove with a D&C and too small for a C-section removal.  I had to let my body deliver her naturally.  I was to stay overnight, see if my body would start the process on my own and if not, they’d give me some medication to help things along.

The next morning, nothing had happened so the doctors gave me that medicine.  It wasn’t until the second dose later that afternoon that I really felt things happening, changing, progressing.  My uterus was contracting and I was in so much pain… none of the pain killers the doctors had me on all day were working anymore.  We called the nurse in to let her know of the pain I was in and she said ok, left the room and wasn’t to be seen again.

As I was trying to get myself comfortable to help ease the pain, I got on my knees with my head on my pillow on my bed.  This seemed to be the only position I could get any relief.  And then… it happened.  My water broke.  With my first two kids, I had never experienced this sensation.  It was like a balloon burst between my legs and water spilled out everywhere.  I rushed to the bathroom to sit on the wheelchair toilet they had put in my room to collect fluids in situations just like this.  The remaining fluid rushed out and my contractions began to ease.   We called the nurse again, told her my water broke… and again she disappeared.

With no clue for what I should do next, I laid down on my bed and tried to rest.  My husband stroked my forehead and I fell asleep.  The first sleep I had gotten since I’d been at the hospital.

What happens next… it maybe be hard for you to read.  It’s graphic and upsetting.  So please, skip ahead as it may be difficult to get through.

As I lay in bed, trying to sleep, I am awakened by more fluid coming out of me.  I head back to the bathroom wheelchair toilet and sit there.  Still, no nurse or doctor had come to check on me or help me.  By this point, it had been about 20 minutes since my water broke.

Without warning from my body, I feel something warm slip out of me.  Not certain of what it was… I thought maybe a blood clot, I asked my husband to look.  I sat forward and he looked behind me.  His words still haunt me… It’s Cora, he said.  My hand covered my open mouth and I sat there in shock.  My baby was dangling from me.  I had just delivered her in a toilet.  I sent my husband outside to get a nurse, anyone to help… but no one came.  For 10 more minutes, I sat there.  What was I to do?  My baby was hanging from me and all I could do was sit there.  I held my husbands hand and we cried.  Cried for my baby, cried for us.  Cried.

Finally, the doctor arrived and he looks at me like… What? What’s going on?  I tell him… THE BABY CAME OUT!  She’s hanging there!!! He instructs me to get up and move to the bed.  The nurse holds Cora between my legs and I waddle to the bed.  I sit down, the doctor cuts the umbilical cord and lays my baby down on a feminine pad.  (This didn’t bother me until later…. but really, a pad?  He couldn’t find a blanket or towel or something?!!)  They left the room and gave us some time with our daughter.

She was so tiny.  Only 2 inches long.  Her bones had not developed yet, but her body was forming.  Head, body, arms, legs…. even little toes and fingers, knees too.  She had eyes, nose and a mouth too.  She was so tiny.  She was beautiful.

I held Cora and I told her how much I loved her, how sorry I was that she didn’t get to live longer… but that she was going to join my Mom in Heaven.  Grandma Nancy was waiting for her… I told Cora that Grandma was going to hold her, snuggle with her, sing to her and take care of her until we got to Heaven to be with her.

And that was it… 10 minutes with my daughter.

The nurses took me to the operating room and a D&C was performed to clean out my uterus and ensure everything was okay.  An hour after that procedure, I was heading home.

The following day was the most emotional for me.  I was pregnant, delivered a baby in a toilet and then came home… with no baby.   I wanted her so badly.  I wanted Cora in my life.  I wanted to hold her.  Love her.  Raise her.  I wanted for Matty to be a big brother to her.  For Emily to teach her everything she knew about what it meant to be a girl, a teenager.  But… I was never going to have any of that.  She was gone.  I was lost.  I cried most of the day.  I needed to release it all.

Last night, I had a dream… Cora came to me.  She looked to be about two months old.  Big eyes like Matty but they were brown like Emily’s and she had a head full of dark brown straight hair.  She looked healthy, happy and she gave me a look… a look so deep into my soul and she told me… Mommy, I’m okay.  I made it to Heaven and I’m with Grandma and everything is going to be okay.  I love you Mommy.

And I instantly felt peace.

See, a few years ago when my Mom died… she came to me in a dream a few days after she died too.  She told me something similar, that she had made it to Heaven and that everything was going to be okay.   I also, felt at peace with her passing.

Today, three days after I said goodbye to Cora… I am at peace.  I am still sad, I will always miss her.  But I feel peace.  I know she is in Heaven and I know that everything will be okay.

My husband and I also decided to get matching tattoos today to have something tangible to remember Cora by.  I didn’t have anything with her name on it, no blanket she laid in, no clothes she wore… so I thought a tatoo was fitting.  I got her name on my left wrist and Dave got the day she went to Heaven on his right wrist.  That way, everytime we hold hands… Cora will be there.

And I feel I need to take a moment to thank my husband.  Dave… there isn’t another person in this world that I would have wanted to experience all of this with.  You are the love of my life and I am so thankful to have your love through all of this.  This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and having you with me made it somewhat more bearable.  Thank you Dave for loving me.  Thank you for loving Cora.  Thank you for holding me as I cried.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

During that 24 hours at the hospital, I was lucky enough to have two amazing friends step up and help out.  My friend Chrissy offered me emotional and moral support and my friend Chasity watched my kids for me.  And as the Facebook messages, text messages and emails poured in from friends near and far… it was these two ladies who really held my life together for me as I felt as it was all falling apart.

Chasity, Chrissy – I will forever be thankful what you did for me those days.  You held my family in your hands and you never let us fall.  You loved us, cared for us… and I can’t say it enough how grateful I am to have you in my life.  I love you!!!

So today, I baked some bread for them.  I simply call this bread “Thank You Bread”.  I’ve never made it before, but this recipe was derived from an applesauce bread my Dad makes every Christmas.  I just kicked it up a notch!

If you have sometone you need to say Thank you to, consider this bread and think of Cora for me! :)

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Thank You Bread

3 loaves

Ingredients

  • 11 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 Tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
  • 3 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 2/3 cup cinnamon chips (1 10oz bag)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Grease and flour 3 9x5x3 loaf pans. I also lined the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high for 4-5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
  3. While that's beating, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.
  4. Add the flour to the creamed mixture in three parts. Between each part, add half the applesauce.
  5. Fold in the cinnamon chips, chocolate chips and raisins.
  6. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix 10 more strokes to ensure the batter is fully incorporated.
  7. Divide the batter into the three pans evenly.
  8. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool in pans for 20 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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One day at a time… that’s how I’m getting through this.  Great friends, an amazing husband… and one day at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: apple, applesauce, bread and pretzels, chocolate, cinnamon, life, recipes

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

October 7, 2012 by 9 Comments

A few days ago I picked up a new cookie jar.  But, not just any cookie jar.  An owl cookie jar!! It’s probably one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen!! Not only will it be great during the Fall season, but it’s gonna look adorable in my kitchen all year round!

So to fill my cookie jar, I needed an awesome Fall cookie!  I’ve been craving snickerdoodles for a while now… something about the bite they have and that cinnamon on the outside that I just can’t get enough of.  BUT… it’s Fall so I suppose I should add some pumpkin to the recipe too, right?!!  So yup… that’s what I did.  Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.

I did a little research and read a bunch of other recipes and the comments on them for this cookie on some of my favorite blogs.   Most other people who said they made these cookies said they were a little dull in the pumpkin flavor and too cake/muffin like…  but overall were really super yummy.  So, I set out to make mine heavy on the pumpkin flavor and more chewy like a cookie, not a muffin.

I took my go-to snickerdoodle recipe and tweaked it to accommodate the extra moisture of the pumpkin and added some spices to bring out the pumpkin flavor in the topping.  I think they turned out spectacular! A must-make every Fall!

Let me know how they turn out for you!!!

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

51

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 4-5 dozen cookies

The perfect soft & chewy, spiced pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie.

Ingredients

    Cookies
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened but not quite to room temp
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Topping
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on high until incorporated.
  3. One at time, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat on high 2-3 minutes.
  4. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin. Beat on high for 1 minute.
  5. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix 30 seconds.
  6. Cover and freeze for at least an hour or until the dough firms... or until ready to make cookies. NOTE: This batter is very sticky and it works so much easier when you have firm dough to roll the balls.
  7. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Prepare the topping by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl.
  9. Drop 1in balls of dough into the sugar. Roll ball around until completely covered. Place on a cookie sheet. 12 balls per sheet. Freeze unused dough between batches.
  10. Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes.
  11. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Filed Under: cinnamon, cookies, pumpkin, recipes, seasonal, snickerdoodles, spiced

Apple Pie Bars

September 26, 2012 by 3 Comments

Oh yeah.  It’s definitely Fall here in Germany.   Leave leaves are changing colors, the weather has turned brisk and cold and the apples are calling my name!

This past weekend I picked up a big bag of mini Granny Smith Apples for my family to take in their lunches at school & work, but… hehehe… they didn’t make it to their lunches.  Today I decided to bake something with them.  Not just anything… something that screams FALL and DELICIOUS and that would make my house smell like HEAVEN.

I succeeded.  Let me introduce you to my friend the Apple Pie Bar.  This bar has a super yummy crust topped with caramelized apples and a crumble topping that’s so gooood. I’m not sure if my family will have more than just one to sample when they get home today… they might all end up in my belly!

So if you have some apples in your fridge and an hour to spare… make these bars for your family (or yourself).  They’re gonna love you for it!

Recipe inspired by Annie’s Eats and My Baking Addiction

Print
Apple Pie Bars

9 bars

Ingredients

    Crust
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • Filling
  • 6 small Granny Smith apples - sliced, peeled and cored
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, not packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp corn starch
    • Topping
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1 cup quick oats

Instructions

    Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line 8x8 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the butter.
  3. Pulse 6-7 times or until a crumbly dough forms and most of the butter has been broken up and incorporated.
  4. Press into baking dish.
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
    6. Filling
  6. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
  7. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
  8. Add the apples, sugars and spices and mix until combined.
  9. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the apples just begin to become tender.
  10. Add the corn starch and stir GENTLY 2-3 minutes or until it becomes thick.
  11. Remove from heat and allow to cool until crust is ready.
    12. Topping
  12. In the food processor, pulse together 4-5 times everything except the quick oats. DO NOT OVER PULSE. You want the butter to be in chunks, but not completely combined.
  13. Fold in the oats.
    14. Assembly
  14. After the crust has cooked to golden edges, pour over the apple filling.
  15. Sprinkle the topping over the apples and spread to the edges. NOTE: I only used about 2/3 of the topping, but feel free to use all or as much of it as you like.
  16. Bake at 375 F degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown in color.
  17. Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting. You may want to cool them in the refrigerator to help set them up before cutting.
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Filed Under: apple, bars, bars, cinnamon, pies and tarts, recipes

Mini Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls

August 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

We make homemade calzones with store bought pizza dough a lot.  So it’s not that often that I have an extra roll of dough just hanging out in my fridge.  Well, today… I did and the baking Gods said to me: “BETSY MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS”.

And so it was done.

Now… let me tell you that these aren’t your typical delicious, Pioneer Woman Heavenly goodness style cinnamon rolls.  They are super basic, just average in flavor… BUT, kid friendly.  (My daughter may or may not have eaten  half of them today).

I made these mini’s cause, well… cause I’m a dumbass and I rolled them the wrong way and well, they’re mini.

One more disclaimer… they taste like pizza.  Not like pepperoni and sauce…. but definitely pizza dough.  Duh, you’re saying… you made it with pizza dough.  Yah, I know… but somewhere deep, down inside I expected the dough to taste more…. doughy.

But whatever… they’re still worth it if you’ve got extra pizza dough!

Print
Mini Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened*
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed*
  • 1/4 cup sugar*
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon*
  • 1/4 cup raisins*

  • *note: these are all estimates, if you want to add more/less... do it!
    • Vanilla Glaze
  • 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • heavy cream or milk

Instructions

  1. Spray 8in cake pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to temperature listed on pizza dough packaging.
  2. Remove the pizza dough from the roll and lay it out flat. Roll the dough out until it makes a large rectangle.
  3. Spread butter from edge to edge of the dough.
  4. Sprinkle the sugars and cinnamon evenly over the butter. Using your fingers to rub it into the butter, creating a kind of paste.
  5. Spread as many raisins you want on top of the butter and sugar.
  6. Roll dough as tight as you can so you have a long snake of cinnamon roll.
  7. Cut each roll into 1-2 in pieces and place in the prepared pan, edge to edge.
  8. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden on the edges. NOTE: These rolls won't rise, so don't be alarmed when they come out the same size.
  9. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove to a plate to cool.
    10. Vanilla Glaze
  10. Combine the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until forms a paste. Add enough heavy cream or milk until you get your desired consistency. Thick if you want to spread it, thin if you want to drizzle it.
  11. Top each mini roll with glaze. Eat!
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Filed Under: bread and pretzels, breakfast, brown sugar, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls, recipes

Cinnamon Crescent Rolls & a New Baby

March 10, 2012 by 10 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!

Print
Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

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

March 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

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!

Print
Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

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

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Blossoms

November 21, 2011 by 4 Comments

Confession #1:  I love the Holiday season for one huge reason… It gives me an excuse to BAKE ALL THE TIME.

Confession #2:  I HOARD baking supplies.  This is a new thing for me.  Since moving to Germany, the luxuries of American grocery stores, having everything I need, at my disposal, all of the time is not a reality here.  When I see something at my local military commissary, I buy it… in bulk.

Confession #3:  I think “blossoms” may be becoming my favorite holiday cookie.  I have discovered two new ways of making them other than the traditional peanut butter with chocolate on top.  First, was my White Chocolate with Peppermint Kiss Blossoms and now these.  Gingerbread blossoms topped with white chocolate chips.

Confession #4: I’ve come to the realization that I’m not going to make it though the Holiday season without gaining 10lbs just from cookies.  It’s okay though, I’ll blame it on the pregnancy.

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread Blossoms
Makes 3 dozen+ cookies

3/4 cup (12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup full flavor molasses
1 tbsp bourbon whiskey (you can substitute vanilla if you don’t have bourbon)
2 tbsp milk

3 cups flour
1 tbsp ground ginger (fresh if possible)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (fresh if possible)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the egg to the sugar/butter and cream for another 2 minutes.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  4. Slowly pour in molasses and bourbon then beat until combined.
  5. In three parts, add the flour mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl between each addition.  Mix just until combined.
  6. Add the milk and mix only until incorporated.
  7. Scrape the sides of the bowl and pat the dough into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to firm.  If you have time, you can put the dough into the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
  8. When ready to bake your cookies, line cookie sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat your oven to 350 F degrees.
  9. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough using an ice cream scoop and form them into a ball using your hands.  Roll them in the sugar then place 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheet.
  10. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.  Do not over bake!
  11. Immediately press your thumb into the top of each cookie.  Drop 6 white chocolate chips into the well you just created then remove cookies to a wire rack.
  12. After chocolate begins to melt, use a toothpick to swirl the chocolate together into a pretty swirl.
  13. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Filed Under: blossoms, brown sugar, cinnamon, cookies, gingerbread, gingerbread, recipes, white chocolate

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

October 21, 2011 by 47 Comments

I’ve made apple cupcakes a million times. I’m most known for my Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes which I debuted at Cupcake Camp Seattle a few years ago. I’ve made them dozens of times for family and friends. The only problem with these cupcakes is the amount of time they take and the number of steps needed to make them. I wanted to come up with a simpler, yet equally as delicious version of an apple cupcake that could be made in one bowl.

Now, there’s no getting around prepping the apples in butter, sugar and spices. That’s just a MUST for these cupcakes, especially if you want them filled. If you wanted to skip the filling step, you could add the cooked apples to your batter before baking and omit the raw apples from the batter. You’d have swirls of cinnamon and apple throughout the cupcake. YUM!

But, I wanted filled cupcakes this time so I chopped up half a large apple and put that in the batter. I’ll fill the cupcakes when they’re cool with the cooked apple mixture.

I topped these cupcakes with an apple, cinnamon and caramel buttercream… it took has chunks of apples running through it. Super good… super sweet!

Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (you could use apple juice too)
1/2 cup chopped apples

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugars.
  3. One at a time, mix in the eggs. Add the vanilla then beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
  4. Sift into the batter the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix by hand about 5-6 strokes.
  5. Add the milk and mix only until all the flour and milk are incorporated.
  6. Gently fold in the apples. Do not over mix!
  7. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Leave in pan for 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling
1 large apple, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk mixed with 1 heaping tbsp corn starch

  1. In a medium pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
  2. Add the apples, sugars and vanilla and stir. Cook until bubbling, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the milk + cornstarch mixture and bring to a bubble. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickens.
  4. Remove from heat and continue to stir for about 1 minute.
  5. Set aside to cool.
  6. Fill cupcakes and reserve remaining apple mixture for buttercream.
Apple Cinnamon Buttercream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
remaining apple mixture
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
  1. Cream together the butter and shortening.
  2. Add about 1/2 the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  3. Add 1-2 tbsp cream and mix until combined.
  4. Add all of the remaining apple mixture, cinnamon and salt.  Mix until smooth.
  5. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  6. Add enough cream until you get the consistency you desire.
  7. Scrape sides of bowl and mix on high for 1 minute.
  8. Frost cupcakes and drizzle your favorite caramel sauce over frosting.
Assembly
  1. Core the center of your cupcakes out.
  2. Fill with apple filling.
  3. Top with apple cinnamon buttercream.
  4. Drizzle with your favorite caramel syrup.
Filed Under: apple, buttercream, buttercream, caramel, cinnamon, cupcake recipes, filled cupcakes, frosting and icing, fruit frosting, fruity cupcakes, recipes, seasonal, spiced, top posts sidebar

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

October 19, 2011 by 1 Comment

I’m so excited!  Not only was our Commissary finally stocked with pumpkin puree but to share my new favorite pumpkin recipe! I just baked it this afternoon and its so delicious thank you Ina Garten for making this pumkinlicious creation that I found off of Pinterest.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Makes 12 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Maple Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor (I used Mc Cormick)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I just used a wooden spoon and mixed it well), cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

ENJOY!

Filed Under: brown sugar, cinnamon, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, holiday, maple extract, maple frosting, posts by danielle, pumpkin, pumpkin cupcakes, recipes, seasonal and holiday cupcakes

Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

September 14, 2011 by 14 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

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

September 10, 2011 by 16 Comments

Jenn and I planned to make caramel apple cupcakes without even chatting about it first!  I guess those Fall flavors are just in the air and we’re ready to get baking!! Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg… OH MY!

You may remember the Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes I made before!  I brought them to my first Cupcake Camp and they were a HUGE success!  My very first recipe I came up with on my own from scratch!  I knew I didn’t want to make these caramel apple cupcakes exactly the same, but some elements of it I knew were too good to pass up.

I started these Caramel Apple Cupcakes with the same pan cooked chopped apples that I used with my Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes.  Sugar, apples, lemon, and spices cooked on low heat to create a ooey gooey apple filling.  Seriously, I could eat it by the spoonful.

Apple Mixture
Makes about 2 cups apple mixture

3 Granny Smith apples, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp hot water + 1 tbsp corn starch

  1. Over medium high heat,  mix together all the ingredients in a frying pan on the stove.
  2. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes.  Stirring frequently.
  3. Set aside to cool completely.

Apple Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup apple mixture
1 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

  1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
  2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  3. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Add the apple mixture and mix on low until just combined.
  5. If mixture is too thick, add a tbsp of heavy cream to smooth out.
Caramel Buttercream
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1lb powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp caramel syrup
  1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
  2. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  4. Add the cream to loosen.
  5. Mix in the caramel syrup and mix until smooth.
  6. Beat on high for 30 seconds, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again.
  7. EAT!

Apple Cupcakes
Makes 18 full size cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup apple mixture

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, juice and vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Add the flour to the wet mixture and mix together just until combined.
  5. Fold in the apple mixture.
  6. Fill regular size liners about 2/3 full.  Fill mini liners 1/2 full.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Rotate pan after 12 minutes of baking.
  8. Cool in pans for about 7 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembly
  1. After cool, cut a cone out of the center of each regular size cupcake.  Trim off the bottom of the cone.
  2. Core out the center of each mini cupcake using an apple corer.
  3. Fill each cupcake with the cream cheese apple mixture.  Replace to tops of the regular size cupcakes only. (I used a small ice cream scoop to fill the regular size cupcakes and a piping bag to fill the mini’s)
  4. Top with caramel buttercream and then rim with your favorite topping. (Nuts, candy, sprinkles, caramel sauce)
  5. Insert popsicle stick or lollipop stick into center of cupcake.
Filed Under: apple, caramel, caramel cupcakes, caramel frosting, cinnamon, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, filled cupcakes, frosting and icing, fruit, fruity cupcakes, mini, recipes, seasonal, seasonal and holiday cupcakes, spiced

Pumpkin Donut Holes

September 6, 2011 by 5 Comments

Oh man… it’s Fall.  I don’t care if the leaves haven’t started to change colors yet or if it’s still sunny and 80 degrees outside.  I’ve got my Fall decorations out, my pumpkin spice candle burning everyday and I am ready for Fall!

I bought the last two cans of pumpkin at the commissary 10 days ago and I have been hoarding it.  I’ve made pumpkin french toast, pumpkin spice syrup and now pumpkin donut holes.  I’ve got about 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin left that I’m going to have to make something with… Maybe more syrup, that didn’t last long in my house!

These donut holes aren’t your traditional fried donuts… they are baked.  But don’t get too excited cause then they’re drenched in butter.  So I guess the calories you’re saving by not frying them you’re gaining back with the stick of butter that’s melted all over them.

But really… all fattening calories aside, these little bites of heaven are so yummy, you won’t be able to eat just one!!

Enjoy!

 

Donut Holes
Makes at least 48 donut holes

10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (I used about half a 29oz can)

Cinnamon/Sugar Coating
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, meleted
1 1/2 cups sugar + 2-3 tbsp cinnamon, combined

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
  2. Lightly spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
  5. With the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar (about 2 minutes).
  6. Beat in eggs, one at a time and beat on high until light and fluffy.
  7. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture.  Mix only until just combined.
  8. Using the smallest ice cream scoop, scoop a dollop of batter into each hole of the muffin pan.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpic comes out clean.
  10. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
  11. Coat each ball in melted butter then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture until completely coated.  Let sit out to dry for several hours.  If you don’t, the butter won’t dry and you’ll have wet/mushy donuts. Yuck!
  12. Pop a couple in your mouth along the way. ;)
Filed Under: cinnamon, doughnuts, pumpkin, recipes

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

September 5, 2011 by 10 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

August 9, 2011 by 9 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

Double Doodle & Mini Doodle Cupcakes

June 24, 2011 by 2 Comments

If you love Snickerdoodles, then these cupcakes are the ultimate in Snickerdoodle.  These “Double Doodle” cupcakes are packed full of cinnamon, sugar and flavor! Sure to be a crowd pleaser at any party! [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, cinnamon, cinnamon buttercream or frosting, cookie cupcakes, cookies, cupcake recipes, frosting and icing, recipes, Snickerdoodle Week

Guest post: Michelle shares her Snickerdoodle recipe

June 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

JavaCupcake Note:  This is a guest post from Michelle of Kissed by Sweets! Make sure to check out her blog and find her on Twitter too!!  [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cookies, guest blogger, recipes, Snickerdoodle Week

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

June 21, 2011 by 2 Comments

Hey JavaCupcakers!  Happy Snickerdoodle Week!  I’m here with the thing we do best … cupcakes! :)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cream cheese, posts by jenn, Snickerdoodle Week

Snickerdoodle Cookies

June 20, 2011 by 3 Comments

Back in January, I made Giant Snickerdoodles for the blog and they turned out so darn good.  So, I whipped out the recipe and made them again… this time, an entire weeks worth of blogs, baking, and cupcakes were going to revolve around them.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cookies, recipes, Snickerdoodle Week

What is a Snickerdoodle?

June 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

To kick off Snickerdoodle week, I thought it’d be important to explain what exactly a Snickerdoodle is!  Well, my friends, a snickerdoodle is a delicious cookie that has been rolled in cinnamon and sugar.  Similar to a sugar cookie, but just a little bit different. [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cookies, featured, Snickerdoodle Week

What the French Toast?!

April 8, 2011 by 5 Comments

Breakfast cupcakes are pretty much the best thing ever in my house right now.  Blueberry pancake cupcakes?  Big hit!  French toast & bacon cupcakes?! BIGGER HIT!! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, featured, french toast, posts by jenn, recipes

Peach Coffee Cake

April 3, 2011 by 6 Comments

I follow a lot of baking blogs, websites, Facebook pages of bakers and food related companies.   But one of my favorites is C&H Sugar on Facebook.  Yah, it’s a sugar company… but did you know they also post recipes?  This weekend C&H posted a recipe for peach coffee cake and I was inspired! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cake, cinnamon, fruit, recipes

Giant Snickerdoodles

January 6, 2011 by 2 Comments

Earlier this week I went down to Olympia, WA on a quest to find cupcakes. Olympia failed me. I did not find one single cupcake in Olympia. [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cookies, featured, recipes

Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes

December 14, 2010 by 14 Comments

I’ve never used molasses before, I’ve never made gingerbread before. To be honest, I don’t know if I’ve ever had more than maybe a couple gingerbread anythings in my life. So why am I making gingerbread cupcakes and cookies? Because it’s Christmas!! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, Coffee, featured, gingerbread, seasonal, spiced

Eggnog French Toast

December 3, 2010 by 2 Comments

I don’t think I can thank Rainy Day Gal enough for this recipe. I mean really… it’s amazing. My husband is in love with eggnog and I am in love with french toast… this recipe is a perfect marriage of the two! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, eggnog, recipes, seasonal

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

November 12, 2010 by 5 Comments

What’s all the fuss about? Whoopie what? Huh? Seriously, the first time I heard about Whoopie Pies, I had to google it. Today, when I posted on Facebook I was making them, my friends and family texted me asking “WTF” they were.   [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cream cheese, featured, misc. baked goods, pumpkin, recipes, seasonal

Guest Blogger: Jennifer shares her Halloween cupcakes

November 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of my oldest friends, Jennifer, made cupcakes for her Halloween party this year!  I asked her to take lots of pictures and to put togehter a recipe for my readers!  Thanks Jennie!  [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, cream cheese, guest blogger, pumpkin, seasonal, spiced

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

Appledoodle Cupcakes

October 26, 2010 by 1 Comment

I had a very special request by Carrie of Bella Cupcake Couture.  ”Tree Hugger Apple” cupcakes for her birthday! [Read more...]

Filed Under: brown sugar, buttercream, caramel, cinnamon, featured, filled cupcakes, fruit, recipes

Spiced Mocha Cupcakes – a new recipe!

October 19, 2010 by 1 Comment

It’s been a while since I’ve been creative in the kitchen and come up with a new recipe!  This last weekend for the Tacoma Harvest Fair, I wanted to create cupcakes using fall flavors, but one that would stay moist for a couple days because I was baking ahead of time. [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, chocolate, cinnamon, Coffee, recipes, seasonal, spiced

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls

April 23, 2010 by 4 Comments

Bakerella made cinnamon rolls this week and I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  They looked like HEAVEN.  I could just smell their sweet cinnamomy goodness wafting thru my house just looking at the pictures. [Read more...]

Filed Under: cinnamon, misc. baked goods, recipes