Cinnamon Bun & Apple Upside Down Bread Pudding

 

If you do not have an oven-proof skillet for this recipe, I used a 10" cast iron skillet, then you can saute the apples and dump them into a 10" round cake pan.

Ingredients

2 cans cinnamon buns
2 C apples, cored, peeled & chopped
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c butter
3/4 c packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c heavy cream
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/2 c raisins (optional)
3 T pure maple syrup & more for serving
French Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375*.   In a 10" oven-proof skillet, melt butter and brown sugar; add cinnamon and apples (and raisins, if using); saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally until apples are soft, approximately 10 minutes.

Cut cinnamon rolls into quarters.  Place them over the apple mixture.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, heavy cream and vanilla.  Whisk until well blended.  Pour over apples & cinnamon buns.

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until bubbly, and cinnamon bun pieces are baked through.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn upside down onto a plate while holding the place over the pan.  Drizzle with maple syrup.  Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.  Drizzle with more maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Apple Butter Spice Cake

Ingredients

2/3 C vegetable oil
1/3 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3-1/2 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 C 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 C apple butter
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C chopped pecans (I used candied pecans from a pkg.)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease bundt pan with vegetable shortening or PAM for baking. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment of electric mixer.  Add oil and eggs, and mix until incorporated. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Turn mixer to low and slowly incorporate dry ingredients Add pumpkin and apple butter and mix slightly, but not completely.  Add raisins and pecans and incorporate by hand.  Do not over mix or cake texture will be denser.  Add batter to prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until tester near center of cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove and cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar or prepare Brown Butter Maple (recipe below) glaze and pour over cake.  Serve cooled cake as it or try it with whipped cream cheese and/or apple butter.

Brown Butter & Maple Glaze

1 stick of salted butter
1to 1-1/2 C confectioners' sugar (start with 1 C and add an additional 1/2 C if needed)
2 T milk
1-2 T pure maple syrup

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Keep heating until butter begins to turn brown and smells nutty.  This takes 4-5 minutes.  Watch closely as once it starts to turn brown it goes very quickly!  Remove from heat and add confectioners' sugar, milk and syrup.  Stir until smooth.  If glaze is too thick to pour, add more milk a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the proper consistency. Pour over cake.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Oat Bread

Ingredients

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

2½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

¼ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl gently combine brown sugar, milk oil, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.

Add remaining dry ingredients except nuts and blueberries and slowly mix together.

Dust blueberries lightly with flour to prevent from sinking when baking. Gently fold in blueberries and walnuts. Pour batter evenly into loaf pan. Top with additional oats if desired.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until an inserted test toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Gently remove from pan and let cool on a rack for 2 hours.

Sprinkle top with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Keep covered. Bread will be fresh for approximately 4 days.

Recipe adapted from PenneyLane

Savory Seeded Whole Wheat Quick Bread

Ingredients

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 cups spelt flour

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds, toasted

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flaxseeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides. Spray parchment.

Whisk together flours, 1/2 cup each sunflower and black sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons each caraway and flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir together milk, buttermilk, honey, and oil in a large bowl until honey is dissolved. Add flour mixture; beat until combined, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared pan; sprinkle with remaining seeds, pressing gently to adhere.

Bake until a tester inserted in middle comes out clean, about 1 hour, 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto rack and let cool completely. Bread can be stored at room temperature up to 1 week, or frozen up to 1 month.

Recipe found in Martha Stewart magazine.

Simple Bread Pudding w Butter Rum Sauce

This recipe incorporates all the main components of french toast, so feel free to serve it for breakfast with some maple syrup instead of butter rum sauce if you prefer.

Ingredients
1 c dark and/or golden raisins
1/4 c dark or spiced rum
1 loaf of French bread, 1 day old and cubed
1 qt. whole milk, or coconut milk (can also use half and half)
3 T butter, melted
3 eggs
2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butter Rum Sauce
1 stick of butter
1 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c dark or spiced Rum

Soak the raisins in the rum for 1-2 hours.

In a large bowl, add the bread. Pour all the milk over top and let soak. Set aside.
In a medium bowl add eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices & salt. Set aside.

After the raisins are done soaking, pour the melted butter into a 13x9 pan and using a pastry brush, spread across bottom and up sides.  Next, pour the egg mixture into the bread mixture. Drain the raisins and stir into mixture. Dump entire mixture into the prepare pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the bread starts to pull away from the sides. Make sauce.

Add all sauce ingredients to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens slightly more. Do not allow to simmer or boil as that could curdle your sauce.  Pour a little of the sauce over individual servings of bread pudding on the plate.

Remember: This also makes an excellent French Toast Casserole served with maple syrup. Another variation would be to serve as a sweet treat topped with store bought caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

Super Moist Cornbread

Ingredients

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish (glass is recommended) with non-stick cooking spray.

 In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined; set aside.

 In a food processor or blender, process the sugar, thawed corn kernels and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.

Using a rubber spatula, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour the wet ingredients into the well. Fold the dry ingredients into wet, giving the mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add the melted butter and continue folding until the dry ingredients are just moistened (do not overmix!).

 Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cornbread onto wire rack, turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve.

Recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker.

Best Ever Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

The original recipe calls for cranberries.  I made mine with 1/3 cup each of cranberries, chopped figs & golden raisins.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 can (15 ounces) 

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice or water

1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries, OR

1/3 cup each cranberries, chopped figs & golden raisins

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe makes two loaves.

(Recipe adapted from VeryBestBaking.com )

Autumn Apple Bread Pudding w Easy Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

8 c day old bread, cubed
6 large eggs
2 c half and half
1/2 c buttermilk
3/4 c brown sugar
2 T boiled cider (King Arthur Flour), optional
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c dark raisins
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and chopped
1/2 c chopped toasted pecans

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 c heavy cream
2 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp course salt

Preheat oven to 375*.  Butter a round 2-quart casserole dish or spray with a cooking oil, or 8 oven-proof single serving bowls.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Set aside.

In a large bowl place cubed bread, In a separate large bowl combine eggs, half and half, buttermilk and whisk until blended. Add brown sugar, boiled cider (optional), cinnamon, vanilla bean paste and salt and continue whisking until incorporated.  Pour over bread.  Add raisins, chopped apple & pecans. Stir to combine.  Pour into greased dish(es). Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top and custard is set. If using individual dishes, reduce baking time to 20 minutes, check for doneness and add a couple minutes at a time as necessary.

Make caramel sauce: Combine brown sugar, cream & butter into medium saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until blended.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.  Serve with warm bread pudding.

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home recipe.

Ingredients

2-1/4 c flour

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 c buttermilk

1/4 c butter, melted

1/4 c canola oil

1/3 c currants

1/3 c dark raisins

1/3 c golden raisins

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, & baking soda. In another bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk, butter and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in currants & raisins.

Fill greased muffin cups (or use liners) three-fourths full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.Yield: 1 dozen.

Cead mile failte!

The Sugar Faerie's Hazelnut Banana Cake

Ingredients:

3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
2 c granulated sugar
1 2/3 c vegetable oil
1/2 c buttermilk
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 T vanilla bean paste
1/2 c skinless hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
Zest of 1 large orange

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour a 12-cup tube or bundt pan.  Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk the flour, soda and salt.
In a bowl of an electric mixer add the eggs, sugar, oil and buttermilk.  Beat on low until well blended. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Add bean paste, bananas, nuts and zest.  Mix only until incorporated.
Pour into prepared pan, place on center rack in oven and bake approximately 1 hour or until tester inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.  Place on rack over waxed paper; cool completely.  Prepare glaze.  Drizzle over cooled cake.

Cream Cheese Flavored Glaze
2 c confectioners' sugar
3 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. cream cheese flavoring (you can substitute almond extract)

Whisk until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake.

Enjoy this moist cake made with Mozart's favorite fruit >>> Ba na na na nah!