Cinnamon Roll Waffles

I've been noticing lately Pinterest has been flooded with posts of people buying a can of cinnamon rolls and using them for pie crust and waffles.  I'm sure that's awesome but it got me thinking . . . what if we used our whole grain dough?

Here's what I did.  I began with the amount of dough I would normally use for a pan of cinnamon rolls or a loaf of bread--approximately 1/5 of a big Bosch  mixer batch of dough.  Then I divided it in half.

I set one half under a bowl to keep from drying out, then proceeded to roll out the other half into a long rectangle.  On top of that, I spread a little soft butter and sprinkled it with brown sugar & cinnamon.

Then I folded the bottom end all the way to the top.  I rolled it out a little just to get out the air bubbles then crimped the edges.  Then once again, butter, sugar & cinnamon.

Next, fold the dough over itself once more, roll out all the air pockets and crimp the edges.

Cut into 4 pieces, then repeat the process with the other half of dough.  Cover the 8 sections and let rise about a 1/2 hour.

Give your waffle iron some time to preheat, then place the sections on.  I used a Belgian Waffle maker, but I'm sure any would work.  Just keep an eye on them as you would with regular waffles for doneness, but don't let them get too brown or they will be crunchy!

Then voila!!  Cinnamon roll waffles!  Mix up just a little glaze with some powdered sugar, milk & vanilla and drizzle on top for instant yumminess!

Tip:  When you're done, it's likely that some of the goo from the inside will spill out onto your iron.  Let it cool just a little until all that goo begins to set up, then just lift it out.

 

Oatmeal Bread

My mom is always telling me how good her bread is when she adds oatmeal.  Well I finally tried it!  And now I think EVERYONE should try it.  The loaves came out so soft and even had a little more rise to them than my normal batches.

What I did: 
To the basic bread recipe, I substituted 3 cups of rolled oats (not the quick kind) for some of the whole wheat flour.  I left everything else the same.  If you want your bread to really say "I'm oatmeal bread", just brush a little egg whites on top and sprinkle on some oats once you've made your loaves.

Give it a try!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a super easy cookie recipe that I like to share with my classes and they're always a hit!  It really shows how you can incorporate whole grains into just about anything.  And with the use of natural peanut butter, rolled oats and whole grains, it's super good for you too!  In moderation, of course Ü.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth--to your liking)--I like to use the natural PB, but Jif or Skippy work fine too
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour (Prairie Gold or soft white)
1/2 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

With mixer, cream together butter & peanut butter.  Add egg and sugars, mixing well.  Add dry ingredients and vanilla, then incorporate chocolate chips.  Use cookie scooper to make about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Buns, Buns & More Buns!!

I was checking out Facebook yesterday and my sweet friend Debbie from Alaska had a posting from her daughter Katie saying that they needed to make something called Balloon Buns next time Katie was home. Me being the ever interested culinary gal (particularly when the word Buns is used) that I am asked Katie what in the world were Balloon Buns. Her reply -- "an Über yummy hollow cinnamon roll filled with melty gooey marshmallow goodness!" Her reply sold me. I had to try these!! Researching on the internet, I found a few varieties, some made with canned biscuits. Others with yeast bread using a sweet dough. Many of the comments were about how incredibly sweet they were. I took note of that and decided that just a basic bread dough might still do the trick. So my son Travis & I set about the task this morning of making "Balloon Buns".

I made a 2-loaf recipe using Kamut (posted a couple days ago). We used half of the dough for 24 Balloon Buns and the other half for 4 burger buns and 6 hot dog buns. However, in my zeal for getting this recipe on the blog, I forgot about the burger and dog buns and let them burn--major bummer!! I'll still show the pics though. You'll get the idea.

We made this 2-loaf batch of dough in my Compact Bosch. I will advertise a little here and tell you that the Compact is an awesome little machine for your everyday tasks--from making a 2 loaf batch of bread to cookies or whatever else you may normally use a Kitchen Aid for. By the way, the Compact Bosch is 400 watts (next to my 300 watt Kitchen Aid) and is so light, I can pick it up with only 1 hand.

Ingredients:
1 batch of 2-loaf dough
24 large marshmallows
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup melted butter
2 muffin pans
1 extra pair of hands

So we got started by mixing the water, oil, honey, some of the flour & yeast. Then we put the cover on and let it proof for about 15 minutes until the mixture rose up and got bubbly.





Next we added more flour, some gluten & salt. We continued adding flour until the dough began to clean the sides of the bowl. We let it knead on setting 3 (for Bosch Compact, setting 2 for the Universal) for 6-8 minutes. We then covered the bowl and let is rise in the bowl for about 10 minutes, until it almost reaches the lid.



Then we divided the batch in two. One was destined to sit in an oven, forgotten so as to become my burnt burger & dog buns :-(. The other, however, was destined for greatness and would be the Über Yummy Balloon Buns!

Begin by dividing the dough into 4 sections, then each quarter into 6 sections--giving you 24 sections. Just work with 6 at a time, leaving all the rest of your dough under a bowl on the counter so it doesn't dry out.

Roll each section out.

Now would be a good time to have a second pair of hands. Roll a marshmallow in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar. Next place it on your rolled out section.

And wrap it up! Be sure and crimp the ends together as well as you can so the marshmallow-ey center doesn't leak out.

Once it's all sealed up tight, then roll the whole bun in butter and cinnamon sugar once more. Place the bun in a muffin tin (sprayed with cooking spray).

When all 24 of your buns are in the pans, place them in a warm oven to rise for 20 minutes. Then bake at 350 for about 18 minutes.

When they're done, immediately remove them from the pans onto cooling racks.

Thank you Debbie & Katie for a fun morning in the kitchen and some "Über Yummy-ness"!


**Tips for this recipe--
1) Place them upside down on the cooling racks. When baking, some of them may break open. So turn them upside down even if you don't spot a hole. That way all the yummy goodness doesn't drain out onto your counter.
2) Line your oven with some foil before baking. This way, if some of the buns open up while baking, you won't have a sugary mess all over your oven and curse little 'ole me!

And now on to the Burger & Hot Dog Buns . . .



Divide the remaining dough in half. Divide the 1st half into 4 parts. To form a nice round burger bun, bring the sides up to form a small purse.






Then smash it! You should now have a nice round bun.
Do this with a little bit of flour on the counter so it doesn't stick.







Divide the 2nd half into 6 sections. Roll each one up like a snake, keeping in mind how long your hot dogs will be--the normal size or the bigger brats size.







Place on a baking sheet to rise in a warm oven for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. These will freeze great to be pulled out next time you decide to have dogs or burgers and are so much better than store bought!




These don't really look too bad I guess Ü

Kamut Bread

I have a new love. Only met this one about a month ago, but I've fallen hard--for Kamut!! It has an interesting history, though it probably did not come from any ancient Egyptian tomb as is rumored. If you want to read more about it and its origins, check out http://www.kamut.com/. You often hear that hard white wheat (Prairie Gold) yields a bread that looks closer to a traditional white bread. Kamut is even lighter! But don't let this pale-face fool you. It is an incredibly nutritious grain, high in protein and makes a super yummy buttery tasting bread! I highly encourage you to try this wonderful grain. I promise you'll love it!!

Try this recipe for Kamut bread. (Though you can use the same one for any whole grain bread)

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons SAF yeast
6 cups freshly ground Kamut flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup. vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp vitamin C crystals

Mix water, oil, honey, yeast and enough flour in your Bosch compact mixer to form a mixture that looks like oatmeal. Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes, until it doubles in the bowl.

Now add the salt, gluten, & vitamin C crystals. Add enough flour until dough cleans the side of the bowl. Knead for about 8 minutes. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 30 minutes. Turn dough out of bowl onto work surface and shape into 2 loaves. Place in oiled pans. Let rise for 20 minutes in a warm oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes--loaves are done at 180 degrees.

Immediate remove from pans to drying rack and let completely cool before storing in bags.

NOTE: In this particular recipe, I've included a 2nd rise. I'm finding that this more traditional 2nd rise is giving my bread a richer flavor and texture than just one.

All Things Pumpkin!

October comes and if you're like me at all, your mind is swimming in fall hues of gold & orange, leaves falling, baskets of mums, & PUMPKINS!!

It's been hard to think Autumn really here in Houston. We got a glimpse of it in early October, then the heat returned and it seemed like maybe we should be working on our tans again. But this morning, our friendly weather girl promises temps in the 40's tonight so today I'm making Pumpkin Bread and I can't wait for it to come out of the oven!

Let me know what you think of this one--I LOVE IT!! It's loaded with good stuff like flax, oats & whole grain goodness! It's not super sweet, so if you like a sweeter loaf, just add a little sweetener of your choice. And it's denser than normal pumpkin bread--great toasted for breakfast! Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Bread

15 oz. can pumpkin
2 medium ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or Prairie Gold
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup ground flax meal
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the pumpkin, bananas, vanilla & eggs with mixer (or in a food processor). Mix dry ingredients, then add to pumpkin mixture.

Spray two standard loaf pans with cooking spray. Transfer batter to pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted at center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Made these on Saturday morning with blueberries . . . so very good!

2 c. whole wheat flour (Prairie Gold)
2 T honey
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 c. canola oil
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. salt
add water to thin if needed

Be creative! Add nuts, chopped apples, whatever you like.

Variations for Basic Whole Wheat Bread

I owned a very small little bakery for a short while during our time in Alaska, our specialty being Whole Wheat Bread, of course. We came up with a few specialty recipes I'll share with you. Just throw in a few extras to the Basic Recipe. All of these are ingredients are per 1 loaf, so keep that in mind if you make the large batches like I do. Also, for some reason, specialty breads really need to cook to a higher temp than the basic recipe. I don't know the science on why this is, but it's just dough-y if you cook it to 160-180 like I mentioned in the basic recipe. These aren't done until about 190 degrees.

Jalapeno Cheddar -- my two daughters' absolute favorite of all the specialty breads!
1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (from a jar)
6 oz. cubed cheddar
2 cloves pressed garlic

Rosemary Olive
2 cloves pressed garlic
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1 T rosemary

Roasted Corn & Pepperjack
In 1 tsp. olive oil, saute 3/4 c. frozen corn until it begins to brown
6 oz. cubed pepperjack cheese
2 cloves pressed garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin

Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta
3/4 c. chopped sun-dried tomato
4 oz. feta cheese
2 cloves pressed garlic

Garlic-Herb -- this is a great one just for dinner rolls!
1 T oregano
1 T basil
1/2 T rosemary
3-4 cloves pressed garlic
Brush with olive oil after baking

Cranberry Orange
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. chopped pecans
zest of about a 1/3 of an orange
1/3 of an orange, chopped

Apple Walnut
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped

Blueberry Cream Cheese -- this one is really like dessert, or a good breakfast slice!
1st, mix 3 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, and 1 T honey together.

Next, add 3 oz. dried blueberries to dough, then roll out into a big circle, about 15 inches in diameter. Spread cream cheese mixture in center of circle, leaving a rim of about 4 inches. Fold this dough rim up and cinch together tightly. Flip over and bake. So incredibly good!!

Basic Whole Wheat Bread

10 cups Prairie Gold wheat berries (ground makes about 14-15 cups flour)
6 cups moderately hot water (about 110 degrees-very hot tap water)
2/3 cups oil
2/3 cups honey
3 T SAF yeast
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1/8 tsp. vitamin C crystals
2 T salt

Pour water, oil, honey, enough freshly milled flour for the mixture to look like oatmeal (6 cups or so), and yeast into Bosch mixer. Mix well & let sponge (sit) for about 15 minutes while the yeast dissolves & gets active.

Add 2 tablespoons salt and gluten. Begin to add more flour a little at a time until you see it begin to clean the sides of the bowl and the dough is tacky to touch. As it mixes, the dough will stiffen, so don’t add too much flour. (You can add water if you have too much flour) Let your Bosch run on speed 2 for about 6 minutes. With just a little bit of oil on your fingers, test a ball of dough to see if it stretches without immediately tearing. When it will thin out upon pulling like this, the gluten is developed and it's ready. Preheat your oven to it's lowest setting (about 200 degrees) for about 5 minutes then turn off your oven. Divide your dough into 6 loaves and place into prepared pans.

Let the bread rise in the warm oven for 20 minutes, then pull out and heat your oven to 350 degrees. Carefully move loaves back into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. I like to use a thermometer to determine done-ness. Bread is done at 180 degrees.

(If you have a convection oven, you don't need to remove the loaves after the 20 minute rise--just turn your oven on to 350 and leave them in the oven)

Immediately invert loaves onto cooling racks and leave until they are completely cool. Place in bags. Enjoy the first slice right away, then store some loaves in the freezer. This bread keeps well for a couple weeks frozen. NEVER put your bread in the fridge!! It dries it out quickly doing this. Just keep it out on your counter in its bag for all to enjoy!

**You will have flour left over. Keep in the freezer to retain freshness and use for pancakes sometime later in the week! Or use for your next batch of bread, but be sure and warm it to room temp before adding into your dough.