Blueberry Orange and Almond Pancakes with Orange Maple Glaze

 Hello there and welcome to pancake week.  Let's start off with a twist on a classic: who doesn't love blueberry pancakes (besides my 6-year-old)?  Orange zest, orange juice, orange-maple glaze, and a smidge of almond take these just a teensy bit over the top.  All in a good way.

 Blueberry Orange and Almond Pancakes (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 16 small pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
Scant 1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
3 to 4 T butter, for griddle

1.  Place rack in the upper third of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees.  The oven will keep the pancakes warm as you cook them in batches.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, orange juice, zest, and almond extract.  Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in the blueberries.  Let batter rest for 5 minutes while the griddle heats.

3.  Over medium heat, melt 1 T of the butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle.  Spoon 2 T batter into the hot pan and cool until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Place pancakes on ovenproof plate and store in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter, adding butter to the pan as needed.

Orange Maple Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T fresh orange juice
1 T pure maple syrup

Whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and maple syrup.  Serve alongside warm pancakes. 

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

Orange Ricotta Muffins (Two Ways)

Here's a word I don't use too often, because it's goofy and pathetically lacking in sophistication, but in this case, remarkably appropriate: Nummers.

Last week, on Monday morning, we were rudely awoken at 5 a.m. by an automated mass text: school was cancelled.  What?!  I jumped out of bed and looked outside to see if it had unexpectedly snowed.  Nope, looked normal.  We scanned the weather apps, and apparently there was freezing rain and ice.  So we settled back in for another hour or two of sleep.  

I always crave snow days, but I guess an ice day is almost as good.  No snow to play in, but we still get to lay back, eat leisurely, stay in PJ's, play, read, draw, and relax.  It was a great day to make these muffins my friend had just told me about.

The original recipe, from Two Peas & Their Pod, uses regular chocolate chips.  I doubled the recipe, and on my friend's recommendation, put blueberries in half, and mini chips in the other.  Both were totally nummers.  My kids preferred the blueberry; I probably preferred the chocolate, because I am genetically inclined to do so.    

My favorite part of making these, is Step 2, when you rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers.  Not only is it sensory therapy - like running beach sand through your hands, but sand that smells like bright, fresh, sweet orange - but it also provides the best finger-licking possible in the entire world of baking.

Nummers.

Orange Ricotta Muffins (Two Ways) (print recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries -OR- chocolate chips (I prefer mini)


Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar and orange zest mixture together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended, still with a streak or two of flour. Gently fold in the blueberries or chocolate chips.  Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.

5. Bake muffins for about 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. Let muffins cool completely.

6. While the muffins are cooking, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Drizzle glaze over muffins. Let the muffins sit until glaze hardens.

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

1 year ago:  Red Hot Cinnamon Bread
2 years ago:  Dessert Club - Breads & Spreads
3 years ago:  Blackout Cake

Orange & Coriander Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl

Here is the insanely good, truly deserving winner of Dessert Club - Herbs & Spices night.

Orange and Coriander Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl (print recipe)

Coriander Cheesecake Ice Cream:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground roasted coriander
3/4 cup whole milk
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz crème frâiche
3/4 cup sugar

Combine the coriander and milk in a small sauce pan. Bring to a light simmer, turn off the heat, and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.

In the food processor or blender, pulse the cream cheese, crème frâiche, sugar, and milk together until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. 

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream:
2/3 cup sugar 

Peel of 3 oranges (peel oranges with vegetable peeler and scrape the pith off with a paring knife) 

1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 4 or 5 large oranges) 

1 cup sour cream 

1/2 cup half-and-half

In a blender, pulverize the sugar and orange peel until the peel/zest is fine. Add the orange juice, sour cream, and half-and-half and blend until the sugar is completely dissolved. Chill at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. 

Blackberry Sauce:
2 cups (16 oz) blackberries
3/4 cups sugar

Place blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat, mashing with a potato masher when they are really soft. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Strain the fruit and juices in a fine mesh sieve until most of the liquid is separated. Put the solids into a blender and blend to make a thick sauce. If you don't want seeds (I didn't) put back through sieve into a separate bowl. Add back the liquid to the solids until it is about the consistency of melted sorbet (I still had about a half cup of the liquids left that I didn't use - which was great on pancakes).  Cool completely if it's not already, then chill for at least 1 hour.

To Assemble:
Churn the coriander ice cream in your machine according to manufacturers instructions. When it is finished, transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer. Strain out the zest from the orange creamsicle ice cream then churn in your machine according to manufacturers instructions until it is the consistency of soft serve. If you have two ice cream makers you can churn both flavors at the same time, just make the coriander as thick as you can get but leave the orange just a little soft. 

To swirl both flavors with the sauce, gently fold scoops of coriander ice cream into the orange ice cream. Then scoop BIG scoops, a few at a time, of the two flavors together into a large airtight container and pour blackberry sauce over to cover, then more scoops and more sauce, repeating until all ice cream and sauce is used. Cover with plastic wrap and container lid then freeze until solid.

Adapted from cannellevanille.com and The Perfect Scoop via feltandhoney.com
by Dessert Club member S.W.

1 year ago:  Cranberry Cream Pie
2 years ago:  Marmalade Nut Brownies
3 years ago:  Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Glazed Citrus Doodles

 My taste buds thrill at anything citrusy.  And if there is a glaze involved, that has zest in it, that much greater the thrill.  Slip a zingy butter cookie underneath, and well, that's a lot of thrillin'.  I took these, and a tray of Chipotle Brownies (wait for it), to the annual family BBQ at my uncle's house this summer.  I liked these cookies a lot myself, but I was still surprised at how much everyone else liked them.  My cousin Aaron couldn't stop the praises (and I didn't try to make him) - he should have written this post.  He said they were so light but still sweet, perfect for a summer sweet tooth.  I almost didn't take pictures - we were in a rush going out the door.  But good thing I did.  Because not even one came back home with us.

Glazed Citrus Doodles (print recipe)
Makes 3 dozen

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 T grated orange zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 oranges)
4 tsp lemon zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 lemons)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, 1 T orange zest. and 2 tsp lemon zest on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add flour mixture; beat to combine.

2.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake until edges are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

3.  Whisk together 1 T orange zest, 2 tsp lemon zest, citrus juices, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  With a small spoon, spread glaze over each cookie.  Let set 1 hour.  (Store in airtight containers, up to 3 days.)

Recipe from Everyday Food

1 year ago: Coconut-Filled Lemon Cake
2 years ago:  Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls
3 years ago: Death by Chocolate Cookies

Pistachio Pound Cake

 For Mother's Day we had the whole clan over - my family, my parents, my brother & his family; thirteen in all.  Obviously, one dessert was not going to be enough. So I took my big stack of gotta-makes, and narrowed it down to two that I really, really wanted to try and that would complement each other if served side-by-side. 

First, this gorgeous pistachio loaf flavored with bright but subtle citrus and chock full of chopped pistachios; I never tire of how they make baked goods look and taste.  (And don't hold that overdone edge against the recipe; it's my pan for sure, I have cheap ones.  But since then have replaced some with my Mother's Day Williams Sonoma gift card...here's to a future of even baking!)

Bon Appétit designates a couple pages at the beginning of each issue to recipes that readers have asked the magazine to request from restaurants they love.  I love it; they'd never give a house recipe to a customer who asks for it, but if Bon Appétit comes calling, they often do.  I've gotten some of my favorite recipes from this feature, this one included.  BA says, "Chef Raymond Vadergaag [of The Tasting Room in Houston] dresses up this citrusy cake with whipped cream and truffled honey, an unnecessary but welcome gilding of the lily."  And that's why I'm a blogger instead of a real writer.  At least I have good taste.

  
Pistachio Pound Cake (print recipe)
An original recipe from The Tasting Room at CityCentre in Houston
Serves 8 to 10

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T fresh orange juice
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided

1.  Arrange rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325.  Coat a 9x5x3" loaf pan with nonstick spray.  Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.

2.  Whisk 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions.  Add juices and zests; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled), 2 to 3 minutes.  Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended.  Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios.  Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios over.

3.  Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan.  Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake. 

(Can be made 1 day ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.)

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit, April 2012

Sassy Cake

 This was one of the cakes I made for Dessert Club this month.  I got Warren Brown's cookbook from the library and wanted to give some of his recipes a go.  I don't love the stuff from Cake Love shops, but I was curious.  It was fun to make, and tasted pretty good - hello, cayenne and mango!, but it was kind of involved, and by the time I'd finished it, I didn't really feel like eating it. 

Kind of like this post.  I spent my entire Sunday afternoon just getting the recipe typed up.  So now that it's time to do the fun part - writing the blog post - I kind of don't feel like it.  But I did do the work.  So you get the post.

Sassy Cake (print recipe)
11 ounces all-purpose flour
1 T potato starch
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 cup mango puree (recipe below)
1 cup sour cream
2 T fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp pure orange oil (if you can find it) OR 1 tsp orange extract

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
21 ounces extra-fine granulated sugar
1 T orange zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

 1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Set the rack in the middle.

2.  Weigh/measure the dry ingredients (flour, potato starch, salt, baking soda, pepper) into a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.  In a separate bowl, combine the liquid ingredients (mango puree, sour cream, orange juice, orange oil) and whisk to combine.

3.  In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar and orange zest on the lowest speed for 3 to 4 minutes.  The acids from the orange zest will break down the sugar and the creamed mixture will appear a little wet.

4.  With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the two yolks, fully incorporating after each addition.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.

5.  Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the liquid mixture in 3 to 5 additions each, beginning and ending with the dry mixture.  Move swiftly through this step to avoid overworking the batter.  Don't wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next.  This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.

6.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides.  Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter's structure.

7.  Prepare the pan.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray.  Fill it about three-quarters full by depositing the batter with the rubber spatula in small clumps around the prepared pan instead of by pouring it into one spot.  Level the batter with the rubber spatula.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top doesn't jiggle, and test for doneness using a bamboo skewer or cake tester - there should be just a touch of crumbs.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.  Invert onto a flat surface and allow to cool to room temperature.

Mango Puree
1 ripe mango
1/4 cup extra-fine granulated sugar

1.  Cut the flesh of the mango into even-sized pieces and combine with sugar in a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

2.  Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Strain the syrup and reserve for another use.

3.  Place the cooked fruit in the bowl of a food processor and puree until totally smooth, 1 minute.

4.  Transfer the puree to an airtight container.  Refrigerate until needed, up to 10 days.

Serving
You can serve this cake dusted with powdered sugar, adorned with Apricot Preserve Glaze, or sliced horizontally and filled with Orange Italian Meringue Buttercream.  The choice is yours.

Apricot Preserve Glaze
1/2 cup apricot preserves
3 T confectioners' sugar
1 T cold water

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place the cake on an oven-safe plate.

2.  Heat the preserves in a saucepan over low heat until the preserves liquify, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3.  Transfer the heated preserves to a sieve placed over a bowl and press with a rubber spatula to separate the liquid from the solids. 

4.  Brush a light coat of the warm preserve liquid onto the cake with a pastry brush.

5.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and lightly brush the mixture onto the preserve-coated cake.

6.  Bake for 5 minutes to seal in the glaze.  Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before serving.

Orange Italian Meringue Buttercream (you only need HALF this recipe to fill the Sassy cake)
5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups extra-fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp pure orange oil or extract

1.  Measure 1 cup sugar and the water into a 1-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Gently stir to combine.  Measure the remaining sugar into a small bowl and set aside.  Cut the butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and set aside. 

2.  Place a candy thermometer in the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium-high heat.  Partially cover with a lid to capture the evaporating water - this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

3.  With the mixer on high speed, begin whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks.  When the peaks are stiff, you have a meringue.

4.  Keep the mixer running and pour the 1/4 cup of sugar into the meringue.  Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245 degrees Farenheit, if it is not there already.  When it is at 245, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue.

5.  After 1 to 2 minutes reduce the mixer speed to medium for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is cooled.  Add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time.  Increase the mixer speed to high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated.  Mix in the orange oil/extract.

Recipes adapted from Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch by Warren Brown

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread

I found this recipe awhile back on one of the very few cooking blogs I frequent, 17andbaking.com. It was like one of those truly inspiring recipes, and I pondered it for a long time before making it. I wasn't curious; I KNEW it would be great. It was just...I was waiting for the right time. The right day. I would know it when it came. In the meantime I would make sure I had lemons and cream cheese around, just in case.

I decided to make this the day Hurricane Irene came through. My nephew had been evacuated from his college in southern VA, so he was staying with us. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go, and the power could go out at any moment. But we doubted it because it didn't hit us too hard. Hard enough, though, to not go out, and to feel a bit "hunkered down." So I baked.

It was fragrant and gorgeous and fun as I had expected. Easier, actually. The long instructions threw me; once you do it, you realize it's easy. My only regret is cooking it a bit too long so the outer crust was too dark. This being my first time, I just wanted to make sure it cooked through the middle. But no one minded and we all gobbled it up, one pull-apart at a time.

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread (print recipe)
Sweet Yeast Dough:
12 1/4 ounces (about 2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup whole milk
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional (from King Arthur Flour)
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Lemon Sugar Filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 T finely grated lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
1 T finely grated orange zest
4 T unsalted butter, melted

Tangy Cream Cheese Icing:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 T whole milk
1 T fresh lemon juice

Make the Sweet Yeast Dough
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups (9 ounces) flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine the milk and butter and heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add the water, and let resta minute until just warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Stir in the vanilla and Sweet Dough Flavor, if using.

Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more Tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about one minute. Add an additional 1 to 2 Tablespoons of flour only if the dough is too sticky to work with. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size. An indentation made with your finger should keep its shape.

Make the Lemon Sugar Filling
Mix the sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest until the sugar is sandy and fragrant.

Assemble the Bread
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350. Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.

Gently deflate the dough with your hand. Flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 20" by 12" rectangle. You should measure it and make it as accurate as possible. Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter evenly and liberally over the dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough crosswise in five strips, each 12" by 4". Sprinkle 1 1/2 T of the lemon sugar over the first buttered rectangle. Top it with a second rectangle, sprinkling that one with 1 1/2 T of lemon sugar. Continue to top with rectangles and sprinkle, so you have a stack of five 12" by 4" rectangles, all buttered and topped with lemon sugar.

Slice this new stack crosswise, through all five layers, into 6 equal rectangles, about 4" by 2" each. Carefully transfer these strips of dough into the loaf pan, cut edges up, side by side. This is easier if you prop the loaf pan up on its end. There will be some extra room, but the bread will expand during the second rise and baking. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. When you gently press the dough with your finger, the indentation should stay.
Bake the loaf until top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Check it at 30 with a cake tester to make sure the middle is done. I overcooked mine slightly trying to get it right. Cover the top with foil if it is browning too quickly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the Cream Cheese Icing
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth, then add the milk and lemon juice. Stir until creamy and smooth.

Finishing
Carefully run a thin sharp knife around the edges of the bread, and tap the pan on the table to release the loaf. Flip it over onto a cooling rack, then flip again so it is right side up. Spread the top of the warm bread with the cream cheese icing, using a pastry brush to fill in any cracks. Eat warm or at room temperature, pulling off pieces with your fingers. It's best the first day but if it lasts into a second, microwave the pieces to soften them up. Recipe from Baking for All Occasions by Flo Baker via 17andbaking.com

Crème-filled Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (vegan!)

Oh, yes, here it is. Someone asked for the vegan cupcakes. See, we at Dessert Club are highly tolerant confectioners and welcome any number of creative and alternative treats as long as they meet the theme and taste amazing. Chocolate also helps.

In these particular cupcakes, the POW of orange buttercream filling was a delightful surprise, and the cupcake's texture was so perfect I was frankly amazed they had no eggs. But I didn't miss them, not one bit. (By the way, how do you like my cupcake pedestal?)

Crème-filled Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (print recipe)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 T orange zest
Orange Buttercream Filling (recipe follows)
Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together orange juice, canola oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners until each cup is 2/3 full. Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

5. Once cupcakes are completely cool, fill each cupcake with Orange Buttercream using a pastry bag with a narrow tip (from the top.) Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly over each cupcake and top with 2 slices of candied or fresh orange peel. Makes 12 cupcakes

Orange "Buttercream" Filling
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup refined coconut oil at room temperature*
1 T orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice

In the bowl of a standard mixer, combined powdered sugar, coconut oil, and zest. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. With the mixer running, add 1 T of orange juice at a time, until the desired buttercream consistency is reached. (*If you don't have refined coconut oil, you can make it without - it will just be more glazey than buttercreamy. Increase the sugar a bit to make it thicker.)
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 T almond milk
1 T refined coconut oil at room temperature

Using a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate chips and almond milk in a medium bowl. Whisk in coconut oil until smooth.
Recipe from Chloe Coscarelli via VegNews.com and Dessert Club member A.J.

Bread Week #5 Sweet Challah Bread

Isn't this gorgeous? If there was a Dessert Club prize for Most Beautiful, this would have won it, hands down. (The maker has a 1 1/2-year-old daughter; when her hair gets longer I can't wait to see what she does with it!) Also this was one of the only, if not the only, breads that got made twice. "Breads & Spreads" night was cancelled once for snow, but many of us had already started or made our bread by the time we cancelled. A.M. and her husband ate this entire loaf up in a 12-hour period. And then she made it the next week for our reschedule, whereas most of us tried something else.

Not blaming her at all. If I had made something so beautiful, sweet, rich, airy, buttery, and delectable as this the first time, I might repeat it as well. Her notes are: "I sprinkled sugar on top instead of the traditional poppy seeds. I also did the first rising in the fridge overnight." Which is a nice option to know about; if you do it all in one day it takes about 3 1/2 hours start to finish (from just eyeballing the recipe.)

Sweet Challah Bread (print recipe)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3 tablespoons honey
Dash of saffron threads, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour (about 14 1/4 ounces), divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon water
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; stir in honey and saffron threads. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and egg; stir well with a whisk.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour to yeast mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will be very soft).

4. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

5. Punch dough down. Shape dough into a ball; return to bowl. Cover and let rise an additional 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 15 minutes.

6. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), on a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 25-inch rope with slightly tapered ends. Place ropes lengthwise on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal; pinch ends together at untapered ends to seal. Braid ropes; pinch loose ends to seal. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

7. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine 1 teaspoon water and large egg yolk, stirring with a fork until blended. Uncover loaf, and gently brush with egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Recipe from Cooking Light, November 2005

Whipped Orange Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1 or 2 t brown sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange

Whip butter with mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in other ingredients.
Recipe from Dessert Club member A.M.

Orange Almond Bars

So these are what my Mom made for Dessert Club, and they were among my favorites. They're similar to biscotti - handy dunkable shape, refreshing almond flavor, great with any beverage - except there's no second bake so instead of crunchy they are gorgeously soft and chewy. I could easily eat a whole plateful with a mug of cocoa and a good book (currently reading Catching Fire, the middle book in the Hunger Games trilogy - totally engrossing - I digress.)

And that orange glaze! It figuratively and literally tops the cookie. I love easy things that are awesome!

Orange Almond Bars
Cookie:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1 T finely grated orange peel
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
Milk for brushing
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Orange Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 T orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 325. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

2. In mixer bowl, beat butter until light, about a minute. Ad din half the flour, all the sugar, egg, baking powder, orange peel, almond extract and salt. Beat until combined, then add in the rest of the flour.

3. With your hands, form into a ball and move over to a floured board. Divide dough into four balls. make each into a roll about 8 inches long, then flatten it with a rolling pin to about 2 inches wide. Put them 4 inches apart onto the two prepared cookie sheets. Brush with milk and sprinkle with almonds.

4. Bake for about 22 minutes or until light brown. While still warm and on the sheets, cut diagonally into slices about 1 inch wide. Transfer to wire cooking racks with something underneath to catch the drips. When cool, drizzle with the orange glaze.

Recipe adapted from 100 Best Cookies magazine, 2009

Cookies made by Dessert Club member Carol Y. (Mom)

Click here for printable recipe

Cranberry Muffins

Oooh, you are going to love me for these! You may be thinking these muffins look familiar. You are paying attention! Yes, they are the winter cousin of the most awesome blueberry muffins ever.

I really wanted to make a fresh cranberry muffin, but I was having a hard time finding a recipe that looked trustworthy. Then I realized, duh, I already have the best muffin recipe ever. Cranberries aren't too different from blueberries - more tart, less juicy - but that can be compensated for. Just strategically added a little more sugar, some orange juice and some orange zest instead of lemon. Ta-da! Now we can have the best-muffins-ever all year round!

Cranberry Muffins
Orange Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Muffins:
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh cranberries, picked over and divided
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 6 teaspoon sugar, divided
2 T orange juice
2 1/2 cups (12½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (if you have a scale, weigh it, don't measure it - it's worth it)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk *
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
*If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk.

1. Bring 1 cup cranberries, 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 T orange juice to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon (I used my potato masher) several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

3. For the topping: Stir together sugar and orange zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

4. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Roughly chop remaining 1 cup cranberries and toss with 2 tsp sugar; set aside.

5. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until combined, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and chopped cranberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

6. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).

7. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using small spoon (or spoon handle), gently swirl berry filling into batter. Sprinkle orange sugar evenly over muffins.

8. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 15 to 19 minutes (don't over bake), rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Click here for PRINTABLE RECIPE

Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Glaze

I admit, I don't totally "get" scones. Not a biscuit, not a cake. Often kinda dry and crumbly. What do I do with it?

But I'm glad that didn't stop me when my friend Shanna suggested we try these on our most recent baking day/playdate. Carrot cake is so rich and indulgent (and don't forget cream-cheesey) that it was hard to imagine this not turning out well. This is like a mini carrot cake that is just light enough you could offer it for brunch. But also much more of a treat than your typical scone. So maybe a birthday brunch, or other special holiday.

The batter has carrots, golden raisins, orange zest and cinnamon. The glaze is made with cream cheese and lemon zest. And do not forget the crunchy toasted coconut topping. Despite the hard-crust looking exterior, these scones are moist and cakey inside. A total delight for the senses!

Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Glaze

Scones:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 T orange zest, finely minced

1/2 cup ground walnuts

1/2 cup firm unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup golden raisins or minced, dried pineapple

Cream Cheese Glaze:

1/2 cup or 4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Finishing Touches:

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Orange zest, optional

Cinnamon, optional

A note about preparation: You'll use your food processor a lot for this recipe. First grind up your walnuts, then do step 1 & 2. Then shred your carrots (no need to clean the bowl, maybe just wipe with a paper towel) for step 3. Then wash or wipe very well to make the glaze.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper. Arrange oven rack to upper third position.

2. In a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts and blend briefly. Add butter adn pulse to make a coarse, grainy mixture. Turn out into a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a large measuring cup lightly mix the buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Pour into well and stir with a fork to make a soft batter.

3. Fold in carrots and raisins. Let rest 5 minutes.

4. Pat or press out dough to 3/4-inch thickness on a floured work surface. Cut into 3-inch rounds. Place on prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool scones on a wire rack. (If your coconut isn't toasted yet, sprinkle it on the scone pan parchment and place back in oven, toasting for 2-3 minutes at a time, checking until golden. Allow to cool.)

6. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, place cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in food processor. Process to make a smooth glaze. When scones are completely cooled, spread generously with cream cheese glaze. Top with toasted coconut (and orange zest and cinnamon, if desired. I just did coconut.) Makes 12 to 14 large scones or 24 miniatures

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Orange Marmalade-Ricotta Cupcakes with Marmalade Buttercream Frosting

You think the title's a mouthful, put one of these on your plate. They are delicious little four-bite wonders. My favorite over-the-top part is that the cakes get a brushing of orange juice when they're still warm from the oven. And THEN you frost them. Super yummy whipped orange frosting, too, by the way.

Orange Marmalade-Ricotta Cupcakes
1 (18.25-ounce) package plain white cake mix
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons orange juice, divided
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Insert paper liners into 20 muffin cups; set aside.

2. Beat cake mix, 1 cup orange juice, and next 5 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula, and beat at medium speed 2 minutes or until batter is thick and well combined. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each liner.

3. Bake at 350° for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Brush tops of warm cupcakes evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice. Let cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

5. Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of Marmalade Buttercream Frosting on each cupcake. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days, up to a week in refrigerator, or (unfrosted) up to 6 months in freezer.

Marmalade Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tsp orange extract, optional

Beat first 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until combined. Gradually add orange juice, beating at medium speed 30 seconds or until frosting is spreadable. Beat at medium-high 30 seconds or until fluffy.

Recipes from Anne Byrn, MyRecipes, APRIL 2006

Sour Cream Muffins with Poppy Seed Streusel

You know that 7am church meeting I mentioned? Ward council. And believe it or not, I actually don't mind. Because even though it means I have to get up extra early, it also means I don't have to do a thing to get the kids ready; they just come and meet me when church starts at 9. It's all Ed those mornings.

As you might imagine, these simple sweet muffins were a hit with the 7 o'clock crowd. Of course, they don't have very high standards. But I do, and they were a hit with me, too. Someone did ask, jokingly, "Is that mold on the top?" I need to find out what he's allergic to and make him something special next month.

I'd like to dedicate these muffins to my daughter Poppy (it is the first thing I've made with poppy seeds since she was born, plus she was a champ in the Bumbo while I made them) and my Mom, who happened to have a carton of sour cream in her fridge she gave me, and I used in this recipe.

Sour Cream Muffins with Poppy Seed Streusel
Streusel:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (8-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare streusel, combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

3. Combine buttermilk and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 to 15 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 15 50 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack. Makes 12 to 15 muffins

Recipe from Cooking Light, November 2005

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

I'm gonna be honest with you. I wasn't sure if these were good enough to post. I thought they were okay, but I know I was jaded by having made the Amazing Blueberry Muffins just a few days earlier. But then I took them to my monthly 7 am church meeting. Every month since December I've been bringing muffins to the meeting, always one or two new kinds to try out. And after the August meeting, one friend said, "Kari, I like all the muffins you've brought, but I think these are the best ones yet."

Really. Now that is saying something because I've brought a lot of muffins to these guys. So I looked at them in a new light and took another bite. He's right, you know. These are pretty darn good.

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon apple-pie spice (or pumpkine-pie spice)
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries (about 8 ounces)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp lemon or orange zest

1. Coarsely chop frozen blackberries, and place them back in the freezer until ready to stir into the batter. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through apple-pie spice) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Gently stir in blackberries.

3. For the topping, gently combine 1/4 cup sugar with lemon or orange zest.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each of 17 paper-lined muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkel muffins evenly with sugar topping. Bake at 400° for 17 to 22 minutes, rotating once during baking, until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks. Makes 17 muffins

Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2006

Banana Macadamia Pancakes with Orange Butter

Now here is a great pancake recipe. Different but not outrageous. Sophisticated but subtle. The bananas are soft and sweet, the nuts are buttery and gently crunchy, and the orange butter lends just enough flavor that you enjoy an essence as you exhale through your nose. And these are not a lot of work to make (though workwise, I prefer mashing bananas to cutting them into bits - they get a bit slippery.)

My girls informed me they wouldn't like these because there were nuts in them. They often tell me this, then eat whatever I was making without complaint. This was no exception, and in fact I think the mild flavor of macadamias was appealing to them. Ginger even asked for a handful on the side to eat with her pancakes.

Banana Macadamia Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

3 T unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ripe large banana

1/2 cup salted roasted macadamia nuts, chopped (plus more for garnish if desired)

Orange Butter

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp finely grated fresh orange zest

1 1/2 tsp fresh orange juice

1/8 tsp salt

1. To make orange butter, stir ingredients together in small bowl until well combined.

2. To make pancakes, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, 2 T melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Cut banana into bits and fold into batter along with the nuts. Batter will be thick.

3. Brush a 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet with remaining tablespoon of melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. (*Careful - I didn't think about my cheap brush having synthetic bristles and the ends all melted and got frayed and tangly.) Working in batches of 3, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake into hot skillet and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm, then make more pancakes, brushing skillet with butter for each batch. Serve with orange butter and maple syrup. Garnish with chopped macadamia nuts if desired.

Recipe from Gourmet, December 2002

Good Mood Cranberry Bread

Sometimes you need a nice mini loaf to round out your goody plate...especially if you bought deceptively large give-away platters at the dollar store like I did. I had that need this week, coupled with a cranberry craving, so voila - cranberry bread it is.

I call it Good Mood Cranberry Bread because it just put me in one while making it. Orange is a naturally energizing aromatherapist, and you get it straight from the source when you zest one - go ahead, breathe deeply! Then there's the bright sweet-tart cranberries which are just gorgeous and thrill the taste buds. This bread is just the thing to wake you up on a cold morning or snap you out of a blue winter mood.Good Mood Cranberry Bread
Makes 2 full-size loaves or 6 mini loaves
Bread:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups orange juice
4 tsp grated orange peel (I just zested one large one and called it good)
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup golden raisins

Streusel:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 T (1/3 cup plus 1 T) all-purpose flour
4 T (1/4 cup) cold butter

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tsp orange juice, or enough to make glazey consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with flour (I like the spray that has flour in it.)

2. In a large bowl combine the first five ingredients; cut butter in until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice, and peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Divide dough between two 8x4-inch loaf pans, or six mini loaf pans.

3. Combine brown sugar and flour for streusel. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for 55-65 minutes (38-45 minutes for minis) or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over bread.Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, Oct/Nov 2009

Cranberry-Pear Bars (by Kat)

Another winning mix of flavors not seen often enough! The sweetness of the pear is perfect coupled with the tartness of the cranberries. And for me, the star of the show is actually the frosting, and I'm not such a frosting girl! The combination of the orange and cinnamon is so yummy. Not such a surprise since those two friends make an excellent pairing in tea, but it really made me wonder why I don't combine them more often in baking. That needs to be fixed!

These bad boys are more of a cake than a bar cookie, so I don't think they would work well as part of a goody plate ensemble. They would be great to bring to a holiday potluck or to close a holiday meal - they're moist but not too dense, with just the right level of sweetness to make a nice dessert. Or a nice snack, say, as you walk through the kitchen.

While mixing these, I kept checking the recipe to see if I'd forgotten something. Nope, they really are this simple. I didn't bother thawing the cranberries - I'm not the most patient girl - and I also gave them a rough chop. For the frosting, I made a basic butter cream frosting and added 2 T of orange juice concentrate instead of the orange zest. (Are you listening, Santa, I really need a new micro-plane grater!) I don't have a jelly roll pan (again, Santa!), so I just baked these in a 9x13 pan, which worked well but required slightly longer in the oven to cook through.Cranberry-Pear Bars
1 white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 T finely grated orange peel
1 firm pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Easy Orange Frosting (see recipe below)
Ground cinnamon, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, melted butter and orange peel. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Fold in the chopped pear, cranberries and pecans.

3. Spread mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Frost with Easy Orange Frosting. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon on top. Cut into bars; makes 48.

Easy Orange Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine one 15 to 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting (or better yet make your own), 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp grated orange peel.

To store: place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, December 2009

Orange Bubble Bread

As you can imagine, with all this baking my palate is changing. What used to be considered fabulous is slowly becoming "good." I try a lot of recipes that are only "ok," which just isn't up to par, and don't post them.

So when I say this bubble bread (pluck-it, monkey bread, pull-bread, etc.) is OUTSTANDING, I want you to know I really, really mean it.
Yes, it takes a long time, like anything with yeast does, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The mixing and first rise can be done in the bread machine, which I LOVE. It makes me feel like I'm doing less work, though it's not really that much less. Then it rests, you divide it into roll-size balls, dip in melted butter and roll in the perfectly simple combination of sugar and orange rind. Then you pile it all up in a tube or Bundt pan and let it rise again. When it cooks, the butter-orange-rind-sugar turns into sticky glazey perfection and it's JUST. SO. YUMMY.
But can you ever really have enough glaze? Another quick drizzle of powdered sugar and orange juice finishes the job. Seriously, these rolls are positively perfect. There's nothing else to say.
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bread-machine yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cooking spray

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

1. Combine milk, butter, sugar, water and salt a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH for 3 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Follow manufacturer's instructions for placing milk mixture, flour, yeast, and egg into bread pan, and select the dough cycle; start bread machine. (OR mix the ingredients into a soft dough, place in greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.)

2. Remove dough from machine (do not bake). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 30 seconds. Cover dough; let rest 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, shaping each into a ball (cover remaining dough to keep from drying). Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and rind. Dip each ball into 1/4 cup melted butter, and roll in sugar mixture. Place balls in bottom of a 10-inch tube pan (or Bundt pan) coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 350°.

5. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.

6. Remove bread from pan. Cool bread 15 minutes on wire rack.

7. Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle mixture over loaf, and serve warm.

Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2001