Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes with Marshmallow Honey Butter

 You're dying, right?  I know!  These pankies are pretty outrageously good.  And I'm picky about raisins.  But in these, they shine...without outshining. 

If you've paid any attention to my sources, you might be saying, wow, she's really cooking a lot from Joy the Baker.  It's true, I'm in love with her cookbook, and we're still having a good honeymoon.  But this week especially, because her first chapter is called pancakes pancakes pancakes...and lesser breakfast items.  How could that not show heavily during Pancake Week?

Then there's the butter.  Dessert Club member Sheri made some killer Marshmallow Honey Butter to fill her winning Russian Rose Bread, and I just had to try it.  What better palate than pancakes?

Also.  My 6-year-old has really terrible allergies in the spring.  Someone told me if you eat local honey it helps reduce allergic reactions to pollen, so I bought some at the market where we got our Halloween pumpkins.  Couldn't hurt, I figured.  Turns out, she doesn't even like honey.  But we've been having a good time using it up anyway, and if she happens to ingest any, well, we'll take any help we can get.  She did like this honey butter, at least. 

 Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (print recipe)

Makes about 3 dozen small pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 T packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Big pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 T pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled plus more for the griddle
1/3 cup golden raisins

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees F.  This will help keep the cooked pancakes warm while you finish the entire batch.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, and melted butter.  Add the buttermilk mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until all of the flour is incorporated.  Fold in the raisins.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

4.  Heat griddle over medium heat and add a touch of butter to melt.  Spoon or pour batter onto the hot griddle.  Heat until the bottom is browned and the top is bubbly.  Flip and cook through, about 2 minutes on each side.  Place on a heatproof plate in the oven to rest until ready to serve. 

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

 Marshmallow Honey Butter
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup butter (I used salted), softened
1/4 c honey
1/4 c marshmallow fluff

In an electric mixer on medium speed, whip ingredients until fluffy and well-combined.  Serve with pancakes or pretty much anything in the world. 

Recipe from Dessert Club member Sheri Wadman

Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake

 I'm not a pastry snob, being a total amateur and all.  And actual pastries are an art, and a hard one.  But this relatively simple cake made me feel almost professional - check out that height!  And how about that pastry cream inside?  Fancy.  And that almost-perfect crust.  Thank you.

Never mind that, when I took this to a dinner party, and was asked what I had brought, I proudly replied, "Oh this?  It's a Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake."  He gave it a suspicious once-over, and sniffed.  "Well," he said, "I never met a pie I didn't like," and walked away, as if he had bestowed some form of acceptance, or approval.  Ahem.  Recover.  Smile graciously.  Keep it deep inside that it's not a pie.  It's a pastry cake.  Like I said.

Me?  Nope, not a snob at all.

Rougemont Apple Pastry Cake (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 16 servings

Pastry Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 to 6 T ice water or half-and-half

Apple Filling:
10 to 12 large apples, cored, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins, plumped and dried* (I used golden raisins)
1 T lemon juice

Vanilla Sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Finishing Touches:
Confectioners' sugar
Apricot jam, warmed

1.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Brush bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform with melted butter and place on baking sheet.

2.  For Pastry Crust, place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.  Add butter and pulse to make a grainy mixture.  Add water and pulse to make a shaggy dough.  On a lightly floured work surface, gather dough together, kneading a few moments to make a smooth dough.  Wrap and chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out.

3.  Meanwhile, for Apple Filling, toss apples with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, raisins, and lemon juice.

4.  Preheat oven to 350.  Roll or press out dough evenly and fit on bottom and sides of prepared pan (dough should be between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.)  Fill with Apple Filling, pressing gently.  For final layer of apples, arrange in concentric circles.  Apples should come to top of pan.  If they don't, prepare more to fill out the pan, tossing with 2 T sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

5.  Cover pan lightly with aluminum foil.  Bake cake 60 to 70 minutes or until apples are soft, removing foil after 20 minutes.  The top apples might seem dry and browned around their edges, but interior apples should begin to feel soft - use a skewer to test apples.

6.  For Vanilla Sauce, in a small bowl, blend melted butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, and cinnamon.  Pour this over hot pastry cake, trying to get sauce to drip into crevices.  Bake another 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

7.  Refrigerate pastry cake at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.  Dust with confectioners' sugar or brush with warmed apricot jam before serving.

*I usually don't bother to plump my dried fruit, but if you want to, cover the fruit with very hot water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes; drain and pat dry with paper towels before using in a recipe.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

1 year ago:  Doughnut Upside Down Cake
2 years ago:  My First Fudge
3 years ago:  White Chocolate Macadamia Muffins

Pain au Raisin

 This was my favorite treat at Buns/Rolls/Muffins/Scones night.  The dough here is amaaazing.  And the special je-ne-sais-quoi here is a homemade almond cream filling wrapped up in the dough that cradles the raisins like an adoring lover.  See?  Even the memory of these makes me wax a little French.   

Mon cheri...

Pain au Raisin (print recipe)
Makes 20 rolls

Dough:
3 T unsalted butter
Scant 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh compressed yeast
Generous 1/2 cup cold water
3 1/3 cups bread flour, plus extra if needed
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Generous 1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup plus 2 T room temperature unsalted butter
Almond Cream, recipe follows
Hydrated Raisins, recipe follows

Egg Wash:
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
Scant 1/4 cup whole milk

1.  Prepare the dough: Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature. It should be warm to the touch.

2.  In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cold water. Place the flour, salt, sugar, milk, and melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set the mixer on medium speed and mix just until the ingredients are dispersed, about 5 seconds. Add the dissolved yeast and beat on medium-high speed until the dough is well combined and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. If the dough is too soft, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is firmer. (The dough is too soft when it cannot hold its shape.) If the dough is too hard, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it has softened. (The dough is too hard when it is difficult to mix in the mixer.) Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. If the dough is slightly sticky and ropy, knead it with your hands for about 30 seconds, until it is smooth. Pat it into a ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let it proof at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

3.  Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to an 8 by 15-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. The cold retards the rising process, allowing a slow fermentation to help develop the flavor of the dough.

4.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap the rectangle, and place it with a long side facing you on a lightly floured work surface. Spread the softened butter evenly over the right two thirds of the dough. Incorporate the butter by folding the (butterless) left third of the dough over the center, Then fold the right third of the dough to the left, to resemble a folded letter. Roll this out into another 10 by 30-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Fold each short end of the dough to the middle so they meet but do not overlap. Then fold one half over the other half and, if necessary, rotate the dough so that the seam is on your right. Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.

5.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 10 by 30-inch rectangle and turn it so a long side faces you. Give the dough a single fold by folding the left third of the dough over the center, then fold the right third of the dough to the left. Now the dough should resemble a folded letter. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

6.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 10 by 36-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Keep the thickness even and the edges straight. This will make it easier to cut.

7. Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/8-inch-thick layer of almond cream over the dough, spreading it all the way to the edges of the rectangle. Sprinkle the top of the almond cream with the hydrated raisins. Roll the dough toward you, starting at the long side. Try to keep the roll tight and even. Cut the roll into 1-inch-thick slices. You will have a tail on each slice. To close the pain au raisin, simply tuck the tail under the dough. Place the pain au raisin on a parchment covered baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Allow the Pain au Raisin to proof at room temperature until they have doubled in size and appear light and full of air; about 1 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the temperature of the room and of the dough.

8.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make an egg wash by whisking together the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small bowl until well combined. With a pastry brush, very gently coat the pastries completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer if well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.
 

Almond Cream:
Almond cream is always baked to a spongy, cake-like texture and can be used by itself or in combination with nuts or fruits. The addition of starch to this recipe ensures that it will not run out of a pastry shell during the cooking process.
1/2 cup plus 1 T unsalted butter, room temperature
Generous 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Generous 1 cup almond flour
1 large egg
Scant 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1.  Place the butter, sugar, and almond flour in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer set on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The mixture will be dry and sandy until the butter begins to incorporate. Add the egg and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. The egg is well incorporated when the mixture is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. It is important to allow time for this air to beat in, otherwise, the almond cream will be too heavy.

2.  Add the flour and beat on low speed just until it is no longer visible, about 30 seconds.

3.  Pour the almond cream into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before using and beat it lightly with an electric mixer set on medium speed until it returns to its initial volume and is once again light in texture and color.
Yield: 1 3/4 cups


Hydrated Raisins:
1 cup raisins
Water, as needed
1/2 cup dark rum or flavored liquor

Place the raisins in a mixing bowl or glass jar and add water so that it covers the raisins by at least 1/2-inch. Stir in the rum or flavored alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. It is even better to allow the raisins to hydrate for 2 to 3 days. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. When you are ready to use them, strain the amount that you need through a fine-mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe.

-OR- you can do what Dessert Club member A.M. did, which is pour hot water over the raisins and let them sit for a few hours.  Strain well before adding to the rolls.

Yield: 1 cup


Recipes from Food Network via Dessert Club member A.M.

Family Circle Cinnamon Rolls

Four out of five of us at my house are not morning people. We're tired, we're grumpy, we're hungry. Only to face another bowl of cold cereal for our trouble. Sometimes muffins if I've been a busy bee. Once in a great while pancakes, if it's an open Saturday (or Pancake Week is coming up.) But almost never cinnamon rolls. They take 3 hours! And you know I'm not getting up any earlier than I have to because I am one of those four out of five people.

But I must not forget that cinnamon rolls can be done this way: make them in the evening - mix, rise, roll, fill, cut. Then let them second-rise in the fridge overnight while your poor mind and body collapse into exhausted oblivion that never lasts long enough.

When the cock crows, the baby cries, the enormous family of birds in your neighbor's tree goes to bickering, or your 4-year-old pads clumsily into your room, breathing heavily in your face hoping to be invited to snuggle, go preheat the oven and take the rolls out of the fridge to warm up a bit. When the oven's ready, toss them in, set the timer, and go catch a few more winks while they bake and fill your house with the kind of indescribably comforting aromas of yeast and cinnamon that could turn the grumpiest grouch into a morning person.

At least for one day.

Family Circle Cinnamon Rolls (print recipe)

Dough:
1 cup whole milk
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100°F to 110°F)
3 T granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 to 3 T milk

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, eggs and butter. Beat in cooled milk.

3. Gradually add the flour and salt, scraping down side of bowl, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead the remaining flour into the dough, adding more flour if too sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will be soft.

4. Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.

5. Coat two 9-inch round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with spray. Prepare Filling: Mix butter, both kinds of sugar and cinnamon together in a medium-size bowl.

6. Punch down dough. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to an 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the butter-sugar mixture over the dough. Sprinkle with nuts and raisins. Starting on one long side roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch seam to close.

7. Cut crosswise into 14 generous 1-inch pieces. Arrange 7 pieces, cut-side down, in each prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the following morning.

8. Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden-brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.

9. Glaze: Mix confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk as necessary, to make a smooth glaze. Invert buns to a serving platter. Drizzle glaze on top of buns (about 1/3 cup per pan). Serve warm. Recipe from Family Circle magazine, January 2011

Soft Rolls...just in time for Thanksgiving!

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? I am. First time. I sat down and mapped out the menu and immediately realized the difficulties of doing this with one oven. But it will work out.

Ed's one requirement for the meal is soft rolls. Which is good, because I happen to have just tried this recipe and it's wonderful - buttery, rich, pull-apart tender, ever-so-slightly sweet. I have only made the pan roll recipe, but the variations that follow look promising as well. And the fact that the dough makes itself in the bread machine while I am busy doing other things, and only has one short additional rise, makes this a PERFECT Thanksgiving recipe. Gobble, gobble!Butter-Rich Roll and Bread Dough
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup dry milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Egg Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons water

Measure all ingredients into bread pan in order suggested by your manufacturer. When cycle is finished remove dough from pan and shape according to recipe directions. Cover dough, let stand as recipe directs.

Egg glaze: beat together egg and water. Brush generously over shaped loaves or rolls prior to baking. Bake as directed in each recipe until golden brown.

Pan Rolls:
Prepare Butter-Rich Roll and Bread Dough. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Divide dough into equal quarters. Cut each quarter into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place on lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Brush with egg glaze if desired. Cover dough, let stand 20 to 30 minutes or until dough rises. Bake at 375 degrees F 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 32 rolls.

Cinnamon-Raisin Rolls:
Prepare Butter-Rich roll recipe. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into an 8 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread surface with 1/4 cup butter, thinly sliced. Sprinkle each rectangle surface with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Then sprinkle 1/3 cup raisins over dough. Start with 8 inch side and roll dough jelly-roll style, pinch seam to seal. With seam side down, cut in 8 one-inch pieces. Place on a greased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Cover lightly with damp towel, allow to rise in warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 20 minutes. Makes 16 rolls.

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Loaf:
Prepare Butter-Rich Roll and Bread Dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll a quarter of the dough into an 8 x 5-inch rectangle. Melt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Brush over dough. Sprinkle dough with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Then sprinkle 1/3 cup of raisins over dough. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Seal ends by pinching edges of dough together with fingertips. Place dough in a greased 5 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pan or on a large baking sheet. Allow to stand 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 or 40 minutes or until golden brown. When loaf is cool, glaze with a mixture of 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Makes 4 loaves.

*Optional - add 1/4 cup of brown sugar also to cinnamon sugar mix.

*You can make bread sticks, bread loaf or cloverleaf rolls also. Sprinkle salt or sesame seeds on after the egg glaze.

Recipe from Recipegoldmine.com

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

Apple Dumplings with Cider Sauce

A dumpling is a cooked ball of dough. It can be steamed, boiled, baked, fried, sweet, savory, filled or not. But an apple dumpling is a little handful of heaven. When it's done right.

I have been dying to try this recipe since last year. When there is fruit, syrup, filling and dough involved, my mouth waters but my confidence trembles. So much can go wrong! But. If someone is going to get it right, it is probably the Test Kitchen so I forged ahead.

Hello. Yummo. Here is why the Test Kitchen got it right:

• Dough - they tried several types and settled on a sweet biscuit dough which was easier to work with and did a good job absorbing the liquid without becoming soggy. I can attest, the dough was perfect.
• Apple - again, tried several types AND amounts. Whole apples didn't cook all the way through. Some varieties turned to mush. Halved golden delicious was perfect.
• Sauce - instead of baking the dumplings in syrup, which just makes them soggy, they make a delicious apple cider sauce separately and pour it on for serving. I did say yummo, right?

Apple Dumplings

Dough
2 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
3	tablespoons sugar
2	teaspoons baking powder
3/4	teaspoon salt
10	tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
5	tablespoons vegetable shortening , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3/4	cups cold buttermilk
Apple
6	tablespoons sugar
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
3	tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
3	tablespoons golden raisins , chopped
4	Golden Delicious apples*
2	egg whites , lightly beaten

1. MAKE DOUGH Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to bowl. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive. Press dough into 8- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. PREP APPLES Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture. Peel apples and halve through equator. Remove core using a melon baller and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

3. ASSEMBLE DUMPLINGS On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 12-inch square. Cut each 12-inch square into four 6-inch squares. Working one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut-side up, in center of each square. Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using paring knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

4. FINISH APPLES Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve with Cider Sauce.

*Other sweet, moderately firm apples such as Gala or Braeburn can be substituted.

Cider Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1	cup apple cider
1	cup water
1	cup sugar
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	tablespoon lemon juice

Bring cider, water, sugar, and cinnamon to simmer in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1½ cups, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over dumplings to serve.

Recipes from Cook's Country, October 2009

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

Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I love my bread machine, and I often try new recipes with it, but I only have a handful of tried-and-trues that I know I can rely on, and that are so delicious I come back to them over and over. Naturally this is one of them.

My favorite bread machine feature is the DELAY TIMER. It allows me to dump in all the ingredients, and set the time I want the bread to finish, up to 13 hours from now. The bread cycle takes 3 hours but if I'm going to be gone or busy for longer than that, enter the delay timer. I use it with this bread almost every time, especially to set the bread to finish just as we get home from church - oh, the heavenly smells that welcome us! Or like this week - I set it up at night after doing the dinner dishes, and timed it to finish around 7:30 the next morning, just about the time we are rousing and thinking of breakfast. Waking to such beguiling aromas as yeast and cinnamon - with absolutely no work on my part! - could make me cry if I'm feeling poetic, or at the very least, start my day in the best of moods.

We love this bread with butter, honey, apple butter, blackberry jam, pumpkin butter, even cream cheese. Slice it thick and have it warm the first day, then toast it the next, or use it to make french toast or even croutons for a sweet-and-savory salad (Craisins, spicy sweet pecans, pears, feta, lettuce, etc.)

Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread
1 1/4 cups water
2 T butter
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast
1 cup raisins (or any dried fruit or berries of your choice such as blueberries, cherries, currants, etc. I use Trader Joe's Golden Berry Blend)

1. Place all the ingredients except the raisins in the bread machine pan in the order your machine manual recommends. If you have dry ingredients on top, place raisins on top of them.

2. Process on the basic/white cycle. Seriously, that's it.

Recipe from The One-Armed Cook by Cynthia Graubart and Catherine Fliegel

JoAnn's Big "Eat 'Em Today" Cinnamon Rolls

Happy September! In honor of Back to School Month I am moving these BEST CINNAMON ROLLS on EARTH to the front of the queue - they are the PERFECT after school snack.Ever since starting this blog I have been on the hunt for a truly divine cinnamon roll recipe. I've tried three or four over the months but none were quite what I was looking for. I wanted something soft, yeasty, stretchy and perfectly sweet and spicy. I don't know why I was looking so hard, when I had JoAnn Randall's recipe at my fingertips all along.

JoAnn is my friend Shanna's mother. I've never actually met her - she lives in Rigby, Idaho - but I have heard endless wonderful stories about her and I have tasted many of the recipes that come from her kitchen, each better than the last. As a farmer's wife and mother of ten, JoAnn made almost everything from scratch, three times a day, seven days a week, for years and years for her family. I imagine in those circumstances it wouldn't take long to become a pretty amazing cook. At least in JoAnn's case that is definitely true.
These are called "Eat 'Em Today" Cinnamon Rolls because the fresher they are, the better. But I have frozen some, double wrapped in plastic and foil, to be microwaved later, and they still satisfy mighty well. JoAnn used to make these for things like football teams and church brunches since they make two dozen. The day I made them, I kept a pan for myself (ahem, I mean my family), brought some to my neighbor from whom I'd borrowed a beach umbrella for the Assateague Island trip, took half a dozen to my sister Maren's family, and shared some with the guys working on our basement (it was only human of me since they had to smell them cooking all morning!)

A few notes - the recipe I got was a copy of the one Shanna had, and in reading it, it was obviously written for someone who already knows the recipe. I had to call her to ask for things like length of raising times and amounts of filling ingredients since they never measure, they just know what to do. I did some estimates but there is wiggle room for what you like. Just don't wiggle too much or they won't be the BEST CINNAMON ROLLS on EARTH.
So if you've got a great cinnamon roll recipe, pass it my way, I'd love to make it and compare. But if you don't have one, look no further. You do now. You can thank JoAnn.

JoAnn's Big "Eat 'Em Today" Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
4 cups milk, scalded
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
6 T butter, melted
2 T yeast
1/2 cup warm water
10 to 12 cups flour

Filling:
Soft butter
Lots of cinnamon
Lots of brown sugar
Raisins and/or nuts, optional

Frosting:
1/4 cup soft butter
4 T cream or milk
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla and/or almond extract (I did 1/2 tsp of each)

1. Dissolve yeast and a pinch of sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Heat milk until steaming and bubbles form around edge but not boiling. Cool slightly. Add beaten eggs, salt, sugar, melted butter, and yeast/water mixture; mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time but don't add too much - the dough should still be quite sticky.

2. Place dough in very large greased bowl, cover and raise for about 45 minutes. Punch down and raise again for about 45 minutes. (I put the dough in my biggest bowl and it was still spilling over the edges and onto the counter after the second rise. I obviously need a bigger bowl.)

3. Pour dough onto large clean floured surface. Knead a little flour into the dough to make it easy to handle. Divide dough in half and set one half aside. Roll remaining half into a large square. Top with softened butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on very generously. Then spread handfuls of brown sugar around generously. Sprinkle on lots more cinnamon. If adding nuts and raisins, press them gently into the dough. Raisins go along the top 2 inches of dough so they will be in the center of the rolls.

4. Roll the dough tightly from top towards you. Use dental floss to divide in half, half again, and then in thirds, for 12 rolls total. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment, silpat, or sprayed with cooking spray, a dozen per sheet. Repeat with other half of dough.

5. Allow rolls to rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for about 25 minutes. The way to tell if they are ready is: if you poke the dough and it follows your finger out, they need to rise some more. Your poke should leave a mark.

6. Heat oven to 400. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (watch them after 15 so they don't overcook.)

7. To prepare frosting, cream butter and 1 T cream. You could add a little cream cheese if you like. Add powdered sugar and extract. Add the rest of the cream gradually until it's a spreading consistency you like. Frost rolls while still warm. Little helpers like this part.
Recipe from JoAnn Randall

Carrot Cake Cookies

More like inside-out carrot cake cookies, with the delectably creamy cream cheese frosting on the inside. These cookies are one of the few exceptions I make to include raisins in a cookie. Like white chocolate and a few other suspect ingredients, they do have their place in the baking world, and this is one of them. The cookies are so bendy soft, sweet and spicy, and the filling so creamy. You can wrap these individually and freeze them for a frozen summer treat as well, or just to make them last longer.

Be sure to read ahead - you need your butter and eggs room temperature, and the dough chills for an hour so make sure you have enough time.

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large)
1 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In an electric mixer beat butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium until well combined.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Place balls of dough on prepared sheets, 2 inches apart (they really spread!) Bake 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until brown and crisp. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Spread about 2 tsp frosting onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich together with remaining cookies. Can be stored in refrigerator in airtight container up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine.


Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies

Morning Glory Muffins

For Christmas my brother gave me an amazing cookbook - The Best of America's Test Kitchen: the year's best recipes, equipment reviews and tastings 2007. I'm an idiot and didn't know what America's Test Kitchen is but now I do. These are the guys who do Cooks Illustrated and Cooks Country magazines, and the PBS show "America's Test Kitchen." They have a 2,500 sq foot test kitchen near Boston where two dozen test chefs work full time year round testing and perfecting recipes. Some have been tested 20, 30 or 40 times to get them absolutely perfect. Nice to have someone else do it since I hate nothing more than working hard to chop, puree, fold, and dice, and dirtying every bowl I have only to have a recipe fail.

So every time I flip through the book my mouth waters and I finally got around to trying a recipe tonight: Morning Glory Muffins. I was looking for something to use shredded carrots in, since I have half a bag leftover from making Rachael Ray's "Curry-in-a-Hurry Chicken Salad" (which by the way is really good, especially the mango chutney salad dressing...) a few weeks ago. Sometimes Ed is in a hurry out the door in the morning; it's nice to have muffins around that he can grab and go, so I'm always looking for good recipes to try. And so far the book has lived up to its name. These muffins came out perfect - great texture, not too dry nor too moist, fabulous flavor and extremely aromatic.

Before I give you the recipe let me just mention a few little changes I made to make them my own:

• left out the coconut because I don't like it
• 2 tsp instead of 1 tsp of vanilla - Dave taught me the great trick of always doubling vanilla in recipes
• salted instead of unsalted butter just because that's what I had; didn't notice the difference in taste
• added a dash of freshly grated nutmeg - I add it to anything I can
• my oven runs hot so they were done in only 22 minutes
  
• instead of raisins I used Trader Joe's "Golden Blend", which has dried golden raisins, cherries, blueberries and cranberries - YUM!

Morning Glory Muffins
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 carrots, peeled & grated (2 cups)
1 (8-0unce) can of crushed pineapple, drained and pressed dry with paper towels
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375. Coat 12-cup muffin tin with spray or line with paper cups.
2. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold the carrots, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and toasted nuts into the batter.
5. Use a large ladle or measuring cup to divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes.
6. Let muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then flip out onto wire rack. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Let me know if anyone tries them!