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"Breakfast"
In a saucepan, combine water with tea bags and cinnamon sticks.
Bring to boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and cinnamon sticks.
Stir milk, sugar or honey, vanilla, ground ginger, and ground cardamom into hot tea. Cook and stir over medium heat just until mixture is heated through. Do not boil.
To serve, pour hot tea into warmed mugs.
If desired, sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and add a cinnamon stick to each mug.
A cup of comfort.
If you like muffins, you’ll love these. If you don’t like muffins, you’ll like these. I love muffins. I love these muffins. Full of banana flavor with texture from the oats and spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped with more sweet cinnamon goodness – these muffins are just sweet enough and not too sweet.
Perfect with a cup of coffee or hot tea. Perfect for breakfast. Perfect for lunch. Perfect for snacking. Perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. Perfect in a gift basket.
Perfect. Little. Muffin.
Muffins
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup (2-3 med) mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk*
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
Topping
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
*Exchange 1/2 milk plus 1 tbsp buttermilk powder for fresh buttermilk
Adapted from a recipe by C&H Sugar.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to combine. In a small bowl, combine and mix thoroughly all of the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined and dry ingredients are moistened. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and set aside.
Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin with sugar-cinnamon.
Bake for 14-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Cinnamon Rolls
For the Dough:
3 ½ cups unbleached flour
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp Bakers Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
4 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
4 tbsp soft butter
2/3 cup lukewarm water
½ cup lukewarm milk
Tip: combine cold milk with hot water to get lukewarm liquid
For the Filling:
softened butter, enough to spread evenly over dough
Cinnamon and Sugar mixture (I use Cinnamon Sugar Plus from King Arthur Flour)
A good ratio is 1/2 sugar to 3 tbsp. cinnamon.
1) Combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together and knead (using your hands, a stand mixer with a dough hook, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle) to make a soft, smooth dough.
2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s doubled in bulk. If using a bread machine, let dough go through first rise, remove the dough and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
3) Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Pat and roll dough into a large even rectangle. Spread surface with softened butter leaving one long edge dry (to ensure a good seal after rolling). Use a good amount of butter or the cinnamon rolls will be dry. Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll dough evenly. After rolling, pinch together the edges to seal. Trim ends if very uneven. Slice into 12 equal pieces. Place rolls into a greased pan. Cover rolls with oiled or buttered plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Allow to rise for another hour to hour and a half. Keep in warm area free from drafts.
4) After the final rise, bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 26 minutes until golden brown.
5) Frost after cooling.
Frosting: 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp soft butter, milk (use enough milk for a nice fluffy frosting.)
Beat until fluffy. Beat powdered sugar and butter together and gradually beat in enough milk for a nice creamy and fluffy frosting. Add vanilla and beat for an additional 30 seconds or so.
Granola – addictive and yummy.
Chewy and crunchy.
Sweet. But not too sweet.
Full of good stuff, for your body and for your mind.
You get to decide what goes in it. What’s not to like?
It’s quick to mix up and smells heavenly while baking.
Granola
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole unsalted almonds
2 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, canola oil, melted butter, honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well. Add the oats, almonds, coconut, and wheat germ. Stir until combined.
Spread evenly onto a nonstick baking sheet. Press down with a spatula.
Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Spread again. Return to oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Check granola often during the last 5 minutes to ensure the almonds and coconut do not burn.
Remove from oven and let cool. Break up granola.
Stir-ins may be added at this point including: dried fruit, raisins or golden raisins, sweetened cranberries, ground flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped dates or dried apricots. Any combination you like!
Walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts can be added or exchanged for the almonds.
Store cooled granola in glass jars or other airtight containers.
For a great gift idea, give granola in a glass canning jar, tie on a label and include the recipe.
Tomatoes and basil from my garden, brought together with creamy ricotta, onion, garlic and an olive oil crust, well let’s just say you won’t be sorry if you spend a summer morning or afternoon making this.
TOMATO TART
Savory Press-In Tart Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp ice water
Process the flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined. Drizzle the olive oil over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles course sand, about 12 pulses.
Add 2 tbsp of the ice water and continue to process until large clumps of dough form and no powdery bits remain, about 5 seconds. If the dough doesn’t clump, add the remaining tablespoon of ice water, pulsing to incorporate, about 4 pulses. The dough should feel quite sticky.
Form walnut-sized clumps of the tart dough, arrange into tart pan and press the dough evenly into the pan. Since this tart is thin, press the tart dough only 1/2″ – 3/4″ up the sides of the tart pan. Lay plastic wrap over the dough and smooth the dough in the pan using the palm of your hand.
Tomato Tart
1 recipe Savory Press-In Tart Dough
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3-4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and sliced (1/4″)
Salt
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup light ricotta
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepper
Dash of grated nutmeg
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Prepare the tart dough as directed above. Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and place on a baking sheet placed on the middle rack of a 375 degree oven. Line with a double layer of foil and add pie weights. A glass pie plate or oven proof dinner plate will also work. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.
Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and place on a dish lined with paper towel. Salt the tomatoes and let sit. This will eliminate excess juices from tomatoes which would cause a soggy tart.
Saute the chopped onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add minced garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the other 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, ricotta, mozzarella cheese, onions, garlic, dash of nutmeg and pepper to taste. Spread over cooled tart crust. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
Arrange tomatoes over the ricotta in the tart. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and garnish with basil.
Adapted from:
The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
If you are looking for a muffin recipe that isn’t too sweet, this is it. The sweetness of the muffins will vary depending on the sweetness of your blueberries. Crunchy and tender at the same time and full of blueberries, this muffin would make a great addition to a bread basket. It also makes a healthy afternoon snack.
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional)
Dash of Nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or 375 degrees for high altitude. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with baking cups.
- Mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, ground vanilla bean (if using) and salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and egg and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly without beating. Gently fold in the blueberries.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake until the muffins spring back when pressed, and the tops are lightly golden, about 25 minutes. Cool enough to handle, then remove from the tin and cool on a rack. Serve warm.
Makes 12 muffins.
Recipe adapted from Smith & Hawkin’s Gardener’s Community Cookbook. The original recipe included sage, but I leave it out.
6 tbsp butter (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped into raisin-sized pieces
Biscotti and tea anyone?
6 tbsp butter (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped into raisin-sized pieces
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees for high altitude).
Lightly grease a baking sheet or biscotti pan (or line with parchment or silicone mat) .
Toast pecans in a skillet over med-low heat, stirring or shaking often, for 6-8 minutes. Check often for doneness. The pecans will continue to toast slightly after removing from heat, so be careful not to overcook. Let cool and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder until mixed. Stir in pecans and butterscotch chips.
On low speed, slowly add flour mixture to egg batter until thoroughly mixed. Dough will be soft and sticky.
Gather dough on a lightly floured surface and work in only enough flour to allow the dough to be shaped. Transfer dough to the baking sheet or pan and pat into a rectangle, roughly 10-12 inches long, 4-6 inches wide, and 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit 15-20 minutes, or until just warm.
While biscotti rests and cools, lower oven temperature to 325 degrees (350 for high altitude).
Transfer to wooden board and using a serrated knife, slice dough into 3/4 inch thick slices. Be careful to slice evenly up and down to ensure slices are the same size from top to bottom. Place each slice upright on baking sheet, allowing space between each slice.
Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tip: If you find the biscotti difficult to slice, mist lightly with water before slicing. This helps prevent flaking and cracking. A plant mister works well for this.
Adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks : King Arthur Flour Cookie Campanion
