Snow Day...Baking Day!

There is nothing I love more on a Snow Day than being trapped inside with no where to go and baking and cooking all day. While this wasn't exactly the winter storm the weather channel was predicting, I still used it a good day to clear my schedule and cook all day. For breakfast I made another recipe from my new Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook...Jumbo Bran Muffins. A muffin with a cup of hot chocolate was the perfect thing to start our lazy day off with. I didn't have a jumbo muffin pan, so I made 12 regular size muffins instead. These muffins were pretty good...very filling with all the bran and whole wheat flour...3 points each. They are quite dense. I used cranberries instead of golden raisins, but either will work. The unprocessed bran can be found on the baking aisle beside the flour.

Jumbo Bran Muffins

2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups unprocessed bran

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup fat-free buttermilk

2/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray non-stick muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with foil or paper liners.

To make the crumb topping, in a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour and the brown sugar. With a pastry blender, cut into the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the walnuts.

In a large bowl, combine the bran, whole wheat flour, the remaining 1/4 cup all purpose flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixture on medium speed, beat the egg, egg whites, sugar and molasses until blended. Gradually beat in the buttermilk. Gradually add the bran mixture, mixing on low speed until just blended. Stir in the raisins.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups, fill each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cook in the pan for 5 minutes.

Trying Something New...

I'm learning to try new recipes that otherwise I'd glance over. These Cardamom Lime Sweet Rolls caught my attention. I decided to make them Sunday evening, so they'd be ready to heat up for breakfasts this week. Cardamom is one of the most expensive spices there is. Target sells a big jar of it for $6.99. I thought I could do better, but at Harris Teeter the same size jar was $12.00...holy cow! I didn't want them that bad. I googled a substitute for it, but there really isn't one and I was intrigued enough to taste it now that there wasn't a substitute. I finally found some at World Market for $3.29, plus a cute glass spice bottle for $0.99. Secretly I want all my spices jars to match and I'm currently making a plan to buy more.

I've work with yeast before and I thought I had a good a handle on it, but our house must not have had the right conditions for it to work, or maybe I didn't add enough flour. Either way, the dough was very flimsy. I made it work. They weren't as pretty as the picture, but the cardamom and lime was an excellent combination. Even if the dough wasn't worth the effort, finding the cardamom was! I'll definitely make them again...a little taste of the tropics in the middle of winter.

Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls (Cooking Light)

Dough:

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces), divided

Cooking spray

Filling:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Combine sour cream and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Gradually stir yeast mixture into sour cream mixture. Lightly spoon 2 1/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour to sour cream mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.

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 feel slightly tacky).

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, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, rind, and cardamom. Divide dough into two equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, roll dough into a 12 x 10–inch rectangle; brush with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle half of filling over dough. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Repeat procedure with remaining dough, 1 tablespoon butter, and filling. Cut each roll into 12 (1-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Uncover dough. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls.

Pumpkin Pumpkin Pumpkin...

During the holidays I get obsessed with pumpkin. I've found by far the best pumpkin bread...chocolate chip pumpkin bread. It's really easy and makes 2 loaves...Perfect for making one for you and sharing the other! This bread is made with pudding, which makes it super moist. And you can eat a slightly bigger piece since it's a light recipe from Cooking Light.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (Cooking Light)

2 cups sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding

4 large egg whites

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fall turns me into a baker and I've been dying to make some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Last year I made these from scratch and they were awesome, but this October has been unbelievably busy. So I received this recipe from a friend...not only are they quick and easy, but they're very low fat. We especially enjoy these for breakfast or a late night snack after dinner.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 box spice cake mix

1 (15 oz) pure pumpkin

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix spice cake mix, water and pumpkin until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide mixture among 20 muffins and bake for 20-22 minutes.

A Perfect Brunch

This past weekend, my college roommate, Meg and her new husband, Pat come to visit us for the weekend. We love having guests and entertaining, so a brunch was a perfect ending to the weekend. This brunch casserole orginially called for canned mushrooms and frozen spinach, but I used fresh and it was wonderful.

Sausage, Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

2 1/2 cups seasoned croutons
1 pound spicy pork sausage
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Half a bag of fresh spinach, chopped
4 oz fresh chopped mushrooms
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

Spread croutons on bottom of greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Crumble sausage into medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain off any drippings. Spread sausage over croutons.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well blended. Stir in soup, spinach, mushrooms, cheeses and mustard. Pour egg mixture over sausage and croutons. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until set and lightly browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve hot.

A Tropical Breakfast

This was the perfect breakfast to start a day at the beach. A very tropical taste with the fruit and coconut milk in the french toast. It's made the night before, so the bread can soak up the coconut egg mixture and then it's baked in the morning.

Baked Coconut French Toast with Tropical Fruit Compote (Cooking Light)

COMPOTE:
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup chopped peeled mango
1 cup chopped peeled papaya
1 cup chopped peeled kiwifruit
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

FRENCH TOAST:
16 (1-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette (about 10 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
1 1/4 cups egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

To prepare compote, combine first 6 ingredients. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

To prepare the French toast, arrange bread in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine light coconut milk, egg substitute, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla, stirring with a whisk, and pour evenly over bread. Turn the bread over to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove bread mixture from refrigerator, and uncover. Turn bread slices over, and sprinkle evenly with flaked coconut. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 30 minutes or until coconut is golden. Serve warm with fruit compote.

Gorilla Bread

This breakfast treat is similar to Monkey Bread, but has cream cheese stuffed inside each piece. Ben has made this twice now and used a honey nut flavored cream cheese the second time. It was the perfect flavor to compliment the nuts on top.

Gorilla Bread (Paula Deen)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.