Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

This is our second favorite muffin, first being the lemon blueberry muffin.  Easy and quick, no tricky ingredients.  I bought new muffin "tins" and I LOVE them.  Why did it take me so long to switch over?  I hated cleaning the stainless ones, and I also always ran out of muffin liners.  All my problems solved!  These are so easy to use and to clean.  I'm adding these to my list of favorite kitchen supply purchases ever.

Red Silicone BPA Free Muffin Pan

Here's the recipe!

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

2 TBS butter, melted

1 TBS vanilla extract

For Topping:
4 TBS butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   

In a large bowl whisk together milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.

Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir just until no big lumps remain.  

Fill muffin pan about 2/3 full.

(If use the silicone muffin tins, you need to put them on a cookie sheet first before pouring-this is how they bake in oven since they are wobbly.)

Bake 20-24 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping.

Once the muffins are cool, remove from pan and dip the tops of the cupcakes in the melted butter that was set aside for the topping, and then roll the top in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

Ready to eat!

The Most Delicious Garlic Bread

A little twist on the normal recipe I use for garlic bread.  I serve this often as it fills up hungry boys. 1 baguette (or any kind of bakery bread) sliced lengthwise Mix together:
1/2 cup (or 1 stick) softened butter
1/4 cup of mayo  
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (I use chopped garlic from a jar)
about a half dozen fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese I honestly don't measure any of these ingredients, I just estimate, and it's never turned out anything but delicious. 

Spread mixture evenly on bread. (There should be nice thick layer.) Leave open, and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown..

Pita Chips

These are so easy and taste great with my homemade hummus.  If there are any left-my kids eat them up as soon as I remove them from the oven.

pitas

butter

coarse sea salt

Greek seasoning

Heat oven to 350.  

Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of pita bread.  If your pita is thick and you'd like thinner chip-like pita crisps, you can carefully, using a serated knife or simply by pulling apart, separate each piece of pita.

Place on bread on cookie sheets, butter side up.

Sprinkle seasoning and salt-don't go crazy! less is more!-over each buttered pita.

Bake in oven till bubbly and brown. Watch carefully as they burn quickly.  Usually mine are perfect in about 10 minutes.  I break them apart, or while they are still hot, I'll take a pizza cutter and slice them in wedges.

French Baguettes Using Bread Maker

I love these for the feta dip, or for meatball subs, or just because.

1 cup very warm water

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 TBS white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

1 egg yolk

1 TBS water

Place first five ingredients in bread machine, in the order listed. Set on dough cycle.  When cycle is done, place dought in warm place for 30 minutes (or more if necessary), and let rise until doubled.

Once risen, punch dough down.  On a lightly floured surface roll (I use a rolling pin) into a 16x12 rectangle.  Cut dough in half to form two 8x12 rectangles.   Roll up each half tightly, long wise.  Taper end.

Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet.  Make deep diagonal slashes every 2 inches.  

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Mix water and egg yolk and brush on tops of loaves.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Soft Bread Maker Sandwich Buns

I make these often and use them for hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and sloppy joes.  They make it all taste so much better.

1 1/4 cups milk, warm
1 egg, beaten
2 TBS butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 TBS butter, melted

In bread machine, place the first 7 ingredients in order listed.
Select dough setting.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a floured surface and punch down.
Divide dough in half.
Roll each portion to 3/4" thickness; cut with biscuit cutter.  (I use an upside down drinking glass.)
Place each bun on lightly greased baking sheets, leaving space for rising.
Brush tops with melted butter.
Cover with clean dish towel and let rise till doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Garlic Roll Ups

1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 TBS fresh chopped garlic 

2 tsp Italian seasoning

Parmesan cheese

Butter 2 pie plates.

Roll out thawed bread dough until about 9x13 size.

Spread butter and garlic on top of dough.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of butter and garlic.

Starting with the long side, roll up dough tightly.

Once rolled up, cut in half.

Cut each half into 8 pieces.

Transfer to buttered pie dish, 8 on each plate.

Cover with clean dish towel and let rise till doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese after removing from oven.

Basic Bread in Bread Maker

This is a great basic bread recipe:

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 TBS white sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
1 package of bread machine yeast or 2 1/2 tsp regular yeast

Place the warm water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine.
Let the yeast dissolve and foam for about 10 minutes.
Add the oil, flour, and salt to the yeast.
Select Basic (or Bread) setting, and press start.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

This recipe makes 6 mini-loaves.  Perfect for sharing.
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease mini-loaf pans.
In a bowl, beat together eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar.  Fold in the zucchini.  Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Fold in blueberries and transfer to mini-loaf pans.  (They will each be pretty full.)
Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.   Cool in pans.

Bread Machine Bagels

I have been making batches of these like a crazy woman.  They are easy and so so so good.  And the best thing is that they don't cost $14 a dozen.  I bet they come in under $1.

This recipe is from AllRecipes and I use my Zojirushi Breadmaker...I love that thing.  The recipe makes about 8 bagels.  Last week I doubled it, and the bread maker handled it fine.

1 cup warm water
3 cups of bread flour
2 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 TBS sugar
1 TSP cornmeal
1 egg white

Toppings if wish:  shredded asiago cheese, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, rock salt, cinnamon sugar...

1.  I add the first 5 ingredients in the order listed.  Set on Dough Cycle.  When complete, place dough on a lightly floured surface. Shape into 8-10 balls, flatten them, and then poke hole in the middle.  (Make it big, because dough will rise.)

2. Cover bagels with a clean dish towel, and let rise.  Mine take about 30-60 minutes to get rise.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Dissolve 3 TBS of sugar in boiling water.

3. Sprinkle an ungreased cookie sheet with cornmeal.  Heat oven to 375.  Transfer bagels to boiling water.  (My pot holds about 4 at a time.)  Boil for 1 minute, turning halfway through.  Remove bagels and place on dish towel to drain.

4. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. Glaze top with egg white.

My kids love asiago cheese bagels, so I will grate some of that and sprinkle on top.  They also love "everything" bagels:  I mix up some poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, and a teeny bit of coarse salt. I will dip the top of the bagel in the egg white, and then dip it in the "everything mixture".  We haven't tried cinnamon sugar yet, but I bet that would be good.

5. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

PS.  There is a little Print Friendly button down below.

Soft Pretzels

I made hot pretzels the other day and they disappeared in minutes.  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com.

1 pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp.)

2 TBS brown sugar

1 1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

2 TBS. baking soda

5 TBS melted butter

2 TBS coarse kosher salt

parchment paper

I used my kitchenaid mixer for this part:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, brown sugar and salt in a 1 1/2 cups warm water.  Stir in flour, and knead dough (on a floured surface or in your mixer using kneading paddle) for about 8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface.  Cover, and let rise for one hour.

Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8" square pan.

After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner.  Twist into a pretzel shape and dip into the baking soda solution pan.  Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise for 20 minutes.

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush (I dipped top surface into a bowl of melted butter) and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

Delicious!

Bread Maker Breadsticks

Soft, chewy, buttery breadsticks are a hit at this house, and something easy, cheap and filling to make for the evenings we have friends over and a snack is necessary.

Put these ingredients in a breadmaker (I have a Zojirushi Breadmaker):

1 cup warm water
1/4 cup oil
3 cups of bread flour
1 tsp. salt
3 TBS brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Once the dough cycle is finished, I roll the dough onto a 10 x 12 lightly buttered cookie sheet.
Using a pizza cutter, I cut the bread sticks into 24 pieces.
Let rise for about an hour.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

When breadsticks come out of oven, drizzle this mixture on top:
4 TBS melted butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Garlic Bread

I double this batch for my family because this bread goes so fast.  You can refrigerate the spread, and save it for later also.

1 baguette sliced lengthwise

Mix together:
1/2 cup softened butter
2 TBS mayo
1/4 tsp dried sage
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (I use chopped jarred garlic)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 TBS grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to broil.
Spread mixture evenly on bread...be generous!
Put bread, open, on cookie sheet and lightly toast it under broiler.

Gone before you know it!