Brioche French Toast

You can make French Toast with any kind of bread, but you really haven't lived until you make it Brioche!  Trader Joe's has heavenly thick sliced Brioche that is so perfect it makes me want to cry! But if you don't have a Trader Joe's close, any thick sliced bread will do!

Brioche French Toast
(about 10 thick slices)

5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla
thick sliced Brioche (or any kind of bread)

Heat griddle over medium heat.  In a shallow bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients. Dip bread slices in egg mixture letting each slice absurd the mixture on both sides. Place on hot, buttered griddle.  Cook for about 1 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and spring back to the touch.  Repeat until all the slices are cooked. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Perfect Biscuits

I haven't posted in Forever! But I just HAD to post these most amazing biscuits!  They are so quick and EASY! No buttermilk? No Problem! Don't have time to make perfect layers? No problem! I wanted to cry when these came out of the oven looking and tasting so perfect! And on the first try! So go on already and make some biscuits! I found the recipe here! (I could kiss this girl, I am so happy!)

Perfect Biscuits
makes about 12

3 cups flour
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
4 t baking powder
1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 cup COLD butter
1 egg
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Cut the butter into small pieces and place them in the freezer just while you mix the dry ingredients. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter in using a pastry cutter.  Mix together the milk and egg and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (mine still had some four at the bottom and wasn't completely together). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 times adding flour if it gets too sticky until you have a nice ball. Roll or pat the dough on a floured surface until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a cup.  Place on a cookie sheet so the edges are almost touching. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they are older brown.  Brush the tops with a little melted butter. Prepare to be amazed!!

Vanilla Bean Scones

I love scones!  And as much as I love them, I think my boys love them more! I literally hid these and totally kept them all for myself, after we ate them for breakfast one morning.  They are a copy cat recipe of Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scones.  I got the recipe here.

Vanilla Bean Scones

(32 petite sones)

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar 

1 T baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 egg

2 t vanilla bean paste (you could also use 1/2 a vanilla bean scraped and 2 t vanilla extract)

Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

6-7 T heavy ream

1 t vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 vanilla bean scraped and 1 t vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk or pulse in a food processor to mix.

4. Add butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or pulse with a food processor until mixture resembles cornmeal texture.

5. In another bowl, whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla bean paste

6. Add liquid to flour mixture and pulse until just combined.

7. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough briefly until the dough comes together.

8. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.

9. Cut the dough into 8 rectangles or squares and then cut each on one diagonal and then the other creating 32 petite scones.

10. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges just start to turn brown.

11. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool completely.

12. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze adding the cream one tablespoon at a time until desired thickness. Dip the cooled scones in the glaze and place them back on the cooling rack to harden.

Rosemary and Gruyere Cheese Bread

I love this artisan bread recipe!  I use it ALL the time, but this time I just wanted something a little different.  I may never go back!

Rosemary and Gruyere Cheese Bread

(1 loaf)

3 cups flour

2 1/4 t yeast

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese

1 T fresh chopped rosemary

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Mix all ingredient EXCEPT water and oil together in a large bowl.  Add water and oil.  Stir until the dough forms a shaggy ball and all the flour is incorporated.  Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold over itself twice.  Form into a ball, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.  While the bread is sitting, heat oven to 450.  Place an oven proof, lidded pan (like a Le Creuset or Dutch oven) in the oven while it is heating up.  Once the oven and the pan are hot, place the dough seam side up into the hot pan.  Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until desired doneness.  

Cinnamon Crumb Top Muffins

We have had a few snow days here is Texas and it brings out the baking monster in me!  There is no better way to spend a snowy morning than to fill your home with the smell of sweet baking goodness! When I saw these muffins they called to me!  I just had to try them, and they made our snowy day off of school so delightful!  You know calories don't count when the kids have a snow day, right?! I found the recipe here, changed it a smidgen and devoured these beauties!

Cinnamon Crumb Top Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t baking soda

2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/3 cup oil (I used avocado oil)

3/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

The Crumb Topping

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups flour

Glaze

1/4 -1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 t milk

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare muffin pan by greasing or lining with paper liners, set aside. 

Make the crumb topping by combining sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk in melted butter.  Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until moist.  Spread the mixture out on parchment paper to dry until ready to use.  

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In a large glass measuring cup whisk together milk, oil, and eggs. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.  Scoop the batter evenly into prepared muffin pan.  Sprinkle with the crumb topping and gently press the crumbs into the batter.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  

While the muffins are cooling whisk together the powdered sugar and the milk to make the glaze.  Drizzle glaze over the cooling muffins.  Serve while warm!

Perfect Dinner Rolls

I am a little embarrassed at how many bread/roll recipes I have on here!  But lets be honest, I have a love affair with bread and LOVE trying new recipes.  Every couple of weeks I get an urge to try a new recipe and when I find a good one I just have to share!  These beauties are the perfect dinner roll, not too sweet, puff up perfectly and have a light, fluffy, buttery texture.  Pure heaven! I got the recipe here.

Perfect Dinner Rolls
(15 rolls)

1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup warm milk
1 T melted butter, plus one more T for brushing on the tops of the rolls
2 eggs
2 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
 2 1/4 t yeast
4 1/2 cups flour

Combine the water, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a mixer.  Add 2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.  Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time.  Mix until the dough forms a smooth ball.  You may not need all the flour.  Continue mixing the dough for 4-5 minutes.  The dough should feel elastic and slightly sticky.

Place the dough in a clean bowl sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover and let it rise until it has doubled about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Gently deflate the dough and divide into 15 equal parts.  Shape the dough and place into the prepared pan.  Brush the tops with melted butter.  Cover the rolls and let them rise for about 30 minutes or until they are double in size.

Preheat oven to 375.  Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Peach Cobbler Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Peach season is one of my favorite times of year! Late summer, not quite fall, last Saturday before school starts time of year.  I used this muffin base with chocolate chips and kept thinking to myself, this is all wrong!  It needs peaches, not chocolate chips!  So a couple of days later I added fresh diced peaches and vanilla bean glaze.  And like magic, these muffins were born!  They will made as many times as possible during this most delicious season!  Happy going back to school!

Peach Cobbler Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze

(12 muffins)

2 cups flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

1 large peach (or two small ones) peeled and diced small

Vanilla Bean Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T milk

1/2 t vanilla bean paste (you can use vanilla extract too)

For the muffins:

Preheat the oven to 400.  Grease muffin pan or use liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, coconut oil and vanilla bean paste.  I add the coconut oil to the warm butter and stir them together to melt the coconut oil.  

Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix until almost all the flour is absorbed.  Add the diced peaches and gently fold them in until they are incorporated and the flour is all absorbed.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.  While the muffins are cooking make the glaze.  

For the Glaze:

Place all the glaze ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.  While the muffins are still hot, drizzle glaze over the muffins.  Let them cool for 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

I don't know about you, but when our zucchini plant starts producing we have a couple of frantic weeks that we have way more zucchini than we possibly know what to do with.  I have to get creative quick! So when I saw this lemon zucchini bread pop up on Pinterest I knew I had found a winner!  I mean lemon?! Zucchini?! Sweet bread?! Yes, Yes, YES! It did not disappoint! Although I have to say, the lemon dominates! The zucchini was just there as my justification that I was eating healthy! Add in the bonus of using one more of these fast growing, fast producing veggies and this bread is a keeper! Original recipe found here.

Lemon Zucchini Bread
(1 loaf)

2 cups flour
3/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil (or canola)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 T lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 c grated zucchini

Glaze:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 T milk

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.  In a large bowl beat the eggs.  Add the oil and sugar and mix until blended.  Add the lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest to this mixture and mix well.  Stir in the shredded zucchini.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.  Grease a loaf pan and pour the batter into it.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   While the bread is cooling, mix up the glaze.  Pour the glaze over the warm bread.  Let the glaze set before slicing.

Croissants

I love croissants!  They are definitely my favorite pastry.  I have never made them before but I recently read a fiction book about 3 girls who inherited a bakery from their Grandmother they had never met.  The book went into detail about these women learning to make croissants and I instantly knew I wanted to give it a try.  While they can be labor intensive, they are not difficult! I actually loved the process and the outcome.  I filled about half with good quality chocolate chips and those were the best! Don't let these lovely pastries intimidate you, give them a try, you will not be disappointed! I found this recipe over at King Arthur Flour's website. Make sure to read through the whole recipe as there is quite a bit of fridge time needed! But don't worry, they are totally worth the wait!

Croissants
(2 dozen)

Dough

2 large eggs, plus enough warm water to make 2 cups of liquid
1/4 cup sugar
5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 t yeast
1/2 cup dry milk
1 scant tablespoon salt
2 T butter, melted

Butter
1 7/8 cup butter, cool to the touch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the dough:
Male a sponge by cracking 2 eggs into a 2 cup measuring cup and add enough warm water to make 2 cups. Beat well and put into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer.  Using the dough hook, add one Tablespoon of the sugar, 3 cups of flour and the yeast.  Mix until smooth, cover and set aside.

For the butter:
While the sponge is doing its thing, set up the butter inlay.  Mix the butter and flour together until it is smooth and there are no hard lumps.  You can do this using a spoon, food processor, mixer or by hand. Be careful not the use a high speed, that will incorporate air and we don't want that! Lightly flour a piece of plastic wrap and shape the butter into an 8 inch square using a dough scraper or a spatula. Wrap up the butter and place it in the fridge on a flat surface for at least 30 minutes.

Finish the dough:
Stir the melted and cooled butter into the sponge. In another bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of the remaining flour, the sugar, the dry milk and the salt.  Add this to the sponge and mix until you have a soft but kneadable dough.  Check the dough after kneading for 4-5 minutes and add more the remaining flour if it is still sticky.

Once the dough is smooth and elastic, pat it into a square, loosely cover it and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (The goal is to have the butter and the dough the same consistency, that will make it easier to fold them together to create layers).

Rolling in:
Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.  Roll it into a square about 12 inches across.  Unwrap the butter slab and place it in the center of the square at a 45 degree angle so it looks like a diamond in a square. Fold the flaps of the dough over the butter until they touch in the center.  Pinch them together to seal in the butter. Lightly flour the top and then turn the dough over so the seams are on the bottom.  Gently tap the dough into a rectangle using your rolling pin. Lift the dough to make sure it isn't sticking, dusting with flour as necessary.  Gently roll the dough from the center out until you have a rectangle 20 inches long by 10 inches wide. When you have reached this size, brush off any excess four and fold the bottom 1/3 of the dough into the center and the top 1/3 over that, like folding a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the right so it looks like a book ready to open.  That is your first turn!

You need to do this a totally of 4 times.  Between each turn wrap the dough and return it to the fridge for up to 30 minutes.  This will keep the thin layers of dough and butter you are creating from breaking open.  Also remember to keep your surface and rolling pin lightly dusted with flour. (Don't worry if your layers break open, that is how I knew it was time to put it back in the fridge). Also, I would flip my dough and make sure the underneath was lightly floured, this seemed to help too. When my layer would break, I would just make sure that it was on the inside when I folded the dough into a book. Once you have done this 4 times, wrap the dough and place in your fridge for at least 1 hour but preferably overnight. 

Shaping the dough:
using half the dough at a time, roll it into a 12" x 18"rectangle.  Trim the edges, on every edge with a ruler and a pizza wheel.  (this will allow the croissant to puff up when baking). Cut the dough in thirds length wise and in half through the middle. This will give you six pieces.  Now cut each of those in half diagonally, making twelve total. Roll the dough starting with the point facing away from you.  It is ok to stretch them a little as you roll them.  If you want to put filling in your croissants, this is the time. (I highly recommend chocolate.)  Place a table spoon of filling at the wide edge near you and roll from there.  I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, they were heaven! Make sure the tip of the croissant is tucked underneath. Place the croissants on a lightly greased or parchment papered cookie sheet. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, or you can freeze them at this point. 

Baking the croissants:
take the croissants out of the oven and preheat the oven to 425.  While the oven is heating, brush the tops with 1 well beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. When the oven is hot, bake the croissants for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes. The croissants should be a golden brown, even where the folds overlap so you don't have a doughy center.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Buttermilk Banana Bread (One Loaf)

This banana bread is super moist and delish! I found it over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe (LOVE her!).  I totally dig that it just makes one loaf, that is usually how many bananas I have left that get ripe enough for bread! I have made it a few times and always use her suggestion of cutting the sugar and adding an extra banana so that is how I have written it here. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Banana Bread
(1 loaf)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
about 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, 4 average sized bananas, I never measure
4 T buttermilk
1/2 t vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/8 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add bananas and mix until mashed.  Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.  Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Mix until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

This bread is Yum!  And made my house smell incredible!  It is similar to Friendship Bread.  Not quite the same but hey, you don't have to wait 10 days for this! Gotta love instant gratification!  I found the recipe here.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

Batter:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 t baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
2/3 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs.  Add the buttermilk, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined.  Pour 1/4 of the batter into each loaf pan.  Now sprinkle about 1/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on each loaf.  Divide the rest of the batter evenly into the two loaf pans and then do the same with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Swirl each loaf with a knife.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

French Bread Rolls

Bread... it is my weakness! As soon as Fall hits I kinda go on a rampage.  Especially on Sunday, there is just something about Sunday dinner that screams hot fresh bread! I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  Melanie NEVER lets me down! These are so soft and chewy, they would be great as sandwich rolls too!

French Bread Rolls
(12 big ones)

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 T active dry yeast
2 T sugar
2 T canola oil
1 t salt
4 cups flour

In the bowl of a mixer, combine warm water, sugar and yeast and let proof for 3-5 minutes. Add oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Begin mixing and slowly add the rest of the flour. You may not need it all!  Watch the dough, it should clean the sides of the bowl but still be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes if using a stand mixer or 8-10 minutes if kneading by hand.  Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap slightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Let the dough rise until double (about 1 hour).

Punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly greased surface.  Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. shape them into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap.  Be sure to cover the rolls loosely so the plastic wrap doesn't flatten the rolls as they rise.  Let the rolls rise until almost double, about 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake rolls for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

So Yummy!  I didn't have any buttermilk to make my usual banana muffins so I went on a search for a recipe that didn't use buttermilk.  I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.  They have never led me astray and this recipe just boosted my confidence in them!  You can really put whatever chips or nuts you want in them or leave them all out but I have to say the combo of semi-sweet chocolate and cinnamon chips was divine!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
(12 muffins)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (I used 2 medium)
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/4 t coconut flavor (optional, but so good)
1/3 c milk
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups flour (you can use half white and half whole wheat)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
3/4 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat in the banana, egg, vanilla, coconut flavor, and milk. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour and stir until smooth.  Add the chips (if using) and then divide evenly into the prepared muffin pan.  Bake the muffins at 350 for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I really like biscuits.  The buttermilk kind. The light and fluffy melt in your mouth kind.  But sometimes I just feel like biscuits can be a bit of work. So as my soup was simmering this afternoon and making my house smell delicious, I went in search of an easy buttermilk drop biscuit and boy, oh boy did I find one! They are easy, super light and fluffy and so stinkin' good!  I found them on this website.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

(8 big ones)

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
2 t sugar
1/2 t cream of tarter
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly butter one large or two small cast iron pans or cookie sheet. Whisk together the dry ingredients, breaking up any clumps.  Add the chilled butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until everything is blended and a soft, sticky, blobbish dough forms.

Drop blobs of dough into the prepared pan leaving one to two inches apart. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes or until the the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through.  I brushed the tops with melted butter as soon as they came out of the oven.

Cinnamon Twists with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I woke up this morning wanting a cinnamon roll so bad!  But they take way longer to make than I was willing to wait.  So as I sat dreaming, I remembered a pizza place in Provo, UT that used to make cinnamon twists called Tricky Sticks.  They came like bread sticks with frosting to dip them in.  And then I remembered a couple of weeks ago I made these bread sticks.  Well, the wheels started turning and I morphed the two ideas and came up with these! Quick and easy and oh so good!

Cinnamon Twists
(15-20 sticks)

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 T sugar
1 T yeast

Mix this together and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 t salt

For the middle:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon

Mix the dough until smooth and let it rise for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough, on a floured surface, into a big square.  Brush the softened butter over the lower half of the dough and sprinkle it with the sugar and cinnamon.  Fold the top half down and cut the dough into 15-20 sticks.  Twist each stick and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let the twists rise for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats to 400.  Bake the twists for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 T butter, softened
2 T cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
3 T milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.  Drizzle over warm twists and save the rest for dipping!

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

When my husband and I lived in Provo, UT we LOVED going to the Pizza Factory, we went for the breadsticks mainly, but their food was good too!  They make their breadsticks all twisted on tall dowels and serve them in a big vase.  So fun!  So, when I spotted this recipe over at Six Sisters Stuff, I just couldn't resist!  I have made them a couple of times now and my husband has declared them his new favorite!  They are super yummy and also super fast, bonus! Here is my take on them...

Pizza Factory Breadsticks

(15-20, depending on how fat you make them)

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 T sugar

1 T yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 t salt

To brush on top:

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), melted

garlic salt

Mix until smooth and then let rise for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough into a large square on a floured surface. Mix together the melted butter and garlic salt and brush half of it onto the dough.  Fold the dough in half and cut into 15-20 strips (about 1 inch each).  Twist each strip and place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet.  Let the twists sit for 15 -20 minutes to rise (I just let them rise while the oven is preheating).  Bake the breadsticks at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  As soon as they come out, brush the tops with the remaining garlic butter. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

I love scones and I love lemon!  These come together so fast and are so beautiful and delicious, you just can't go wrong!  Such a great way to start a beautiful, sunny morning! I found this recipe at Our Best Bites.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

(8 scones)

2 cups flour, lightly spooned into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1/3 cup sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t poppy seeds
8 T frozen butter
1/2 cup sour cream, I used light
1 egg
zest of 1 lemon

Glaze


1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T melted butter
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt.  Add the lemon zest and whisk to combine.  Grate the frozen butter (or used a food processor) and toss it into the flour mixture.  Combine it with your fingers until it resembles coarse meal.  set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg.  Add this to the flour/butter mixture and toss with a fork until it comes to a ball and all the flour is moistened.

Lightly flour a surface and place the dough on it. Press the ball into an 8 inch disk and cut into equal wedges using a butter knife or pizza cutter. Place them evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from the oven and let them cool.

While the scones are cooling, whisk together the glaze.  Drizzle over the scones. IF you do it while they are still warm, it will spread over the top and drip down the sides, my favorite! Or you can do it when they are cool and drizzle squiggles on the tops.

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

My kids LOVE Olive Garden for their bread sticks and Alfredo sauce.  So, when I came across this recipe on this blog, I thought why not give it a shot.  To be honest, I wasn't really that hopeful, but I was pleasantly surprised!  And I love surprises, so it was a win/win for us! They even had that yummy butter crust on the bottom just like Olive Garden's do! I did alter the recipe a bit, I have made enough bread to know a thing or two about the flavor I like, so here is what I did...

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

(24 bread sticks)

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 1/4 t yeast

4 cups flour (I used bread flour, but all-purpose would work fine)

2 T butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 T sugar

1/2 T salt

topping:

4 T butter, melted

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes until it gets frothy.  Add the flour, salt and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix in a stand mixer or by hand until fully combined.  The dough should be moist but not sticky and should hold in a ball.  Knead the dough for a few minutes until  it is smooth.  Divide dough into 24 pieces and roll with your hands into bread sticks (like making a snake). Place them on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the over to 400 and once it is hot put the bread sticks in.  While they are in, melt 4 T butter and mix it with 1 t garlic powder and 1/2 t salt. After the 5 minutes are up, brush the bread sticks with the melted garlic butter.  Pop them back in the over for an additional 5 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Remove them from the oven and brush them once more with the garlic butter.  Serve them warm.

Orange Rolls (No Rise)

I LOVE Orange Rolls (you know me and citrus!). So when I found this recipe on Our Best Bites, I knew I had to try it!  They came together so fast and they are so totally yum!  They have a biscuit texture with orange roll flavor...seriously, they are addicting!  So the next time you want a sweet roll for breakfast with out the hassle of letting yeast dough rise, this is for you!

Orange Rolls (No Rise)

(makes 12 rolls)

For the dough:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

4 T butter, melted

1 t vanilla

2 cups (9 oz.) flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

Filling:

4 T butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

zest from 1 orange (I used 2 Cuties mandarins)

Glaze:

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 T melted butter

2 T orange juice (I juiced the two mandarins that I zested)

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

Now, add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (DO NOT over-process).  The dough will be very soft. Don't add any more flour!  Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times just until smooth.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface.  Make it into a 12x15 rectangle.

Now put the filling on.  Spread the dough with the softened butter, sprinkle evenly with the sugar and the orange zest.  Roll the dough from the long side, making a long snake. Cut it into 12 equal parts and place into a greased pie pan.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  While they are cooking, whisk together the glaze ingredients.  When the rolls come out of the oven, drizzle with the glaze.  Serve warm!

White Bread

I am usually a wheat bread kinda gal but today I just had this craving for good, comfort food, white bread.  The kind you pull out of the oven, cut into before it has cooled down, slather in butter to watch it melt into the bread and eat it while it is still steaming!  So, my search began!  I came across this recipe on this blog.  She had me at "Grandma".  You know if it is something that someone's Grandma made it is just going to be perfect!  Because that usually means that the recipe is not only tried and true but also taking it back to the basics.  No fancy, schmancy stuff.  And that is exactly what I got, and MAN was it good.  Just the stuff to satisfy my random craving! (And NO, I am NOT pregnant!)

White Bread
(6 loaves) I totally cut this recipe in half, so I just have 3!

2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
9 t salt (I cut this down to 8)
3/4 cup butter
6 cups warm water
4 T yeast
24 cups flour

Put the milk, sugar, butter and salt into a medium sauce pan.  Heat over Medium-high heat stirring constantly until the mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let it cool down.

Put the warm water in a mixing bowl, add the yeast and a pinch of sugar.  Stir and allow to sit until the yeast starts to bubble (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the milk mixture.  Add half of the flour and mix until smooth.  Keep adding flour until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Let rise in a warm, draft free place until it is double in size.  Punch down and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.  Shape into loaves and place into greased bread pans.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (mine were done at 30 minutes) or until they are lightly browned and hallow sounding when you tap the top.  Remove from the oven and let cool.