Malted Pancakes

Breakfast is always interesting in our house, especially now that Gabriel has started preschool. Nate works second shift, so he sleeps through breakfast, but with a shortened time in the morning I usually do easy breakfasts. Gabriel & Adrian could both eat oatmeal, yogurt, or toast on a daily basis. (I'm not a big fan of cereal for them, but we do that occasionally too.)

That being said.... I love hot breakfasts! French toast, sausage gravy & biscuits, cheesy scrambled eggs, and of course PANCAKES!! 

When I have time in the mornings, I love to make pancakes for the boys. And they love getting to choose what we are doing with them! You can eat them plain with maple syrup (or Whiskey Maple Syrup, which we got in Traverse City this summer and you need to try!), you can add blueberries, you can add mini chocolate chips, you can add mini Reese's Pieces (yes that's a favorite thing with me).... so many good things to do with them!

I used to use the Krusteaz mix, which is pretty good, but then I found this recipe. Nope, never going back to store bought after this! Best part? I make the mix in a big batch, and store it in a Tupperware container for later.

These pancakes are great. The texture & sweetness are perfect (especially when you add mini Reese's Pieces), and they always go over great with my boys. 

(Oh, and FYI? They are good cold a few hours after breakfast.)

Printable Recipe

Malted Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons malt powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips or mini Reese's Pieces, optional
• 1 cup blueberries, optional

Directions

To make right away:

1. Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, spoon about 3 tablespoonfuls of batter into circle in center of pan.  
3. Let cook for 60 seconds or until batter starts to bubble. With spatula, flip and cook an additional minute or until cooked through and browned. Continue until all batter is used.

To make a large batch for later:

1. Combine multiples of all dry ingredients, then store in an airtight container. 
2. When needed, combine 1 ½ cups powder and 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and desired fillings. Cook as directed.

Yield/Time

10 pancakes

20 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

129 (with chocolate chips), 73 without.

Source (for original): Picky Palate

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite pancake addition?

Cinnamon Rolls & Icing

Now, I know we've had lots of conversations about homemade vs. storebought items. (Well, they've been mainly one-sided, but that's OK.) Homemade cinnamon rolls are another one of those things that are about 1000x better when homemade. I've been known to buy my share of canned cinnamon rolls, but they seriously cannot compare to homemade. 

And I know, I know--who has the time to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, every time they want cinnamon rolls? Not this mama. That's what's great about these-- make 1 batch, eat a pan, and have 2 more in the freezer for another day. (Or give them away, that works too.) 
Note: you can freeze the rolls at any point. Unrisen in the pan: cover tightly with plastic wrap & aluminum foil. Remove them, allow them to thaw and rise, and continue the baking and icing process. Baked but unfrosted: thaw, warm for a few minutes in the oven, and ice while warm.

Don't be deterred by the number of steps! These do take some time to make, but I promise you--they are worth it! You'll know it when you bite into the cinnamon, creamy-covered goodness. 

Speaking of creamy-covered goodness... Originally, I made this with a heavy cream based icing. (And that's the only one I've ever remembered to take a picture with.) Not really my thing, to be honest. I get rave reviews when I share it, but Nate and I both prefer cream cheese bases for an icing like this. Not just the consistency; you can make either to whatever consistency you prefer. The cream cheese taste really hits the spot with cinnamon rolls. However, I wanted to include both--take your pick, or use whatever icing recipe you prefer! 

Printable Recipe (all)

Printable Recipe (cinnamon rolls)

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups Milk
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour, separated
• 1/3 heaping teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/3 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/3 heaping tablespoon Salt
• 8 - 10 2/3 tablespoons Melted Butter
• 2/3 cup cinnamon/sugar mix
• Desired icing recipe

Directions

1. Heat the milk, oil, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
2. Add 2 2/3 cups flour. Stir until combined, then cover and set in a warm place for 1 hour. In the meantime, coat 3 cake pans (disposable or regular) with cooking spray.
3. Remove the cover and add the baking powder, soda, salt, and remaining flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. (At this stage, may refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl.)
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30”x10”. The dough should be thin.
5. To make the filling, pour melted butter over the surface of the dough, then spread evenly. Generously sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mix over the butter.
6. Roll the rectangle tightly. Work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. (The filling will ooze.) Pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.
7. Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and cut into 1/2” slices. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7-9; 3rd pan is for end pieces.)
8. Cover all the pans and let rise for at least 20 minutes before baking.
9. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
10. Remove the cover and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
11. While the rolls are baking, prepare desired recipe for icing.
12. Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top.

Yield/Time

Servings: 11 (2 rolls each)

Prep Time: 2 Hours Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

173/roll without icing

213/roll with heavy cream icing

241/roll with cream cheese icing

Printable Recipe (cream cheese icing)

Cream Cheese Icing for Cinnamon Rolls

Note: this makes icing for just over 1 pan! Multiply by 2 if doing all pans at once.

Ingredients (per pan of rolls)

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk to desired consistency.
2. Drizzle over prepared cinnamon rolls.

Yield/Time

5 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

68 per roll

Printable Recipe (cream icing)

Vanilla Cream Glaze for Cinnamon Rolls

Note: this makes icing for just over 1 pan! Multiply by 2 if doing all pans at once.

Ingredients (per pan of rolls)

• 1/2 heaping cup of powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• milk

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until mixture resembles a thick batter.
2. If needed, add milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth – about 3-5 minutes.

Yield/Time

5 minutes

Nutrition Facts *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

40 per roll

Source (for original): Cinnamon Rolls: The Pioneer Woman; Heavy cream frosting: How Sweet It Is; Cream Cheese Icing: Love Grows Wild

Remember, comments are loved!

What is your favorite way to have cinnamon rolls?

Bagels

I am, truthfully, not much of a breakfast person. I would be fine with skipping breakfast most days. 

Except when I have bagels. I could eat bagels every day, for multiple meals. (And sometimes I do! It's so easy to take bagels to work for lunch!) The problem is, those Lender's egg bagels that I can get addicted to are NOT cheap. So, of course, I have to make them myself! 

It's even more important to do it from scratch when there are 3 other people in this house that like bagels... Gabriel can eat 1 1/2 when he's really hungry in the mornings. (Which means that 1 package of the store bought bagels doesn't even last 2 days here.) 

I've tried a few different bagels recipes, but this is my favorite so far! These seem to last pretty well, without drying out. The flavor is great, and they are easy to do. (Don't let the number of steps discourage you! It's a longer process, but the steps are easy and it's worth the time!) 

This is a basic bagel recipe. In step 7, if you want toppings, just dip the wet bagels right in a bowl of toppings. Or, if you wanted to, you could add some things right to the dough. (Onion, etc.) 

Printable Recipe

Bagels

Ingredients

Sponge

1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 cups water, room temperature
Dough
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast3 3/4 cups bread flour2 3/4 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons malt powder

To Finish

1 tablespoon baking soda

Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, salt, rehydrated dried minced garlic or onions, chopped onions that have been tossed in oil, or any other desired topping (optional)

Directions

1. To make the sponge for the bagels: stir yeast into the flour, then stir in the water until it forms a sticky, thick batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place for about 1-2 hours or until the mixture is foamy, bubbly and almost double in size. *Tip: I turn my oven on for just a minute or to, til it just starts to heat up, then place my dough in there to rise. It's just slightly above room temp, and rises a little faster. Be careful to not let your oven get too warm, if you try this!
2. To make the dough, stir in the rest of the yeast to the sponge using the dough hook of a stand mixer. Stir in 3 cups of flour, salt and malt powder. Slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, while kneading for 6 minutes. At this point, the dough should be soft, smooth and firm.
3. Divide dough into 12-24 pieces, depending on desired size of bagels. Roll dough into smooth balls and place on lightly greased parchment paper. Cover rolls with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes or so.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with non stick cooking spray. Take each roll and carefully form a hole into the center, forming a bagel.
5. Place each bagel 1-2” apart on the prepared pans, and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
6. When ready to bake the bagels, preheat the oven to 500° with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the baking soda.
7. Gently drop the bagels into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit. After 1 minutes flip them over and boil for another minute. For chewier bagels, extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. If toppings are desired, do so as soon as they come out of the water.
8. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180° rotation. After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450° and continue baking for about 10-15 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. Continue to alternate pans every 5 minutes.
9. Remove the pans from the oven and cool the bagels 5-10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Yield/Time

12-24 bagels, depending on size *I like to do 24, that's a good size bagel for our family. 12 would make very large bagels!

3 hours

Nutrition Facts

286 (12 ct), 191 (18 ct), 143 (24 ct) *I calculate nutrition facts for reference only, this is not done scientifically

Source (for original): Lauren’s Latest

Remember, comments are loved! What's your go-to breakfast?