Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

So.... confession time. This loaf of bread did not even last one full day in my house. 

It's a quick bread, so smaller than a regular yeast bread, and that makes it okay... right? ;)

With things like this, it's hit or miss with my husband. He might love it, or he might not. He's not much of a sweet bread kinda guy. This, however, is clearly an exception. I think he and I did the most damage to it. The boys each had a few big pieces as their afternoon snack, so they definitely contributed too!

This is definitely a quick bread worth making. It was SO easy, and obviously a hit. (I had hoped to take some for a snack tomorrow to work.... that's clearly not happening.) 

I made some changes to the recipe to make it slightly healthier and more likely to be enjoyed by my family, but if you are looking to gain some pounds check out the original link at the bottom. This is not a low calorie food. ;) 

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite quick bread recipe?

Printable Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Ingredients

• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup softened butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅓ cup cinnamon sugar mixture

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix applesauce, butter, and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk. 
3. Remove ½ cup prepared batter from bowl and place into a separate smaller bowl, then add cinnamon.
4. Pour half of the prepared batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon half of the cinnamon batter on top of the batter, then swirl with a butter knife. Pour remaining batter on top, then remaining cinnamon batter. Swirl again with butter knife. 
5. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes, then loosen edges and remove from pan. Carefully place on a plate or cutting board, and sprinkle all sides with cinnamon sugar mixture. (This step must be done while the bread is still warm!!)
7. Slice into pieces and serve warm.

Yield/Time

16 servings

1 ½ hours

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

127

Source (for original): Lauren’s Latest

Cheesecake Crescent Bars

Most of my dessert recipes, my husband doesn't really care about. I bake desserts at least once or twice a week, so I guess he gets tired of them. (I don't understand that, but hey. I try not to judge.)

However, there are a few recipes in my book that he LOVES. Traditional cheesecake (no picture, so no blog post on that yet), Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies, and this! Nate always approves when I make these! I would make them more often, but the main problem is that I don't keep crescents in the house unless I have a particular recipe I am going to use them for. I am not a big fan (of the crescents, not this! I love this!), so I don't buy them that often. I think I need to work on that... Nate puts up with all my crazy baking, I should try to make his favorites more often. ;)

On to the actual bars... these are perfect, cream cheese gooeyness right out of the oven, or perfect once they are cool & have been put in the fridge! I honestly don't have a favorite... I take them either way! Once they are cool they are slightly more irresistible, though... Warm and gooey it's easy to just eat a few. Cool.... not so easy. ;)

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite cream cheese style dessert?

Printable Recipe

Cheesecake Crescent Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cans crescent rolls
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup cinnamon & sugar (approximate)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9”x13” baking dish.
2. Unroll and spread one can of crescents on the bottom the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over crescents in baking dish. 
3. Unroll and layer remaining crescents over cream cheese layer. Spread butter on top of crescents; sprinkle generously with cinnamon & sugar.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until browned & bubbly.

Yield/Time

Approximately 28 bars

30 minutes

Nutrition Facts

155/bar

Source (for original): my mom, I have no idea where she got this!

Spiced Apple Cider Donuts

I love donuts. Love, love, love donuts. (My waistline doesn't. Oh well. I only ever eat them in the fall, so that makes it ok... right?) Pumpkin donuts and these apple cider donuts are my favorites! I've been making these for a few years, and we always go through them pretty quickly. I won't tell you how quickly we went through the 5 dozen donut holes.... but it was fast enough we didn't have to worry about them going stale. ;)

This being apple season, I'm sure I'll make these a few more times! Only problem is the cost of the apple cider. WOW. I don't know about you guys, but it's crazy how expensive apple cider is. I don't buy it unless it's on sale... and even then I'm fairly cheap frugal, and don't buy it very much.

These donuts are totally worth it, and really don't call for a lot of the cider. (Oh, you may want to cut the recipe in half or so.... it does make a lot.) They are great to make as donut holes, especially for little fingers! As with the pumpkin donuts I make, the cinnamon sugar coating is optional. I usually do about 3/4 with coating, and 1/4 without coating. Either way, they get devoured!

Printable Recipe

Spiced Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½  teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¾ cup light brown sugar 
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup milk, room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup cinnamon sugar mix

Directions

1. Simmer apple cider over medium heat in a small saucepan on the stove for 15-20 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, spices, and/or orange slices for flavor if desired. Simmer down to ¾ cup, then remove any cinnamon sticks/orange slices. Cool in the refrigerator (or freezer) to room temp.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a mini muffin pan/donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, and concentrated apple cider.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk until all ingredients are just combined; some small lumps may remain. Do not overmix. 
5. Pour the batter into the mini muffin pan, filling ¾ full. If making donuts, fill donut pan ⅔ to ¾ full. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The donuts will take the same amount of time.
6. After baking, dunk the warm donuts all the way into the cinnamon sugar, mixing it around so the entire donut is coated. Repeat with all the donuts, if desired.

Yield/Time

5 dozen donut holes/28 donuts

3 hours

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

Without sugar: Holes: 52  donuts: 77

With sugar: Holes: 64 donuts: 138

Source (for original): Sally’s Baking Addiction

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite homemade donut recipe!

Baked Pumpkin Donuts-the taste of fall!

I love fall. This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. Getting ready for all the fun of the holidays, the leaves are beautiful, it's not too hot or too cold, and I have the desire to bake even more than normal. Good times!

I started my fall-style baking yesterday. I really wanted to make spiced apple cider donuts, but I didn't have any apple cider. Dug through my pantry, found a can of pumpkin puree, and decided to find a recipe for pumpkin donuts instead!

These are perfect. I made donut holes, that's our preference with little ones in the house, and they turned out great. They are full of pumpkin, are deliciously moist, and have plenty of spices in them! 

Now, these are good dipped in butter & coated in cinnamon sugar, but they are great by themselves too. Adrian, oddly enough, seemed to prefer them without coating. Nate, Gabriel, & I preferred them with the coating. (I won't tell you how quickly my family of 4 went through a batch of these...)

These are a perfect baking idea for a rainy fall day!

Printable Recipe

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Ingredients

Donuts

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Coating

• ⅔ cup cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray 2 mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. (Alternately, lightly spray donut pan.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, milk, butter, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients until just combined. 
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, about ⅔ - ¾ of the way full. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Note: metal pans take slightly less time than silicon; watch closely if you are using metal. Donut pan may take longer.)
5. Remove from the oven, and place the donuts on a wire rack to cool. 
6. Once cool, dip each donuts  into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Be sure to coat well.

Yield/Time

40 donut holes

(maybe 13 donuts?)

1 hour

Nutrition Facts

47/donut hole

(71 with cinnamon sugar)

144/donut

(220 with cinnamon sugar)

Source (for original): Live Well Bake Often

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite fall baking recipe?

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?

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins

I'm sure I am not the only one when I say that I don't feel like I have time for myself these days. How often, as moms & wives (dads/husbands too!) do we feel like we have to get X, Y, and Z done before we can relax, and have time for 'us'? (And let's be real, it seems like we have to get the rest of the alphabet done too.) Don't misunderstand, Nate does a lot too, but I'm the one with anxiety, which makes it harder for me to leave things undone.

I've been trying to make a conscious effort lately to do more things for me. (Wow, that sounds selfish. Go back and read the first paragraph if you skipped it. ;) ) One of those things is working on my recipe book, and keeping that updated. If I'm going to do that... time to start blogging more too!

So who loves rhubarb? (Or, easier question: Who DOESN'T love rhubarb??)

Rhubarb is technically nearing the end of its season, but the rhubarb at Grandma's is still going strong. Grandpa does an amazing job of keeping it happy using the right fertilizer (fish, if you were curious), and when we harvest we pull the whole stalk out to enable the plant to keep producing. I keep volunteering to freeze some of it for her, and that means I get to snag some for myself too. ;)

We all have our favorite rhubarb things. Mine just depends on what I'm eating at the time, to be honest. Just give me rhubarb, and I'm good. Jam, rhubarb custard bars, rhubarb crunch, rhubarb pie.... wow, I better get more of that rhubarb in the freezer; when I start listing things like that it sounds like I used a lot more of Grandma's rhubarb than I thought. (Don't worry Grams, I'll get more rhubarb in the freezer for you to take to Florida!)

My new favorite (just because it's the most recent) is these Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins. I love a good muffin, it's a great breakfast/snack for the boys and I. And if I can make it moderately healthy, I feel better about eating it for breakfast. I adapted these from the original, but either way these are pretty healthy-without cutting down on flavor!! They have just the right amount of sweet, the lovely tartness of the rhubarb, and plenty of cinnamon! A perfect combination.

Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsweetened/natural applesauce *note: sub sour cream or greek yogurt if you don't have applesause!
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, thinly diced *or more... I'm going to try for 2 - 2 1/2 cups next time, I'll update when I do!
Cinnamon sugar mix

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line 15 muffin tins with paper or foils, or grease lightly.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined. In a separate large bowl, mix together the applesauce, butter, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined. Add the rhubarb and gently mix until combined.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin tins, until it is just shy of being filled. (Careful not to overfill!) Sprinkle each with cinnamon sugar mix.

Bake for 14-17 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Best served cool!

Yield/Time

15 muffins

30 minutes

Nutrition Facts

163/muffin

Source (for original): In This Kitchen