Category Archives: Baking

Braided Cinnamon Knots & Rolls

19 Monday Oct 2020

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INGREDIENTS

Dough

  • 2 cups whole milk, warm to the touch
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I use salted)
  • 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Filling (I double this for more cinnamon flavour)

  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Frosting

  • ½ cup cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup Icing Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 Tbsp milk (or heavy cream or half and half)

PREPARATION

Make the dough:

Cinnamon Braids before baking
  1. In a bowl, put in warmed milk, sugar and melted butter (warm to the touch, 100-110˚F (37-43˚C)
  2. Add yeast over top of the mixture and gentle mix. Cover bowl and let sit for 10 minutes in a warm place.
  3. Add 4 cups of the flour to the milk mixture and with a wooden spoon stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and place in a warm place to rise and double in size.
  4. Coat a baking tin and put aside until ready.
  5. While waiting the dough to rise cream butter, cinnamon and brown sugar together and set aside.
  6. After the hour is up, remove cover from dough and add the remaining flour, salt and baking powder. Combine well and put dough onto a clean floured surface. Dust dough with flour and kneed for at least 10 minutes adding a little extra flour as needed to keep it from being too sticky.
  7. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a large rectangle (12″-14″ x 17″).
  8. If making “rolls” (see diagram). Begin rolling the dough into a log from the short end. Continue rolling and place seam-side down.
  9. If making “knots” (see diagram). With long side towards you, fold 1/3 dough over the filling and then again the remaining 1/3. Cut into 12 equal strips. Using a sharp knife, cut down the length of each section to make 3 strands but leave attached at the top. Begin to braid each strand, then roll up the braids over itself and place seam side down into well greased “large muffin tins”. (you will need two)
  10. Trick in cutting: Use dental floss to the rolls, a knife will flatten them. Cut them into 12 equal pieces and depending on if you are making “Braided Knots” or “Rolls” place them into muffin tins or baking pans. Cover with a towel and allow them to rise another 35-45 minutes. Note: At this point you can cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them until ready.
  11. Place into a 350˚F (180˚C) preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown.
  12. While they are baking, make the frosting by putting all ingredients into a bowl and combine until well mixed.
  13. After cinnamon rolls or knots have been removed from oven, let stand for about 10 minutes and drizzle frosting over top.

Enjoy!

Servings: 12

Shaping Cinnamon Rolls or Braids

Adapted from original recipe

Easy Cinnamon Apple Cake

08 Thursday Oct 2020

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Keep a can of apple pie filling and a roll or two of cinnamon rolls so that if you get unexpected people dropping by or just have a craving, you have a delicious cake at the ready.

Ingredients

  • 1 can apple pie filling (540 ml)
  • 1 or 2 cinnamon rolls with icing (351 g)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

  1. Depending on the how many people you wish to serve you can use 1 or 2 cinnamon roll tubes. (Using 1/2 can of pie filling and 1 cinnamon roll will yield you 6 servings in an 8″x8″ pan) If you use a full can of pie filling you will need 2 cinnamon rolls and a 9″x13″ pan.
  2. Open your tubes of cinnamon rolls and separate the sections
  3. Cut each section into quarters with a knife or scissors and put into a bowl
  4. Open the can of pie filling and depending on how many tubes you are using cut apple slices into smaller pieces, and put them in the bowl with the cinnamon rolls.
  5. Gently fold the apple pieces and 1/2 the pie filling mixture together
  6. Coat the cooking pan with cooking spray and pour the mixture into it
  7. If using pecans, sprinkle over top
  8. Bake in a preheated over at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes
  9. Let cool at least a 1/2 hour before drizzling the icing from the cinnamon tubes over top.

Serve and Enjoy

Special Fried Chicken

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

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(Check it out against the Colonel’s. Not the same but truly delicious)

This recipe fell out from one of my mom’s recipe books. It’s been there for decades till fate stepped in and fell into my hands. Wasn’t a fan of much of the fried chicken recipes but this one is truly delicious and even better the next day.

Ingredients

  • 2 small frying chickens (cup up)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp salt*
  • 1/2 tbsp celery salt*
  • 1 tbsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic salt*
  • 1 1/2 tbsp meat tenderizer (I think this is actually MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) which I didn’t use)
  • 2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tbsp thyme
  • 1/4 tbsp basil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk

Directions

  1. Mix dry ingredients together and put half each into two plastic bags.
  2. Beat 2 eggs and milk together in a bowl
  3. Put pieces in one of the plastic bags and toss
  4. Dip the coasted chicken in the egg mixture
  5. Put one piece of chicken at a time in other plastic bag and toss to coat
  6. Fry 2 or 3 pieces of coasted chicken until lightly brown (3 or 5 minutes)
  7. When all the chicken are fried, put on a rack in the oven at 325 for 1 hour or until done.

*(If using garlic powder and celery seeds, you can can use the salt, but if using garlic salt and celery salt you might want to use eliminate the extra salt)

Enjoy

“Buttermilk” Biscuits

19 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup of ice cold butter (Frozen the better)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (I make my own by adding 2 or 3 tsp of vinegar to milk and stir well)

Directions

I use a food processor but you can mix in a bowl

If using a bowl

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients into a bowl
  2. Slowly add the milk and mix till well blended

If using a food processor

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients into the food processor
  2. Turn on food processor on low and mix till all the butter is combined
  3. Slowly pour the milk into the processor while mixing til it forms a ball of dough

Forming biscuits

  1. Place ball of dough onto a floured surface
  2. Roll out down about 1/2 inch
  3. Fold in half and roll again to 1/2 inch
  4. Fold the rolled out half from bottom to the top and roll out to 3/4 inch
  5. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or large mouth glass cut out biscuits
  6. Place on a silicon lined tray
  7. Brush top of biscuits with buttermilk or melted butter
  8. Bake at 400 – 425 degree F. for 10-15 minutes (check to ensure they don’t burn)

Enjoy

Carrot Cake

21 Tuesday Jul 2020

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp (2.50 ml) ground ginger
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) fine salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups (500 ml) white sugar
  • 1 cup (250 ml) canola or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter (optional for firmer cake, I leave this out)
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (500 ml) grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) pecan chopped
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) walnut chopped
  • 1 cup (250 ml) canned crushed pineapple (drained)
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins (optional)

Icing

  • 1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) softened butter
  • 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (750 mg) icing sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
  2. Grease and flour a 9″x13″ baking pan
  3. Sift together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt, set aside
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, butter and vanilla extract
  5. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until moistened
  6. Sir in carrots, pecans, walnuts, pineapple and raisins (optional)
  7. Pour batter into baking pan
  8. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean
  9. Remove from oven and cook in the pan on a rack

Icing

  1. Beat together, cream cheese and butter until smooth
  2. Add vanilla extract and then icing sugar a little at at time until smooth and creamy
  3. Spread over cooled cake and serve

Enjoy

Easy Zucchini Cake

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 Cups Shredded Zucchini
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup of chopped Walnuts

Icing

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup Powder Sugar
  • 2 tsp Water
  • 1/3 cups chopped Walnuts

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine all ingredients and mix well
  3. Pour into an 11″ x 7″ baking dish
  4. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  5. Cool and prepare icing
  6. Combine icing sugar and water until it is well mixed
  7. Drizzle over the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped walnuts

Enjoy

Cake Box Cookies

05 Sunday Jul 2020

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This is the easiest way of making cookies and you can do so with any of your favourite cake box recipes

Ingredients

  • Your favourite cake box
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp of vanilla (optional)
  • 1 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Open up the cake box and put into a mixing bowel
  3. Add eggs, oil, vanilla and optional nuts or chocolate chips
  4. Stir until well mixed
  5. Put into the refrigerator between 1/2 to 1 hour for firm up batter
  6. Using a 1 1/2″ cookie scope or table spoon, roll batter between hands for make a 1 1/2″ ball of cookie dough
  7. Roll in sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silicon pad
  8. Bake for about 10-12 minutes
  9. Remove and let cool about 1 minute before placing on the cooling rack
  10. To keep moist place cooled cookies in an airtight container

Enjoy

Easy Focaccia

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Foccacia3

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon yeast, active dry or instant (1 gm) or use 1/8 teaspoon yeast and mother from previous bake – see how to make
  • 1 teaspoon salt (6 gms)
  • 1 1/2 cups water not boiling (354 mL)
  • (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
  • Rectangular pan or casserole dish
  • wrks4me_terry_tested-11Parchment Paper
  • Olive oil and herbs of your preference (ie. Herbs Provence, Italian Seasoning or Rosemary)

Directions

FIRST RISE

  1. Put all of the ingredients except for the Extra flour into a bowl
  2. Mix all together til well blended
  3. Put plastic wrap over top and put in a non drafty place for 8-12 hours

SECOND RISE

  1. After 8-12 hours the dough mixture should have risen and appears bubbly
  2. Remove plastic wrap and with a spatula gently fold the dough over itself a few times. 
  3. Line a rectangular pan or casserole dish with parchment paper
  4. Turn out dough onto parchment paper and gently spread out with fingers to edges
  5. Cover with a dry towel and let rise 35 minutes to 1 1/2 depending on how dense you wish the bread. The longer it rises the more airy it will be.
  6. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. (I use 400, others use 450 depending on your oven)
  7. Prepare olive oil mixture (olive oil and herbs, I use Herbs Provence but you can use Rosemary or Italian Seasoning)
  8. foccacia1After dough has risen a second time, now is the time to create “dimples” in the dough by dipping your finger in some olive oil and press them all over the dough to create “dimples”.
  9. foccacia2Brush the olive oil mixture over top of dough and sprinkle with some Kosher salt is you like.
  10. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F.
  11. Remove bread to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Enjoy

Yeast – How to save yeast for another loaf

26 Sunday Apr 2020

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Covid Comfort FoodIf you’re finding yeast a hard commodity during this pandemic,  think of this technique of stretching your existing bread yeast to last and last.

Technique

  1. If you have started making bread (try my recipe for no kneed bread), allow the dough to rise the first time. Then before the second rise, take a good pinch (about a heaping tablespoon) and put it in a clean container with a top.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water
  3. Mix very, very well and put it in the fridge with a lid on (can be stored for up to 2 weeks). Make sure there is no mold development otherwise you have to discard it.
  4. When you are ready to make another loaf add the mixture to the batter instead of adding dry yeast.
  5. Let it rise as usual and repeat procedure (1) as taking a pinch of bread dough and putting in a container with equal amounts of flour and water, then store in the fridge.

NOTE: If you find your bread does not rise as high as you’d like, you can give a little boost to the yeast, just add 1/8th to 1/4 tsp to your bread batter after you have added this starter.

Step 1: Dough that has risen overnight (first rise)
Step 2: Take out a walnut size (heaping tablespoon) and put it in 1/2 cup each of water and flour
Step 3: Mix all into a slurry (If not required put in the fridge)
Step 4: Add slurry to your new loaf and following your bread directions
Step 5: Enjoy your new loaf of bread (repeat procedure each time you make a new loaf by saving some risen dough in the fridge

No Kneed Dutch Oven Bread

07 Tuesday Apr 2020

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No kneed bread

WCovid Comfort Foode are all staying inside during these trying time. So what better way of passing time then to make some bread. Here is a simple way to making yourself and someone you love happy during this pandemic. MAKE BREAD.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon yeast, active dry or instant (1 gm)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (6 gms)
  • 1 1/2 cups water not boiling (354 mL)
  • (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
  • Dutch Oven
  • wrks4me_terry_tested-11Parchment Paper

Directions

FIRST RISE

  1. Put all of the ingredients except for the Extra flour into a bowl
  2. Mix all together til well blended
  3. Put plastic wrap over top and put in a non drafty place for 8-12 hours

SECOND RISE

  1. After 8-12 hours the dough mixture should have risen and appears bubbly
  2. Dust your surface with flour and gently turn out dough mixture
  3. Dust the to of the mixture and fold dough over a few time. Shape into a ball and place into a parchment lined bowl. (You don’t have to use parchment, but it makes it easier to lift out)
  4. Cover bowl and let rise 35 minutes to 1 1/2 depending on how dense you wish the bread. The longer it rises the more airy it will be.
  5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. (I use 400, others use 450 depending on your oven)
  6. Put your dutch oven in the oven to get it piping hot (25-30 minutes)
  7. Once the dutch oven is hot, [Be careful to remove dutch oven (very hot)], place parchment with dough directly in the dutch oven, and cover. (if not using parchment drop dough directly into dutch oven).
  8. Bake for 30 minutes with cover on and then remove cover and continue to cook for 5-20 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F.
  9. Be careful to remove dutch oven (very hot) and remove bread to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Adapted from original recipe

Original Video Instructions