Cinnamon Buns

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Andrea

Here’s a very good standard cinnamon bun recipe with a yeasted enriched dough. It’s easy once you get a feel for the dough. So read through all the instructions, and have a look at the pictures. There are 2 rising stages so factor that in: 45 minutes each (at least). So plan accordingly. Undercooking these would be a sin so make sure you pay attention to what your buns are doing. They should be golden, risen and not gummy where they attach to other buns. Practice makes perfect, and this dough is delight to work with so it’s fun to learn to be an expert Cinnamon Bun creator.

Makes one pan 9 x 13 of cinnamon buns, 9 large buns

This cinnamon bun dough recipe is adapted from Food Swings by Jessica Seinfeld

Dough ingredients: STEP ONE

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp quick-rise instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

Dough instructions:

Warm the milk and butter together in a small saucepan until the butter melts and the milk is lukewarm. Pour into the bowl of your mixer. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, yeast in a bowl, and add that to your milk mixture. With dough hook attachment, mix together until rough and combined, then add in eggs and continue to mix until a smooth dough forms. Continue to mix for 3-5 minutes.

*you can mix this by hand in a large bowl — once your dough comes together, put on a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes.

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil , place dough in bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Place in a warm place for about 45 minutes – 1 hour to rise until about doubled in size. If you’re in Canada and it’s winter, a warm place can be hard to find, so I turn my oven on for a few minutes then turn it off, and rise my dough in the slightly warm oven. (so you aren’t waiting around forever).

place kneaded dough into greased bowl, then let rise in warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled

look how nice your dough is when doubled

STEP TWO

Cinnamon bun filling:

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Mix together.

STEP THREE

When your dough has doubled in size, pour it out onto a floured surface. Roll it out to a large rectangle about 1 cm thick. Treat it with care and not too intense. Spread with filling. With long side towards you, roll up dough. Slice into equal width rolls — my log was 21 inches so I got 9 rolls about 2.5 inches wide. Place rolls into greased 9 x 13 pan and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 45 minutes until doubled in size. (You can at this point put them in the fridge, and bake in morning- increase baking time by about 5 minutes or so.)

spread filling after rolling out dough

Preheat oven to 375 F, bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Spread with glaze after cooling for a few minutes. (Glaze: 1 cup icing sugar, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla).

STEP FOUR

Serve and enjoy. Mange!

You can make them without all the pecan/caramel – still awesome

Root Vegetable & Quinoa Rosti

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Andrea

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This is a really tasty recipe for this time of year, utilizing root vegetables. It’s quite comforting with middle-eastern spices and works with your healthy diet plans. Feel free to use what root veggies you have on hand – just be careful of your heat when cooking – the natural sugars can burn – so medium to medium-low heat and a sharp eye and nose is needed.

Root Vegetable & Quinoa Rosti

adapted from I Quit Sugar

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped finely

1 large clove of garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 small sweet potato (or 1/2 large), peeled and grated

1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated

1/2 cup ground almonds or almond meal (sub in 1/2 cup more cooked quinoa if you don’t have any)

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I’m using PC)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp curry paste (I used Patak’s mild yellow curry paste)

2 eggs

cooking oil of our choice (I use ghee)

Directions:

In a small frying pan, with a bit of cooking oil or ghee, saute onion on medium heat until somewhat browned, about 5-7 mins. Add garlic and stir around for one minute. Remove from heat.

Combine all the ingredients, including the onion/garlic mixture, and mix well, until all the flavours are well incorporated.

You can make them into large burger shapes, or like a rosti, as I’ve done here.

In a 10 inch cast iron or non-stick skillet, melt one tablespoon of ghee or cooking oil of your choice over medium heat. Tip mixture into pan and using a spatula, press down and go around edge and tuck it in and press it down and make it tidy.

Cook slowly – being careful of your heat, remember not to let it get too hot – these veggies have lots of natural sugars and will burn. After about 10 minutes, place a plate over the rosti. Flip the pan over, and the rosti should now be on the plate. Place pan back on heat and put another tablespoon of cooking oil or ghee in your pan. Once melted, slide the rosti back into the pan so the other side can cook. Cook for an additional 6-8 mins, being careful of your heat. Slide out onto plate.

Cut into wedges and serve with a chunky raita. Here’s how I make mine:

Raita:

1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

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Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Andrea

Here’s a ‘no refined sugar’, gluten-free healthy breakfast cookie that’s great for breakfast on the run, bedtime snack and I love them for travelling as well. They freeze really well and you can modify the ingredients as you see fit.

Ingredients:

makes about 20 three inch cookies

3 large ripe bananas, mashed (1.5 cups)

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2.5 cups rolled oats (I use large flake)

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.

In medium bowl, mix together oats, coconut, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, raisins and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In food processor, puree bananas (or you can mash by hand). Add in egg, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend well. Add wet ingredients to oatmeal mixture and mix well.

Drop by 2 tablespoon sized dollops about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until bottoms are brown. You may need to rotate your pans halfway through or leave them in a little longer, depending on your oven, and their size.

Cool. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Andrea

Here’s the best recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in my opinion. I’ve been making them for years and years, and my friends Morgan and Leah begged me to post it, so here it is. The key here is not having your butter too soft when you start out – ‘room temperature’…and making each cookie the same size for baking consistentcy…use a ‘cookie scoop’ if you have one.

Ingredients:

makes 3 dozen

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup large flake oats

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate chunks (if unavailable, increase chocolate chips)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a bowl, mix together flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt. Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Add brown and granulated sugars and continue to beat, until well mixed and fluffy, scraping down sides as you go.

Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add in flour/oat mixture, just until evenly mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and chunks with a wooden spoon.

Scoop dough in one tablespoon size globs, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, rotating pan if necessary, until edges are golden. Remove from oven to cool for a few minutes, then, using spatula, remove to a plate or rack to cool. Eat! Yum!

Homemade Hummus

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Andrea

Homemade Hummus

Some simple ingredients are all you need to whip up this basic recipe for hummus. You can adjust the flavour by adding more lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, smoked paprika…It’s delicious and healthy as a dip with veggies or pita, as a spread on a sandwich or wrap, or even spread on a plate and topped with salad or curry. Super versatile – don’t just think ‘dip’.

Hummus

adapted from the book Jerusualem

makes 4 cups

3 cups chickpeas (cooked or canned)

1 cup tahini

4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup ice cold water

Method:

Drain chickpeas and place into food processor, blend until it forms a thick paste. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Continue to blend, scraping down sides until mixed. Pour ice water through feed tube while leaving the processor to run for 5 minutes. Let hummus rest for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Will keep for approx. 4 days in fridge.