Breads, Muffins and Scones

Grandma’s Dinner Rolls

November 15, 2018

These yeasty rolls are my attempt at coming close to the delicious rolls my grandma Liz used to make. As a young aspiring baker, I’d watch her assemble dozens of at a time, tossing an armload of dough around like it weighed nothing, and tearing off perfectly shaped rolls that she would let rise by her wood stove. She never measured anything, mixing and baking by feel alone – and they were perfect. I have fond memories of eating as many as I possibly could every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve – or as many as I could get my hands on. Grandma had seven children and hordes of grandchildren, and when everybody got together it was like a small city which means you had to move fast before my seemingly huge uncles with even huger appetites beat me in line.

Grandma did not have a recipe as you may have guessed, so I spent years trying to get as close as I could to what she did so effortlessly. I finally got to where I think she might be proud, and I owe it all to Julia Child because this is pretty much her recipe. If you have a bread machine laying around, haul it out and use the dough cycle for this recipe – that’s how I handle it. These rolls can be made grandma’s way, with just your two hands and a sturdy wooden spoon. There isn’t much better on the planet than biting into one of these babies. Slathered with butter, of course. Recipe adapted from ‘Baking with Julia’.

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Cinnamon Applesauce Bread with Roasted Caramel Apples

November 8, 2018

I will admit that this recipe took three tries before it hit the mark. The first attempt was OK but lacked fresh apple flavor. With the second attempt I added so much fresh apple for flavor that the end result was more like a brick than a bread, and the only person who would consider eating it was my mother, Neeners. Back to the drawing board, and pulled the reins in a little on the fresh apple element. Now we had ourselves a moist applesauce bread with just enough fresh apple kick. Never satisfied, it seems, I figured what’s the harm in roasting some apple slices and piling them right on top of each slice? All that was well and good, but it needed a finishing touch – enter the best and easiest caramel sauce you’ve ever made. Drizzle it or drench it over the whole works – up to you. I, for one, drench. Happiness on a plate.

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Zucchini & Lemon Bread with Lemon Sugar Top

August 2, 2018

I recently read that Zucchini Bread was the most frequently made and the most ‘gifted’ away bread of any other variety….it is also the one most likely to be thrown out by the recipient of said ‘gift’. This is likely due to the fact that zucchini all by itself is seriously lacking in the flavor department. Zucchini can also contain a whole lot of moisture, and if we don’t address that issue our bread ends up looking, and tasting like a flavorless hunk of sea sponge. I know this from first hand experience while creating this recipe, which was not a good one. The only person who would eat that first attempt was my mother, who said “Hey, you can’t be Martha Stewart every day – get over yourself”. That comment was enough to get me back to the drawing board, and the result is this Zucchini Lemon Bread is bursting with fresh, citrusy flavor. We squeeze the living daylights out of the grated zucchini, which goes a long way to eliminate that spongy element of my prior attempts, and then top the whole thing off with a generous crackling crust of lemon sugar. It’s fun to make, it’s easy, and I guarantee nobody will be secretly tossing this out if you can make yourself give it away.

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Cheesy Gorgonzola Bread

January 18, 2018

This recipe comes from my blogging partner, Tricia. When I first tasted it, I became immediately addicted and just had to share with you. This beautiful loaf, with it’s soft crumb and mellow hit of Gorgonzola cheese is just right for enjoying while savoring a fruit forward red wine. It doesn’t need any embellishment, so feel free to eat it as is with nothing added. Unless you happen to be like me, of course – I love this toasted just a little bit and slathered with butter. I have also been known to cut thick slices, fill with my favorite melting cheese, and make the best grilled cheese sandwich I ever ate. Naked or dressed, this bread is well worth making!

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Brown Sugar & Pumpkin Seed Topping

October 27, 2017

I have been making these muffins forever, and as is the case with all my recipes, they have gone through several variations over the years. I think we’re finally there: Just moist enough to make you keep coming back for bite after bite, and packed with a variety of warm spices. The recipe makes quite a few muffins – probably 28 to 30 of the regular sized guys, but trust me – they go down fast. They are great for sharing, and freeze beautifully. If you’d rather make a smaller batch, just cut it in half. I’ve included a hint for the sleight of hand required for dividing three eggs in half in the recipe below. These muffins just cry out of a Chai Latte or other similar hot beverage for fall, usually one that includes whipped cream. They do not require a nice pat of butter, but….

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Zucchini, Cheddar & Herb Quick Bread

October 14, 2017

Here we have the best of all worlds – bread that you don’t have to wait on to rise, and besides that it’s brimming with chunks of cheddar cheese and herbs. It’s so good when it’s warm right from the oven, or toasted the next day with plenty of butter. Give him a try with our Chicken & Corn Chili recipe, your favorite bowl of soup, or get crazy and make a grilled cheese sandwich. Any route you choose to take will be a good one, and that’s a promise. Read on to see just how easy this one is to get on the table -or off the cutting board, if you can’t wait long enough to get him on the table. Once again, just speaking from experience. …

Pesto & Parmesan Spiral Bread

October 5, 2017

A little taste of summer all year long…this incredibly beautiful loaf of bread has pesto in the dough, then is braided and stuffed with even more pesto and plenty of cheese. Perfect for serving with a pasta supper, using for sandwiches, or just all by it’s lonesome with a nice glass of wine. You won’t believe how easy it is to make this!

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Zucchini, Carrot & Coconut Bread

September 7, 2017

My first impulse when confronted with a frightening population of zucchini from our garden was to bake volumes of zucchini bread. But let’s face it: zucchini bread in and of itself can be a little bit of a snoozer. More flavor was desperately required to jazz up the old traditional bread, so some grated carrot and a generous amount of coconut went into the mix. Now we’re in business!! This recipe makes two loaves, because to me if you go to all the effort to do the baking, you might as well have an extra loaf stashed in the freezer for later.

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Fresh Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

August 10, 2017

This recipe has ended my search for the perfect Blueberry Muffin. It has a rich, firm, crumb that can hold up to the tons of blueberries inside, and tastes like a proper muffin, not cake mix with a couple of berries added in like most seem to do. In addition to all that, it has a light, streusel topping that pops with cinnamon. This recipe, like so many others, appears to have a long and winding history. I first discovered it when my niece, Toni, made some for my husband Dick, and I stole one when he wasn’t looking. I begged Toni for the recipe, and as is our way of recipe development, we ‘made it our own’ by changing it so that it was just right for us. This is the world of cooking – everybody has their own spin on the classics, and that’s a very good thing.

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Marionberry Scones

July 28, 2017

Did you know that the Marionberry was developed at Oregon State University? Or that it currently represents about half of the blackberries grown in Oregon? Well, now you do, and you’ll understand why when you taste these scones. Marions are sweet and tart, and a beautiful dark purple in color. Just in case you can’t lay your hands on Marions, never fear – any type of blackberry will work. This is a tender, melt in your mouth kind of scone. Know what I mean? The kind that keeps you going back for just one more..

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