Cinnamon Bread

I don't know about you, but I sure enjoyed Caroline's Snickerdoodles from last week. There's something about the warm, sweet scent of cinnamon paired with soft & fluffy cookie. And if you're as much of a a cinnamon-lover as I am, you're going to love this next recipe as well!

For as long as I can remember, I've been looking for the perfect cinnamon bread recipe that'll give me a fluffy, moist, sumptuous bread with just the right amount of cinnamon kick in it. Well, when I found Melissa's Amish bread recipe on Redfly Creations, I was in luck! This cinnamon bread is truly a gift, and it's great for breakfast or as a snack. Not too sweet, but still savory. The only alteration I might make in the future is cut down on the butter by substituting with applesauce. Otherwise, it's perfect! Enjoy!

Love,
Monica

Beat the egg. Combine egg, butter, and sugar. Ooh, look at all that butter...

Add buttermilk (I used 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar) to the mixture. Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 tsp baking soda to the mixture.

Mix everything until just combined. Don't overmix! This is what the final mixture should look like. It's okay if there are tiny lumps of butter.

Make the cinnamon sugar mixture by combining 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.

Add half of the batter to greased loaf pan and sprinkle a layer of cinnamon sugar. Add the remaining batter and sprinkling the rest of the cinnamon sugar. I used a knife to cut a zigzag swirl of cinnamon. The batter should reach just the halfway point of the loaf pan.

Bake and enjoy!

Printable recipe of Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon Bread

Moist, fluffy, savory bread with the perfect touch of cinnamon swirl \ From Redfly Creations 
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45-50 minutes | Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (white sugar)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or, 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Cream together butter, sugar, and egg.

Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda. Mix until just incorporated. It’s okay if there are small lumps in the final mixture.

Pour half of the batter into greased loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture. The batter should reach just the halfway point of the loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Bear Claw Pastries

These bear claws are flaky, tender, buttery pastry stuffed with a sweet almond paste filling, with toasted almond slices and a sweet honey glaze on top. They smell so good while baking, and you will want to eat these warm.This is my favorite baked good from Panera, and these homemade ones are way better.

The pastry is flaky through a process called lamination, in which the butter becomes layered between the dough.

Roll into a 24 inch x 20 inch rectangle. You'll need flour, the dough is pretty sticky.

Spread on the almond filling.

I made my own almond paste for these. It's easy to do and so much cheaper than the stuff that comes in a tube.

You're supposed to  remove the almond skins before making the paste, but all I had on hand were almond slivers, so I just threw them in the processor, skin and all. It made the texture of the paste slightly coarser, but it worked just fine.

Now, fold the long rectangles of dough in half, and pinch the seams to seal.

Cut each of these into 4 sections, and cut 5-6 notches into each for the toes of the bear claws.

Spread the toes slightly and place on a baking sheet.

Let rise for about 30 minutes, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with almonds, and bake. Make the glaze and drizzle it over the pastry. Then, EAT!

Enjoy!

-Caroline

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe of Bear Claws.

Bear Claw Pastries

Flaky, tender, buttery pastry stuffed with almond paste filling, toasted almond slices, and a sweet honey glaze.

Adapted from Sprinkle Bakes and The Food Network
Yields: 16 pastries

Ingredients
For the pastry dough:
3 ½ cup all-purpose flour
16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), cold
½ cup warm water
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
2 eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar

For the filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups almonds
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup powdered sugar, approx. (you can add more or less depending on how sweet your almond paste is)
1 egg, beaten
sliced almonds

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1 - 2 tablespoons milk

Directions
For the dough:
Cut the butter into ¼ -inch cubes. Place the butter and flour in a bowl, and use your hands or a pastry cutter to work in the butter. It doesn’t have to be perfectly incorporated; there should still be some chunks of butter in the mixture.

Mix together the yeast and warm water, and let stand 5 minutes. Mix in the milk, egg, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and butter mixture to the liquid ingredients, and mix until it is just combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. (This is a good time to make your almond paste, if you’re making your own.)

Place the dough on a floured surface, and dust lightly with flour.Roll the dough into a 16 in. x 20 in. rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, like you would a letter.

Roll into a 16 in. x 20 in. rectangle. Fold into thirds again, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the almond paste filling:
If you are using store-bought almond paste, skip to assembly directions in the section below. Place the water, granulated sugar, and honey in a saucepan and heat until is boiling. (It should bubble vigorously). Take off the heat.

Coarsely grind the almonds in a food processor. Pour the syrup mixture over the almonds, and blend until smooth, about 10 minutes.

Blend in the butter. Let the paste cool to room temperature before using.

Assembly of the pastries:

Beat together the almond paste, cinnamon, egg white, and powdered sugar.

Roll out the dough into a 24 inch x 20 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 4 long rectangles that are each 20 inch x 6 inch.

Spread about 3 tablespoons of filling on each rectangle.

Fold each rectangle in half. Pinch the seams to prevent the filling from leaking out. Cut each rectangle into 4 pieces. For each piece, cut 4-6 slits for the toes.

Gently spread out the toes, and place the pastries on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for about 20 minutes in warm place.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the egg. Brush the pastries with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool.

Make the glaze. Mix together the milk, honey, and powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled pastries.

Scone - ology Part 3: Cinnamon Apple Scones

If you make any of the scone recipes on this site (We have quite a few!), make this one. This scone is a light, fluffy biscuit with pieces of juicy, sweet apples and cinnamon throughout, and topped with cinnamon sugar. In other words, delicious!

The difference between this recipe and lots of other recipes with apples is the fact that they are cooked with sugar before being added to the batter. In most recipes, the uncooked apples are added straight in, and they are still rather hard and sour after they are baked. This way, they are still slightly tart, but also soft and sweet and flavored with cinnamon, and don't distract from the scone itself.

This recipe also follows the master scone recipe, but has the extra step with the apples, and decreases the amount of cream a little because of the juice from the apples. Peel and dice two tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith. Place them in a microwavable bowl, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and stir.

Microwave it for about 2 minutes, stopping at 1 minute to give it a good stir. They'll look like really yummy cinnamon apples, but don't eat them yet! Let cool while you make the dough.

Follow the same process for making the dough as with the master scone recipe. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt (omit the sugar since you add sugar in the apples). Work in the cold butter with your hands or a pastry cutter. Then mix together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Add in the cooled cinnamon apples, juices and all, and stir.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and mix just until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a 10-inch circle. Mix together 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle it over the dough, and lightly pat it into the dough. Cut into 12 wedges. (You could also shape the dough into a rectangle like I did for the chocolate chip scones.)

Bake for 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, let cool, and eat!

While I was taking these photos, I got distracted by all the tourists crossing the street in Harvard Square outside my window. Just so you know. I want you to experience the whole scone-making process and all.

And yes, it was snowing. And yes, it was taken a month or two ago. I'm a procrastinator, okay?

Enjoy!

-Caroline

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Cinnamon Apple Scones

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe.
Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients:
For the Dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium-sized cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Jonathan, peeled and diced
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cold
1/2 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream, cold
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, until the apples are cooked. Let cool.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Make sure it remains cold. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.

Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half or cream, the egg, and vanilla. Mix in the cooled apples.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Use a fork or wooden spoon to mix it until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough barely holds together. DO NOT OVER-MIX.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into 12 wedges.

For the cinnamon sugar, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle it over the dough, and lightly pat it in.

Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Let cool.

Give yourself a huge congratulations! You just made scones!

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Scone - ology Part 1: The Basics of Making an Amazing Scone

There's this part of Harry Potter that always has confused me: Harry and his friends go down to have tea with Hagrid, and he serves them these things called "rock cakes" that they nearly break their teeth on. Rock Cake? Like, cakes made out of marble? What?

It was only recently that I finally found out what rock cakes were: SCONES. Rock cakes are what the British called

scones.

And it's not the only baked good that has a different name on the other side of the pond. To clarify, I, Caroline, am posting this handy glossary:

Britain

United States

Rock Cakes

Scones

Scones

Biscuits

Biscuits 

Cookies

Confusing, huh? But don't worry, scones/rock cakes are actually super easy to make! It's amazing how educational Harry Potter is.

Today, I'm giving you a basic scone recipe, or a master recipe, and I'll show you the process of making the dough. You then can decide to add in whatever you like to make scones to your taste! Be creative!

Tomorrow, I'll also post a scone recipe that uses this master recipe as a starting point.

But first, the basic scone! Here are two tips that are essential to a light, fluffy scone:

1. The butter must be very cold. Do not let it warm up too much while making the dough.
2. Do not over-mix when you add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients. You want to mix it just to the point that the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry.

And now here's the process:

(These photos may look familiar...they're from my blueberry scones post, but the recipe I'm posting is somewhat different.) 

Whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar

Cut your butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add that to the bowl. The butter should be very cold.

Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the flour mixture. It's okay if there are lumps. Work quickly so the butter doesn't melt.

Add your mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or fruit. The exception is citrus zest, which you'll add in later.

Mix in whatever you are adding to the scones.

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, vanilla extract, and citrus zest, if you are using it.

Add the wet ingredient to the dry, and mix them together just until the dry ingredient are moistened. DO NOT OVER-MIX!

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a circle that is about 10-inches in diameter.

Cut the circle into 12 wedges.

Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet. If you are not making a glaze to drizzle over it later, then sprinkle some sugar over the scones.

(Originally, I suggested first brushing the scones with milk, but with this new recipe I think it is unnecessary).

Bake for about 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, until they are golden.

If you are making a glaze instead of sprinkling sugar, mix together the powdered sugar and milk or citrus juice, and brush it generously over the the scones.

Have fun experimenting with this recipe!

-Caroline

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe

Master Scone Recipe

A Pass the Cocoa Original

Yields: 12 Scones

Ingredients:

Dough

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 tablespoons butter, cold

One or two add-ins, such as: 1 cup fresh fruit such as blueberries, cherries, or raspberries, ⅔ cup chocolate chips or dried fruit such as cranberries, or 1 tablespoon citrus zest

2/3 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream, cold

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

sugar, for sprinkling or a simple glaze (see below)

Basic glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup milk, or lemon/orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Make sure it remains cold.
4. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.
5. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt.
6. Fold in any add-ins, unless you are adding citrus zest.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half or cream, the egg, vanilla, and citrus zest, if you are using it.
8. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
9. Use a fork or wooden spoon to mix it until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough barely holds together. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
10. Turn the dough onto a floured surface.
11. Shape the dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter.
12. Cut the circle into 12 wedges.
13. Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
14. For the glaze, mix together the powder sugar and milk (or lemon juice or orange juice). Brush the glaze over the scones.
15. Give yourself a huge congratulations! You just made scones!