Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Loaf

The other night, at 10p, and after watching Zoe Bakes on Magnolia, I got the sudden urge to make something delicious and sweet. So that’s what I did. Again, at 10p at night.

But what to make? I’m honestly not sure why I bought so many cans of biscuits, but I opened our fridge and saw 4 or 5 staring me in the face, so I decided to start there. And after seeing Zoe make something with cinnamon and sugar on her show, I thought cinnamon pull apart bites sounded absolutely perfect.

A quick Google search, and a few seconds later, I found this recipe from Pillsbury. Super quick, easy, and just what I think we all wanted on a late, rainy Saturday night. Here’s what you’re going to need…

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 2 cans (6 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Flaky Layers Buttermilk Biscuits (5 Count)

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Generously grease 8x4-inch loaf pan (do not use dark-coated pan). In small shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; mix well.

2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Dip each quarter into melted butter; roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Arrange in greased loaf pan.

3. Bake 19 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and center is baked through. Cool 2 minutes. Loosen edges; remove from pan. Place on serving plate. Serve warm.

Since it was so late when we made them, we only had a few bites and then heated it up the next morning for breakfast. Sugary, sweet, sticky, and so good. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

A Cheesy Potato Casserole Recipe from Half Baked Harvest

I made this cheesy potato casserole with buttery Ritz crackers from Half Baked Harvest the other night at we ate it for two days straight. It was so good, bursting with flavor and crunch that (thankfully) made the whole family feel satisfied.

The secret to the yummy flavors, in my opinion? The Worcestershire sauce mixed with the garlic and butter!! Worcestershire sauce is something I never think to cook with, but every time I do, I remember how it always enhances and amplifies the recipe and then swear I’m going to use it again. And then I don’t. It’s a vicious cycle.

This casserole is so delicious and so rich, with the cheese and creamy potatoes all mixed together and then topped off with buttery, garlicy Ritz crackers. I’m excited to make this in the fall and winter, as it definitely feels like a meal better suited for colder weather instead of the 95 degree weather I made it in. #oops

Thank you, Tieghan, as always, for creating and sharing the most beautiful, yummy recipes. Check out this cheesy potato casserole here, and see the rest of her recipes on HalfBakedHarvest.com.

An Easy, Made Up On-The-Spot Red Wine Pasta

I had some leftover noodles from dinner the other night just sitting in the fridge that I really didn’t want to just throw away, so I used a few ingredients that I had on hand (and pretty much made the recipe up as I went along ) to turn them into an actually delicious, super quick meal! Here’s what I used…

Ingredients

• A few tablespoons of olive oil

• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 and 1/2 cups of red wine (I used a cabernet)

• 1 tablespoon of butter

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon of basil (or more, to taste)

• parmesan cheese to garnish

My sister and her girlfriend made us dinner last week, so we had some cherry tomatoes on hand (I never think to buy those for some reason, but they’re so good!). I cut them in half, poured a heaping amount of olive oil into a pan, and threw the tomatoes in. I generously sprinkled some salt and pepper while mashing the tomatoes to create a sort of sauce.

Then I quickly minced three cloves of garlic and put that and a little amount of butter in the pan and stirred for about 30 seconds, letting it all get nice and fragrant on medium heat. I added some basil (I wish it was fresh but it wasn’t!) and then about a cup and a half of red wine and let it all simmer for a few minutes.

I didn’t measure ANY of this and usually don’t when I make recipes, which sort of makes it hard to replicate them exactly the same way every time. But I always say to use your best judgement! You know the amounts of the things you like (how much garlic, salt, etc.) so experiment and have a little fun with the ingredients.

Anyway, I then tossed the noodles from the night before into the pan and stirred it all together while topping it off with some parmesan cheese (also not fresh!).

I made this on a whim because I didn’t want the noodles to go to waste- we had all already had pizza for dinner that night so this was just going to be for lunch the next day. But it was so yummy that little sis even had a bowl after she already had her dinner, which never happens (it’s hard enough to get her to eat her own dinner every night, let alone a whole other meal with ingredients she usually doesn’t prefer). It was rich with flavor and felt fancy. Cherry tomatoes add such a burst of flavor to whatever they’re in. I need to remember to add them to the list when I go to the store next time!

Happy cooking, friends! x

A Quick, Sweet & Healthy (ish) Breakfast

I came across this recipe a few months ago and have been making it almost every morning since.

I was reading Cup of Jo one day and saw this post where food writer Jenny Rosenstrach (of Dinner a Love Story) shared three “throw-together” breakfast ideas, which all looked delicious, but one in particular caught my eye.

She calls it “blueberry pancake toast” and it’s so quick and easy to make, with bursts of flavor thanks to the blueberries and Dave’s Killer “Good Seed” Bread, which she specifically says to use. And I’m serious about the easy part, as the only ingredients are

• bread

• blueberries

• almond butter

• maple syrup

Just pile it all on top like the picture above and enjoy. Thanks for the yummy breakfast idea, Jenny!!

Bourbon Bundt Cake

Today I’m sharing a recipe I’ve never made before (or even thought about making!).

We did a collaboration with Maker’s Mark a few weeks back and had two big bottles of bourbon, so PJ thought it would be fun to make a bourbon cake, just like his grandma used to when he was young. A bourbon cake, in theory, sounded good to me, but I had never tried one, so I was a bit skeptical.

After putting it off for weeks, I finally made the cake yesterday and I am happy to report it was delicious! It was warm and sweet and comforting, as only cakes can be. I was afraid the bourbon would be overpowering in flavor but it wasn’t- it was just the right amount, as evident by the number of pieces I’ve already had.

Also, full disclosure: I totally butchered the buttercream glaze. It didn’t turn out at all how I envisioned and was more like clumpy icing, so do with that what you will. It tasted great, though! Just wasn’t the prettiest to look at (which honestly I’m completely okay with food not looking that good but tasting yummy). I’m really not a huge fan of bundt cakes, but PJ (who generally doesn’t like cake) loves them, so I need to perfect my glazing recipe ASAP!

Sharing the bourbon bundt cake recipe I used from The Wood and Spoon below:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1–1/4 cup sugar (250 gm)

• ¾ cup (150 gm) brown sugar

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup (240 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature

• ¼ cup (60 gm) good quality bourbon

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir in any unincorporated egg.

3. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, bourbon, and vanilla extract.

4. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until barely combined on low speed.

6. Add half of the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.

7. Repeat this process to incorporate the remaining dry and wet ingredients.

8. Fold the batter together using a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated.

9. Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan and spoon the batter into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 45- 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake on to a cooling rack to cool completely.
   

And for the bourbon glaze (the one I didn’t use), here is what you’ll need for that:

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons bourbon

• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, plus more as needed

Whisk together the powdered sugar, bourbon, and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Add additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until your glaze is the desired consistency. Add additional powdered sugar to thicken as needed. Spoon the glaze over top of the cake.

Happy baking, friends! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Banana Bread

Good morning, friends, and happy Friday!

I made this cinnamon oatmeal banana bread last night and wanted to share it here because it’s the perfect warm and yummy treat for the weekend. I don’t know what I was expecting while making it, but this bread is the definition of comforting. It’s like a giant hug or an oversized sweater in your mouth, which is especially welcome right now because as I look out the window while writing this, it’s a frigid 24 degrees.

We had some old bananas that I was holding onto for weeks (that PJ smartly told me to freeze until I was ready to actually make something with them) to make some sort of cinnamon banana bread, but at the last minute I decided I wanted to add oatmeal into the mix, too. Cinnamon oatmeal banana bread? Is that even a thing? A quick Google search revealed that it in fact was a thing, and it was a thing that looked absolutely delicious. So I started baking.

I ended up going with this recipe from My Gourmet Connection. Fair warning: PJ asked if I cut the sugar any, which I didn’t, so if you like your breads a little sweet, you may want to add a bit more sugar than what the recipe calls for. I thought it tasted great as is (the kids did, too!), but I think we could all use a little more sweetness in our lives, don’t you?

Full recipe and directions below, directly from My Gourmet Connection:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quick cooking oats

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup milk

• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the oats with the milk and set aside for 10 minutes to soften. Add the bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the softened oats. Mix well.

4. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add in the banana mixture and combine until dry ingredients are moistened.

5. Spread the bread batter in the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top and pat down gently into the surface of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges pull away from the pan slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire cooling rack.

Hope you have the coziest weekend ever, and happy baking!