Quick Cinnamon Sugar Twists from Pre-made Pizza Dough

 

I was cruising past the deli section of my local grocery store and noticed that the pizza dough was on sale. Ninety-nine-cents? I thought. I can work with that. So, for less than the price of a candy bar, here are a dozen-and-a-half hot and chewy Cinnamon Twists. Quick, easy and yummy even at full price. (For a savory version, dip in butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs.)

Pizza Dough Cinnamon Twists

1 lb. of pizza dough

flour for dusting

3 Tbs butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tb cinnamon

1.) Dust your surface with some flour. I used whole wheat. I know, kind of besides the point, right? Anyway, roll the dough out into a semi-rectangle like so.

 2.) Cut the dough into 9 strips and then cut those in half for a total of 18.

 

3.) Alternately dip the strips of dough into the melted butter and then roll into the sugar mix.And don't forget to smile.

 

 4.) Twist the strips and lay out on parchment-lined sheets.

 5.) Bake in 375' oven for 18 minutes. Serve hot. But really they're good cold too.

Pumpkin-Orange Spice Muffins with Cinnamon Ginger Streusel

Ahh, fall is here. We recently took a car trip from North Carolina up to Connecticut and got to see a virtual, real-time fall season. The leaves were just starting to turn in North Carolina. They were in full glory by Maryland, tapered off in upper Pennsylvania and were at the tail end of the season by Connecticut. Luckily, we saw fall in reverse on the way back and are home in time to enjoy North Carolina in the peak of autumn. Our porch is blooming with yellow and burnt orange mums and we've collected enough pumpkins to make even Linus jealous.

What better way to celebrate fall than with these Pumpkin-Orange Spice Muffins with Cinnamon Ginger Streusel. You won't be able to get enough of their yummy pumpkin citrus spice flavor, moist, dense crumbs and crunchy streusel topping. These freeze and reheat well. Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Orange Spice Muffins with Cinnamon Ginger Streusel
Makes 2 dozen
(Adapted from Gourmet, Nov 2006 issue)

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup applesauce
4 large eggs
3/4 cup white sugar*
3/4 cup brown sugar*
2 tsp dried orange peel
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Cinnamon Ginger Streusel Topping:
4 Tb flour
2 1/2 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tb butter
1/4 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 350'
1.) Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour through salt).
2.) Mix together the wet ingredients and spices in a separate bowl (pumpkin through spices).
3.) With a fork or your fingers combine the streusel topping in a small bowl and set aside.
4.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches, using a large spatula to combine, careful not to  over mix.
5.) Scoop out pumpkin batter into 24 paper-lined muffin tins.
6.) Spoon streusel evenly on each and press topping into batter.
7.) Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

*The original recipe called for two full cups of sugar. I added the streusel topping and substituted applesauce for some of the oil. I thought this would make up for some of the sweetness so I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup each. I missed the full sweetness of the muffin though. Next time I'd add the full two cups of sugar but I leave it up to you.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Sometimes inspiration for baking comes in simple forms, like paper muffin cups and half a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips. Oh, and a bowl of past-their-prime bananas.

Banana bread is the PB&J of sweet breads. It reminds me of a cold winter day home from school with my Mom. Comfort food at its best. And since we had sleet this morning and a threat of snow (In March? In North Carolina? Who do I see about fixing this weather thing?), banana bread muffins will fit the bill. Mom always used to put chocolate chips in her bread, and I'm of the same persuasion. Ain't nothin' that can't be improved with chocolate. I also added brown sugar and cloves to this recipe from joyofbaking.com, took out the nuts since we didn't have any on hand, and put the batter in muffin cups. These freeze great and reheat easily for breakfasts in 30 seconds in the microwave. Use mini-chocolate chips and mini-muffin pans for a sweet treat for the kids.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (I use a mix of white and wheat)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1 cup chocolate chips

3 mashed bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla

1.) Since banana bread is such an old-fashioned treat, I decided to mix it up the old fashioned way--by hand. It's too easy to over mix sweet breads with an electric mixer anyway. Then it gets all tough and rubbery. So... mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, flour through chocolate chips.

2.) In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork and stir in the remaining wet ingredients until combined.

3.) Make a well in the dry ingredients by pushing the mix up against the side of the bowl.

4.) Plop the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir slowly, gently, almost folding the wet ingredients into the dry. Some dry pockets might still remain. Resist the urge to keep stirring.

5.) Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, spoon batter evenly into 12 or so regular muffin cups.

6.) Bake in preheated oven at 350' for 20-25 minutes. Tops will be cracked and browned when done and no goo will come out if you insert a toothpick--not accounting for the chocolate chips of course.

7.) Let sit for a few minutes then tap out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Step eight: devour. Call your mother. Repeat.

Indian Restaurant Inspired Canteloupe Mint Smoothie

Canteloupe doesn't come in season in North Carolina for several more months, but I'm seeing them on sale more and more at the store. One of my favorite ways to eat canteloupe is smothered in the yogurt mint sauce served at our favorite Indian restaurant. I thought I'd try to make a smoothie that captures this unique taste sensation. This recipe is a refreshing version with the lightly sweet melon, fresh mint and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper for heat. The texture is thinner than a traditional smoothie, but adding ice just waters it down. Top with a fresh sprig of mint and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper and get your morning off to a great start.

Spiced Canteloupe Mint Smoothie

1 canteloupe, seeded and pulp scooped out

5 or 6 fresh mint leaves

1 Tb honey

pinch of cayenne pepper

kefir or 1 cup plain yogurt and milk/soy milk

1.) Place canteloupe, mint and honey in blender. 

2.) If using yogurt and milk or soy milk, then add the yogurt and blend, adding milk/soy milk until you get a smooth consistency. You may have to add more honey than shown above if you're using plain yogurt.

3.) If using kefir, blend ingredients, adding kefir as you go until you get the desired consistency.

4.) Top with a fresh mint sprig and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Crazy Monkey Protein Smoothie

My boys get excited when they see the chocolate syrup bottle come out of the fridge at breakfast time, and I love that they're getting lots of protein. Try this shake with a yogurt and soy milk/milk combination if you don't have kefir on hand. Don't tell the kids but I also sneak cooked sweet potato or carrots in this when they're not looking. They've never noticed! For easy cleanup, use an immersion blender like the one pictured below. They have fewer pieces to clean up than a blender.

Crazy Monkey Breakfast Smoothie
2 bananas, peeled
2 Tb chocolate syrup (I've also used 1/2 packet of hot cocoa powder)
2 heaping Tb smooth peanut butter
kefir (or 1 cup of plain yogurt and milk or soy milk)

1.) Place bananas, chocolate syrup and peanut butter in blender cup.
2.) Pour kefir until cup is 3/4 full. Blend until smooth. Serve.


For more recipes visit www.feedingfourfood.blogspot.com.

Quick Scones

I can't help but mess with recipes. The Glazed Cranberry Sunrise scones pictured here were based on a recipe from Sandra Lee's Semi-homemade show that aired earlier this month. I loved her Mocha Chip version, although I changed it a bit. The adjusted recipe is below. You can get her original recipe on foodnetwork.com. I liked the final result so much that I decided to use it as a template for making other kinds of scones. In addition to the Cranberry Sunrise version I came up with, I tried using 1/4 cup pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to make a Pumpkin Maple scone. I was not as happy with that version though so didn't bother to post the recipe here. They looked cute but really lacked the good pumpkin flavor and color.

Also, while I was messing with this recipe I spent a writer's weekend at the beach with some friends and needed something quick to make everyone for breakfast. I didn't want to have to haul a ton of ingredients with me in the car and wanted minimal cleanup. So I mixed all the dry ingredients for the mocha scones in bags ahead of time and took coffee and creamer with me. I decided to omit the vanilla since it wasn't convenient. When it came time for breakfast, I brewed the coffee for everyone and whipped up the scones at the same time. They were a big hit and super easy. You could do this at home and keep them on hand in the pantry for Saturday mornings. Just add your liquids and egg and you're all set.

One last hint on shaping the scones. I used more like 3 cups of the baking mix. Otherwise, I found them to be too dry and crumbly. Sandra Lee had a great hint to press the dough down into a 9" cake pan and then tap it out onto the counter and cut the scones. Her recipe also called for cutting the scones into 12 slices but I like the nice big scones you get when you make eight.

Glazed Mocha Chip Pecan Scones
*Cranberry Sunrise scone alternative below

• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3- 3 1/2 cups baking mix
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• strong coffee, cooled
  

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.) In a small bowl, combine coffee, cream, 1 egg, and vanilla; set aside.
3.) In a large mixing bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, chocolate chips and pecans.
4.) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and work into a crumbly dough. On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a 9-inch disk (approximately 1/2-inch thick). Cut into 8 wedges and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool.
5.) For the glaze, add cooled coffee one tablespoon at a time to the powdered sugar until a thick glaze is formed. Drizzle on scones. When the glaze has set slightly, lift the scones and rub the bottoms in the excess glaze that has run off onto the pan. Let set before serving.

To transform this recipe, replace the coffee in the scones recipe with 1 Tb orange juice concentrate and enough water to make 1/4 cup. Replace the chocolate chips with dried cranberries and the pecans with chopped walnuts. For the glaze, use orange juice in place of the coffee. For a richer glaze, alternate the o.j. with cream until you get the right consistency.

Breakfast of Champions to Beat Low Blood Sugar

Lincoln, my oldest, and I both have issues with low blood sugar. Pre-mealtime at our house can be precarious. We're learning to anticipate our hunger needs and snacking smarter. And now we've realized that for us it starts with the right breakfast. We've traded whole-grain cereals with soy milk, pancakes or waffles, and even oatmeal for high protein foods. And what a difference! I've noticed a huge improvement in Lincoln's moods and ability to handle disappointments throughout the morning. I would chalk it up to him getting older, except that I've noticed a big improvement for myself as well.

So, what does breakfast look like? Whole grain toast with natural peanut butter and honey. Eggs. Coffee for mom. And most days a yogurt fruit smoothie. Sounds like a lot of food, but I've found I eat less the rest of the day when I take time to eat a (humongous) breakfast. Nursing Benjamin and running help me burn the calories. As I wean him, I'll have to adjust my calorie intake, but I also won't be so hungry.

Here's a recipe for a healthy, filling smoothie that even Lincoln loves. For an extra boost, I toss in a couple tablespoons of one of Ben's baby food veggie/fruit blends before I feed him breakfast. This morning I used squash/peach. Linc didn't even notice. And at $.46 for a jar of baby food it's a quick, cheap, easy way to add more veg to our diets.

Berry Sunrise Yogurt Smoothie Surprise
1/2 cup fat free, plain yogurt
1/2 cup plain or light soy milk
1/2 banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
5-6 whole frozen strawberries
1 TB frozen orange juice concentrate
2 TB pureed squash/peach baby food

Add to blender. Blend. Pour. Enjoy!