Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These were the new addition to our 2013 Mardi Gras pancake dinner, per the request of my husband. Good choice, my dear! These taste exactly like a cinnamon roll in pancake form, which is definitely as amazing as it sounds.

It all starts with a pretty basic pancake recipe, but when the batter starts to bubble, you swirl on a cinnamon filling. It looks normal at first, but when you flip the pancake and cook the other side, it somehow indents the pancake to make it look like a real cinnamon roll. Magically delicious!

Then drizzle on the cream cheese glaze, serve with a side of bacon or sausage, and you have a mighty tasty meal! I wouldn’t eat these every day, but they sure would be a nice treat every once and a while when you want to splurge.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:
Cinnamon Filling:
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pancakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Yield: 8 pancakes

Directions:
Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside.

Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.

Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg, and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it’s golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.

Source: Recipe Girl

Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts

I was recently gifted a donut pan and couldn’t wait to break it in! For my first go around, I figured I’d use the basic Wilton recipe that came with the pan. But instead of rolling the donuts in butter and cinnamon sugar, I just sprinkled some on before baking them to add a little extra flavor and crunch. (plus why add more calories when you get the same taste?)

These donuts were so delicious, especially when fresh out of the oven. They’re really easy to toss together and would make a nice homemade breakfast when you have friends or family over. I can’t wait to try different varieties and maybe get a mini donut pan too!

Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donuts

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Cinnamon Sugar for topping

Yield: 1 dozen donuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Beat until just combined. Spoon batter into the donut pan, until about 2/3 full. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of each donut.

Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tops of the donuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 4-5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Source: Slightly adapted from Wilton

Mocha Scones + Giveaway

It’s fun when you’re inspired to make something, all because of one cool ingredient you acquire. So last month, Jason and I took a trip to Virginia since Jason was running the Marine Corps Marathon, plus we got to visit some family and have a little getaway. And praise God, we survived Hurricane Sandy with no damage and flew home without delay.

Now, while we lived in Northern VA a few years ago, one store I fell in love with was Trader Joe’s. So you can imagine I was stoked to stop in at the nearest location during our trip and grab a few treats to take home. Granted, they’ve recently built a few TJ’s in north Texas, but it’s still a bit of a drive from my home in the country.

Unfortunately, I was limited to things that could go in my carry on luggage. (darn, no cookie butter!) So I got a few tasty things like chocolate covered sunflower seeds and one of my new loves, a cinnamon sugar grinder. They also had a sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean grinder. Be still my heart! I had to buy it. My mind started thinking of all the delicious things this could be used with. Which (finally) leads me to this recipe – mocha scones.

I’m a big fan of scones so the first thing I wanted to make was a chocolate and coffee infused scone with some of this magical mixture sprinkled on top. I wanted to create a scone with the same rich flavor of a mocha, my go-to drink at coffee shops. Ladies and gentlemen, these scones are amazing. Don’t get me wrong, they’d be good by themselves, but grinding some of that sugar/coffee/chocolate on top adds another dimension.

So while at Trader Joe’s, I had you lovely blog readers in mind and picked up a spare to share. Plus, this is my 200th blog post (holy cow!) so I thought I’d make it extra special. To win this sweet little treat, you can:

1. (Mandatory Entry) Leave a comment on this blog post. It can be about anything, preferably telling me what you’d like to sprinkle the yummy sugar/chocolate/coffee on.
2. ”Like” Beckster’s Laboratory on Facebook and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current followers can too!)
3. Subscribe to Beckster’s Laboratory and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current subscribers can too!)

You can enter the giveaway until midnight (central time) on December 10, 2012. I’ll pick a winner via a random number generator. Good luck!

Now on to the fabulous recipe…

Mocha Scones

Ingredients:
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp instant coffee (or instant espresso)
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chocolate chips
A sprinkle of sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean mixture

Yield: 8 scones

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and instant coffee. Stir to combine. Add the butter and mix into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. (use a pastry blender or I just used the paddle attachment on my stand mixer) Mix in the chocolate chips and add the wet ingredients. Mix everything together until the dough comes together. If too dry, add a little more cream and if too wet, add a little more flour. (dough should be a little sticky)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape it into a circle (about 7-8 inches) and cut it into eight wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter) Brush off any excess flour and place either on a lined baking sheet or in a scone pan. Grind some of the sugar/chocolate/coffee bean mixture onto the tops of the dough. (optional)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in/on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve while warm or store in a container for a few days, reheating as desired.

Source: Adapted from Joy of Baking

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Don’t you just love delicious things that can be whipped up in a jiffy and cost lots less than the store bought option? I sure do! Jason and I love cinnamon butter, especially on toast for breakfast. So when I saw this sweet spiced butter recipe, I figured it was worth a try. Let me tell you, I’m never buying it pre-made again! With just 4 simple household ingredients that you probably have laying around, this is so simple to make. I was thinking it’d be a nice homemade gift too! Anyone want some cinnamon honey butter for Christmas?

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Yield: About 3/4 cup

Directions:
Whip the room temperature butter with whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy. Put in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Source: The Hen Basket

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

This is the perfect thing to make if you have some leftover pumpkin puree. I first thought about making some mini pumpkin pies (maybe later), but then breakfast happened first and I was craving steel cut oats. Just throw in some pumpkin, spices, and brown sugar and you have a delicious start to your day! I topped mine with some chopped pecans from the pecan tree in my backyard that’s been good to me this year. Hope you get to eat as much pumpkin as you can this time of year – enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 3/4 cups water
Dash of salt
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Yield: 2 large servings

Directions:
Boil the water in a large pot. Add the oats and salt, stir together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir the oats occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. After 30 minutes, add the pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and spice. Stir together and cook another 10 minutes. Spoon the oatmeal into a ramekin or small bowl and top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Source: A Beckster Original

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

I’ve been in a blogging rut lately. No real reason why, but it happened. Maybe I’ve been distracted by life or simply needed a little break, but I’m been determined to bounce back. I’ve been sitting on this recipe for over a year now and can’t explain the ridiculous wait. But friends, this glorious food was totally worth it.

Yes, you do have to set aside the time to make the dough and work through the rising process, but it’s a perfect project for your next free day at home. Trust me, your efforts will be rewarded in the form of a fresh, warm, cinnamon sugar treat made from scratch.

The bread basically tastes like a flat cinnamon roll – which tickled my fancy, because I love cinnamon rolls but am not a fan of loads of icing. Plus, the cinnamon and sugar that seeps to the bottom of the pan turns into a sticky caramel-like substance. What a nice surprise!

For a visual step by step, you should definitely check out Joy’s original blog post. Basically, once the dough has risen the first time, just roll out the dough on a floured surface and smother it with browned butter (aka: deliciousness) and tons of cinnamon sugar. Then cut it into strips, stack, and cut into sweet little squares. Pile them into your greased pan and bake until it’s golden brown and your house smells like a bakery. Remove, enjoy, and share if you want!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
3  cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1/2 tsp salt
2 ounces unsalted butter (4 Tbsp or 1/2 stick)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned (4 Tbsp or 1/2 stick)

Yield: One 9x5x3 inch loaf

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.  Set aside.  Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside.  Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch  loaf pan.  Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough.  Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  It might seem like a lot of sugar.  Seriously?  Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven (on a baking sheet to prevent anything baking over and making a mess) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.

I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Source: The fabulous Joy the Baker

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

The combo of lemon and poppy seed is such a classic and delicious flavor – one that I don’t bake with often enough! When I saw this recipe, I knew it’d be a definite keeper! They’re best while still warm and can be spread with a little butter or lemon curd, or maybe next time, I’ll make a lemony glaze to drizzle on top – yum!

These scones are so easy to make and are a perfect breakfast food that could be made ahead for a group or quickly tossed together for a last minute breakfast treat. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 lemon, zested
1 Tbsp poppy seed
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk

Yield: 8 scones

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix until butter is evenly distributed.

Stir in the lemon zest, poppy seed, egg, and milk until just mixed and a dough forms. If the dough is dry, add a little more milk until soft.

Sprinkle a clean surface with flour and place the dough on it. Gently roll or pat the dough into a 9 inch flat circle and cut into 8 triangles. Carefully transfer the triangles into a scone pan or onto a lined baking sheet.

Bake the scones for 15-16 minutes or until golden brown. Let them stand for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve while warm and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker’s Entertaining Basics

Polish Babka

Babka is a Polish bread that’s traditionally made for Easter. I saw a recipe for it and was intrigued – I love learning about food traditions from other countries. Apparently “babka” is Polish for “grandmother”. It’s named so because the shape is reminiscent of a grandmother’s skirt, especially if you serve the slices fanned out in a circle. Cute, right?

This is a super simple recipe and while it is a yeast dough, there isn’t any kneading required. Just mix the ingredients together, let it rise the proper amount of time, bake it, and boom – you have a delicious treat. The texture is nice and is on the border between bread and cake. My variation left out the usual raisins and dried fruit, at least this time. Even without the addition it’s so good and has just enough sweetness where it could be used as a dessert or an addition to breakfast or brunch.

The rum syrup that’s added right after baking gives the babka a nice extra oomph. But if you decide to add the rum glaze, this grandma isn’t very kid friendly anymore! You can always make it milder with apple juice or milk, or leave out the glaze altogether, but the grown up version we ate had some definite rum action going on.

Happy Easter season to all of you!

Polish Babka

Ingredients:
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Heaping 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) softened butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Rum Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp rum (or apple juice)

Rum Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp rum (or apple juice)
Splash of milk

Yield: 1 cake (approx 12-16 servings)

Directions:
Place everything for the bread in a mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until cohesive. Increase your mixer’s speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Add the fruit, beating gently just to combine. (optional)

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest/rise for 60 minutes; it won’t appear to do much. Scoop the batter into a greased bundt pan. Cover the pan, and let the dough rest/rise for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the babka for 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads at least 190 degrees F.

While the babka is baking, prepare the rum syrup. Combine all of the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil, swirling the liquid in the pan, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

Remove the babka from the oven. Poke it all over gently with a toothpick or fork and slowly pour the syrup over the babka’s surface. When the syrup is fully absorbed (about 20 minutes or so), carefully loosen the babka’s edges, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack.

To make the glaze, mix all of the ingredients together, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over completely cool babka. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Source: King Arthur Flour

Croissants

I’ve been dreaming about making homemade croissants and finally that dream became a buttery reality. Life hasn’t been the same since. Ok, maybe a little dramatic, but really, these are practically life changing for a baker.

Now I know how much hard work goes into baking something great and complex. The process of rolling, folding, rolling, and folding again might seem excessive. But after biting into the flaky layers, it’s all immediately worth it. There is a lot of time and work that goes into homemade croissants, but besides the delicious results, you feel truly accomplished too!

And! Another great thing (I totally sound like a croissant saleswoman) is if you don’t want to make tons of basic croissants, you can use the same dough to make it’s best friend, pain au chocolat. Your kitchen seriously turns into a French bakery at this point. TWO types of fancy breads at once - so amazing!

Even though I didn’t use the same recipe, I used this helpful video to get a better visual of the technique used to make these. The tip he gives about pulling the tip when rolling the croissants is pretty great!

So if you feel ambitious enough to attempt homemade croissants, you totally should. Don’t be too intimidated, I promise it’s not extremely difficult! Just give yourself plenty of time, space, butter, and room in your belly.

Croissants

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter
1 egg, beaten

Yield: 16 croissants

Directions:
Combine milk, first amount of butter, sugar, and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

While mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast in the water and add it to the milk. Place the liquid in a mixer and add the flour. Using the dough hook, mix until the dough is elastic and sticky.

Place in a bowl, cover and let it rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Then place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. While dough is chilling, soften the remaining cold butter by pounding with a rolling pin.

Roll the dough on a floured surface to form a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Spread the butter over 2/3 of the rectangle closest to you. Fold the unbuttered third over the center third. Then fold the bottom 1/3 over the doubled portion. Rotate the dough around a quarter turn. Roll it again into a 1/4-inch thick oblong. Fold again in thirds.

Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. When the dough is chilled, remove from the refrigerator and repeat the folding and turning twice more. Then roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness once more. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares then cut the squares on the bias to form two triangles. Roll each triangle beginning with the wide side, then shape the rolls into crescents. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat baking sheet. Leave enough room for each croissant to triple in size. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush a little of the beaten egg over each croissant to add color and texture while it bakes. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake another 15 minutes. Remove the croissants from the oven, cool, and enjoy!

Source: Best Bread Recipes

Lemon Scones

These light lemony scones were the perfect thing to slather some homemade lemon curd on. Lemon curd and scones are both things that I was really introduced to by my Aunt in Virginia – she’d often make scones for breakfast and besides the basic butter and jams, would usually have lemon curd available as a topping too. I was quickly hooked. Add a cup of coffee into the mix, and I’m a happy girl.

So this breakfast made me think of you, Aunt Linda, and the wonderful time spent in your home. Hopefully I can get some Texans hooked on these delicious foods too!

Lemon Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp lemon zest

Yield: 8 scones

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add buttermilk and lemon zest, stirring just until mixed. Put the dough onto a floured surface (it will be a bit sticky!) and knead gently six times. Shape the dough into a ball. Pat the dough into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place the wedges into a scone pan or onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Source: Slightly adapted from All Recipes