Cinnamon Swirl Bread

I read a lot of books. I'm never without one. I read at the gym, during TV shows, in the bathtub. I've pulled out my book at soccer practice and in the school pick-up line. I love how I can lose myself in a story. This summer I read so many good books I was bursting with the need to share them. I decided I was going to pick one book a month and start a new series of posts that pairs a recipe with the book. Sort of a book club based around food. The only thing was to pick which book to feature first.

And then I read the Hunger Games Trilogy.

Source: SuzanneCollins.com

I don't know what Suzanne Collins ate (or drank) before she came up with this novel. I envy anyone with an imagination like hers. The way she can create a story about something so...horrifying and keep you reading is amazing.

Horrifying, you ask? Why? Because the premise of the first book in the series (my favorite of the three) is that in the futuristic North American country of Panem, children are randomly chosen in a lottery and then sent to fight to the death in a televised reality-show arena. Yes, you read that right. They are sent to fight to the death; to murder one another until only one remains. Children, between the ages of 12 and 18.

Believe me, when I started reading I wanted to stop. It was so disturbing I almost couldn't stand it. But I couldn't stop reading. I read the book in less than two days. (Followed closely in suit with the other two. The whole series, done in a week.) And I still (a month later) can't stop thinking about Katniss and Peeta, Gale and Prim and Haymitch. Their lives are still interweaved with mine.

It was so bad that when I watched the season premiere of Survivor I wondered, for an instant, why they were just hanging out; why they weren't trying to murder each other.

So for my first book and food pairing, I made Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Bread and grain are a huge part of the Hunger Games trilogy. Peeta's family is a baker. Grain is a precious commodity. Children can enter their names into the lottery more times in order to earn a years' worth of grain to feed their families. Even the name of the country, Panem, derives from Latin as "bread and circuses." So I thought bread would be a fitting choice, although the disadvantaged and poor Katniss and her family would not have been able to afford cinnamon or sugar.

This bread is awesome. I pulled the recipe from Food Network Magazine a long time ago and have been wanting to make it ever since. It's a lower-fat version, using whole-wheat flour and nonfat dry milk. But you wouldn't know it when you try it - it is delicious. I ate it plain and toasted with butter. To die for (no pun intended). The recipe makes two loaves, so I have one in my freezer to make french toast with sometime.

If you're looking for a good book to read, try the Hunger Games. I haven't read a series of books that has affected me so much since the Twilight series. (You really don't want me to get into that; I'd go on for hours.) So give the Hunger Games a try and then have some cinnamon swirl bread. A perfect pair!

What are you reading?

(Note: There is a print link embedded in the footer of the post; please visit the post to print.)

Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Recipe slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger/Food Network Magazine

Printed at www.CrazyforCrust.com 

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

1.       Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, vegetable oil, honey, salt, yeast and very warm (120°-130°) water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix three minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix five more minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.

2.       Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.

3.       Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface.  Form it into a loose rectangle. Lift up one corner of the dough and fold it across; press down to remove air bubbles. Repeat with remaining three corners.

4.       Spray two 9x5 inch bread pans with cooking spray. Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl. Separate the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into and 8-inch square. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and place seam-side down in the loaf pan. Repeat with second section of dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

5.       Preheat oven to 375°. Brush the loaves with vegetable oil and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Yield: 2 loaves

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Fall Crawl (The Artsy Girl Connection), Fall Craft Challenge (One Artsy Mama)

Blueberry Bread

I exercise every day. Not because I like it. I could probably think of at least 100 other things I'd rather do than exercise. I don't like to sweat. I don't like how I look in workout clothes. I don't like watching all the "I've had three babies and I'm thinner than I was in high school" ladies bounce on the elliptical.

(That last one makes me SO jealous, by the way. How do you moms look like that after three babies????)

I get myself to the gym every day because I like to eat. And, no matter if I workout or not, I will eat. A lot. So, by getting an hour of cardio in each day I'm able to feel (a little) less guilty about what goes into my mouth.

Since Jordan started first grade, a few of the other moms have been walking after drop-off. I decided to take a day off from the gym and walk with them. I was a little worried, because when I walk on weekends it's not the same workout I get at the gym. I was worried I'd spend an hour walking and then have to go home and do more.

I needn't have worried.

Our first walk was about 3.7 miles. With hills. The walk was good, the conversation better. Female companionship is like a drug, let me tell you.

Last Friday I walked with them for the second time. We walked over five miles. With hills. Almost two hours of exercise outside in the fresh air with friends. Did I mention it was over five miles? That little ditty, with the addition of the kickboxing class I had taken the day before, has made it so I could barely walk on Saturday. So yeah, I think I got a good workout.

You know what happens after you walk for two hours? You get hungry. This blueberry bread is a perfect snack after a workout.

I know, I know. The experts say "have some milk, yogurt, fruit" after a workout. Blah blah blah. What you need when you're that hungry is substance. And this bread fits the bill. Plus it is fruit. Duh.  It has blueberries in it.

So, the next time you don't want to go to the gym, think of the end game: a yummy snack. Go get your sweat on, have a good snack, and then take a second and click HERE to vote for me. (You know I had to slip it in somewhere. Only a few days left, I promise.)

Blueberry Loaf

Adapted from www.lowfatcooking.about.com

Printed from Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

½ cup nonfat milk

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I like to use mini frozen ones)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

2.       Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

3.       Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Stir in oil and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until moist. Fold in the lemon zest and blueberries. Pour into pan.

4.       Bake about 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

5.       To make glaze: Whisk ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour over cooled blueberry loaf and let dry before slicing.

Yield: 1 loaf


Enjoy!

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters)

Banana Bread

Happy Mother's Day!

When I was thinking about what recipe I could post for today, it hit me. Duh! I have to post this banana Bread recipe. Why? Because it's my mom's recipe, of course.

I grew up in the kitchen with my mom. We would bake cookies and brownies together. We'd make pies on Thanksgiving and cakes for birthdays. Sometimes on Saturday or Sunday mornings I'd awake to wonderful smells from the kitchen: blueberry muffins, coffee cake, or banana bread.

Sometimes I'd help her make this banana bread. I'll always remember those baking sessions, because it used a special kitchen appliance: the blender. We never used the blender or the food processor back then. Those were the appliances hidden on the top shelf in a back cabinet somewhere. I remember they even had their own little covers, perfectly sewn just for them.

I'd stand at the counter and we'd put the bananas and milk and eggs in the blender. Then I would add the baking soda and stand back, because we had added some vinegar to sour the milk and I'd wonder if it would bubble over. (It never did.) I'd get to press the buttons on the blender to make it run. Then we'd remove the lid and pour the wet mixture into the sugar mixture and the absolutely wonderful awesome smell would just hit me and I would want that bread right now.

I'm just warning you: the batter for this bread is amazing. I consider myself sort of a connoisseur of raw dough (I know I know, salmonella blah blah blah) and this banana bread batter is one of the best ones ever. (A close second goes to my chocolate chip cookie recipe, coming soon!)

I still remember standing with my mom in the kitchen, her in her purple bathrobe, preparing the pans with sugar for the batter. I always thought it was so cool she did that. (She'd grease the pan with butter and then, instead of flouring it, she'd use granulated sugar.) It gives the bread a nice sugary crunch when it's done baking.

When the bread would come out of the oven we'd all crowd around it just willing it to cool faster. Usually we ended up cutting it too soon, and it would crumble. But we didn't care. It was so good nothing mattered except eating that bread. My favorite part is that little top section (the peak of the rise of the bread) that doesn't totally bake through, so it's still a little wet, like batter. I'd always eat that part first.

So if you need a last minute breakfast for your mom today, make her some banana bread. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

How sad is it that this is the only picture I could find of my mom and I? And Jordan was in it and I had to crop out my dad? Mental Note: take good photos soon. And scan some old ones from her albums.

To all moms out there, Happy Mother's Day. And to my wonderful mom, thank you for being you. I love you!

Enjoy!

Banana Bread
Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter, softened

2 tired bananas

2 eggs

7 tablespoons sour milk (To make sour milk: mix 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and sugar your loaf pan (instead of dusting it with flour, use sugar).  Do not use cooking spray for this step! If you want to use cooking spray to grease your pan, skip the sugar. For muffins, use muffin cups (will make approximately 12 muffins).

2.    Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer (and hand mixer is okay too).

3.    Add the bananas, eggs, sour milk, and baking soda to a blender. Mix until liquefied.

4.    Pour half of the banana mixture into the butter mixture with 1 cup of flour and mix until just combined. Repeat with the rest of the liquid and flour. Do not overmix!

5.    Stir in nuts if desired.

6.    Try not to eat all the raw batter. It’s almost better than the finished product!

7.    Pour into loaf pan. Bake approximately 50-60 minutes. (Muffins bake in about 15-20 minutes, check after 10 minutes and then again after 15.)

Yield: 1 loaf

Source: My Mommy

This recipe is linked with:

Pretzel Rolls

 

I love soft pretzels. If I happen to be somewhere, like an amusement park, it's hard for me not to get one. Heck, even going to Target can be dangerous if I'm hungry (since they sell them in their restaurant). Awhile ago I was at Whole Foods and saw a loaf of Pretzel Bread. Genious! A soft pretzel you can use to make a sandwich. I think I ate the loaf of it in a day. (Um, it was small, yeah, very small.) Needless to say, when I saw this recipe for Pretzel Rolls in Food Network Magazine I ripped it out so fast I think I got a paper cut. They are a little bit of work, but totally worth it. I served them for sandwiches, but they'd even be good just as themselves, with a little butter, or even some cheese spread.

Next time I make them, I'll probably double the batch, so I'll get 8 instead of 4. Because there were 4 of us having lunch that day and that meant I didn't get to eat a second one. Such a pity.

Enjoy!

Pretzel Rolls

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Vegetable oil, for the bowl

Cooking Spray

1/3 cup baking soda

1.  Put 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees) in the bowl of a standard mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside to bloom, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2.  Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and mix with the dough hook on the lowest setting until dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.

3. Form the dough into a ball, place in a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, 30-35 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat (or foil), coat generously with cooking spray and set aside.

4. Punch down the dough, then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead just until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute. Divide into 4 pieces and form into oblong rolls (make sure they are all the same size). Place the rolls on the prepared baking sheet and cut four 2-inch diagonal slashes across the top of each. Cover with a damp towel or cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees and bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. (Caution: use a very large pot for this. I recommend one of those large pasta pots. Once you add the baking soda it's going to foam - a lot - and if your pot isn't big enough it'll foam over.)

5.Stir the baking soda into the boiling water (it will foam slightly, and continue to foam for the duration). Add 2 rolls and poach 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the rolls, drain and place on the baking sheet, cut-side up. (I covered the baking sheet with paper towels to absorb some of the liquid.) Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

6. Remove the paper towels, if you've used them. Re-spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, lifting each roll as you spray under it. Bake the rolls until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet.

Source: Food Network Magazine/Guy Fieri January/February 2011