Apple Cinnamon Bran Muffins

{i didn't know bran tasted so good}
I was always kind of against all bran infused foods because I thought that's only what heath nuts ate. Again, my palate is expanding. I now am in love with bran muffins. They were really healthy but they didn't taste like it. They kept me full so I wasn't craving potato chips 30 minutes later. Plus, I put huge chunks of fruit in them which just makes everything better. You should give them a try if you haven't already, and if you have.. well, good for you! Give this recipe a whirl when you are in need of a health snack!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup whole bran cereal (not flakes)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
14 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 whole apples, skinned, cored, and chopped into chunks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 12 muffin cups with cooking spray or butter. In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cereal. Stir to moisten; set aside.
In another medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, add eggs, yogurt, sour cream, and oil. Stir cereal and flour mixture into wet ingredients just until moistened, fold in apples.
Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling 3/4 full. Bake about 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Mini Caramel Pecan Rolls

{half the dough, does that mean half the calories?}
One day, I was roaming through my many cookbooks, particularly the dessert and bread sections, and I came across these and suddenly started craving them. There wasn't even a picture, and I still wanted them. I glanced at the nutritional information and could feel my butt begging me to not make them. So, I decided to split the dough in half, and just use half instead of making a full batch. I don't think it really changes how healthy or unhealthy they are, but at least you only have a few to eat instead of a lot. You're welcome.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast (about one package)
1/2 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F.)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Caramel:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, let sit 5 minutes. Add sugar, sour cream, softened butter, salt, and egg to yeast mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add 2 cups flour to yeast mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turn once to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Stir over medium heat until combined. Spread mixture in prepared 8 inch round baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 cup chopped pecans over caramel, set aside. Divide dough in half. You can freeze the remaining dough if you want, or you can use it and make a double batch. Working with one portion at a time, roll dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Brush surface with some melted butter, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up starting from a filled long side, pinch the dough to secure so it doesn't unroll on you. Take some dental floss, and cut 1 inch slices of dough placing them facing down in caramel pecan mixture.

Cover and let rise again for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size again. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375F.

After baking, immediately invert rolls onto serving platter. Nutritional info: 463 calories per 3 rolls. You should only end up with 10-12 rolls depending on how thick you slice the dough. Don't be afraid to share these with your neighbors if you are tempted to eat them all in one sitting...

Mmm... yummy! Thanks for reading!

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook 15th Edition and

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook. 

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

{so sweet i can feel the cavities and diabetes setting in}
I don't know about you but when you are out shopping at the malls with the scent of the CinnaBun station from what seems like miles away, some form of symbiosis happens in my brain, and I immediately think- Christmas. But really, they are good any time of the year! Just make sure to go see your dentist after wards. 

 Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup warm water
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon (essentially as much or as little as you'd like)

Directions:
In a medium bowl add water, sugar, oil and yeast. Mix to combine and let rise for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, or stand mixer with bread hook, add yeast mixture, half the flour, salt and eggs. Mix with hook, once it's combined add remaining flour. Dough should clear the sides of the bowl. If you don't have a stand mixer, your hands work just fine! Spray your counter, and roll out dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Spread with a thin layer of butter, enough so your cinnamon and brown sugar will stick to the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon, and then sprinkle with brown sugar. Roll up long ways, and cut into 18 (1 inch thick) slices. Dental floss works great. Place on sprayed cookie sheet. Let rise for for 15 minutes.

After a final rising, pop them in the oven and bake at 400F for 15 minutes, or until the tops are slightly browned. Cool slightly and frost with your favorite icing.
Powdered Sugar Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
Mix together in a medium bowl. Add more milk or powdered sugar to reach the consistency to drizzle over cinnamon rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 3oz package of cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth, then add powdered sugar and mix until well blended, then add vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.

Saskatoon Muffins with Crumb Topping

{Oh, Canada. You have really good berries}
I went berry picking the other day, Saskatoon (pronounced, sass-ca-toon) berry picking. I had never heard of a Saskatoon berry, I always thought that Saskatoon was a funny named city in Saskatchewan (pronounced, sa-satch-a-won)... I've learned so much, including how to say these funny names. This was my first time making muffins from scratch, I read lots online about how to do it- I first began my search by looking up recipes for blueberry muffins, since Saskatoon's are close to blueberries. And I landed on one, properly named "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" with over 300 positive reviews on allrecipes.com. I'll take it! Of course, I altered it a tad, and added lemon to my second batch.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh Saskatoon's or blueberries (you can add more)
Topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F, and line or spray muffin pans. Add flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Measure out veggie oil but don't pour it in the mixture, add the egg to the oil, and then add enough milk to fill the cup (a little more, I found was better, but not much). Mix into flour mixture until well blended, don't over mix! Fold in berries and vanilla. For the lemony ones, just add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest when you mix in the berries. 
This batter will be like glue, so your berries wont sink to the bottom! Genius! Fill each muffin tin to the top. In a seperate bowl, add all the ingredients for the topping and mix with a fork, until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. 

 From my berry picking:

Ham and Cheese Croissants

{breakfast food, redone!}
One thing I miss most about the Inn is the croissants. They were my absolute favorite things to eat. I miss them greatly. I got this idea the other day when the deli meats were on sale for $3. If you are thinking 'how in the world is that a sale?'... trust me, compared to the regular price of $5, it's definitely a sale. I basically had to buy some because that is just something I could not pass up. Thus, my idea occurred. However, I have to admit that I didn't make the croissants myself- it was too hot to bake and I knew I was strapped for time, so I cheated and bought the pre-made ones in the can. If you are interested in making your own, I highly suggest this one- it's my favorite! 

Ingredients:
1 container (or as much or as little as you'd like) deli ham (you could experiment and use turkey if you wanted)
1 block of Swiss Cheese (again, more or less- you could even try cheddar with the turkey)
4 strips of croissant bread dough cut into long, right triangles (throw in a little geometry for ya)

Directions:
Roll out one triangle of dough, and place 2-3 slices of ham on top. It's best to not bunch it up, instead lay them out flat. Then take 1-2 small slices of Swiss and place on top of ham. Roll up the dough starting at the larger end, ending with the smallest corner of the dough. Do this for each one, place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. You can try serving with ranch dressing, if you're in the mood to try something different. :) 

This could be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a snack!