Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies

.  So Easter…

I am neither prepared nor ready to admit this lovely family holiday is fast approaching.  It most definitely crept up on me, to say the least.

So what do you know...Easter has come and gone and this post surely did not make it out before the Easter holiday.

I whipped up these cookies a few weekends ago [the second I pinned them] in hopes that I’d [go gaga over them and] get the chance to share them with you all for the holiday.  But as you can see, that most definitely did not happen.  And I'm not happy with myself.  But hopefully there will be some reason for you to include these delish chewy cookies in your upcoming entertaining repertoire.  For they most certainly deserve to be.

You may recall that I've made Bake or Break’s Hummingbird Cupcakes many a times before, they were actually one of the very first recipes I ever posted on LSM.  Which I’m sure I've told you.  Several times before.  But to this day, they continue to be one of my go-to and all-time favorite recipes.  And I can now vouch that my baking blog idol, BoB, has done it yet again.  But this time in cookie form.

These perfectly sized chewy, chewy cookies contain all of the traditional Hummingbird flavors: ripe bananas, sweet pineapple, fragrant spices, and crunchy pecans.  With a dollop of rich cream cheese frosting to top it all off [literally and figuratively], these cookies are near perfection.

And outright addicting. 

A sure crowd pleaser for any holiday brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Or any ol’ time for that matter.  Because they’re good year round.  You’ll see  .

Adapted from Bake or Break

Ingredients:
Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 medium ripe banana, mashed
1-1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. chopped dried or candied pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Banana chips, chopped pecans (garnish; optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. For cookies, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined, then add banana and mix until combined.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.  Stir in oats, pecans, and pineapple.  
4. Drop dough by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  Flatten each cookie slightly. 
5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on pans before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.
6. For frosting, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
7. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of frosting on cookies and garnish, if desired.  

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

C's to the Fifth Degree

.  I tried to come up with a creative title for this post.  But this was all I came up with.  So humor me.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.

5 C's, get it??

Anyway, this post is my first ode to the Fall season.  I know it may be a bit early but the sooner we get to Fall baking, the better for everyone.  Trust me.

When it comes to Fall, I think of pumpkins, apples, pies, and spices.  Spices.  Like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice.  You get the gist.  So this perfectly classic, cinnamon-bursting coffee cake is a great start to the most wonderful season there is.

If you've never had coffee cake, this is the coffee cake for you start out with.  Or if you're just a sucker for plain delicious, then this is right up your alley, too.  The cake itself is dense, yet moist, due to the addition of sour cream.  And that is topped with ribbon of sweet, cinnamon cream cheese and a generously thick layer of crunchy, cinnamoney streusel.  Simplistic, yes, but jam packed with the essence of Fall.  Well, to me at least...

I mean really, isn't this coffee cake just lovely?  Your guests will think so, too.

On a side note, I'd like to give a quick update on my knee.  I know, we're back to that again.  But I actually have some semi good news.  The orthopedist told me I have what they call runners knee.  Fortunately it's nothing major and over time, it can be 'fixed.'  The frustrating part about the whole thing for me was that [in the short version] my knee problem is probably due to the new shoes I bought a few months back.  Basically, the [not-so-cheap] shoes I was persuaded to buy [shame on me!] have arch support, which the orthopedist told me I actually didn't need.  Even though I have flat fleet, the arch support is adding pressure to a ligament [can't remember the name of it for the life of me...] on the outside of my knee and that's causing me all of this dang pain.

So you can bet that I'll be going back to my old style of shoes, Nike Free's, and hopefully back out on the pavement in no time.  Fall only lasts so long, so staying inside to work out has been a complete bummer.  Looks like I'm going shoe shopping!

Now bake some coffee cake  .

My Notes:

• I'm a streusel girl, so next time around I would think about doubling the streusel in this recipe.  There's definitely quite a bit already, in addition to that wonderful cream cheese layer,  but I'm simply a sucker for that crunchiness.

From Bake or Break

Ingredients:
Crumb topping:
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped pecans
Pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Swirl:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Cake:
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. sour cream

Directions:

1. For crumb topping, combine butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and salt in a small bowl.  Mix with a fork until mixture resembles crumbs; set aside.
2. For cream cheese swirl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar in a small bowl until fluffy.  Mix in vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Stir in pecans.  Set aside.
3. Heat oven to 350°F and grease 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.  For cake, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract.  Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.  Stir in sour cream and mix until just combined.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Top batter with spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture and using an up and down motion with a knife, swirl mixture into batter.  Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top.
6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 16 large servings

Butterscotch 'n' Cream Muffins

.  Hey-o!

How was every one's Fourth of July?  Ours was pretty relaxing, we spent the day at the pool with the puppies, went out for a little dinner and fro-yo downtown, and then Robbie and I walked around our neighborhood creepin' on people lighting fireworks.  What's a Fourth of July without fireworks, right?!

I do have to admit though, that this year's Fourth of July was a bit of a dud due to the whole midweek thing.  Did anyone else feel like it was a Monday, the day after the Fourth?  But what made me feel better was when I realized at some point during the day that it was already Thursday.  And Friday always comes after Thursday.  Score.

So to send you off into the weekend the right way, and this is perfect for those of you who may have some guests for the 'holiday' weekend, I give you....

Butterscotch 'n' Cream Muffins.

This recipe comes from my yet-to-be-trumped favorite book, A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman.  I've mentioned this book several times on LSM and I'll continue to do so until you buy it.  So I guess you have control of how many times I bombard you with those links ☺

Anywho, back to these muffins.  Or breakfast cupcakes.  You know, they're you're basic cream cheese filled, crunchy pecan streusel topping muffin.  Pretty typical...

Or not.  I absolutely love these muffins, and to my surprise they weren't as overly sweet as I had thought going in.  Though they do have a generous helping of crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel atop a lovely layer of cream cheese filling, the soft, tender, yet subtle cake rounds out this goodie perfectly.  And also gives us an excuse to shove our faces full to share this treat with our family and friends in the early morning.

Well I hope everyone is having a wonderful 'holiday' weekend thus far.  I'll be spending mine relaxing around the house with the pups.  They're totally not spoiled.

See you next week!  .

My Notes:

• Don't be intimidated by the longer ingredient list, this ENTIRE recipe is made in the food processor so it makes for easy clean up and no mixing!

Adapted from A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:

Pecan Streusel Topping:

1 c. finely chopped pecans

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. butterscotch chips

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Cream Cheese Topping:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Muffins:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. buttermilk

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  Line a regular-sized muffin pan with paper liners and spray liners with non stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. For streusel topping, place pecans, sugar, brown sugar, and butterscotch chips in food processor and grind to a fine meal.  Add butter and pulse to blend.  Place streusel into a bowl; set aside.
3. Without cleaning the food processor, blend together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and place into another bowl.  Set aside.
4. For muffins, blend butter, brown sugar and sugar in food processor until well combined.  Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.  Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pecans and blend well (make sure no unblended sugar or butter is stuck on the bottom of the bowl).
5. Fill muffin cups about half full with batter.  Evenly divide cream cheese topping into each cup and then carefully add streusel.
6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until muffins seem firm to the touch when gently pressed with fingertips.  Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing.

Serving: 1 dozen muffins

Secret Recipe Club: Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

.  Yep, you betcha.  It's SRC time once again!

And who was my wonderful assignment this month?  Well, it was none other then The Mommy Bowl, by Ms. Deanna.  This assignment was actually quite interesting, which is one of the main reasons I am so absolutely in love with SRC.

If you've glanced through my recipes, you'll see a common theme throughout: butter, butter, sugar, and...more butter.  Am I right, or am I right?  I am.  But The Mommy Bowl is centered around gluten- and dairy-free recipes, so needless to say LSM is basically the antithesis of what Deanna is all about.  But HEY!  That's what SRC is ALL about!  So thank you for this match up ☺

I struggled a bit on what to make from The Mommy Bowl, but only because I had no clue where to get some of the ingredients.  Dang, I give props to Deanna for the extra effort of finding supplies.  I'm lazy so I guess I could never do the -free anything route.  

But then I spotted these suckers: Chocolate Pecan Pie Bites.  Uh, how could anyone pass these up?  Obviously I couldn't.  And yes, you'll notice Deanna's title says 'bites' but I felt like being extra adventurous and made these lovelies into bars [wink, wink on the 'adventurous part'].  I was so intrigued by this recipe not only for the extremely short ingredient list but because I've always been interested in making my own snack bars but have just never made the plunge.  

Point two of why I love SRC: I get a chance to try out things I normally wouldn't.  

So what exactly do these taste like?   I know your curiosity is killing you right now.  Okay, I'll be honest.  Robbie was not a fan.  But I think it was a mental thing because he knew there were dates in them.  However, I actually thought they were quite tasty!  And knowing they're healthy and natural makes them that much more enticing.  Hollyann and another co-worker also tried them out and really loved them!  But they were both also women.  So maybe just make these for the female gender....

Anywho, Deanna describes these bars as reminiscent of Lara Bars.  I would have to agree and I can't really think of another bar they resemble.  They're very soft and chewy, with a deeply nutty flavor from the pecans, slight sweetness from the dates, and just an ever-so subtle hint of chocolate.  And a dash of salt to bring it all out.  I found that they were a fantastic snack to have around for a little pick-me-up during the day.  Nom, nom, nom.

So thanks Deanna for this wonderful inspiration to make my own bars, this was such a fun experience and I owe it all to you!  To a wonderful April!  .

My Notes:

• Deanna's original recipe called for a slightly smaller amount of ingredients, but since the package of pecans came a bit bigger, I opted to use them all (which I reflected in my ingredient list below).
• Deana's original recipe also called for scooping the mixture into balls, however, I randomly felt like making bars.  Either way works though!
• I suggest keeping the bars/bites in the refrigerator, the colder they are the better they stay together.

Adapted from The Mommy Bowl

Ingredients:

6 oz. raw pecans

6 oz. pitted dates

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/3 tbsp. cocoa powder

Water (if necessary)

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper in 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. Place pecans, dates, salt, and cocoa powder in food processor.  Process until finely chopped and mixture clumps together.  If mixture does not come together, add water, one teaspoon at a time, and pulse until combined.  Firmly press mixture evenly into loaf pan.  Place in refrigerator until firm.  
3. Pull bars out of pan using parchment paper.  Cut as desired.

Yield: 8 bars

Gooey Cinnamon Carrot Cake

.  SDFJA;SJGO;ASG;A!FKJSDALKJFSL?1?!!IUSFSJDSUGHALIFHSDLFAHJD!!GKEJKSF

I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM RIGHT NOW!  WELL, ^ EXCITED!!

And do you want to know why?  Not only am I sharing one of the BEST cakes I have ever tasted in my life but...drummmmmmmmmmm rolllllllllllllllll please! 

LSM WAS FEATURED ON FOODBUZZ'S TOP 9!!

Excuse my French, but can you freakin' believe it?!  BECAUSE I CAN'T!!  I got a comment from Amanda at At the Red Table congratulating me on my Top 9 feature and I was like wha, wha, wha?!  I honestly had no clue.  I hadn't checked my e-mail yet but lo' and behold, there was LSM's very own Baked Carrot Cake Donuts sitting smack dab in the Foodbuzz daily e-mail at the number two spot!  Woop, woop!  So thank you, thank you, thank you to anyone and everyone who clicked on my picture.  I honestly am so very excited about this and it's all because of YOU!

Okay, sorry.  I've calmed myself down a bit.  Now on to the other star of this post ☺

If you follow LSM on Twitter [and if you don't, you should, so click on that little 'T' to the right to get LSM Twitter updates and sneak peeks!] you may have noticed a sneak peek picture of the cake I'm presenting today.  And let me tell you, it really only was a sneak peek of all the deliciousness this [out-of-this-world] cake has to offer.  Seriously, words can barely describe how indulgent and...see, I can't even think of another worthy word!

I came across this sinfully wonderful cake over at Simply So Good.  Ha, hmmm?  Guess this cake will be so good, huh?!  Wrong.  This cake is too, too good!  Quite honestly, easily one of the best cakes I've had in a looOoooOoOng time.  Too long, actually.  Looks I may need to make this cake again...say Easter weekend?!  You're welcome, family ☺

So what makes this cake so rave-worthy?  Well let's see.  It could be the cinnamony-pineapple-pecans-coconut-carrot cake or the unique caramely-like buttermilk glaze that seeps into the cake or the overly thick, rich, cinnamon cream cheese frosting sitting atop every other layer.  I mean, maybe one of those elements will get ya.

Total sarcasm people!  And all of those described elements are in one stinkin' cake!  Whewie!

So long post short [see what I did there?], you do not want to pass up this recipe.  So do everyone at your Easter dinner a favor and make this cake.  Do it  .

My Notes:

• To poke holes in the cake, I used the handle end of a wooden spoon.
• Make sure the cake is thoroughly cooled before frosting.  You know me and my lack of patience, so I frosted the cake a bit too early and it ended up seeping into the cake making it a bit more soft than probably it should have been.  I popped the cake in the fridge to remedy, but I just suggest holding out on frosting if time permits until the cake is cooled.

From Simply So Good

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

3/4 c. buttermilk

3/4 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

2 c. peeled and grated carrots (about 2 to 3 large carrots)

1-1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

1 c. chopped pecans

Buttermilk Glaze:
 1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 13x9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. For cake, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
3. Place eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large bowl and mix until smooth.  Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Gently fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple, and pecans.  Pour batter evenly into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed.
4. While the cake is baking, to prepare the glaze, add sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda to medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Vigorously stir mixture (adding the baking soda will make the mixture foam, stirring will subside the rising foam!) for about 8 minutes.  The glaze will begin to turn an amber color.  When the mixture is a light amber color, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.  Set aside until ready to use.
5. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes in cake.  Pour the buttermilk glaze over the top of the hot cake and spread evenly.  Let cake cool completely.
6. While the cake cools, for frosting, add cream cheese and butter in large bowl and beat until fluffy.  Add brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix until combined.  Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  
7. Once the cake is cooled, evenly spread frosting over cake.  

Yield: 24 servings

Improv Cooking Challenge: Crunchy Sweet Potato Cupcakes

.  Let's just say that this month's ICC was a bit of a debacle.  And because of that, creating this post was a mad rush.  But in the end, I think I prevailed.  Sort of.

Let's first start with what I had to work with...

Potatoes and Cheese

Uhh, huh?  Crap.  First thing that crossed my mind was to skip this month's challenge, this was totally geared towards savory dishes.  But then I thought 'I ain't no quitter'! In those exact words, too.  So my brainstorming adventure began and I must say, I'm glad I took up the challenge. Even though these cupcakes caused me some stress, having something to snap pictures of was well worth it.  And they turned out pretty cute! 

So what we came up with [and I say we because several co-workers took part in this] was a Sweet Potato Cupcake topped with your classic Cream Cheese Frosting.  I'm [not so] secretly hoping that Kristen doesn't kick me out of the club for fudging the lines with sweet potatoes and cream cheese.  That's technically cheese, right?  Right?! 

But from this idea, I wanted to go just one step further.  I had a vision of Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcakes and to bring this idea to fruition, I added a crunchy layer of cinnamon-sugar pecan streusel [exactly like the streusel layer in my French Toast Cupcakes!].  Does that sound good or weird to you?  Well with my new found love for Sweet Potato Casserole, I went with it.

I started with a sweet potato cupcake recipe I found while browsing online, but here's where it all crumbled.  Literally.  I had to make a couple of ingredient adjustments and somewhere along the way, I didn't account for something.  Something I can't quite put my finger on, but what I ended up with was completely caved-in and overflowing cupcakes [somehow magically all at the same time].  The cupcakes were so incredibly delicate that the streusel layer literally sunk into the cupcakes.  But then I also apparently overfilled the liners so we had cupcake tops like no other.  And I am not a fan of cupcake tops.  I like my cupcakes sitting snugly within the liners, plain and simple.  So needless to say, those sad cupcakes marched their way straight to the trash.  Sad [and frustrating] day.

So onto the next sweet potato cupcake recipe!  Second time's a charm, in my book.  Learning from my previous mistakes, I adjusted accordingly and came out with these little guys.  The cupcakes themselves are not overly sweet potato-ey [which may be a good thing for some of you] and if you didn't know any better you could probably mistake them for pumpkin.  Texturely, they didn't quite come out how I would have liked but Hollyann vowed they're still good nevertheless.  Now on to that streusel!  I sadly have to admit that the streusel sank into the cupcakes a bit, but it still lends the cupcakes a hidden sugary, crunchy layer that is unexpected yet perfectly complements the generous helping of creamy cream cheese frosting.  And though these are a bit St. Patty's Day inspired, Hollyann and I wanted to give a nod to March Madness, which is beginning this weekend.  SO!  Hollyann made those adorable little fondant basketballs you see.  Too cute!

The fondant maker!

Aside from the near nervous breakdown, these cupcakes were a joy and true challenge.  So thanks again Kristen, from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, for once again hosting a fabulous ICC.  On to April!

My Notes:

• The original cupcake recipe only made a dozen cupcakes, so I doubled the recipe.  But if you're looking for a dozen cupcakes rather than 24, just halve all of the ingredients below.
• I absolutely fell in love with this frosting.  Not only is it extremely tasty, but it was ridiculously easy to pipe.  I'm not a great piper by any means so this easy-to-use frosting was perfect for me.

Adapted from Picky Palate and Snappy Gourmet 

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. chopped pecans

5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Cupcakes:

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. canned sweet potato pie filling

2 eggs

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

Frosting:

2 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. For streusel, combine brown sugar, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans in a small bowl.  Cut in butter with hands until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Heat oven to 350 F.  Line two muffin tins with liners; set aside.  For cupcakes, add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar, sweet potato pie filling, eggs, and buttermilk, in a large bowl.  Combine using a large spoon until well mixed (about 15 to 30 seconds). 
3. Fill prepared muffin cups just about 3/4 full.  Top evenly with streusel, making sure to cover the tops.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Let cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
4. For frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until well combined.  Beat in vanilla extract.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth.  Frost cupcakes as desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

TWD Baking with Julia: Rugelach

.  Say it with me: rug - eh - lock.  Yep, you got it ☺  Well, that's according to Google.  I've actually been pronouncing it roo - ga - losh.  Oops.  But either way, it's a scrumptious treat all the same.

As you can see, it's that time again.  Another TWD post featuring a recipe from Baking with Julia.  For March, this fancy cookie we call rugelach was chosen for the first monthly post [the second one will be on March 20, we'll see if I get around to making it!].  And my oh my, were these a trip.

First of all, I didn't have a dang clue what rugelach was.  Heck, I can't even pronounce it!  I'd seen recipes for it in several of my recipe books but I've never actually seen it in person.  So when I saw that rugelach was our next assignment, I was all in.  But first, a little Googling was in order.

Rugelach is a Jewish rolled cookie surrounding a filling and literally means 'little twists.'  According to Wikipedia, some say rugelach share a common ancestor with the French croissant [uh, yum?!] and I would have to say that would be a fantastic comparison for this particular recipe.  Since I have never had rugelach before, I don't have much to compare it to.  But what I will say is that these are utterly fantastic and I've been missing out my entire life.  Thanks, mom...

These cookies start with a cream cheese pastry.  Okay, you had me at cream cheese.  And like I said, the cookie element in this recipe is strongly reminiscent of a croissant or a flakey, flakey pie crust.  And to accompany this wonderful pastry is several layers of filling.  Several.  As in four.  As in an apricot jam, cinnamon-sugar, cinnamon-sugar ground nuts, and plumped dried fruit layers of filling.  Can we say decadence?  Yes we can.  And I thoroughly enjoyed every single whopping bite.

The only thing I must put out there is that this treat is quite time consuming.  But, I would take my advice and break the steps up into a couple of days, such as making the pastry one day and completing the rugelach the following day.  The part that sucks up the time is chilling the pastry two times for several hours, otherwise nothing else is overly complicated.  And despite some pouting on my end from the feeling that I had made these wrong, I will say that if you have the time, these are more than worth it.  I've truthfully never made anything like these, so it was an interesting [and deeeeelish] adventure!

If you're feeling a little kitchen courageous, head on over to The Urban Hiker or My Baking Heart for the rugelach recipe.  Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• As you'll see in the recipe, you have the choice to pick what types of nuts and dried fruits you would like to use.  I chose to use almonds, pecans and walnuts, and cherries, apricots, and dates for my filling.
• All of the fillings combined makes a LARGE amount of goodness.  So while you're rolling your pasty, you'll have to really tuck in the fillings [it will fall out some] and be patient.  I got a little flustered at this part because it can be a bit messy, but if you do everything on wax/parchment paper, it'll make for much easier clean up.
• As you can see from some of my pictures, I didn't generally get that signature twist in my rugelach like I had hoped.  I'm not really sure what happened there...  Nevertheless, the taste was still spot on!

Tried & True Tuesday: Banana Streusel Bread

.  I don't have much to report as of this lovely Tuesday.  My life has been rather unexciting as of late [not that it's really ever exciting, I guess?!].  Apparently I need to pick up a hobby or something...

So we're going to hop right into this Tried & True post.  Sound good?  Good.

I've actually made this Banana Streusel Bread a couple of times.  Gasp!  As you probably know, I don't make many things twice, so if I do, it must be good.  But not only is this unique bread outrageously delicious, filled with banana goodness and chunks of creamy caramel, this loaf is quite pretty.  To go along with the scrumptious bananas and rich caramel [yes, I'm repeating this twice so you don't miss out on these facts!], the bread is topped with crunchy pecans, adding a deep nutty flavor and rounding out the elements oh-so-wonderfully.

This bread, as all quick breads are, is simple and easy, perfect for a busy week night adventure in the kitchen or as a wonderful weekend treat.  Either way, it's a win  .

From JoyofBaking.com

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1-1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

1 (5.5 oz.) package chewy caramels, coarsely chopped

2 ripe large bananas, mashed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 c. flavored yogurt (plain, coffee, vanilla, or caramel flavored)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F and place rack in center of oven.  Butter or spray with non-stick vegetable spray bottom and sides of 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2/3 cup pecans, and half of chopped caramels.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine bananas, eggs, butter, yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Lightly fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until combined and batter is thick and chunky (do not over mix).  Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup pecans and chopped caramels.
4. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until bread is golden and toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean.  Place on wire rack to cool before removing bread from pan.

Yield: 1 loaf

Cranberry Upside-Downer

.  And let the New Year begin.  2012, what do you have in store for me?

My guess is too many desserts to keep track of [good thing for LSM] and some exciting trips Robbie and I are already conjuring up. 

I know, I know, we just got back from a trip, right?  Right.  And it was wonderful.  Hence, our need to schedule more.  They have apparently become an evil necessity in our lives.  But who am I to argue?

So let me fill you in on the trip Robbie and I just returned from, a special trip down to Scottsdale, Arizona.  Robbie's parents recently bought a house on the outskirts of Scottsdale, in a 'neighborhood' called Desert Mountain [no need to Google, I included a link for you].  When you go to their website, you're hit with the header 'An Award Winning Lifestyle' and I can't really come up with any other way to describe it.  The area is gorgeous, settled in the hilly terrain of Arizona and dotted with ah-mazing houses.  Truly, these houses are indescribable.  Check out the website for sneak peaks.  And not to mention, absolutely perfect weather.  Mid 70's every day we were there.  Oh darn, nice day again?  Spoiled.  And for you golfers out there, welcome to the golfer's paradise.  I kid you not.  Again, check out that website.

So needless to say Robbie and I got our fair share of sun and relaxation the last few days, spending time  golfing, shopping, laying out at the pool, biking, walking, and just enjoying family time.  Oh yes, and we also got to celebrate bringing in the New Year with his family at one of the [many] clubhouses over a gourmet buffet and live music/dancing.  Once I get all of my pictures uploaded from Christmas and New Years, you can bet I'll be plastering them in a post.  Patience, my friends.

But you can see why Robbie and I are already itching to get our vacation on again.  It's a disease.  I swear.

Anywho, to kick-start 2012, I decided to share with you all a recipe that I made for our pre-Christmas softball gathering I mentioned in a post the other week.  As I also mentioned, I made Cherry Walnut Fudge and Eggnog Cookies for the 'party' but c'mon, I couldn't just stop at two things.  No, I had to make a third and oOoo, am I glad I did.  Not only was this dessert easier than I thought, but it was outrageously delicious, far exceeding any [already high] expectations I had using a recipe from Dorie Greenspan.

This dessert has all of the wonderful elements you could hope for in a cake.  Soft, sweet, brown sugary cake topped with fresh, tart cranberries and crunchy pecans together with a simple butter-sugar mixture.  To round out the treat, red currant jelly is slathered across the top, which ever-so-slowly drips down the sides of this warm cake.  This recipe is sweet enough for a dessert, but could also be served as a decadent breakfast.  Or just as a snack here or there, it's really up to you!

When you bite into this cake, that's when the magic truly happens.  To me, the appearance of this dessert wasn't anything outrageous [gasp].  But the moment my taste buds got a sneak peak, that all went out the window.  My favorite part is the burst of tartness you get every once in a while from the cranberries, complemented by the deep, rich nuttiness from the pecans and brown sugary goodness from the cake.  It all works together in complete harmony.

Well, I hope everyone's New Years and New Years resolutions are off to a good start. If not, make this cake.  It'll make anything and everything brighter.  Happy New Year all!  .

My Notes:

• I'm saddened to write that I don't have step-by-step pictures for this recipe.  I was in a mad rush making all of the goodies for the party and didn't have time.  But don't fret, this cake is easy peasy to put together.

Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients:

1 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

14 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. minus 2 tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. chopped pecans

2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, do not thaw)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

1/3 c. whole milk

1/3 c red currant jelly

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Place 8-inch pan onto baking sheet; set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.
3. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in small saucepan.  Sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of sugar and cook, stirring until mixture comes to boil.  Pour evenly into bottom of pan.  Sprinkle over pecans and top with cranberries.  Set aside.
4. In large bowl, beat remaining 8 tablespoons of butter on medium speed until smooth.  Add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue beating until pale and creamy (about 3 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.  Pour in vanilla extract.  Reduce mixer speed to low and add half of dry ingredients, mixing only until it disappears into batter.  Mix in milk and then the remaining dry ingredients.  Spoon batter over cranberries and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake is golden and toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and run a knife around edges before inverting cake onto serving platter (scrape any of the cranberry mixture left in the pan onto cake).
6. Warm red currant jelly in small bowl in microwave.   Gently brush the jelly over the hot cake.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Cranberry Twist Bread

.  Hi all!  How is everyone's weekend thus far?  I know, it's basically over, but we do still have a bit of the day, so let's make the most of it and get right into this recipe.

Cranberry Twist Bread.  Pretty?  Yes.  Flavorful?  You bet.  My favorite?  Well, this time around...not quite.  Granted, this bread is very good and I love the cranberry-orange combination.  However, I made the mistake of not using fresh or frozen cranberries and instead used dried, which didn't give the filling the texture I was quite hoping for.  Lesson learned.  But other than that, this is a beautiful, festive bread, that would 'wow' any of your holiday guests.  And it's a great little snack to have around for people to nibble on.  Or just stare at.  It really is that pretty.

Sorry for the short post but I must get back to my December To-Do List.  It's gradually shrinking but I still have a number of things to get done before Christmas weekend.  Happy Sunday!  .

My Notes:

• I used my standing mixer to make the bread, which I've noted in the directions.  However, if you don't have a standing mixer, you can also use a hand mixer and reference BHG for mixing directions.
• I only needed a large orange for all of the orange zest and orange juice required for this recipe.  If you use smaller ones, you may need two, but wanted to give you a starting point.
• You can, of course, use dried cranberries as I did.  However, I would think that fresh or frozen cranberries would really make this bread.
• Okay, funny story.  As I was writing out this post (I usually add in this notes section afterward) I realized another one of my mistakes.  Instead of cutting the dough roll lengthwise, I simply cut the roll in half!  Hence, I got two HUGE rolls and I had the hardest time twisting them.  So don't make my same mistake.
• I would suggest not icing the bread until it is fairly cooled.  Otherwise, the icing drips right off and you'll have to re-scoop it back on to the bread.  Patience is key.  I learned this the hard way.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

Bread:

2-3/4 to 3 c. all purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 c. finely chopped cranberries

2 tbsp. finely chopped pecans

1-1/2 tsp. orange zest

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1-1/2 tsp. butter, melted

Orange Icing:

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. orange zest

2 to 3 tbsp. orange juice 

Directions:

1.  In bowl of standing mixer, stir together 1 cup of flour and yeast.

2.  In a small saucepan, heat and stir milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt.

3.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add egg.  Beat on low to medium speed for 30 seconds.  Switch to dough hook and while on low to medium speed, gradually add in remaining flour.  Knead until dough smooth and elastic (only a minute or two).  Shape dough into ball and place into lightly greased bowl.  Cover and let rise in warm place (1 to 1-1/2 hours).

4.  For filling, in a small bowl, combine cranberries, remaining sugar, pecans, orange zest, and pumpkin pie spice.  Set aside.

5.  Once risen, punch down dough and turn out to lightly floured surface.  Cover and let rise 10 minutes.  Grease baking sheet.  Roll dough into 14x10-inch rectangle.

6.  Brush with melted butter.  Evenly spread filling over dough.

7.  Starting from long side, roll dough into spiral.  Seal seam.  Place seam side down and cut roll in half lengthwise.  Place cut sides up, side by side, on baking sheet.  Loosely twist halves together, keeping the cut sides up.  Pinch ends to seal.  Cover and let rise in warm place until nearly doubles (about 30 minutes).

8.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown (if necessary, cover with foil last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning).  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

9.  Meanwhile, for icing, in medium bowl combine powdered sugar, orange peel, and enough orange juice to make icing a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle icing over bread.

Yield: 16 servings