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Banana Nutmeg Smoothies

March 14, 2011 by 7 Comments

Warning: This post is going to discuss bodily functions. Sorry, butt there’s no getting around it, and everybody does it. This has been a Foodie With Family P.S.A.

When you have little kids, life seems to develop a tendency to revolve around… Hmm. How to say this nicely and in a not-unappetizing way on a food blog? Let’s put it this way. When you have a room full of moms of young children or doting pet owners, what does the conversation turn to eventually? Unexpected Anterior and Posterior gastro-intenstinal functions*.  Without fail. And I mean it. All you moms of human and animal babies out there are nodding your heads.

*Brilliant! Now I don’t actually have to say poop. Oh crap. I mean crud. Oh geez… I’m going back to bed now.

When my first baby (Help me. He’s a teenager now!) was young, his tiny gut had quite  the time adjusting.  At two months old, he had stopped gaining weight and needed surgery to correct Pyloric Stenosis. I was a first time mother with a very overactive morbid imagination and a baby who was not growing courtesy of an unseen and heretofore unheard-of disorder. Cue hardcore panic. Thankfully, the hospital and neo-natal intensive care unit proved to be staffed entirely by saints and angels who were also preternaturally patient*.

*I know they were angels because they saved my baby (Mah Bay-bay!). While he was in recovery and before I could see him, my lips were (courtesy of crying and nervous lip-chewing) raw, red, cracked, chapped and ready to fall off of my face. The nurses tried rousing out every lubricant handy on the unit to help me. That’s saying something. Hospitals are well stocked in that department. Nothing helped until relief came in the form of my Dad arriving with his ever present tube of Chapstick. The moral of the story is never have a family health crisis without a tube of Chapstick.

In the grand tradition of my family, I have not yet gotten over this trauma and am still obsessed with maintaining the proper order of digestion (in one direction and out the other with no untoward activity. You understand me? I’m looking your way intestines…) Mercifully, our now former pediatrician* was also wonderfully patient and forbearing and put up with many a panicked conversation about the state of, er, internal affairs in my children.

*Former only because she retired from practice. Something about being almost seventy and blah, blah, blah. I’m about sick of people I count on retiring. First Uncle Wong, then the woman who grew my storage potatoes and now the pediatrician. Who’s next? My UPS guy? This is getting old.What?!? Is that selfish?

Early in the kids-eating-solids-portion of parenthood, Dr. Ang advised me and equipped me with the two best pieces of advise for restoring normal business when things were out of whack.

  1. The B.R.A.T.T. Diet: If you have kids and you have encountered any of the numerous ways children have digestive distress you’ve heard of this. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Tea and Toast. When things go wrong, eating a diet composed of these four items will restore balance in the Force, young padawans.
  2. Sweetened Rice Water: Every so often, when the stomach bug struck, and the kids felt too ill to consume anything else, Dr. Ang’s go-to solution was a brew made from boiling plain long grain rice (she recommended Jasmine) in three to four times the normal amount of water until very soft. The rice was strained and set aside for later or fed to the chickens and the liquid was sweetened to taste and spoon fed to the kids. This was the easy-to-digest calorie boost the kids needed and fit into the aforementioned diet. With all due-respect to the rest of the field, this pediatrician was a find the likes of which I don’t expect to see again. Sigh.

There are all sorts of things other than the flu that can cause stomach upset or distress, not just for kids, but for adults, too. Antibiotics, medical treatments, other prescriptions, stress, and exhaustion are among the myriad nasty little devils that can play Old Harry with your insides. Honestly, it’s a wonder we don’t all walk around doubled over most of the time.

Made with only four ingredients (frozen bananas, yogurt, ice and nutmeg), Banana Nutmeg Smoothies are exactly the thing when you’re feeling out of sorts. Gently sweet, cool and smooth, they are a delicious way to sooth and satiate. When the inevitable happens this is the first thing I turn to for relief.

After all this talk of intestines and being green around the gills, I wouldn’t wonder if I’ve made a few of you queasy. I’m sorry. I am. Hey! At least you can fix it with a batch of Banana Nutmeg Smoothies.  Do I know how to solve a problem or what?

Really, though, all talk of that other nasty stuff aside, this is a smoothie-second-to-none in its simplicity is its charm. It doesn’t scream banana, but the sweetness of the banana comes through. The slightly-tangy yogurt makes it as creamy as can be. The ice (and pre-frozen bananas) make it thick like a milkshake. The nutmeg? That’s the crowning glory here, so use freshly grated nutmeg if you can. The heady scent and delicate flavor of fresh nutmeg is unlike any pre-ground nutmeg you’ll ever find. It is worth whatever effort it takes to find. If you cannot find nutmeg, you can substitute ground cinnamon.

Honestly, they’re so good that I don’t wait until we’re feeling poorly to make these. They’re part of the regular rotation. But remember that they’re more than just a tasty and healthy snack, they’re a weapon in the arsenal of comfortable life. Who couldn’t use that?

Banana Nutmeg Smoothies

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Yield: 4 small or 2 large smoothies

Ingredients:

  • 4 very ripe (but not over ripe) bananas, peeled and frozen
  • 2 cups vanilla or plain yogurt (If using plain, add 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract and up to 2 tablespoons sugar or honey.)
  • 1/4-1 cup ice (preferably crushed) depending on the thickness you prefer.
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Optional: A splash or more of milk to help move things along in the blender

Add the yogurt to the carafe of a blender. Break the frozen bananas into chunks and add to the blender. Put the lid on the blender and process on “HIGH” or “LIQUIFY” until the mixture is smooth.  If you need to, turn the power off, remove the lid and stir with a long handled wooden spoon to re-distribute.  Add desired amount of ice and milk along with the grated nutmeg, replace the lid, and blend on HIGH just until smooth.  Pour into serving glasses, garnish with a tiny scraping of freshly grated nutmeg and serve immediately.

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Banana Nutmeg Smoothies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert, Breakfast, Snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 2
 

Made with only four ingredients (bananas, nutmeg, yogurt, ice) these smoothies are a gently sweet, cool, smooth way to soothe and satisfy.
Ingredients
  • 4 very ripe (but not over ripe) bananas, peeled and frozen
  • 2 cups vanilla or plain yogurt (If using plain, add ½ teaspoon real vanilla extract and up to 2 tablespoons of honey or sugar.)
  • ¼-1 cup ice (preferably crushed) depending on the thickness you prefer.
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Optional: A splash or more of milk to help move things along in the blender

Instructions
  1. Add the yogurt to the carafe of a blender. Break the frozen bananas into chunks and add to the blender. Put the lid on the blender and process on “HIGH” or “LIQUIFY” until the mixture is smooth. If you need to, turn the power off, remove the lid and stir with a long handled wooden spoon to re-distribute. Add desired amount of ice and milk along with the grated nutmeg, replace the lid, and blend on HIGH just until smooth. Pour into serving glasses, garnish with a tiny scraping of freshly grated nutmeg and serve immediately.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)

January 28, 2011 by 23 Comments

My Mom -known around these parts as Nana- does a lot of things very well.  She remembers the name of just about everyone she’s ever met, plays a mean piano and a killer game of chess, makes stupendous lumpia, and always delivers a hug right when you need one (even if you don’t know you need one…)

And Nana isn’t your average, ordinary Nana… To hear her grandkids tell it, she’s a bit magical.  She talks to her garden, creek stomps, climbs trees, fixes boo-boos, spins fantastic tales, rides her bike down dirt roads at warp speed wearing a long skirt, engineers popcorn explosions, walks barefooted in the snow, drinks full-caffeine espresso as a nightcap, wrestles like a pro and cuddles better than a dog*.

*That last one comes from my fourth born.  Believe you me, from my boy that is a monstrously huge compliment.

Nana also makes the world’s best hot chocolate. Oh, her hot chocolate. Oh, yeah. After a hard day of hopping through snowy fields like rabbits and swinging from icy branches there is nothing quite like Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate to warm you down to your toes.  Nana’s hot chocolate is like warm velvet; It’s thick, rich, smooth, and sticks to your lips like pudding.  It’s not too sweet.  It’s the bees-knees*.

*Incidentally, even the bees are happy at Nana’s house.  When they wander in, she gets a clean mason jar and gently returns them to their native habitat.

Nana makes hers thick, but drinkable, very much like the hot chocolate served with churros in Spain or in Italy or France.  Sometimes, though, when the muse strikes, I thicken it up to the point where it’s strictly spoon-fare.  When I go that far, I almost always gild the lily, as I am wont to do, and top with chocolate shavings or ground cinnamon.

Hot chocolate pudding.  Can you imagine something more decadent? (Well, if you accidentally splashed a thimbleful of dark rum or brandy over the top, that might be more indulgent.) Once you have this under your belt, you never have to worry about what you’ll make for dessert. I regularly bust this out after dinner with friends, sledding parties, and necessary moments*.

*I have my necessary moments; Everyone does.  I mean the moments when only chocolate stands between you and googly eyes and head-spinning and pea soup spewing.

When Nana wrote down the recipe for her hot chocolate for her grandboys, she included this instruction, “Think of Nana and warm hugs (and the icy creek!)” … And look out, ’cause Nana’s coming at you with a big, warm hug and she just might ask you to climb a tree.

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2-4 tablespoons sugar, or more, depending on sweet you like it (I prefer raw sugar for the caramel-like flavor it imparts here.)
  • 4 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch (use less for a more drinkable product and more for a thick, pudding-like finish.)

Optional, for garnish:

  • Whipped Cream
  • Shaved Chocolate
  • Cinnamon Sugar
  • Graham Crackers, Waffles, or Pretzels for dipping

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder or cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan.  Take care to smash any lumps.  Whisk the milk into the powder.  The powder will not dissolve in the milk, so don’t worry.  The goal is to simply to mix it at this point. Place the pan over a medium flame or heat and whisk constantly. Watch for the following changes.  First, the powder will dissolve and it will begin to look like chocolate milk.  Next, the mixture will darken and begin to thicken slightly; Take care to scrape the whisk across the bottom and sides at this point to prevent scorching. Finally, the mixture will become very bubbly and thick. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the burner immediately.

Spoon or ladle immediately into serving dishes.  Garnish as desired.

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)
Author: 
Recipe type: dessert, breakfast, snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 2
 

Thick, creamy, spoonable hot chocolate like that served with churros in Spain. It’s very like a hot chocolate pudding. Whatever you call it it is delicious.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2-4 tablespoons sugar, or more, depending on sweet you like it (I prefer raw sugar for the caramel-like flavor it imparts here.)
  • 4 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch (use less for a more drinkable product and more for a thick, pudding-like finish.)
  • Optional, for garnish:
  • Whipped Cream
  • Shaved Chocolate
  • Cinnamon Sugar
  • Graham Crackers or Pretzels for dipping

Instructions
  1. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder or cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Take care to smash any lumps. Whisk the milk into the powder. The powder will not dissolve in the milk, so don’t worry. The goal is to simply to mix it at this point. Place the pan over a medium flame or heat and whisk constantly. Watch for the following changes. First, the powder will dissolve and it will begin to look like chocolate milk. Next, the mixture will darken and begin to thicken slightly; Take care to scrape the whisk across the bottom and sides at this point to prevent scorching. Finally, the mixture will become very bubbly and thick. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the burner immediately.
  2. Spoon or ladle immediately into serving dishes. Garnish as desired.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Chocolate, Desserts, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

January 25, 2011 by 19 Comments

I got a bit of an unpleasant surprise while reading cereal box ingredient lists at the store the other day.

Let me back-track for just a moment or two, though.  For years upon years upon years, drawing close to a decade and a half, I’ve been making a particular bran muffin.  More of a Bran-ish muffin really… Why Bran-ish?  Because it doesn’t fit in the normal bran muffin box.  It’s lighter both in color and gut-bombability than the average bran muffin, gently sweet and über-easy.  In fact, it’s simpler and more convenient than just about any other muffin in existence (aside from the ones you buy.) No cutting in of fats, no measuring ingredients with bleary eyes and un-caffeinated hands in the morning, no hungry children curled around your feet moaning while you try to rustle up breakfast*.  Mix your wet ingredients, mix your dry ingredients, mix them together and stash in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.  No joke.

*This recipe does not come with a guarantee that your children will wait patiently for the muffins.  Mine don’t.  I guess I should’ve just left that out.  I got carried away.  Please forgive me.

You may have encountered a version of this recipe before on the cereal box of a major breakfast cold-cereal manufacturer.  It’s been around for what seems like eons. But this is where my unpleasant surprise popped into play.

I grabbed a box of my normal All-Bran and perused the ingredient list.  HFCS.  Ack.  It’s presence had escaped my notice previously but once I know it’s there, I don’t buy*. I checked the store brand version.  HFCS.  I checked plain old bran flakes from all possible manufacturers.  HFCS.  Double Ack.  I decided to play around with other cereals… Fiber One didn’t have HFCS nor did the store brand version of Fiber One.  I opted for the store brand. Before you balk, Wegman’s (cue heavenly chorus singing the attributes of Wegman’s) store brands are almost always as good as or better than major manufacturer’s products.

*I am aware that educated people disagree on the matter of whether High Fructose Corn Syrup is a health hazard.  Good people can disagree.  I have read a great many research studies on the subject and decided that there is enough uncertainty to make me feel better eliminating as much of it from my family’s diet as possible.

I came home, mixed up my muffin batter and commenced griping my story to The Evil Genius.  He grabbed the box and said, “HFCS! Ha, just kidding.  But really?  There’s aspartame in here.”

Aspartame in cereal?  Seriously, Wegman’s?  EW. Leaving aside any health concerns that are presented by aspartame, let’s just talk taste.  It tastes chemically sweet. And not in a good way.

The muffin batter had already been mixed up, though, and I don’t waste, so we started baking anyway and hoped for the best. In a result that shocked no one, they were grossly and strangely sweet.  The thing I found curious was how the high-fiber cereal  didn’t break down at all after sitting in the refrigerator overnight or after baking.  When the muffins were pulled open, they looked like I had made the batter with dried cat food pieces. They were unappetizing, to say the least.  I know when I’m licked.

I decided that there were two options; find another all bran (small caps, not ™, thankyouverymuch) cereal or give up on these muffins.  My little local grocery store did not have anything I wanted to use but unsurprisingly, Amazon had an option; an HFCS/Aspartame-Free real bran cereal.  I took a leap of faith and ordered a package of six boxes.  And happy days, the cereal worked perfectly in the muffins.  No more cat-food, sickly-sweet aspartame muffins for us!

Why go to all the trouble for this muffin?  Well, if the convenience of having it ready to bake off in mere moments doesn’t convince you, maybe the flexibility will.  You can bake them plain, as is, with the batter straight from the refrigerator, or you can gussy them up a bit.  Stir in frozen blueberries, raspberries, other berries or fruits, sprinkle with raw sugar or leave unadorned.  Any way you choose, they’re the simple, perfect solution to a hot breakfast or afternoon snack.

Are you having trouble finding an HFCS or artificial sweetener free cereal?  Try our new favorite from Amazon. If you click on the link below and buy it from Amazon.com, we’ll get a very small commission.  It doesn’t change your price at all, but disclosure feels good.  Come on, gimme a hug.


Oh, and if you would like to save a bit on the cost, you can ‘Subscribe and Save’.  It takes 15% off the listed price and there’s automatic free-shipping, regardless of order total.  There’s no obligation past your one order; you can cancel ‘Subscribe and Save’ at any time.  I use it for our coffee, water filter replacements, coconut oil and other essentials.  And no. They’re not paying me to say this.  I just really, really like the service! How can you beat free delivery of things you need anyway?



Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Gently adapted from the Kellogg’s All-Bran Muffins recipe
Yield: About 54 Plain Bran Muffins, or more than 60 Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 5 1/3 cups all-natural bran cereal (I recommend Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 2 1/4 cups raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • 5 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 cups buttermilk (You’re culturing your own right? No?  Try this dead-simple method.)
  • 1 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable oil)
  • 4 large eggs, beaten

Optional additional ingredients for baking:

  • frozen berries, small pieces of frozen stone fruits such as peaches or plums, or small diced apples or pears
  • chocolate chips
  • raw sugar for the muffin tops (You can use granulated white sugar if necessary.)

To prepare muffin mix:

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until evenly moist. Scrape the muffin mix into a large container (of about 1 gallon capacity or larger) with a tight fitting lid.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. Label the container with the date the batter was mixed.

You can store and use the batter for up to 6 weeks.

To bake Plain Bran Muffins:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.  Fill the prepared muffin wells 2/3 full.  If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.

To bake Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop the desired amount of muffin batter into a bowl and gently fold in your chosen fruit or chocolate chips.

Fill the prepared muffin wells 2/3 full.  If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There may be some fruit juice on the skewer, but there shouldn’t be any sticky batter.

Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack or towel.

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Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: breakfast, bread, quick bread, snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 32
 

Muffin batter that throws together in minutes and is usable for six weeks?!? You bet! Have fresh muffins whenever the urge strikes when you have this on hand!
Ingredients
  • 5⅓ cups all-natural bran cereal (I recommend Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 2¼ cups raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
  • 5 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 cups buttermilk (You’re culturing your own right? No? Try this dead-simple method.)
  • 1 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable oil)
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • Optional additional ingredients for baking:
  • frozen berries, small pieces of frozen stone fruits such as peaches or plums, or small diced apples or pears
  • chocolate chips
  • raw sugar for the muffin tops (You can use granulated white sugar if necessary.)

Instructions
  1. To prepare muffin mix:
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until evenly moist. Scrape the muffin mix into a large container (of about 1 gallon capacity or larger) with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. Label the container with the date the batter was mixed. You can store and use the batter for up to 6 weeks.
  3. To bake Plain Bran Muffins:
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill the prepared muffin wells ⅔ full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.
  7. To bake Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins:
  8. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.
  9. Scoop the desired amount of muffin batter into a bowl and gently fold in your chosen fruit or chocolate chips.
  10. Fill the prepared muffin wells ⅔ full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.
  11. Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There may be some fruit juice on the skewer, but there shouldn’t be any sticky batter.
  12. Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Val’s Berry Cinnamon Rolls

September 16, 2008 by 9 Comments

 

We have had an exceptional summer for wild berries up here. The upper peninsula has had several years of drought in a row, affecting both wild and domestic berry growth. But this past year brought lots of snow with plenty of rain following. Bumper crops of wild berries all around us, near our home and in several places at the camp where we work. Wild blueberries were especially abundant, and for wild berries, they were unusually large:

 

 

 

Earlier in the season we were able to harvest a good supply of red raspberries and now, at the end of the summer, we’ve been able to collect good amounts of black raspberries. But we are near the end of it all, and Jim went out a couple of mornings ago and picked what may be the last of the season for us, mostly black raspberries with a handful of blueberries.

 

 

 

It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do with these; I knew I wanted to bake something, I just wasn’t sure on what I should settle. Scanning my shelves, my eyes lit upon a large bottle of ground cinnamon, and I KNEW!!  Cinnamon biscuit pinwheels with the berries rolled up with the cinnamon sugar inside the tender biscuit dough–we have a winner!

 

My mother used to make this version of cinnamon rolls (without the berries) as a semi-regular breakfast roll. She used a plain shortening-based biscuit dough, and left them plain once baked. Plain was very good–waking up to the smell of cinnamon wafting down the hall from the kitchen, eating them warm from the oven early on a cool morning, there was nothing better.  It was definitely a tradition I carried away with me. But I made a few changes to the recipe over the years.

 

First, with the concern about trans fats (and also because I really, really like it) I switched to butter, replacing the 1/3 c. shortening with 1/2 c. butter. I added sugar to the dough (I know, adding insult to injury, but hang on, it gets worse); eventually a teaspoon of vanilla joined the milk added to the dough, and as the final over-the-top move:  Maple butter frosting. Yep, pretty deadly, these rolls.

 

And the berries? Well, one apartment I lived in during my early adult years had a kind of  woodsey wilderness behind the building where I would go for walks now and then, and I stumbled across a huge thicket of blackberry bushes in full fruit–these things were huge, nearly the size of my thumb. I ate some,  gathered some, froze as many as would fit into my little apartment-sized refrigerator, made a few jars of jam and preserves, and when I came to the last cup or so, decided to toss them into the cinnamon rolls I was about to bake to share with some friends. Well, it was amazing. The tartness of the berries against the richness of the dough, cinnamon sugar and that maple glaze melting into the warm rolls–indescribable. So I still use berries with this recipe when they are available. Fresh are best, frozen berries do tend to add a little too much water to the recipe, but are usable–you may just have to bake the rolls a little bit longer. Ready to begin?

 

Rich Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls with Berries and Maple Butter Frosting

 

1/2 c. granulated sugar, divided

1 T. cinnamon

3/4 c. cool room temperature butter, divided (1 and 1/2 sticks)

2 c. all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 c. milk (a little more may be needed)

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Frosting:

3 Tablespoons butter

1 cup confectioner sugar

1/4 c. real maple syrup

Milk, if needed

 

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan, set aside. Melt 1/4 c. butter in a small saucepan, set aside. Combine 1/4 c. of the sugar with the cinnamon, also set aside.

 

 

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and the remaining 1/4 c. sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in remaining 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), until mixture is crumbly in texture. Combine vanilla with milk. Make a well in the middle of the flour/butter mixture, and add milk all at once, lightly stirring dough with a large fork till it begins to come together around the fork. If it seems too dry, drizzle over a bit more milk and lightly toss–it is important that the dough be moist.  Here is what it should look like before you knead it:

 

 

(Hmmm… it should look moist like that, but it is really not that yellow–so much for auto contrast in fixing the picture!  Anyway, I hope you get the idea.)

 

Back to the recipe–Scrape the very sticky dough out onto a very well floured board or counter, toss the dough in the flour till all sides are covered, and lightly knead five or six times. Checking to make sure there is still plenty of flour on the board, pat or carefully roll out the dough to oa 9×12 rectangle.

 

 

Brush with melted butter, using all the butter, please! Evenly sprinkle top with the cinnamon sugar mixture, then top that with the berries you have selected, gently but firmly pressing the berries into the dough (it helps prevent escape!)

 

 

Beginning at the long edge, and with the help of a bench scraper (needed because this is a very tender dough), begin rolling the dough up, pinching the dough together as it cracks and breaks (and it will) and when the roll is nearly complete, finish by bringing the dough up from the other side so you can pinch the seam together more easily.  It should look like this when you are through:

 

 

With a very sharp or good serrated knife, cut the roll into 12 even pieces. Some berries may fall out, but they can be easily put back into the rolls. Place the rolls, cut side up, in the cake pan–it will be a VERY snug fit. 9 rolls on the outside, and 3 in the center seems to work best, and you really do have to tuck them in tightly against each other, like this:

 

 

Place pan in the oven and bake rolls for 15 to 20 minutes. Check them at 15, and if the center rolls are still doughy, leave in a little longer. Here is the baked version:

 

 

They should just be browning; you don’t want them to get to dark or they will not be as moist as they need to be.  Let them sit for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate or cutting board, using that to get them right side up again onto a serving plate or board. While they are cooling, make the frosting:  Cream the 3 tablespoons of butter till smooth, add confectioner sugar and maple syrup, stirring all together  until smooth. It should be thick, soft but not runny. If it seems too thick, add a few drops of milk to lighten it. Drop the frosting in blobs over the warm rolls once they are on the serving platter.

 

 

Once it has softened a bit, spread the frosting evenly over the rolls, letting it run a bit over the sides; it will melt down into the rolls as well, and you will see the berries poking through here and there.

 

 

Let it cool just a few more minutes, and then serve!  Wonderful with coffee or tea, and definitely not just for breakfast–also makes a lovely dessert!

 

 

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Valerie Tagged With: , , , ,

Tub-stoppers (English Muffins with fried eggs and Canadian Bacon)

August 22, 2008 by 5 Comments

Without straining the gray matter too much, you might’ve guessed that I don’t haul five kids out to eat breakfast in restaurants very often.  Leaving aside the expense of the endeavour, can you even imagine me getting them all ready to go BEFORE I’ve been sufficiently caffeinated?  Or before they’ve actually eaten?  Because my kids don’t budge out that door until they’ve consumed a few dozen eggs, half a pig and the amount of juice it takes an entire orchard to produce.  And I’ve mentioned here before that cold cereal just doesn’t cut it around here.  When we have it, we tear through an entire box at breakfast.  On my continuing quest to provide home-cooked breakfasts for my kids we entered homemade English muffin territory a week or so ago.  They were so delicious and so stinkin’ easy to make that we’ve been playing variations on the English muffin theme most days since. 

 

The current favorite variation is one that bears a striking resemblance to a breakfast sandwich available at a restaurant chain that employs a clown to hawk its wares.  My kids love these sandwiches; English muffin topped with fried eggs, Canadian bacon or smoked bacon, and sliced cheese.  I eat mine with a superhuman quantity of hot sauce:  My husband eats his plain.  **This is extreme roll reversal and I can only explain it by saying that eggs belong with hot sauce.  That is how it is and always shall be.  He is missing out. 

 

Not only do my kids love this breakfast, it seems to make them behave better.  Perhaps its the uber-dose of protein with breakfast that keeps ‘em calm.  Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re so full that chills them out.  I don’t know what does it.  I only know that I like it because it keeps them happy and comes together in a flash.

 

My father-in-law, a charming man, has a not-so-appetizing name for these sandwiches (having apparently produced more than his fair share of these for my husband and siblings while they were young):  Tub-stoppers.    Thus named, says my husband, “because they look like tub-stoppers.”  Oh yes.  That would be logical.  I was hoping for something more obtuse.  I have a call into Pappy right now hoping he’ll give me a more outlandish story to reprint here about how they procured their name.

 

In the meantime, I’ll pass along the recipe for Tub-Stoppers.

Tub-Stoppers

Scale this down if you need to do so.  Once again, I’m writing for large families, but this recipe is easily and infinitely scalable.

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 English muffins, preferably homemade, split
  • 8 large eggs
  • 8 slices Canadian bacon
  • 8 slices cheese
  • butter for coating the griddle and muffin rings (if using for eggs)

 

Heat a large griddle over medium-high heat.  Lay Canadian bacon slices on hot surface and cook until underside is lightly browned.  Flip over and heat through, removing when second side is also lightly browned.  Transfer to a piece of foil and cover until the rest of the sandwich components are done. 

 

Butter the griddle and toast all English muffin halves, split side down.  Remove to a plate and lightly cover with a paper towel.

 

Lower griddle heat to low-medium.  If you want perfectly round eggs, butter the muffin rings and lay them on the griddle to preheat.  Crack an egg into each ring (or directly on the griddle) and cover.  Cook about 5 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness.  If using a ring, shake the ring gently and remove. 

 

To assemble the sandwiches, stack an egg, a piece of Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese on the toasted side of an English muffin half.  Pour half a bottle of hot sauce on top (if desired) and top with another English muffin half.  Serve hot, warm, or room temperature. 

 

You could do worse than to serve this with a thick slice each of garden fresh tomato and red onion.  Mmmmm.

 

How did we like this recipe?

 

This gets a solid 14 thumbs up out of 14 after one child removes the cheese from his sandwich, another removes his eggs, and a third removes everything but the Canadian bacon and adds blueberry jam.  English muffin, blueberry jam and Canadian bacon?  There’s no accounting for kids’ tastes.

 

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Meat, Rebecca Tagged With: , , , ,
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