Pumpkin Scones

I love scones. I have to be careful not to make them too often, because I love them so much that I want to hide them from my family so that I can eat them all. These are delicious pumpkin scones, perfect for fall. I can eat pumpkin year round, so I wouldn't have any problem making these year round!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones
adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powdder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup cold butter
1 to 2 cups cinnamon chips
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
coarse white sugar for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Stir in cinnamon chips.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs until smooth. Add the pumpkin/egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle lightly with flour. Scrape the dough onto the floured pan and divide it in half. Form each half into a 5 - 6 inch round circle. They should be about 3/4 inch thick. Brush each circle with milk and sprinkle with coarse white sugar or cinnamon sugar if desired.

Slice each circle into 6 wedges. Carefully pull the wedges apart, leaving 1/2 inch spaces between them. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes. While scones are chilling, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake the scones for 22-25 minutes or until they are lightly browned and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, without any wet crumbs. If you pull one of the scones away from the others, it should look baked through, not wet or doughy.

Serve warm. Wrap any leftovers tightly and store at room temperature.

Makes 12 scones.

Monkey Bread

As we were driving down the canyon from a recent ski trip I asked my kids if they've ever had monkey bread before. My 10 year old son said, "No and I don't EVER plan on it!" I told him to remember those words. As soon as we arrived home I started mixing up this monkey bread. It's seriously addictive. Try it. You won't regret it! (Well, maybe you might when you get on the scale, but your belly will be happy!)

Make sure to serve this warm! It's great fun to pull warm, gooey bread off the loaf with your fingers!

Monkey Bread
adapted from Baked Explorations

For the bread:
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the coating:
1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled


Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with non stick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, warm your milk to slightly above room temperature, then remove it from the heat, add the yeast, and whisk to dissolve. (Do not warm it beyond 110 degrees F or you will kill the yeast). In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined. Keeping the mixer on low, slowly stream in the milk until combined. Add the melted butter and mix until the dough comes together. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment. Continue to mix on medium speed until the dough becomes silky and tacky, but not sticky, 8-10 minutes. The dough should mound together and easily come off the bottom of the mixing bowl. (If the dough is too wet, add some flour. If it is too dry, add a tiny bit of water.)

Spray the bottom and sides of a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and roll it around to make sure it is completely covered in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let it rest in a warm area until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Use your clean hands to push down and deflate the dough. Remove it from the bowl and pat it into a rough circle approximately 8 inches diameter. Use a bench knife or serrated knife to cut dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 1/2 oz each )- alternatively, use your hands to pinch apart the dough. Roll the pieces into balls (they don't have to be perfectly round). Place the balls on the sheet pan (you will get about 60 pieces in all). Cover the balls lightly with plastic wrap.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Place the melted butter in a separate bowl.

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough balls and dip one ball in the melted butter. Let the excess butter drip back into the bowl, roll the ball in the brown sugar mixture, and place it in the Bundt pan. Continue this process with each ball, until you have several layers, arranging them as if you are building a brick wall. Wrap the Bundt pan tightly in plastic wrap. Set it in a warm area of the house for about 1 hour, or until the dough balls have doubled in size and appear puffy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic and bake the Bundt until the top layer is deep brown and the caramel coating begins to bubble around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cool the bread for 5 minutes, then turn it out directly onto a platter and serve warm. Should you have any leftovers (this is rare), simply reheat them in a 300 degree oven until warm to the touch.

Note: You can make the dough ahead of time. Once the dipped dough has been placed in the pan, wrap it tightly, refrigerate it, and bring it back to room temperature to "proof" the dough before baking.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

(picture to come)

This is a definite favorite around my house. The entire family devours it. A few years back when my first child was only one, I went to work one day. When I came home 14 hours later, I asked my husband what the baby had eaten all day. He said pumpkin bread. I said, what else? He replied that the baby had eaten pumpkin bread all day because that is all that he asked to eat. I learned early on that all I need to worry about while I'm working is that the kids are happy and taken care of. I just let it go, but recommended that next time he could throw in some fruit & vegies.

I like to add applesauce in place of half of the oil and substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose (use whatever quantity you like, I usually do at least half to three fourths whole wheat).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

5 eggs, well beaten

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups oil

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients slowly and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 4 greased and floured (9 x 5 inch) pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Zucchini Carrot Pineapple Bread

This is a recipe that I found at my Grandma's house when I was a teenager. I made it for her, and she loved it. It's the perfect zucchini bread....moist and delicious instead of dry and boring. I love the addition of the carrots and pineapple. I'll post the original recipe with the modifications I make in parenthesis. My son begs me to make this for him whenever he sees the word zucchini!


Zucchini Carrot Pineapple Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil (I use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup grated carrot
3 cups flour (I use 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cups all purpose)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional - I leave them out)
1/2 cup raisins (optional - I usually leave them out too)

Beat together eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in grated zucchini, crushed pineapple, and grated carrot. Mix together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and stir until moistened. Gently fold in nuts and raisins, if desired. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans (filling 1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Orange Rolls

I've never met a person that didn't love these rolls. We used to have competitions in my family at Thanksgiving to see who would eat the most orange rolls. They are definitely one of the best rolls I've ever eaten. I can bet that my sisters will be jealous that they are not at my house when they see this post!

Orange Rolls

1 cup scalded milk (or 1 cup warm water and 1/3 cup powdered milk)
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon yeast softened in 1/4 cup warm water
2 well beaten eggs
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
5 cups all purpose flour

Glaze:
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Mix first four ingredients together and cool to lukewarm.

Mix together remaining ingredients and add enough of the flour to make a soft dough. Cover, let stand 10 minutes. Knead dough. Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until double in bulk. Punch dough down and let stand 15 minutes. Cut dough into approximately 2 inch chunks and roll lightly between hands until shaped like a snake. Tie into a knot. Arrange rolls on a baking sheet and tuck under ends. Cover, let rise till double. Bake at 400 degreess for 12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen rolls. Cool and brush with glaze.

For easier frosting, make these ahead of time and freeze the rolls. Frost while still frozen and let stand at room temperature for a few hours and they will be defrosted in time for dinner.

Banana Bread

A few weeks ago my mom gave me a bunch of bananas that were turning brown. What to do with leftover bananas? Make banana bread! I've had a recipe that I've used over and over again, but tried a new one this time. I made some healthy changes (sometimes I'm in the mood for full fat deliciousness, other times I'm a little more health conscious). I'll post my healthier recipe, and if anyone wants the original, not as healthy, version let me know!

The thing I love about this recipe is that you bake the bread at 300 degrees. I thought this was really strange since almost all quick breads call for a 350 degree oven, but I found that 300 degrees worked wonderfully. I didn't get the super dark crust that eventually turns hard like most banana breads. It was moist and wonderful, despite all the whole wheat flour that I put in it. We ate a loaf right away and froze the rest. It freezes perfectly.

Banana Bread

5 large ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In mixing bowl, beat eggs; add bananas and beat until smooth. Add butter, applesauce, and sugar and mix well. Add flour, soda and salt to combine. Pour into 3 greased (8x4") loaf pans and bake at 300 degrees for 60-65 minutes, or into 2 greased large (9x5") loaf pans for 75 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

My Favorite Loaf of Bread

My passion is baking. I especially love baking bread. There's something so magical about putting a few simple ingredients together and ending up with a wonderful loaf of bread. The aroma of bread baking in my house makes me happy. This is my all-time favorite bread recipe. It's adapted from a recipe I found in the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book (one of my favorite cookbooks). I make this bread often, and it always disappears in no time. I've resorted to making 3 loaves at a time. We eat one loaf within a few hours of it coming out of the oven. One loaf is used in the next day or so, and one loaf ends up in the freezer. I hope you try it and let me know how you like it!

Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) boiling water
1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) old fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
1 cup (4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups (7 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place the boiling water, oats, butter, salt, and honey into a medium bowl, stir, and let the mixture cool to lukewarm. (I usually do this step and then jump into the shower or take the kids to school so that the mixture has time to cool. If you add the yeast when the mixture is too hot, the bread won't rise!) Mix the remaining dough ingredients with the oat mixture and knead (by hand, machine, or bread maker) until you've made a soft smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. The dough should be doubled in bulk. (This dough will be stickier than most bread doughs. This is OK because whole wheat flour takes a while to absorb the moisture. If you add more flour so that the bread dough feels like a white dough recipe, your bread will end up dry.)

Lightly grease a 8x4" loaf pan. Gently deflate the dough and shape it into a loaf. Place it in the prepared pan. Gently cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it rise until it has crowned 1 1/2 inches over the rim of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees when your loaves are almost ready to bake.

Uncover and bake the bread for about 35-45 minutes, tenting the loaves with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over browning. The bread is done when it is golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 190 degrees. Remove it from the oven, and after about a minute turn it onto a rack. Cool the bread completely before cutting it.

Michelle's notes: I like to braid this loaf...I just think it looks cool that way. You can shape it however you want. I once made this dough and shaped them into little bunnies for Easter. It's a really easy dough to work with, be creative! Oh, and just in case you were wondering, we never wait until the loaf is cool to cut into it around here. We jump in as soon as it comes out of the pan!

I changed the original recipe to use more whole wheat flour and less all purpose flour. I'd recommend freshly ground wheat flour (I like hard red winter wheat). It's a great way to rotate your food storage. If you use wheat flour from the store, make sure you store it in your fridge or freezer so that it doesn't go rancid. I think a lot of times people say they don't like wheat bread because the flour that was used wasn't fresh. Rancid wheat flour adds the bitter taste that some people associate with wheat breads.

I use a baker's scale to measure my ingredients, it's really easy and in baking it helps make sure things turn out the way the author intended. Don't worry though...if you don't have a scale measuring out the ingredients should work just fine.