Hello weekend, and welcome Fall!

I can't believe fall kicks in tomorrow morning. Love this time of year. Do you? 

Back next week!
janis

Baked

How was your weekend? Were you celebrating Father's Day?

I baked some apple cheddar buns over the weekend. I love full on white bread anything....I've missed that, since I've been trying out gluten-free baking.  A few ingredients put together to make something so simple and delicious - the humble bun.

Apple Cheddar Buns - makes about 9

1 cup warm milk (about 105f)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 packet (8g) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium gala or granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup aged cheddar, grated

Preheat oven to 320f/160c. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, yeast and sugar. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy on top. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture until a dough forms.

 Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead in chopped apples and cheese. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes, until dough becomes smooth and elastic.

 

 

Roll dough out to about 1 inch thick and cut out shapes with a 2 inch round cookie cutter. Place in a greased 7"x7" baking tin. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm spot, for about one hour, or until doubled in size. Brush tops with a little milk, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. These are great for "bunwiches", or with just a little butter.

That's it for today! Back soon.
janis

Baked

Hello to a brand new week. Hope your Monday has been a good one!

Pomegranates are plentiful these days, so I thought I'm make one of my favourite snacks - Pomegranate Apple & Pistachio Bread. The recipe is a pretty big one, so I made one large loaf, and 4 mini loaves. Love a mini bread ;)

3 cups spelt flour (definitely feel free to swap the spelt for all purpose flour!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup apples, finely chopped
1 cup pomegranate arils
3/4 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350f/180c.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, and brown sugar. Set aside. Melt butter, then mix in a small bowl, with the applesauce. Beat eggs and milk together, add to the applesauce/butter mixture and mix together then add to the dry ingredients. Add the chopped apples, pomegranate arils and pistachios then stir together until just blended. Don't over mix the batter, or your bread could end up on the tough side ;)

Pour mixture into two 8 inch by 4 inch loaf tins, that have been lightly greased (I made one large loaf, and 4 mini loaves instead). Bake for about 45-50 minutes (large loaf pan) and about 25 minutes for the mini loaves, or until a skewer inserted in centre, comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before removing from tins. Enjoy!

Have a great day!
Back soon,
Janis

Baked

Hello Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. We've been enjoying a very late summer, here in Vancouver, but I'm kind of looking forward to fall, I must admit. We saw heaps of B.C. apples at the market this weekend, which put baked apples in my mind. If you have any leftovers, they are perfect for breakfast too. ;)

Baked Stuffed Apples - makes about 6

6 medium gala apples, cored (not right through)

1/2 cup rolled quick oats 

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/3 cup chopped mixed nuts (I used pecans, cashews and almonds)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

pinch of salt 

Preheat oven to 350f/180c.

Mix together all ingredients, in a medium size bowl. Core each apple (not right through to bottom!), then cut the hole just a little wider, to allow for more filling. 

Spoon mixture into each apple, filling to the top. Place in a glass 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish, and cover with foil. I also always place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven to create a little steam to help bake apples. I was told this years ago, and I continue to obey. 

Bake apples for about 60-75 minutes, depending on type and size of apple. Keep checking so they don't turn into apple sauce. Yikes. Allow to cool, then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle a little maple syrup over top. Yum. 

It's like an apple crisp shoved into one little apple! I've also made these with cooked quinoa as well. So good, and even better for you...didn't want to get too carried away. 

Have a great day!

Back soon.

Janis

Baked on Monday

Hope all you had a great weekend!

I'm off to a late start today, as I have a surprise guest - my 11 year old nephew Jake! He's going to hang out with me today, so I thought he should help me bake.  Then I will get him to clean the toilets ;)

Apple Cupcakes - makes about 24
(I think this is a Donna Hay recipe)

250g butter, melted
1 1/4 cups superfine (called berry sugar in Canada) sugar
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for dusting

for caramelised apples:
40g butter
1/3 cup superfine sugar
3 granny smith apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

whipped cinnamon icing:
500g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To make the caramelised apples, place the butter and sugar in a large pan over low-medium heat and stir until dissolved. Add the apples and cook for 10 minutes or until caramelised. Remove apples from pan and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 320F/160C. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour and baking powder and beat until combined. Don't over do it. Fold in the milk and spoon mixture into two 12-hole cupcake tins lined with paper cups. Top with apples and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

To make the whipped cinnamon icing, place the butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and cinnamon and beat for another 10 minutes or until light and creamy. Ice cupcakes with a palette knife and dust with cinnamon. Now eat immediately!!!

Try to wait until they cool, even just a bit, to avoid injury....it's hard to do.

I know, I shouldn't have let him have two, but I'm the Auntie. We can do that.
Have to start thinking about the next Baked On Monday....what to bake? Hmm.

Check out Poppytalk for a fun "day in the country" story I shot with Heather at Missing Goat and Jan of poppytalk. Lots of fun!

Have a lovely day!