Lavender & Apricot Breakfast Rolls

From the recipe files: Made these the other day on a whim and we really liked them... they actually went together pretty fast too (no yeast!). The lavender in the dough is just right, not overpowering, and the apricot filling pairs with it perfectly. Looking a bit like cinnamon rolls but with a biscuit-y texture, they were especially tasty alongside a pot of vanilla scented black tea. 

It's really starting to feel like Autumn around here and I'm finding myself wanting to bake more. In other words, I'll be making these again... and again...

Lavender & Apricot Breakfast Rolls

adapted from: Napa Valley Lavender Co.*

Dough:

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tblsp chilled butter
2 Tblsp fresh (or 1 Tblsp dried) lavender flowers, chopped 

1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:

4 Tblsp apricot preserves

2 Tbsp butter, softened

4-5 chopped dried apricots

2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wipe the inside of an 8-inch round cake pan or a pie plate with butter or oil.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the cold butter into small pieces (or use a grater if frozen) and work into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers, just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the lavender. Add the milk and egg, stirring only until combined. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently but firmly pat the dough together, then knead it briefly until dough holds together. Dust the top with a little flour and roll into a 9 by 11 inch rectangle. 

Mix apricot preserves and soft butter together. Warm for a few seconds in the microwave if it's too cold and not blending. Spread mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2 inch strip bare along one long side of the rectangle. Sprinkle the chopped apricots over the top. 

Beginning with the opposite side, roll into a log. Pinch the seam along the length to seal. Cut the log into nine even slices. Place slices in the prepared pan, with one in the middle and the rest in a ring around it. Sprinkle sugar over the tops of the rolls. 

Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn the rolls out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Gently separate each one with a dinner knife and serve.

Notes: I spread a little butter over the pan of rolls right after they came out of the oven  :^) Mmmm!

* I've had 3 pages of printed out recipes from the Napa Valley Lavender Co. website kicking around in my copious recipe files for years... no idea how long. When I went to add their link to this recipe though, the website is no where to be found... apparently they are no longer around. The identical recipes are all over the web though and I have no idea where they actually originated... NVLCo. or somewhere else. Un petit mystery, n'est-ce pas?

Five Out Of Five Soda Bread

I have to say right here, right now, that I've never personally made a soda bread that I liked. Never. Maybe I just like stuff that I don't have to make myself? That's a distinct possibility. After all, I like the soda bread that friends and family have made. But when I make it myself, it just doesn't happen for me. Ever.

Until now. This soda bread I like... in fact, this soda bread I love. I've only made it three times, but the recipe makes two loaves and we gave one away, so we've eaten five loaves of it (so far). Five out of five. We've had it by itself as a snack, alongside bowls of soup, and with mugs of strong black tea for breakfast (my favorite). I very nearly ate an entire loaf myself. It's that good.

The combination of flavors in this quick bread blur the line between savory and sweet… the caramel-y rich browned butter, sweet/hot freshly ground black pepper, piney/herbal fresh rosemary, a little saltiness from the baking soda, and some earthy sweetness from the honey... I'm making myself hungry.

The Early Bird Gets The Lemon Poppy-Seed Muffin

When I think back on my years in college, I invariably start craving lemon poppy-seed muffins. They played a big part in refueling my academically exercised brain cells on an almost daily basis back then.

Across from the art department was this little place that sold hot dogs and burgers, chips and sodas, candy bars, ice cream treats... and lemon poppy-seed muffins. They had other muffins too. I think blueberry, and maybe some other kind. The blueberry ones were a little too sweet and cake-y for me, and considering the enormous size of these things, they were just too too much. The lemon & poppy-seed ones on the other hand, were perfect. And they always sold out of those first. Clearly I wasn't alone in my devotion. Scented with lemon throughout and not too sweet, the subtle crunch of the poppy-seeds, and then of course... there was the sweet cap of sugary glaze over the top. Sigh. 

Looking back, I'm sure they were massively unhealthy on many levels and probably were made from a mix, but I don't want to think about that now. My ignorance of such things was nothing short of lemon & poppy-seed bliss. Now I am on a quest. A quest to recapture the flavor and texture of those lemon & poppy-seed muffins.  To recreate in my kitchen with real eggs and real lemons (and without all the junk that I don't want anymore) the lemon poppy-seed goodness that sustained me at college. If nothing else, it should be tasty fun trying some of these recipes out to see if I can come close...

Lemon & Poppy-Seed Muffins

• Pint-Size Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins at Epicurious 
• Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Love at Gluten Free On A Shoestring  
• The Way the Cookie Crumbles: lemon poppy seed muffins  
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins at Tasty Kitchen

If you have a tried-and-true Lemon Poppy-Seed muffin recipe... I'd love to hear from you! (I'd love to hear from you even if you don't)...

Blood-Orange Ginger Tea Bread

Ready or not, it was time to start using the blood-oranges on our tree. These are the fruits that were on the tree when we bought it back in December. According to various sources, the fruit should have been ripe anywhere from late-February to May. It's now June and whether they were ready or not... I was.

I had dreamed of making something that would highlight the gorgeous ruby flesh of these first fruits; something simple, elegant, and fruit-forward. But alas, they were still a tad too tart. Chalk it up to a Northern-esque climate and an especially cold and wet Spring. I do keep harping on that, don't I? Well, you can take the girl out of So. Cal. but you can't take the So. Cal. out of the girl.

Let's just say I'm feeling a real affinity with this orange tree right now.

Muffins For Mondays And Other Mornings

Muffins are great in ways that scones can never be. While a scone is really only at its best when warm and fresh out of the oven, muffins aren't quite so picky. In fact, I like to make a big batch of muffins and then freeze them for a super-quick breakfast (or snack) on days when I don't feel like cooking... like, oh, today for instance.

As soon as space in my freezer opens up...

• My mom used to make us muffins like these - yummy and healthy... Morning Glory Muffins from What Megan's Making
• Nothing beats the blues like blueberries - blueberry muffins are a double dose of happy... Sure Proof Blueberry Muffins at 3191 Miles Apart
• These Oatmeal Banana Muffins from Half-Baked may be the perfect way to keep eating oatmeal during the summer months (when I don't usually like hot breakfasts). 
• These are not your everyday breakfast muffins... Majestic Muffins from thekitchn
• ...and uh, neither are these... Double Chocolate Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins from thekitchn

What's your favorite muffin recipe? Or do you think of muffins as just frumpy outdated cupcakes? 

Scones On Sundays

Scones don't really make a hearty enough breakfast for a hardworking man like mine. If they did, I'd certainly make them a lot more often. A couple of warm scones with butter and jam suits me just fine though, and if there's a pot of hot black tea nearby, well, all the better. 

We don't usually have a big breakfast on Sundays, which makes it the perfect day for making scones. They're fast and easy, so I can throw them together right after church. And I do mean throw... one of the most important tips for successful scone-making is to handle the dough as little as possible.

These are next on my list of scrumptious scones to try...

• Ginger Scones from Epicurious ...'cause I'm still loving the ginger in these cookies I just made. 
• Rachel Allen's Scones from the Good Food Channel  ...it's metric, but there's a converter handy.
• Grapefruit Honey Yogurt Scones from Joy the Baker ...these just sound so breakfast-y.
• Brown Sugar and Date Scones from At Home And At Sea ...brown sugar and dates - yummmm.
• Maple Syrup Scones from 101 Cookbooks ...I love that these are cut into squares... no waste!

Now, I wonder what kind of tea would go best with each of these scones? Decisions, decisions...

Popovers Filled with Beef and Leek Stew

I'll sometimes describe a dish as being much more than the sum of its parts. That can be said about lots of foods really, though it's most impressive when there are very few parts to the equation in the first place.

Last night I made one of our favorite budget-friendly dinners, a three-ingredient wonder that never fails to render us both into silent, ravenous reverie. Just three ingredients, including the roast. That's right, including the roast. There's a pinch of flour, a splash of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, but really it all comes down to three ingredients... chuck, leeks, and balsamic vinegar. That's all.

A Stew From A Few

What else is remarkable about this stew? Besides the fact that one of the three ingredients is leeks and my onion-hating husband wanted seconds? Or besides how it's terribly cheap to make and yet tastes rich and complex? Well, yeah, other than that, I guess it is pretty unremarkable (she said with tongue planted firmly in cheek). Truly, it's nothing less than kitchen-alchemy.

Pumpkin: it's not just for pies

Sometimes I forget to think about pumpkins very much beyond the Thanksgiving weekend. But pumpkin is a winter squash after all, and the last time I checked... it's still winter. We are, in fact, right in the thick of it.

Did you stock up on canned puree before the holidays? I'll bet there's a can or two in your pantry right now. Maybe you roasted and pureed your own this year... like me, you may have a little left in the back of the freezer.* Go make some homey and hearty pumpkin-rich muffins, quick breads or biscuits... they'll make winter worthwhile. Besides, once Spring rolls around, you won't even give pumpkin another thought... why not use it up and enjoy it now?

• Easy and delicious Pumpkin Muffins from Maya*Made (see photo above)
• Is your brain addled from the cold? Are you having a hard time making decisions? Make some Everything Bread from Joy The Baker
• I want to try making these fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits from 3191 Miles Apart via Gennine's Art Blog with pumpkin puree. Either way, I bet they'll be great with a hearty stew.
• Coming soon (unless you're tired of them by now)... my Cold-Brew Pumpkin Spice Lattes that are ready whenever you are.

*Don't have any? Used it all up? None at the store? Try substituting a different winter squash or even roasted and mashed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin puree.

Low-Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread

Because sometimes breakfast needs to be as easy as cutting off a slice or two of the banana bread in the fridge...

Because this time of year, it's nice to eat something occasionally that isn't so sweet it makes your teeth ache....

Because sometimes you just need to do something with the black banana collection in the freezer...

Because sometimes the butter needs be used for baking more important things... like cookies.

Seriously... there's no butter in this. That thrills me to no end, and not because of any caloric reasons either... it's just difficult to bake things when you're out of butter (or when your favorite cookie recipes have called dibs on all of it). It's simply a good recipe to have in your bag of tricks, in your arsenal, up your sleeve, or even, oh... in your recipe box (because you're much more organized than I am)...

Everything's Better With Browned-Butter

Normally, I am not a superstitious person. Black cats can cross my path all they want (here-kitty-kitty-kitty!). When I find a penny, I'll pick it up with no expectations for the outcome of the rest of my day. I flagrantly disregard chain-letters. Rubbing a rabbit's foot only appeals to me if it is still attached to the rest of the sweet fluffy bunny. I have opened more than my fair share of umbrellas indoors.  And the only bad luck I ever got from breaking a mirror is that I had to clean up broken glass and buy a new mirror... but that's not luck. If I broke a wine glass or a crystal vase, it would have the same outcome. That's just cause and effect, action and reaction.

So I was looking to use up more limes the other day, when what popped up on one of my favorite blogs? Browned-Butter Cranberry Lime Muffins. Was it fate? Destiny? A sign? Does it matter? Not really. I did feel however, that the timing was too perfect to ignore (and they kinda sounded delicious)... I needed to make those muffins. Everyone needs to make these muffins. Here's why... the butter browning on the stove smelled so out-of-this-world good. Seriously, why don't they put browned-butter in everything?

Apples For Autumn

A simple apple cake or apple bread is, in my opinion, the perfect thing on an autumn day, whether it be warm, crisp or drizzly (that goes for the weather or the cake). Homey, comforting, and just plain delicious, these apple goodies are loaded with walnuts, raisins, and warm autumn spices. With a big slice of apple cake, a mug of hot tea, and a good book... you can just color me all kinds of contented.

• German Apple Cake at the Honey and Jam blog
• Sticky Spiked Double-Apple Cake with a Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce at The Kitchn or, if you have the book: it's on page 441 of In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley (2001).
• Apple Walnut Flaxseed Bread from Joy The Baker 
• An Old-Fashioned Apple Spice Cake (with a brown sugar meringue top) from the Food 52 blog
• These Cheddar Apple Bars from Canadian Living sound healthy, delicious and perfect for a picnic or potluck.
• Like many of these recipes, this whole wheat flour Fresh Apple (or Pear) Cake from Grocery Shrink can be served for breakfast or dessert. 

They Go Together Like... [fill in the blank]

Peanut butter, banana, chocolate & coffee. Four regular residents in my kitchen. Sometimes they like to be on their own, but they always love getting together when they can and seem to truly enjoy each other's company. They're good friends. They bring out the best in each other by being supportive, encouraging, and complimentary. With so many different and delicious ways to combine them, where does one start?

Start here... How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter (Joy The Baker) and make your own peanut butter from honey roasted peanuts... that's right, honey roasted peanut butter. Pure genius. How could I not try it? The honey roasted peanuts were cheaper than the plain ones after all, and I'm all about saving money. It is, incidentally, by the way, and in fact, fantastically tasty. Is making peanut butter from scratch cost effective? Not sure. Math was not one of my strongest subjects, especially when trying to compare weights and volumes, but if you can find peanuts that are at a really good price... go for it. At least you'll know what is and (maybe more importantly) what isn't in your peanut butter. O.k.? Now, go work through the following two lists of recipes...

Peaches And Herbs

The Lemon Herb Biscuits I made on a whim the other day, brought on a true "food and brain pairing" moment. My synapses fired in sequence long enough for me to realize that those biscuits were just a few tweaks away from an outstanding shortcake. The light bulb over my head was all aglow and my tummy said "Do it! And do it soon!".

The closest I think my mom ever got to making biscuits was when she would make strawberry shortcake (shortcakes are essentially sweet biscuits), a dessert she made often and one that I've always loved. She always used fresh strawberries when they were in season and always always made real whipped cream. I called to ask her what recipe she used for her shortcakes, and the answer was what I pretty much expected to hear: "It was on the box of Bisquick". Well, that was the era (at least she never used Cool Whip). Never one to leave things alone though, she would always add orange zest to the baking mix which took it from ordinary to extraordinary. Sometimes all it takes is that little something extra.

This dessert that I made has ever so many little somethings extra. Too many? Nah. Sometimes more is more. I think this is one of those times (or should I say "thymes"?). So here is my peachy-herbal twist on that quintessential summer dessert...

Sipping On Sunshine

Monday morning was drizzly gray and I was a moody blue. I needed instant sunshine. I needed an influx of happiness. But how can you generate that from within a foggy funk? Fresh fruit (and a little alliteration) always perks me up. Maybe it was time to do something with the mangoes I got at the market the other day (2 for $1.00!). It's as good a starting point as any, and frankly, a lot better than some.

Summer Thyme Biscuits

I just received the ultimate compliment: "OMG! These biscuits are wonderful!"  And this was from a man who grew up eating biscuits as a regular feature at dinner time. To say I was pleased as punch would be an understatement.  I thought they were pretty darned great also, it's just that I don't have a lot to compare them with.

Banana Bread (Island Style)

This is what happens to banana bread when it dreams of lolling about on a tropic isle. The slightly less-than-exotic reality is that it's June and today it is raining. Looks like I'll just have to toast up a thick slice of this fantastic banana bread, make a steaming mug of coconut chai to go with it... and day-dream of palm trees swaying in balmy breezes and warm sand between my toes. Sigh.*

Coconut Pineapple Vegan Banana Bread from Joy The Baker

My Notes: Argh! I was going to put walnuts in this and forgot. I'm twice as bummed because I doubled the recipe and now I have 2 loaves of walnut-less banana bread. Come to think of it, Macadamia nuts would be even better than walnuts in this (if only I had some!). Even without the nuts, this is a stellar recipe - extremely tasty. If you don't like coconut (we'll talk later), throw in some chopped up dried fruit instead and you'll be all set. I used TJ's baking spray (still trying to use it up), "freezer bananas", and metal loaf pans. Baked for about 55 minutes before the knife-test came out clean.

*Looks like I'd better put on a Mermen CD while I'm at it 'cuz nobody does psychedelic-moody-surf-trance like they do. And trust me on this: if you're in the mood to listen to that, you'll know it. Somehow... you just know.

Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Bread

The other day Hubs came home with a bag of grapefruits, given to him from the neighbor of a customer. He was warned that they would be... tart. Fortunately I had bookmarked this recipe a while back. For some mysterious reason, I always seem to have crystallized ginger on hand (it seems to keep forever) so there was nothing stopping me but the butter... we were out. Guess what? This beautiful cake/bread doesn't call for any butter at all! How great is that? It's my new favorite recipe, that's how great that is!

Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Bread from VegetarianTimes.com

My Notes: The gifted grapefruits hid the smallest fruits inside the thickest peel. I ended up using the zest from three of them and the fruit from all five. I really liked the flavor of this cake/bread, but it's not for everybody. The grapefruit zest gave it a very "astringent" quality. Don't know of any better word for it. If I make it again with grapefruit, I'll add more ginger to it. In the meantime, this would be simply smashing with orange or maybe even Meyer lemon subbing for the grapefruit. Overall, this was easily made and quickly eaten. The texture was perfectly moist. This will definitely go into my "regular rotation".

Corn Muffins x 2

Sometimes things just fall into place so nicely. A couple of weeks ago I signed up to bring cornbread to a potluck. I thought I'd make it in muffin tins as it would be easier and neater to serve and eat that way. Then last week I received a Valentine's gift of the Dorie Greenspan cookbook I've been wanting. Guess what was in the first chapter? Not just one, but two different corn muffin recipes! Of course, I made both. Some things are just meant to be. Corny but true.

Corniest Corn Muffins
from page 4 of Baking: From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan, 2006
(also found at the Serious Eats blog)

Notes: FORGOT TO PUT THE ROSEMARY IN! GRRR. It was even sitting out on the counter (sigh). It was "optional", but I really wanted to opt for it. Used only the one cup of canned corn called for, so I could put extra in the other muffins and not have to open another can. Ha. I didn't feel like peeling the shaker lid off of the nutmeg, so instead of a pinch, I just put in a shake. Baked for 15 min, then 3, then 2 (20 min. total). They were turning golden on the top but were on the light side when taken out of the pan to cool. Lovely aroma. They tasted sweet, but not too sweet. Really quite nice, I'm very happy with them.

Savory Corn & Pepper Muffins
from page 6 of Baking: From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan, 2006
(also found with another good review at Ezra Pound Cake)

Notes: Opted out of the jalepeños. Used the rest of the (15.25 oz.) can of corn (1/4 cup + 3 Tblsp). The batter looks fantastic with flecks of bright red, yellow and green in it. Smells good too. Baked for 20 min, then 2 more (22 min. total). Didn't bake up as big as the other muffins, and came out a bit darker too. I love the flavor of these. Perfect for chili, gumbo and the like. Very pleased with both recipes.

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

I'm working my way up to real bona fide honest-to-goodness made-with-love cinnamon rolls. Like the ones Nana used to make (What? I can dream can't I?).

Baby Step #1: Make Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins from Joy The Baker
Based on Quick and Easy Cinnamon Bun Bread at Baking Bites
(All the flavor of a cinnamon roll without the hassle!)

The part about making muffins that I never liked is filling up the muffin tins*. This statement in particular: "Divide batter evenly...". No matter what I do, it never comes out even. There are always one or two that look "less than" rather than equal. Then there's the borrowing from the fuller cups to even out the lesser cups, and pretty soon it's all a big mess. I need to let go. I know this and that's why I've decided to make muffins more often. It's good practice for letting go (and we get to eat them after). Case in point, these Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins. I filled up the muffin cups with batter and there were a couple little runty ones. Oh well.**

The recipe gives the option to press the topping into the batter or swirl it in. Decisiveness being something else I'm working on, I decided to do both. I pressed half of the muffins and swirled the other six in order to see which way will work best. I'm letting go and making decisions. Such progress.

Next lesson: Listening to that little inner-voice. Like the one that told me it might be a good idea to put a cookie sheet underneath the muffin tin in case of spillage. Nope. I ignored it. I was in a "trusting in the world and all it encompasses" kind of a mood. Ha. Our pizza stone (which lives on the bottom rack of our oven) took the brunt of the cinnamon-sugar molten ooze-a-thon that followed. Not sure why it happened. It cleaned up easily enough though, and the muffins still tasted really good. Fiddle-de-dee. I'm letting go and accepting, listening to the intuitive little voices, and having another muffin... It's best to do this while they're still warm by the way.

*Cleaning out the muffin tin afterward is a strong second on this list.
**See how good I'm getting already.

Orange Oat Raisin Scones

Let's see, where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the afternoon tea I had with my friend...

Among the many delights on offer, we were treated to freshly baked scones. And ever since that day I have had scones on the brain, and it has culminated in my recent scone-fest.

Is Baking Therapy "a thing"? It really should be. I was stressed, so I baked. I was stressed, so I baked two different kinds of scones simultaneously at 4:30 in the afternoon. For no reason. Then I felt better. Repeat as necessary.

Baking Therapy.  Rx: Bake two scones and call me in the morning... we'll have tea... and we'll talk.

Orange Oat Raisin Scones
Adapted from this awesome looking recipe that I would have made except that I didn't have: whole wheat pastry flour, turbinado sugar, buttermilk, or currants... but I didn't let that stop me!

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (cold) butter, cut into pieces
2 cups old-fashioned oats
zest from 1 orange
1 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup raisins
4 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. With a whisk or food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in with a pastry blender or pulse in the pieces of cold butter until it looks like course sand. In a large bowl, stir the butter-flour mixture with the oats and orange zest. Use a whisk if the zest is clumping. Add the yogurt and raisins and stir until it looks evenly moist.

Dump the mixture onto a cutting board and pat together with your hands, packing the dough together into a rectangle approximately 7 x 9. Using a bench scraper (or pizza wheel, or sharp knife), divide the rectangle lengthwise, creating 2 narrow rectangles. Divide each of the two rectangles into 3 squares and each of the squares into 2 triangles. You should end up with 12 triangle-shaped scones. Or pat the dough into a circle and cut it into wedges. Transfer scones onto baking sheets and sprinkle the top of each with sugar Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until tops are golden.

Notes: Very traditional crumbly scone dough. Only had pastel green sanding sugar so it looks a little odd, but, oh well! These scones are a little on the dry side, which makes them the perfect partner for butter, jam, clotted cream.... and plenty of hot tea.