Not Your Average Monkey Bread

Sunday is definitely my favorite day of the week.  I love Sundays for a few reasons.  It's the day we meet at church to worship and fellowship.  It's the day my older children gather at our home for family meals and it's also the day I cook breakfast for 50 to 100 wonderful college students.  Now you can see why I love it so much and yes, I do love cooking for that many students.  I try to think of new recipes and use tasty, quality ingredients because I want them to feel special.  This week we made individual egg souffles, a fruit platter and this delicious monkey bread.  I believe the recipe came from the famous Pioneer Woman.I love her and her monkey bread and I hope you do too.

          Normally, I would use a muffin tin and I did for the college students but at home I wanted to use my heart ramekins. After all, it's almost Valentines and these would be delicious for that special someone.I put a little butter in the dish or tin then sugar and cinnamon.

Now, I put my thawed frozen roll that I cut into thirds ( but in this case I actually added a little more because these dishes are a little bigger than the tins.)

Finally, I put more butter and sugar and then I sprinkled it with more cinnamon.  Now it's time to bake them.  After they are baked just pour sweetened condensed milk over the top of them and let them sit a minute if you can resist that long. 

Ingredients

•   Frozen Bread Dough Dinner Rolls ( Cut Into Thirds)
• Butter
• Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon
• Sweetened Condensed Milk

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin.
Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon.
Allow dough to rise, if applicable, or just go ahead and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately drizzle plenty of sweetened condensed milk over the top of each one. Be generous! Allow rolls to sit for a little while to absorb sweet, sticky milk.

Coconut Thumbprint Cookies With Caramel

Recipes, recipes and more recipes, which one to make today, hmm.  This is always the dilemma. Today's recipe was in the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  It just looked  like such a fun wintery, special occasion, kind of cookie to use my jar of Trader Joe's caramel sauce.  I had been looking at that caramel in the cupboard for a week, contemplating how I might use it and then I came across this recipe. It was settled. These really are yummy if you like caramel and coconut.  Next time I would drizzle a little chocolate over the top as well. I think that combination would really be great.  My husband just loved these cookies and I hope you do too.  I have a few ( as in hundreds :) ) tried and true recipes I will be posting soon.

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 oz. flaked coconut 
large flaky sea salt
Trader Joe's Caramel Sauce


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar with the mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flower and half teaspoon of table salt, and beat to combine.Press dough together in plastic wrap,then roll into one inch balls. Deep each ball into beaten egg,  and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, and press indent into each with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from oven, and re-press indentations. Bake cookies until golden. 9-10 more minutes. Let cool. Then fill centers with caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt. 

Enjoy!

xo,

  Tina

Apple Fritter Muffins

    It was a blustery cold day. A day that called for a warm afternoon snack.  My youngest daughter stumbled onto this recipe on Pinterest so we thought we would give it a try.  It was a fun afternoon baking in the kitchen together and not only was it an enjoyable activity  but these muffins really turned out delicious. I hope you enjoy them as well.   

 For the Apples:
 2 large granny smith apples, 1/4 inch dice
 3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp water

1/3 cup flour

For the Muffins:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

For the Glaze:
2 tbsp butter melted
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Line 14 muffin cups with muffin liners 
3. In a skillet add add apple ingredients except flour and cook over medium heat until apples are tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour to coat apples (this prevents apples from sinking to bottom of muffins)
4. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
5. In a large bowl beat together applesauce, oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly  
6. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. Gently stir in apples until just combined
7. Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time.
8. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing. 
9. To make the glaze, In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth. 
10. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin top into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden before serving.

Egg Souffles{Guest Post By My Daughter}

 To kick off this blog, here is a post by my daughter Elizabeth{Cindi}. 

>> Ingredients for egg souffle<< 

>>1\2 cup of milk

>>8oz. of bacon {cooked}

>>pillsbury biscuits{8 pack}

>>4oz. cream cheese

>> 1 cup of cheese

>> 5 eggs 

>> Salt and pepper{as much as you prefer}.

* Recipe makes eight egg souffle's. 

>>Steps<<

1. Cut cream cheese into little pieces before mixing in. 

2. Mix all the ingredients together{not the biscuits, of course}.

3. Press biscuit into ramekin and press it up the sides.

4. Pour egg mixture into ramekins.

  5.Set oven to 375 degrees. 

6. Souffles should bake for about 20 minutes. 

Finally...Enjoy!