Zesty Cook » bread

Sour Dough Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

zesty — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:24:10 +0000

Every now and again you find amazing things on the internet. The item below I consider to be one of those items. In surfing around for breakfast ideas for last week’s delivery, I stumbled on to Steph’s site at Plain Chicken and looked repeatedly at this cinnamon pull apart bread. I knew it was a must try.

Instructions sounded pretty straight forward and it used bought bread ( which was a bonus based on timing) and the combination of honey butter and cinnamon – really? Do I have to go any further. All be it is a slight change from yogurt and fruit for breakfast, but every now and again you need to go off the wall and indulge. It helps your mind stay focused on your goals.

Trust me.

Indulge once a week and you will be happy.

Left: zoom shot of the butter prior to baking Right: Close up of the Glaze... YUM!

Lubed up all over with the honey cinnamon butter ( I could have ate the whole loaf at this stage.

Ingredients

1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make Vanilla Honey Butter: Whip butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar together until smooth; stir in honey and vanilla. Set aside. (You can use regular butter if desired)
Cut the bread lengthwise into 1/2″ slices, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread vanilla honey butter in between slices. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and slice the bread again into 1/2″ pieces, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread more vanilla honey butter in between new cuts. This doesn’t need to be perfect – just make sure there is lots of butter in between all the cuts.
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Generously sprinkle in between all cuts. (You may have extra butter and cinnamon sugar.
It will just depend on how large your bread loaf is.)
Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bread is warm. Unwrap cinnamon bread and place on serving platter. Combine powdered sugar and milk – adding milk until you get the consistency desired.
Drizzle icing over bread and serve immediately.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I would recommend using an electric knife to cut the bread so you don’t push the bread down too much. The first loaf I made, on the second cu, it was hard not to push down on the sticks of bread “squashing” them. The second loaf, I used the electric knife and made all the difference in the world.

After the glaze.... right out of the oven

Have a great weekend… ENJOY the super bowl and I will talk to you on Monday after the game.

Take care

zesty

Bread and A Banana… Or {Banana Bread}

zesty — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:00:01 +0000

The end of the week is here! This week flew by, hard to believe we are in May already. Guess what I just remembered last night? It is mother’s day on Sunday. Opps sorry Mrs. Zesty – I will get on it as soon as possible and surprise you for Sunday. I have a couple of ideas in mind so it will just be a matter of execution
on Saturday.

As for this sudden craving I had… banana bread. I had some lonely looking bananas hanging in the freezer that were just aching to be warmed up and cooked. What better way to use up bananas with on of my favorite breads in the whole world. Moist, tender, soft, fluffy banana bread! Give this recipe a try if you have a craving like I did and I am pretty confident you will not be disappointed.

Today, I thought I would share with you my take of a classic bread – Banana Bread! One of my all-time favorite loafs and a great way to use ripened bananas.

Every now and again I feel the need to add some nuts to my Banana Bread recipe for a different texture and flavor combination. With this loaf I chose the “Walnut”.

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup white sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
4 Mashed overripe bananas
1/4 Cup walnuts

Method

Preheat Oven to 350°.
Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended, then toss in the walnuts.
Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let bread cool in pan for a bit, then flip it out onto a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When bananas are on their last leg on your counter, a great place to store them for either smoothies or baking is in the freezer. They freeze very well and it will help prolong their useful life.

I hope you get some time in the near future to try this banana bread. As I mentioned earlier, it is one of my favorite loafs to make and eat. A slight problem is that I tend to eat the whole loaf. I especially love the two end pieces. Do you like the end pieces?

Weekend is upon us… any big plans for you? I hope you have fun with whatever you choose to do and I will see you back here on Monday!

Oh, one last thing, if you haven’t checked out our recipe e-book yet, you can download it here for free.

Take care

zesty

The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

zesty — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:00:25 +0000

Good day to you! Is breakfast your favorite meal of the day? For me, I would have to say yes to that question. Although I love eating at anytime of the day, breakfast is usually one of my favorites. Whether it is cereal, oatmeal, bacon and eggs, fresh homemade bread and jam, or an super delicious breakfast sandwich – sign me up because I am ready to go.

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite sandwiches in the morning. It is strictly just bacon, egg and cheese but it is the combination of flavors and textures that sends me over the moon. Oh wait, maybe it is the grease from the bacon and the richness of the cheese, followed by the buttery flavored croissant that makes me smile. Either or, I am pretty sure you will love this sandwich.

Before we get to far involved, let me state that the choice of bread can be endless. Today I went with a nice fresh croissant ( bakery purchased) but often times I would go with just homemade bread, maybe a fresh biscuit or even an English muffin or bagel. No rules on the bread front.

Ingredients

1 Croissant
2 Eggs
1 Slice of real cheddar
2 slices of ham( cooked )
Black Pepper
Mayo ( optional )
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 Tbsp. Water

Method

Preheat pan to medium high heat.
Crack two eggs in a bowl, add water and pepper and whisk together
Add the oil in the preheated pan and pour the beaten eggs in moving them around. Waiting about 1 minute, until the underside of the egg is cooked, gently use your lifter/flipper/turner to get under the egg and fold it over like an omelet.
Place cheese slice on top of egg and let melt
Let cook another minute or so and remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the sandwich: Slice open croissant, add the ham to the bottom slice, top with egg and cheese and complete the sandwich.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Often times if you want a crunch, I will turn on the broiler in the oven and toast both the croissant and melt the cheese at the same time in the oven. You could also just toast the croissant by itself and add the toppings once complete.

I hope all the US folks had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Let’s not forget that today is the final day for signing up for the book giveaway. I will be back Monday with ( if all things go as planned on the weekend) a very cool post to share with you.

Take care

zesty

A Zesty Favorite and Bread Winners!

zesty — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:43 +0000

It’s Good Friday! I cannot believe it is Easter already. I have been very sick the last few days with what I will call the Stomach flu that got Zesty but I am slowly on the mend as I type this post. I don’t ever remember being so sick as I was on Wednesday of this week. However, with that being said we have to move on and keep plugging away.

Do you ever wonder what one of my favorite snacks would be? You may or may not. If you had to guess what one of my favorite snacks would be – what do you think you would guess?

Potato Chips ( very good guess )
Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies ( another great guess)
Fresh Olives ( not so good!)
Pita and Homemade Hummus ( a good guess indeed )

One of my favorite snacks of all time has to be…..

Homemade biscuits from the oven with a little butter, some homemade strawberry jam and a little slice of aged cheddar cheese on top. Oh my stomach is growling right now as I look at these pictures. I am in love with biscuits… as you have likely figured out from previous biscuit posts. If you have a spare 10 minutes in your day – whip a batch of these up for yourself or your loved ones and you will be a happy person.

So now that you know one of my favorite all time snacks, I think we should get to the bread winners from Monday’s contest. Below are the 4 lucky winners of Dempster’s Oven Fresh Baguette.

Comment 39:

claire says:

March 31, 2010 at 3:19 pm

I love jelly on bread for the sweet and flavored olive oil or hummus for the savory:-)cc

Comment 10:
Janette says:

March 29, 2010 at 12:38 pm

Nothing better then the smell of bread coming out of the oven, with just a swipe of margarine.

Comment 2:
ann marie says:

March 29, 2010 at 9:53 am

Oven cooked bread is the best thing in the world and my fave topping is garlic butter and mozzarella cheese toasted in the oven till all gooey and melted.

Comment 6:
Meg says:

March 29, 2010 at 11:55 am

mmmmm….I could eat some warm bread NOW! I love all sorts of toppings but some raspberry preserves sound yummy right about now!

Congrats to all the winners. For the winners, please send me an email and I will get the coupons sent to you as soon as possible. Enjoy the rest of your Good Friday and have a great Easter weekend.

Take care

zesty

An Amazing Cheese Puff!

zesty — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:24:41 +0000

Happy Monday to you! I first want to thank everyone for their kind words regarding Friday’s House update. I greatly appreciate it. How was your weekend? Mine was a bit nutso as we have been trying to find a second vehicle and a Nintendo Wii. We checked all over PEI for Wii and came up empty so we took a trip to New Brunswick yesterday for a Wii and still came up dry. We looked at a few vehicles as well but just couldn’t find the right one.

So here is a little challenge. Can anyone find a Wii in their area and if so I will buy it and ship it to myself! Sound like fun? Looks like I may have to buy one online at this point or wait a little longer.

Ok I really have to share with you an amazing recipe today. Do you ever feel like you want to impress your house guests or company with an over the top appetizer? If so, this is the one for you. It is quite simple but the results are amazing. I honestly just didn’t make the title up with having proof to back it up. You have to try these cheese puffs.

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter ( softened )
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp. Coarse Salt
1 Cup Flour
4 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Grated gruyere cheese
1/4 Cup grated Asiago cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
In a saucepan combine butter, water milk and salt.
Bring to a boil and then add flour; Remove from heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.
Dough will dry out and pull from sides of sauce pan.
Put back on medium heat and beat a further 50 seconds to dry the dough even more
Transfer dough out of hot pan to a bowl and add eggs one at a time; beating vigorously with each egg.
After last egg add the Gruyere cheese and beat well.
Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper .
Drop dough from a teaspoon allowing room to expand.
Sprinkle tops with Asiago cheese and bake for 15 minutes at 400.
Then lower the temperature to 350 and bake another 15-20 minutes to dry the interior.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Make sure to beat the mixture well after each egg addition and the thing to look out for here is to ensure the center of the puff is nice and dry and flaky. Lowering the heat after the first 15 minutes is key to allow the inside to continue cooking but not brown the outside too much.

Zesty Around the Blogsphere

Before I go – you should check out a fun pancake recipe I feature on Picky Palate yesterday. I think you might like it especially all the oatmeal lovers. It is called Whole Grain Oatmeal Apple Pancakes. Let me know what you think.

I hope you have an amazing Monday and I hope you have some luck finding a Nintendo Wii. I better get going here and get ready for work. The sunrise was amazing this morning from the dining room table and I think it gave me a little extra boost of energy.

Take care

zesty

Grilled Sour Dough Turkey Sandwich

zesty — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:49 +0000

I made a sandwich a little while ago and for some reason I forgot to post about it. I really did like the outcome of the sandwich but it was nothing over the top. I remember picking up some sour dough bread at the bakery which was used for a grilled sandwich with some melted cheese oozing out the ends.

Now when it comes to sandwiches, in the last 3-4 months I have made a large change when it comes to sauces on my sandwiches. I don’t use any now! I know it sounds a bit bizarre for some but I really enjoy it now. I never was a big fan of mayonnaise so I used to revert to mustard. But lately I put that all on hold and usually have been avoiding it all together. I now tend to focus on cheese, vegetables and even fruit.

When it comes to the filling for this sandwich… it is super basic. We always seem to have turkey deli meat around since the kids love it and it is a good source of protein and as for cheese – I just went with old cheddar.

Ingredients

2 Slices of Sour Dough Bread
Handful of turkey meat
3 Slices of cheddar cheese
Black pepper

Method

Preheat sandwich maker or George foreman grill
Slice the bread and top with turkey cheese and pepper
Place the other piece of bread on top
Add sandwich to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: One tip when making grilled sandwiches is to make sure the filling ( meat in this case ) is fairly dry. I find the deli meat can be quite moist and will make the bread soggy, so I tend to pat it dry with a paper towel before adding it to the sandwich.

So that is the sandwich. Nothing elaborate but a very good quick meal whether you are on the run, or just craving the crunch from a toasted sandwich. I hope you have a great Tuesday and I am glad to see so many of you joining up for the free blogging tips newsletter over at my new consulting site.

Take care

zesty

Ridiculously Delicious Dinner Rolls

zesty — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:18 +0000

I am pretty excited to share this recipe with you today! These rolls are dead easy, will be the talk of the dinner table and come with some history. On PEI, there is a very popular lobster supper restaurant that bakes these fresh rolls all day everyday from which this recipe has been adapted from.

As you can tell from the ingredients below, these rolls are very wholesome and traditional. No additives, no extras – just plain old fashion goodness. You are going to spend most of your effort on the kneading. Not that these are intense to knead, however you will want to put forth the effort to ensure the quality.

Ingredients

8 Cups Flour
1 Tbsp. Salt
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 1/2 Packages Quick Rise Yeast
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil ( Olive Oil )
3 Cups Waters

Method

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Add yeast to dry ingredients; mix well.
Add remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
Add dry mixture to wet ingredients; mix well and knead ( about 5 minutes).
Let set for about 10 minutes.
Cut dough into small ball pieces and begin kneading them and shape them into the pan.
Let rise 60-75 minutes or until they double in size – cover with tea towels to keep them warm and moist.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Brush tops with butter once removed from the oven.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Place your dough to set in a warm place to yield better results. I like to put mine on top of the pre heating oven.

Well there you have it! A pretty simple roll with lots of flavor and tradition. Give this recipe a try, I am sure you will like it. Try it fresh from the oven, topped with butter or dipped in your homemade stew.

Have yourself a great Wednesday and I look forward to sharing some more recipes with you.

Take care

zesty

How About a Slice of this Garlic Bread?

zesty — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:00:28 +0000

Middle of the week is here, can you believe it? It feels like I have been living at warp speed as of late but I am still loving it. I was wondering all day about what to post and then I realized that I had made some killer garlic bread for my simple pasta dish that I have yet to share with you. This bread has a bit of love involved for simple garlic bread – but it is so worth it.

I used the bread maker to prepare the dough which makes it less fun but also allows you to do other things around the house while still achieving the great smell. Do you love the smell of fresh bread in your house? I am a huge sucker for the fresh bread smell.

To keep things simple I just shape the bread in a long loaf pan, let it double in size and then bake it off. Once baked, I let it cool slightly, cut it in two and then prepare the toppings before a simple broil to finish it off.

Melted butter, freshly roasted garlic, a sprinkle of parsley and a dash of paprika. Line up the supplies you will need to make this happen.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Lukewarm Water
1/2 Cup Creamed Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Old Cheddar Cheese
3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
3 Cups White Flour
2 Tsp. Yeast

Toppings

3 Tbsp. Butter
3 Cloves Garlic ( Roasted )
Parsley
Paprika

Method

Measure ingredients in order listed into baking pan.
Insert baking pan securely into bread maker; close lid.
Select dough setting and let it go.
Place dough in long loaf pan and let rise until doubled in size.
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees and cook until golden brown.
Once complete let cool, slice in half lengthwise and top with toppings.
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees and cook until golden brown.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a enhanced garlic flavor, buy a whole cluster of garlic, cut the top of it drizzle some olive oil over it, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 60 minutes.

I am really thankful I have this recipe/idea that I could share with you today. I really enjoyed preparing this bread as a nice accompaniment for some pasta or even on those nights when you just want to have finger food such as chicken wings. Have a great Wednesday and I will see you tomorrow.

Note: I did promise a new dessert treat in yesterday’s post and I didn’t pull through – sorry for that but hang in there and I will deliver.

Take care

zesty

A Lebanese Treat: Fatayer and New Printing Option

zesty — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:00:54 +0000

Hello from Miami! I am in the sunny state for a brief visit before moving on to Antigua to meet with a client. The weather in Miami is so nice!

To stay on the ball, and to keep the readers happy, I prepared a few pre-scheduled posts while I’m away. I will be posting live throughout the week but some of the recipes have been already created.

What a treat I have for you today – Lebanese Fatayer! Growing up having ancestry from Lebanon gave me a lot of exposure to Lebanese food. I am a huge fan of this cuisine. What I am about to share with you today is a classic dish which often has different fillings using spinach and/or meat. It’s called Fatayer and I am going to show you the way my family always makes them.

Now don’t kid yourself, this Fatayer recipe is a labor of love and involves setting homemade bread dough. Can you say YUM!? I cannot take any credit for these other than the pictures, as my aunt made them for two very special birthdays last week. She did a great job and made a whole bunch. If you can believe it – she set 8 loaves of dough. God love her.

Ingredients

Pastry

2 Cups hot water
2 Cups hot milk
4 Tbsp. shortening
4 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Packages instant yeast
10-12 Cups flour

Filling

Ground lamb
Ground beef
Minced onion
Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl, place water, milk, shortening and sugar (let melt).
In another large bowl place 6 cups of flour, salt, yeast and mix well.
Add flour mixture into liquid and mix. Add remaining flour a little at a time until you get the right consistency. (It is best to have the dough a little sticky)
Knead well.
Let rest for 10 minutes then cut the dough as if you were going to make rolls. Knead each piece and let rise until each piece double in size.
Now roll each piece out as thin as you can in a circle and add a small dollop of mixture in the center and spread it.
Pick two sides of the dough together and pinch tight as if you were making a turnover. Shape in a triangle and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake until light brown (Do not over cook as the dough will become tough).
Brush with melted butter once out of the oven and let cool on rack.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When the bread dough has a sticky consistency, the Fatayer will hold their shape better and not break at the seam. If the dough is too dry they will bust open and not look as pretty.

New Blog Feature

Before you leave, I’d like to mention that I’ve added a new “print” option to all posts due to multiple reader requests. When you click on the “print this post” link under the title of each post, it will bring you to a printer friendly version of the recipe. Enjoy!

Have a great Monday and stay tuned for another baked good in store for tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Cheesy Cheese Bread

zesty — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:00:46 +0000

Ever crave homemade bread but you don’t have the energy to do it from scratch? I had this issue on Tuesday – so I decided to haul out the bread maker and let it do the work for me. I am a little lazy at times or perhaps it’s better to call it efficient. Neither here nor there, I want to share with you a very nice bread recipe for your bread maker.

Cheesy Cheese Bread sounded delicious when I read it and I had all the ingredients on hand. What the heck, lets drop the ingredients into the bread maker and let it spin.

Remember with bread maker recipes you have to follow the measurements exactly or you could have a flop.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Lukewarm Water
1/2 Cup Creamed Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Old Cheddar Cheese
3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt
3 Cups White Flour
2 Tsp. Yeast

Method

Measure ingredients in order listed into baking pan.
Insert baking pan securely into bread maker; close lid.
Select sweet setting and 1.5 lb Loaf. Choose light or dark (I chose dark).
Push the start button and let it go. Time will be 3:50 hours.
Once complete, remove baking pan and allow to cool before slicing.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When using bread maker recipes, be sure to measure exact and ensure that your ingredients are fresh. Especially flour and yeast. The slightest adjustment when measuring can throw the process off.

Question of the Day: Do you have a breadmaker and if so – Do you use it frequently?

Have a great Thursday! We are preparing for a winter storm here yet again. Talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty